Image acquisition unit with heating device for monitoring the exterior of a vehicle

• US 7,645,961 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2003
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: FICO Mirrors SA (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: FICO Mirrors SA (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hernando Fernandez, Francesc Xavier
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoang; Tu B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel; Vinod D
• Application Number:
  US10/526,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20060108352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,427 Days
• Field of Search: 219/209, 219/201, 219/522, 219/219, 219/511, 348/373, 348/375, 348/148, 359/871
• US Class Current: 219/209
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0075 using a containment or docking space
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/026 using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings

Abstract

The unit comprises: a casing (1) with a protected interior, a window (2) closed by a transparent element (3) and support means (4) to carry an optical system (5) facing said window (2); image detection means (6) accommodated in said casing (1), facing said optical system (5), an associated with connection means with the exterior for the supply and/or bidirectional signal exchange; and heating means to provide thermal energy to said transparent element (3), or to an adjacent zone thereto, aiming at avoiding lacking transparency problems, due to ambient and climatic factors.

Claims

1. An image acquisition unit with a heating device for monitoring an exterior of a vehicle, comprising:

a casing configured to be mounted on an external structure of said vehicle, said casing comprising a protected interior, said casing defining a window closed by a transparent element and supporting means defined by part of said casing for supporting an optical system inside said casing and facing said window, said optical system dividing the interior of said casing into two separated spaces;

a first one enclosed between a first end of said optical system and by the transparent element, and a second one enclosed between a second end of said optical system and part of the casing, being said first space of a smaller volume or dimensions than a volume or dimensions of said second space;

image detection means located inside said second space of said casing, facing said optical system and associated with connection means with the exterior, for supplying power and/or for bidirectional signal interchange, said image detection means including an image detector and electronic components in contact with the inner air of said second space of said casing; and

heating means for providing thermal energy to said first space.

2. The image acquisition unit according to claim 1, wherein said heating means comprises at least one electrical heater supplied with direct current from said connection means.

3. The image acquisition unit according to claim 2, further comprising control means for controlling the operation of said electrical heater.

4. The image acquisition unit according to claim 3, wherein said control means comprises an on/off switch to control an activation time of said supply current of the electrical heater.

5. The image acquisition unit according to claim 4, wherein said on/off switch is associated with a thermostat.

6. The image acquisition unit according to claim 5, wherein said on/off switch is common for at least another heating device of the vehicle, selected from a group consisting of:

a heating system for a rear window, and a heating system for an external rear view mirror.

7. The image acquisition unit according to claim 4, wherein said on/off switch is at a vehicle user'"'"'s disposal.

8. The Image acquisition unit according to claim 3, wherein said control means comprises a man-machine interface to provide different parameters coming from one or more detectors associated with the image acquisition unit and/or with other parts of the vehicle, and/or from an input device at a vehicle'"'"'s user disposal, to a central processor of the vehicle, which supports a program adapted to control said supply current of the electrical heater through time as a function of the result of an analysis and a processing of said parameters.

9. The image acquisition unit according to claim 8, wherein said parameters are selected from a group consisting of an interior temperature of the image acquisition unit casing (1), and the exterior environment temperature.

10. The image acquisition unit according to claim 2, wherein said electrical heater comprises at least one electrical resistance directly applied on said transparent element.

11. The image acquisition unit according to claim 10, wherein said electrical resistance has the form of an open ring of resistive ink or paste applied on the internal face of said transparent element (3).

12. The image acquisition unit according to claim 11, wherein connection lines are connected to end portions of said open ring of resistive ink or paste.

13. The image acquisition unit according to claim 12, further comprises a layer of a protective mask material over said resistive ink or paste and/or conductive ink or paste, in order to protect the electrical resistance.

14. The image acquisition unit according to claim 11, wherein said resistive ink or paste is not weldable and comprises a layer of conductive ink or paste weldable to at least the end portions of said open ring of resistive ink or paste.

15. The image acquisition unit according to claim 14, wherein connection lines are connected to said layer of weldable conductive ink or paste applied on the end portions of said open ring of resistive ink or paste.

16. The image acquisition unit according to claim 15, further comprises a layer of a protective mask material over said resistive ink or paste and/or conductive ink or paste, in order to protect the electrical resistance.

17. The image acquisition unit according to claim 14, wherein said layer of weldable conductive ink or paste is, furthermore, extended along one or more sections of the open ring of resistive ink or paste, in order to reduce its resistance and, therefore, adjust the heating power to a requested value.

18. The image acquisition unit according to claim 17, further comprises a layer of a protective mask material over said resistive ink or paste and/or conductive ink or paste, in order to protect the electrical resistance.

19. The image acquisition unit according to claim 14, further comprises a layer of a protective mask material over said resistive ink or paste and/or conductive ink or paste, in order to protect the electrical resistance.

20. The image acquisition unit according to claim 11, further comprising a layer of a protective mask material over said resistive ink or paste and/or conductive ink or paste, in order to protect the electrical resistance.

21. The image acquisition unit according to claim 10, wherein said electrical resistance has the form of a laminar layer of a resistive transparent material applied on the internal face of said transparent element.

22. The image acquisition unit according to claim 21, wherein a pair of electrodes of conductive ink or paste are applied on opposite zones of the resistive material laminar layer, in connection to itself, and connection lines are connected to said electrodes.

23. The image acquisition unit according to claim 21, wherein said electrical resistance comprises of a material, the resistance of which increases with the increase of its temperature.

24. The image acquisition unit according to claim 21 wherein said electrical resistance comprises a material, the resistance of which remains substantially constant with the temperature variations of itself.

25. The image acquisition unit according to claim 10, wherein said electrical resistance comprises of a material, the resistance of which increases with the increase of its temperature.

26. The image acquisition unit according to claim 10 wherein said electrical resistance comprises a material, the resistance of which remains substantially constant with the temperature variations of itself.

27. The image acquisition unit according to claim 2, wherein said electrical heater comprises at least one electrical resistance applied in an enclosing way on a zone of the casing adjacent to the transparent element.

28. The image acquisition unit according to claim 27, wherein said electrical resistance is applied on an external surface of said zone of the casing adjacent to the transparent element.

29. The image acquisition unit according to claim 27, wherein said electrical resistance is applied on an internal surface of said zone of the casing adjacent to the transparent element.

30. The image acquisition unit according to claim 27, wherein said electrical resistance comprises of a material, the resistance of which increases with the increase of its temperature.

31. The image acquisition unit according to claim 27 wherein said electrical resistance comprises a material, the resistance of which remains substantially constant with the temperature variations of itself.

32. The image acquisition unit according to claim 1, wherein said heating means comprises at least one element of a heat conductive material to transfer heat from a zone of the casing, where electronic components of said image detection means are located, to an adjacent zone to the transparent element, or close to it.

33. The image acquisition unit according to claim 32, wherein said heat conductive material is the material the casing is made of.

34. The image acquisition unit according to claim 1, wherein said heating means comprises a Peltier cell to transfer heat from a zone of the casing, where electronic components of said image detection devices are located, to an adjacent zone to the transparent element, or close to it.

35. The image acquisition unit according to claim 1, wherein said transparent element further comprises a hydrophilic, water repellant and antireflective coating.

36. The image acquisition unit according to claim 1, wherein said casing further comprising a cap coupled to a main body of the casing, said cap supporting said transparent element and said heating means, with said heating means disposed between said transparent element and said image detection means, said cap including a passage extending along at least a portion of said cap for passage of at least one electrical connection from said connection means to said heating means.

37. The image acquisition unit according to claim 36, wherein said heating means is disposed on an exterior surface of said cap and at least partially surrounds said optical system.

38. The image acquisition unit according to claim 36, wherein said heating means is disposed on an interior surface of said cap and at least partially surrounds an area adjacent said optical system.