Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090254260 | FULL SPEED RANGE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM - In one aspect, the invention is directed to an adaptive cruise control system for a host vehicle, comprising a long-range sensor configured to determine a location of objects positioned ahead of the host vehicle, at least one short-range sensor configured to determine the location of objects in close proximity ahead of the host vehicle, and a controller configured to receive information from the long-range sensor and from the at least one short-range sensor and to control the speed of the host vehicle based at least in part thereon, wherein the controller is configured to operate the at least one short-range sensor in a plurality of operating modes, and to select a short-range sensor operating mode at least in part in response to the location of any objects detected by the long-range sensor. | 10-08-2009 |
20100118145 | Camera for Vehicle - In a first embodiment, the invention is directed to a camera for mounting on a vehicle, including a lens member, an imaging element and an image processing board. The image processing board is separated sufficiently from the imaging element so as to impart relatively little heat generated during operation to the imaging element. The imaging element is positioned to receive video input from the lens member. The image processing board is configured to generate image processing board output data that relates to the video input received by the imaging element. The image processing board is positioned in a selected position to release heat along a heat path that is spaced from the imaging element. The camera may further include a vehicle interface board configured to communicate signals relating to the image processing board output data to a vehicle component. | 05-13-2010 |
20100194888 | REAR ILLUMINATION SYSTEM - In a first aspect, the invention is directed to an illumination system for rearward illumination for a first vehicle. The illumination system includes a tail lamp assembly, a sensor and a controller for controlling the operation of the tail lamp assembly. If the controller determines that there are any oncoming second vehicles behind the first vehicle that are sufficiently close to the first vehicle, then the controller operates the tail lamp assembly in one mode. If the controller determines that there are no oncoming second vehicles behind the first vehicle that are sufficiently close to the first vehicle, then the controller permits the operation of the tail lamp assembly in another mode. | 08-05-2010 |
20120002051 | VEHICULAR REAR VIEW CAMERA DISPLAY SYSTEM WITH LIFECHECK FUNCTION - A vehicular display system having a camera for producing a video signal and a display device for displaying the video signal. The display device includes an integrity check to detect a defective video signal and alert the driver if a defective video signal has been detected. | 01-05-2012 |
20120218412 | SCALABLE INTEGRATED ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT FOR VEHICLE - A vehicular scalable integrated control system includes a plurality of cameras, a vehicular scalable integrated control unit, and a display screen for displaying video information to a driver of the vehicle. Visual image data captured by the cameras is processed by an image processor to detect objects in the fields of view of the cameras. The control unit determines a current geographical location of the vehicle and accommodates downloading of applications, which may include a tour guide application, with the tour guide application providing information associated with various geographical locations of a selected tour area. The control unit, responsive to a determination that the current geographical location of the vehicle is at a location identified in the tour guide application for the selected tour area, controls the display screen to display information associated with the identified location of the tour guide application and the current geographical location of the vehicle. | 08-30-2012 |
20130141578 | VEHICLE VISION SYSTEM WITH ENHANCED FUNCTIONALITY - A vehicle vision system includes at least one camera disposed at a vehicle and having a field of view exterior of the vehicle, and includes a control having an image processor for processing image data captured by the at least one camera. The control, responsive at least in part to image processing of captured image data by the image processor, is operable to carry out one or more actions based on the detection of selected elements in the image data captured by the at least one camera. The control may control the operation of an additional component in the vehicle aside from the camera. The vision system may include a forward facing camera, a rearward facing camera and/or a sideward facing camera. | 06-06-2013 |
20130278769 | VEHICLE VISION SYSTEM WITH ACCELERATED OBJECT CONFIRMATION - A vision system for a vehicle includes a camera and an image processor. The camera has a forward field of view exterior of the vehicle. The image processor is operable to process image data captured by the camera. At least one device is operable to detect objects that are present forward of the vehicle and outside of the forward field of view of the camera. The device may include at least one of (i) a sensor, (ii) an element of a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system and (iii) an element of a vehicle-to-infrastructure communication system. Responsive to detection of the object being indicative of the object about to enter the field of view of the camera, the image processor anticipates the object entering the field of view of the camera and, upon entering of the field of view of the camera by the object, the image processor detects the object. | 10-24-2013 |
20130314503 | VEHICLE VISION SYSTEM WITH FRONT AND REAR CAMERA INTEGRATION - A vehicular vision system includes a forward facing camera module having a forward facing camera having forward field of view, and includes a rearward facing camera having a rearward field of view. The forward facing camera module includes an image processor, a decoder and an encoder. Image data captured by the rearward facing camera is fed to the decoder and an output of the decoder is fed to the image processor. The image processor is operable to process image data captured by the forward facing camera to at least detect objects in the forward field of view and is operable to process the decoder output to at least detect objects the rearward field of view. An image processor output is fed to the encoder and an encoder output is fed to a display that is viewable by a driver of the vehicle during a reversing maneuver of the vehicle. | 11-28-2013 |
20130321632 | VEHICULAR VISION SYSTEM - A vehicular vision system includes a camera including an image sensor, a control including a microcontroller, and a serial data interface. The camera has a field of view exterior of a vehicle. A video output is configured for transmitting a stream of video captured by the image sensor. The microcontroller is operatively connected to the image sensor. The serial data interface permits the microcontroller to communicate with at least one electronic device in the vehicle. A resistor having a selected impedance is connected in series with a switch. The resistor and the switch connect a video plus electrical conduit and a video minus electrical conduit. The switch is openable by the microcontroller to deactivate the video output into a high impedance state and is closable to activate the video output. The microcontroller is configured to comply with selected messages received through the serial data interface by opening the switch. | 12-05-2013 |
20140049646 | METHOD OF OBTAINING DATA RELATING TO A DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEM OF A VEHICLE - A method of obtaining data relating to a driver assistance system installed on a vehicle, including capturing sensory data (such as images) external to the vehicle via a sensor of the driver assistance system, buffering a first group of vehicle signals and storing a pre-event value for a signal of the first group in a pre-event buffer, and analyzing the sensory data to detect one or more types of probability events. After a probability event is detected, the method includes monitoring a second group of vehicle signals for a post-event time period after the occurrence of the detected probability event, and during the post event time period processing signals of the second group with a predetermined function to generate a post-event signal value, and recording data in a memory, with the recorded data including the type of detected probability event, a pre-event signal value and a post-event signal value. | 02-20-2014 |
20140092252 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ANNOTATING VIDEO - A method of providing test data for a vehicle may use the test data to verify the performance of a system in the vehicle under different environmental conditions (such as at night, while it is raining, during high glare conditions, during fog and/or the like). The method entails driving a test vehicle through a selected set of environmental conditions. Environment data, such as, for example, images, are captured while driving the test vehicle. The environment data relates to the environment outside the test vehicle. The environment data may be recorded to a memory. Additionally, environmental condition data relating to the environmental conditions outside the vehicle while it is being driven may be recorded to the memory. | 04-03-2014 |