Patent ID: 6493068
Filing Date: 2002-12-10
Classification: G01P,G06T

Abstract:
An optic flow sensor comprising:a plurality of photoreceptor circuits for sensing light received from a visual field and for producing a plurality of photoreceptor signals having contrast levels in accordance with the light sensed said photoreceptor circuits being arranged in a linear array; a negative iris comprising a plurality of light blocking elements disposed between the visual field and the photoreceptor circuits for blocking a portion of the light from the visual field so that the light blocked by the negative iris is not received by the photoreceptor circuits; a contrast level enhancing means for receiving the photoreceptor signals for computing a mean value for the photoreceptor signals and for computing the difference between the photoreceptor signal for that photoreceptor circuit and said mean value and for enhancing the contrast levels of the photoreceptor signals; and optical flow determining means responsive to said photoreceptor signals from said contrast level subhousing means for determining optic flow in the visual field.