IP Library Granted Patent US 10,596,982
Granted Patent B2
US 10,596,982 · App. 16/413,703 · Granted Mar 24, 2020

Vehicular camera module

Inventors: Robert L. Bingle (Holland, MI); Joseph Camilleri (Brighton, MI); Peter J. Whitehead (Grand Rapids, MI); Kenneth Schofield (Holland, MI)
Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
B60R11/04B60R1/02B60R1/04B60R1/12B60R16/03B60S1/0411B60S1/56G03B17/02G03B29/00H04N5/2252H04N5/2253H04N5/2254H04N5/2257H04N5/374H04N7/183B60Q1/1423B60R2001/1215B60R2011/004B60R2011/008B60R2011/0082B60R2011/0084B60R2011/0094B60R2300/101B60R2300/602B60R2300/8046G06K9/00791H04N5/332
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,596,982
App. No.
16/413,703
Granted
Mar 24, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicular camera module includes a camera having an image sensor and a lens. The image sensor is disposed at a first printed circuit board, and a second printed circuit board is in board-to-board electrical connection with the first printed circuit board. Board-to-board electrical connection between the first and second printed circuit boards is via a multi-wire ribbon connection. A housing houses the first and second printed circuit boards. The housing is configured for mounting at a windshield of a vehicle and, with the vehicular camera module mounted at the windshield of the vehicle, the camera has a field of view external of the vehicle. With the vehicular camera module mounted at the windshield of the vehicle and responsive at least in part to processing by an image processor of image data captured by the image sensor, an object in the field of view of the camera is detected.

Claims (60)

1. A vehicular camera module, said vehicular camera module comprising:

a camera comprising an image sensor and a lens;

wherein said image sensor is disposed at a first printed circuit board;

a second printed circuit board that is in board-to-board electrical connection with said first printed circuit board;

wherein board-to-board electrical connection between said first and second printed circuit boards is via a multi-wire ribbon connection;

a housing that houses said first and second printed circuit boards;

wherein said housing is configured for mounting at a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said vehicular camera module;

wherein, with said vehicular camera module mounted at the windshield of the equipped vehicle, said camera has a field of view external of the equipped vehicle;

wherein said image sensor is operable to capture image data;

wherein image data captured by said image sensor is processed by an image processor;

wherein, with said vehicular camera module mounted at the windshield of the equipped vehicle and responsive at least in part to processing by said image processor of image data captured by said image sensor, an object in the field of view of said camera is detected; and

wherein, with said vehicular camera module mounted at the windshield of the equipped vehicle and responsive at least in part to processing by said image processor of image data captured by said image sensor, a vehicle headlamp control system of the equipped vehicle is controlled.

2. The vehicular camera module of claim 1 , wherein, responsive at least in part to processing by said image processor of image data captured by said image sensor, distance to the detected object is determined.

3. The vehicular camera module of claim 2 , wherein said vehicular camera module comprises shielding to reduce electronic noise.

4. The vehicular camera module of claim 1 , wherein said vehicular camera module comprises a semi-permeable ventilation portion that is at least partially permeable to water vapor.

5. The vehicular camera module of claim 4 , wherein said semi-permeable ventilation portion comprises a material that is at least partially permeable to water vapor.

6. The vehicular camera module of claim 1 , wherein said camera has a dynamic range that follows, at least in part, a linear response curve.

7. The vehicular camera module of claim 1 , wherein said camera has a dynamic range that follows, at least in part, a non-linear response curve.

8. The vehicular camera module of claim 7 , wherein said image sensor captures 30 frames of image data per second.

9. The vehicular camera module of claim 8 , wherein said image sensor comprises a CMOS image sensor.

10. The vehicular camera module of claim 8 , wherein said vehicular camera module comprises a heater element.

11. The vehicular camera module of claim 1 , wherein said camera has a linear dynamic range of at least 62 dB.

12. The vehicular camera module of claim 11 , wherein said camera has a linear dynamic range of at least 100 dB.

13. The vehicular camera module of claim 1 , wherein said first and second printed circuit boards are spaced apart and are oriented parallel one to the other.

14. The vehicular camera module of claim 1 , wherein said camera has a dynamic range that comprises a linear region followed by a non-linear region.

15. A vehicular camera module, said vehicular camera module comprising:

a camera comprising a CMOS image sensor and a lens;

wherein said image sensor is disposed at a first printed circuit board;

a second printed circuit board that is in board-to-board electrical connection with said first printed circuit board;

wherein board-to-board electrical connection between said first and second printed circuit boards is via a multi-wire ribbon connection;

a housing that houses said first and second printed circuit boards;

wherein said housing is configured for mounting at a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said vehicular camera module;

wherein, with said vehicular camera module mounted at the windshield of the equipped vehicle, said camera has a field of view external of the equipped vehicle;

wherein said image sensor is operable to capture image data;

wherein image data captured by said image sensor is processed by an image processor;

wherein, with said vehicular camera module mounted at the windshield of the equipped vehicle and responsive at least in part to processing by said image processor of image data captured by said image sensor, an object in the field of view of said camera is detected; and

wherein, responsive at least in part to processing by said image processor of image data captured by said image sensor, distance to the detected object is determined.

16. The vehicular camera module of claim 15 , wherein said camera has a dynamic range that comprises a linear region followed by a non-linear region.

17. The vehicular camera module of claim 16 , wherein said image sensor captures 30 frames of image data per second.

18. The vehicular camera module of claim 16 , wherein, with said vehicular camera module mounted at the windshield of the equipped vehicle and responsive at least in part to processing by said image processor of image data captured by said image sensor, a vehicle headlamp control system of the equipped vehicle is controlled.

19. The vehicular camera module of claim 15 , wherein said camera has a linear dynamic range of at least 62 dB.

20. The vehicular camera module of claim 19 , wherein said camera has a linear dynamic range of at least 100 dB.

21. The vehicular camera module of claim 15 , wherein said vehicular camera module comprises shielding to reduce electronic noise.

22. A vehicular camera module, said vehicular camera module comprising:

a camera comprising a CMOS image sensor and a lens;

wherein said image sensor is disposed at a first printed circuit board;

a second printed circuit board that is in board-to-board electrical connection with said first printed circuit board;

wherein board-to-board electrical connection between said first and second printed circuit boards is via a multi-wire ribbon connection;

a housing that houses said first and second printed circuit boards;

wherein said housing is configured for mounting at a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said vehicular camera module;

wherein, with said vehicular camera module mounted at the windshield of the equipped vehicle, said camera has a field of view external of the equipped vehicle;

wherein said image sensor is operable to capture image data;

wherein said camera has a dynamic range that comprises a linear region of at least 62 dB followed by a non-linear region;

wherein image data captured by said image sensor is processed by an image processor; and

wherein, with said vehicular camera module mounted at the windshield of the equipped vehicle and responsive at least in part to processing by said image processor of image data captured by said image sensor, an object in the field of view of said camera is detected.

23. The vehicular camera module of claim 22 , wherein said camera has a dynamic range of at least 100 dB.

24. The vehicular camera module of claim 23 , wherein said camera has a linear dynamic range of at least 100 dB.

25. The vehicular camera module of claim 23 , wherein said image sensor captures 30 frames of image data per second.

26. The vehicular camera module of claim 22 , wherein, with said vehicular camera module mounted at the windshield of the equipped vehicle and responsive at least in part to processing by said image processor of image data captured by said image sensor, a vehicle headlamp control system of the equipped vehicle is controlled.

27. The vehicular camera module of claim 26 , wherein, responsive at least in part to processing by said image processor of image data captured by said image sensor, distance to the detected object is determined.

Continuity (10)
Continuation 15948079 · Apr 9, 2018
Continuation 15488714 · Apr 17, 2017
Continuation 15076918 · Mar 22, 2016
Continuation 14658275 · Mar 16, 2015
Division 13164373 · Jun 20, 2011
Continuation 10534632
Provisional Application 60492544 · Aug 5, 2003
Provisional Application 60477416 · Jun 10, 2003
Provisional Application 60426239 · Nov 14, 2002
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