US 7,005,974 · Granted 2006-02-28
The Patent That Turned Your Car's Camera Into a Safety Spotter
Imagine a camera mounted on your car that doesn't just record video—it actually recognizes dangerous objects and alerts you to them. This patent describes a system where a camera outside your vehicle watches the road, spots obstacles or hazards, and displays warning symbols on a screen inside so you know what to watch out for.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a complete system combining an external camera sensor, a processor that analyzes what the camera sees to identify relevant objects (like pedestrians, obstacles, or other vehicles), and an in-car display that shows icon-based warnings to occupants. Specifically, the patent protects the method of mounting the camera near the license plate, processing the video feed to detect hazards, and displaying symbolic representations of those hazards on a viewable screen rather than raw video.
Why it matters
This patent represents an early approach to computer vision safety in vehicles—turning passive cameras into active collision-warning systems. Rather than just recording what happens, the system interprets the scene and communicates danger to the driver in real time. This foundational technology paved the way for modern advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) that today prevent thousands of crashes annually.
Real-world use
When you shift into reverse and your car's backup camera lights up a screen showing a red outline around an approaching obstacle, you're benefiting from this patent's core concept of detected-object visualization.
Original USPTO abstract
A vehicle imaging system includes an imaging sensor having a field of view exterior of a vehicle, an image processor and a display. The imaging sensor generates a signal indicative of an image representative of a scene occurring within the field of view. The image processor receives the signal from the imaging sensor and processes the signal to detect at least one relevant object within the image. The display is operable to display at least one iconistic representation of the at least one detected relevant object in response to an output signal generated by the image processor. The display is positionable within the vehicle and is viewable by a driver or passenger or occupant of the vehicle. The imaging sensor may be mounted to a mounting bracket mounted at a license plate area of the vehicle.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 7,005,974
- Filing date
- 2003-04-18
- Grant date
- 2006-02-28
- Assignee
- Donnelly Corporation
- Inventor(s)
- MCMAHON MARTHA A., BINGLE ROBERT L.
- CPC class
- B60Q9/005
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