The technology provides an interior camera sensing system for self-driving vehicles. The sensor system includes image sensors and infrared illuminators to see the vehicle's cabin and storage areas in all ambient lighting conditions. The system can monitor the vehicle for safety purposes, to detect the cleanliness of the cabin and storage areas, as well as to detect whether packages or other objects have been inadvertently left in the vehicle. The cameras are arranged to focus on selected regions in the vehicle cabin and the system carries out certain actions in response to information evaluated for those regions. The interior space is divided into multiple zones assigned different coverage priorities. Regardless of elude size or configuration, certain actions are performed according to various ride checklists and the imagery detected by the interior cameras. The checklists include pre-ride, mid-ride, and post-ride checklists.

A capturing device has a lens block that includes a lens for focusing light from a subject during a daytime, the subject includes a vehicle. The capturing device further includes an image sensor that captures an image based on light from the subject focused by the lens, and a processor that generates a face image of an occupant riding in the vehicle based on a first number of captured imaged of the subject which are captured by the image sensor at different times. The processor generates the face image of the occupant further based on a second number of captured images in which a luminance value of a region of interest is equal to or smaller than a threshold value among the first number of captured images of the subject.

A camera monitor system includes a camera arm that has a camera with an image capture unit that is configured to capture an image of a desired field of view. A display is configured to display the desired field of view, and an IR LED illuminates at least a portion of the desired field of view. A controller is in communication with the image capture unit and the IR LED and select at least first and second regions of interest (ROI) from the captured image. The first ROI is indicative of an amount of ambient light. The controller determines a luminance of each of said first and second ROIs. The controller regulates an IR LED state of the IR LED based upon the first ROI luminance, and adjusts the IR LED state based upon the second ROI luminance.

A vehicular driver monitoring system includes a camera and an electronic control unit. The camera is disposed at an interior rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle so as to view at least the face of a driver of the vehicle. The camera captures image data and the captured image data includes image data representative of the face of the driver. The vehicular driver monitoring system detects changes at the driver's eyes via processing by the image processor of image data captured by the camera, and determines driver attentiveness based at least in part on detected changes at the driver's eyes. The vehicular driver monitoring system functions as a remote Photoplethysmography system, and monitors a heart rate of the driver based at least in part on processing at the electronic control unit of image data captured by the camera, and determines impairment of the driver's capability to operate the vehicle.

A surround view monitoring system and a method for providing the same, including a plurality of registration cameras, each mounted on a vehicle and photographing different areas around the vehicle; a depth camera that acquires distance information with respect to an obstacle existing around the vehicle; an image synthesis unit that generates a synthesis image by synthesizing images photographed by the plurality of registration cameras, and displays the distance information with respect to the obstacle acquired by the depth camera on an obstacle existing in the synthesis image; and an image control unit that displays the synthesized synthesis image on a display device are disclosed.

A warning system and a method for warning a driver of a vehicle of an object in a proximity of the vehicle. The system includes a device for detecting the object, a device for processing an image of the object based on the detection so that a representation indicative of the object is achieved, and a display for displaying the representation indicative of the object in the vehicle.

An occupant monitoring system for a vehicle comprises: a first light source to generate first infrared (IR) light illuminating at least part of the body of an occupant of a vehicle, wherein the first light source is time modulated with a duty cycle; an IR reflective surface to reflect second IR light reflected from the body of the occupant; and a first IR camera to receive at least part of the second IR light reflected by the IR reflective surface, wherein the first IR camera is time modulated with the duty cycle of the first light source.

A vehicular exterior lighting system includes a lighting module disposed at a side of a vehicle. The lighting module includes at least one light emitting diode. The lighting module is operable to emit light that is viewable by a person exterior the side of the vehicle who is viewing the side of the vehicle. The lighting module emits white light responsive to a signal from a remote device to provide ground illumination of a ground region at the side of the vehicle at which the lighting module is disposed, and the lighting module (i) emits a first color of light responsive to a door lock signal and (ii) emits a second color of light responsive to a door unlock signal. The first color of light is different than the second color of light.

A three-dimensional imaging system includes a first illumination source configured to project a first fan of light toward an object in a field of view, and a second illumination source configured to project a second fan of light substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the first fan of light. The first illumination source and the second illumination source are further configured to scan the first fan of light and the second fan of light synchronously laterally across the field of view. The three-dimensional imaging system further includes a camera configured to capture a plurality of image frames of the field of view as the first fan of light and the second fan of light are scanned over a plurality of regions the object, and a processor coupled to the camera and configured to construct a three-dimensional image of the object based on the plurality of image frames.

An infrared thermal camera can be installed in a vehicle, such as a car, to provide different capabilities including night vision, passenger temperature monitoring, liveness detection, and avoidance of collisions with animals. The camera may be located inside the vehicle facing outwards through the front windshield. The camera may be used in multiple modes. In a first mode, the camera may be used to provide night vision or other thermal imaging of a scene outside the vehicle using a first field of view. In a second mode, the camera may be used to provide thermal imaging of a scene at least partially inside the vehicle using a second field of view, which may be useful, for example, for scanning the skin temperatures of occupants.