Vehicle vision system with dirt detection

摘要

A vision system for a vehicle includes a camera disposed at a vehicle and having an image sensor and a lens. When the camera is disposed at the vehicle, the lens is exposed to the environment exterior the vehicle. The camera has an exterior field of view exterior the vehicle and is operable to capture image data representative of a scene occurring in the field of view of the camera. An image processor is operable to process multiple frames of image data captured by the camera, and wherein, responsive to processing multiple frames of captured image data, the image processor is operable to detect contaminants, such as water droplets or dirt, at the lens of the camera. Responsive to the image processor detecting contaminants at the lens of the camera, the vision system generates an alert and may trigger a function.

主权项

1. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:
a first camera disposed at a vehicle equipped with said vision system, said first camera comprising an image sensor and a lens, wherein, when said first camera is disposed at the equipped vehicle, said lens is exposed to the environment exterior the equipped vehicle; wherein said first camera has an exterior field of view exterior the equipped vehicle and is operable to capture image data representative of a scene occurring in the field of view of said first camera; an image processor operable to process multiple frames of image data captured by said first camera; wherein said image processor is operable to process captured image data to detect blobs in captured image data; wherein, responsive to processing detected blob data over multiple frames of captured image data, said image processor determines if detected blobs are representative of contaminants at said lens of said first camera; wherein, responsive to processing a first frame of captured image data, and responsive to said image processor determining a first threshold likelihood that a detected blob is indicative of a contaminant, said image processor adjusts processing of detected blob data when processing a subsequent frame of captured image data; wherein, responsive to said image processor determining a second threshold likelihood that the detected blob is indicative of a contaminant when processing detected blob data of said subsequent frame of captured image data, said image processor determines that the detected blob is representative of a contaminant at said lens of said first camera; wherein, responsive to said image processor determining that the detected blob is representative of a contaminant at said lens, said vision system generates an alert; a second camera disposed at the equipped vehicle and having a field of view that at least partially overlaps the field of view of said first camera, wherein said second camera is operable to capture image data representative of a scene occurring in the field of view of said second camera; and wherein said image processor is operable to process image data captured by said second camera, and wherein, responsive to processing of captured image data of the overlapping portion of the fields of view of said first camera and said second camera, said image processor is operable to determine the presence of a contaminant at said lens of said first camera.