Ir illuminator to avoid camera field-of-view

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020204713-A1
Application number	US-201816226073-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 19, 2018
Priority date	Dec 19, 2018
Publication date	Jun 25, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

An IR illuminator for providing infrared light for a digital camera having a camera lens with a camera field of view, including at least two mounting substrates arranged adjacent to the digital camera, at least one LED mounted to each of the mounting substrates for radiating the infrared light, and a free form cover lens positioned to cover the at least one LED. The shape of the free form cover lens is such that an emission pattern of light radiation is emitted without entering into the camera lens. Two IR illuminators adjacent to the camera are tilted at an angle from the camera optical direction. The shape of the free form cover lens may be elliptical or toric.

First claim

1 . An IR illuminator for providing infrared light for a digital camera having a camera lens with a camera field of view, comprising:
at least two mounting substrates arranged adjacent to the digital camera; at least one LED mounted to each of the mounting substrates for radiating the infrared light; and a free form cover lens positioned to cover the at least one LED, wherein the size and shape of the free form cover lens is such that an emission pattern of light radiation is emitted without entering into the camera lens.

2 . The IR illuminator of claim 1 , wherein the digital camera has an optic axis in a direction of focus and a horizontal axis that is orthogonal to the optic axis, and
wherein a surface of each of the mounting substrates upon which the at least one LED is mounted is tilted from the horizontal axis by an angle greater than zero degrees.

3 . The IR illuminator of claim 2 , wherein the angle at which each of the mounting substrates is tilted is in the range of five degrees to fifteen degrees.

4 . The IR illuminator of claim 1 , wherein the top surface of the free form cover lens is positioned below the field of view of the camera.

5 . The IR illuminator of claim 1 , wherein the field of view of uniform emission of radiated light is greater than 70 degrees from a central direction that is the direction that the LED is facing.

6 . The IR illuminator of claim 1 , wherein the free form cover lens has an outer surface having an outer cross section shape and an inner surface having an inner cross section shape, and
wherein the inner cross section shape has a steeper angle than the outer cross section shape.

7 . The IR illuminator of claim 1 , wherein a peripheral shape of the free form cover lens is elliptical.

8 . The IR illuminator of claim 1 , wherein a surface of the mounting substrate on which the at least one LED is mounted is rounded, and
wherein the free form cover lens is a toric lens that substantially matches the rounded surface of the mounting surface.

9 . The IR illuminator of claim 1 , wherein the at least one LED includes two LEDs mounted equidistant from the center of the camera lens.

10 . The IR illuminator of claim 1 , wherein the camera has a field of view boundary that is curved, and
wherein the cover lens has an outer ellipsoidal surface that conforms to the size and the shape of the curved field of view boundary.

Assignees

• Valeo North America Inc

Inventors

• Potter Brant
• Orisich John
• Roth Fred
• Beev Kostadin

Classifications

• H04N23/56 Primary

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N23/51

  Housings · CPC title

• H04N23/55

  Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof · CPC title

• B60R2300/103

  using camera systems provided with artificial illumination device, e.g. IR light source · CPC title

• H04N5/2256 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic