In-vehicle camera control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10554884-B2
Application number	US-201314396436-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2013
Priority date	Apr 26, 2012
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

Specifically, upon start of processing, current supply to the imaging element of the in-vehicle camera is stopped first (camera is powered OFF). Therefore, at least immediately after the ignition is turned on, current supply to the imaging element is not performed. When a state where a temperature measured by a temperature measurement section provided in the vicinity of the imaging element is not more than an ON threshold continues for a duration expressed by Ams×(startup counter value), current supply to the imaging element is started.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An in-vehicle camera control device for an in-vehicle camera including a housing and an imaging element to pick up an image around a vehicle, the in-vehicle camera control device controlling at least a state of current supply to the imaging element, wherein the in-vehicle camera control device comprises:
a first power supply portion configured to supply electrical current to the imaging element;
an image processing system control disposed in the housing and controlling the first power supply portion;
a second power supply portion, which is different from the first power supply portion, configured to supply electrical current to the image processing system control; and
a temperature measurement device that is disposed in the housing and configured to measure a temperature in the vicinity of the imaging element;
wherein:
the housing is mounted to a windshield of the vehicle and disposed inside the vehicle; and
the image processing system control, energized by the second power supply portion, is configured to:
(a) detect the temperature measured by the temperature measurement device prior to the first power supply portion starting current supply to the imaging element;
(b) start the current supply from the first power supply portion to the imaging element when the detected temperature detected by the temperature measurement device is not more than a preset first threshold; and
(c) stop the current supply from the first power supply portion to the imaging element, when the detected temperature detected by the temperature measurement device is more than a preset second threshold, the preset second threshold being larger than the preset first threshold; and

the second power supply portion is disposed in the housing.

2. The in-vehicle camera control device according to claim 1 , wherein, when an interval for the image processing system control to refer to the temperature measured by the temperature measurement device is a reference interval, a period from when the image processing system control starts control until when the current supply to the imaging element is started is a startup period, and a period from when the image processing system control stops the current supply to the imaging element until when the current supply to the imaging element is restarted is a stop period, the reference interval in the startup period is shorter than the reference interval in the stop period.

3. The in-vehicle camera control device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the image processing system control is configured to maintain stopping of the current supply to the imaging element unless a state that a predetermined period has elapsed while the temperature measured by the temperature measurement device is not more than the preset first threshold.

4. The in-vehicle camera control device according to claim 1 , wherein the image processing system control is further configured to wait until a predetermined period expires after an ignition switch of the vehicle is turned on and to start the current supply to the imaging element only when the temperature is not more than the preset first threshold and the predetermined period is expired.

5. An in-vehicle camera control device for an in-vehicle camera including a housing and an imaging element to pick up an image around a vehicle, the in-vehicle camera control device controlling at least a state of current supply to the imaging element, wherein the in-vehicle camera control device comprises:
a first power supply portion configured to supply electrical current to the imaging element;
an image processing system control disposed in the housing and controlling the first power supply portion;
a second power supply portion, which is different from the first power supply portion, configured to supply electrical current to the image processing system control; and
a temperature measurement device that is disposed in the housing and configured to measure a temperature in the vicinity of the imaging element;
wherein:
the housing is mounted to a windshield of the vehicle and disposed inside the vehicle; and
the image processing system control, energized by the second power supply portion, is configured to:
(a) detect the temperature measured by the temperature measurement device prior to the first power supply portion starting current supply to the imaging element;
(b) wait until a predetermined period expires after and in response to an ignition switch of the vehicle being turned on;
(c) refer to the temperature measured by the temperature measurement device prior to the starting of the current supply from the first power supply portion to the imaging element;
(d) start the current supply from the first power supply portion to the imaging element when the detected temperature detected by the temperature measurement device is not more than a preset first threshold and the predetermined period is expired; and
(e) stop the current supply from the first power supply portion to the imaging element, when the detected temperature detected by the temperature measurement device is more than a preset second threshold, the preset second threshold being larger than the preset first threshold; and

the second power supply portion is disposed in the housing.

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Masui Soji

Classifications

• B60R2300/40

  characterised by the details of the power supply or the coupling to vehicle components · CPC title

• H04N5/23241 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N23/651 Primary

  for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera · CPC title