Patent ID: 11951900
Assignee: MAGNA ELECTRONICS INC.
Field: Audio-visual technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  F  G  H | IPC B  F  G  H

Claim 30:
31. A vehicular forward viewing image capture system, said vehicular forward viewing image capture system comprising:
an accessory module configured for attachment at an in-cabin side of a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said vehicular forward viewing image capture system;
wherein said accessory module comprises a CMOS image sensor, said CMOS image sensor comprising a two-dimensional array of photosensor elements;
wherein, with said accessory module attached at the in-cabin side of the windshield of the equipped vehicle, said CMOS image sensor views forward of the equipped vehicle;
wherein, with said accessory module attached at the in-cabin side of the windshield of the equipped vehicle, said CMOS image sensor views through a portion of the windshield that is swept by a windshield wiper of the equipped vehicle;
a data processor;
wherein the data processor comprises an image processor for processing image data captured by said CMOS image sensor;
wherein said CMOS image sensor captures multiple frames of image data at an image capture rate of greater than or equal to 5 frames per second and less than or equal to 120 frames per second;
wherein, with said accessory module attached at the in-cabin side of the windshield of the equipped vehicle, and while the equipped vehicle is traveling along a road, captured image data is processed at said data processor to determine movement of an object of interest present in a forward field of view of said CMOS image sensor;
wherein multiple frames of captured image data are processed at said data processor in determining movement of the object of interest present in the forward field of view of said CMOS image sensor;
wherein said vehicular forward viewing image capture system is provided with vehicle data via a vehicle communication bus;
wherein the provided vehicle data comprises vehicle speed data;
wherein, with said accessory module attached at the in-cabin side of the windshield of the equipped vehicle, image data captured by said CMOS image sensor and vehicle data provided via the vehicle communication bus are processed at said data processor;
wherein said accessory module comprises a printed circuit board assembly, the printed circuit board assembly comprising electronic components supporting operation of said CMOS image sensor;
wherein, with said accessory module attached at the in-cabin side of the windshield of the equipped vehicle, captured image data is processed at said data processor for an automatic headlamp control system of the equipped vehicle;
wherein, with said accessory module attached at the in-cabin side of the windshield of the equipped vehicle, captured image data is processed at said data processor to determine a road condition of the road ahead of the equipped vehicle;
wherein, with said accessory module attached at the in-cabin side of the windshield of the equipped vehicle, said accessory module is electrically connected to a vehicle wiring system of the equipped vehicle; and
wherein said accessory module comprises an electrical connector for electrically connecting to the vehicle wiring system.