Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130177212 | BAYESIAN CLASSIFIER SYSTEM USING A NON-LINEAR PROBABILITY FUNCTION AND METHOD THEREOF - A classification system and method are provided, wherein the classification system includes a memory device, a processor communicatively connected to the memory device, and an input communicatively connected to the processor, wherein the input is configured to receive data comprising at least one object that is to be classified as one of an object of interest (OOI) and a nuisance of interest (NOI) based upon at least one non-Boolean attribute of the object, wherein the processor is configured as a Bayesian classifier to classify the object based upon the non-Boolean attribute using a non-linear probability function. | 07-11-2013 |
20130261838 | VEHICULAR IMAGING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING ROADWAY WIDTH - A vehicular imaging system for determining roadway width includes an image sensor for capturing images and an image processor for receiving the captured images. The image processor determines roadway width by identifying roadway marker signs and oncoming traffic in processed images captured by the image sensor and determining the number of lanes, vehicle location on the roadway based on the roadway size and/or width and location of oncoming traffic. | 10-03-2013 |
20130320193 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING VEHICLE EQUIPMENT RESPONSIVE TO A MULTI-STAGE VILLAGE DETECTION - A system for controlling equipment of a vehicle is provided. The system is configured to image a scene external and forward of the controlled vehicle and to generate image data corresponding to acquired images, including a controller for receiving and analyzing the image data and for generating a control signal in response to analysis of the image data and in response to a selected mode of operation. The controller analyzes the data in order to detect at least one characteristic in the image data and selects a mode of operation from at least one of the following modes of operation: The controller selects a dark village mode if at least one characteristic reaches a first threshold, a bright village mode if at least one characteristic reaches a second threshold, and a non-village mode if the controller is not operating in either the dark village mode or the bright village mode. | 12-05-2013 |
20130332034 | VEHICLE IMAGING SYSTEM PROVIDING MULTI-STAGE AIMING STABILITY INDICATION - A system is provided for controlling equipment of a controlled vehicle, including: an imaging system including an image sensor configured to acquire images of a scene external of the controlled vehicle and to generate image data corresponding to the acquired images; and a controller in communication with the imaging system. The controller is configured to receive and analyze the image data, to generate a control signal that is used to control the equipment, and to automatically aim the image sensor. The controller may analyze the image data to determine a stability state for the aim of the image sensor. The control signal may include an aim stability indication. | 12-12-2013 |
20140036080 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING EXTERIOR VEHICLE LIGHTS RESPONSIVE TO DETECTION OF A SEMI-TRUCK - An exterior light control system is provided for controlling exterior lights of a vehicle. The system includes an imaging system configured to image a forward external scene and to generate image data corresponding to the acquired images; and a controller configured to receive and analyze the image data and for generating an exterior light control signal that is used to control the exterior lights in response to analysis of the image data. The controller is further configured to analyze the image data to detect a semi-truck. When a semi-truck is detected, the controller generates an exterior light control signal that indicates the detection of a semi-truck or simply the presence of an oncoming vehicle. The controller may detect groups of lights belonging to a semi-truck other than headlamps, e.g., cab lights, so that a semi-truck may be detected even when the headlamps of the semi-truck are not detected due to being blocked by a roadside barrier. | 02-06-2014 |
20140049645 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR IMAGING AN EXTERNAL SCENE BY EMPLOYING A CUSTOM IMAGE SENSOR - A method and system are provided to image an external scene by employing a custom image sensor. The custom image sensor may use a GRRB array to filter the images of oncoming and preceding vehicle taillights captured by a vehicle camera. The method and system may also calculate a GRRB color metric for use in the custom image sensor by performing interpolation on a number of color channels, summing the brightness values for each of the color channels interpolated, normalizing each of the brightness values, and converting the normalized brightness values from an RGB scale to a linear scale of non-red to red. | 02-20-2014 |
20140070698 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTING A BLOCKED IMAGER - An exterior light control system for controlling exterior lights of a controlled vehicle is provided, which includes an imager configured to image a scene external and forward of the controlled vehicle and to generate image data corresponding to the acquired images. A controller is configured to receive and analyze the image data and generate a control signal for controlling the exterior lights of the controlled vehicle. The controller is further configured to receive temperature information relating to an operational temperature of the imager, wherein when the controller determines that the operational temperature of the imager is below a temperature threshold, the control signal includes an indication that the imager is blocked. | 03-13-2014 |
20140244111 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING VEHICLE SPEED AND DRIVER NOTIFICATION - A vehicle speed monitoring system and method is provided that determines a speed threshold based on provided inputs from various vehicle systems and measures the speed threshold against the current driving speed. In the event the threshold speed is exceeded, the system notifies the driver and/or makes a recommendation depending on the present driving conditions. | 08-28-2014 |
20140247351 | VEHICLE IMAGING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CATEGORIZING OBJECTS USING RELATIVE MOTION ANALYSIS - An imaging system is provided for a vehicle. The imaging system includes: an imager configured to image a forward external scene of the controlled vehicle and to generate image frame data corresponding to each frame of a series of acquired image frames; and a processor configured to receive and analyze the image frame data to detect a dominant scene motion and to determine relative motion of objects as compared to the dominant scene motion, and wherein the analysis of the image frame data performed by the processor includes categorizing objects detected in the image frame data using the relative motion of those objects. | 09-04-2014 |
20150048738 | VEHICLE IMAGING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISTINGUISHING REFLECTIVE OBJECTS FROM LIGHTS OF ANOTHER VEHICLE - An imaging system is provided for a vehicle. The system includes an imager for imaging a forward external scene and generating image data corresponding to the acquired images; and a processor for receiving and analyzing the image data to detect a light source. When a light source is detected, the processor generates a control signal to control exterior lights of the vehicle to temporarily modulate an illumination pattern projected from the exterior lights to have a particular modulation pattern. After generating the control signal, the processor analyzes the image data subsequently received to detect whether the light source has the modulation pattern of the exterior lights. If the light source does have the modulation pattern, the processor determines that the light source is a reflective object and not a light of another vehicle. Otherwise, the processor determines that the light source may be a light of another vehicle. | 02-19-2015 |
20150049198 | IMAGING SYSTEM AND METHOD WITH EGO MOTION DETECTION - An imaging system and method for a vehicle is provided, and includes an imager configured to image a scene external and forward of the vehicle and to generate image data corresponding to the acquired images. A controller is configured to receive the image data and analyze an optical flow between successive image frames to compute a relative motion between the imager and the imaged scene, wherein the optical flow includes a pattern of apparent motion of objects of interest in the successive image frames. | 02-19-2015 |
20150061493 | IMAGING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FOG DETECTION - An imaging system and method for fog detection are disclosed herein. An imager is configured to image a scene external and forward of a controlled vehicle and to generate image data corresponding to the acquired images. A controller is configured to receive and analyze the image data. When exterior lights of the controlled vehicle are operated in a low beam state, the controller is able to detect light sources of interest in the image data, determine if each light source of interest is a foggy light or a clear light, and generate a first signal if a fog entry condition is satisfied. | 03-05-2015 |