Moisture sensor utilizing stereo imaging with an image sensor
AssigneeGentex Corporation
InventorsHarold C. Ockerse, John K. Roberts
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A moisture sensing system of the present invention includes first and second sensor arrays, at least one optical system operative to image the same portion of the surface onto both of the sensor arrays, and a processing system in communication with the sensor arrays and operative to analyze images from the sensor arrays to detect moisture. The sensor arrays may be two-dimensional sensor arrays that are separate or different portions of the same sensor array. This system may be used to control the windshield wipers of a vehicle. The processing system may be configured to subtract an image obtained from the first sensor array from an image obtained from the second sensor array to distinguish between near field and far field objects.
Claims26
A system for detecting moisture on a surface comprising:
- a sensor array having first and second portions;
- at least one optical system operative to image the same portion of the surface onto both of said portions of said sensor array;
- and
- a processing system in communication with said sensor array and operative to analyze images from said first and second portions of said sensor array to detect moisture, wherein said processing system is configured to detect edges of objects in the images from said image sensor array portions.
A system for detecting moisture on a surface comprising:
- a sensor array having first and second portions;
- at least one optical system operative to image the same portion of the surface onto both of said portions of said sensor array;
- and
- a processing system in communication with said sensor array and operative to analyze images from said first and second portions of said sensor array to detect moisture, wherein said processing system is configured to compare the relative position of objects in an image from said first portion of said sensor array with the relative position of objects in an image from said second portion of said sensor array to distinguish objects on the surface from far field objects.
A system for detecting moisture on a surface comprising:
- a sensor array having first and second portions;
- at least one optical system operative to image the same portion of the surface onto both of said portions of said sensor array;
- and
- a processing system in communication with said sensor array and operative to analyze images from said first and second portions of said sensor array to detect moisture, wherein said processing system is configured to digitize and subtract images from said first and second portions of said sensor arrays to distinguish objects on the surface from far field objects.
A system for detecting moisture on a surface comprising:
- a sensor array having first and second portions;
- at least one optical system operative to image the same portion of the surface onto both of said portions of said sensor array;
- and
- a processing system in communication with said sensor array and operative to analyze images from said first and second portions of said sensor array to detect moisture, wherein said processing system reads image data from at least one row but less than all rows of said first portion of said sensor array and image data from corresponding row(s) of said second portion of said sensor array, compares the image data read, and stores the result of the comparison prior to reading image data from additional rows of said first and second portions of said sensor array.
A system for detecting moisture on a surface comprising:
- first and second sensor arrays spatially offset from one another;
- at least one optical system operative to image the same portion of the surface onto both of said sensor arrays;
- and
- a processing system in communication with said sensor arrays and operative to analyze images from said sensor arrays to detect moisture, wherein said processing system reads image data from at least one row but less than all rows of said first sensor array and image data from corresponding row(s) of said second sensor array, compares the image data read, and stores the result of the comparison prior to reading image data from additional rows of said sensor arrays.
A method of detecting moisture on a surface comprising the steps of:
- obtaining two two-dimensional images of the same portion of the surface from two different angles;
- digitizing the two images;
- and
- subtracting the two digitized images from one another to thereby remove far field objects from a resultant image while leaving information relating to near field objects in the resultant image, wherein the near field objects correspond to moisture on the surface.
A windshield wiper control system for a vehicle comprising:
- first and second two-dimensional image sensors;
- an optical system operative to image the same portion of the surface of the vehicle windshield onto said first and second image sensors;
- and
- a processing circuit in communication with said image sensors and operative to analyze images from said image sensors to detect moisture on the windshield and to activate the windshield wipers when moisture is detected, wherein said processing circuit is configured to detect edges of objects in the images from said image sensors.
A windshield wiper control system for a vehicle comprising:
- first and second two-dimensional image sensors;
- an optical system operative to image the same portion of the surface of the vehicle windshield onto said first and second image sensors;
- and
- a processing circuit in communication with said image sensors and operative to analyze images from said image sensors to detect moisture on the windshield and to activate the windshield wipers when moisture is detected, wherein said processing circuit is configured to compare the relative position of objects in an image from said first image sensor with the relative position of objects in an image from said second image sensor to distinguish objects on the surface from far field objects.
A windshield wiper control system for a vehicle comprising:
- first and second two-dimensional image sensors;
- an optical system operative to image the same portion of the surface of the vehicle windshield onto said first and second image sensors;
- and
- a processing circuit in communication with said image sensors and operative to analyze images from said image sensors to detect moisture on the windshield and to activate the windshield wipers when moisture is detected, wherein said processing circuit is configured to digitize and subtract the images from said first and second image sensors to distinguish objects on the surface from far field objects.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.