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US 10,122,933 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for recording an image sequence of an area surrounding a vehicle
AssigneeVolkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsGeorg Lambert, Reiner Katzwinkel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Optical radiation from an area surrounding a vehicle is detected by a sensor in order to record an image sequence of the surrounding area. The sensor may be exposed continuously to the radiation which is incident on it while the image sequence is being recorded in order to detect a light pulse of an indefinitely short time duration.
Claims12
A method for recording an image sequence of an area surrounding a vehicle, the method comprising:
- detecting optical radiation from the surrounding area by a sensor to record the image sequence;
- regulating an amount of light from the radiation which is incident on the sensor such that the amount of light per unit time on the sensor is kept below a predetermined threshold value during the recording of the image sequence, wherein the regulating of the amount of light incident on the sensor to the predetermined threshold value is performed independently of the brightness conditions in the surrounding area;
- and
- continuously exposing the sensor to the optical radiation which is incident on the sensor during an entire cycle time while recording the image sequence,
- wherein the detection, regulation and continuous exposure are performed simultaneously and the regulating of the amount of light incident on the sensor prevents overloading of the sensor, thereby enabling exposure time of the sensor to be set to a maximum value independently of the brightness conditions in the surrounding area, and a pause time of the sensor to be set shorter than a predetermined time duration which corresponds to a predetermined light pulse duration of a light pulse that is to be detected by the sensor.
2 more elements
An apparatus configured to record an image sequence of an area surrounding a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
- a controller;
- and
- a sensor coupled to the controller and configured to detect optical radiation from the surrounding area to record the image sequence, wherein the controller is configured to regulate an amount of light from the radiation which is incident on the sensor such that the amount of light per unit time on the sensor is kept below a predetermined threshold value during the recording of the image sequence, and wherein the sensor is exposed continuously to the radiation which is incident on the sensor during an entire cycle time while the image sequence is being recorded,
- wherein the detection, regulation and continuous exposure are performed simultaneously, wherein the regulating of the amount of light incident on the sensor to the predetermined threshold value is performed independently of the brightness conditions in the surrounding area;
- and
- wherein the regulating of the amount of light incident on the sensor prevents overloading of the sensor, thereby enabling exposure time of the sensor to be set to a maximum value independently of the brightness conditions in the surrounding area, and a pause time of the sensor to be set shorter than a predetermined time duration which corresponds to a predetermined light pulse duration of a light pulse that is to be detected by the sensor.
3 more elements
A vehicle including an apparatus configured to record an image sequence of an area surrounding the vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
- a controller;
- and
- a sensor coupled to the controller and configured to detect optical radiation from the surrounding area to record the image sequence, wherein the controller is configured to regulate an amount of light from the radiation which is incident on the sensor such that the amount of light per unit time on the sensor is kept below a predetermined threshold value during the recording of the image sequence, and wherein the sensor is exposed continuously to the radiation which is incident on the sensor during an entire cycle time while the image sequence is being recorded,
- wherein the detection, regulation and continuous exposure are performed simultaneously wherein the regulating of the amount of light incident on the sensor to the predetermined threshold value is performed independently of the brightness conditions in the surrounding area;
- and
- wherein the regulating of the amount of light incident on the sensor prevents overloading of the sensor, thereby enabling exposure time of the sensor to be set to a maximum value independently of the brightness conditions in the surrounding area, and a pause time of the sensor to be set shorter than a predetermined time duration which corresponds to a predetermined light pulse duration of a light pulse that is to be detected by the sensor.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.