Vehicular camera assembly process using laser etching for active focusing after lens is secured relative to imager
A vehicular camera system includes a vehicular camera including a camera housing and an imager printed circuit board (imager PCB). The camera housing includes a first portion and a second portion joined with the first portion. The first portion includes a lens barrel accommodating a lens that includes a plurality of lens optics. The imager PCB includes an imager and is attached at the first portion of the camera housing with the imager aligned with the lens. With the imager aligned with the lens, the lens focuses an image at the imager. After the imager PCB is attached at the first portion of the camera housing with the imager aligned with the lens, at least one lens optic of the lens is laser processed to adjust the focus of the lens at the imager.
1. A vehicular camera system, the vehicular camera system comprising:
a vehicular camera comprising a camera housing and an imager printed circuit board (imager PCB);
wherein the camera housing comprises a first portion and a second portion joined with the first portion;
wherein the first portion of the camera housing includes a lens barrel accommodating a lens comprising a plurality of lens optics;
wherein the imager PCB comprises a first side and a second side opposite the first side and separated from the first side by a thickness of the imager PCB, and wherein an imager is disposed at the first side of the imager PCB, and wherein the imager PCB is attached at the first portion of the camera housing with the imager aligned with the lens;
wherein, with the imager aligned with the lens, the lens focuses an image at the imager; and
wherein, after the imager PCB is attached at the first portion of the camera housing with the imager aligned with the lens, at least one lens optic of the plurality of lens optics of the lens is laser processed to adjust the focus of the lens at the imager.
2. The vehicular camera system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one lens optic of the plurality of lens optics of the lens is laser etched to adjust a surface curvature of the at least one lens optic.
3. The vehicular camera system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one lens optic of the plurality of lens optics of the lens is laser deformed to adjust a surface curvature of the at least one lens optic.
4. The vehicular camera system of claim 1 , wherein, with the imager aligned with the lens, a degree of focus of the image at the imager is determined and the at least one lens optic of the plurality of lens optics of the lens is laser processed at least in part based on the determined degree of focus of the image at the imager.
5. The vehicular camera system of claim 4 , wherein the degree of focus of the image at the imager is determined via image processing of image data captured by the imager.
6. The vehicular camera system of claim 4 , wherein the degree of focus of the image at the imager is determined iteratively as the at least one lens optic of the plurality of lens optics of the lens is laser processed.
7. The vehicular camera system of claim 4 , wherein, after the at least one lens optic of the plurality of lens optics of the lens is laser processed, the lens is determined to be focused relative to the imager when the image aligns with an image plane of the imager.
8. The vehicular camera system of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the camera housing comprises an aperture therethrough, and wherein the lens barrel is positioned at the aperture of the first portion of the camera housing and aligned with the imager.
9. The vehicular camera system of claim 8 , wherein, with the lens barrel positioned at the aperture and aligned with the imager, the lens barrel is fixedly attached at the first portion of the camera housing.
10. The vehicular camera system of claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the camera housing is joined with the first portion after the imager PCB is attached to the first portion.
11. The vehicular camera system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicular camera comprises an electrical connector portion configured to electrically connect to a wire harness of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular camera system.
12. A method for assembling a vehicular camera, the method comprising:
providing a camera housing comprising a first portion and a second portion joined with the first portion;
wherein the first portion of the camera housing includes a lens barrel accommodating a lens, the lens comprising a plurality of lens optics;
providing an imager printed circuit board (imager PCB), wherein the imager PCB comprises a first side and a second side opposite the first side and separated from the first side by a thickness of the imager PCB, and wherein an imager is disposed at the first side of the imager PCB;
attaching the imager PCB at the first portion of the camera housing with the imager aligned with the lens;
with the imager aligned with the lens, determining a degree of focus of an image imaged by the lens at the imager; and
responsive to the determined degree of focus, laser processing at least one lens optic of the plurality of lens optics of the lens to adjust the focus of the lens at the imager.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein laser processing the at least one lens optic of the plurality of lens optics of the lens comprises laser etching the at least one lens optic to adjust a surface curvature of the at least one lens optic.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein laser processing the at least one lens optic of the plurality of lens optics of the lens comprises laser deforming the at least one lens optic to adjust a surface curvature of the at least one lens optic.
15. The method of claim 12 , wherein determining the degree of focus of the image imaged by the lens at the imager comprises image processing of image data captured by the imager.
16. The method of claim 12 , wherein determining the degree of focus of the image imaged by the lens at the imager comprises iteratively determining the degree of focus of the image imaged by the lens at the imager while laser processing the at least one lens optic of the plurality of lens optics of the lens.
17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising, after laser processing the at least one lens optic of the plurality of lens optics of the lens, determining that the lens is focused relative to the imager based on the image being aligned with an image plane of the imager.
18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second portion of the camera housing is joined with the first portion after the imager PCB is attached to the first portion.
19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first portion of the camera housing comprises an aperture therethrough, and wherein the method comprises positioning the lens barrel at the aperture of the first portion of the camera housing and aligned with the imager.
20. The method of claim 19 , comprising, with the lens barrel positioned at the aperture and aligned with the imager, fixedly attaching the lens barrel at the first portion of the camera housing prior to determining the degree of focus of the image imaged by the lens at the imager.
21. A vehicular camera system, the vehicular camera system comprising:
a vehicular camera comprising a camera housing and an imager printed circuit board (imager PCB);
wherein the camera housing comprising a first portion and a second portion joined with the first portion;
wherein the first portion of the camera housing includes a lens barrel accommodating a lens comprising a plurality of lens optics;
wherein the imager PCB comprises a first side and a second side opposite the first side and separated from the first side by a thickness of the imager PCB, and wherein an imager is disposed at the first side of the imager PCB, and wherein the imager PCB is attached at the first portion of the camera housing with the imager aligned with the lens;
wherein, with the imager aligned with the lens, the lens focuses an image at the imager;
wherein, after the imager PCB is attached at the first portion of the camera housing with the imager aligned with the lens, a degree of focus of the image at the imager is determined;
wherein, based at least in part on the determined degree of focus of the image at the imager, at least one lens optic of the plurality of lens optics of the lens is laser processed to adjust the focus of the lens at the imager; and
wherein the at least one lens optic of the plurality of lens optics of the lens is laser etched to adjust a surface curvature of the at least one lens optic.
22. The vehicular camera system of claim 21 , wherein the degree of focus of the image at the imager is determined via image processing of image data captured by the imager.
23. The vehicular camera system of claim 21 , wherein the degree of focus of the image at the imager is determined iteratively as the at least one lens optic of the plurality of lens optics of the lens is laser processed.
24. The vehicular camera system of claim 21 , wherein, after the at least one lens optic of the plurality of lens optics of the lens is laser processed, the lens is determined to be focused relative to the imager when the image aligns with an image plane of the imager.