VEHICLE-MOUNTED CAMERA MODULE

• US 20110317015A1
• Filed: 10/29/2008
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Seto, Hideyuki, Umeda, Hidetoshi, Nakata, Takatoshi
• Application Number:
  US13/129,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20110317015A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• 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 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/23 with a predetermined field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/28 with an adjustable field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens

Abstract

A vehicle-mounted camera module that is provided inside of the vehicle and used for surveying the inside and outside of the vehicle, the camera module including, but not limited to: an image sensor; an inside view optical system for picking up vehicle inside views; and an outside view optical system for picking up vehicle outside views, the outside view optical system including a light reflector.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted camera module that is provided inside of the vehicle and surveys views of the inside and outside of the vehicle, the module comprising:

an image sensor;

an inside view optical system for forming images of vehicle inside views on the image sensor;

an outside view optical system for forming images of vehicle outside views of the vehicle front side on the image sensor;

at least one light reflector for reflecting the light that reaches the reflector through at least one of the inside view optical system and the outside view optical system, toward the image sensor.

2. The vehicle-mounted camera module according to claim 1, wherein the image sensor has a first image forming area on which the images are formed by the light passing through the inside view optical system and a second image forming area on which the images are formed by the light passing through the outside view optical system, the two areas including no overlapping area that is common to the two areas.

3. The vehicle-mounted camera module according to claim 1, wherein the inside view optical system has a first shutter and the outside view optical system has a second shutter thereby the first shutter is opened so that images are formed on the image sensor, when the second shutter is closed, whereas the second shutter is opened so that images are formed on the image sensor, when the first shutter is closed, the shutters being operated by a shutter control section provided in the vehicle-mounted camera module.

4. The vehicle-mounted camera module according to claim 1, wherein the light reflector is configured with a plurality of mirrors thereby the light reflecting angle regarding each mirror can be electrically controlled.

5. The vehicle-mounted camera module according to claim 1, the camera module further comprising an abnormal event detecting section that detects an abnormal event based on the vehicle inside image information obtained via the inside view optical system as well as the vehicle outside image information obtained via the outside view optical system, and issues alarm signals.

6. The vehicle-mounted camera module according to claim 1, the camera module further comprising an image recording section that memorizes the image information picked up by the image sensor.

7. The vehicle-mounted camera module according to claim 1, wherein the camera module is installed in the room mirror inside of the vehicle.