An object detection apparatus includes a light illumination unit that emits illuminating light; an imaging unit that captures a first image of distant photographic subjects by detecting lights from the photographic subjects, captures a second image of foreign matter attached to a monitoring area by detecting the illuminating light reflected from the foreign matter, and generates an image frame; a target detection unit that detects a detection target among the distant photographic subjects based on the first image; a foreign matter detection unit that detects the foreign matter based on the second image; and an exposure amount change unit that changes an exposure amount of the imaging unit. The target detection unit detects the detection target using plural imaging frames with different exposure amounts. The foreign matter detection unit detects the foreign matter using the imaging frame other than the imaging frame with the greatest exposure amount.

A collision avoidance and/or pedestrian detection system for a large passenger vehicle such as commuter bus, which includes one or more exterior and/or interior sensing devices positioned strategically around the exterior and interior of the vehicle for recording data, method for avoiding collisions and/or detecting pedestrians, and features/articles of manufacture for improving same, is described herein in various embodiments. The sensing devices may be responsive to one or more situational sensors, and may be connected to one or more interior and/or exterior warning systems configured to alert a driver inside the vehicle and/or a pedestrian outside the vehicle that a collision may be possible and/or imminent based on a path of the vehicle and/or a position of the pedestrian as detected by one or more sensing devices and/or situational sensors.

An accessory system for a vehicle includes an attachment member attached at an interior surface of a vehicle windshield and an accessory module configured to detachably mount to the attachment member. The accessory module and attachment member are configured so that when the accessory module mounts to the attachment member, an electrical element of the accessory module is biased toward and against the inner surface of the windshield. The electrical element includes a camera and, with the accessory module mounted to the attachment member, the camera has a forward field of view through the windshield. The camera may be associated with at least one of (i) a headlamp control system, (ii) a lane departure warning system, (iii) an adaptive cruise control system, (iv) a sign recognition system, (v) a night vision system, (vi) a pedestrian detection system and (vii) a pre-crash avoidance system.

An image providing apparatus is connected to a plurality of vehicles each including a drive recorder and a plurality of information input apparatuses via a communication network. The image providing apparatus receives and stores data of a video image captured by the drive recorder from the plurality of vehicles and in a storage apparatus. The image providing apparatus receives information for identifying a vehicle of a user and a condition for a wanted image from the information input apparatus, the information and the condition being input to the information input apparatus by the user. The image providing apparatus extracts and provides, from among a plurality of the data of the video images stored in the storage apparatus and for the user, an image that the vehicle of the user is viewed in and matches the condition.

A vehicular vision system includes a side-mounted camera disposed at a side of the vehicle. Responsive to (a) actuation of a user input by a driver of the vehicle and/or (b) traveling speed of the vehicle, the vehicular vision system adjusts the side-mounted camera between (i) capturing image data representative of a ground region at the side of the vehicle and (ii) capturing image data representative of regions further away from the vehicle. With the side-mounted camera adjusted to capture image data representative of the ground region at the side of the vehicle, the vehicular vision system may use captured image data for displaying video images at a display device viewable by the driver of the vehicle. With the side-mounted camera adjusted to capture image data representative of regions further away from the vehicle, the vehicular vision system processes captured image data for a driver assistance system of the vehicle.

An integrated camera, ambient light detection, and rain sensor assembly suitable for installation behind a windshield of a driver operated vehicle or an automated vehicle includes an imager-device. The imager-device is formed of an array of pixels configured to define a central-portion and a periphery-portion of the imager-device. Each pixel of the array of pixels includes a plurality of sub-pixels. Each pixel in the central-portion is equipped with a red/visible/visible/visible filter (RVVV filter) arranged such that each pixel in the central-portion includes a red sub-pixel and three visible-light sub-pixels. Each pixel in the periphery-portion is equipped with a red/green/blue/near-infrared filter (RGBN filter) arranged such that each pixel in the periphery-portion includes a red sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel, a blue sub-pixel, and a near-infrared sub-pixel.

Described herein is a rear view mirror system that is configured to adjust to a user's position without direct user interaction. In some embodiments, a camera may be included in the rear view mirror system so that its line of sight is perpendicular to a reflective surface. The camera may capture a digital image of the user. Eye patterns may be identified from the image information to determine an appropriate position for the mirror. In some embodiments, the mirror may be repositioned so that the camera's line of sight is directed halfway between the identified eye information and the center of a rear window. In some embodiments, the mirror may be re-adjusted periodically.

A collision avoidance and/or pedestrian detection system for a large passenger vehicle such as commuter bus, which includes one or more exterior and/or interior sensing devices positioned strategically around the exterior and interior of the vehicle for recording data, method for avoiding collisions and/or detecting pedestrians, and features/articles of manufacture for improving same, is described herein in various embodiments. The sensing devices may be responsive to one or more situational sensors, and may be connected to one or more interior and/or exterior warning systems configured to alert a driver inside the vehicle and/or a pedestrian outside the vehicle that a collision may be possible and/or imminent based on a path of the vehicle and/or a position of the pedestrian as detected by one or more sensing devices and/or situational sensors.

A camera system for a motor vehicle includes an image sensor for outputting image signals and multiple optical elements. The optical elements include a switchable optical element which is part of a first camera optical system in the first switching state and part of a second camera optical system in a second switching state. Optical elements form the first camera optical system for detecting a first surrounding and for imaging the first surrounding on the image sensor with the aid of a first object distance, and optical elements form the second camera optical system for detecting a second surrounding and for imaging the second surrounding on the image sensor with the aid of a second object distance which differs from the first object distance.

The invention relates to a method for tracking a target vehicle (9) approaching a motor vehicle (1) by means of a camera system (2) of the motor vehicle (1). A temporal sequence of images (10) of an environmental region of the motor vehicle (1) is provided by means of at least one camera (3) of the camera system (2). The target vehicle (9) is detected in an image (10) of the sequence by means of an image processing device (5) of the camera system (5) based on a feature of a front (11) or of a rear of the target vehicle (9) and then the target vehicle (9) is tracked over subsequent images (10) of the sequence based on the detected feature. Wherein at least a predetermined feature of a lateral flank (14) of the target vehicle (9) is detected in one of the subsequent images (10) of the sequence by the image processing device (5), and after detection of the feature of the lateral flank (14), the target vehicle (9) is tracked over further images (10) of the sequence based on the feature of the lateral flank (14).