Patent ID: 7645961

Claim:
An image acquisition unit with a heating device for monitoring an exterior of a vehicle, comprising: a casing configured to be mounted on an external structure of said vehicle, said casing comprising a protected interior, said casing defining a window closed by a transparent element and supporting means defined by part of said casing for supporting an optical system inside said casing and facing said window, said optical system dividing the interior of said casing into two separated spaces: a first one enclosed between a first end of said optical system and by the transparent element, and a second one enclosed between a second end of said optical system and part of the casing, being said first space of a smaller volume or dimensions than a volume or dimensions of said second space; image detection means located inside said second space of said casing, facing said optical system and associated with connection means with the exterior, for supplying power and/or for bidirectional signal interchange, said image detection means including an image detector and electronic components in contact with the inner air of said second space of said casing; and heating means for providing thermal energy to said first space.