On-vehicle image pick-up apparatus and method of setting image pick-up direction

• US 6,657,176 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2001
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Imoto, Masayoshi, Mishima, Tomoyuki, Tomida, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harrington, Alicia M
• Application Number:
  US09/827,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20010035490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 250/208.1, 250/216, 315/77, 348/335, 348/333, 348/337, 348/118, 348/148, 359/507, 359/533, 359/843
• US Class Current: 250/208.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/25 to the sides of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/101 using cameras with adjustable capturing direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/30 characterised by the type of image processing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/301 combining image information with other obstacle sensor information, e.g. using RADAR/LIDAR/SONAR sensors for estimating risk of collision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/302 combining image information with GPS information or vehicle data, e.g. vehicle speed, gyro, steering angle data
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/404 triggering from stand-by mode to operation mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8053 for bad weather conditions or night vision
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof

Abstract

A prism for reflecting rays of light 17L and 17R incident from left and right image pick-up directions on the rear side of the direction of travel A is disposed in parallel to the vertical direction of a vehicle. The image pick-up optical axis of an image pick-up unit 15 is set to tilt vertically and obliquely with respect to a horizontal plane C, whereby the images in the respective image pick-up directions which are obliquely above or below the horizontal plane are picked up by the image pick-up unit 15.

Claims

1. An image pick-up apparatus mounted on a vehicle comprising:

a reflective unit provided in a front or a rear end portion of the vehicle, the reflective unit having two first reflective surfaces for reflecting rays of light incident from image pick-up directions on both of a left side and a right side of the vehicle respectively in a direction substantially parallel to a longitudinal direction of the vehicle; and

an image pick-up unit for picking up images in the respective image pick-up directions by taking in the rays of light reflected in the reflective unit,

wherein the first reflective surfaces of the reflective unit are disposed in parallel to the vertical direction of the vehicle;

an image pick-up optical axis of the image pick-up unit is set so that incident optical axes of the rays of light tilt vertically and obliquely with respect to a horizontal plane when the rays of light reflected in the reflective unit are introduced into the image pick-up unit, wherein

the image pick-up unit picks up the images in the respective image pick-up directions which are obliquely above or below the horizontal plane.

2. The image pick-up apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reflective unit is an isosceles triangular prism in cross section with a vertical angle of the isosceles triangular prism directed to the front or rear end portion of the vehicle;

and

left and right sides of the prism corresponding to the equal sides of the isosceles triangle of the prism function as the two first reflective surfaces.

3. The image pick-up apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image pick-up unit comprises:

an image pick-up element whose light receiving axis is arranged to be parallel to a vertical plane parallel to the longitudinal direction, the image pick-up element receiving the rays of light reflected in the reflective unit; and

an image forming lens disposed in optical paths of the respective rays of light between the image pick-up element and the reflective unit,

wherein the direction of the light receiving axis of the image pick-up element is rotated and adjusted while being held to be parallel to the vertical plane, so that the incident axis is set to tilt vertically and obliquely with respect to the horizontal plane.

4. The image pick-up apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image pick-up unit comprises:

a reflective member having a second reflective surface, wherein the normal direction of the second reflective surface is arranged to be parallel to a vertical plane which is parallel to the longitudinal direction, the rays of light reflected in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction are reflected from the second reflective surface in a direction substantially parallel to the vertical direction;

an image pick-up element for receiving the rays of light reflected from the reflective member; and

an image forming lens disposed in optical paths of the respective rays of light between the image pick-up element and the reflective unit,

wherein the direction of at least one of the normal of the reflective surface of the second reflective surface of the reflective member and the light receiving axis of the image pick-up element is rotated and adjusted while being kept parallel to the vertical plane,

wherein the incident optical axis is set to tilt vertically and obliquely with respect to the horizontal plane.

5. A method of setting image pick-up directions of an image pick-up apparatus mounted on a vehicle, the image pick-up apparatus comprising a reflective unit provided in a front or a rear end portion of the vehicle, the reflective unit having two first reflective surfaces for reflecting rays of light incident from image pick-up directions on both of a left side and a right side of the vehicle respectively in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle;

and an image pick-up unit for picking up images in the respective image pick-up directions by taking in the rays of light reflected in the reflective unit, the method comprising;

disposing the reflective surfaces of the reflective unit in parallel to a vertical direction of the vehicle;

introducing the rays of light reflected in the reflective unit into the image pick-up unit;

setting an image pick-up optical axis of the image pick-up unit to tilt incident optical axes of the rays of light vertically and obliquely with respect to a horizontal plane; and

adjusting the angle between the incident axis and the horizontal plane to set the image pick-up directions.

6. A image pick-up apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

an image pick-up transmission window disposed to face the outside of the vehicle;

an image pick-up unit for receiving rays of external light passing through the image pick-up transmission window to pick up an image around the vehicle; and

a transparent hydrophilic film formed on the outer surface of the image pick-up transmission window to obtain less-disturbed images.

7. The image pick-up apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the hydrophilic film is a film having a contact angle of 20 degrees or smaller with water.

8. The vehicular image pick-up apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the hydrophilic film is a titanium photo-catalytic film.