Vehicular vision system with ground illumination light module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11034290-B2
Application number	US-202016947772-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2020
Priority date	Oct 10, 2017
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

A vehicular vision system includes at least a sideward-viewing side camera at a side of a vehicle, a rearward-viewing rear backup camera, and a ground illumination light module disposed at the side of the vehicle and including at least one light emitting diode and a freeform optic. The vehicular ground illumination light module, when the light emitting diode is electrically powered so as to emit light through the freeform optic, illuminates a ground region at that side of the vehicle. The illuminated ground region includes an illuminated side ground region at least partially along the side of the vehicle and an illuminated rearward ground region rearward of a rear portion of the vehicle. The illuminated ground region is at least in part viewed by the sideward-viewing side camera and the rearward-viewing rear backup camera. A portion of the illuminated side ground region is illuminated with a luminance of at least 10 lux.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicular vision system, said vehicular vision system comprising:
a sideward-viewing side camera disposed at a side of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular vision system and viewing at least sideward of the vehicle;
a rearward-viewing rear backup camera disposed at a rear portion of the vehicle and viewing at least rearward of the vehicle;
a ground illumination light module disposed at the side of the vehicle, the ground illumination light module comprising at least one light emitting diode and a freeform optic;
wherein the ground illumination light module, when disposed at the side of the vehicle, and when the at least one light emitting diode is electrically powered so as to emit light through the freeform optic, illuminates a ground region at that side of the vehicle;
wherein the illuminated ground region includes an illuminated side ground region at least partially along the side of the vehicle and an illuminated rearward ground region rearward of the rear portion of the vehicle;
wherein the illuminated ground region is at least in part viewed by the sideward-viewing side camera and the rearward-viewing rear backup camera; and
wherein a portion of the illuminated side ground region is illuminated with a luminance of at least 10 lux.

2. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the illuminated side ground region extends outward at least 3 meters from the side of the vehicle.

3. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the illuminated rearward ground region is illuminated with a luminance of at least 10 lux.

4. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , further comprising a forward-viewing front camera disposed at a front portion of the vehicle and viewing at least forward of the vehicle, wherein the illuminated ground region includes an illuminated forward ground region forward of the front portion of the vehicle, and wherein the illuminated forward ground region is at least in part within a field of view of the forward-viewing front camera.

5. The vehicular vision system of claim 4 , wherein a portion of the illuminated forward ground region is illuminated with a luminance of at least 10 lux.

6. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein the ground illumination light module, when the at least one light emitting diode is electrically powered, uniformly illuminates the portion of the illuminated side ground region at the side of the vehicle.

7. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein the ground illumination light module, when disposed at the side of the vehicle, is disposed at a door handle at the side of the vehicle.

8. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein the ground illumination light module, when disposed at the side of the vehicle, is disposed at an exterior rearview mirror assembly at the side of the vehicle.

9. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light emitting diode is disposed at a printed circuit board of the ground illumination light module, and wherein the printed circuit board is disposed in a housing of the ground illumination light module.

10. The vehicular vision system of claim 9 , wherein the printed circuit board includes heat dissipating fins that protrude through the housing.

11. The vehicular vision system of claim 10 , wherein the printed circuit board includes electrical connecting terminals that protrude from the housing for electrically connecting the at least one light emitting diode to a power source of the vehicle.

12. The vehicular vision system of claim 11 , comprising a potting material disposed at a rear of the housing to seal around the heat dissipating fins and the electrical connecting terminals.

13. The vehicular vision system of claim 12 , wherein the heat dissipating fins and the electrical connecting terminals extend through and protrude from the potting material.

14. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein the sideward-viewing side camera and the rearward-viewing rear backup camera are part of a surround view multi-camera system of the vehicle.

15. A vehicular vision system, said vehicular vision system comprising:
a sideward-viewing side camera disposed at a side of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular vision system and viewing at least sideward of the vehicle;
a rearward-viewing rear backup camera disposed at a rear portion of the vehicle and viewing at least rearward of the vehicle;
a ground illumination light module disposed at an exterior rearview mirror assembly at the side of the vehicle, the ground illumination light module comprising at least one light emitting diode and a freeform optic;
wherein the ground illumination light module, when disposed at the side of the vehicle, and when the at least one light emitting diode is electrically powered so as to emit light through the freeform optic, illuminates a ground region at that side of the vehicle;
wherein the illuminated ground region includes an illuminated side ground region at least partially along the side of the vehicle and an illuminated rearward ground region rearward of the rear portion of the vehicle;
wherein the illuminated ground region is at least in part viewed by the sideward-viewing side camera and the rearward-viewing rear backup camera;
wherein a portion of the illuminated side ground region is illuminated with a luminance of at least 10 lux;
wherein the portion of the illuminated side ground region extends outward at least 3 meters from the side of the vehicle; and
wherein the sideward-viewing side camera and the rearward-viewing rear backup camera are part of a surround view multi-camera system of the vehicle.

16. The vehicular vision system of claim 15 , wherein a portion of the illuminated rearward ground region is illuminated with a luminance of at least 10 lux.

17. The vehicular vision system of claim 15 , further comprising a forward-viewing front camera disposed at a front portion of the vehicle and viewing at least forward of the vehicle, wherein the illuminated ground region includes an illuminated forward ground region forward of the front portion of the vehicle, and wherein the illuminated forward ground region is at least in part within a field of view of the forward-viewing front camera.

18. The vehicular vision system of claim 17 , wherein a portion of the illuminated forward ground region is illuminated with a luminance of at least 10 lux.

19. A vehicular vision system, said vehicular vision system comprising:
a sideward-viewing side camera disposed at a side of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular vision system and viewing at least sideward of the vehicle;
a rearward-viewing rear backup camera disposed at a rear portion of the vehicle and viewing at least rearward of the vehicle;
a ground illumination light module disposed at a door handle at the side of the vehicle, the ground illumination light module comprising at least one light emitting diode and a freeform optic;
wherein the ground illumination light module, when disposed at the side of the vehicle, and when the at least one light emitting diode is electrically powered so as to emit light through the freeform optic, illuminates a ground region at that side of the vehicle;
wherein the illuminated ground region includes an illuminated side ground region at least partially along the side of the vehicle and an illuminated rearward ground region rearward of the rear portion of the vehicle;
wherein the illuminated ground region is at least in part viewed by the sideward-viewing side camera and the re

Assignees

• Magna Mirrors Of America Inc

Inventors

• Huizen Gregory A
• Wesley Mitchell J
• Dingman David A
• Sobecki Justin E

Classifications

• E05B85/16 Primary

  a longitudinal grip part being pivoted at one end about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the grip part · CPC title

• B60R2300/102

  using 360 degree surveillance camera system · CPC title

• B60Q1/2669 Primary

  on door or boot handles (lighting devices for vehicle interior on door handles B60Q3/267) · CPC title

• F21S43/14

  Light emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• B60R2300/105

  using multiple cameras · CPC title