Abstract: Bright spots imaged by a forward-looking monochrome video camera during night-time operation of a host vehicle are detected and classified to determine the presence of leading and on-coming vehicles. A specified region-of-interest in each image frame is globally scanned to adaptively detect the bright spot contours, and search windows bounding the larger bright spot contours are locally scanned to adaptively detect individual bright spot contours that were fused in the global scan. A sensitive area within the region-of-interest is locally scanned to adaptively detect dim taillights of a leading vehicle, and path prediction of the host vehicle is used for frame-to-frame tracking of detected spots. Detected spots are classified depending on their location and frame-to-frame movement within the region-of-interest and their glare and pairing characteristics.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for recognizing obstacles in an environment about a motorized vehicle moving along a roadway is presented. The apparatus includes an optical sensor and a data processing device. A method using the apparatus includes taking images with the optical sensor which contains at least a first and a second image. The first and the second image are each transformed above and below a plane as viewed by the optical sensor to further determine upper and lower difference images by the data processing device. The data processing device further determines whether an obstacle is located in the travel path of the vehicle by evaluation of the lower and upper difference images.

Abstract: A method is set forth for the detection of an object, in particular in a road, in particular of a pedestrian, in the surroundings in the range of view of an optical sensor attached to a carrier such as in particular a vehicle, wherein, from the range of view of the optical sensor, a relevant spatial region disposed below the horizon is determined, a gray scale image is produced by means of the optical sensor which includes a relevant image region corresponding to the relevant spatial region, and a search for a possible object is only made in this relevant image region corresponding to the relevant spatial region disposed below the horizon for the detection of the object.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of controlling a driver assistance system which can identify a danger situation with reference to a comparison of measured data with predetermined limit values and which can output a warning signal when it has identified a danger situation of this type. An additional control module is provided which determines an activity state of the driver in dependence on at least one input value which permits a conclusion on actions carried out by a driver and can suppress the outputting of the warning signal in dependence on this activity state.

Abstract: The invention concerns an optical module for an assistance system covering an ambient region of a vehicle, having a camera arranged in the region of an inner side of a pane of glass, in particular a windscreen, of the vehicle and directed into the ambient region of the vehicle, with an objective through which a distant region can be imaged in sharp focus on a first section of a sensor surface of the camera, and having an optical assembly which is arranged in the field of vision of the camera and by which a close region covering a detection region of the pane can be imaged in sharp focus on a second section of the sensor surface of the camera. The invention further concerns a method for controlling a wiping interval of a windscreen wiper, in particular of a motor vehicle, by means of such an optical module.

Abstract: A method is set forth for the detection of an object, in particular in a road, in particular of a pedestrian, in the surroundings in the range of view of an optical sensor attached to a carrier such as in particular a vehicle, wherein, from the range of view of the optical sensor, a relevant spatial region disposed below the horizon is determined, a gray scale image is produced by means of the optical sensor which includes a relevant image region corresponding to the relevant spatial region, and a search for a possible object is only made in this relevant image region corresponding to the relevant spatial region disposed below the horizon for the detection of the object.

Abstract: A method is provided for the recognition of an obstacle, in particular a pedestrian, located in the travel path of a movable carrier such as in particular a motor vehicle, in the environment in the range of view of an optical sensor attached to the movable carrier, wherein a first image is taken by means of the optical sensor at a first time and a second image is taken at a later second time, wherein a first transformed lower part image is generated by a projection of an image section of the first taken image lying below the horizon from the image plane of the optical sensor into the ground plane, wherein a first transformed upper part image is generated by a projection of an image section of the first taken image lying above the horizon from the image plane of the optical sensor into a virtual plane parallel to the ground plane, wherein a second transformed lower part image is generated by a projection of an image section of the second taken image lying below the horizon from the image plane of the optical s

Abstract: A method is provided for the detection of an obstacle in a road, in particular of a pedestrian, in the surroundings in the range of view of an optical sensor attached to a movable carrier such as in particular a vehicle, wherein a first image is taken by means of the optical sensor at a first time and a second image is taken at a later second time, a first transformed image is produced by a transformation of the first taken image from the image plane of the optical sensor into the road plane, a further transformed image is produced from the first transformed image while taking account of the carrier movement in the time period between the first time and the second time, the further transformed image is transformed back from the road plane into the image plane and an image stabilization is carried out based on the image transformed back into the image plane and on the second taken image.

Abstract: Bright spots imaged by a forward-looking monochrome video camera during night-time operation of a host vehicle are detected and classified to determine the presence of leading and on-coming vehicles. A specified region-of-interest in each image frame is globally scanned to adaptively detect the bright spot contours, and search windows bounding the larger bright spot contours are locally scanned to adaptively detect individual bright spot contours that were fused in the global scan. A sensitive area within the region-of-interest is locally scanned to adaptively detect dim taillights of a leading vehicle, and path prediction of the host vehicle is used for frame-to-frame tracking of detected spots. Detected spots are classified depending on their location and frame-to-frame movement within the region-of-interest and their glare and pairing characteristics.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of controlling a driver assistance system which can identify a danger situation with reference to a comparison of measured data with predetermined limit values and which can output a warning signal when it has identified a danger situation of this type. An additional control module is provided which determines an activity state of the driver in dependence on at least one input value which permits a conclusion on actions carried out by a driver and can suppress the outputting of the warning signal in dependence on this activity state.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for the detection of an obstacle located in a path of a motor vehicle, in particular a person, in which by means of a camera a first image and, with a time interval from the latter, a second image of the environment of the vehicle located in the direction of travel, are recorded, a first transformed image is generated by projection of the first recorded image out of the camera image plane into the plane of the ground, and a second transformed image is generated by projection of the second recorded image out of the camera image plane into the plane of the ground, a differential image is determined from the first and second transformed images, and by evaluation of the differential image it is determined whether an obstacle is located in the path of the vehicle.

Abstract: For detecting a change between pixel signals which chronologically follow one another, a current pixel value is first deteced and, subsequently, the difference between the detected pixel signal and a reference value is determined. Depending on the difference, it is determined whether there is a change of the detected pixel value in comparison with the preceding pixel values, the reference signal being produced from two or more pixel values preceding the detected pixel value.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring the interior space of a motor vehicle by means of IR radiation include at least one stationary IR transmitter and at least one stationary IR receiver arranged in a central position in the vehicle interior space. The interior space is at least temporarily irradiated. The reflected IR radiation is received by an IR camera as IR receiver. For suppression of interfering effects two images of the same object are recorded at different illumination levels. The two images are subtracted from one another with respect to their gray scale values.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring the interior space of a motor vehicle by means of IR radiation include at least one stationary IR transmitter and at least one stationary IR receiver arranged in a central position in the vehicle interior space. The interior space is at least temporarily irradiated. The reflected IR radiation is received by an IR camera as IR receiver. For suppression of interfering effects two images of the same object are recorded at different illumination levels. The two images are subtracted from one another with respect to their gray scale values.