Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100097519 | Compact Camera and Cable System for Vehicular Applications - In one aspect, the invention is directed to a camera for mounting on a vehicle, wherein the camera housing made up of two housing members, with a conductive coating on the interior of each of the housing members. The two housing members mate together using an interference fit, to provide a greater assurance that they are electrically connected to each other. One of the housing members is connected to ground. In another aspect, the invention provides a camera module that has a housing and a wire harness or wire or lead that is electrically connected to circuitry of the camera and that extends through the camera housing for electrical connection to a vehicle wire harness or the like. The wire or lead extends through a portion of the housing with the housing disposed at the wire prior to connection of the wire to the circuitry of the camera. The electrical connection of the wire to the camera circuitry is made as the housing is assembled. The joint at where the wire extends outward from the housing portion is sealed, such as via shrink wrapping or the like. | 04-22-2010 |
20100118145 | Camera for Vehicle - In a first embodiment, the invention is directed to a camera for mounting on a vehicle, including a lens member, an imaging element and an image processing board. The image processing board is separated sufficiently from the imaging element so as to impart relatively little heat generated during operation to the imaging element. The imaging element is positioned to receive video input from the lens member. The image processing board is configured to generate image processing board output data that relates to the video input received by the imaging element. The image processing board is positioned in a selected position to release heat along a heat path that is spaced from the imaging element. The camera may further include a vehicle interface board configured to communicate signals relating to the image processing board output data to a vehicle component. | 05-13-2010 |
20110310248 | A CAMERA FOR MOUNTING ON A VEHICLE - A camera for mounting on a vehicle includes a front housing member having a first mating portion, a lens member and a circuit board having a plurality of individual front electrical connectors. The camera also includes a rear housing member having a second mating portion and a plurality of individual rear electrical connectors with first connector portions of the individual rear electrical connectors extending from the rear housing member to make electrical connection with an electrical connector of the vehicle. Second connector portions of at least some of the rear electrical connectors are configured for making electrical connection to a respective at least some of the front electrical connectors when the first and second mating portions are mated together and an alignment structure aligns second connector portion of the rear connectors with respect to the plurality of individual front electrical connectors. | 12-22-2011 |
20120019940 | VEHICULAR CAMERA AND LENS ASSEMBLY - Low cost constructions of vehicular cameras employ various means for aligning and mounting the camera lens with respect to the imager. Such means include adhesive mounting using a UV curable adhesive, wherein the lens may be focused prior to cure of the adhesive. Other means include directly attaching the lens to the imager by adhesive; integrating the lens barrel and camera lens holder; dropping the lens barrel onto the surface of the imager; focusing the lens utilizing PCB mounting and focusing Screws; and focusing the lens by the relative positioning of camera front and back housings. Costs can also be contained by utilizing matching the resolution of the lens in conformance to human contrast sensitivity function, and by replacing optical chromatic aberration with digital chromatic aberration. | 01-26-2012 |
20130328672 | VEHICULAR CAMERA WITH ALIGNED HOUSING MEMBERS AND ELECTRICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN ALIGNED HOUSING MEMBERS - A camera for mounting on a vehicle includes a front housing member that holds a lens member, an imaging element and a circuit board with a set of front electrical connectors thereon, and a rear housing member that holds a set of rear electrical connectors that are directly mounted to the front electrical connectors. The rear housing member is aligned to the front housing member with respect to a first axis. The front and rear electrical connectors are able to accommodate misalignment along two axes which are generally orthogonal to each other and to the first axis. The front and rear electrical connectors may be directly connected so that a jumper wire is not needed. Also, by aligning the front and rear housing members, the overall space occupied by the camera may be reduced. | 12-12-2013 |
20140022657 | VEHICULAR CAMERA AND LENS ASSEMBLY - A vehicular camera includes a lens disposed at a lens holder and an imager disposed at a printed circuit board. The lens holder is one of (i) attached at the printed circuit board by a cured adhesive and (ii) attached at a holding element by a cured adhesive with the printed circuit board held by the holding element. The adhesive is initially curable in an initial radiation curing process and initially-cured adhesive is further curable to a further cured strength in a secondary thermal curing process. The adhesive is initially cured via the initial radiation curing process after the lens is brought into focus with the imager and is optically center-aligned therewith. When further cured via the secondary thermal curing process, the further-cured adhesive maintains focus and optical center-alignment of the lens with the imager for use of the camera in a vehicle. | 01-23-2014 |
20140298642 | VEHICULAR CAMERA AND LENS ASSEMBLY AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SAME - A method of assembling a vehicular camera includes providing a lens assembly having a base portion, a lens barrel and a plurality of optical elements in the lens barrel, and providing a circuit element having a circuit board and an imaging array. An adhesive bead is dispensed at the base portion and/or circuit element. The circuit element is placed at the base portion with the adhesive bead therebetween and the optical elements are aligned with the imaging array via a six axis robotic device when the circuit element is at the base portion and in contact with the adhesive bead. The adhesive bead is cured to a first cure level via exposure of the adhesive bead to ultraviolet light. The assembly is moved to a second curing stage and the adhesive bead is cured to a second cure level via heating the adhesive bead. | 10-09-2014 |
20140313337 | VEHICLE VISION SYSTEM WITH FASTENERLESS LENS ATTACHMENT - A vehicle vision system includes a camera module including an image sensor array, a lens holder and a lens. The camera module is configured to mount at a receiving structure at an interior surface of a vehicle windshield of a vehicle. When the camera module is mounted at the receiving structure of the interior surface of the vehicle windshield, the image sensor array views forward of the vehicle and through the vehicle windshield. The image sensor array is established at a circuit element. The lens holder includes a lens holding portion and an attaching portion, with the lens holding portion accommodating the lens and the attaching portion configured to attach at the circuit element. The attaching portion of the lens holder includes a plurality of pins configured to be received at least partially through apertures of the circuit element so as to be soldered at the circuit element. | 10-23-2014 |
20150035986 | CAMERA FOR MOUNTING ON A VEHICLE - A camera for mounting on a vehicle includes a front housing member, a rear housing member, a lens member mounted to the front housing member and an imaging element positioned to receive images from the lens member. A circuit board is mounted to the front housing member and is configured to send to another component signals relating to images received by the imaging element. The circuit board has at least one front electrical connector thereon. The rear housing member has at least one rear electrical connector extending therefrom, with the rear electrical connector electrically connected to the front electrical connector. The rear housing member has a rear alignment structure that aligns the rear electrical connector with respect to the front electrical connector. The rear housing member and the front housing member are unaligned and the rear housing member mates with the front housing member. | 02-05-2015 |