Optical detection system for motor-vehicles having multiple functions, including detection of the condition of the road surface

Optical detection system for motor-vehicles, able to detect the condition of a road surface on which a vehicle is travelling, said system comprising:

• a photodetector unit mounted on board the motor-vehicle, for receiving a electromagnetic radiation diffused by the road surface, and
• a control and processing electronic unit, suitable to receive signals output from said photodetector unit and to process them with the aim of detecting the condition of the road surface, said system being characterised in that said photodetector unit is a chamber having a matrix of pixels composed of photodetectors based on a material, preferably InGaAs or Ge/Si, suitable to detect both radiations that are visible and near infrared, wherein the radiation has a wavelength comprised between 380 and 900 nanometres, and radiations in the short wavelength infrared (SWIR), has a wavelength comprised between 900 and 1700 nanometres,
• wherein the optical detection system comprises a matrix of filters arranged before at least one part of the matrix of pixels in such a manner that each filter transmits the radiation to one and only one pixel of the matrix, and
• in that the matrix of filters comprises four-positions subgroups, wherein two positions are occupied by band-pass filters with respective wavelengths centred on values at which the radiation is respectively absorbed by water and ice, and two positions are without filters, to allow complete passage of a spectral band.