Magna Electronics Inc.

Brian Dean Brasier

Steven V Byrne

Matthew C Sesti

Richard Rieden

Ben Stickler

Axel Nix

Jonathan David Conger

Horst H Rumpf

Laura Betham

Neal Jonathan Todd

A vehicular camera module includes a front housing member, an imaging array sensor, a lens, a rear housing member, and a circuit board. The rear housing member is mated with the front housing member to form a camera housing. With the circuit board accommodated within the camera housing formed by the mated front and rear housing members, the imaging sensor is closer to a first side of the circuit board than to a second side of the circuit board. The rear housing member includes an electrical plug connector having a plurality of individual electrically-conductive pins that are configured to plug into respective individual pin-receiving sockets of an electrical socket connector disposed at the second side of the circuit board. Individual electrically-conductive pins of the plurality of individual electrically-conductive pins plug into and make electrical-conductive contact with corresponding individual pin-receiving sockets of the plurality of individual pin-receiving sockets.

Vehicular camera module

A vehicular camera module includes a front housing member, an imaging sensor, a lens optically aligned with the imaging sensor, a rear housing member, and a circuit board. With the circuit board accommodated within the camera housing formed by the joined front and rear housing members, the imaging sensor is closer to a first side of the circuit board than to a second side of the circuit board. The rear housing member includes an electrical plug connector having a plurality of individual electrically-conductive pins that are configured to plug into respective individual pin-receiving sockets of an electrical socket connector disposed at the second side of the circuit board. Individual electrically-conductive pins of the plurality of individual electrically-conductive pins are plugged into and make electrical-conductive contact with corresponding individual pin-receiving sockets of the plurality of individual pin-receiving sockets.

A vehicular camera module includes a front housing member, a rear housing member, an imager, and a circuit board. With the circuit board accommodated within a cavity formed by the mated front and rear housing members, the imager is closer to a first side of the circuit board than to a second side of the circuit board. The rear housing member includes an electrical plug connector that is configured to plug into an electrical socket connector at the second side of the circuit board when the front and rear housing members are being mated together during assembly of the vehicular camera module. With the vehicular camera module mounted at a vehicle, electrical power is provided from the vehicle to the electrical circuitry of the circuit board via the connection made by the electrical plug connector of the rear housing member plugged into the electrical socket connector of the circuit board.

A vehicular camera includes a metallic front housing member having a circuit board attachment portion, a lens barrel extending outward from the circuit board attachment portion and accommodating at least one lens, and a circuit board having an imager disposed at a first side and a circuit board connector disposed at a second side. With the circuit board attached at the circuit board attachment portion, the at least one lens is aligned with the imager and the lens barrel is retained relative to the metallic front housing member via cured UV curable adhesive. A metallic rear housing member is attached to the metallic front housing member and the circuit board is accommodated in a cavity formed by the attached metallic front and metallic rear housing members. An electrical connector is electrically connected to the circuit board connector and is configured for electrically connecting to an electrical cable of a vehicle.

Vehicular camera with metallic housing

A method of assembling a vehicular camera includes providing a metallic front housing member, a metallic rear housing member, a lens assembly and a circuit board. The front housing member has a lens receiving portion and a circuit board attachment portion. An imager is disposed on a first side of the circuit board and a connector is disposed on a second side of the circuit board. With the circuit board attached at the front housing member and with the lens assembly disposed at a lens receiving portion of the front housing member, images are focused at an imaging plane of the imager by adjusting the lens assembly relative to the imager. With the images focused at the imaging plane of the imager, the lens assembly is retained relative to the front housing member via an ultra-violet (UV) curable adhesive. The front housing member and the rear housing member are attached.

Method of assembling camera for vehicular applications

A method of assembling a vehicular camera includes providing front and rear housing members, a lens assembly and a circuit board. An imager is disposed on a first side of the circuit board and a connector is disposed on a second side of the circuit board. A conduit includes a plurality of electrically conductive elements terminating at (i) a first connecting end configured to electrically connect to the circuit board connector disposed on the second side of the circuit board and (ii) a second connecting end configured to electrically connect to a wire harness of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular camera and the vehicular vision system. The conduit is secured relative to the rear housing member to provide at least 110 N of strain relief in any axis with respect to the conduit. The front housing member and the rear housing member are attached.

A display system for a vehicle includes a head-up display unit operable to display at a display area information that is viewable by a driver of the equipped vehicle when the driver is normally operating the equipped vehicle. When not displaying images at the display area but when the head-up display unit projects some light, there is a postcard effect at the display area. The head-up display unit includes a display screen and a compensation film that attenuates light passing through the display screen to reduce the postcard effect at the display area of the equipped vehicle.

Vehicle head-up display system

A method for assembling a camera for a vision system of a vehicle includes providing a circuit element having an imager disposed thereat, with the imager including a pixelated imaging array having a plurality of photosensing elements. A lens holder is provided that includes a lens, and a camera housing element is provided. The camera housing element includes an electrical connector having a plurality of electrically conductive pins. The lens is aligned and focused relative to the imager and the circuit element is affixed relative to the lens holder when the lens is aligned and focused relative to the imager. A header connector is positioned and attached at the circuit element after the circuit element is affixed relative to the lens holder. The camera housing element is mated with the lens holder, including electrically connecting the electrically conductive pins to respective electrically conductive elements of the header connector.

Vehicle camera assembly

A vehicular camera assembly for a vehicle vision system includes front and rear housing members, a lens assembly and a circuit board. An imaging element is disposed on a first side of the circuit board and a plurality of electrical connectors is disposed on a second side of the circuit board. The front housing member includes a lens assembly receiving portion and a circuit board attachment portion. With the circuit board attached at the front housing member and with the lens assembly received at the lens assembly receiving portion, the lens assembly and the imaging element are distanced from one another, and images are focused on the imaging element by the lens assembly. The front housing member and the rear housing member are configured to be attached together. With the front and rear housing members attached together, outer walls of the front and rear housing members enclose the circuit board.

Camera for vehicular applications

A camera module for a vehicle vision system includes a circuit element including an imaging sensor, associated circuitry and a circuitry connector. A cable has a cable portion and a cable connector for connecting to the circuitry connector. A housing portion includes a lens receiving portion and a cable receiving portion that mate together to substantially house the circuit element. The lens receiving portion includes a lens assembly. The cable receiving portion includes a connector receiving portion configured to receive and retain the cable connector therein and a wire receiving portion configured to receive and retain the cable portion therein. The tube has an appropriate form for a given cable shape and the tube encompasses at least a portion of the wire receiving portion and the cable portion. The tube substantially seals around the portion of the wire receiving portion and the cable portion.

A camera for a vehicle includes a front housing member, a lens member, an imaging element, a circuit board and a rear housing member. The front housing member has a front housing member interior surface that has a front housing member electrically-conductive coating of electrically conductive material thereon. The rear housing member has a rear housing member interior surface that has a rear housing member electrically-conductive coating of electrically conductive material thereon. The front and rear housing members are configured to join together such that the front and rear housing member electrically-conductive coatings are electrically engaged with each other. The circuit board has a ground connector that is electrically connected to at least one of the front housing member electrically-conductive coating and the rear housing member electrically-conductive coating. The ground connector may electrically connect to ground via a wire harness that extends from the rear housing member.

In a first embodiment, the invention is directed to a camera for mounting on a vehicle, including a lens member, an imaging element and an image processing board. The image processing board is separated sufficiently from the imaging element so as to impart relatively little heat generated during operation to the imaging element. The imaging element is positioned to receive video input from the lens member. The image processing board is configured to generate image processing board output data that relates to the video input received by the imaging element. The image processing board is positioned in a selected position to release heat along a heat path that is spaced from the imaging element. The camera may further include a vehicle interface board configured to communicate signals relating to the image processing board output data to a vehicle component.

Camera for vehicle

In one aspect, the invention is directed to a camera for mounting on a vehicle, wherein the camera housing made up of two housing members, with a conductive coating on the interior of each of the housing members. The two housing members mate together using an interference fit, to provide a greater assurance that they are electrically connected to each other. One of the housing members is connected to ground. In another aspect, the invention provides a camera module that has a housing and a wire harness or wire or lead that is electrically connected to circuitry of the camera and that extends through the camera housing for electrical connection to a vehicle wire harness or the like. The wire or lead extends through a portion of the housing with the housing disposed at the wire prior to connection of the wire to the circuitry of the camera. The electrical connection of the wire to the camera circuitry is made as the housing is assembled. The joint at where the wire extends outward from the housing portion is sealed, such as via shrink wrapping or the like.

Growing community of inventors

Howell, MI, United States of America

Brian Dean Brasier