High-resolution front-view multi-camera module

Abstract

The present invention relates to a high-pixel front-view multi-camera module, including a housing (1), a light shield (2) and multiple cameras. The cameras are spaced apart in the housing (1) and extend out of the housing (1) at the front and rear ends. The light shield (2) is located on the front side of the housing (1). In the housing (1), the camera with the largest field of view is located in the middle, thereby reducing the size of the light shield (i.e., the black area) to avoid the black area obstructing the driver's vision.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a high-pixel front-view multi-camera module. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing demand for driving safety and the maturing of ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) technologies, the ADAS market is experiencing explosive growth. ADAS cameras are categorized into monocular, binocular, and multi-view cameras. Multi-view cameras, in particular, can cover different ranges and scenarios using various cameras, solving the problem of switching focus between monocular and binocular lenses, and simultaneously addressing the issue of clarity at different distances. Each camera, positioned at a different angle, is responsible for scenes at varying distances and angles, each performing its specific function without interfering with each other. Therefore, multi-view camera modules are an inevitable direction for the future development of ADAS.

[0003] However, multi-view cameras have a significant drawback: compared to monocular and binocular cameras, their size inevitably increases, and the area of ​​the light-blocking region (i.e., the dark area) also increases exponentially. This greatly affects the overall aesthetics of the vehicle and may even obstruct the driver's view. Therefore, reducing the size of multi-view cameras and minimizing the dark area is a pressing issue that needs to be addressed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide a high-pixel front-view multi-camera module.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention provides a high-pixel front-view multi-camera module, including a housing, a light shield, and multiple cameras. The cameras are spaced apart in the housing, with their front and rear ends extending out of the housing. The light shield is located on the front side of the housing, and the camera with the largest field of view is located in the middle of the housing.

[0006] According to one aspect of the invention, three cameras are included and are positioned at the same level within the housing.

[0007] According to one aspect of the invention, at most two cameras are disposed in the housing at the same level.

[0008] According to one aspect of the invention, a camera with the largest field of view is located at the top.

[0009] According to one aspect of the invention, the device includes three cameras arranged in an isosceles triangle within the housing.

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, four cameras are included, with the first and second cameras arranged horizontally and the third and fourth cameras arranged vertically between the first and second cameras.

[0011] According to one aspect of the invention, in the installed state, the gap between the camera and the vehicle windshield is 1mm-3mm.

[0012] According to one aspect of the invention, the front end of each camera extends out of the housing by a dimension adapted to the angle between the vehicle's windshield and the horizontal plane.

[0013] When installed, the front end of the camera is perpendicular to the horizontal plane or parallel to the windshield of the vehicle.

[0014] According to one aspect of the invention, the light-blocking cover includes a base plate, two side plates, and a connecting plate;

[0015] The two side plates are respectively disposed on both sides of the bottom plate, and the distance between the side plates gradually increases in the direction away from the outer shell;

[0016] The connecting plate is located between the two side plates and is connected to the camera.

[0017] According to one aspect of the invention, the housing includes a front cover and a rear cover, which are respectively provided with holes spaced apart for the front end and rear end of the camera to extend out;

[0018] The housing also contains a circuit board that connects to each of the cameras.

[0019] According to the concept of the present invention, the camera with the largest field of view among the various cameras (i.e., sub-modules) in the module is located as centrally as possible. This allows the size of the light shield to be minimized, so as to avoid an excessively large black area that would obstruct the driver's view.

[0020] According to one aspect of the present invention, three cameras are arranged horizontally, with the camera having the largest field of view in the middle. Alternatively, the three cameras can be arranged in an isosceles triangle, again with the camera having the largest field of view in the middle. This reduces the size of the light-blocking cover and shortens the lateral dimension of the module, thereby improving its ability to withstand external forces and temperature changes.

[0021] According to one aspect of the present invention, four cameras are arranged, with the first and second cameras horizontally arranged and the third and fourth cameras vertically arranged between the first two. This arrangement ensures that only two cameras are present at the same level, thus reducing the lateral size of the module to some extent. In this configuration, one or both of the two vertically arranged cameras in the middle have the largest field of view.

[0022] According to one aspect of the present invention, in the installed state, the gap between the camera and the vehicle's windshield is 1mm-3mm, and the front end of the camera is adapted to the angle between the vehicle's windshield and the horizontal plane. The front end of the camera can be perpendicular to the horizontal plane or parallel to the vehicle's windshield. This allows the front end of the camera to be as close to the glass as possible, further compressing the dark area and reducing the generation of stray light. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This schematic diagram illustrates the structure of a high-pixel front-view multi-camera module according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 A schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a high-pixel front-view multi-camera module (without a light shield) according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 This schematic diagram illustrates the structure of a high-pixel front-view multi-camera module according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 4 A schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a high-pixel front-view multi-camera module (without a light shield) according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the installation state of a high-pixel front-view multi-camera module (without a light shield) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 6 and Figure 7 These schematic diagrams illustrate two different front-end arrangements of a high-pixel front-view multi-camera module according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram (left) and a structural diagram (right) of a monocular camera module in the prior art;

[0030] Figure 9 The images show an assembly diagram (top) and a disassembly diagram (bottom) of a trinocular camera module (without a light shield) in the prior art.

[0031] Figure 10 This is an overall structural diagram of a tri-lens camera module in existing technology. Detailed Implementation

[0032] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0033] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The embodiments cannot be described in detail here, but the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the following embodiments.

[0034] See Figure 1 The high-pixel front-view multi-camera module of the present invention includes a housing 1, a light-blocking cover 2, and cameras. Since the camera module of the present invention is a multi-camera (i.e., multi-view) module, the number of cameras should be at least three. The cameras are spaced apart within the housing 1, with their front and rear ends extending beyond the housing 1. The light-blocking cover 2 is located on the front side of the housing 1 to form a black area, thereby improving the appearance and reducing the impact of stray light on camera imaging. The size of the black area is related to the arrangement of the camera's field of view; the larger the field of view, the larger the area of ​​the black area. According to the concept of the present invention, the cameras are not randomly arranged within the housing 1, but rather the camera with the largest field of view is located in the center. This minimizes the required area of ​​the light-blocking area (black area), reducing the size of the light-blocking cover 2 and preventing the vehicle's black area from being too large and affecting the driver's vision and the vehicle's appearance.

[0035] like Figure 1 As shown, in this invention, the outer casing 1 (or bracket) includes a front cover 11 and a rear cover 12, each with a spaced-apart hole (not shown) for the front and rear ends of the camera to extend out. The front cover 11 and rear cover 12 are detachably connected by screws. The light shield 2 includes a base plate 21, two side plates 22, and a connecting plate 23. The base plate 21 is a trapezoidal flat plate, and the side plates 22 are located at the two sides of the trapezoid formed by the base plate 21, such that the distance between the two side plates 22 gradually increases towards the direction away from the outer casing 1. The connecting plate 23 is located between the two side plates 22, specifically at the upper bottom of the trapezoid formed by the base plate 21, and its function is to connect to the front end of the camera. The connection method between the connecting plate 23 and the camera can be either sleeved or directly integrally formed with the outer casing 1 and / or the camera. In addition, the outer casing 1 also contains a circuit board (not shown in the figure) that connects to all the cameras simultaneously. Its shape should be rationally designed according to the camera arrangement to maximize the space utilization of the circuit board (i.e., multiple integrated PCB boards) to achieve optimal cost, performance, and reliability. During installation, the cameras can first be fixed to the front cover 11 according to the preset positions, avoiding interference between the camera's field of view and the light shield 2. Finally, the rear cover 12 is placed on top, ensuring that the gap between the front surface of each camera and the vehicle's windshield is as small as possible. Screws are then tightened to complete the assembly.

[0036] like Figure 1As shown, according to a first embodiment of the present invention, the module includes three cameras: a first camera 3a, a second camera 3b, and a third camera 3c. In this embodiment, the three cameras are at the same level. Furthermore, the second camera 3b, located in the middle, has the largest field of view, thereby reducing the size of the light-blocking cover 2.

[0037] Combination Figure 2 and Figure 3 According to a second embodiment of the present invention, the module includes three cameras: a first camera 3a, a second camera 3b, and a third camera 3c. In this embodiment, the three cameras are arranged in an isosceles triangle within the housing 1, forming a stacked arrangement to achieve a miniaturized (small volume) module structure. This facilitates the arrangement and installation of other functional components (such as rain sensors) in the vehicle's windshield area, thus avoiding the interference of a large volume on the arrangement of other functional components in the windshield area. Based on the above-mentioned concept of reducing the dark area of ​​the windshield, the field of view of the second camera 3b, located in the upper center, should be the largest. According to the arrangement in this embodiment, the shape of the housing 1 can be an isosceles triangle or an isosceles trapezoid, resulting in a larger longitudinal dimension and a shorter horizontal dimension. That is, the middle part of the module is wider, enabling the module to withstand greater external forces and temperature changes, effectively preventing deformation caused by temperature changes and vibrations, thereby improving the reliability of the housing 1.

[0038] See Figure 4 According to a third embodiment of the present invention, the module includes four cameras: a first camera 3a, a second camera 3b, a third camera 3c, and a fourth camera 3d. The cameras may have different field-of-view angles; for example, the field-of-view angles of the third camera 3c and the fourth camera 3d are 100°, and the field-of-view angles of the first camera 3a and the second camera 3b are 60°. According to the concept of the present invention, the first camera 3a and the second camera 3b should be arranged horizontally, and the third camera 3c and the fourth camera 3d should be located between the first camera 3a and the second camera 3b, arranged vertically to form a stacked structure. This ensures that the camera with the largest field of view (i.e., 100°) is located as centrally as possible. Of course, if only one camera has the largest field of view, it should be located at the position of the third camera 3c (i.e., above it). Although the third and fourth cameras are located between the first and second cameras in this embodiment, they are not at the same horizontal level; therefore, the horizontal dimension of the module can also be reduced to a certain extent. In addition, the vertical arrangement of the third and fourth cameras results in a larger longitudinal dimension in the middle of the module, which enhances the module's ability to withstand external forces and temperature changes, thus preventing deformation.

[0039] See Figure 5In this invention, by reasonably setting the size of the camera front end extending from the outer casing 1, the front surface of each camera in the module can be positioned as close as possible to the windshield B according to its own structure and optical characteristics, thereby further compressing the area of ​​the dark zone and reducing stray light generation. In this invention, the size of the camera front end extending from the outer casing 1 is adapted to the angle between the vehicle's windshield and the horizontal plane. Figure 5 As shown, vehicle windshields are generally angled, so the front of each camera should also be positioned to adapt to the angle of the windshield, forming a stepped shape. Of course, some vehicles have vertical windshields, such as buses. In this case, the front of each camera can also be on the same vertical plane. Additionally, as... Figure 6 As shown, the front end of the camera can remain perpendicular to the horizontal plane, thus preserving the original module mounting configuration and reducing design complexity. It can also be done as follows: Figure 7 As shown, this arrangement aligns the front end of the camera with the windshield, further reducing the gap between the camera and the glass. In this invention, after the module is installed on the vehicle, the gap between each camera and the glass (i.e., Figure 5 The distance between L1 and L2 (L2) is 1-3mm, allowing the camera to be closer to the glass without touching it. This minimizes the gap between the camera and the vehicle's windshield, further reducing the dark area, improving the appearance of the interior surface, and reducing stray light to mitigate its impact on subsequent image quality.

[0040] Thus, combined Figure 8 As shown in the prior art module structure, the monocular camera module also includes a housing 101, a light shield 102, and a sub-module 103 (i.e., the camera). However, judging from the field of view A of its sub-module, the monocular camera module has a relatively limited coverage area and cannot switch the recognition accuracy at different distances. Furthermore, combined with... Figure 9 and Figure 10 As can be seen, in the prior art, the camera 202 with the largest field of view is located on the side of the housing 201, which results in a large light shield, which greatly affects the driver's visibility and makes it easier for stray light to appear. Therefore, the present invention places the camera with the largest field of view in the middle and adopts a stacked camera layout, thereby solving a series of problems caused by the large size of the light shield and the large lateral size of the module in the prior art. Furthermore, the module of the present invention can be used in various multi-camera modules, making it highly practical.

[0041] The above description is merely one embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention can be modified and varied in various ways. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A high-pixel front-view multi-camera module, comprising a housing (1), a light shield (2), and multiple cameras, wherein the light shield (2) includes a base plate (21), the base plate (21) being a trapezoidal flat plate; the cameras are spaced apart within the housing (1), with their front and rear ends extending out of the housing (1), and the light shield (2) is disposed on the front side of the housing (1), characterized in that, In the housing (1), the camera with the largest field of view is located in the middle and at the top; It includes four cameras (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d). The first and second cameras (3a, 3b) are arranged horizontally, and the third and fourth cameras (3c, 3d) are arranged vertically between the first and second cameras (3a, 3b).

2. The high-pixel front-view multi-camera module according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the housing (1), at most two cameras are arranged on the same level.

3. The high-pixel front-view multi-camera module according to claim 1, characterized in that, When installed, the gap between the camera and the vehicle's windshield is 1mm-3mm.

4. The high-pixel front-view multi-camera module according to claim 3, characterized in that, The size of the front end of each camera extending out of the housing (1) is adapted to the angle between the vehicle's windshield and the horizontal plane; When installed, the front end of the camera is perpendicular to the horizontal plane or parallel to the windshield of the vehicle.

5. The high-pixel front-view multi-camera module according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The light shield (2) also includes two side plates (22) and a connecting plate (23); The two side plates (22) are respectively disposed on both sides of the bottom plate (21), and the spacing between the side plates (22) gradually increases in the direction away from the outer shell (1); The connecting plate (23) is located between the two side plates (22) and is connected to the camera.

6. The high-pixel front-view multi-camera module according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The outer casing (1) includes a front cover (11) and a rear cover (12), which are respectively provided with holes for the front and rear ends of the camera to extend out; The outer casing (1) also contains a circuit board that is connected to each of the cameras.

Images