A system includes a computer programmed to receive image data of an exterior of a vehicle from an external image device. The computer is further programmed to, upon determining that a difference between the received image data and stored baseline image data exceeds a threshold, actuate the vehicle to navigate to a car wash location.

A camera system for a vehicle, which is to be arranged inside the vehicle behind a windshield of the vehicle, includes a housing, a first camera module that detects or images an area ahead of the vehicle and a second camera module that detects or images at least an area of the windshield.

Disclosed herein is a windshield cleaning system including a computer in electronic communication with a windshield wiper controller, an image device, a fluid applicator, and a fluid heater. The system captures and compares a pre-spray image with a post-spray image, the post spray image acquired after actuating the fluid applicator and before actuating the windshield wiper. The comparison is performed by the computer to determined potential conditions with the windshield cleaning system.

An apparatus and a method are for detecting precipitation on a windscreen of a motor vehicle. A camera device records a first image and thereafter a second image. A comparison device produces a first comparison image by comparing the first image with the second image. An image detection device identifies objects on the first comparison image, and determines motion of the objects, to detect whether there is precipitation on the windscreen.

A system mounted on a vehicle for detecting an obstruction on a surface of a window of the vehicle, a primary camera is mounted inside the vehicle behind the window. The primary camera is configured to acquire images of the environment through the window. A secondary camera is focused on an external surface of the window, and operates to image the obstruction. A portion of the window, i.e. window region is subtended respectively by the field of view of the primary camera and the field of view of the secondary camera. A processor processes respective sequences of image data from both the primary camera and the secondary camera.

A water droplet detection device has an image capturing unit and a water droplet detection unit. The image capturing unit has a photographic optical system that an area captures an image of a predetermined area. The water droplet detection unit sets an arbitrary attention point in the captured image, a plurality of first reference points inside an imaginary circle of a predetermined radius having the attention point as a center the imaginary circle, and a plurality of second reference points corresponding to the first reference points outside the imaginary circle. The water droplet detection unit detects edge information between the first reference points and second reference points, and assesses a circularity strength of the edge information to detect a water droplet attached to the photographic optical system. The water droplet detection device can be used with an image conversion unit to form a three-dimensional object detection device.

A vision system for a vehicle includes a driver-side exterior mirror assembly having a driver-side camera for capturing driver-side image data and a passenger-side exterior mirror assembly having a passenger-side camera for capturing passenger-side image data. A video display disposed at the vehicle displays video images derived from image data captured by the driver-side and passenger-side cameras. The video display includes a driver-side display portion and a passenger-side display portion. The driver-side display portion of the video display displays video images derived from driver-side image data captured by the driver-side camera and does not display video images derived from any passenger-side image data captured by the passenger-side camera. The passenger-side display portion of the video display displays video images derived from passenger-side image data captured by the passenger-side camera and does not display video images derived from any driver-side image data captured by the driver-side camera.

A lens component of an optical rain sensor (10) has an emitter lens (16) configured as a Fresnel lens and a receiver lens (18) configured as a Fresnel lens, each of which, in a top view, has a rectangular contour with first edges and second edges extending at right angles thereto, the center (M.sub.S) of the emitter lens (16) and/or the center (M.sub.E) of the receiver lens (18) being arranged off-center with respect to the side length of at least one of the edges, and the emitter lens (16) and the receiver lens (18) being arranged side by side. The lens component (12) is manufactured in a negative molding process in which first and second mold inserts are arranged side by side, each of which having a Fresnel lens mold, the first and second mold inserts each being selectively arranged in a manner rotated through 0 or through 180, and the mold inserts arranged in this way forming a negative mold for the emitter lens (16) and the receiver lens (18) of the lens component (12) during the negative molding process. This provides a modular system for manufacturing optical rain sensors (10), having lens components (12) in a plurality of different configurations which differ from each other in regard to the distance of the centers (M.sub.S, M.sub.E) of the emitter lens (16) and the receiver lens (18). For manufacturing the lens component (12), the mold inserts are arranged side by side, each in a manner selectively rotated through 0 or through 180, and are negative-molded using a suitable plastic material. This is performed in a tool for manufacturing a lens component (12), which includes a mount into which the mold inserts can be placed next to each other along the second edge, the first and/or the second mold insert each being adapted to be inserted into the mount in a manner rotated through 0 or through 180.

An object recognizing apparatus is mounted in a vehicle and uses photographed images of a stereo camera which photographs an exterior of a vehicle from a vehicle interior of the vehicle through an area of a window glass wiped by a wiper. The object recognizing apparatus is provided with: a light source detector configured to detect a light source on a photographed image; an edge detector configured to detect an edge extending in a direction crossing a wiping direction of the wiper, on the photographed image; and a determinator configured to determine that the window glass is stained, if the edge extending in the crossing direction from the light source is detected continuously for a predetermined time, on the basis of a detection result of the light source detector and a detection result of the edge detector.

A system mounted on a vehicle for detecting an obstruction on a surface of a window of the vehicle, a primary camera is mounted inside the vehicle behind the window. The primary camera is configured to acquire images of the environment through the window. A secondary camera is focused on an external surface of the window, and operates to image the obstruction. A portion of the window, i.e. window region is subtended respectively by the field of view of the primary camera and the field of view of the secondary camera. A processor processes respective sequences of image data from both the primary camera and the secondary camera.