Magna Electronics Inc.

Jens Steigerwald

Joern Ihlenburg

Michael Dominik Schöppner

Nazar F Bally

Stefan Sauer

Marc Sigle

Achim Newiger

A vehicular vision system includes an electronic control unit (ECU) disposed at a vehicle and a camera having a CMOS imaging sensor operable to capture image data. Image data captured by the camera is conveyed from the camera to the ECU via a 50 ohm coaxial cable. The camera is in bidirectional communication with the ECU over the 50 ohm coaxial cable. The 50 ohm coaxial cable commonly carries (i) image data captured by the camera for processing at a data processor of the ECU and (ii) power from a DC power supply of the ECU to the camera. Image data captured by the camera is serialized at a data serializer of the camera and is conveyed to the ECU via the 50 ohm coaxial cable and is deserialized at the ECU by a data deserializer of the ECU.

Vehicular vision system using image data transmission and power supply via a coaxial cable

A vehicular vision system includes an electronic control unit (ECU) disposed at a vehicle and a camera having a CMOS imaging sensor operable to capture image data. Image data captured by the imaging sensor of the camera is conveyed from the camera to the ECU via a single core coaxial cable. The camera is in bidirectional communication with the ECU over the single core coaxial cable. The single core coaxial cable commonly carries (i) image data captured by the imaging sensor for processing at a data processor of the ECU and (ii) power from a DC power supply of the ECU to the camera. Image data captured by the imaging sensor is serialized at a data serializer of the camera and is conveyed to the ECU via the single core coaxial cable and is deserialized at the ECU by a data deserializer of the ECU.

A method for assembling a camera suitable for use for a vision system of a vehicle includes providing a circuit board having first and second sides separated by a thickness dimension of the circuit board. An imager is disposed at the first side of the circuit board and solder pads are disposed at the second side of the circuit board. The solder pads are in electrical connection with circuitry of the circuit board. A coaxial connector is aligned at the solder pads at the second side of the circuit board. The coaxial connector is soldered at the second side of the circuit board via melting the solder paste at the solder pads.

Method for assembling a camera for a vision system of a vehicle

A vehicular camera assembly includes a camera housing and first and second PCBs disposed in the camera housing. Circuitry of the first PCB is in board-to-board electrically-conductive connection with circuitry of the second PCB. The circuitry of the first PCB includes an imager and the second PCB includes a circuit board connector. An electrical connector is disposed at a second portion of the camera housing. A first end of the electrical connector electrically-conductively connects with the circuit board connector when the second portion of the camera housing is being joined with a first portion of the camera housing. Individual pin-receiving sockets of the circuit board connector are configured to accommodate tolerances when respective individual pins of the first end of the electrical connector are being inserted into the respective individual pin-receiving sockets when the second portion is being joined with the first portion of the camera housing.

Vehicular camera having tolerance accommodating electric ally-conductive connection

A vehicular vision system includes an ECU disposed at a vehicle and a front camera having a CMOS imaging sensor operable to capture image data. Image data captured by the imaging sensor of the front camera is conveyed from the front camera to the ECU via a single core coaxial cable. The front camera is in bidirectional communication with the ECU over the single core coaxial cable. The single core coaxial cable commonly carries (i) image data captured by the imaging sensor for processing at a data processor of the ECU and (ii) power from a DC power supply of the ECU to the front camera. Image data captured by the imaging sensor is serialized at a data serializer of the front camera and is transmitted to the ECU via the single core coaxial cable and is deserialized at the ECU by a data deserializer of the ECU.

A vehicular camera assembly includes a housing, a PCB disposed in the housing, a circuit board connector at the PCB, and a coaxial connector having a core connector element and a shield connector element that at least partially circumscribes the core connector element. The PCB includes circuitry associated with an imager of the vehicular camera assembly. The circuit board connector includes a first connector element and a second connector element. The housing includes a vehicle connector portion configured for connecting to a connector end of a vehicle cable. When a first end of the coaxial connector is electrically connected to the circuit board connector, the core connector element of the coaxial connector electrically connects to the first connector element of the circuit board connector and the shield connector element of the coaxial connector electrically connects to the second connector element of the circuit board connector.

Vehicular camera having coaxial connector

A method for assembling a camera suitable for use for a vision system of a vehicle includes providing a circuit board having first and second sides separated by a thickness dimension of the circuit board. An imager is disposed at the first side of the circuit board and solder pads are disposed at the second side of the circuit board. The solder pads are in electrical connection with circuitry of the circuit board. A coaxial connector is aligned at the solder pads at the second side of the circuit board. The coaxial connector is soldered at the second side of the circuit board via the solder pads. The solder pads may include a plurality of outer solder pads and at least one inner solder pad for connecting to respective contact portions of the coaxial connector.

Vehicular vision system camera with coaxial cable connector

A vehicular multi-camera surround view system includes a plurality of cameras disposed at a vehicle and having respective exterior fields of view, each of the cameras capturing respective image data. The cameras are connected to an ECU via respective ones of a plurality of single core coaxial cables. The ECU is disposed at the vehicle and includes (i) a data processor and (ii) a DC power supply. Each of the cameras is in full duplex bidirectional communication with the ECU over the respective single core coaxial cable. Each single core coaxial cable commonly carries (i) image data from the respective camera to the ECU for processing and (ii) power from the DC power supply of the ECU to the respective camera. The ECU combines image data conveyed by the cameras to form composite video images and outputs the composite video images to a display device having a video display screen.

Vehicular multi-camera surround view system using image data transmission and power supply via coaxial cables

A method of assembling a camera assembly for a vehicular vision system includes providing a first housing portion, providing a printed circuit board (PCB), the PCB including circuitry, providing a mating connector at the PCB, disposing the PCB within the first housing portion, providing a second housing portion including a connector portion configured for connecting to a vehicle wiring, and disposing a coaxial connector at the connector portion of the second housing portion. The coaxial connector includes (i) a core connector element and (ii) a shield connector element that circumscribes the core connector element and that is spaced therefrom. Mating the second housing portion with the first housing portion, and electrically connecting a first end of the coaxial connector to the mating connector disposed at the PCB. The coaxial connector includes a second end for electrically connecting to the vehicle wiring when the camera assembly is installed at the vehicle.

Method of assembling vehicular camera having coaxial connector

A vehicular vision system includes a plurality of imaging sensors disposed at a vehicle and having respective exterior fields of view, each of the imaging sensors capturing respective image data. The imaging sensors are connected to a control via respective ones of a plurality of single core coaxial cables. The control is disposed at the vehicle and includes (i) a data processor and (ii) a DC power supply. Each single core coaxial cable commonly carries (i) image data from the respective imaging sensor to the control for processing and (ii) power from the DC power supply of the control to the respective imaging sensor. Each of the imaging sensors is in bidirectional communication with the control over the respective single core coaxial cable, with signal attenuation being below 100 dB at a frequency of 1 GHz per 100 m length of the respective single core coaxial cable.

A vehicular vision system includes a plurality of imaging sensors disposed at a vehicle and having respective exterior fields of view, each of the imaging sensors capturing respective image data. The imaging sensors are connected to a control via respective ones of a plurality of single core coaxial cables. Each single core coaxial cable commonly carries (i) image data from the respective imaging sensor to the control for processing and (ii) power to the respective imaging sensor. Each imaging sensor is capable of communicating via a particular communication protocol. While each of the imaging sensors is in a respective initial mode and after the communication protocol is transmitted by the control to each of the imaging sensors, each of the imaging sensors communicates with the control in accordance with the communication protocol. Each of the single core coaxial cables provides bidirectional communication between the control and the respective imaging sensor.

Vehicle vision system using image data transmission and power supply via a coaxial cable

A method for assembling a camera suitable for use for a vision system of a vehicle includes providing a circuit board having first and second sides separated by a thickness of the circuit board. An imager is disposed at the first side of the circuit board and connecting circuitry is disposed at the second side of the circuit board. Solder pads are provided at the connecting circuitry at the second side of the circuit board. A coaxial connector is aligned at the solder pads at the connecting circuitry. The coaxial connector is soldered at the connecting circuitry via the solder pads. The solder pads may include a plurality of outer solder pads and at least one inner solder pad for connecting to respective contact portions of the coaxial connector.

Vehicle vision system camera with coaxial cable connector

A camera assembly for a vehicle vision system includes a housing having a first housing portion and a second housing portion, with a circuit element disposed within the first housing portion. The second housing portion has a connector portion configured for connecting to a vehicle wiring when the camera assembly is installed at a vehicle. A coaxial connector is disposed at the connector portion of the second housing portion. The coaxial connector includes a plurality of electrical coaxial connector elements. Each of the electrical coaxial connector elements has (i) a first end that is configured for electrically connecting to circuitry of the circuit element within the first housing portion and (ii) a second end that is configured for electrically connecting to the vehicle wiring.

Vehicle camera housing with tolerance compensating connector

A vehicular vision system includes a plurality of imaging sensors disposed at a vehicle and having respective exterior fields of view, each of the imaging sensors capturing respective image data. A control is disposed at the vehicle and includes a data processor. The imaging sensors are connected to the control via respective ones of a plurality of single core coaxial cables. Each single core coaxial cable commonly carries (i) image data from the respective imaging sensor to the control for processing at the data processor and (ii) power to the respective imaging sensor. The vehicular vision system utilizes at least one of (i) an ETHERNET communication protocol, (ii) a Gigabit Multimedia Serial Link (GMSL) protocol and (iii) a FPD-Link III protocol. Each of the single core coaxial cables provides bidirectional communication between the control and the respective imaging sensor.

Vehicle vision using image data transmission and power supply via a coaxial cable

A vision system for a vehicle includes a plurality of imaging sensors disposed at the vehicle and having respective exterior fields of view, with each of the imaging sensors capturing image data. The imaging sensors are connected to a control via respective ones of a plurality of single core coaxial cables. Each single core coaxial cable commonly carries (i) image data from the respective imaging sensor, (ii) power to the respective imaging sensor and (iii) communication data. Each of the imaging sensors is operable to transmit calibration data to the control. Each of the imaging sensors transmits calibration data when the respective imaging sensor is triggered to transmit calibration data. The vision system, responsive to receipt of calibration data by the control, is operable to identify the respective one of the imaging sensors transmitting the received calibration data.

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Sailauf-Eichenberg, Germany

Jens Steigerwald