Vehicle monitoring camera and vehicle monitoring camera system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A monitoring camera for a vehicle that images a distant area, a vicinity area and a near area in front of or behind the vehicle, the areas being different from one another, the monitoring camera comprising:
- an imaging element;
an image forming lens comprising a plurality of lenses each having a different focal length, anda detector; and
a lighting controller;
wherein the monitoring camera is configured so that each image of an object passing through a different one of the lenses is formed on a corresponding different region of an imaging surface of the imaging element;
wherein the detector is configured to detect objects in front of or behind the vehicle based on an imaging signal extracted from only a subset of all pixels of the imaging surface and to identify the distant area, the vicinity area or the near area as an area in which the object is located based on a correspondence between the subset of pixels of the imaging surface and a particular one of the distant area, the vicinity area or the near area; and
wherein the lighting controller controls a lighting state of a vehicle lamp based on the identified area where the object is located.
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Abstract
A monitoring camera for a vehicle acquires images of a distant area, a vicinity area and a near area in front or rear of the vehicle. The monitoring camera can include an imaging element and an image forming lens comprising multiple lenses each having a different focal length. Each image of an object passing through a different one of the lenses is formed on a corresponding different region of an imaging surface of the imaging element.
11 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A monitoring camera for a vehicle that images a distant area, a vicinity area and a near area in front of or behind the vehicle, the areas being different from one another, the monitoring camera comprising:
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an imaging element; an image forming lens comprising a plurality of lenses each having a different focal length, and a detector; and a lighting controller; wherein the monitoring camera is configured so that each image of an object passing through a different one of the lenses is formed on a corresponding different region of an imaging surface of the imaging element; wherein the detector is configured to detect objects in front of or behind the vehicle based on an imaging signal extracted from only a subset of all pixels of the imaging surface and to identify the distant area, the vicinity area or the near area as an area in which the object is located based on a correspondence between the subset of pixels of the imaging surface and a particular one of the distant area, the vicinity area or the near area; and wherein the lighting controller controls a lighting state of a vehicle lamp based on the identified area where the object is located. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A monitoring camera system comprising:
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a monitoring camera for a vehicle that images a distant area, a vicinity area and a near area in front of or behind the vehicle, the areas being different from one another, the monitoring camera comprising; an imaging element; and an image forming lens comprising a plurality of lenses each having a different focal length, wherein the monitoring camera is configured so that each image of an object passing through a different one of the lenses is formed on a corresponding different region of an imaging surface of the imaging element, the monitoring camera system further comprising; a detector configured to extract an imaging signal from only a part of all pixels of the imaging surface, configured to detect objects in front of or behind the vehicle based on the extracted imaging signal, and configured to identify the distant area, the vicinity area or the near area as an area in which the object is located based on a correspondence between the part of the pixels and a particular one of the distant area, the vicinity area or the near area; and a lighting controller to control a lighting state of a vehicle lamp based on the identified area where the object is located. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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Specification