Production: beginning March 2006
Principles of Operation
The BMW Night Vision camera is a thermal imaging camera, which converts thermal radiation into electronic signals and then into images visible to the human eye.
The thermal image is converted first by the sensor into electrical signals and then with the aid of image-processing software into a visible image in the control display.
The sensor elements alter the resistance in proportion to the temperature. The higher the temperature, the higher the electrical signal and the whiter the pixel will be shown.
Thanks to increased dynamic sensitivity, the sensor can generate a new image up to 60 times per second. This results in a softer and clearer image.
Heat radiation is absorbed and dissipated by virtually every solid or liquid body. Heat radiation, however, is not visible to the human eye because it belongs in the long-wave infrared range. From a physical standpoint, this represents electromagnetic waves with a wavelength of 8 μm to 15 μm. This long-wave infrared radiation is known as Far Infrared (FIR).
The advantage of utilizing radiation in the Far Infrared range is the greater range compared with Near Infrared systems with a wavelength of 0.7 μm to 1.4 μm. These systems require illumination with just this wavelength.
Essentially, FIR systems consist of an optical element, a thermal imaging camera, an control unit and a display.
Scheme 1
Switch-On Conditions
BMW Night Vision is activated as soon as the button in the light switch center is pressed.
The following basic conditions can exist
Scheme 2
Scheme 3
- The rain/light sensor detects sufficient ambient light and the driving lights are switched off; BMW Night Vision is ready for operation approx. 2 seconds after the button in the light switch center is pressed. A message is shown in the control display during this period of 2 seconds.
- The rain/light sensor detects insufficient ambient light and the driving lights are switched on; BMW Night Vision is ready for operation immediately after the button is pressed.
- In conditions of darkness (underground car park), the driving lights are switched off and the driving speed is less than 5 km/h; BMW Night Vision is ready for operation after the button in the light switch center is pressed.
BMW Night Vision cannot be activated when
- the driving lights are switched off
- the rain/light sensor detects insufficient ambient light, and
- the driving speed is greater than 5 km/h
Once BMW Night Vision has been activated, a message appears in the control display to the effect that the system cannot be used at night without driving lights.