Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.

Hiroaki Nagai

Hidenori Shinohara

Atsushi Kazama

Kenichi Takeuchi

Seiichi Katou

Kengo Suzuki

Mieko Ishii

The present invention provides a highly reliable stereo camera in which it is possible to prevent the heat generated by an image processing element from contributing to an increase in the temperature of an image sensor, even if the stereo camera is made more compact and the heat density is thus increased inside the stereo camera. The present invention includes: a pair of image sensorsthat have respective imaging elements disposed at the same height with a space therebetween; image processing elementsthat are disposed between the image sensors and process image signals captured by the image sensors; a casingthat has the image processing elements and the image sensors incorporated therein, and in the area between the image sensors, has an inclined surface that is inclined from the image sensorsdownward toward the imaging direction of the image sensors; an airflow paththat is defined so as to extend along the inclined surface of the casingtoward the imaging direction; and heat dissipating partsthat are thermally connected to the respective image processing elementsand disposed on the inclined surface so as to face the airflow path.

Stereo camera

The present invention provides a stereo camera capable of mitigating thermal stress generated between members and reducing measurement error. In the present invention, a housing is provided with a high-rigidity support part and low-rigidity support part for supporting a circuit board, a high-rigidity support area including the high-rigidity support part, and a low-rigidity support area including the low-rigidity support part. The high-rigidity support part has greater rigidity in relation to force acting in a baseline direction (X-axis direction) following a baseline length of a pair of camera modules than the low-rigidity support part. The high-rigidity support area is provided in one location so as to be adjacent to the low-rigidity support area in the baseline direction.

Supporting housing for stereo camera and circuit board

Growing community of inventors

Hitachinaka, Japan

Hiroaki Nagai