Multifilter Image Sensor for Road Surface Condition Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image sensors struggle to reliably differentiate between wet and dirty spots on road surfaces due to similar appearances in RGB images, and fail to detect objects with complex optical behaviors like puddles and reflections, relying on unreliable RGB data that is heavily influenced by environmental variables.
Innovation Solution
An image sensor with a grid-shaped arrangement of image elements, incorporating a variety of filter elements including color, absorption, and polarization filters, enabling detection of absorption and polarization information to differentiate between road surface conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If RGB image sensors are used for road surface detection, then the device complexity is low and ease of operation is good, but the measurement precision and reliability are insufficient for differentiating wet and dirty spots
Solution Approach 1:
The image sensor divides each pixel into multiple sub-pixels, where each sub-pixel is equipped with a specific filter (color filter, absorption filter, or polarization filter). This segmentation allows simultaneous capture of multiple optical properties (color, absorption, polarization) at each pixel location, enabling differentiation between wet and dirty spots without requiring multiple separate sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds new dimensions to the detection capability by incorporating absorption filters (detecting light absorption at different wavelengths) and polarization filters (detecting light polarization states) alongside traditional color filters. This transforms the detection from a 3-color (RGB) space to a multi-dimensional optical property space, providing additional information for reliable road surface condition classification.
2Reliability
If multiple filter elements are integrated per image element to detect absorption and polarization information, then the measurement precision and reliability improve, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each image element is designed as a universal unit that can detect multiple optical properties (color, absorption, polarization) through its multiple filter-equipped sub-pixels. This multi-functional design allows a single image sensor to perform what would otherwise require multiple specialized sensors, improving reliability while managing complexity through functional integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges color filtering, absorption filtering, and polarization filtering capabilities into a single image sensor array. By combining these different filtering functions at the pixel level rather than using separate sensors, the system achieves high detection reliability while avoiding the complexity of multiple independent sensor systems.
3Adaptability or versatility
If additional absorption filters and polarization filters are added to detect complex optical behaviors, then the ability to detect objects like puddles and reflections improves, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor array is segmented into sub-pixels with different filter types, allowing standardized manufacturing processes to be applied to each sub-pixel type independently. This segmentation enables the use of established filter fabrication techniques for each filter category while achieving versatile object detection capabilities through the combination of different filter responses.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances the ability to detect water, plants, and other materials by providing additional information beyond color, improving road surface danger detection with increased precision and reliability.
Implementation Method 1
a first absorption filter with a first optical bandwidth, a second absorption filter with a second optical bandwidth
Implementation Method 2
a first polarization filter with a first polarization characteristic, a second polarization filter with a second polarization characteristic
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the invention provide an image sensor image sensor including an image sensor structure. The image sensor structure includes a multitude of image elements arranged in a grid-shaped manner in a first direction and in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. An image element of the multitude of image elements includes a plurality of filter elements spatially arranged side by side. The plurality of filter elements includes at least one color filter and at least one additional filter from a filter group. The filter group includes a first absorption filter with a first optical bandwidth, a second absorption filter with a second optical bandwidth different from the first optical bandwidth, a first polarization filter with a first polarization characteristic, a second polarization filter with a second polarization characteristic different from the first polarization characteristic, and a filter element without absorption effect or polarization effect.