Visteon 'Driver Vision at Night' Promotes Greater Visibility

29 September 2000

    PARIS, Sept. 29 Visteon Corporation is changing
the way drivers handle the road at night with the introduction of its
innovative night vision technology, Driver Vision at Night.  The advanced
technology substantially improves driver's orientation in dark driving
conditions.  As a result, reaction time is improved because obstacles and
pedestrians in the road are easier to see.
    Compared to other products on the market, which employ only thermal
sensors, Visteon's Driver Vision at Night uses light amplification and near
infrared techniques.  This approach has the advantage of preventing variations
in the display's brightness and contrast levels.  The system also helps in
reducing the feared "blinding effect" drivers sometimes experience from the
headlights of oncoming traffic.  Thus, the driver receives an enhanced and
clear view of the road ahead.
    In developing this system, Visteon engineers installed a mini-camera
inside the vehicle and positioned it to be aligned with the driver's eyes.
Here's what they found: the system's electronics can pick up a range of up to
300 meters and extend much further into the dark than the range illuminated by
a vehicle's traditional headlights.  The camera detects extremely long-wave
radiation invisible to the human eye, and employs it in reproducing an image
of the road.
    An electronics module designed by Visteon translates the information
captured by the camera into easy-to-understand images.  An Optics box mounted
in the vehicle's roof projects the final image on to a "head-up" display.  The
display is located directly within the driver's primary field of view,
allowing him or her to keep their eyes on the road.  The image on the
transparent windshield display offers important additional visuals of the road
beyond the reach of the headlamps.
    Visteon's booth is located at 4 Booth 134A, at the Mondial de
L'Automobile.