Imaging system for vehicle

• US 7,877,175 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2010
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Higgins-Luthman, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Figueroa; Jaime
• Application Number:
  US12/764,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20100228435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 279 Days
• Field of Search: 701/28, 701/36, 701/301, 250/208.1, 382/199, 340/435, 340/436
• US Class Current: 701/28
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/23 with a predetermined field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/30 characterised by the type of image processing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/402 Image calibration
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/804 for lane monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/806 for aiding parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8066 for monitoring rearward traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/04 Traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/588 Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/76 Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 : for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

An imaging system for a vehicle includes an imaging array sensor and a control. The image array sensor comprises a plurality of photo-sensing pixels and is positioned at the vehicle with a field of view exterior of the vehicle. The imaging array sensor is operable to capture an image exterior of the vehicle. The control may process the captured images and may determine that the imaging array sensor is not aligned within a desired tolerance when the imaging array sensor is positioned at the vehicle. The control, responsive to a determination of a misalignment of the imaging array sensor at the vehicle, may adjust at least one of the captured images or an image data set and the image processing to at least partially compensate for the determined misalignment of the imaging array sensor.

Claims

1. An imaging system for a vehicle comprising:

an imaging array sensor comprising a plurality of photo-sensing pixels, wherein said imaging array sensor is positioned at the vehicle and has a field of view exterior of the vehicle, and wherein said imaging array sensor is operable to capture an image of a scene exterior of the vehicle, said captured image comprising an image data set representative of the exterior scene;

a control for processing said captured image, said control algorithmically processing said image data set to a reduced image data set of said image data set, said control processing said reduced image data set to extract information from said reduced image data set;

wherein said control is operable to determine that said imaging array sensor is not aligned within a desired tolerance when said imaging array sensor is positioned at the vehicle; and

wherein said control, responsive to a determination of a misalignment of said imaging array sensor when said imaging array sensor is positioned at the vehicle, is operable to adjust at least one of said image data set and said image processing to at least partially compensate for the determined misalignment of said imaging array sensor.

2. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein said control processes said image data set to determine a location of a reference structure of the vehicle, and wherein said control, responsive to processing of said image data set, is operable to verify that said imaging array sensor is mounted at the vehicle within said desired tolerance.

3. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein said control is operable to adjust said image processing to at least partially compensate for the detected misalignment of said imaging array sensor.

4. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein said control is operable to adjust said image data set to at least partially compensate for the detected misalignment of said imaging array sensor.

5. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein said control, responsive to a determination of a misalignment of said imaging array sensor when said imaging array sensor is positioned at the vehicle, is operable to determine a degree of misalignment of said imaging array sensor.

6. The imaging system of claim 5, wherein said control, responsive to the determination of the degree of misalignment of said imaging array sensor, is operable to adjust at least one of said image data set and said image processing to at least partially compensate for the determined degree of misalignment of said imaging array sensor.

7. The imaging system of claim 6, wherein said control processes said image data set to determine a location of a reference structure of the vehicle, and wherein said control is operable to adjust said image processing to position the reference structure at the appropriate location in the captured image to at least partially compensate for the determined degree of misalignment of said imaging array sensor.

8. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein said imaging array sensor has a field of view at a side of the vehicle.

9. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein said control processes said captured image to detect an object exterior the vehicle.

10. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein said control is operable to distinguish between an object in the field of view of said imaging array sensor and a shadow of an object.

11. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein said control is operable to switch between daytime and nighttime algorithms in response to an ambient light level at the vehicle.

12. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein at least one of (a) said control is operable to detect a headlamp of a vehicle in the field of view and (b) said control is operable to alert the driver of the vehicle that an object is detected in said exterior scene.

13. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein said exterior scene is at a side of the vehicle, and wherein said control is operable to alert the driver of the vehicle that an object is detected in said exterior scene in response to at least one of (a) the driver of the vehicle actuating a turn signal toward the side of the vehicle at which the object is detected;

and (b) the driver of the vehicle steering the vehicle toward the side of the vehicle at which the object is detected.

14. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein at least one of (a) said control applies an edge detection algorithm to process said reduced image data set and (b) said reduced image data set is representative of a target zone of said captured image.

15. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein at least one of (a) said imaging array sensor is part of an exterior rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle, (b) said imaging array sensor is part of an exterior rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle and with a field of view at least partially sideward of the vehicle, said imaging system comprising a side object detection system for detecting an object at a side of the vehicle, (c) said imaging array sensor is at an upper windshield area and behind the windshield of the vehicle, and (d) said imaging array sensor is at an upper windshield area and behind the windshield of the vehicle and with a field of view forward and through the windshield, said imaging system comprising a lane departure warning system.

16. An imaging system for a vehicle comprising:

an imaging array sensor comprising a plurality of photo-sensing pixels, wherein said imaging array sensor is positioned at the vehicle and has a field of view exterior of the vehicle, and wherein said imaging array sensor is operable to capture an image of a scene exterior of the vehicle, said captured image comprising an image data set representative of the exterior scene;

a control for processing said captured image, said control algorithmically processing said image data set to a reduced image data set of said image data set, said control processing said reduced image data set to extract information from said reduced image data set;

wherein said control is operable to determine that said imaging array sensor is not aligned within a desired tolerance when said imaging array sensor is positioned at the vehicle;

wherein said control, responsive to processing of said image data set, is operable to verify that said imaging array sensor is mounted at the vehicle within said desired tolerance;

wherein said control, responsive to a determination of a misalignment of said imaging array sensor when said imaging array sensor is positioned at the vehicle, is operable to adjust at least one of said image data set and said image processing to at least partially compensate for the determined misalignment of said imaging array sensor; and

wherein at least one of (a) said control is operable to detect a headlamp of a vehicle in the field of view and (b) said control is operable to alert the driver of the vehicle that an object is detected in said exterior scene.

17. The imaging system of claim 16, wherein said control, responsive to a determination of a misalignment of said imaging array sensor when said imaging array sensor is positioned at the vehicle, is operable to determine a degree of misalignment of said imaging array sensor, and wherein said control, responsive to the determination of the degree of misalignment of said imaging array sensor, is operable to adjust at least one of said image data set and said image processing to at least partially compensate for the determined degree of misalignment of said imaging array sensor.

18. The imaging system of claim 16, wherein said control processes said image data set to determine a location of a reference structure of the vehicle and wherein said control is operable to adjust said image processing to position the reference structure at the appropriate location in the captured image to at least partially compensate for the determined misalignment of said imaging array sensor.

19. An imaging system for a vehicle comprising:

an imaging array sensor comprising a plurality of photo-sensing pixels, wherein said imaging array sensor is positioned at the vehicle and having a field of view exterior of the vehicle, and wherein said imaging array sensor is operable to capture images exterior of the vehicle;

a control for processing said captured image;

wherein said control is operable to determine that said imaging array sensor is not aligned within a desired tolerance when said imaging array sensor is positioned at the vehicle; and

wherein said control, responsive to a determination of a misalignment of said imaging array sensor when said imaging array sensor is positioned at the vehicle, is operable to adjust at least one of said captured images and said image processing to at least partially compensate for the determined misalignment of said imaging array sensor; and

wherein at least one of (a) said imaging system comprises an object detection system for detecting an object exterior of the vehicle, (b) said imaging system comprises a headlamp control system for detecting a headlamp of a vehicle in the field of view, and (c) said imaging system comprises a lane departure warning system.

20. The imaging system of claim 19, wherein said control is operable to switch between daytime and nighttime algorithms in response to an ambient light level at the vehicle.

21. The imaging system of claim 19, wherein said captured images comprise an image data set and wherein said control algorithmically processes said image data set to a reduced image data set of said image data set, and wherein said control processes said reduced image data set to extract information from said reduced image data set.

22. An imaging system for a vehicle comprising:

at least a first imaging array sensor comprising a plurality of photo-sensing pixels and a second imaging array sensor comprising a plurality of photo-sensing pixels;

wherein said first imaging array sensor is positioned at the vehicle and has a first field of view exterior of the vehicle, and wherein said first imaging array sensor is operable to capture images exterior of the vehicle;

wherein said second imaging array sensor is positioned at the vehicle and has a second field of view exterior of the vehicle, and wherein said second imaging array sensor is operable to capture images exterior of the vehicle;

a control for processing said captured images;

wherein said control is operable to determine that at least one of said imaging array sensors is not aligned within a desired tolerance when said at least one of said imaging array sensors is positioned at the vehicle; and

wherein said control, responsive to a determination of a misalignment of at least one of said imaging array sensors when said imaging array sensors are positioned at the vehicle, is operable to adjust at least one of said captured images and said image processing to at least partially compensate for the determined misalignment of said at least one of said imaging array sensors.

23. The imaging system of claim 22, wherein at least one of (a) said imaging system comprises an object detection system for detecting an object exterior of the vehicle, (b) said imaging system comprises a headlamp control system for detecting a headlamp of a vehicle in the field of view, and (c) said imaging system comprises a lane departure warning system.

24. The imaging system of claim 23, wherein said first imaging array sensor is part of a driver side exterior rearview mirror of the vehicle and said first field of view exterior of the vehicle encompasses a scene adjacent the driver side of the vehicle, and wherein said second imaging array sensor is part of a passenger side exterior rearview mirror of the vehicle and said second field of view exterior of the vehicle encompasses a scene adjacent the passenger side of the vehicle.

25. An imaging system for a vehicle comprising:

at least a first imaging array sensor comprising a plurality of photo-sensing pixels and a second imaging array sensor comprising a plurality of photo-sensing pixels;

wherein said first imaging array sensor is positioned at the vehicle and has a first field of view exterior of the vehicle, and wherein said first imaging array sensor is operable to capture images exterior of the vehicle;

wherein said first imaging array sensor is part of a driver side exterior rearview mirror of the vehicle and said first field of view exterior of the vehicle encompasses a scene adjacent the driver side of the vehicle;

wherein said second imaging array sensor is positioned at the vehicle and has a second field of view exterior of the vehicle, and wherein said second imaging array sensor is operable to capture images exterior of the vehicle;

wherein said second imaging array sensor is part of a passenger side exterior rearview mirror of the vehicle and said second field of view exterior of the vehicle encompasses a scene adjacent the passenger side of the vehicle;

a control for processing said captured images;

wherein said control is operable to determine that at least one of said imaging array sensors is not aligned within a desired tolerance when said at least one of said imaging array sensors is positioned at the vehicle; and

wherein said control, responsive to a determination of a misalignment of at least one of said imaging array sensors when said imaging array sensors are positioned at the vehicle, is operable to adjust at least one of said captured images and said image processing to at least partially compensate for the determined misalignment of said at least one of said imaging array sensors.

26. The imaging system of claim 25, wherein at least one of (a) said imaging system comprises an object detection system for detecting an object exterior of the vehicle, (b) said imaging system comprises a headlamp control system for detecting a headlamp of a vehicle in the field of view, and (c) said imaging system comprises a lane departure warning system.

27. The imaging system of claim 25, wherein said control is operable to alert the driver of the vehicle that an object is detected.