US 12,403,865 B2
Visibility obstruction detection for a vehicle
Robert Schroeter, Livonia, MI (US); Mahmoud Yousef Ghannam, Canton, MI (US); Justin Miller, Berkley, MI (US); and Jake Schwartz, Dearborn, MI (US)
Assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed by Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed on Aug. 25, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/455,769.
Prior Publication US 2025/0065846 A1, Feb. 27, 2025
Int. Cl. B60R 1/00 (2022.01); B60R 11/04 (2006.01); B60S 1/08 (2006.01); G06V 10/764 (2022.01); G06V 20/58 (2022.01)
CPC B60S 1/0822 (2013.01) [B60R 11/04 (2013.01); G06V 10/764 (2022.01); G06V 20/58 (2022.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle, comprising:
a window separating a compartment of the vehicle from a region external to the vehicle;
an imaging device in the compartment and configured to capture an image of the region external to the vehicle through the window;
control circuitry in communication with the imaging device, the control circuitry configured to:
receive the image from the imaging device;
process the image in a fully-connected data description neural network (FCDDNN) trained to determine a moisture level;
detect an obstruction in the image;
correlate the obstruction with a substance on the window;
classify the substance as water or debris based on the moisture level; and
generate an output in response to detection of the obstruction.