Automatic vehicle exterior light control system assemblies

• US 8,912,476 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2013
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Fogg, Jeremy A., Ejsmont, Gregory M., Tuttle, Darin D., Stam, Joseph S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ko, Tony
• Application Number:
  US13/855,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20130235600A1
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 250/216, 250/208.1
• US Class Current: 250/208.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/1423 Automatic dimming circuits, i.e. switching between high beam and low beam due to change of ambient light or light level in road traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1223 with sensors or transducers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/60 characterised by a variable light distribution

Abstract

The present invention relates to various improvements relating to automatic vehicle equipment control systems.

Claims

1. An imager assembly for use in a vehicle, comprising:

an attachment member and one of a carrier and a baffle configured to secure an imager board, said imager board having an image sensor with an image sensor optical axis that intersects said imager board and is substantially orthogonal to said imager board, wherein said image sensor optical axis is within approximately 5 degrees and approximately −

5 degrees of a desired image sensor optical axis based on an angular displacement of said imager board about an axis that is orthogonal to said desired image sensor optical axis.

2. The imager assembly of claim 1, wherein said imager assembly incorporates a control system configured to self calibrate an image area of an image sensor to compensate for minor image sensor misalignment.

3. The imager assembly of claim 1, wherein angular displacement of said imager board about said axis changes one of yaw and a pitch of a field of view of said image sensor.

4. The imager assembly of claim 1, said attachment member further comprising a ball for attachment of a rearview mirror assembly.

5. The imager assembly as in claim 1, wherein said image sensor and at least one other device selected from the group comprising:

an image sensor control logic;

an A/D converter;

a low voltage differential signal line driver;

a temperature sensor;

control output;

a voltage regulator;

a second image sensor;

a microprocessor;

a moisture sensor; and

a compass are integrated in a common application specific integrated chip.

6. The imager assembly of claim 5, wherein said image sensor and said at least one other device are integrated on a common silicon wafer.

7. An imager assembly for use in a vehicle, comprising:

an attachment member and a carrier that secure an imager board having an image sensor, wherein said attachment member and said carrier cooperate to define a first image sensor optical axis that intersects said imager board and is substantially orthogonal to said imager board, wherein said first image sensor optical axis is within approximately 5 degrees and approximately −

5 degrees of a desired image sensor optical axis based on an angular displacement of said imager board about an axis that is orthogonal to said desired image sensor optical axis; and

at least one shim positioned at least partially between said attachment member and said carrier to define a second image sensor optical axis.

8. The imager assembly of claim 7, said image sensor comprising peripheral pixels that surround pixels associated with a nominal field of view.

9. The imager assembly of claim 8, further comprising automatic alignment means to compensate for minor image sensor optical axis misalignment.

10. The imager assembly of claim 7, said attachment member further comprising a ball for attachment of a rearview mirror assembly.

11. The imager assembly of claim 7, wherein said image sensor and at least one other device selected from the group comprising:

an image sensor control logic;

an A/D converter;

a low voltage differential signal line driver;

a temperature sensor;

control output;

a voltage regulator;

a second image sensor;

a microprocessor;

a moisture sensor; and

a compass are integrated in a common application specific integrated chip.

12. An imager assembly for use in a vehicle, comprising:

an attachment member and a carrier configured to secure an imager board having an image sensor, wherein said attachment member and said carrier cooperate to define an image sensor optical axis of said image sensor that intersects said imager board and is substantially orthogonal to said image sensor optical axis, wherein said images sensor optical axis is within approximately 5 degrees and approximately −

5 degrees of a desired image sensor optical axis based on an angular displacement of said imager board about an axis that is orthogonal to said desired image sensor optical axis; and

a mechanical image sensor repositioning means that allows at least one of an automatic image sensor alignment and a manual image sensor alignment.

13. The imager assembly of claim 12, wherein said image sensor and at least one other device selected from the group comprising:

an image sensor control logic;

an A/D converter;

a low voltage differential signal line driver;

a temperature sensor;

control output;

a voltage regulator;

a second image sensor;

a microprocessor;

a moisture sensor; and

a compass are integrated in a common application specific integrated chip.

14. The imager assembly of claim 13, further comprising at least one shim positioned at least partially between said attachment member and said carrier to define a second image sensor optical axis.

15. An imager assembly for use in a vehicle, comprising:

an attachment member and a carrier configured to secure an imager board having an image sensor with an image sensor optical axis that intersects said imager board and is substantially orthogonal to said imager board, wherein said attachment member an said carrier cooperate to define said image sensor optical axis and said image sensor optical axis is within approximately 5 degrees and approximately −

5 degrees of a desired image sensor optical axis based on an angular displacement of said imager board about an axis that is orthogonal to said desired image sensor optical axis.

16. The imager assembly of claim 15, wherein said image sensor and at least one other device selected from the group comprising:

an image sensor control logic;

an A/D converter;

a low voltage differential signal line driver;

a temperature sensor;

control output;

a voltage regulator;

a second image sensor;

a microprocessor;

a moisture sensor; and

a compass are integrated in a common application specific integrated chip.

17. The imager assembly of claim 16, further comprising at least one shim positioned at least partially between said attachment member and said carrier to define a second image sensor optical axis.

18. The assembly of claim 15, further comprising at least one device selected from the group comprising:

an electro-optic mirror element;

an ambient light sensor;

a glare light sensor;

an information display;

an indicator;

a microphone;

a compass;

an operator interface;

a temperature indicator;

a Bluetooth interface;

a wireless transceiver;

a vehicle bus interface;

a passenger side restraint status display; and

an electro-optic mirror element control.