CAMERA MODULE

• US 20190351841A1
• Filed: 07/24/2019
• Published: 11/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: FURUTAKE, Yasuki, AKIBA, Kazuyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 10,882,467 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/108 using 'non-standard' camera systems, e.g. camera sensor used for additional purposes i.a. rain sensor, camera sensor split in multiple image areas
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/02 Telephoto objectives, i.e. systems of the type + - in which the distance from the front vertex to the image plane is less than the equivalent focal length
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/02 Bodies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

A camera module, which is mounted on an inside of a front windshield of a vehicle and configured to image an external environment of the vehicle, includes multiple lens units on which an optical image of the external environment is incident, individually, and an imaging system to generate an outside image of the external environment by imaging through each of the lens units, individually.

Claims

1. A camera module configured to be mounted on an inside of a windshield of a vehicle and to image an external environment of the vehicle, the camera module comprising:

a first lens unit, a second lens unit, and a third lens unit having a first angle of view, a second angle of view, and a third angle of view, respectively, wherein

the first angle of view, the second angle of view, and the third angle of view are different from each other and at least in part overlap with each other,

the first lens unit has a first near point and a first far point defining a first depth of recognition field therebetween,

the second lens unit has a second near point and a second far point defining a second depth of recognition field therebetween,

the third lens unit has a third near point and a third far point defining a third depth of recognition field therebetween,

the first far point defines a first limit position of image recognition which is implemented by imaging through the first lens unit,

the second far point defines a second limit position of image recognition which is implemented by imaging through the second lens unit,

the third far point defines a third limit position of image recognition which is implemented by imaging through the third lens unit,

at least in part the first depth of recognition field and the second depth of recognition field overlap with each other, in which the first far point is between the second near point and the second far point in the external environment, and

at least in part the second depth of recognition field and the third depth of recognition field overlap with each other, in which the second far point is between the third near point and the third far point in the external environment.

2. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein

each of the lens units individually satisfies Lf=EFL·

Sf/Wf, in which

a corresponding far point is the far point of corresponding one of the lens units,

Lf is a distance from the corresponding one of the lens units to the corresponding far point,

EFL is a focal length of the corresponding one of the lens units,

Sf is a minimum object size required for the image recognition at the corresponding far point through the corresponding one of the lens units, and

Wf is a minimum pixel width required for the image recognition of the imaging system.

3. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein

each of the lens units individually satisfies Lc=EFL²·

Pc/(FNO·

Dc), in which

a corresponding near point is a near point of corresponding one of the lens units,

Lc is a distance from the corresponding one of the lens units to the corresponding near point,

EFL is a focal length of the corresponding one of the lens units,

Pc is a pixel pitch of the imaging system,

FNO is an F number of the corresponding one of the lens units, and

Dc is a diameter of a circle of confusion in the imaging system.

4. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein

angles of view of at least two of the lens units overlap with each other within a distance of 10 meters from the camera module.

5. The camera module according to claim 1, further comprising:

an imaging system

to perform imaging of an optical image of the external environment individually within the first angle of view, the second angle of view, and the third angle of view through the first lens unit, the second lens unit, and the third lens unit, repectively and

to generate an outside image of the external environment.

6. The camera module according to claim 5, wherein

the first lens unit and the second lens unit are configured to enable the image recognition therethrough behind the first limit position and the second limit position, respectively, and

the first lens unit and the second lens unit are configured to enable the image recognition behind the first limit position by any of the outside image generated through the first lens unit and the outside image generated through the second lens unit.

7. The camera module according to claim 5, wherein

the first depth of recognition field and the second depth of recognition field overlap with each other to define an overlapping region therebetween, and

the first lens unit and the second lens unit are configured to enable the image recognition in the overlapping region by any of the outside image generated through the first lens unit and the outside image generated through the second lens unit.

8. The camera module according to claim 5, wherein

the second lens unit and the third lens unit are configured to enable the image recognition therethrough behind the second limit position and the third limit position, respectively, and

the second lens unit and the third lens unit are configured to enable the image recognition behind the second limit position by any of the outside image generated through the second lens unit and the outside image generated through the third lens unit.

9. The camera module according to claim 5, wherein

the second depth of recognition field and the third depth of recognition field overlap with each other to define an overlapping region therebetween, and

the second lens unit and the third lens unit are configured to enable the image recognition in the overlapping region by any of the outside image generated through the second lens unit and the outside image generated through the third lens unit.

10. The camera module according to claim 5, wherein

the first lens unit and the second lens unit have optical axes, respectively, and

the imaging system is configured to correct shifts in positional coordinates between the outside image generated through the first lens unit and the outside image generated through the second lens unit by aligning the optical axes in the outside images with each other.

11. The camera module according to claim 5, wherein

the second lens unit and the third lens unit have optical axes, respectively, and

the imaging system is configured to correct shifts in positional coordinates between the outside image generated through the second lens unit and the outside image generated through the third lens unit by aligning the optical axes in the outside images with each other.

12. The camera module according to claim 5, wherein

the first lens unit and the third lens unit have optical axes, respectively, and

the imaging system is configured to correct shifts in positional coordinates between the outside image generated through the first lens unit and the outside image generated through the third lens unit by aligning the optical axes in the outside images with each other.

13. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein

an overlap region, in which at least in part the first depth of recognition field and the second depth of recognition field overlap with each other, is greater than an overlap region, in which at least in part the second depth of recognition field and the third depth of recognition field overlap with each other.

14. The camera module according to claim 1, wherein

the first lens unit, the second lens unit, and the third lens unit have a first optical axis, a second optical axis, and a third optical axis, respectively,

the first optical axis, the second optical axis, and the third optical axis are shifted from each other, and

the first angle of view, the second angle of view, and the third angle of view are around the first optical axis, the second optical axis, and the third optical axis, respectively.