On-board camera apparatus

• US 10,380,432 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2016
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Murao, Toshikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, David E
• Application Number:
  US15/159,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20160344977A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 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: G06V 10/147 Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses fingerprint or palmprint sensors G06V40/13; vascular sensors G06V40/145; eye sensors G06V40/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/71 Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/741 by increasing the dynamic range of the image compared to the dynamic range of the electronic image sensors

Abstract

An on-board camera apparatus includes a camera module, a control circuit board, a housing, a bracket, and a hood. The housing houses the camera module and the control circuit board. The bracket fixes the housing to a front windshield of the own vehicle. The hood is arranged so as to cover the camera module. The camera module captures an image of an area ahead of an own vehicle. As captured images, the camera module generates a plurality of linear images in which a relationship between luminance and an output pixel value is fixed. Based on the linear images, the camera module further generates high dynamic range images in which a relationship between luminance and an output pixel value differs depending on a luminance region, under a predetermined imaging mode. The control circuit board enables a plurality of types of driving-related processes based on the captured images to be performed.

Claims

1. An on-board camera apparatus comprising:

a camera module that captures an image of an area ahead of an own vehicle, generates, as captured images, a plurality of linear images in which a relationship between luminance and an output pixel value is fixed, and further generates, based on the linear images, high dynamic range images in which a relationship between luminance and an output pixel value differs depending on a luminance region, under a predetermined imaging mode, the high dynamic range images being used for image recognition of an illumination state of a lamp on a preceding vehicle, the linear images being used for image recognition of a pedestrian, another vehicle, or a white line;

a control circuit board that enables a plurality of types of driving-related processes based on the captured images to be performed, and enables the camera module to perform either of a linear mode and a high dynamic range mode in a setting in which a plurality of images are captured at a plurality of exposures that are performed at a single imaging timing, the linear mode being a mode in which the linear images are generated without combining the plurality of captured images, the high dynamic range mode being a mode in which the high dynamic range images are generated by combining the plurality of captured images;

a housing that houses the camera module and the control circuit board;

a bracket that is a member for fixing the housing to a front windshield of the own vehicle, and in which an opening is formed such that the housing and the front windshield oppose each other in a state in which the housing is fixed to the front windshield by the member; and

a hood that is arranged so as to cover the camera module.

2. The on-board camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the control circuit board enables, as the types of driving-related processes, at least one of a process for detecting deviation of the own vehicle from a traffic lane, a process for controlling headlights of the own vehicle, and a process for avoiding collision of the own vehicle to be performed.

3. The on-board camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the control circuit board enables a first type of the types of driving-related processes to be performed based on the linear images and enables a second type of the types of driving-related processes to be performed based on the high dynamic range images.

4. The on-board camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the control circuit board detects a level difference in brightness in the area ahead of the own vehicle; and

the control circuit board selects either of the linear images and the high dynamic range images based on the detected level difference in brightness, and enables the driving-related process to be performed based on the selected image.

5. The on-board camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the control circuit board enables the camera module to generate the captured images at a timing that periodically arrives, and enables the types of driving-related processes to be performed based on the captured images.

6. The on-board camera apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

the control circuit board enables a first type of the types of driving-related processes to be performed based on the linear images and enables a second type of the types of driving-related processes to be performed based on the high dynamic range images.

7. The on-board camera apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

the control circuit board detects a level difference in brightness in the area ahead of the own vehicle; and

the control circuit board selects either of the linear images and the high dynamic range images based on the detected level difference in brightness, and enables the driving-related process to be performed based on the selected image.

8. The on-board camera apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

the control circuit board enables the camera module to generate the captured images at a timing that periodically arrives, and enables the types of driving-related processes to be performed based on the captured images.

9. The on-board camera apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

the control circuit board enables the camera module to generate the captured images at a timing that periodically arrives, and enables the types of driving-related processes to be performed based on the captured images.

10. The on-board camera apparatus according to claim 4, wherein:

the control circuit board enables the camera module to generate the captured images at a timing that periodically arrives, and enables the types of driving-related processes to be performed based on the captured images.

11. A control method for an on-board camera apparatus, the on-board camera apparatus comprising:

a camera module;

a control circuit board;

a housing that houses the camera module and the control circuit board;

a bracket that is a member for fixing the housing to a front windshield of the own vehicle, and in which an opening is formed such that the housing and the front windshield oppose each other in a state in which the housing is fixed to the front windshield by the member; and

a hood that is arranged so as to cover the camera module, the control method comprising;

capturing, by the camera module, an image of an area ahead of an own vehicle, generating, as captured images, a plurality of linear images in which a relationship between luminance and an output pixel value is fixed, and further generating, based on the linear images, high dynamic range images in which a relationship between luminance and an output pixel value differs depending on a luminance region, under a predetermined imaging mode, the high dynamic range images being used for image recognition of an illumination state of a lamp on a preceding vehicle, the linear images being used for image recognition of a pedestrian, another vehicle, or a white line; and

enabling, by the control circuit board, a plurality of types of driving-related processes based on the captured images to be performed, and enabling the camera module to perform either of a linear mode and a high dynamic range mode in a setting in which a plurality of images are captured at a plurality of exposures that are performed at a single imaging timing, the linear mode being a mode in which the linear images are generated without combining the plurality of captured images, the high dynamic range mode being a mode in which the high dynamic range images are generated by combining the plurality of captured images.