A system and method in a building or vehicle for an actuator operation in response to a sensor according to a control logic, the system comprising a router or a gateway communicating with a device associated with the sensor and a device associated with the actuator over in-building or in-vehicle networks, and an external Internet-connected control server associated with the control logic implementing a PID closed linear control loop and communicating with the router over external network for controlling the in-building or in-vehicle phenomenon. The sensor may be a microphone or a camera, and the system may include voice or image processing as part of the control logic. A redundancy is used by using multiple sensors or actuators, or by using multiple data paths over the building or vehicle internal or external communication. The networks may be wired or wireless, and may be BAN, PAN, LAN, WAN, or home networks.

System and method for server based control

A system and method of automatically controlling exterior vehicle lights includes an image sensor and a controller to generate control signals. The control signals are derived based on information obtained from the image sensor as well as other detected parameters pertaining to the detected light source(s), the vehicle having the inventive control system, and the ambient environment. The control circuit may simply turn certain exterior lights on or off, or change the brightness, aim, focus, etc. to produce various beam patterns that maximize the illuminated area in front of the vehicle without causing excessive glare in the eyes of other drivers.

System for controlling exterior vehicle lights

A control system is disclosed for controlling an image array sensor and controlling communication between the image array sensor and a microcontroller by way of a serial communication interface. The control system is able to efficiently control various aspects of the image array sensor such as windowing, mode of operation, sensitivity as well as other parameters in order to reduce the data throughput. An important aspect of the invention relates to the fact that the control circuit can be rather easily and efficiently configured in CMOS with relatively few output pins which enables the control circuit to be rather easily and efficiently integrated with CMOS based image array sensors and even the microcontroller to reduce the part count and thus, the overall cost of the system.

Control circuit for image array sensors

Continuously variable headlamps offer greater flexibility for roadway illumination but offer challenges in automatic control design. Each continuously variable headlamp has an effective illumination range varied by changing at least one parameter from a set including horizontal direction aimed, vertical direction aimed, and intensity emitted. A system for automatically controlling continuously variable headlamps on a controlled vehicle includes an imaging system capable of determining lateral and elevational locations of headlamps from oncoming vehicles and tail lamps from leading vehicles. The system also includes a control unit that can acquire an image from in front of the controlled vehicle. The image covers a glare area including points at which drivers of oncoming and leading vehicles would perceive the headlamps to cause excessive glare. The image is processed to determine if at least one oncoming or leading is within the glare area. If at least one vehicle is within the glare area, the headlamp illumination range is reduced. Otherwise, the headlamp illumination range is set to full illumination range.

Continuously variable headlamp control

An imaging system (fig.1) includes an image array sensor (101) including a plurality of pixels (102). Each pixel (102) generates a signal indicative of the amount of light received on the pixel. The imaging system further includes an analog to digital converter (103) for converting the signals from the pixels into a digital value. The system further includes a memory (106) including a plurality of allocated storage locations for storing the digital values from the converter. The number of allocated storage locations in the memory is less than the number of pixels in the image array sensor.

Image processing system to control vehicle headlamps or other vehicle equipment

A portable, electronic camera is connectable to a computer for capturing an image and providing the captured image to the computer for storage therewith. The camera ergonomically acts like an independent, self-functioning peripheral device while in actuality depending on instructions from the computer. The camera is remotely linked to the computer, e.g., by a cable, thereby allowing mobility of the camera independent of the computer. The camera includes an electronic image sensor, and circuit for driving the sensor to generate an image signal that is applied to the computer through the remote link. The readiness of the computer to accept an image signal is manifested by operative device in the camera, which condition the camera for image capture in response to a status signal from the computer transmitted through the remote link. In one embodiment, a capture switch is positioned on or with the camera for user engagement, whereby the operative device inhibits actuation of the capture switch until receipt of the status signal. In another embodiment, the operative device energizes an exposure readiness indicator when the status signal is received.

Hand-manipulated electronic camera tethered to a personal computer

An electronic camera is provided as a module that attaches to the signal bus of a PC-compatible computer. The camera includes a minimum of components, particularly an image sensor and an A/D converter, and a PC-compatible interface connector for mating with a bus extension connector on the computer. By directly presenting digitized data from the camera to the signal bus of the computer through the bus connector, the camera can be kept relatively simple and the computer can be relied upon to perform image processing, storage, and display.

Electronic camera incorporating a computer-compatible bus interface

A video player includes a playback head that repeatedly passes in contact with a circular track on a flexible magnetic disk in order to reproduce a still picture on a video display. By cycling the player into a special quiescent state after a certain interval elapses without user instructions, excessive disk wear is avoided. While in the quiescent state, the disk drive motor is stopped--immobilizing the disk-to-head interface--and the video display is blanked. If user instructions are received while in this state, the disk drive motor is reenergized and the video display is resumed, showing the still picture displayed prior to interruption. If no user instructions are received during a further interval, the player is shut off.

Video player with power-down capability

A video player, specially adapted to accommodate "mixed field and frame" recordings, incorporates a frame store for playing back still pictures recorded on a magnetic disk as either single field or dual field (full frame) video signals A repetitive, interlaced output signal is taken from the frame store either directly or through an interpolation circuit While interpolation benefits single field playback, it is particularly useful for incrementally achieving full frame playback: An interpolated frame is provided for displaying a single field recording and for displaying a still picture before--and until--the second frame of a full frame recording is fully available from the frame store Once both fields of the picture are stored in the frame store, then and only then is the disk drive motor turned off, albeit that an interpolated frame is displayed before this occurs

Dual access frame store for field or frame playback in a video disk player

A system for use in a photofinishing station wherein photographic prints from photographic film frame images are generated. The system enables the station to process a filmstrip including a magnetic strip, and includes a digital scanner for generating scanned film frame image signals, a magnetic reader module for generating read magnetic strip information signals, and a processing device in communication with the digital scanner and magnetic reader module for adapting the image and information signals for use in the photofinishing station. The system also enables existing photofinishers to read magnetics on film, create in-depth prints, and automatically classify negatives by augmenting their existing equipment.

John J. Acello

Papers

Hand-manipulated electronic camera tethered to a personal computer

Electronic camera incorporating a computer-compatible bus interface

Video player with power-down capability

Dual access frame store for field or frame playback in a video disk player

Supplemental photofinishing data system