Vehicular imaging system

Abstract

A vehicular imaging system comprises an imaging device having a plurality of photosensor elements. The imaging device captures image data of a scene exterior of the vehicle within its field of view. Image data captured by the imaging device is provided to a control. The control also receives via a communication bus at least one of vehicle pitch information, vehicle yaw information and vehicle steering information. The control detects two substantially straight and converging road features along the road the vehicle is travelling and determines a point of intersection where they would converge using, at least in part, the received vehicle information and the control automatically corrects for misalignment of the imaging device mounted at the vehicle.

1 . A vehicular imaging system comprising:
 an imaging device;   said imaging device comprising a plurality of photosensor elements;   said imaging device mounted at a vehicle and having a field of view exterior of said vehicle;   said imaging device capturing image data of a scene within said field of view;   a control receiving said image data;   said control also receiving, via a communication bus of said vehicle, at least one of (i) vehicle pitch information, (ii) vehicle yaw information and (iii) vehicle steering information;   said control detecting two substantially straight and converging road features along the road said vehicle is travelling;   said control determining a point of intersection where said two substantially straight and converging road features would converge;   said control automatically correcting for misalignment of said imaging device mounted at said vehicle; and   wherein said automatic correction for misalignment of said imaging device mounted at said vehicle comprises, at least in part, said determination by said control of said point of intersection.   
     
     
         2 . The vehicular imaging system of  claim 1 , wherein said two substantially straight and converging road features comprise two substantially straight and converging lane markers. 
     
     
         3 . The vehicular imaging system of  claim 1 , wherein said control is operable to automatically correct for misalignment of at least approximately +/−4 degrees from an ideal aligned condition. 
     
     
         4 . The vehicular imaging system of  claim 1 , wherein said control automatically compensates for an initial misalignment. 
     
     
         5 . The vehicular imaging system of  claim 4 , wherein said control corrects for at least one of (i) a temporary vehicle condition and (ii) a reinstallation misalignment. 
     
     
         6 . The vehicular imaging system of  claim 1 , wherein said control is operable to detect that at least a portion of said photosensor array is blocked. 
     
     
         7 . The vehicular imaging system of  claim 1 , wherein said control is operable to process a reduced image data set more than another image data. 
     
     
         8 . The vehicular imaging system of  claim 7 , wherein said control detects an object present exteriorly of the vehicle and within a target zone, said another image data being representative of an area outside of said target zone. 
     
     
         9 . The vehicular imaging system of  claim 1 , wherein said control compares a location of an object detected exterior the vehicle to an expected location of the object. 
     
     
         10 . The vehicular imaging system of  claim 9 , wherein, based on said comparison, said control adjusts a set of image data. 
     
     
         11 . The vehicular imaging system of  claim 10 , wherein said control adjusts said set of image data in response to a weighted sum calculation. 
     
     
         12 . The vehicular imaging system of  claim 1 , wherein said control adjusts to a reduced image data set in response to a detection of a lane marker. 
     
     
         13 . The vehicular imaging system of  claim 12 , wherein said control adjusts to a reduced data set in response to a weighted sum calculation of image data obtained from the detection of lane markers. 
     
     
         14 . The vehicular imaging system of  claim 1 , wherein said photosensor array comprises one of an aftermarket imager and a cell phone imager. 
     
     
         15 . The vehicular imaging system of  claim 1 , wherein said control is operable to selectively process data from said photosensor array at least two different resolutions. 
     
     
         16 . The vehicular imaging system of  claim 1 , wherein said control is operable to encode signals into the light output of a light of said vehicle to allow an imaging system of another vehicle to detect said encoded signal. 
     
     
         17 . The vehicular imaging system of  claim 1 , wherein said control is operable to detect and ameliorate a bad photosensor element of said plurality of photosensor elements of said imaging device. 
     
     
         18 . The vehicular imaging system of  claim 1 , wherein said control is operable to detect the driving side of the road and wherein said control is operable to adapt at least one of said processing and adjusting responsive to the detected driving side of the road. 
     
     
         19 . The vehicular imaging system of  claim 1 , wherein said field of view exterior of said vehicle encompasses a scene forward of the vehicle. 
     
     
         20 . The vehicular imaging system of  claim 19 , wherein imaging device is disposed in said vehicle at and behind the windshield of said vehicle and wherein said field of view exterior of said vehicle is through a portion of said windshield. 
     
     
         21 . The vehicular imaging system of  claim 20 , wherein said portion of said windshield comprises a portion cleaned by a windshield wiper of said vehicle. 
     
     
         22 . The vehicular imaging system of  claim 21 , wherein said imaging device comprises a CMOS imaging device. 
     
     
         23 . The vehicular imaging system of  claim 1 , wherein said control utilizes image data captured while said vehicle travels in a curve. 
     
     
         24 . The vehicular imaging system of  claim 1 , wherein said control determines the driving side of the road said vehicle is travelling on. 
     
     
         25 . The vehicular imaging system of  claim 1 , wherein the road along which said vehicle is traveling when detecting said two substantially straight and converging road features comprises a substantially flat and straight road. 
     
     
         26 . The vehicular imaging system of  claim 1 , wherein said control monitors the trajectory of the vehicle in order to confirm the road the vehicle is travelling on is at least one of substantially flat and substantially straight. 
     
     
         27 . The vehicular imaging system of  claim 1 , wherein, in said control's determination of said point of intersection, said control utilizes, at least in part, said received at least one of (i) vehicle pitch information, (ii) vehicle yaw information and (iii) vehicle steering information. 
     
     
         28 . A vehicular imaging system comprising:
 an imaging device;   said imaging device comprising a plurality of photosensor elements;   said imaging device mounted at a vehicle and having a field of view exterior of said vehicle;   said imaging device capturing image data of a scene within said field of view;   a control receiving said image data;   said control also receiving, via a communication bus of said vehicle, at least one of (i) vehicle pitch information, (ii) vehicle yaw information and (iii) vehicle steering information;   said control detecting two substantially straight and converging road features along the road said vehicle is travelling;   wherein the road along which said vehicle is traveling when detecting said two substantially straight and converging road features comprises a substantially flat and straight road;   wherein said imaging device comprises a CMOS imaging device;   said control determining a point of intersection where said two substantially straight and converging road features would converge;   said control automatically correcting for misalignment of said imaging device mounted at said vehicle;   wherein said automatic correction for misalignment of said imaging device mounted at said vehicle comprises, at least in part, said determination by said control of said point of intersection; and   wherein said control automatically compensates for an initial misalignment.   
     
     
         29 . The vehicular imaging system of  claim 28 , wherein said two substantially straight and converging road features comprise two substantially straight and converging lane markers. 
     
     
         30 . The vehicular imaging system of  claim 29 , wherein said control is operable to automatically correct for misalignment of at least approximately +/−4 degrees from an ideal aligned condition. 
     
     
         31 . The vehicular imaging system of  claim 29 , wherein said control corrects for at least one of (i) a temporary vehicle condition and (ii) a reinstallation misalignment. 
     
     
         32 . A vehicular imaging system comprising:
 an imaging device;   said imaging device comprising a plurality of photosensor elements;   said imaging device mounted at a vehicle and having a field of view exterior of said vehicle;   said imaging device capturing image data of a scene within said field of view;   a control receiving said image data;   said control also receiving, via a communication bus of said vehicle, at least one of (i) vehicle pitch information, (ii) vehicle yaw information and (iii) vehicle steering information;   said control detecting two substantially straight and converging road features along the road said vehicle is travelling;   wherein said imaging device comprises a CMOS imaging device;   said control determining a point of intersection where said two substantially straight and converging road features would converge;   said control automatically correcting for misalignment of said imaging device mounted at said vehicle;   wherein said automatic correction for misalignment of said imaging device mounted at said vehicle comprises, at least in part, said determination by said control of said point of intersection; and   wherein, in said control's determination of said point of intersection, said control utilizes, at least in part, said received at least one of (i) vehicle pitch information, (ii) vehicle yaw information and (iii) vehicle steering information.   
     
     
         33 . The vehicular imaging system of  claim 32 , wherein said control is operable to automatically correct for misalignment of at least approximately +/−4 degrees from an ideal aligned condition. 
     
     
         34 . The vehicular imaging system of  claim 33 , wherein said control automatically compensates for an initial misalignment.