# US 9,519,841 B2 · Attached matter detector and vehicle equipment control apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,519,841 B2 - Document ID: US9519841B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/349,926 - Filed: 2012-11-01 - Published: 2014-09-18 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2011-11-02 - Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Taroh Sawaki; Hideaki Hirai; Ryosuke Kasahara; Hiroyoshi Sekiguchi - Inventors: Taroh Sawaki; Hideaki Hirai; Ryosuke Kasahara; Hiroyoshi Sekiguchi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9519841B2 ## CPC - G01N 21/43: by measuring critical angle - B60Q 1/143: {combined with another condition, e.g. using vehicle recognition from camera images or activation of wipers} - G06F 18/21: Design or setup of recognition systems or techniques; Extraction of features in feature space; Blind source separation - G06V 10/147: Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses (fingerprint or palmprint sensors G06V40/13; vascular sensors G06V40/145; eye sensors G06V40/19) - G06V 20/56: exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle - B60Q 2300/41: preceding vehicle - B60Q 2300/42: oncoming vehicle - B60S 1/0844: {including a camera} - B60S 1/0862: {including additional sensors (vehicle speed sensors B60S1/0896)} - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - B60S: SERVICING, CLEANING, REPAIRING, SUPPORTING, LIFTING, OR MANOEUVRING OF VEHICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract An attached matter detector includes a light source configured to irradiate light toward a plate-like transparent member from one surface thereof, an imaging device configured to image reflection light by attached matter on a surface of the plate-like transparent member, a memory configured to previously store flare information obtained by the image device by turning on the light source in a state without having disturbance light and the attached matter on the surface of the plate-like transparent member, and a difference information-obtaining device configured to obtain difference information between a light-up image as an image obtained by the imaging device with the turned-on light source and a light-out image as an image obtained by the imaging device with the turned-off light source, wherein the attached matter on the surface of the plate-like transparent member is detected based on the difference information and the flare information stored in the memory. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An attached matter detector, comprising: a light source configured to irradiate light toward a plate-like transparent member from one surface thereof; an imaging device configured to image reflection light by attached matter on a surface of the plate-like transparent member; a memory configured to previously store flare information obtained by the image device by turning on the light source in a state without having disturbance light and the attached matter on the surface of the plate-like transparent member; and a difference information-obtaining device configured to obtain difference information between a light-up image as an image obtained by the imaging device with the turned-on light source and a light-out image as an image obtained by the imaging device with the turned-off light source, wherein the attached matter on the surface of the plate-like transparent member is detected based on the difference information and the flare information stored in the memory, a part of an imaging area of the imaging device is used as an attached matter imaging area which images the attached matter attached to the surface of the plate-like transparent member, the light-out image, the light-up image, and the light-out image are continuously imaged in order, a light-out image comparison device configured to compare the light-out image just before the light-up image and the light-out image just after the light-up image, and a stop device is configured to stop detection of the attached matter if a change in the light-out image just after the light-up image relative to the light-out image just before the light-up image exceeds a threshold by the light-out image comparison device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The attached matter detector according to claim 1, wherein the light-up image and the light-out images are continuously imaged. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The attached matter detector according to claim 1, wherein an optical filter configured to transmit only light having a wavelength which is the same as that of a light irradiated from the light source is provided between the plate-like transparent member and the imaging device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The attached matter detector according to claim 3, wherein a part of an imaging area of the imaging device is used as an attached matter imaging area which images the attached matter on the surface of the plate-like transparent member, and the optical filter is provided only between the plate-like transparent member and the attached matter imaging area. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A vehicle equipment control apparatus, comprising: an attached matter detector configured to detect attached matter on a windshield of a vehicle; and a wiper controller configured to control an operation of a wiper which eliminates the attached matter on the surface of the windshield based on the detection result of the attached matter detector, wherein the attached matter detector according to claim 1 is used as the attached matter detector. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The vehicle equipment control apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising: a lamp controller configured to control an irradiation direction of a headlamp or an emission intensity of the headlamp based on an image of an area anterior to the vehicle imaged by the imaging device; and/or a vehicle traveling controller configured to control traveling of the vehicle based on the image of the area anterior to the vehicle imaged by the imaging device, wherein an exposure control when imaging the area anterior to the vehicle and an exposure control when imaging the light-up image and the light-out image differ. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The vehicle equipment control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the exposure control when imaging the area anterior to the vehicle is an automatic exposure control which stops the exposure if a brightness value of a predetermined portion of an image becomes a predetermined brightness value, and the exposure control when imaging the light-up image and the light-out image is controlled such that the exposure time when imaging the light-up image and the exposure time when imaging the light-out image become the same. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The vehicle equipment control apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising: a lamp controller configured to control an irradiation direction of a headlamp and an emission intensity of the headlamp based on an image of an area anterior to the vehicle imaged by the imaging device; and/or a vehicle traveling controller configured to control traveling of the vehicle based on the image of the area anterior to the vehicle imaged by the imaging device, wherein the image of the area anterior to the vehicle and the light-up image are simultaneously imaged in the same frame, and the image of the area anterior to the vehicle and the light-out image are simultaneously imaged in the same frame. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The vehicle equipment control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the exposure control when imaging each image is automatic exposure control which stops the exposure if a brightness value of a predetermined portion of an image becomes a predetermined brightness value, and the difference information-obtaining device is configured to correct each image based on the exposure time when imaging each image, and obtain difference information between the corrected light-up image and the corrected light-out image. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The vehicle equipment control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the exposure control when imaging each image is an automatic exposure control which stops the exposure if a brightness value of a predetermined portion of an image becomes a predetermined brightness value, and the attached matter detector is configured to anticipate an exposure time when imaging the light-up image, and control irradiation light volume of the light source based on the anticipated exposure time.