Infrared night vision system, in colour

• US 7,358,496 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2004
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo Vision (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Vision (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Hue, David, Hidden, Philippe, Fleury, Benoist
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taningco; Marcus H
• Application Number:
  US10/888,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20050040333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 250/332, 250/208.1
• US Class Current: 250/332
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/12 with means for image conversion or intensification
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/143 Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

A night vision method and system for producing a colour infrared image of a road scene situated in front of a vehicle. At least one projection device emits an infrared light towards the road scene. A colour sensor captures a colour image of the road scene and a monochrome infrared sensor captures a monochrome infrared image of the road scene. The colour and monochrome infrared images are combined to obtain the colour infrared image of the road scene.

Claims

1. Night vision system for a road scene comprising:

at least one projection device for emitting near infrared light towards a road scene;

a first sensor for capturing a first image of the road scene, the first sensor being a colour sensor for capturing said first image without blooming, said first image being a colour image;

a second sensor for capturing a second image of the road scene using the near infrared light, the second sensor being a monochrome infrared sensor, sensitive to infrared radiation from 800 nm to 1200 nm, for capturing said second image with blooming, said second image being a monochrome infrared image, said first sensor and said second sensor being synchronous or quasi-synchronous; and

an image processing means for combining said colour image without blooming with said monochrome infrared image with blooming;

wherein the first sensor has a sensitivity 10 to 100 times less than a sensitivity of the second sensor.

2. The night vision system according to claim 1, being mounted to a motor vehicle.

3. Road scene night vision method, in which a near infrared light beam is emitted in a direction of a road scene, which comprises the following operations:

providing a first sensor for capturing a colour image of the road scene, the first sensor capturing the colour image without blooming;

providing a second sensor, sensitive to infrared radiation from 800 nm to 1200 nm, for capturing a monochrome infrared image of the road scene using the near infrared light, the second sensor capturing the monochrome infrared image with blooming, said first sensor and said second sensor being synchronous or quasi-synchronous;

capturing a colour image of the road scene without blooming;

capturing a monochrome infrared image of the road scene with blooming;

combining the colour and monochrome infrared images of the road scene, and

obtaining a colour infrared image of the road scene,

wherein the first sensor has a sensitivity 10 to 100 times less than a sensitivity of the second sensor.

4. The road scene night vision method according to claim 3, wherein the combining of the first and second images comprises a pixel by pixel averaging of said first and second images.

5. Night vision system for a road scene comprising:

at least one projection device emitting near infrared light towards a road scene;

a first sensor for capturing a first image of the road scene, the first sensor being a colour sensor for capturing said first image without blooming, said first image being a colour image;

a second sensor for capturing a second image of the road scene using the near infrared light, the second sensor being a black and white sensor, sensitive to infrared radiation from 800 nm to 1200 nm, for capturing an infrared black and white image of the road scene with blooming, said first sensor and said second sensor being synchronous or quasi-synchronous; and

an image processing means for combining said colour image without blooming with said black and white image with blooming;

wherein a sensitivity of said first sensor being 10 to 100 times lower in comparison to a sensitivity of said second sensor.

6. Road scene night vision method, in which a near infrared light beam is emitted in a direction of a road scene, which comprises the following operations:

providing a first sensor for capturing a colour image of the road scene, the first sensor capturing the color image without blooming;

providing a second sensor, sensitive to radiation from 800 nm to 1200 nm, for capturing a black and white infrared image of the road scene using the near infrared light, the second sensor capturing the monochrome infrared image with blooming, said first sensor and said second sensor being synchronous or quasi-synchronous;

capturing a colour image of the road scene without blooming;

capturing a monochrome infrared image of the road scene with blooming;

combining the colour and black and white infrared images of the road scene, and

obtaining a colour infrared image of the road scene,

wherein the first sensor has a sensitivity 10 to 100 times less than a sensitivity of the second sensor.