EXTERIOR VIEWING CAMERA MODULE FOR VEHICLE VISION SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A camera module for a vehicle, said camera module comprising:
- a housing that houses an imager assembly and a main circuit board;
wherein the imager assembly comprises (i) an imager disposed on an imager circuit board and (ii) a lens assembly comprising a lens barrel accommodating at least one lens;
wherein said housing comprises an upper cover and a lower cover, and wherein the upper cover and the lower cover are joined together;
wherein the imager assembly is attached at an inner surface of the upper cover of said housing;
a flexible ribbon cable extending from the imager circuit board, said flexible ribbon cable terminating at a terminator portion;
wherein said terminator portion of said flexible ribbon cable comprises a first electrical connector;
wherein said main circuit board comprises a printed circuit board (PCB) having a first planar side and an opposing second planar side separated from the first planar side by a thickness dimension of the PCB of said main circuit board;
wherein first circuitry is disposed at the first planar side of the PCB of said main circuit board, and wherein second circuitry is disposed at the second planar side of the PCB of said main circuit board;
wherein said second circuitry disposed at the second planar side of the PCB of said main circuit board comprises an image processor;
wherein said image processor is operable for processing image data captured by the imager;
wherein the PCB of said main circuit board at its second planar side comprises a second electrical connector, and wherein said second electrical connector at the second planar side of the PCB of said main circuit board is configured for connecting with said first electrical connector at the terminator portion of said flexible ribbon cable;
wherein, with the imager assembly operated to capture image data and with said first electrical connector at the terminator portion of said flexible ribbon cable connected with said second electrical connector at the second planar side of the PCB of said main circuit board, image data captured by the imager of the imager assembly is provided via said flexible ribbon cable at least to said second circuitry disposed at the second planar side of the PCB of said main circuit board;
wherein said housing, with said upper cover and said lower cover joined together, comprises a front portion and a rear portion;
wherein said front portion is in front of said rear portion;
wherein said main circuit board is accommodated within said front and rear portions;
wherein the imager is accommodated within said rear portion and is not accommodated within said front portion of said housing;
wherein said housing of said camera module has a breadth and a length, and wherein the PCB of said main circuit board extends across the breadth of said housing and along the length of said housing;
wherein said rear portion of said housing has a height;
wherein the maximum height dimension of said rear portion of said housing is greater than the maximum height dimension of said front portion of said housing;
wherein said housing is adapted for detachable mounting at a mounting bracket attached at an in-cabin side of a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said camera module; and
wherein the mounting bracket comprises mounting bracket structure that cooperates with corresponding housing structure of said housing to mount said camera module at the mounting bracket so that, with said camera module mounted at the mounting bracket attached at the windshield of the equipped vehicle, said camera module is mounted at the windshield with the imager viewing through a portion of the windshield in a forward direction of travel of the equipped vehicle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicular camera module includes a housing that houses an imager assembly and a main circuit board. The imager assembly is attached at an upper cover of the housing, with a flexible ribbon cable extending from an imager circuit board. The main circuit board has first circuitry disposed at a first planar side and second circuitry, including an image processor, disposed at a second planar side. An electrical connector at the second planar side connects with an electrical connector of the flexible ribbon cable. The main circuit board is accommodated within front and rear portions of the housing, while the imager is accommodated within the rear portion and is not accommodated within the front portion. A mounting bracket mounts the camera module at the windshield of the vehicle, with the imager viewing through a portion of the windshield in a forward direction of travel of the vehicle.
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Citations
74 Claims
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1. A camera module for a vehicle, said camera module comprising:
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a housing that houses an imager assembly and a main circuit board; wherein the imager assembly comprises (i) an imager disposed on an imager circuit board and (ii) a lens assembly comprising a lens barrel accommodating at least one lens; wherein said housing comprises an upper cover and a lower cover, and wherein the upper cover and the lower cover are joined together; wherein the imager assembly is attached at an inner surface of the upper cover of said housing; a flexible ribbon cable extending from the imager circuit board, said flexible ribbon cable terminating at a terminator portion; wherein said terminator portion of said flexible ribbon cable comprises a first electrical connector; wherein said main circuit board comprises a printed circuit board (PCB) having a first planar side and an opposing second planar side separated from the first planar side by a thickness dimension of the PCB of said main circuit board; wherein first circuitry is disposed at the first planar side of the PCB of said main circuit board, and wherein second circuitry is disposed at the second planar side of the PCB of said main circuit board; wherein said second circuitry disposed at the second planar side of the PCB of said main circuit board comprises an image processor; wherein said image processor is operable for processing image data captured by the imager; wherein the PCB of said main circuit board at its second planar side comprises a second electrical connector, and wherein said second electrical connector at the second planar side of the PCB of said main circuit board is configured for connecting with said first electrical connector at the terminator portion of said flexible ribbon cable; wherein, with the imager assembly operated to capture image data and with said first electrical connector at the terminator portion of said flexible ribbon cable connected with said second electrical connector at the second planar side of the PCB of said main circuit board, image data captured by the imager of the imager assembly is provided via said flexible ribbon cable at least to said second circuitry disposed at the second planar side of the PCB of said main circuit board; wherein said housing, with said upper cover and said lower cover joined together, comprises a front portion and a rear portion; wherein said front portion is in front of said rear portion; wherein said main circuit board is accommodated within said front and rear portions; wherein the imager is accommodated within said rear portion and is not accommodated within said front portion of said housing; wherein said housing of said camera module has a breadth and a length, and wherein the PCB of said main circuit board extends across the breadth of said housing and along the length of said housing; wherein said rear portion of said housing has a height; wherein the maximum height dimension of said rear portion of said housing is greater than the maximum height dimension of said front portion of said housing; wherein said housing is adapted for detachable mounting at a mounting bracket attached at an in-cabin side of a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said camera module; and wherein the mounting bracket comprises mounting bracket structure that cooperates with corresponding housing structure of said housing to mount said camera module at the mounting bracket so that, with said camera module mounted at the mounting bracket attached at the windshield of the equipped vehicle, said camera module is mounted at the windshield with the imager viewing through a portion of the windshield in a forward direction of travel of the equipped vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A camera module for a vehicle, said camera module comprising:
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a housing that houses an imager assembly and a main circuit board; wherein the imager assembly comprises (i) an imager disposed on an imager circuit board and (ii) a lens assembly comprising a lens barrel accommodating at least one lens; wherein said housing comprises an upper cover and a lower cover, and wherein the upper cover and the lower cover are joined together; a flexible ribbon cable extending from the imager circuit board, said flexible ribbon cable terminating at a terminator portion; wherein said terminator portion of said flexible ribbon cable comprises a first electrical connector; wherein said main circuit board comprises a printed circuit board (PCB) having a first planar side and an opposing second planar side separated from the first planar side by a thickness dimension of the PCB of said main circuit board; wherein first circuitry is disposed at the first planar side of the PCB of said main circuit board, and wherein second circuitry is disposed at the second planar side of the PCB of said main circuit board; wherein said second circuitry disposed at the second planar side of the PCB of said main circuit board comprises an image processor; wherein said image processor is operable for processing image data captured by the imager; wherein the PCB of said main circuit board at its second planar side comprises a second electrical connector, and wherein said second electrical connector at the second planar side of the PCB of said main circuit board is configured for connecting with said first electrical connector at the terminator portion of said flexible ribbon cable; wherein, with the imager assembly operated to capture image data and with said first electrical connector at the terminator portion of said flexible ribbon cable connected with said second electrical connector at the second planar side of the PCB of said main circuit board, image data captured by the imager of the imager assembly is provided via said flexible ribbon cable at least to said second circuitry disposed at the second planar side of the PCB of said main circuit board; wherein said housing, with said upper cover and said lower cover joined together, comprises a front portion and a rear portion; wherein said front portion is in front of said rear portion; wherein said main circuit board is accommodated within said front and rear portions; wherein the imager is accommodated within said rear portion and is not accommodated within said front portion of said housing; wherein said housing of said camera module has a breadth and a length, and wherein the PCB of said main circuit board extends across the breadth of said housing and along the length of said housing; wherein said rear portion of said housing has a height, and wherein the imager circuit board is disposed in the upper cover at said rear portion of said housing and is tilted at an acute angle with respect to the plane of the PCB of said main circuit board; wherein the maximum height dimension of said rear portion of said housing is greater than the maximum height dimension of said front portion of said housing; wherein the upper cover at said rear portion of said housing comprises an aperture, and wherein the imager views to exterior of said housing via said aperture; wherein the lens barrel extends through said aperture to protrude outside said housing; and wherein the lens barrel of the imager assembly is tilted at an acute angle upward relative to the plane of the PCB of said main circuit board. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. A camera module for a vehicle, said camera module comprising:
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a housing that houses an imager assembly and a main circuit board; wherein the imager assembly comprises (i) an imager disposed on an imager circuit board and (ii) a lens assembly comprising a lens barrel accommodating at least one lens; wherein said housing comprises an upper cover and a lower cover, and wherein the upper cover and the lower cover are joined together; a flexible ribbon cable extending from the imager circuit board, said flexible ribbon cable terminating at a terminator portion; wherein said terminator portion of said flexible ribbon cable comprises a first electrical connector; wherein said main circuit board comprises a printed circuit board (PCB) having a first planar side and an opposing second planar side separated from the first planar side by a thickness dimension of the PCB of said main circuit board; wherein the PCB of said main circuit board comprises a second electrical connector, and wherein said second electrical connector of said main circuit board is configured for connecting with said first electrical connector at the terminator portion of said flexible ribbon cable; wherein, with the imager assembly operated to capture image data and with said first electrical connector at the terminator portion of said flexible ribbon cable connected with said second electrical connector of said main circuit board, image data captured by the imager of the imager assembly is provided via said flexible ribbon cable to circuitry disposed at the PCB of said main circuit board; wherein said housing, with said upper cover and said lower cover joined together, comprises a front portion and a rear portion; wherein said front portion is in front of said rear portion; wherein said main circuit board is accommodated within said front and rear portions; wherein the imager is accommodated within said rear portion and is not accommodated within said front portion of said housing; wherein said housing of said camera module has a breadth and a length, and wherein the PCB of said main circuit board extends across the breadth of said housing and along the length of said housing; wherein the maximum height dimension of said rear portion of said housing is greater than the maximum height dimension of said front portion of said housing; wherein the breadth of said housing has a maximum dimension of 100 mm or less, and wherein the length of said housing has a maximum dimension of 100 mm or less, and wherein the height of said rear portion of said housing has a maximum dimension of 35 mm or less; wherein the upper cover at said rear portion of said housing comprises an aperture, and wherein the imager views to exterior of said housing via said aperture; wherein the lens barrel extends through said aperture to protrude outside said housing; and wherein the lens barrel of the imager assembly is tilted at an acute angle upward relative to the plane of the PCB of said main circuit board. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74)
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Specification