Patent ID: 7994462

Claim:
An image sensing system for a vehicle, said image sensing system comprising: an imaging sensor comprising a two-dimensional array of light sensing photosensor elements; said imaging sensor having a forward field of view to the exterior of a vehicle equipped with said image sensing system and through the windshield of the equipped vehicle; wherein said imaging sensor is operable to capture frames of image data; a control comprising an image processor; wherein said image sensing system identifies objects in said forward field of view of said image sensor via processing of said captured image data by said image processor; wherein said image processing comprises pattern recognition, and wherein said pattern recognition comprises detection of at least one of (a) a headlight, (b) a taillight and (c) an object, and wherein said pattern recognition is based at least in part on at least one of (i) shape, (ii) reflectivity, (iii) luminance and (iv) spectral characteristic; and wherein said pattern recognition is enhanced by comparing image data of objects over successive frames of said captured image data.