SHIELDED CAMERA MONITORING OF WHEELS FROM VEHICLE UNDERSIDE USING REFLECTORS

• US 20180309918A1
• Filed: 04/19/2017
• Published: 10/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ghannam, Mahmoud Yousef, Bennie, Brian, Carremm, Swadad A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,491,793 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/23 with a predetermined field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/004 outside the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/02 involving prisms or mirrors G02B23/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0816 by means of one or more reflecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/101 with both horizontal and vertical deflecting means, e.g. raster or XY scanners colour television using laser beams scanning a display screen H04N9/3129
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0006 with means to keep optical surfaces clean, e.g. by preventing or removing dirt, stains, contamination, condensation G02B1/18 takes precedence; cleaning in general B08B
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/17 with reflectors arranged in beam forming the photographic image, e.g. for reducing dimensions of camera
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 29/00 Combinations of cameras, projectors or photographic printing apparatus with non-photographic non-optical apparatus, e.g. clocks or weapons; Cameras having the shape of other objects combinations with flash apparatus G03B15/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/58 Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253

Abstract

An imaging system attaches to a frame on an underside of a vehicle to form an enclosure with an open bottom. A fixed camera is mounted in the enclosure having a first field of view directed through the open bottom. A reflector is supported by a carrier mechanism having a linear section and a rotary section. The linear section is extendable between a retracted position which stows the reflector inside the enclosure and an extended position which deploys the reflector through the open bottom. The rotary section rotates the reflector into an alignment with the camera to provide a reflected field of view along the underside of the vehicle. A controller is coupled to the carrier mechanism for selectably deploying the reflector through the open bottom for limited periods to capture images during predetermined conditions and otherwise retracting the reflector into the enclosure for shielding from an external environment.

Claims

1. An imaging system for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a housing configured to attach to a fixed frame structure on an underside of the vehicle to form an enclosure with an open bottom;

a fixed camera mounted in the enclosure having a first field of view directed through the open bottom;

a reflector;

a carrier mechanism supporting the reflector having a linear section and a rotary section, wherein the linear section is extendable between a retracted position which stows the reflector inside the enclosure and an extended position which deploys the reflector through the open bottom, and wherein the rotary section rotates the reflector into an alignment with the camera to provide a reflected field of view along the underside of the vehicle; and

a controller coupled to the carrier mechanism for selectably deploying the reflector through the open bottom for limited periods to capture images during predetermined conditions and otherwise retracting the reflector into the enclosure for shielding from an external environment.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the reflector is comprised of a convex mirror.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the reflector is comprised of a two-sided mirror.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the rotary section provides multi-axis rotation to aim the reflected field of view toward a selected wheel of the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the rotary section includes two rotary joints spaced by an intermediate shaft.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the rotary section is rotatable to a stowing orientation to provide a minimum profile for passing through the open bottom.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising a debris remover proximate the open bottom for cleaning the reflector when passing through the open bottom.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a remote reflector configured to attach to the frame structure in alignment with a predetermined reflected field of view to provide a compound image path.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined conditions include a manual request initiated by an occupant in the vehicle.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined conditions include an automatically-detected parking condition, a reverse-gear condition, and an automatically-detected low-speed threshold condition.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the predetermined conditions include a fault checking condition.

12. The system of claim 1 further comprising a vehicle-mounted display for presenting the captured images to an occupant of the vehicle.

13. Vehicle apparatus comprising:

a frame structure defining an underside of the vehicle;

a plurality of wheels coupled to the frame structure;

a housing attached to the frame structure forming an enclosure with an open bottom;

a fixed camera mounted in the enclosure having a first field of view directed through the open bottom;

a reflector;

a carrier mechanism supporting the reflector having a linear section and a rotary section, wherein the linear section is extendable between a retracted position which stows the reflector inside the enclosure and an extended position which deploys the reflector through the open bottom, and wherein the rotary section rotates the reflector into an alignment with the camera to provide a reflected field of view along the underside of the vehicle toward at least one of the wheels; and

a controller coupled to the carrier mechanism for selectably deploying the reflector through the open bottom for limited periods to capture images during predetermined conditions and otherwise retracting the reflector into the enclosure for shielding from an external environment.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the reflector is comprised of a convex mirror.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the rotary section provides multi-axis rotation to aim the reflected field of view toward a selected wheel of the vehicle and to rotate the reflector to a stowing orientation to provide a minimum profile for passing through the open bottom.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 the predetermined conditions include a manual request initiated by an occupant in the vehicle.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the predetermined conditions include an automatically-detected parking condition, a reverse-gear condition, and an automatically-detected low-speed threshold condition.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the predetermined conditions include a fault checking condition.

19. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising a vehicle-mounted display for presenting the captured images to an occupant of the vehicle.

20. An imaging system for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a housing forming an enclosure with an open bottom;

a fixed camera mounted in the enclosure having a first field of view vertically through the open bottom;

a reflector mounted to a carrier mechanism to deploy the reflector from a stowed position within the enclosure to an extended position orienting the reflector to provide a reflected field of view along the underside of the vehicle.