IP Library Granted Patent US 12,397,712
Granted Patent B2
US 12,397,712 · App. 18/411,967 · Granted Aug 26, 2025

Vehicular camera

Inventors: Ken Nakamura (Kanagawa, JP); Yuichiro Aihara (Kanagawa, JP); Koyo Usami (Kanagawa, JP); Masayoshi Michiguchi (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Co., Ltd.
B60R1/27H04N23/51H04N23/55H04N23/57H04N23/665H04N25/40B60R2300/105B60R2300/408
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,397,712
App. No.
18/411,967
Granted
Aug 26, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicular camera includes: an imaging sensor including a first pixel region having X1 pixels arranged in a first direction and Y1 pixels arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction; an optical system including at least one lens and having an optical axis intersecting the first pixel region; and a memory configured to store a position of a second pixel region inside the first pixel region and having X2 pixels arranged in the first direction and Y2 pixels arranged in the second direction, the X2 being smaller than the X1, the Y2 being smaller than the Y1. The vehicular camera is configured to: read the position of the second pixel region from the memory in response to start-up of the imaging sensor; and output an output image corresponding to the second pixel region while outputting the position of the second pixel region.

Claims (34)

1. A vehicular camera comprising:

an imaging sensor including a first pixel region in a shape of a first quadrangle, the first pixel region having X1 pixels arranged in a first direction and Y1 pixels arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction;

an optical system including at least one lens and having an optical axis intersecting the first pixel region of the imaging sensor; and

a memory configured to store a position of a second pixel region in a shape of a second quadrangle, the second pixel region being inside the first pixel region and having X2 pixels arranged in the first direction and Y2 pixels arranged in the second direction, the X2 being smaller than the X1, the Y2 being smaller than the Y1, wherein

the vehicular camera is configured to:

read the position of the second pixel region from the memory in response to start-up of the imaging sensor; and

output an output image corresponding to the second pixel region from inside the first pixel region of the imaging sensor, while outputting the position of the second pixel region.

2. The vehicular camera according to claim 1 , wherein

the position of the second pixel region stored in the memory is expressed by a first pixel position at a first corner of the second pixel region and a second pixel position at a second corner diagonally opposite the first corner.

3. The vehicular camera according to claim 1 , wherein

a position of a center pixel in the second pixel region corresponds to a distortion center of the at least one lens.

4. The vehicular camera according to claim 1 , further comprising a processor, wherein

the processor is configured to:

read the position of the second pixel region from the memory in response to the start-up of the imaging sensor; and

output the output image corresponding to the second pixel region from inside the first pixel region of the imaging sensor, while outputting the position of the second pixel region.

5. The vehicular camera according to claim 1 , wherein

the first quadrangle is a first rectangle, and

the second quadrangle is a second rectangle.

6. The vehicular camera according to claim 1 , wherein

the first direction is a horizontal direction and

the second direction is a vertical direction.

7. The vehicular camera according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a circuit board on which the imaging sensor is mounted; and

a housing, wherein

the housing houses at least the imaging sensor, the circuit board, and the memory.

8. The vehicular camera according to claim 7 , further comprising a processor, wherein

the housing includes a connector,

the connector includes at least two terminals electrically connecting an interior to an exterior of the housing,

at least one terminal of the at least two terminals is electrically connected to the processor, and

the at least one terminal of the connector is configured to output the output image corresponding to the second pixel region.

9. The vehicular camera according to claim 8 , wherein

sides of the at least two terminals of the connector facing outside the exterior of the housing are configured to be connected to a cable connected to a constituent, other than the vehicular camera, of a vehicle.

10. The vehicular camera according to claim 9 , wherein

the cable is a twist-pair cable and conforms to a car camera bus (C2B (registered trademark)) standard.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 6, 2024
From: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 068328/0764 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 18, 2024
From: NAKAMURA, KEN; AIHARA, YUICHIRO; USAMI, KOYO; MICHIGUCHI, MASAYOSHI
To: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 068016/0332 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2023-006337 · Jan 19, 2023 · national
JP 2023-050761 · Mar 28, 2023 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240246488A1 · Jul 25, 2024
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