2009 BMW 5 Series Owner's Manual - Page 106

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety Any improvement in detection depends on many factors such as the object size and temperature compared to the surroundings, or other nearby objects, the visual recognition skills of the driver, weather conditions, and other factors. Driving hints Only clean the cover of the Head-Up Display with a soft, nonabrasive cloth or with a display cleaning cloth; otherwise, you may damage it.< With the system active, periodically but briefly, glance at the thermal image on the Control Display to notice objects that could be people or larger animals. The glance should be similar to glancing at the rear view mirror. Do not stare at the image for long periods while driving, as this will remove attention from the road. If you notice an object of interest ahead, be prepared to slow down or stop, blow the horn, or take other appropriate action. BMW Night Vision* The concept BMW Night Vision is a driver assistance system that is designed to provide enhanced vision for certain objects at night. This can be especially helpful for detecting people and larger animals. When objects are detected, the driver may be able to take appropriate action sooner. For example, the driver may identify and detect the presence of persons or animals in the road ahead or off to the sides and can be more alert, slow down or stop, blow the horn etc. The driver can decide which actions are appropriate and then react accordingly. A certain area in front of the vehicle is viewed by an infrared camera and a generated image is shown on the Control Display. The resulting thermal image shows the relative heat radiation of the objects present in the camera's field of view. Warmer objects appear brighter and cooler objects appear darker. Contrast is dependent on the temperature difference between the objects and the background and on the amount of heat radiation of the object itself. As a result, it is quite possible that a person is not continually recognizable as a person in shape, since the thermal radiation can be affected by different clothing which blocks heat loss. Objects with little temperature difference to the surrounding area, or little heat radiation are less noticeable, for example in cold weather. 104 System limits The system is designed to supplement but not replace forward vision through the windshield. The driver is responsible for safe driving at night. BMW Night Vision is not designed to be used as a continuous viewing window for driving at night. No system, no matter how sophisticated, can operate without limitations. BMW Night Vision operation is subject to physical and environmental limitations that will reduce the ability of the system to detect and display a clear thermal image. Some of the situations in which these limitations can occur are: > on steep hilltops or depressions and in tight curves > in tunnels, as the contrast is inherently low > when the camera lens is dirty Online Edition for Part no. 01 41 2 600 721 - © 08/08 BMW AG