Magna Electronics Inc.

Magma Electronics Inc.

Magna Electroncs Inc.

Brian J Winden

Christopher Louis Van Dan Elzen

Garret F Achenbach

Steven V Byrne

Matthew C Sesti

Robert A Devota

John R Garcia

David F Olson

Joseph A Stemmer

Ove J Salomonsson

Jianguo Wang

Tom H Toma

Edward Robert Ahlquist, Jr

Garrett Achenbach

A vehicular camera module includes a main circuit board and an imager circuit board having an imager disposed thereat. A lens barrel accommodating a lens is at least partially disposed in a passageway of a lens holder. The vehicular camera module includes a housing having an upper cover and a lower cover that are joined together. Electronic circuitry disposed at a main printed circuit board of the main circuit board includes an image processor. The electronic circuitry disposed at the main printed circuit board of the main circuit board includes an image processor. With the imager operated to capture image data, captured image data is provided via a flexible ribbon cable to the electronic circuitry disposed at the main printed circuit board of the main circuit board. The imager is disposed within a rear portion of the housing and is not accommodated within a front portion of the housing.

Vehicular camera module

A vehicular camera includes a lens comprising a plurality of optical elements, a lens holder, and an imager printed circuit board. The plurality of optical elements includes at least one plastic optical element and at least one glass optical element. The imager printed circuit board has circuitry disposed thereat. The circuitry of the imager printed circuit board includes an imager that has an imaging array. The lens is held in optical alignment with the imaging array of the imager via an adhesive. The adhesive bonds the lens barrel to the lens holder. A flexible electrical ribbon cable electrically connects the circuitry of the imager printed circuit board with additional circuitry of the vehicular camera. The vehicular camera, when installed and used in a vehicle, captures image data for a vision system of the vehicle.

Vehicular camera with adhesively bonded construction

A vehicular camera system includes a camera module having an imager assembly, a main circuit board and a camera housing. The imager assembly includes (i) an imager disposed on an imager circuit board and (ii) a lens holder having a lens assembly that includes a lens barrel accommodating a lens. The imager assembly includes a flexible ribbon cable that electrically connects to an electrical connector at a multilayered PCB of the main circuit board. The camera housing includes an upper cover and a lower cover and includes a forward portion and a rearward portion. The main circuit board is accommodated within the forward and rearward portions, and the imager is disposed at the rearward portion and is not disposed at the forward portion of the camera housing. The lens holder is attached at the upper cover of the camera housing.

Vehicular camera system

A vehicular camera system includes an attaching structure configured to attach at an in-cabin side of a vehicle windshield. A camera module accommodates a circuit board having circuitry disposed at both sides of the circuit board. An imager is disposed at a first side of the circuit board. The camera module includes a lens accommodated in a lens barrel. With the attaching structure attached at the in-cabin side of the vehicle windshield, and with the camera module attached at the attaching structure, the lens barrel protrudes from the casing and a portion of the lens barrel is partially disposed in a pocket defined by the stray light shield and the vehicle windshield. A coaxial connector is electrically connected to circuitry disposed at the second side of the circuit board. Image data captured by the camera module is transferred to an electronic control unit of the vehicle via the coaxial connector.

Vehicular camera system with forward viewing camera module

A vehicular camera module includes a main circuit board electrically connected with an imager circuit board having an imager disposed thereat. The vehicular camera module includes a housing having an upper cover and a lower cover that are joined together. Electronic circuitry disposed at a main printed circuit board of the main circuit board includes an image processor. The electronic circuitry disposed at the main printed circuit board of the main circuit board includes an electrical connector configured for electrical connection to a connector of a vehicular wire harness. With the imager operated to capture image data, captured image data is provided via a flexible ribbon cable to the electronic circuitry disposed at the main printed circuit board of the main circuit board. The imager is disposed within a rear portion of the housing and is not accommodated within a front portion of the housing.

A vehicular camera module includes a main circuit board electrically connected with an imager circuit board via a flexible ribbon cable. Electronic circuitry disposed at a main PCB of the main circuit board includes an image processor. With the imager operated to capture image data, captured image data is provided via the flexible ribbon cable to the electronic circuitry disposed at the main PCB of the main circuit board. The electronic circuitry disposed at the main PCB of the main circuit board includes an electrical connector configured for electrical connection to a connector of a vehicular wire harness. Electrical components disposed at a first side of the main PCB of the main circuit board, electrical components disposed at a second side of the main PCB of the main circuit board, and the electrical connector are electrically operatively coupled together by conductive traces and vias of the main PCB.

A vehicular camera system includes an attaching structure configured to attach at an in-cabin side of a vehicle windshield. A camera module accommodates a circuit board and an imager and the camera module includes a lens aligned with the imager. The attaching structure includes a camera module receiving portion having an opening at a lower portion of the camera module receiving portion. With the attaching structure attached at the in-cabin side of the vehicle windshield, the camera module is inserted upward through the opening and is at least partially received in the camera module receiving portion to attach the camera module at the camera module receiving portion. With the attaching structure attached at the in-cabin side of the vehicle windshield and with the camera module at least partially received in the camera module receiving portion, the imager views through the vehicle windshield and forward of the vehicle.

Vehicular camera system with forward viewing camera

A vehicular camera includes an imager printed circuit board and a lens having a plurality of optical elements. The lens is held in optical alignment with an imager at the imager printed circuit board via a dual cure one-part, filled adhesive that in its uncured state has an epoxy resin. The adhesive is both UV-curable and thermal-curable. A flexible electrical ribbon cable electrically connects circuitry of the imager printed circuit board with additional circuitry of the vehicular camera. Image data captured by the imager is provided to the additional circuitry of the vehicular camera via the flexible electrical ribbon cable. The additional circuitry includes at least a processor for processing image data captured by the imager and provided to the additional circuitry via the flexible electrical ribbon cable. The vehicular camera, when installed and used in a vehicle, captures image data for use by a vision system of the vehicle.

A vehicular camera module includes a main circuit board electrically connected with an imager circuit board via a flexible ribbon cable, an imager disposed on the imager circuit board, a housing, and a lens barrel accommodating at least one lens. Image data captured by the imager is provided via the flexible ribbon cable to circuitry disposed at a main PCB of the main circuit board. The main circuit board is accommodated within front and rear portions of the housing, while the imager is disposed within the rear portion and is not accommodated within the front portion. The lens barrel, as disposed at the camera module, is tilted at an acute angle upward relative to the plane of the main PCB of the main circuit board. The electronic circuitry disposed at the main PCB includes an electrical socket connector for electrical connection to a plug connector of a vehicular wire harness.

Camera module for vehicular driving assist system

A vehicular vision system includes an attaching structure configured to attach at an in-cabin side of a vehicle windshield. The attaching structure includes a camera module receiving portion and a stray light shield. A camera module includes a circuit board, an imager and a lens. The camera module is configured to be disposed at the attaching structure so that the imager views through the vehicle windshield and forward of the vehicle when the camera module is disposed at the attaching structure attached at the in-cabin side of the vehicle windshield. With the attaching structure attached at the in-cabin side of the vehicle windshield, the camera module is inserted into the camera module receiving portion of the attaching structure to attach the camera module at the vehicle windshield with the circuit board of the camera module being vertically oriented when so inserted and attached.

Vehicular forward viewing camera

A method for assembling an imager assembly for a vehicular camera includes providing a lens barrel that accommodates a lens, providing a lens holder, and providing a PCB with an imager disposed thereat. A cylindrical portion of the lens barrel is disposed in a cylindrical passageway of the lens holder and the PCB is disposed at the lens holder. An adhesive is dispensed to hold the lens optically aligned with the imager. After the lens is optically aligned with the imager, the adhesive is initially cured to an initially-cured state in an initial curing process for an initial-cure time period. The adhesive is further cured to a further-cured state in a secondary curing process for a longer further-cure time period. As further cured, the further-cured adhesive maintains optical alignment of the lens with the imager for use of the imager assembly in a vehicular camera in a vehicle.

A camera system for a vehicle includes a camera module having an imager assembly, a main circuit board and a camera housing, with the imager assembly including (i) an imager disposed on an imager circuit board and (ii) a lens assembly having a lens barrel accommodating a lens. A bracket is configured to attach at the vehicle windshield and to receive the camera module. The lens barrel extends from a portion of the lens assembly that is enclosed by the camera housing through an aperture to protrude outside the camera housing. With the camera module received by the bracket and with the bracket attached at the windshield, a forward portion of the camera housing is below the lens barrel. A separate stray light shield is disposed at the forward portion of the camera housing to reduce incidence of stray light at the lens.

A vehicular camera module includes a housing that houses a lens barrel, a lens holder, a main circuit board, and an imager disposed on an imager circuit board that is electrically connected with the main circuit board. The main circuit board includes a main PCB and the imager circuit board includes an imager PCB. Circuitry disposed at the main PCB includes an image processor for processing image data captured by the imager. The main circuit board is accommodated within front and rear portions of the housing, while the imager is accommodated within the rear portion and is not accommodated within the front portion. The imager views exterior of the housing via an opening of the upper cover at the rear portion of the housing, and the lens barrel extends through the opening. The lens barrel is tilted at an acute angle upward relative to the plane of the main PCB.

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Rochester, MI, United States of America

Brian J Winden