Obstruction detector for automobile vehicle windows
AssigneeArvinMeritor Light Vehicle Systems - France
InventorsYann Le Gallo, Mickael Lebourgeois
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle door includes an openable window and a detector with a charge-coupled device sensor. The sensor detects the light distribution proximate to a closing line of the window. If an obstruction is present, the light distribution received by the sensor varies. The light distribution received by sensor is compared with a reference distribution to detect if an obstruction is present. If an obstruction is detected, movement of the window is stopped, allowing any obstruction in the path of the window.
Claims17
An obstruction detector comprising:
- a light sensor having a plurality of imaging elements;
- and
- a circuit that analyzes a distribution of light received by the light sensor, wherein the distribution of light defines a histogram of gray levels of the plurality of imaging elements, the circuit compares the histogram of gray levels of the distribution of light received by the sensor to a reference histogram to detect an obstruction in a path of the distribution of light received by the light sensor, and the circuit updates the reference histogram.
An automobile vehicle part comprising:
- an opening;
- an openable member in the opening and moveable to a closing line, wherein the openable member contacts the closing line when the openable member is in a closed position;
- and
- a detector including a light sensor having a plurality of imaging elements and a circuit that analyzes a distribution of light received by the light sensor, wherein the distribution of light defines a histogram of gray levels of the plurality of imaging elements, the circuit compares the histogram of gray levels of the distribution of light received by the light sensor to a reference histogram, and the circuit updates the reference histogram.
A method of detecting an obstruction in a path of an openable member comprising the steps of:
- detecting light along a closing line of the openable member with a light sensor to form a distribution of light, wherein the light sensor has a plurality of imaging elements and the distribution or light defines a histogram of gray levels of the plurality of imaging elements;
- comparing the histogram of gray levels of the distribution of light along the closing line with a reference histogram;
- indicating an obstruction when the step of comparing indicates the obstruction is in the path of the openable member;
- and
- updating the reference histogram.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.