DUAL-FOCUS CAMERA FOR AUTOMATED VEHICLES

• US 20180054569A1
• Filed: 08/19/2016
• Published: 02/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies Limited (Aptiv PLC)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (Aptiv PLC)
• Inventors: Griffin, Dennis P., Taylor, Ronald M.
• Application Number:
  US15/241,299
• Publication Number:
  US 20180054569A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0844 including a camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/005 based on electrowetting
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0081 having one or more elements with analytic function to create variable power variable magnification in general G02B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/10 Bifocal lenses; Multifocal lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/20 Filters polarising elements G02B5/30
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/12 with means for supporting objectives, supplementary lenses, filters, masks, or turrets
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 19/023 Multi-image cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• 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 23/67 Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A dual-focus camera suitable for use on an automated includes an imager, a lens-assembly, and a negative-meniscus-lens (NML). The imager is used to detect an image of a field-of-view. The lens-assembly is used to direct the image from the field-of-view toward the imager. The lens-assembly is characterized as focused at a first-distance in the field-of view. The negative-meniscus-lens is interposed between the imager and the lens-assembly. The negative-meniscus-lens is configured to focus a portion of the image onto the imager. The portion is characterized as less than a whole of the image and focused at a second-distance in the field-of-view independent from the first-distance.

Claims

1. A dual-focus camera suitable for use on an automated vehicle, said camera comprising:

an imager used to detect an image of a field-of-view;

a lens-assembly used to direct the image from the field-of-view toward the imager, said lens-assembly characterized as focused at a first-distance in the field-of view; and

a negative-meniscus-lens interposed between the imager and the lens-assembly, said negative-meniscus-lens configured to focus a portion of the image onto the imager, said portion characterized as less than a whole of the image and focused at a second-distance in the field-of-view independent from the first-distance.

2. The camera in accordance with claim 1, wherein the negative-meniscus-lens is configured to have a fixed focal-length.

3. The camera in accordance with claim 1, wherein the negative-meniscus-lens is configured to have an adjustable focal-length.

4. The camera in accordance with claim 3, wherein the adjustable focal-length is characterized by a range of adjustability, and the range is selected such that the second-distance can be adjusted to be equal the first-distance.

5. The camera in accordance with claim 1, wherein the camera includes a filter configured so light that passes through the negative-meniscus-lens is filtered different from light that does not pass through the negative-meniscus-lens.

6. The camera in accordance with claim 1, wherein the filter for light that passes through negative-meniscus-lens is characterized as a near-infrared filter.