VEHICULAR CAMERA AND LENS ASSEMBLY
First Claim
1. A vehicular camera including:
- a lens, including a lens barrel holding optical components therein;
a lens holder, wherein the lens barrel is connected to the lens holder by an adhesive, wherein the adhesive is curable by UV light sufficiently to support the lens relative to the lens holder, and wherein the adhesive is further curable to a fully cured strength when exposed to a secondary curing step, wherein the adhesive is configured to provide at least a selected strength of bond between the lens and lens holder when exposed to at least one selected operating condition for a selected period of time; and
an imager including an image sensor positioned for receiving video input from the lens,wherein the camera is configured to transmit to at least one other vehicular device signals relating to the video input received by the imager.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
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.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A vehicular camera including:
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a lens, including a lens barrel holding optical components therein; a lens holder, wherein the lens barrel is connected to the lens holder by an adhesive, wherein the adhesive is curable by UV light sufficiently to support the lens relative to the lens holder, and wherein the adhesive is further curable to a fully cured strength when exposed to a secondary curing step, wherein the adhesive is configured to provide at least a selected strength of bond between the lens and lens holder when exposed to at least one selected operating condition for a selected period of time; and an imager including an image sensor positioned for receiving video input from the lens, wherein the camera is configured to transmit to at least one other vehicular device signals relating to the video input received by the imager. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A vehicular camera including:
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a lens including a lens barrel for holding optical components therein; a lens holder, wherein the lens barrel is connected to the lens holder by adhesive model AD VE 43812; and an imager including an image sensor positioned for receiving video input from the lens.
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8. A vehicular camera comprising:
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a first camera housing having an integrated barrel portion for holding optical components; optical components mounted in the barrel portion so as to form a lens; a retainer cap mounted to the barrel portion for containing and vertically positioning the optical components in the barrel portion; imaging circuitry including an image sensor positioned for receiving optical images from the lens; and a second camera housing, connected to the first camera housing so as to encase the imaging circuitry; wherein the camera is configured to transmit to at least one other vehicular device signals relating to the images received by the imaging circuitry.
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9. A vehicular camera, comprising
a lens including a lens barrel holding optical components therein; -
an imager for receiving images from the lens; and a housing encasing the imager and a portion of the lens barrel; wherein the lens barrel includes a feature for guiding and seating a periphery of the lens barrel onto the surface of the imager; means for securing the lens barrel to the imager; and means for ensuring focus between the lens and imager. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A vehicular camera, comprising
a lens including a lens barrel holding optical components therein; -
an imager for receiving images from the lens; a printed circuit board (PCB) for mounting the imager; a lens holder for mounting the lens barrel, the lens holder including a feature for guiding the lens barrel transversely relative to the imager; set screws for mounting the PCB to the lens holder; and means in combination with the set screws to hold the axial position of the PCB and imager relative to the lens. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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14. A vehicular camera, comprising
a first camera housing having an integrated barrel portion for holding optical components; -
optical components mounted in the barrel portion so as to form a lens; an imager for receiving images from the lens; a printed circuit board (PCB) for mounting the imager; and a second camera housing to which the PCB is mounted, the first and second camera housings in combination encasing the imager and PCB; wherein the first and second camera housing are secured vi a UV-cured adhesive that is cured with UV light only after the position of the second camera housing relative to the first camera housing is set to bring the lens in focus and optically center-aligned with the imager.
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16. A vehicular camera, comprising:
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a camera housing having an integrated barrel portion for holding optical components; optical components mounted in the barrel portion so as to form a lens; an imager for receiving images from the lens; a printed circuit board (PCB) for mounting the imager; and wherein the PCB is secured to the camera housing by a UV-cured adhesive that is cured only after the position of PCB relative to the housing is set to bring the lens in focus and optically center-aligned with the imager.
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17. A vehicular camera, comprising:
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a lens including a lens barrel holding optical components therein; an imager for receiving images from the lens; and a printed circuit board (PCB) for mounting the imager; wherein the lens barrel is directly secured to the imager by a transparent UV-cured adhesive fixing the lens barrel to at least one of the imager and the PCB, the adhesive being cured only after the position of lens barrel relative to the imager is set to bring the lens in focus and optically center-aligned with the imager.
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18. In a vehicular camera system including a lens, an imager receiving images provided by the lens, and a display receiving video from the imager, an improvement wherein the lens resolution is selected to meet but not substantially exceed a resolution determined from the size of the display, a distance between an observer and the display, a selected point on a contrast sensitivity function, and the size of the imager sensing surface.
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19. In a vehicular camera system including a lens, an imager receiving images provided by the lens, and a display receiving video from the imager, an improvement wherein the lens omits achromatic lenses and employs digital chromatic correction based on a predetermined chromatic aberration measurement.
Specification