Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

Lear Corporation

Jp Morgan Chase Bank

Willes H Weber

Jeffrey Thomas Remillard

Timothy Fohl

Kenneth Edward Nietering

Michael Anthony Marinelli

John Matthew Ginder

Allan J Lippa

David James Scholl

Bennie Poindexter

Chaitanya Kumar Narula

Timothy Jay Potter

Aric David Shaffer

Lajos Rimai

Richard M Ager

Bennie D Poindexter

A vision system () for a vehicle () includes a light source () that generates an illumination beam (). A receiver () generates a first image signal and a second image signal. The first image signal is generated in response to a reflected portion of the illumination beam (). A controller is coupled to the light source () and the receiver (). The controller generates an image in response to the first image signal and the second image signal.

Active night vision image intensity balancing system

A color-corrected lighting system for night vision applications includes a near infrared light source and a thin-sheet optical element disposed a distance from the near infrared source. The optical element includes an input surface for receiving light from the near infrared source and an output surface for emitting the received light in a desired emission pattern. The system also includes a visible, non-red light source in the form of a plate having a plurality of non-red LEDs arranged thereon. The plate is proximate a surface of the optical element such that the output surface of the optical element emits the visible light to mask the emitted near infrared light. A camera is adapted to receive the near infrared light from the near infrared light source reflected off an object within a camera field of view, and a display images objects detected within the camera field of view.

Color-corrected laser illumination system for night vision applications

A system and method for detecting an object is provided. The method includes emitting a light pulse. The method further includes receiving a reflection of the light pulse. The method further includes indicating a presence of the object from the received light pulse. Finally, the method includes adjusting sensitivity of the indicating step based on an elapsed time from the emission.

System and method for detecting an object using pulsed light

A vision system for a vehicle includes a light source generating an illumination beam, a receiver having a pixel array for capturing an image in response to at least a reflected portion of the illumination beam, the image corresponding to a first horizontal field of view (FOV) angle, and a controller coupled to the light source and the receiver. The controller receives a vehicle speed input and, in response, selects a portion of the image as a non-linear function of the vehicle speed to generate a second horizontal FOV angle for displaying to the vehicle operator. The displayed angular FOV decreases, non-linearly, as the vehicle speed increases.

Active night vision with adaptive imaging

A lighting system for night vision applications including a near infrared light source, a visible light source, a beamsplitter and an optical element. The beamsplitter is arranged to reflect light emitting from either the near infrared light source or the visible light source and transmit light emitting from the other of the near infrared light source or visible light source so as to produce a color-corrected light source. The optical element is disposed a predetermined distance from the color-corrected light source. The optical element includes an input surface for receiving light from the color-corrected light source and an output surface for emitting the received light in a desired emission pattern. In one embodiment, each of the near infrared light source and visible light source is associated with respective first and second optical elements. The first and second optical elements are arranged such that the emission patterns of each optical element are substantially identical and overlapping to form a single color-corrected light emission pattern.

Color corrected laser illumination system for night vision applications

A system and method for determining a distance of an object is provided. The method includes transmitting a light pulse to a polymeric light reflector at a first time. The method further includes reflecting the light pulse from the reflector. The method further includes receiving a portion of the light pulse reflected from an object at a second time. Finally, the method includes determining a distance of the object from the reflector based on a time difference between substantially the first and second times.

System and method for determining a distance of an object using emitted light pulses

A night vision system is provided for detecting objects at relatively low visible light levels. The system includes light source The system further includes a thin sheet optical element extending along a first axis receiving light from the light source and reflecting the light generally in a first direction. Finally, the system includes a detector for receiving the light reflected off objects in the environment and generating a signal responsive to the received light.

Night vision system utilizing an illumination module and a method related thereto

A method of detecting objects with a night vision system is provided. The night vision system includes a light source and a camera. The method includes activating the light source as a sequence of light pulses wherein each light pulse is increasing in intensity for a predetermined number of pulses to form a pulse train. The camera is activated as a corresponding sequence of detection windows wherein each of the windows corresponds to one of the light pulses for receiving reflected light resulting from the corresponding light pulse. The light pulses and detection windows are configured such that a time delay between each corresponding light pulse and detection window is increasing throughout the pulse train. In another variation, the camera gain is increased throughout the pulse train. In yet another variation, the light pulses have constant amplitude, the camera gain is constant for all pulses, and the number of camera gain windows increases as the delay increases. In all cases, objects nearer the night vision system are imaged with lower intensity light, less camera gain, and/or fewer laser pulses than objects further away to provide a composite image in which the apparent brightness of near and far objects can be controlled.

Active night vision system for vehicles employing short-pulse laser illumination and a gated camera for image capture

A night vision system for a vehicle is provided. The system includes an illumination subsystem for illuminating a region proximate the vehicle, a receiver for receiving light reflected off objects in the illuminated region and generating a signal responsive to the received light. A GPS unit is included in operative communication with a GPS network for generating a time signal and vehicle directional data. A controller is programmed to periodically pulse on the illuminating device and the receiver substantially simultaneously as a function of the time signal and the vehicle directional data. In particular, vehicles traveling in opposite directions will have their night vision system activated out-of-phase with each other so that neither night vision system is &ldquo;blinded&rdquo; by illumination emitting from the other.

GPS-based anti-blinding system for active night vision

A night vision system is provided for detecting objects at relatively low visible light levels. The system includes an infrared light source . The system further includes a thin sheet optical element extending along a first axis receiving light from the infrared light source and reflecting the light generally in a first direction. Finally, the system includes an infrared camera for receiving the light reflected off objects in the environment and generating a video signal responsive to the received light.

Night vision system utilizing a diode laser illumination module and a method related thereto

An optical element, a lighting system utilizing the optical element and a method of manipulating light from a source to provide an illumination pattern suitable for use in a night vision system and exterior lighting applications is disclosed. The optical element has an input surface and an output surface disposed at approximately perpendicular to the input surface. A stepped surface angles between the input surface and the output surface intersecting the light inside the optical element. Multiple facets are formed in the stepped surface to reflect the light towards the output surface. The input, stepped and output surfaces are arranged such that the light reflects only from the stepped surface. The optical element has a rectangular shape in one embodiment and a wedge shape in a second embodiment.

Thin-sheet collimation optics for diode laser illumination systems for use in night vision and exterior lighting applications

The invention is a fluorescent sensor element for detecting concentration changes of oxygen in an atmosphere suitable for high temperature applications such as automotive exhaust gases. It comprises an optical fiber, preferably silica, coated on at least a portion of its surface with a sol-gel processed porous uniform mixture of (1) matrix material of alumina, zirconia, titania, or silica or a mixture of any of them with (2) ceramic fluorescent indicator like Cu-ZSM-5 zeolite incorporated therein. In use of the sensor element in a system, a light source excites fluorescence in the indicator which is responsive to varying oxygen concentration in the contacted exhaust gas.

Fluorescent fiber optic sensor element fabricated using sol-gel processing techniques

An on-board gas composition sensor is disclosed for monitoring oxygen content levels in the exhaust gas (24) of an internal combustion engine (4). The gas composition sensor includes a sensor body (20) mounted inan exhaust stream from an engine (4), with a fiber-optic cable (18) running from the sensor body (20) to a silicon chip (13) containing a sensor assembly(10). The sensor assembly (10) includes a light source (12), mounted on the chip (13), for generating excitation light. Also, a fiber-optic coupler (16), formed in the chip, operatively engages a second fiber-optic cable (15), mounted in a groove on the chip. The second cable (15) connects to a fluorescence detector (34) and an excitation detector (36). The two detectors produce output signals (35, 37) that are used by the electronic engine control (8) to adjust engine operation.

Growing community of inventors

Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Willes H Weber