Water depth estimation apparatus and method
AssigneeJaguar Land Rover Limited
InventorsMark Cund, Paul Widdowson, Jim O'Donoghue
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A land-based automotive vehicle comprising an apparatus for estimating the depth of water about the vehicle. The apparatus comprising at least one light source, at least one imaging means such as a camera mounted to the vehicle and a control unit, the apparatus being structured and arranged such that a first light signal is emitted toward a water surface about the vehicle, the at least one camera is configured for imaging the first light signal and the control unit is configured and arranged to compute from the imagery obtained by the at least one camera an estimation of a depth of water about the vehicle.
Claims21
An apparatus for estimating depth of water surrounding a wading vehicle, the apparatus comprising at least one light emitter having one or more coherent and vertically polarised light sources, at least one imaging means and a control unit, the at least one light emitter being structured and arranged such that a first light signal emitted by the at least one light emitter is directed towards a water surface, the at least one imaging means being configured and arranged for imaging the first light signal and the control unit being configured to compute from imagery obtained by the at least one imaging means an estimation of a wading depth of water, wherein the apparatus is configured to provide a warning in dependence on the estimated depth of the water being equal to or greater than a threshold wading depth, the threshold wading depth being 150 mm or more.
A method of estimating the depth of water at a location adjacent a vehicle, the method comprising:
- (i) emitting a first light signal toward a water surface at the location adjacent the vehicle, wherein the first light signal is emitted from a coherent and vertically polarized light source;
- (ii) imaging the first light signal;
- (iii) computing from said imagery an estimation of a wading depth of water at the location adjacent the vehicle;
- and
- (iv) providing a warning in dependence on the estimated depth of the water being equal to or greater than a threshold wading depth, the threshold wading depth being 150 mm or more.
An apparatus for estimating depth of water surrounding a wading vehicle, the apparatus comprising at least one light emitter, at least one imaging means, and a control unit, the at least one light emitter comprising one or more light sources being structured and arranged such that a first light signal emitted by the at least one light emitter is directed towards a water surface, the at least one imaging means being configured and arranged for imaging the first light signal and the control unit being configured to compute from imagery obtained by the at least one imaging means an estimation of a wading depth of water, wherein the one or more light sources are vertically polarized;
- wherein the apparatus is configured to provide a warning in dependence on the estimated depth of the water being equal to or greater than a threshold wading depth, the threshold wading depth being 150 mm or more.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.