Multifunctional integrated visual system with CMOS or CCD technology matrix

• US 7,460,161 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2003
• Issued: 12/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: C.R.F. Societa Consortile Per Azioni
• Original Assignee: Cefla Societa' Cooperativa
• Inventors: Repetto, Piermario, Bernard, Stefano, Pallaro, Nereo, Visintainer, Filippo, Pairetti, Bartolomeo, Borello, Elena
• Primary Examiner(s): Misleh; Justin P
• Application Number:
  US10/699,795
• Publication Number:
  US 20040141057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,855 Days
• Field of Search: 348/294, 348/302, 348/308, 348/148, 348/149, 382/104, 250/208.1
• US Class Current: 348/294
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/1423 Automatic dimming circuits, i.e. switching between high beam and low beam due to change of ambient light or light level in road traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/3321 Detection of streetlights
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1223 with sensors or transducers
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0822 characterized by the arrangement or type of detection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0844 including a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/42 using electric radiation detectors optical or mechanical part G01J1/04; by comparison with a reference light or electric value G01J1/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/4709 Backscatter
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/538 for determining atmospheric attenuation and visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9327 Sensor installation details
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4816 of receivers alone
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 19/023 Multi-image cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof

Abstract

The invention describes a system with a multifunctional integrated visual sensor using a CMOS or CCD technology matrix having a sensitive area divided into sub-areas dedicated to a series of specific functions.

Claims

1. A visual system, comprising:

a CCD or CMOS matrix having a sensitive area, and

a plurality of optical devices with different directions, fields of view or modes of optical separation,

wherein said sensitive area of the matrix is divided into a plurality of separated sub-areas designed for different specific functions, a first part of said plurality of separated sub-areas being dedicated to scene monitoring and a second part part of said plurality of separated sub-areas being dedicated to detection of environmental parameters, said division being achieved by said plurality of optical devices,

wherein a fog function is performed in one of the dedicated sub-areas in the second part with an active technique for local fog detection, and in one of the dedicated sub-areas in the first part with passive technique for fog bank detection.

2. The visual system according to claim 1, wherein the system is installed in a motor vehicle on a front portion of an inner rear-view mirror of the motor vehicle, and wherein additional sub-areas in the second part perform rain detection, windscreen misting detection, and dusk detection, respectively.

3. The visual system according to claim 1, wherein the matrix is a linear or logarithmic, monochromatic or color VGA CMOS matrix.

4. The visual system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the sub-areas in the first part is designed for front monitoring.

5. The visual system according to claim 1, wherein one of the sub-areas in the second part is for rain and misting detection.

6. The visual system according to claim 1, wherein one of the sub-areas in the first part is for meeting detection.

7. The visual system according to claim 5, wherein the sub-area dedicated to rain and misting detection includes an emitter.

8. The visual system according to claim 1, wherein one of the sub-areas in the second part is for a dusk function.

9. The visual system according to claim 4, wherein the at least one sub-area dedicated to front monitoring also performs a tunnel function.

10. The visual system according to claim 1, wherein the sub-area dedicated to the fog function, based on the active technique, receives an optical signal through an optical system comprising one of a ball and grin lens, an optical fiber, a high-pass or interferential filter, and a collection lens.

11. The visual system according to claim 10, wherein the sub-area dedicated to the fog function, based on the passive technique, receives the optical signal through an objective dedicated also to a front monitoring function.

12. The visual system according to claim 1, wherein some sub-areas are reserved for unused pixels to provide separation between used sub-areas.

13. A visual system, comprising:

a CCD or CMOS color or monochromatic matrix having a sensitive area, and

a plurality of optical devices with different directions, fields of view or modes of optical separation,

wherein said sensitive area of the matrix is divided into a plurality of separated sub-areas designed for different specific functions, a first part of said plurality of separated sub-areas being dedicated to scene monitoring and a second part of said plurality of separated sub-areas being dedicated to detection of environmental parameters, said division being achieved by said plurality of optical devices,

wherein a vehicle meeting function is performed by one of the sub-areas in the first part by using an optical filter laid with a discretization degree at a pixel level.

14. A visual system, comprising:

a CCD or CMOS matrix having a sensitive area, and

a plurality of optical devices with different directions, fields of view or modes of optical separation,

wherein said sensitive area of the matrix is divided into a plurality of separated sub-areas designed for different specific functions, a first part of said plurality of separated sub-areas being dedicated to scene monitoring and a second part of said plurality of separated sub-areas being dedicated to detection of environmental parameters, said division being achieved by said plurality of optical devices,

wherein the matrix has a protection window made of one of glass and transparent plastic, the protection window acting as support for one or more optical fibers and a prism, the one or more optical fibers carrying to selected sub-areas of the matrix an optical signal.

15. The visual system according to claim 14, wherein said optical fibers have proximal ends fitted into holes made into said protection window.

16. The visual system according to claim 14, wherein a sub-area dedicated to a rain function receives the optical signal from an optical system comprising, in series, the prism with an optical insulation, a filter and an objective with an optical axis orthogonal to a windscreen.

17. The visual system according to claim 14, wherein a sub-area dedicated to a windscreen misting function receives the optical signal from an optical system comprising, in series, the prism with an optical insulation, a filter and an objective with an optical axis orthogonal to a windscreen.

18. The visual system according to claim 14, wherein two sub-areas dedicated to a vehicle meeting function receive the optical signal through filters together with an objective.

19. The visual system according to claim 14, wherein a sub-area dedicated to a front monitoring function receives the optical signal through an objective with an optical axis shifted with respect to the center of the matrix.

20. A visual system, comprising:

a CCD or CMOS matrix having a sensitive area,

a plurality of optical devices with different directions, fields of view or modes of optical separation, wherein said sensitive area of the matrix is divided into a plurality of separated sub-areas designed for different specific functions, a first part of said plurality of separated sub-areas being dedicated to scene monitoring and a second part of said plurality of separated sub-areas being dedicated to detection of environmental parameters, said division being achieved by said plurality of optical devices, one of said sub-areas in the first part being dedicated to front monitoring and others of said sub-areas in the second part being dedicated to rain, misting, fog and dusk functions, and

an optical insulation between the first and second parts, the optical insulation partially covering a surface of a matrix protection window, on a side towards the matrix, with a layer of absorbing or reflecting material.

21. A visual system, comprising:

a CCD or CMOS matrix having a sensitive area, and

a plurality of optical devices with different directions, fields of view or modes of optical separation,

wherein said sensitive area of the matrix is divided into a plurality of separated sub-areas designed for different specific functions, a first part of said plurality of separated sub-areas being dedicated to scene monitoring and a second part of said plurality of separated sub-areas being dedicated to detection of environmental parameters, said division being achieved by said plurality of optical devices, wherein one of the sub-areas in the second part is dedicated to a dusk function and receives an optical signal through an optical fiber.

22. A visual system, comprising:

a CCD or CMOS matrix having a sensitive area, and

a plurality of optical devices with different directions, fields of view or modes of optical separation,

wherein said sensitive area of the matrix is divided into a plurality of separated sub-areas designed for different specific functions, a first part of said plurality of separated sub-areas being dedicated to scene monitoring and a second part of said plurality of separated sub-areas being dedicated to detection of environmental parameters, said division being achieved by said plurality of optical devices, wherein one of the sub-areas in the first part is dedicated to tunnel function and receives an optical signal through an objective dedicated also to a front monitoring function.