Granted Patent B2

US 12,689,833 · App. 17/654,604 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Inventor: Sebastian Fluegel (Ottobrunn, DE)

Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.

H04N23/698B60K35/10B60K35/22B60K35/60B60K35/81B60R1/12B60R1/27B60R11/04H04N7/181H04N23/662B60K35/28B60K2360/173B60K2360/21B60K2360/777B60R2001/1253B60R2011/004B60R2300/105B60R2300/303B60R2300/307B60R2300/408B60R2300/607B60R2300/8033

Abstract

Claims (61)

1 . A vehicular vision system comprising:

at least three cameras disposed at a vehicle equipped with the vehicular vision system;

wherein each camera of the at least three cameras captures respective image data;

wherein the at least three cameras comprises a first camera, a second camera, and a third camera;

wherein the first camera is disposed at an in-cabin side of a windshield of the vehicle and views through the windshield forward of the vehicle;

wherein the first camera comprises a first CMOS imaging array having at least one million photosensor elements arranged in rows and columns;

wherein the second camera comprises a second CMOS imaging array having at least one million photosensor elements arranged in rows and columns;

wherein the second camera comprises an encryptor that encrypts image data that is captured by the second camera;

wherein the third camera comprises an encryptor that encrypts image data that is captured by the third camera;

wherein the first camera comprises a plurality of decryptors that each decrypts image data encrypted by a respective one of the second camera and the third cameras, and wherein the plurality of decryptors do not decrypt image data captured by the first camera;

wherein each of the second camera and the third camera transmits encrypted image data to the first camera; and

wherein (i) image data captured by the first camera is processed at an electronic control unit (ECU) at the first camera for a machine vision system of the vehicle, (ii) image data captured by the second camera is processed at the ECU at the first camera for the machine vision system of the vehicle, and (iii) image data captured by the third camera is processed at the ECU at the first camera for the machine vision system of the vehicle.

2 . The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein the ECU comprises an image processing chip.

3 . The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein the second camera and the first camera are connected via a communication bus of the vehicle.

4 . The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein the second camera and the first camera are connected via an Ethernet connection.

5 . The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein image data captured by the first camera is unencrypted.

6 . The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein the second camera views exterior of the vehicle.

7 . The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein the second camera comprises a left-side viewing camera disposed at a left-side portion of the vehicle, and wherein the third camera comprises a right-side viewing camera disposed at a right-side portion of the vehicle.

8 . The vehicular vision system of claim 7 , wherein the second camera is disposed at an exterior left-side rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle, and wherein the third camera is disposed at an exterior right-side rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle.

9 . The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein the third camera comprises a third CMOS imaging array having at least one million photosensor elements arranged in rows and columns.

10 . The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein image data captured by at least the first camera is processed at the ECU for at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) a traffic sign recognition system of the vehicle, (ii) a headlamp control system of the vehicle, (iii) a pedestrian detection system of the vehicle, (iv) a collision avoidance system of the vehicle and (v) a lane marker detection system of the vehicle.

11 . The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein the image data captured and encrypted by the second camera is provided to the first camera as compressed video image data.

12 . The vehicular vision system of claim 11 , wherein the compressed video image data is provided to the first camera via an Ethernet link.

13 . A vehicular vision system comprising:

at least three cameras disposed at a vehicle equipped with the vehicular vision system;

wherein each camera of the at least three cameras captures respective image data;

wherein the at least three cameras comprises a first camera, a second camera and a third camera;

wherein the first camera is disposed at an in-cabin side of a windshield of the vehicle and views through the windshield forward of the vehicle;

wherein the first camera comprises a first CMOS imaging array having at least one million photosensor elements arranged in rows and columns;

wherein the second camera comprises a left-side viewing camera disposed at a left-side portion of the vehicle;

wherein the second camera comprises a second CMOS imaging array having at least one million photosensor elements arranged in rows and columns;

wherein the second camera comprises an encryptor that encrypts image data that is captured by the second camera;

wherein the third camera comprises a right-side viewing camera disposed at a right-side portion of the vehicle;

wherein the third camera comprises a third CMOS imaging array having at least one million photosensor elements arranged in rows and columns;

wherein the third camera comprises an encryptor that encrypts image data that is captured by the third camera;

wherein the first camera comprises a plurality of decryptors that each decrypts image data encrypted by a respective one of the second camera and the third camera, and wherein the plurality of decryptors do not decrypt image data captured by the first camera;

wherein the second camera transmits encrypted image data to the first camera, and wherein the third camera transmits encrypted image data to the first camera; and

wherein image data captured by the first camera is processed at an electronic control unit (ECU) at the first camera for a headlamp control system of the vehicle and at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) a traffic sign recognition system of the vehicle, (ii) a pedestrian detection system of the vehicle, (iii) a collision avoidance system of the vehicle and (iv) a lane marker detection system of the vehicle.

14 . The vehicular vision system of claim 13 , wherein the ECU comprises an image processing chip.

15 . The vehicular vision system of claim 13 , wherein image data captured by the first camera is unencrypted.

16 . The vehicular vision system of claim 13 , wherein the second camera is disposed at an exterior left-side rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle, and wherein the third camera is disposed at an exterior right-side rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle.

17 . A vehicular vision system comprising:

at least three cameras disposed at a vehicle equipped with the vehicular vision system;

wherein each camera of the at least three cameras captures respective image data;

wherein the at least three cameras comprises a first camera, a second camera and a third camera;

wherein the first camera is disposed at an in-cabin side of a windshield of the vehicle and views through the windshield forward of the vehicle;

wherein the first camera comprises a first CMOS imaging array having at least one million photosensor elements arranged in rows and columns;

wherein the second camera comprises a left-side viewing camera disposed at a left-side portion of the vehicle;

wherein the second camera comprises a second CMOS imaging array having at least one million photosensor elements arranged in rows and columns;

wherein the second camera comprises an encryptor that encrypts image data that is captured by the second camera;

wherein the third camera comprises a right-side viewing camera disposed at a right-side portion of the vehicle;

wherein the third camera comprises a third CMOS imaging array having at least one million photosensor elements arranged in rows and columns;

wherein the third camera comprises an encryptor that encrypts image data that is captured by the third camera;

wherein the first camera comprises a plurality of decryptors that each decrypts image data encrypted by a respective one of the second camera and the third cameras, and wherein the plurality of decryptors do not decrypt image data captured by the first camera;

wherein the second camera transmits encrypted image data to the first camera, and wherein the third camera transmits encrypted image data to the first camera;

wherein image data captured by the first camera is processed at an electronic control unit (ECU) at the first camera for a pedestrian detection system of the vehicle and at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) a traffic sign recognition system of the vehicle, (ii), a headlamp control system of the vehicle (iii) a collision avoidance system of the vehicle and (iv) a lane marker detection system of the vehicle; and

wherein the second camera is connected to the ECU via a first wired connection, and wherein the third camera is connected to the ECU via a second wired connection.

18 . The vehicular vision system of claim 17 , wherein the ECU comprises an image processing chip.

19 . The vehicular vision system of claim 17 , wherein image data captured by the first camera is unencrypted.

20 . The vehicular vision system of claim 17 , wherein the second camera is disposed at an exterior left-side rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle, and wherein the third camera is disposed at an exterior right-side rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle.

21 . The vehicular vision system of claim 17 , wherein the first wired connection and the second wired connection comprise respective Ethernet connections.

Continuity (3)

References Cited (400)