Vehicle vicinity-monitoring apparatus

• US 6,812,463 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2002
• Issued: 11/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2001
• 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: Okada, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Hannaher, Constantine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gabor, Otilia
• Application Number:
  US10/309,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20030117522A1
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 250/332, 250/330, 348/148, 340/461, 340/901, 340/903, 340/345
• US Class Current: 250/332
• 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 1/24 in front of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/30 providing vision in the non-visible spectrum, e.g. night or infrared vision
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/106 using night vision cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/30 characterised by the type of image processing
• 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: G02B 23/12 with means for image conversion or intensification

Abstract

A vehicle vicinity-monitoring apparatus 1 includes a casing 15 having vicinity-monitoring window portions 15L and 15R and a night-vision window port 15F, a single image pickup device 17 which is contained within the casing 15, and has an image pickup surface 17a which is divided into a vicinity-monitoring image pickup region 17L, 17R and a night-vision image pickup region, an optical system 19 and 21 which is contained within the casing 15.

Claims

1. A vehicle vicinity-monitoring apparatus comprising:

a casing having a vicinity-monitoring window portion and a night-vision window portion;

a single image pickup device which is contained within said casing, and has an image pickup surface which is divided into a vicinity-monitoring image pickup region and a night-vision image pickup region;

an optical system which is contained within said casing so as to cause incident light, passing through said vicinity-monitoring window portion, to be focused on the vicinity-monitoring image pickup region of said image pickup device, and also causes incident light, passing through said night-vision window portion, to be focused on the night-vision image pickup region of said image pickup device; and

an infrared absorption filter provided on an optical path of travel of the incident light which passes through said vicinity-monitoring window portion in said casing, and is focused on the vicinity-monitoring image pickup region of said image pickup device through said optical system.

2. The vehicle vicinity-monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said infrared absorption filter is mounted on said optical system.

3. The vehicle vicinity-monitoring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said infrared absorption filter is mounted at said vicinity-monitoring window portion in said casing.