Vehicle vision system with exterior viewing camera
First Claim
1. A vehicular vision system suitable for use in a vehicle, said vehicular vision system comprising:
- a camera module;
said camera module comprising a camera;
said camera comprising (i) an imager disposed on an imager circuit board and (ii) a lens assembly comprising a lens barrel accommodating at least one lens;
wherein said camera, when mounted at a vehicle equipped with said vehicular vision system, is operable to capture image data representative of a scene exterior of the equipped vehicle;
a flexible ribbon cable connecting to and extending from the imager circuit board;
said flexible ribbon cable comprising electrical conductors that connect electrical circuitry of the imager circuit board to a terminator portion of said flexible ribbon cable, wherein said terminator portion comprises a first electrical connector;
wherein the electrical circuitry of the imager circuit board comprises the imager;
said camera module comprising a main circuit board, said main circuit board including a digital image processor for processing image data captured by the imager;
wherein said main circuit board comprises a multilayered printed circuit board (PCB) having a first planar side and an opposing second planar side separated from the first planar side by a thickness dimension of the multilayered PCB;
wherein first circuitry is disposed at the first planar side of the multilayered PCB, and wherein second circuitry is disposed at the second planar side of the multilayered PCB;
wherein said camera is disposed at the first planar side of the multilayered PCB;
wherein said second circuitry disposed at the second planar side of the multilayered PCB comprises said digital image processor;
wherein the multilayered PCB at its second planar side comprises a second electrical connector, and wherein said second electrical connector at the second planar side of the multilayered PCB is configured for mating with said first electrical connector at the terminator portion of said flexible ribbon cable;
wherein, with said camera module disposed at an equipped vehicle and with said camera operated to capture image data and with said first electrical connector at the terminator portion of said flexible ribbon cable mated with said second electrical connector at the second planar side of the multilayered PCB and with said flexible ribbon cable connecting to and extending from the imager circuit board, image data captured by the imager of said camera is provided via said flexible ribbon cable at least to said second circuitry disposed at the second planar side of the multilayered PCB;
wherein image data provided via said flexible ribbon cable at least to said second circuitry disposed at the second planar side of the multilayered PCB is processed by said digital image processor for at least one driving assist system of the equipped vehicle;
wherein said camera module comprises a housing;
wherein said main circuit board is disposed within said housing;
wherein said camera is at least partially disposed within said housing;
wherein said housing encloses said main circuit board and the imager circuit board;
wherein said housing comprises a front portion that is in front of a rear portion of said housing;
wherein said main circuit board is enclosed within said front and rear portions of said housing;
wherein said camera is at least partially housed within said rear portion of said housing;
wherein said rear portion of said housing has an aperture;
wherein at least a portion of said lens barrel of said camera extends through said aperture of said rear portion; and
wherein said lens barrel of said camera protrudes outside said housing at an acute angle relative to said front portion of said housing.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicular vision system includes a camera module having a camera, a flexible ribbon cable and a main PCB. The main PCB has a first planar side and an opposing second planar side. First circuitry is disposed at the first planar side and second circuitry is disposed at the second planar side of the main PCB. The main PCB at its second planar side includes a second electrical connector, which is configured for mating with a first electrical connector of the flexible ribbon cable. Image data provided via the flexible ribbon cable at least to the second circuitry disposed at the second planar side of the main PCB is processed by a digital image processor for at least one driving assist system of the vehicle. At least a portion of a lens barrel of the camera extends through an aperture of a housing portion of the camera module.
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Citations
68 Claims
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1. A vehicular vision system suitable for use in a vehicle, said vehicular vision system comprising:
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a camera module; said camera module comprising a camera; said camera comprising (i) an imager disposed on an imager circuit board and (ii) a lens assembly comprising a lens barrel accommodating at least one lens; wherein said camera, when mounted at a vehicle equipped with said vehicular vision system, is operable to capture image data representative of a scene exterior of the equipped vehicle; a flexible ribbon cable connecting to and extending from the imager circuit board; said flexible ribbon cable comprising electrical conductors that connect electrical circuitry of the imager circuit board to a terminator portion of said flexible ribbon cable, wherein said terminator portion comprises a first electrical connector; wherein the electrical circuitry of the imager circuit board comprises the imager; said camera module comprising a main circuit board, said main circuit board including a digital image processor for processing image data captured by the imager; wherein said main circuit board comprises a multilayered printed circuit board (PCB) having a first planar side and an opposing second planar side separated from the first planar side by a thickness dimension of the multilayered PCB; wherein first circuitry is disposed at the first planar side of the multilayered PCB, and wherein second circuitry is disposed at the second planar side of the multilayered PCB; wherein said camera is disposed at the first planar side of the multilayered PCB; wherein said second circuitry disposed at the second planar side of the multilayered PCB comprises said digital image processor; wherein the multilayered PCB at its second planar side comprises a second electrical connector, and wherein said second electrical connector at the second planar side of the multilayered PCB is configured for mating with said first electrical connector at the terminator portion of said flexible ribbon cable; wherein, with said camera module disposed at an equipped vehicle and with said camera operated to capture image data and with said first electrical connector at the terminator portion of said flexible ribbon cable mated with said second electrical connector at the second planar side of the multilayered PCB and with said flexible ribbon cable connecting to and extending from the imager circuit board, image data captured by the imager of said camera is provided via said flexible ribbon cable at least to said second circuitry disposed at the second planar side of the multilayered PCB; wherein image data provided via said flexible ribbon cable at least to said second circuitry disposed at the second planar side of the multilayered PCB is processed by said digital image processor for at least one driving assist system of the equipped vehicle; wherein said camera module comprises a housing; wherein said main circuit board is disposed within said housing; wherein said camera is at least partially disposed within said housing; wherein said housing encloses said main circuit board and the imager circuit board; wherein said housing comprises a front portion that is in front of a rear portion of said housing; wherein said main circuit board is enclosed within said front and rear portions of said housing; wherein said camera is at least partially housed within said rear portion of said housing; wherein said rear portion of said housing has an aperture; wherein at least a portion of said lens barrel of said camera extends through said aperture of said rear portion; and wherein said lens barrel of said camera protrudes outside said housing at an acute angle relative to said front portion of said housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A vehicular vision system suitable for use in a vehicle, said vehicular vision system comprising:
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a camera module; said camera module comprising a camera; said camera comprising (i) an imager disposed on an imager circuit board and (ii) a lens assembly comprising a lens barrel accommodating at least one lens; wherein said camera, when mounted at a vehicle equipped with said vehicular vision system, is operable to capture image data representative of a scene exterior of the equipped vehicle; a flexible ribbon cable connecting to and extending from the imager circuit board; said flexible ribbon cable comprising electrical conductors that connect electrical circuitry of the imager circuit board to a terminator portion of said flexible ribbon cable, wherein said terminator portion comprises a first electrical connector; wherein the electrical circuitry of the imager circuit board comprises the imager; said camera module comprising a main circuit board, said main circuit board including a digital image processor for processing image data captured by the imager; wherein said main circuit board comprises a multilayered printed circuit board (PCB) having a first planar side and an opposing second planar side separated from the first planar side by a thickness dimension of the multilayered PCB; wherein first circuitry is disposed at the first planar side of the multilayered PCB, and wherein second circuitry is disposed at the second planar side of the multilayered PCB; wherein said camera is disposed at the first planar side of the multilayered PCB; wherein said second circuitry disposed at the second planar side of the multilayered PCB comprises said digital image processor; wherein the multilayered PCB at its second planar side comprises a second electrical connector, and wherein said second electrical connector at the second planar side of the multilayered PCB is configured for mating with said first electrical connector at the terminator portion of said flexible ribbon cable; wherein, with said camera module disposed at an equipped vehicle and with said camera operated to capture image data and with said first electrical connector at the terminator portion of said flexible ribbon cable mated with said second electrical connector at the second planar side of the multilayered PCB and with said flexible ribbon cable connecting to and extending from the imager circuit board, image data captured by the imager of said camera is provided via said flexible ribbon cable at least to said second circuitry disposed at the second planar side of the multilayered PCB; wherein image data provided via said flexible ribbon cable at least to said second circuitry disposed at the second planar side of the multilayered PCB is processed by said digital image processor for at least one driving assist system of the equipped vehicle; wherein, with said camera disposed at the first planar side of the multilayered PCB, the lens barrel of said camera is tilted at an acute angle relative to the plane of the multilayered PCB, whereby a principal viewing axis of the at least one lens accommodated in the lens barrel is orientated at the acute angle relative to the plane of the multilayered PCB; wherein said camera module comprises a housing; wherein said main circuit board is disposed within said housing; wherein said camera is at least partially disposed within said housing; wherein said housing encloses said main circuit board and the imager circuit board; wherein said housing comprises a front portion that is in front of a rear portion of said housing; wherein said main circuit board is enclosed within said front and rear portions of said housing; wherein said camera is at least partially housed within said rear portion of said housing; wherein said camera module is configured for mounting at an in-cabin side of a vehicle windshield of the equipped vehicle, and wherein the vehicle windshield, as installed in the equipped vehicle, is sloped at an acute angle relative to horizontal; wherein said camera module mounts at the vehicle windshield via a mounting bracket that is attached at the in-cabin side of the vehicle windshield; wherein, with said camera module mounted at the mounting bracket attached at the in-cabin side of the vehicle windshield, said camera of said camera module views through the vehicle windshield to capture image data forward of the equipped vehicle; wherein one side of the mounting bracket comprises structure configured to cooperate with corresponding other structure of said camera module; wherein, when the mounting bracket is attached at the in-cabin side of the vehicle windshield, the structure of the mounting bracket and the other structure of said camera module cooperate to detachably secure said camera module at the mounting bracket; wherein the mounting bracket, as attached at the in-cabin side of the vehicle windshield, establishes the angle of view of said camera relative to the vehicle windshield when said camera module is mounted at the mounting bracket; and wherein the mounting bracket that is attached at the in-cabin side of the vehicle windshield is configured and constructed so that, with said camera module mounted at the mounting bracket attached at the in-cabin side of the vehicle windshield which is sloped at the acute angle relative to horizontal as installed in the equipped vehicle, said camera has a principal axis of its forward field of view directed at an angle closer to horizontal than the acute angle made by the vehicle windshield to horizontal. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. A vehicular vision system suitable for use in a vehicle, said vehicular vision system comprising:
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a camera module; said camera module comprising a camera; said camera comprising (i) an imager disposed on an imager circuit board and (ii) a lens assembly comprising a lens barrel accommodating at least one lens; wherein said camera, when mounted at a vehicle equipped with said vehicular vision system, is operable to capture image data representative of a scene exterior of the equipped vehicle; a flexible ribbon cable connecting to and extending from the imager circuit board; said flexible ribbon cable comprising electrical conductors that connect electrical circuitry of the imager circuit board to a terminator portion of said flexible ribbon cable, wherein said terminator portion comprises a first electrical connector; wherein the electrical circuitry of the imager circuit board comprises the imager; said camera module comprising a main circuit board, said main circuit board including a digital image processor for processing image data captured by the imager; wherein said main circuit board comprises a multilayered printed circuit board (PCB) having a first planar side and an opposing second planar side separated from the first planar side by a thickness dimension of the multilayered PCB; wherein first circuitry is disposed at the first planar side of the multilayered PCB, and wherein second circuitry is disposed at the second planar side of the multilayered PCB; wherein said camera is disposed at the first planar side of the multilayered PCB; wherein said second circuitry disposed at the second planar side of the multilayered PCB comprises said digital image processor; wherein the multilayered PCB at its second planar side comprises a second electrical connector, and wherein said second electrical connector at the second planar side of the multilayered PCB is configured for mating with said first electrical connector at the terminator portion of said flexible ribbon cable; wherein, with said camera module disposed at an equipped vehicle and with said camera operated to capture image data and with said first electrical connector at the terminator portion of said flexible ribbon cable mated with said second electrical connector at the second planar side of the multilayered PCB and with said flexible ribbon cable connecting to and extending from the imager circuit board, image data captured by the imager of said camera is provided via said flexible ribbon cable at least to said second circuitry disposed at the second planar side of the multilayered PCB; wherein image data provided via said flexible ribbon cable at least to said second circuitry disposed at the second planar side of the multilayered PCB is processed by said digital image processor for at least one driving assist system of the equipped vehicle; wherein, with said camera disposed at the first planar side of the multilayered PCB, the lens barrel of said camera is tilted at an acute angle relative to the plane of the multilayered PCB, whereby a principal viewing axis of the at least one lens accommodated in the lens barrel is orientated at the acute angle relative to the plane of the multilayered PCB; wherein said camera module comprises a housing; wherein said main circuit board is disposed within said housing; wherein said camera is at least partially disposed within said housing; wherein said housing encloses said main circuit board and the imager circuit board; wherein said housing comprises a front portion that is in front of a rear portion of said housing; wherein said main circuit board is enclosed within said front and rear portions of said housing; wherein said camera is at least partially housed within said rear portion of said housing; wherein said camera module is configured for mounting at an in-cabin side of a vehicle windshield of the equipped vehicle, and wherein the vehicle windshield, as installed in the equipped vehicle, is sloped at an acute angle relative to horizontal; wherein said camera module mounts at the vehicle windshield via a mounting bracket that is attached at the in-cabin side of the vehicle windshield; wherein, with said camera module mounted at the mounting bracket attached at the in-cabin side of the vehicle windshield, said camera of said camera module views through the vehicle windshield to capture image data forward of the equipped vehicle; wherein one side of the mounting bracket comprises structure configured to cooperate with corresponding other structure of said camera module; wherein, when the mounting bracket is attached at the in-cabin side of the vehicle windshield and said camera module mounts at the mounting bracket, the structure of the mounting bracket and the other structure of said camera module cooperate to detachably secure said camera module at the mounting bracket; wherein the mounting bracket, as attached at the in-cabin side of the vehicle windshield, establishes the angle of view of said camera relative to the vehicle windshield when said camera module is mounted at the mounting bracket; and wherein said flexible ribbon cable passes via an opening in the multilayered PCB to connect with said second circuitry disposed at the second planar side of the multilayered PCB. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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Specification