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US 10,462,380 B2Granted
Camera system with light-shield
AssigneeAptiv Technologies AG
InventorsKevin J. Hawes, Ronald M. Taylor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A camera system suitable for use on an automated vehicle, includes an imager used to detect an image of a field-of-view of the system, a light-shield operable to block a portion of the image from being received by the imager, and a controller in communication with the imager and the light-shield. The controller is configured to position the light-shield in a line-of-sight between a bright-spot and the imager.
Claims19
A camera system, said system comprising:
- an imager used to detect an image of a field-of-view of the system;
- a light-shield operable to block a portion of the image from being received by the imager, the light-shield including an absorber configured to block light-rays of a bright-spot in the field-of-view;
- and
- a controller in communication with the imager and the light-shield, said controller configured to:
- detect a bright-spot based on a position of the bright-spot on the imager;
- the position of the bright-spot determined by light intensity signals received from the imager;
- track the bright-spot across the field-of-view based on the light intensity signals;
- position the absorber in a line-of-sight between the bright-spot and the imager such that the absorber blocks all of the light-rays from the bright-spot in the field-of-view from reaching the imager while allowing light-rays from an image-area around an absorber-blocked-image section of the field-of-view to reach the imager;
- wherein the absorber is a liquid crystal filter configured to match a geometry of the bright-spot;
- and wherein the absorber is comprised of a plurality of concentric circles, wherein each subsequent concentric circle toward an outer diameter of the absorber is less opaque than the previous concentric circle.
7 more elements
A method of operating a camera system, said method comprising:
- detecting an image of a field-of-view of the camera system with an imager;
- blocking, with a light-shield, a portion of the image from being received by the imager, the light-shield including an absorber configured to block light-rays of a bright-spot in the field-of-view;
- and
- detecting, with a controller in communication with the imager and the light-shield, a bright-spot based on a position of the bright-spot on the imager;
- the position of the bright-spot determined by light intensity signals received from the imager;
- tracking, with the controller, the bright-spot across the field-of-view based on the light intensity signals;
- positioning, with the controller, the absorber in a line-of-sight between the bright-spot and the imager such that the absorber blocks all of the light-rays from the bright-spot in the field-of-view from reaching the imager while allowing light-rays from an image-area around an absorber-blocked-image section of the field-of-view to reach the imager;
- wherein the absorber is a liquid crystal filter configured to match a geometry of the bright-spot;
- and wherein the absorber is comprised of a plurality of concentric circles, wherein each subsequent concentric circle toward an outer diameter of the absorber is less opaque than the previous concentric circle.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.