Adhering detection apparatus, adhering substance detection method, storage medium, and device control system for controlling vehicle-mounted devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9726604-B2
Application number	US-201514924815-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2015
Priority date	Nov 12, 2014
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

An adhering detection apparatus includes a light source to emit probe light to a light translucent object during an emission period, and to stop an emission of the probe light to the light translucent object during a non-emission period, a light receiver to receive light coming from the light translucent object during the emission period and the non-emission period of the light source, and an adhering detection processor to perform an adhering detection processing for detecting a substance adhering to the light translucent object based on light quantity of the light coming from the light translucent object and received by the light receiver, and to output a detection result of the adhering detection processing. The adhering detection processor selectively performs one or more processes depending on the light quantity of the light received by the light receiver during the non-emission period of the light source.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An adhering detection apparatus comprising:
a light receiver to receive light coming from a light translucent object during an emission period, during which a light source is configured to emit light to the light translucent object, and a non-emission period of the light source, during which the light source is configured to stop emitting light to the light translucent object; and
an adhering detection processor to perform one or more processes to detect a substance adhering to the light translucent object based on a light quantity of the light coming from the light translucent object and received by the light receiver during the emission period, and to output a detection result of the adhering detection processing,
wherein the adhering detection processor performs the one or more processes upon a light quantity of ambient light received by the light receiver during the non-emission period of the light source failing to exceed the threshold, wherein the adhering detection processor is configured to set reliability to the detection result of the adhering detection processing, obtained for the emission period set before or after the non-emission period, at a relatively lower level as the light quantity of the light received by the light receiver becomes relatively greater during the non-emission period of the light source, and is configured to output the set reliability with the detection result.

2. The adhering detection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the adhering detection processor determines whether the one or more processes is performed during a scheduled emission period of the light source, scheduled after the non-emission period depending on the light quantity of the light received by the light receiver during the non-emission period of the light source failing to exceed the threshold.

3. The adhering detection apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a light source controller to control the emission period and the non-emission period of the light source,
wherein the light source controller is configured to selectively control the light source to stop the emission of the probe light during the scheduled emission period depending on the light quantity of the light received by the light receiver during the non-emission period of the light source failing to exceed the threshold.

4. The adhering detection apparatus of claim 2 , wherein when the light quantity of the light received by the light receiver during the non-emission period exceeds a given threshold, the adhering detection processor stops the adhering detection processing for the scheduled emission period, or the adhering detection processor stops outputting the detection result of the adhering detection processing obtained for the emission period set before or after the non-emission period.

5. The adhering detection apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the adhering detection processor is configured to perform the adhering detection processing based on the light quantity of the light received by the light receiver during the emission period without using the light quantity of the light received by the light receiver during the non-emission period set before or after the emission period.

6. The adhering detection apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the adhering detection processor is configured to perform the adhering detection processing based on a difference between the light quantity of the light received by the light receiver during the non-emission period set before or after the emission period, and the light quantity of the light received by the light receiver during the emission period.

7. The adhering detection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the adhering detection processor is configured to whether the detection result of the adhering detection processing obtained for the emission period set before or after the non-emission period is output depending on the light quantity of the light received by the light receiver during the non-emission period of the light source failing to exceed the threshold.

8. A device control system for controlling one or more devices mounted in a vehicle comprising:
the adhering detection apparatus of claim 1 to detect a substance adhering to the light translucent object; and
one or more device controllers to control the one or more devices mounted in the vehicle based on a detection result detected by the adhering detection apparatus.

9. The device control system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more device controllers include a windshield wiper controller.

10. An image capture apparatus, comprising:
the adhering detection apparatus of claim 1 ; and
the light source to emit light to a light translucent object during an emission period, and to stop an emission of the light to the light translucent object during a non-emission period.

11. A device control system for controlling one or more devices mounted in a vehicle comprising:
the image capture apparatus of claim 10 to detect a substance adhering to the light translucent object; and
one or more device controllers to control the one or more devices mounted in the vehicle based on a detection result detected by the adhering detection apparatus.

12. The device control system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more device controllers include a windshield wiper controller.

13. The device control system of claim 11 , further comprising a controller to alternate control of alternating elements of the light source between the emission and the non-emission periods.

14. The image capture apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising a controller to alternate control of alternating elements of the light source between the emission and the non-emission periods.

15. An adhering detection apparatus, comprising:
a light receiver to receive light coming from a light translucent object during an emission period, during which a light source is configured to emit light to the light translucent object, and a non-emission period of the light source, during which the light source is configured to stop emitting light to the light translucent object; and
an adhering detection processor to perform one or more processes to detect a substance adhering to the light translucent object based on a light quantity of the light coming from the light translucent object and received by the light receiver during the emission period, and to output a detection result of the adhering detection processing, wherein the adhering detection processor performs the one or more processes upon a light quantity of ambient light received by the light receiver during the non-emission period of the light source failing to exceed the threshold, and wherein the adhering detection processor determines whether the one or more processes is performed during a scheduled emission period of the light source, scheduled after the non-emission period depending on the light quantity of the light received by the light receiver during the non-emission period of the light source failing to exceed the threshold; and
a wavelength selection filter to pass light having a first wavelength range, and to block light having a second wavelength range out of the first wavelength range,
wherein the light source is configured to emit the light having the first wavelength range,
wherein the light receiver is configured to receive the probe light having the first wavelength range emitted from the light source and reflected from the light translucent object via the wavelength selection filter.

16. A device control system for controlling one or more devices mounted in a vehicle comprising:
the adhering detection apparatus

Assignees

• Sekiguchi Hiroyoshi
• Kida Shintaroh
• Oshikiri Kohji
• Itoh Izumi
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sekiguchi Hiroyoshi
• Kida Shintaroh
• Oshikiri Kohji
• Itoh Izumi

Classifications

• G01N21/94

  Investigating contamination, e.g. dust (G01N21/85 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60Q1/085

  due to special conditions, e.g. adverse weather, type of road, badly illuminated road signs or potential dangers (B60Q1/10, B60Q1/12, B60Q1/1423 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01N21/552

  Attenuated total reflection · CPC title

• G01N2201/064

  Stray light conditioning · CPC title

• B60S1/0844 Primary

  including a camera · CPC title