초록 ▼

A headlamp control system for a motor vehicle includes an imaging array sensor operable to sense light in a field of view forward of the motor vehicle and a control that is responsive to the imaging array sensor. The control is operable to identify at least one object of interest in the field of vie

A headlamp control system for a motor vehicle includes an imaging array sensor operable to sense light in a field of view forward of the motor vehicle and a control that is responsive to the imaging array sensor. The control is operable to identify at least one object of interest in the field of view by a spectral signature and/or a geometric organization of the object. The control is operable to control a headlamp of the motor vehicle in response to identifying the object as being at least one of a headlamp of another vehicle, a taillight of another vehicle, a traffic sign, a lane marker and a traffic light. The control may be operable to identify a headlamp and/or taillight of another vehicle in response to light sensed by the imaging array sensor during different exposure periods of the imaging array sensor.

대표청구항 ▼

The embodiment of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 1. A control system for automatically controlling the state of the headlamps of a controlled vehicle, said control system comprising: an optical system for imaging external sources of ligh

The embodiment of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 1. A control system for automatically controlling the state of the headlamps of a controlled vehicle, said control system comprising: an optical system for imaging external sources of light within a predetermined field of view; and an imaging processing system for processing images from said optical system and providing a control signal for controlling the state of the headlamps as a function of the output of pixels imaging the same spectral band of light. 2. The control system as recited in claim 1, wherein said optical system is configured to image light sources over a predetermined horizontal and vertical range defining said predetermined field of view. 3. The control system as recited in claim 2, wherein said optical system is fixed relative to said controlled vehicle. 4. The control system as recited in claim 2, wherein said optical system includes an image array sensor containing a plurality of pixels. 5. The control system as recited in claim 4, wherein said pixel image array sensor is a CMOS active pixel image array sensor. 6. The control system as recited in claim 2, wherein said optical system includes means for baffling light outside said predetermined field of view. 7. A control system for automatically controlling the state of the headlamps of a controlled vehicle, said control system comprising: an optical system for imaging external sources of light within a predetermined field of view, said optical system including an image array sensor containing a plurality of pixels; and an imaging processing system for processing images from said optical system and providing a control signal for controlling the state of the headlamps as a function of the output of pixels imaging the same spectral band of light, wherein said optical system is further configured to spatially segregate light sources having different spectral compositions on said pixel image array sensor. 8. A control system as recited in claim 1, wherein said image processing system processes images on a frame by frame basis and examines various frames in order to detect the motion of various light sources relative to said controlled vehicle. 9. The control system as recited in claim 8, wherein said image processing system compares successive frames to detect vertical motion of said light sources relative to said controlled vehicle. 10. The control system as recited in claim 9, wherein said light sources are overhead street lamps. 11. The control system as recited in claim 10, wherein said image processing system compares successive frames to detect horizontal motion of said light sources relative to said controlled vehicle. 12. The control system as recited in claim 11, wherein said light sources are reflected lights from stationary reflectors relative to said controlled vehicle. 13. The control system as recited in claim 1, wherein said optical system includes means for filtering infrared light from said external sources of light. 14. The control system as recited in claim 1, wherein said optical system includes two or more lenses and an image array sensor. 15. A control system for automatically controlling the state of the headlamps of a controlled vehicle, said control system comprising: an optical system for imaging external sources of light within a predetermined field of view; and an imaging processing system for processing images from said optical system and providing a control signal for controlling the state of the headlamps as a function of the output of pixels imaging the same spectral band of light, wherein said image processing system includes at least two photosensor arrays, and wherein said optical system comprises at least two lenses, one of said at least two lenses being configured to image onto one of said at least two photosensor arrays, and the other of said at least two lenses being configured to image onto the other of said at least two photosensor arrays. 16. The control system as recited in claim 15, further including means for filtering the light through said at least two lenses such that one of said at least two lenses filters light below a first predetermined wavelength and another of said at least two lenses filters light above a second predetermined wavelength. 17. The control system as recited in claim 16, wherein said first and second predetermined wavelengths are the same. 18. The control system as recited in claim 16, wherein one of said at least two lenses transmits light having a wavelength longer than 600 nm defining a red filter for imaging taillights on one of said at least two photosensor arrays. 19. The control system as recited in claim 18, wherein tail lamps are detected by comparing the relative output of at least one pixel imaged through the red filter with the output of a selected group of neighboring pixels and indicating a taillight detection when the output of said at least one pixel imaged through the red filter is a predetermined percentage higher than the pixel output of said selected group of neighboring pixels. 20. The control system as recited in claim 18, wherein the other of said at least two lenses transmits light having a wavelength shorter than 600 nm defining a cyan filter for imaging headlamps on the other of said at least two photosensor arrays. 21. The control system as recited in claim 20, wherein headlamps are detected by comparing the relative output of at least one pixel imaged through the cyan filter with the output of a selected group of pixels and indicating a headlamp when the output of said at least one pixel imaged through the cyan filter is a predetermined percentage higher than the output of said selected group of pixels. 22. The control system as recited in claim 20, wherein said image processing system includes means for processing images from said optical system on a frame by frame basis. 23. The control system as recited in claim 22, wherein said image processing system includes means for detecting external headlamps in each frame. 24. The control system as recited in claim 23, wherein said image processing system includes means for detecting taillights in each frame. 25. The control system as recited in claim 24, wherein said image processing system includes a dim counter, which is incremented, whenever a frame is processed which contains at least one taillight or headlamp. 26. The control system as recited in claim 25, wherein said dim counter is reset whenever a frame containing no headlamps or taillights is processed. 27. The control system as recited in claim 26, wherein said control signal is generated as a function of the value of the dim counter. 28. The control system as recited in claim 24, wherein said image processing system includes an undim counter, which is incremented each time a clear frame is processed. 29. The control system as recited in claim 28, wherein said undim counter is reset when a headlamp or taillight is detected in a frame. 30. A control system for automatically controlling the state of the headlamps of a controlled vehicle, said control system comprising: an optical system for imaging external sources of light within a predetermined field of view, said optical system including two or more lenses and an image array sensor; and an imaging processing system for processing images from said optical system and providing a control signal for controlling the state of the headlamps as a function of the output of pixels imaging the same spectral band of light, wherein said image processing system includes means for computing the average output of a selected group of neighboring pixels in said image array sensor. 31. The control system as recited in claim 1, wherein said control signal is used to turn the high beam headlamps completely on or completely off. 32. The control system as recited in claim 1, wherein said control signal is used to continuously vary the brightness level of said high beam headlamps between completely on and completely off. 33. The control system as recited in claim 32, wherein said control signal is used to vary the duty cycle of said headlamps. 34. A control system for automatically controlling the state of the headlamps of a controlled vehicle, said control system comprising: an optical system for imaging external sources of light within a predetermined field of view; and an imaging processing system for processing images from said optical system and providing a control signal for controlling the state of the headlamps as a function of the output of pixels imaging the same spectral band of light, wherein said optical system includes an image array sensor containing a plurality of pixels, and where the control signal is based on a pixel threshold value that varies as a function of the predetermined field of view imaged by said plurality of pixels. 35. A control system for automatically controlling the state of the headlamps of a controlled vehicle, said control system comprising: an optical system for imaging external sources of light within a predetermined field of view; and an imaging processing system for processing images from said optical system and providing a control signal for controlling the state of the headlamps as a function of the output of pixels imaging the same spectral band of light, wherein said optical system includes an image array sensor containing a plurality of pixels, and where the image processing system is configured to respond to a lower output from pixels imaging the predetermined field of view directly in front of the controlled vehicle than from pixels imaging other regions of the predetermined field of view. 36. A control system for automatically controlling the state of the headlamps of a controlled vehicle, the control system comprising: an optical system for imaging external sources of light within a predetermined field of view, the optical system including at least two photosensor arrays and at least two lenses, each of said at least two lenses being configured to image said predetermined field of view onto a respective one of said at least two photosensor arrays; and an image processing system for processing images from said optical system and providing a control signal for controlling the headlamps as a function of the relative output of the pixels imaging said external sources of light. 37. The control system as recited in claim 36, wherein said optical system is fixed relative to said controlled vehicle. 38. The control system as recited in claim 36, further including means for filtering the light through said at least two lenses. 39. The control system as recited in claim 38, wherein said filtering means includes a filter dye for said at least two lenses. 40. The control system as recited in claim 36, having a first lens and a second lens. 41. A control system for automatically controlling the high beam state of the headlamps of a controlled vehicle comprising: an optical system for imaging external sources of light within a predetermined field of view onto an image sensor containing a plurality of pixels, said optical system configured to selectively transmit one or more predetermined spectral bands of light, and said optical system configured to image light within each predetermined spectral band onto particular portions of said image sensor; and an image processing system for processing images from said optical system and providing a control signal for controlling the high beam state of the headlamps as a function of the output of one or more pixels within one of said portions relative to the output of other pixels within the same portion. 42. A control system for automatically controlling the high beam state of the headlamps of a controlled vehicle comprising: an optical system for imaging external sources of light within a predetermined field of view onto an image sensor containing a plurality of pixels, said optical system configured to selectively transmit one or more predetermined spectral bands of light, and said optical system configured to image light within each predetermined spectral band onto particular portions of said image sensor; and an image processing system for processing images from said optical system and providing a control signal for controlling the high beam state of the headlamps as a function of the output of one or more pixels within one of said portions relative to the output of other pixels within the same portion, wherein said image processing system provides a control signal for controlling the high beam state of the headlamps as a function of the output of pixels within one of said portions relative to the output of pixels within another one of said portions and where each of said pixels within one portion images substantially the same region of space as a corresponding pixel within the other portion. 43. The control system recited in claim 42, wherein said optical system contains two or more filters to transmit a predetermined spectral band of light and each filter being configured to image said field of view onto different designated portions of said image sensor. 44. The control system recited in claim 43, wherein the optical system is configured to prevent light passing through one of said filters from arriving onto the portion of the image sensor designated for light imaged by another of said two or more filters. 45. The control system as recited in claim 41, wherein said optical system contains a baffling means to prevent light from outside of said predetermined field of view from arriving on said image sensor.