US 12,136,241 B2
Method for detecting an optical blockage of a camera of a vehicle and method for operating a vehicle
Malte Jonas Köhler, Gärtringen (DE); Martin Hümmer, Sindelfingen (DE); and Stephan Zinkler, Stuttgart (DE)
Assigned to MERCEDES-BENZ GROUP AG, Stuttgart (DE)
Appl. No. 18/687,530
Filed by MERCEDES-BENZ GROUP AG, Stuttgart (DE)
PCT Filed Jul. 21, 2022, PCT No. PCT/EP2022/070558
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 28, 2024,
PCT Pub. No. WO2023/030752, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 9, 2023.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2021 004 414.2 (DE), filed on Aug. 31, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0273763 A1, Aug. 15, 2024
Int. Cl. G06K 9/00 (2022.01); G06T 7/73 (2017.01); G06T 7/90 (2017.01)
CPC G06T 7/90 (2017.01) [G06T 7/73 (2017.01); G06T 2207/30244 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30248 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for detecting an optical blockage of a camera of a vehicle, the method comprising:
recording, by the camera, an image of a static scene from an environment of the vehicle;
determining recording conditions existing while the image is being recorded;
comparing the recorded image with a reference image, wherein the reference image is retrieved from a vehicle-external server and is based on recordings that have been recorded by a plurality of vehicles of the static scene in same or similar recording conditions; and
evaluating deviations in image features between the recorded image and the reference image in order to determine that the camera is optically blocked if the deviations exceed a pre-determined tolerance.