Face camera mount structure

• US 20080068462A1
• Filed: 09/13/2007
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Koumura, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 8,587,656 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/28 characterised by arrangement, location, or type of power take-off
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/20 Optical features of instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/21 using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 19/00 Cameras details G03B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A face camera mount structure in a vehicle has a camera for imaging a driver'"'"'s face being disposed on a reverse side of a dial at a portion that does not interfere with a speedometer design portion on the dial. A camera facing portion of the dial that faces a lens of the camera is covered with a print of a near-infrared light passing ink that selectively passes a near-infrared light. The high transparency factor of the near-infrared light through the ink makes it possible for the camera to image a sufficiently bright near-infrared light image without being recognized by a driver of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A camera mount structure of mounting a camera for imaging a driver'"'"'s face in a vehicle, the structure comprising:

a camera having a lens with a sensitivity in a near-infrared light area; and

a meter device with a dial plate,

wherein the camera is disposed on a back side of the dial plate of the meter device without being faced with driving support information displayed on the dial plate, and

a portion of the dial plate that faces the lens of the camera has a treatment that allows a near-infrared light to pass through the dial plate and prevents a visible light from passing through the dial plate.

2. The camera mount structure of claim 1,

wherein the portion of the dial plate that faces the lens of the camera has a print of a light selection ink that has a characteristic of passing the near-infrared light without passing the visible light.

3. The camera mount structure of claim 1,

wherein the portion of the dial plate that faces the lens of the camera is disposed as a detachable light selection member that has characteristics of passing the near-infrared light without passing the visible light.