Vehicle vision system with windshield mounted camera

1. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

a camera module disposed at a windshield of a vehicle;

wherein said camera module comprises a camera and a circuit board;

wherein, with said camera module disposed at the windshield, said camera has a field of view forward of the vehicle and through the windshield of the vehicle;

wherein said camera comprises (i) an imager comprising a plurality of photosensor elements arranged in multiple columns and multiple rows and (ii) a lens;

wherein said camera is electrically connected to circuitry established at said circuit board;

wherein said camera is electrically connected to said circuitry established at said circuit board via a flexible electrical connection;

wherein, via said flexible electrical connection, said circuitry established at said circuit board (i) provides power to said camera, (ii) controls said camera and (iii) receives image data from said camera; and

wherein, with said camera module disposed at the windshield, said circuit board is angled relative to a principal axis of the field of view of said camera.

2. The vision system of claim 1 , comprising an image processor operable to process image data captured by said camera.

3. The vision system of claim 2 , wherein said image processor comprises part of a driver assistance system of the vehicle.

4. The vision system of claim 3 , wherein said driver assistance system comprises at least one of (i) a vehicle headlamp control system of the vehicle, (ii) a lane change assistance system of the vehicle, (iii) a lane departure warning system of the vehicle, (iv) an object detection system of the vehicle and (v) a traffic sign recognition system of the vehicle.

5. The vision system of claim 3 , wherein said driver assistance system comprises a distance determining system operable to determine distance to a leading vehicle.

6. The vision system of claim 1 , wherein, with said camera module disposed at the windshield, the principal axis of the field of view of said camera is generally horizontal.

7. The vision system of claim 1 , wherein, with said camera module disposed at the windshield, at least a portion of said circuit board is disposed at the windshield further from the windshield than said lens of said camera.

8. The vision system of claim 1 , wherein, with said camera module disposed at the windshield, at least a portion of said circuit board is disposed at the windshield higher up than said lens of said camera.

9. The vision system of claim 1 , wherein, with said camera module disposed at the windshield, said circuit board is disposed under a roof liner of the vehicle.

10. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

a camera module disposed at a windshield of a vehicle;

wherein said camera module comprises a camera and a circuit board;

wherein, with said camera module disposed at the windshield, said camera has a field of view forward of the vehicle and through the windshield of the vehicle;

wherein said camera comprises (i) an imager comprising a plurality of photosensor elements arranged in multiple columns and multiple rows and (ii) a lens;

wherein said camera is electrically connected to circuitry established at said circuit board;

wherein said camera is electrically connected to said circuitry established at said circuit board via a flexible electrical connection;

wherein, via said flexible electrical connection, said circuitry established at said circuit board (i) provides power to said camera and (ii) receives image data from said camera;

an image processor operable to process image data captured by said camera;

wherein said image processor comprises part of a driver assistance system of the vehicle; and

wherein said driver assistance system comprises a distance determining system operable to determine distance to a leading vehicle.

11. The vision system of claim 10 , wherein said driver assistance system comprises a vehicle headlamp control system of the vehicle.

12. The vision system of claim 11 , wherein said driver assistance system comprises a lane change assistance system of the vehicle.

13. The vision system of claim 12 , wherein said driver assistance system comprises a traffic sign recognition system of the vehicle.

14. The vision system of claim 10 , wherein, with said camera module disposed at the windshield, at least a portion of said circuit board is disposed at the windshield further from the windshield than said lens of said camera.

15. The vision system of claim 14 , wherein, via said flexible electrical connection, said circuitry established at said circuit board controls said camera.

16. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:

a camera module disposed at a windshield of a vehicle;

wherein said camera module comprises a camera and a circuit board;

wherein, with said camera module disposed at the windshield, said camera has a field of view forward of the vehicle and through the windshield of the vehicle;

wherein said camera comprises (i) an imager comprising a plurality of photosensor elements arranged in multiple columns and multiple rows and (ii) a lens;

wherein said camera is electrically connected to circuitry established at said circuit board;

wherein said camera is electrically connected to said circuitry established at said circuit board via a flexible electrical connection;

wherein, via said flexible electrical connection, said circuitry established at said circuit board (i) provides power to said camera, (ii) controls said camera and (iii) receives image data from said camera;

wherein said camera comprises a CMOS camera; and

wherein, with said camera module disposed at the windshield, at least a portion of said circuit board is disposed at the windshield further from the windshield than said lens of said camera.

17. The vision system of claim 16 , comprising an image processor operable to process image data captured by said camera wherein said image processor comprises part of a driver assistance system of the vehicle.

18. The vision system of claim 17 , wherein said driver assistance system comprises at least one of (i) an object detection system of the vehicle, (ii) a traffic sign recognition system of the vehicle and (iii) a distance determining system operable to determine distance to a leading vehicle.

19. The vision system of claim 18 , wherein said driver assistance system comprises at least one of (i) a vehicle headlamp control system of the vehicle, (ii) a lane change assistance system of the vehicle and (iii) a lane departure warning system of the vehicle.

20. The vision system of claim 19 , wherein, with said camera module disposed at the windshield, at least a portion of said circuit board is disposed at the windshield higher up than said lens of said camera.