Vehicle imaging system with stereo imaging

A vehicular imaging system comprising:

• at least one imaging array sensor mounted at a vehicle and directed outwardly from the vehicle, said at least one imaging array sensor having distance-sensing capability, said at least one imaging array sensor receiving an image of at least one object, said at least one imaging array sensor including a first portion for receiving a first image of the at least one object and a second portion for receiving a second image of the at least one object, a first reference point of said first portion and a second reference point of said second portion being separated by a separation distance;
• a first optic element positioned along a first optic path between said first portion and the at least one object and a second optic element positioned along a second optic path between said second portion and the at least one object, said first optic having a first focal length and said second optic having a second focal length;
• and
• a control that is responsive to an output of said at least one imaging array sensor in order to capture an image of the at least one object external to the vehicle and determine a distance between said at least one imaging array sensor and the at least one object, said control determining a first position of said first image relative to said first reference point and a second position of said second image relative to said second reference point, wherein said distance is calculated according to the following equation:
• D = Δ ⁢ ⁢ f 1 ⁢ f 2 f 1 ⁢ x D2 - f 2 ⁢ x D1 ;
• where D is said distance, Δ is said separation distance, f1 is said first focal length, f2 is said second focal length, xD1 is a directed distance from said first reference point to said first image and xD2 is a directed distance from said second reference point to said second image.

A vehicular imaging system comprising:

• a first imaging array sensor for receiving a first image of a scene remote from said imaging system;
• a second imaging array sensor for receiving a second image of the scene, said first and second imaging array sensors being positionable relative to one another and defining a separation distance therebetween, said first and second imaging array sensors being pixelated array sensors, each comprising a plurality of photo sensing pixels, and being operable to receive a plurality of signals associated with a plurality of objects in the scene;
• a first optic element positionable along a first optic path between said first imaging array sensor and the scene, said first optic element having a first focal length;
• a second optic element positionable along a second optic path between said second imaging array sensor and the scene, said second optic element having a second focal length;
• and
• a control operable to determine a distance between an object in the scene and said imaging system, said control determining a first registration of said first image relative to a first reference point on said first imaging array sensor and a second registration of said second image relative to a second reference point on said second imaging array sensor, said control being operable to classify each of said plurality of signals as segments with respect to at least one of intensity, color, size and position on said first and second imaging array sensors and to determine a distance between said imaging system and objects associated with similarly classified signals, said segments being determined by assigning a value to each of said pixels sensing an intensity greater than a predetermined intensity threshold and determining groups of adjacent pixels having the value assigned thereto, said control being operable to determine a maximum intensity and an average pixel location for each said segment on each of said first and second imaging array sensors, said control being further operable to compare first segments on said first imaging array sensor with second segments on said second imaging array sensor, where said first and second segments have maximum intensity and pixel locations within a predetermined threshold, wherein said control calculates said distance to at least one of the plurality of objects according to the following equation:
• D = Δ ⁢ ⁢ f 1 ⁢ f 2 f 1 ⁢ x D2 - f 2 ⁢ x D1 ;
• where D is said distance, Δ is said separation distance, f1 is said first focal length, f2 is said second focal length, xD1 is a directed distance from said first reference point to an average position of said first segment and xD2 is a directed distance from said second reference point to an average position of said second segment.

A vehicular imaging system comprising:

• a first imaging array sensor for receiving a first image of a scene remote from said imaging system;
• a second imaging array sensor for receiving a second image of the scene, said first and second imaging array sensors being positionable relative to one another and defining a separation distance therebetween, said first and second imaging array sensors being pixelated imaging array sensors;
• a first optic element positionable along a first optic path between said first imaging array sensor and the scene, said first optic element having a first focal length;
• a second optic element positionable along a second optic path between said second imaging array sensor and the scene, said first optic element having a second focal length;
• and
• a control operable to determine a distance between an object in the scene and said imaging system, said control determining a first registration of said first image relative to a first reference point on said first imaging array sensor and a second registration of said second image relative to a second reference point on said second imaging array sensor, said control being operable to compare individual pixels on said first imaging array sensor with similarly illuminated individual pixels on said second imaging array sensor, wherein said control calculates said distance to at least one of the plurality of objects according to the following equation:
• D = Δ ⁢ ⁢ f 1 ⁢ f 2 f 1 ⁢ x D2 - f 2 ⁢ x D1 ;
• where D is said distance, Δ is said separation distance, f1 is said first focal length, f2 is said second focal length, XD1 is a directed distance from said first reference point to a registration of said individual pixel on said first imaging array sensor and xD2 is a directed distance from said second reference point to a registration of said individual pixel on said second imaging array sensor.

A vehicular headlamp control for controlling a headlamp of a vehicle, said headlamp control comprising:

• at least one imaging array sensor adaptable to receive stereoscopic images forward of the vehicle, said at least one imaging array sensor including a first portion and a second portion, said first portion receiving a first image of the light sources and said second portion receiving a second image of the light sources, said first portion being associated with a first reference point and said second portion being associated with a second reference point, a separation distance being defined by said first and second reference points;
• first and second optic elements, said first optic element having a first focal length and being positioned along a first optic path between the light sources and said first portion, said second optic element having a second focal length and being positioned along a second optic path between the light sources and said second portion;
• and
• a control responsive to said at least one imaging array sensor to identify light sources of interest and provide a control output to the vehicle, said control calculating a distance between at least one of the light sources of interest and said at least one imaging array sensor and providing said control output in response to said distance, said headlamp control controlling the headlamps of the vehicle in response to said control output, wherein said distance is calculated according to the following equation:
• D = Δ ⁢ ⁢ f 1 ⁢ f 2 f 1 ⁢ x D2 - f 2 ⁢ x D1 ;
• where D is said distance, Δ is said separation distance, f1 is said first focal length, f2 is said second focal length, xD1 is a directed distance from said first reference point to said first image and xD2 is a directed distance from said second reference point to said second image.

A rearview vision system for a vehicle comprising:

• at least one imaging array sensor positioned on the vehicle and directed rearwardly with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle, said at least one imaging array sensor having stereoscopic distance-sensing capability, a first portion of said at least one imaging array sensor receiving a first image of the at least one object and a second portion of said at least one imaging array sensor receiving a second image of the at least one object, said first portion is associated with a first reference point and said second portion is associated with a second reference point, a separation distance being defined by said first and second reference points;
• first and second optic elements, said first optic element having a first focal length and being positioned along a first optic path between the at least one object and said first portion, said second optic element having a second focal length and being positioned along a second optic path between the at least one object and said second portion;
• and
• a control operable to calculate a distance to at least one object rearward of the vehicle in response to an output of said at least one imaging array sensor, wherein said distance is calculated according to the following equation:
• D = Δ ⁢ ⁢ f 1 ⁢ f 2 f 1 ⁢ x D2 - f 2 ⁢ x D1 ;
• where D is said distance, Δ is said separation distance, f1 is said first focal length, f2 is said second focal length, xD1 is a directed distance from said first reference point to said first image and xD2 is a directed distance from said second reference point to said second image.

A vehicular headlamp control for controlling a headlamp of a subject vehicle, said headlamp control comprising:

• a distance sensor comprising at least one pixelated CMOS imaging array sensor having a plurality of pixels adaptable to receive images of light sources forward of the vehicle, said distance sensor being operable to calculate a distance between at least one light source of interest and said distance sensor, said at least one pixelated CMOS imaging array sensor including first and second portions, each of said first and second portions receiving respective first and second images of the light sources;
• and
• a control responsive to said at least one imaging array sensor and operable to identify the light sources of interest as headlamps or taillights and to provide a control output to the vehicle, said control being responsive to said distance sensor to modulate the headlamps at least between a high beam state and a low beam state of the headlamps of the subject vehicle in response to the calculated distance between the at least one light source of interest and said distance sensor, said control being operable to classify each of the images received by said at least one imaging array sensor, said each image being classified according to at least one of a location relative to said distance sensor, a size of said image and an intensity of said image, said control classifying and labeling a plurality of segments representing a plurality of light sources in the target scene in response to signals received by said pixels of said at least one pixelated CMOS imaging array sensor, said plurality of segments being labeled according to a position on said at least one pixelated CMOS imaging array sensor and an intensity of said signals, wherein said distance sensor compares each of said plurality of segments on said first portion with corresponding segments on said second portion in order to determine a deviation between a first relative position of said segments on said first portion and a second relative position of said corresponding segments on said second portion, said distance to each of the plurality of objects being calculated as a function of said deviation and a separation distance