Camera arrangement for a motor vehicle

• US 10,061,063 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2014
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leopold Kostal GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Leopold Kostal GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Blaesing, Frank, Burau, Alf, Pirchner, Andreas, Weber, Thomas, Boehne, Gregor, Hagen, Frank, Weber, Claudia
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Broome, Sharrief
• Application Number:
  US14/260,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20140233118A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,587 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0026 Windows, e.g. windscreen
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0025 for optical correction, e.g. distorsion, aberration
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/04 Prisms

Abstract

A camera arrangement for a vehicle includes a camera and a prism. The camera is arranged behind a windshield of the vehicle. The prism is positioned between the windshield and the camera and is coupled to the windshield by a coupling medium. The prism has a light entry surface facing the windshield and a light exit surface facing an optical imaging component of the camera. The light entry surface and/or the light exit surface is non-flat by which the prism at least partially compensates for refraction resulting from curvature of the windshield.

Claims

1. A camera arrangement for a vehicle, the arrangement comprising:

a camera arranged behind a windshield of a vehicle; and

a prism positioned between the windshield and the camera and coupled to the windshield by a coupling medium, the prism having a light entry surface facing the windshield in which light rays originating from an exterior side of the windshield enter through the windshield and into the prism and a light exit surface facing an optical imaging component of the camera in which the light rays exit from the prism toward the optical imaging component of the camera;

wherein the light exit surface is a non-flat, concave surface by which the prism at least partially compensates for refraction resulting from curvature of the windshield.

2. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein:

the light entry surface is flat.

3. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein:

the light entry surface is non-flat.

4. The arrangement of claim 3 wherein:

the light entry surface and the light exit surface have different non-flat shapes.

5. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein:

the light exit surface has a spherical shape.

6. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein:

the light exit surface has a cylindrical shape.

7. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein:

the light exit surface has an ellipsoidal shape.

8. The arrangement of claim 1 further comprising:

a diffractive optical element (DOE) connected with the prism.

9. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein:

the shape of the light exit surface corresponds to the shape of the windshield at a mounting position of the camera arrangement.

10. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein:

the prism includes one or more prism pieces.

11. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein:

the prism includes glass or plastic.

12. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein:

the prism includes a surface coating.

13. A camera arrangement for a vehicle, the arrangement comprising:

a camera arranged behind a windshield of a vehicle; and

a prism positioned between the windshield and the camera and coupled to the windshield by a coupling medium, the prism having a light entry surface facing the windshield in which light rays originating from an exterior side of the windshield enter through the windshield and into the prism and a light exit surface facing an optical imaging component of the camera in which the light rays exit from the prism toward the optical imaging component of the camera;

wherein the light entry surface is a non-planar, curved surface and the light exit surface is a non-planar, concave surface by which the prism at least partially compensates for refraction resulting from curvature of the windshield.

14. The arrangement of claim 13 wherein:

the shape of the light entry surface and the shape of the light exit surface correspond to the shape of the windshield at a mounting position of the camera arrangement.

15. The arrangement of claim 13 wherein:

the non-planar, curved surface of the light entry surface is a non-planar, concave surface.