초록 ▼

The following invention is a passive collision avoidance alarm system. An optical sensor (which may optionally be visable, infrared or ultraviolet) is disposed to provide a continuous raster scan of the scene within a wide angle of the direction of travel of the vehicle. This sensor output is conver

The following invention is a passive collision avoidance alarm system. An optical sensor (which may optionally be visable, infrared or ultraviolet) is disposed to provide a continuous raster scan of the scene within a wide angle of the direction of travel of the vehicle. This sensor output is converted into digital data and stored. A computer system compares consecutive scenes to detect identifiable objects. For such identifiable objects the computer calculates the centroid of the object and its angle, and a measure of the size or extent of the object. Detection of an object having a constant angle and a increasing measure of extent causes an alarm to be triggered.

대표청구항 ▼

A collision avoidance alarm system, for rigid mounting on a vehicle, comprising: (a) a sensor subsystem, producing electrical signals proportional to the intensity of visible light incident thereon; (b) lens means for directing visible light, from a wide field of view substantially centered about a

A collision avoidance alarm system, for rigid mounting on a vehicle, comprising: (a) a sensor subsystem, producing electrical signals proportional to the intensity of visible light incident thereon; (b) lens means for directing visible light, from a wide field of view substantially centered about a direction of progression of said vehicle, onto said sensor subsystem; (c) means for correlatably identifying the electrical signals produced by said sensor subsystem with particular elements within the field of view of said lens system wherein the visible light sensed originates; (d) means for comparing the electrical signals resulting from spatially contiguous elements within the field of view, and for establishing an extent parameter, in terms of a measure within the field of view, of said resultant electrical signals having like characteristics and amplitudes; (e) means for computing a centroid, in terms of angle with respect to the center of the field of view, of the spatially contiguous elements on which said extent parameter is based; (f) means for sequentially, in time, comparing consecutive extent parameters and centroid angle; and (g) means for producing an audible signal when, and only when, the centroid angle is consecutively a constant and the extent parameter indicates an apparent growth.