IN-VEHICLE CAMERA CONTROL DEVICE

• US 20150138359A1
• Filed: 03/04/2013
• Published: 05/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Masui, Soji
• Granted Patent: US 10,554,884 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/40 characterised by the details of the power supply or the coupling to vehicle components
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/651 for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera

Abstract

An in-vehicle camera control device is provided for an in-vehicle camera that includes an imaging element for picking up an image around the vehicle. The apparatus controls a state of current supply to the imaging element. In the apparatus, current supply to the imaging element is prevented from starting when the temperature in the vicinity of the imaging element is high.

Specifically, upon start of processing, current supply to the imaging element of the in-vehicle camera is stopped first (camera is powered OFF). Therefore, at least immediately after the ignition is turned on, current supply to the imaging element is not performed. When a state where a temperature measured by a temperature measurement section provided in the vicinity of the imaging element is not more than an ON threshold continues for a duration expressed by Ams×(startup counter value), current supply to the imaging element is started.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle camera control device for an in-vehicle camera including an imaging element to pick up an image around a vehicle, the apparatus controlling at least a state of current supply to the imaging element, wherein the apparatus comprises:

a temperature measurement device that is configured to measure a temperature in the vicinity of the imaging element; and

a current supply control device that is configured to refer to a temperature measured by the temperature measurement device prior to start of current supply to the imaging element, and is configured to start current supply to the imaging element when the temperature is not more than a preset first threshold.

2. The in-vehicle camera control device according to claim 1, wherein, while current supply is performed for the imaging element, the current supply control device is configured to refer to a temperature measured by the temperature measurement device and stop current supply to the imaging element when the temperature exceeds a preset second threshold that is set to a value higher than the first threshold.

3. The in-vehicle camera control device according to claim 1, wherein, when an interval for the current supply control device to refer to a temperature measured by the temperature measurement device is a reference interval, a period from when the current supply control device starts control until when current supply to the imaging element is started is a startup period, and a period from when the current supply control device stops current supply to the imaging element until when current supply to the imaging element is restarted is a stop period, the reference interval in the startup period is shorter than the reference interval in the stop period.

4. The in-vehicle camera control device according to claim 2, wherein, when an interval at which the current supply control device refers to a temperature measured by the temperature measurement device is a reference interval, a period from when the current supply control device starts control until when current supply to the imaging element is started is a startup period, and a period from when the current supply control device stops current supply to the imaging element until when current supply to the imaging element is restarted is a stop period, the reference interval in the startup period is shorter than the reference interval in the stop period.