Vehicle camera system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10543786-B2
Application number	US-201815864128-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2018
Priority date	Jan 31, 2002
Publication date	Jan 28, 2020
Grant date	Jan 28, 2020

Abstract

A vehicular camera system includes a black-out layer disposed at an upper central region of a windshield as installed in a vehicle, an attachment member configured for attachment at the upper central region of the windshield where the black-out layer is disposed, and an accessory module including a camera. The accessory module is configured to detachably mount at the attachment member at the windshield such that the lens of the camera is spaced from the windshield, and such that the camera views forward of the vehicle through an aperture in the black-out layer via a tapered structure that is widest at the windshield and that tapers from the windshield towards where the lens of the camera is located. The tapered structure is at an acute angle relative to the vehicle windshield. The camera captures image data for a driver assistance system of the equipped vehicle.

First claim

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A vehicular camera system suitable for use in a vehicle, said vehicular camera system comprising:
a vehicle windshield that, as installed in a vehicle equipped with said vehicular camera system, is sloped at an acute angle relative to horizontal;
a black-out layer disposed at an upper central region of the vehicle windshield as installed in the equipped vehicle;
an attachment member configured for attachment at the upper central region of the vehicle windshield where the black-out layer is disposed;
an accessory module comprising a camera;
wherein said camera comprises a CMOS imaging array sensor and a lens;
wherein said accessory module is configured to detachably mount at said attachment member;
wherein the black-out layer comprises a light-transmitting aperture aligned with said camera when said accessory module is detachably mounted at said attachment member attached at the upper central region of the vehicle windshield;
wherein, with said attachment member attached at the upper central region of the vehicle windshield where the black-out layer is disposed and with said accessory module mounted at said attachment member with said camera aligned with the light-transmitting aperture of the black-out layer, said lens of said camera is spaced from the vehicle windshield;
wherein, with said attachment member attached at the upper central region of the vehicle windshield where the black-out layer is disposed and with said accessory module mounted at said attachment member, said camera views forward of the equipped vehicle through the light-transmitting aperture in the black-out layer via a tapered structure that is widest at the vehicle windshield and that tapers from the vehicle windshield towards where said lens of said camera is located;
wherein, with said attachment member attached at the upper central region of the vehicle windshield where the black-out layer is disposed and with said accessory module mounted at said attachment member, said tapered structure is at an acute angle relative to the vehicle windshield, said angling compensating, at least in part, for slope of the vehicle windshield;
wherein said accessory module comprises a housing having a windshield-facing side that faces towards the vehicle windshield when said attachment member is attached at the upper central region of the vehicle windshield where the black-out layer is disposed and when said accessory module is mounted at said attachment member, and wherein said housing of said accessory module has a cabin-facing side that faces away from the vehicle windshield towards the interior cabin of the equipped vehicle when said attachment member is attached at the upper central region of the vehicle windshield where the black-out layer is disposed and when said accessory module is mounted at said attachment member;
wherein said tapered structure comprises a plurality of planar walls that converge towards one another;
wherein, with said attachment member attached at the upper central region of the vehicle windshield where the black-out layer is disposed and with said accessory module mounted at said attachment member, said lens of said camera at least partially protrudes through said housing into a cavity that is at least partially bounded by said tapered structure;
wherein electrical circuitry is disposed in said housing of said accessory module;
wherein said electrical circuitry disposed in said housing of said accessory module comprises a microprocessor, memory and a power supply;
wherein, with said attachment member attached at the upper central region of the vehicle windshield where the black-out layer is disposed and with said accessory module mounted at said attachment member, said electrical circuitry communicates over a vehicle communication bus with at least one system of the equipped vehicle;
wherein said electrical circuitry receives input over the vehicle communication bus from at least one system of the equipped vehicle;
wherein input received over the vehicle communication bus comprises at least one input selected from the group consisting of (i) intelligent headlamp control enabled status, (ii) intelligent headlamp control disabled status and (iii) steering angle;
wherein said electrical circuitry communicates over the vehicle communication bus to at least one system of the equipped vehicle;
wherein, with said attachment member attached at the upper central region of the vehicle windshield where the black-out layer is disposed and with said accessory module mounted at said attachment member, said camera captures image data for a driver assistance system of the equipped vehicle; and
wherein said driver assistance system comprises an adaptive cruise control system of the equipped vehicle.

2. The vehicular camera system of claim 1 , wherein said accessory module accommodates a rain sensor, and wherein, with said attachment member attached at the upper central region of the vehicle windshield where the black-out layer is disposed and with said accessory module mounted at said attachment member, said rain sensor optically couples with the vehicle windshield.

3. The vehicular camera system of claim 1 , wherein, with said attachment member attached at the upper central region of the vehicle windshield where the black-out layer is disposed and with said accessory module mounted at said attachment member, a detachable cover is provided.

4. The vehicular camera system of claim 1 , wherein said accessory module comprises a first portion and a second portion, said first portion extending upward when said attachment member is attached at the upper central region of the vehicle windshield where the black-out layer is disposed and when said accessory module is mounted at said attachment member, said first portion having a mirror mounting button, said second portion extending horizontally and rearwardly from said first portion with respect to the vehicle windshield when said attachment member is attached at the upper central region of the vehicle windshield where the black-out layer is disposed and when said accessory module is mounted at said attachment member, said second portion comprising electronic circuitry, and wherein an interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a mirror casing and a reflective element is mountable to said mirror mounting button, said second portion extending from said first portion above the mirror casing and being at least one of viewable and user accessible above the mirror casing when the interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted to said mirror mounting button, and wherein said second portion is movably attached to said first portion and is movable relative to said first portion, and wherein said second portion is pivotable relative to said first portion about a vertical pivot axis to adjust the angle of said second portion, and wherein said second portion comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of (a) a display element and (b) a user input device associated with at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) a compass system of the equipped vehicle, (ii) a microphone system of the equipped vehicle and (iii) a garage door opener system of the equipped vehicle.

5. The vehicular camera system of claim 1 , wherein said electrical circuitry communicates over the vehicle communication bus to provide output to the at least one system of the equipped vehicle.

6. The vehicular camera system of claim 5 , wherein output communicated over the vehicle communication bus comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) intelligent headlamp control status and (ii) an ambient light level status.

7. The vehicular camera system of clai

Assignees

• Magna Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Schofield Kenneth
• Deward Joshua L
• Whitehead Peter J
• Lynam Niall R

Classifications

• H04N23/698

  for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture · CPC title

• H04N25/76

  Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors · CPC title

• B60R2300/8033

  for pedestrian protection · CPC title

• B60R1/12

  Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks · CPC title

• B60R2001/1215

  with information displays · CPC title