Patent ID: 7310190

Claim:
An imaging system for use with a vehicle, the vehicle including a window through which light is transmitted, the imaging system comprising: a detector which provides an image of the light transmitted through the window; imaging optics including a variable focus lens and having a first configuration wherein an object spaced apart from the vehicle is imaged onto the detector and a second configuration wherein at least a portion of the window is imaged onto the detector; and a controller operably coupled to the imaging optics, the controller configured to adjust the imaging optics to place the imaging optics in the first configuration to image the object spaced apart from the vehicle and further configured to adjust the imaging optics to place the imaging optics in the second configuration to image the portion of the window. wherein a shape of the variable focus lens is adjusted by the controller, the variable focus lens having a first shape corresponding to the first configuration of the imaging optics and a second shape corresponding to the second configuration of the imaging optics, wherein the controller executes instructions to adjust the shape of the variable focus lens to the second shape and to analyze an image of the window to determine a condition of the window, wherein the controller further executes instructions to adjust the shape of the variable focus lens to the first shape and to execute an imaging application wherein one or more images of the object spaced apart from the vehicle are analyzed, and wherein the controller maintains the variable focus lens in the first shape until the imaging application malfunctions whereat the controller adjusts the shape of the variable focus lens to the second shape to analyze an image of the window to determine a condition of the window.