System and method for obscuring vehicle camera

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a system and method for obscuring a vehicle camera. A vehicle including a housing, a camera, and a shield is disclosed. The camera may be disposed in the housing and may include a lens that may face away from an interior portion of the housing. The shield may be configured to move between a retracted position and an extended position. The shield may protect / shield the lens from glare in the extended position and may not shield the lens in the retracted position. The shield may include a groove structure disposed at a distal edge of the shield, which may be configured to protect the lens from rain in the extended position. The trench structure plane may be perpendicular to the mask plane.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for shielding a vehicle camera from glare, rain, or debris. BACKGROUND

[0002] Vehicle exterior cameras are used to capture surrounding environment images that are displayed to a vehicle driver for ease of driving or used by vehicle systems to enable autonomous vehicle movement. It is well known that the field of view (FOV) of a camera can be affected when light from an oncoming vehicle or a sun ray falls on the lens of the camera. The FOV of the camera can be further affected when rain, snow, dust, debris, and the like fall on the lens of the camera. Such situations can result in suboptimal image capture by the vehicle camera, which in turn can cause inconvenience to the driver and / or impact autonomous movement of the vehicle. SUMMARY

[0003] The present disclosure describes a system and method for shielding a vehicle camera from glare caused by a beam of light from an oncoming vehicle, bright sunlight, and the like. The system can be a part of a vehicle and can include a housing, a camera, and a shield. The camera can be disposed in the housing and can include a lens that can face away from an interior portion of the housing. The shield can be configured to move between a retracted position, a partially extended position, and a fully extended position based on a command signal obtained from a vehicle processor. The shield can be stowed within the interior portion of the housing in the retracted position and can extend away from the interior portion of the housing in the partially extended position or the fully extended position. The shield can protect / shield the lens from glare when the shield can be in the partially or fully extended position.

[0004] In some aspects, the processor can cause the shield to move to the retracted position, the partially extended position, or the fully extended position based on user input obtained from a vehicle driver. In other aspects, the processor can cause the shield to move based on sensor input obtained from a vehicle sensor unit that can be configured to detect a degree of glare on the lens. The processor can cause the shield to move to the partially or fully extended position when the degree of glare can be greater than a predefined threshold. In an exemplary aspect, the degree to which the shield moves to the partially extended position or the fully extended position can be based on the degree of glare detected on the lens.

[0005] In further aspects, the shield can include a gutter structure disposed at the shield distal edge. The gutter structure can be configured to protect the lens / camera from rain when the shield can be in the extended position (e.g., fully extended position). In this regard, when the processor detects presence of rain (based on sensor inputs obtained from the sensor unit), the processor can cause the shield to move to the fully extended position, thereby protecting the lens / camera from rain.

[0006] In additional aspects, the shield can include a first portion and a second portion that can be pivotally connected to each other via a hinge. The first portion can be configured to rotate with respect to the second portion via the hinge. When the shield can be in the partially extended position, the first portion can extend away from the housing interior portion (while the second portion can stay inside the housing interior portion) and be disposed above the lens and perpendicular to the lens plane. In the partially extended position, the shield can protect the lens from glare and / or rain.

[0007] When the shield can be in the fully extended position, the first portion can extend away from the housing interior portion (while the second portion can stay inside the housing interior portion) and be disposed above the lens and parallel to the lens plane. In the fully extended position, the shield can protect the lens from dust, debris, mud, etc. The processor can cause the shield to move to the fully extended position when such external elements can be detected on the lens and / or the vehicle can be operating in off-road mode.

[0008] The system can further include a washer that can be configured to blow air towards the lens when the washer receives an activation signal from the processor. The processor can transmit the activation signal to the washer when dust, debris, mud, etc. can be detected on the lens or when the lens can be wet.

[0009] In yet another aspect, the processor can cause the camera to partially / slightly move into the housing interior portion when the extent of glare on the lens can be greater than a predefined threshold or in response to detecting presence of rain.

[0010] In some aspects, the camera can further include an image sensor that can be disposed a predefined distance away from the lens. The processor can be additionally configured to move the image sensor away from the lens when the extent of glare on the lens can be greater than the predefined threshold.

[0011] The present disclosure discloses systems and methods for shielding a vehicle camera from glare, rain, and / or debris. By shielding the camera from glare, the systems facilitate the camera to capture high quality images. The systems do not require any external hardware and are part of the vehicle. Further, the systems operate automatically / autonomously whenever glare, rain, and / or debris is detected at the camera, thereby significantly improving the convenience of the driver.

[0012] These and other advantages of the present disclosure are provided in detail in the following. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0013] A detailed description specifically referring to the accompanying drawings is set forth below. Like or similar elements can be indicated by like or similar reference characters. Various embodiments can utilize elements and / or components other than those illustrated in the drawings, and some elements and / or components can not be present in various embodiments. The elements and / or components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Throughout the present disclosure, singular and plural terminologies can be used interchangeably depending on the context.

[0014] Figure 1 A vehicle having an exemplary first camera system according to the present disclosure is depicted.

[0015] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of a first camera system according to the present disclosure is depicted.

[0016] Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of a second camera system according to the present disclosure is depicted.

[0017] Figure 4A A cross-sectional view of a second camera system according to the present disclosure is depicted with the shield in a partially extended position.

[0018] Figure 4B A cross-sectional view of a second camera system according to the present disclosure is depicted with the shield in a fully extended position.

[0019] Figure 5 An isometric view of a third camera system according to the present disclosure is depicted.

[0020] Figure 6 A schematic view of a vehicle camera according to the present disclosure is depicted.

[0021] Figure 7 A flowchart of an exemplary method for shielding a vehicle camera according to the present disclosure is depicted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which example embodiments of the present disclosure are shown, and in which, like reference numerals can be used to refer to like elements throughout various embodiments.

[0023] Figure 1 A vehicle 102 having an exemplary first camera system 104 (or system 104) in accordance with the present disclosure is depicted. The system 104 is depicted in cross-section in accordance with the present disclosure. Figure 2 Description Figure 1 .

[0024] The vehicle 102 can take the form of any passenger or commercial vehicle, such as a car, a work vehicle, a crossover vehicle, a truck, a van, a minivan, a taxi, a bus, etc. The vehicle 102 can be a manually driven vehicle, or can be configured to operate in a partially / fully autonomous mode, and can include any powertrain system, such as a gasoline engine, one or more electrically actuated motors, a hybrid system, etc.

[0025] The system 104 can be a part of the vehicle 102, and can include a camera 202 that can be configured to capture images of the environment surrounding the vehicle. In some aspects, the camera 202 can be an exterior vehicle camera. The system 104 can be disposed at a rear portion of the vehicle, a front portion of the vehicle, a side portion of the vehicle, etc. In other words, the camera 202 can be a rear exterior camera, a front exterior camera, a side camera, etc. Although the system 104 is depicted as being disposed at a rear portion of the vehicle, the system 104 can be disposed at any portion of the vehicle, such as a front portion of the vehicle, a side portion of the vehicle, etc. Figure 1 The system 104 is depicted as being disposed at a rear portion of the vehicle, but Figure 1 The exemplary illustrations of

[0026] The system 104 can also include a housing 106 that can be configured to house or enclose one or more system components (which are described in the following specification). In some aspects, the camera 202 can be disposed / housed in the housing 106, as shown in Figure 2 Specifically, the housing 106 can include a shroud 108, and the camera 202 can be disposed / housed in the shroud 108. In some aspects, the camera 202 can include a lens 110 that can face away from an interior portion of the housing or an interior portion of the shroud, as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 The lens 110 can be configured to collect and focus light rays from the environment surrounding the vehicle that can fall on the camera 202 / lens 110.

[0027] As described above, camera 202 can be configured to capture images of the environment surrounding the vehicle. Images captured by camera 202 can be displayed to the driver (not shown) on a user device 112 and / or a vehicle human-machine interface 114 (HMI 114) associated with the driver, or can be used by vehicle 102 to induce / control autonomous vehicle movement. For example, when system 104 is located at the rear of the vehicle, images captured by camera 202 can allow the driver to see objects that may be present near the rear of the vehicle (e.g., other vehicles, obstacles, etc.), and thus allow the driver to easily move vehicle 102 backward (e.g., during reversing). Similarly, when vehicle 102 may be moving autonomously, images captured by camera 202 can enable vehicle 102 to move optimally to the left, right, or opposite directions.

[0028] Those skilled in the art will understand that when lens 110 may be experiencing glare, such as from light received from an oncoming vehicle or bright sunlight, the image captured by camera 202 may be of suboptimal quality. Glare is characterized as a physical defect of the lens. It is known that the reflective surface of a lens causes light to reflect back and forth between the lens elements. Glare specifically affects the flange distance (i.e., the distance from the first element of the lens sequence to the imaging sensor). Figure 6 The image sensor (602) is shown in the diagram at a very small distance from the camera. Glare is significantly formed around bright objects. Typically, glare can affect images captured by a camera in two ways. Examples of these two ways are highlight clipping and shadowing.

[0029] Spectrum clipping is defined as the diffusion of charge to neighboring pixels due to oversaturation of a pixel. Spectrum clipping typically results in bright spots in images captured by a camera. Trailing is similar to spectrum clipping and is caused by pixels becoming saturated. In trailing, light spills into a vertical shift register at clock output. Trailing typically results in strong, vertical rays appearing along the height of the image captured by the camera. Spectrum clipping and / or trailing can usually be detected (e.g., by a sensor or computing device) by identifying localized areas with high contrast values ​​in an image captured by the camera or by examining cropped regions within the lighter areas of a brightness histogram. Alternatively, glare in an image can be detected by examining the saturation of consecutive pixels exceeding a threshold size.

[0030] In vehicle 102, as described above, glare detection of lens 110 or of the image captured by camera 202 is performed by sensor unit 116, which may include multiple sensors, including but not limited to photometric sensors, thermal sensors, etc. Some or all of these sensors may be located near camera 202 / lens 110.

[0031] In some aspects, system 104 may also include a shield 118, which may be configured to protect or “shield” the lens 110 from glare during glare events (i.e., when the lens 110 may be experiencing glare). In an exemplary aspect, the shield 118 may be a rectangular plate, such as… Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown. In other respects (not shown), the shielding member 118 may have any other shape, such as a concave plate, a convex plate, etc.

[0032] The shielding element 118 can be configured to be in the retracted position (in Figure 1 View 120 and Figure 2 (shown in) and extension position (in Figure 1 (As shown in view 122) The shield 118 can be retracted / positioned inside the housing interior portion when it may be in the retracted position, and can extend away from the housing interior portion when it may be in the extended position. Figure 1 As shown, when the shielding member 118 is rectangular, the shielding member plane (which can be in the XY plane) can be perpendicular to the lens plane (which can be in the XZ plane). Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the exemplary aspect depicted, the plane of the shield remains perpendicular to the lens plane in both the retracted and extended positions. In this arrangement, the shield 118 can optimally shield / protect the lens 110 from glare when the shield 118 may be in the extended position and when light from an oncoming vehicle or bright sunlight may fall on the lens 110.

[0033] In some respects, vehicle 102 may also include multiple additional components / units, including but not limited to transceiver 124, processor 126, memory 128, sensor unit 116, HMI 114, washer 130 (which may be part of system 104), motor 204 (and / or spin shaft controlled by motor 204, which may be part of system 104), etc.

[0034] As described above, the sensor unit 116 can include sensors such as a photometric sensor, a heat detection sensor, and the like, which can be configured to detect that the lens 110 can be experiencing glare, and also detect the degree of glare that the lens 110 can be experiencing. In further aspects, the sensor unit 116 can include additional sensors such as a rain sensor, an ambient weather sensor, a moisture sensor, and the like, which can be configured to detect the presence of rain and / or snow. In yet further aspects, the sensor unit 116 can be configured to determine the presence of external particulates (e.g., dust, debris, dirt, and the like) that can obstruct the field of view (FOV) of the camera in the vicinity of the system 104.

[0035] The motor 204 can be configured to cause movement of the shade between the retracted position and the extended position based on a command signal received from the processor 126. In some aspects, the motor 204 can be a servo motor or any other type of motor, which can include or be connected to a spinning or rotating shaft (which can be similar to a conventional crankshaft mechanism, not shown). The shaft can be connected (directly or via a piston) to the shade 118. In example aspects, when the motor 204 receives a command signal from the processor 126, the motor 204 actuates, causing the shaft to rotate / spin. The spinning motion of the shaft can cause the shade to move between the retracted position and the extended position. The example description associated with the motor 204 described above should not be construed as limiting. The motor 204 can cause movement of the shade by any other mechanism without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In alternative embodiments, the motor can be a solenoid, actuation of which can cause the shade 118 to move to the extended position.

[0036] The washer 130 can be disposed in the vicinity of the camera 202 / lens 110 (as shown), and can be configured to blow air towards the lens 110 in response to receiving a washer activation signal from the processor 126. The air from the washer 130 can be used to blow away external particulates, such as dust, debris, dirt, and the like, that can be present on the lens 110, or to dry the lens 110 when the lens 110 can be wet. Figure 1

[0037] The transceiver 124 can be configured to transmit / receive signals / information / data / inputs to / from external devices and systems such as the user device 112, one or more servers (not shown), and the like, via a wireless network. The wireless network, as described herein, illustrates an example communication infrastructure in which the connected devices discussed in various embodiments of the present disclosure can communicate. The wireless network can be and / or include the Internet, a private network, a public network, or other configurations operating using any one or more known communication protocols, such as the Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), and / or the like. ​Low Energy (BLE), Wi-Fi based on the IEEE 802.11 standard, Ultra Wideband (UWB), and cellular technologies such as Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPDA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), and 5G are just a few examples.

[0038] Processor 126 may be coupled to one or more memory devices (e.g., memory 128 and / or memory 129). Figure 1 The processor 126 may communicate with one or more external databases (not shown) and with a corresponding computing system. The processor 126 may utilize the memory 128 to store programs in code and / or store data to execute aspects of this disclosure. The memory 128 may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or memory that stores program code enabling the processor 126 to perform operations according to this disclosure. The memory 128 may include any or a combination of volatile memory elements (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), etc.) and may include any one or more non-volatile memory elements (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), etc.).

[0039] In operation, when the driver wishes to move the visor 118 from the retracted position to the extended position (or vice versa), the vehicle driver can provide user input via user device 112 and / or HMI 114. As an example, when an image captured by camera 202 (which may be displayed on HMI 114) may be of suboptimal quality and may indicate that lens 110 may be experiencing glare, the driver can provide user input to move the visor 118 to the extended position. In response to the driver providing user input, processor 126 can obtain the user input from user device 112 (via transceiver 124) and / or HMI 114 and generate a command signal based on the user input. Processor 126 can also transmit the command signal to motor 204 based on the user input to cause movement of the visor.

[0040] In some respects, user input can additionally indicate to the driver whether they wish the shield 118 to be fully moved to the extended position (e.g., to the "fully extended position," as shown in the image). Figure 1whether the driver is moving the vehicle 102 in a forward direction or a reverse direction. In some aspects, the processor 126 can be configured to move the shade 118 to the fully extended position or the partially extended position based on the direction in which the vehicle 102 is moving. For example, the processor 126 can be configured to move the shade 118 to the fully extended position when the vehicle 102 is moving in the forward direction and to move the shade 118 to the partially extended position when the vehicle 102 is moving in the reverse direction. In some aspects, the processor 126 can be configured to move the shade 118 to the fully extended position when the vehicle 102 is moving in the forward direction and to move the shade 118 to the fully retracted position when the vehicle 102 is moving in the reverse direction. In other aspects, the processor 126 can be configured to move the shade 118 to the partially extended position when the vehicle 102 is moving in the forward direction and to move the shade 118 to the fully retracted position when the vehicle 102 is moving in the reverse direction. In still other aspects, the processor 126 can be configured to move the shade 118 to the fully extended position when the vehicle 102 is moving in the forward direction and to move the shade 118 to the partially extended position when the vehicle 102 is moving in the reverse direction. In some aspects, the processor 126 can be configured to move the shade 118 to the fully retracted position when the vehicle 102 is moving in the forward direction and to move the shade 118 to the partially extended position when the vehicle 102 is moving in the reverse direction. In other aspects, the processor 126 can be configured to move the shade 118 to the partially extended position when the vehicle 102 is moving in the forward direction and to move the shade 118 to the fully extended position when the vehicle 102 is moving in the reverse direction. In still other aspects, the processor 126 can be configured to move the shade 118 to the fully retracted position when the vehicle 102 is moving in the forward direction and to move the shade 118 to the fully extended position when the vehicle 102 is moving in the reverse direction.

[0041] In further aspects, the processor 126 can be configured to“learn” the behavior of the driver over time as the driver provides user inputs to the user device 112 and / or the HMI 114 under different weather conditions, vehicle geographic locations, times of day, etc., and can use the learning to automatically move the shade 118 to the retracted or extended position in the future. The processor 126 can store information associated with the driver behavior that caused the shade movement in the memory 128, and can use the stored information to implement future shade movements. In some aspects, the processor 126 can store behavior information associated with up to three drivers in the memory 128, and cause shade movements based on the profile of the driver driving the vehicle 102. In other aspects, the processor 126 can store behavior information associated with less than or more than three drivers.

[0042] Although the above description describes aspects in which the processor 126 implements shade movements based on user inputs, the present disclosure is not limited to such aspects. In additional or alternative aspects, the processor 126 can automatically / autonomously cause shade movements based on sensor inputs obtained from the sensor unit 116. In such cases, the processor 126 can obtain sensor inputs from the sensor unit 116, and check / determine whether the glare experienced by the lens 110 can be greater than a predefined threshold based on the sensor inputs. In response to determining that the glare can be greater than the predefined threshold, the processor 126 can generate a command signal to move the shade 118 from the retracted position to the extended position, and transmit the command signal to the motor 204. When the motor 204 receives the command signal from the processor 126, the motor 204 can move the shade 118 to the extended position, thereby enabling the camera 202 to capture high quality images of the environment surrounding the vehicle (without any glare). In some aspects, the processor 126 can continue to monitor the glare experienced by the lens 110 based on the sensor inputs, and can generate another command signal to move the shade 118 back to the retracted position when the glare can drop below the predefined threshold. In this manner, the processor 126 can cause automatic back-and-forth shade movements between the retracted position and the extended position based on the glare experienced by the lens 110, thereby significantly enhancing the driver’s experience of viewing images captured by the camera 202 (or enhancing the autonomous movement process of the vehicle using“clearer” or high quality camera images).

[0043] In some aspects, the extent to which the shield moves away from the interior portion of the housing in the shield extended position can be based on the extent of glare experienced by the lens 110 (above the predefined threshold described above). For example, when the extent of glare can be high, the processor 126 can cause the shield 118 to move completely to the extended position, and when the extent of glare can be low (but still greater than the predefined threshold), the processor can cause the shield 118 to move partially to the extended position (e.g., 50% or 75% of the fully extended position).

[0044] In further aspects, the processor 126 can be configured to“predict” the predefined time at which the lens 110 can experience glare based on information associated with the time of day, weather conditions, real-time and / or anticipated future vehicle geographic location, anticipated direction of movement of the vehicle (e.g., toward or away from sunlight), presence of an oncoming vehicle with high beams, etc., and generate and transmit the command signal to the motor 204 to cause the shield 118 to move to the extended position at that predefined time (or obtain the sensor input from the sensor unit 116 at that predefined time). For example, if the weather conditions indicate that there can be bright sunlight between 1 PM and 3 PM on a particular day, and the vehicle 102 is expected to move in a direction toward the sunlight, the processor 126 can transmit the command signal to the motor 204 to cause the shield 118 to move to the extended position between 1 PM and 3 PM (or obtain the sensor input from the sensor unit 116 between 1 PM and 3 PM).

[0045] In some aspects, the shield 118 can be made of a tinted / shading material or a transparent material with a textured surface, such that the shield 118 does not completely block the incoming light (thereby obstructing the FOV of the camera), but can only prevent the lens 110 from experiencing glare. In an example aspect, the shield 118 can be made of glass that can have a dot matrix, which reduces glare, but still allows some vision through the material. In another aspect, the shield 118 can be made of a material that has light-sensitive properties that darken when sunlight, light from an oncoming vehicle, and / or glare from the road falls on the shield 118. In yet another aspect, the shield 118 can be made of a transparent material that does not have light-sensitive properties. In this case, the shield 118 can be used to protect the lens 110 from dust, debris, etc.

[0046] In further aspects, in addition to or in lieu of moving the shade 118 between the retracted position and the extended position as described above, the processor 126 can cause the camera 202 to partially / slightly move into the shield interior portion in response to determining that the extent of glare on the lens 110 can be greater than a predefined threshold or rain presence proximate the vehicle 102 (determined based on sensor input). Those of ordinary skill in the art can appreciate that when the camera 202 partially / slightly moves into the shield interior portion, the FOV of the camera can not be impacted much; however, the glare experienced by the lens 110 can be significantly reduced, thereby improving the quality of images captured by the camera 202. Moreover, when the sensor unit 116 can detect rain, the partial camera movement into the shield 108 can help protect the lens 110 from the rain.

[0047] Similar to aspects associated with the above-described shade 118, when the extent of glare on the lens 110 can drop below the predefined threshold or the rain can stop, the processor 126 can cause the camera 202 to move back to its default position from the shield interior portion.

[0048] To further enhance the convenience of the driver or the autonomous movement process of the vehicle, the processor 126 can determine, based on sensor input, the presence of external particles (e.g., dust, debris, dirt, etc.) proximate the lens 110 and transmit a washer activation signal to the washer 130 when the external particles can be detected on or proximate the lens 110. The processor 126 can also generate and transmit the washer activation signal to the washer 130 when the processor 126 determines that the lens 110 can be wet or smudged by water (determined via sensor input). In response to receiving the washer activation signal from the processor 126, the washer 130 can blow air towards the lens 110 (and substantially parallel to the lens plane), which can remove the external particles from the lens 110 or dry the lens 110, thereby causing the camera 202 to capture clearer / higher quality images.

[0049] Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of a second camera system 300 (or system 300) in accordance with the present disclosure is depicted. The system 300 will be described in conjunction with Figure 4A and Figure 4B . Figure 3 .

[0050] The system 300 can be similar to the above-described system 104; however, the shade 118 of the system 300 can include two pieces / portions, i.e., a first portion 302 and a second portion 304, instead of having a single-piece shade (as described above in conjunction with the system 104). The first portion 302 of the shade 118 can be configured to move between the retracted position and the extended position, and the second portion 304 of the shade 118 can be configured to move between the retracted position and the extended position. The first portion 302 of the shade 118 can be configured to move between the retracted position and the extended position in response to the processor 126 determining that the extent of glare on the lens 110 can be greater than a predefined threshold or rain presence proximate the vehicle 102 (determined based on sensor input). The second portion 304 of the shade 118 can be configured to move between the retracted position and the extended position in response to the processor 126 determining that the extent of glare on the lens 110 can be greater than a predefined threshold or rain presence proximate the vehicle 102 (determined based on sensor input). Figure 1 Figure 2 ​The first portion length "LI" can be equal to or different than the second portion length "L2". The length "LI" can be at least sufficient to fully cover the lens 110 when the shade 118 can be in the fully extended position (as described in detail below).

[0051] As shown in Figure 3 , Figure 4A and Figure 4B , the first portion 302 can be connected to the second portion 304 via a hinge and spring connection 306 (or hinge 306). The first portion 302 can be configured to pivotally rotate relative to the second portion 304 via the hinge 306. Figure 4B A view of the first portion 302 rotated 90 degrees relative to the second portion 304 is shown in

[0052] In some aspects, the shade 118 of the system 300 can be configured to move between a retracted position (as shown in Figure 3 ), a partially extended position (as shown in Figure 4A ), and a fully extended position (as shown in Figure 4B ). When the shade 118 can be in the retracted position, the first portion 302 and the second portion 304 can be fully disposed within the housing interior portion. Further, when the shade 118 can be in the retracted position, the first portion plane "PI" can be parallel to the second portion "P2" and perpendicular to the lens plane "P3", as shown in Figure 3

[0053] When the shade 118 can be moved to the partially extended position or the fully extended position, the first portion 302 can extend away from the housing interior portion and the second portion 304 can remain inside the housing interior portion. The shade movement from the retracted position to the partially extended position or the fully extended position (and back to the retracted position) can be implemented / controlled by the motor 204, as described above in connection with Figure 1 and Figure 2 .

[0054] As shown in Figure 4A , when the shade 118 can be in the partially extended position, the first portion 302 can not be rotated relative to the second portion 304 and the first portion plane "PI" can remain perpendicular to the lens plane "P3". In this arrangement, the first portion 302 can shield the lens 110 from glare, as described above in connection with Figure 1 and Figure 2 .

[0055] As shown in Figure 4B ​As shown, when the shield 118 can be in the fully extended position, the first portion 302 can be rotated relative to the second portion 304 via the hinge 306, and the first portion plane "PI" can be parallel to the lens plane "P3". In this case, when the first portion 302 is fully over the shroud edge (and fully disposed outside the housing interior portion), the first portion 302 can automatically rotate (or swing down) relative to the second portion 304 via the hinge 306 under the force of gravity. In the fully extended position, the first portion 302 can fully cover the lens 110 from the front, thereby protecting the lens 110 from external particles (such as dirt, grime, debris, etc.).

[0056] During operation, when the processor 126 determines, based on the sensor input, that the degree of glare experienced by the lens 110 can be greater than a predefined threshold, the processor 126 can generate a first command signal to cause the shield 118 to move to the partially extended position. In response to generating the first command signal, the processor 126 can transmit the first command signal to the motor 204, which can cause the shield movement to the partially extended position when the motor 204 receives the first command signal from the processor 126. In the partially extended position, the first portion 302 / shield 118 functions as a visor.

[0057] In further aspects, when the processor 126 detects, based on the sensor input, the presence of external particles (dirt, grime, debris, etc.) in the vicinity of the camera 202, the processor 126 can generate a second command signal to cause the shield 118 to move to the fully extended position. In response to generating the second command signal, the processor 126 can transmit the second command signal to the motor 204, which can cause the shield movement to the fully extended position when the motor 204 receives the second command signal from the processor 126. In the fully extended position, the first portion 302 / shield 118 protects the lens 110 / camera 202 from external particles, thereby helping to keep the camera 202 clean.

[0058] In additional aspects, the processor 126 can be configured to generate the second command signal and cause the shield 118 to move to the fully extended position when the vehicle 102 is operating in a predefined operating mode (e.g., off-road mode). In this case, in response to determining that the vehicle 102 can be operating in off-road mode, the processor 126 can automatically generate the second command signal and transmit the second command signal to the motor 204, which can cause the shield movement to the fully extended position in response to receiving the second command signal. In the fully extended position, the first portion 302 / shield 118 can protect the lens 110 / camera 202 from stones, dirt, etc. that can fall on the lens 110 / camera 202 when the vehicle 102 is off-roading.

[0059] In some aspects, the system 300 can also include a seal 308, which can be disposed at the bottom surface of the first portion distal end. The seal 308 can act as an active stop when the shade 118 can be moved back to the retracted position (from the partially or fully extended position), thereby preventing the first portion distal end from being fully inserted or moved into the housing interior portion.

[0060] The remaining system 300 components are the same as the system 104 components, and thus are not described again here for the sake of simplicity and brevity.

[0061] Figure 5 An isometric view of a third camera system 500 (or system 500) in accordance with the present disclosure is depicted. Figure 5 A view of the system 500 is depicted in particular, where the shade 118 is in the extended position.

[0062] The system 500 can be similar to the system 104; however, the shade 118 can additionally include a trench structure 502, which can be disposed at the shade distal edge. In some aspects, the trench structure length can be equal to the shade width. Furthermore, the trench structure plane (which can be in the X-Z plane, as shown) can be perpendicular to the shade plane (which can be in the X-Y plane) and parallel or substantially parallel to the lens plane. Figure 5

[0063] The trench structure 502 can be configured to protect the lens from rain 504 when the shade 118 can be in the extended position, as shown. Figure 5 In particular, the rain 504 can fall from the side edges of the shade 118 rather than from the shade distal edge, thereby protecting the lens 110 from the rain 504 and ensuring that the FOV of the camera is not blocked by the rain 504.

[0064] In this case, in addition to moving the shade 118 to the extended position when the extent of glare on the lens 110 can be greater than a predefined threshold (as described above), the processor 126 can also generate and transmit a command signal to the motor 204 to cause shade movement to the extended position when the processor 126 detects the presence of rain based on sensor inputs obtained from the sensor unit 116. The processor 126 can also cause the shade 118 to move back to the retracted position when the rain stops.

[0065] The remaining system 500 components are the same as the system 104 components, and thus are not described again here for the sake of simplicity and brevity.

[0066] ​While the above description describes systems and methods for preventing a camera lens from experiencing glare, the present disclosure is not limited in this respect. The same or similar systems and methods can be applied to vehicle mirrors (e.g., rearview side mirrors) when the mirror can be experiencing glare.

[0067] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a vehicle camera 600 according to the present disclosure is depicted. Camera 600 can be the same as camera 202 described above and can include a lens 110 and an imaging sensor or image sensor 602. Image sensor 602 can be disposed at a first predefined distance “D1” away from lens 110 in a default position of the camera.

[0068] While the above description describes aspects in which processor 126 moves shade 118 from a retracted position to an extended position when the degree of glare at lens 110 is greater than a predefined threshold, the present disclosure is not limited in this respect. In additional or alternative aspects, in response to determining that the degree of glare on lens 110 can be greater than the predefined threshold, processor 126 can move image sensor 602 away from lens 110 by a second predefined distance “D2”. Distance “D2” can be greater than distance “D1” and can be based on the degree of glare on lens 110 and / or the camera structure / dimensions. One of ordinary skill in the art can appreciate that when the distance between image sensor 602 and lens 110 is increased, the glare in the images captured by camera 600 can be significantly reduced. When the degree of glare can be reduced below the predefined threshold, processor 126 can move image sensor 602 back to its default position (i.e., when the distance between image sensor 602 and lens 110 is “D1”).

[0069] In exemplary aspects, image sensor 602 can be mounted on a piezoelectric actuator 604 as shown in Figure 6 Processor 126 can cause the image sensor to move by transmitting a command signal to piezoelectric actuator 604 and activating piezoelectric actuator 604 as described above. In response to piezoelectric actuator 604 being activated, piezoelectric actuator 604 can move image sensor 602 away from or closer to lens 110 based on the command signal received from processor 126. In this way, processor 126 can help reduce glare at lens 110 in addition to or instead of using shade 118.

[0070] The vehicle 102 and / or the vehicle driver implements and / or performs the operations as described herein in this disclosure in accordance with the owner's manual and safety guidelines. Further, any action taken by the driver based on the notifications / signals provided by the vehicle 102 should comply with all rules specific to the location (e.g., federal, state, national, city, etc.) and operation of the vehicle 102. The notifications / signals as provided by the vehicle 102 should be considered as suggestions and followed only in accordance with any rules specific to the location and operation of the vehicle 102.

[0071] Figure 7 A flow diagram depicting an exemplary method 700 for obscuring a camera of a vehicle in accordance with the present disclosure is depicted. Reference can be made to the previous figures to describe Figure 7 The following processes are exemplary and are not limited to the steps described below. Further, alternative embodiments can include more or fewer steps than those shown or described herein and can include the steps in a different order than described in the following example embodiments.

[0072] The method 700 begins at step 702. At step 704, the method 700 can include obtaining, by the processor 126, sensor inputs from the sensor unit 116. The processor 126 can obtain the sensor inputs at the predefined times described above or continuously from the sensor unit 116. At step 706, the method 700 can include determining, by the processor 126, whether glare is detected at the lens 110 based on the sensor inputs. In response to detecting glare at the lens 110, the method 700 moves to step 712 at which the obscuring member 118 moves to the partially extended position or the fully extended position based on the extent of glare detected at the lens 110.

[0073] On the other hand, in response to not detecting glare at the lens 110 at step 706, the method 700 can move to step 708 at which the processor 126 can determine / detect the presence of rain based on the sensor inputs. In response to detecting the presence of rain, the method 700 can move to step 712 described above. On the other hand, in response to not detecting rain at step 708, the method 700 can move to step 710 at which the processor 126 can determine whether the vehicle 102 is likely operating in a predefined operating mode / off-road mode.

[0074] In response to determining that the vehicle 102 is not operating in the predefined operating mode / off-road mode, the method 700 can return to step 706. On the other hand, in response to determining that the vehicle 102 is operating in the predefined operating mode / off-road mode, the method 700 can move to step 712.

[0075] At step 714, the method 700 can end.

[0076] In the above disclosure, reference has been made to drawings which form a part hereof. The drawings illustrate the particular implementations in which the disclosure can be practiced. It is understood that other implementations can be utilized and structural changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Reference in the specification to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "exemplary embodiment," etc., means that a described embodiment can include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment can not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Additionally, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.

[0077] Furthermore, the functionality described herein can be performed, in appropriate cases, by one or more hardware, software, firmware, digital component, or analog component. For example, one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) can be programmed to perform one or more of the systems and processes described herein. Certain terms are used throughout the description and claims to refer to particular systems. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, the components can be referred to by different names. The present document does not intend to distinguish between components that differ in name but not function.

[0078] It is also to be understood that the phraseology "exemplary," as used herein, is meant to be non-limiting and non-exhaustive. More specifically, the phrase "exemplary" as used herein indicates an example of one of several possible implementations. It is to be understood that no undue emphasis should be placed on the arrangements described as "exemplary" herein.

[0079] Computer-readable media (also referred to as processor-readable media) includes any non-transitory (e.g., tangible) medium that participates in providing data (e.g., instructions) that can be read by a computer (e.g., by a processor of a computer). Such a medium can take many forms, including but not limited to non-volatile media and volatile media. A computing device can include computer-executable instructions stored on computer-readable media, which can be executed by one or more computing devices, such as those listed above.

[0080] With respect to the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, etc. described herein, it should be understood that, although the steps of such processes etc. have been described as occurring according to a certain ordered sequence, such processes could be practiced with the described steps performed in an order other than the described order. Additionally, certain of the steps can be performed concurrently, rather than sequentially as described. It is therefore intended that the foregoing description be considered as exemplary of the presently preferred embodiments only, and that the scope of the application is measured in the broadest and widest sense as is deemed equivalent to the disclosures described herein.

[0081] Accordingly, it is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided would be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading the above description. The scope should be determined, not with reference to the above description, but should instead be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and intended, for example, that advancements will occur with respect to technology discussed herein, and that the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such advancements. In general, it is anticipated that the application can be modified and varied.

[0082] Unless specifically indicated otherwise, all terms used in the claims are intended to be given their ordinary meaning as understood by one of skill in the art in the field of the technology described herein. Specifically, unless explicitly recited otherwise in the claims, the use of singular articles, such as "a," "the," "said," etc., should be read to mean one or more unless otherwise specified. Conditional language, such as, among others, "can," "could," "might," or "may," unless specifically indicated otherwise, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include certain features, elements, and / or steps while other embodiments can not include certain features, elements and / or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that one or more embodiments require a feature, element and / or step for any reason. Similarly, adjectives such as "conventional," "traditional," "normal," "known," and terms of similar meaning are generally intended to refer to elements or actions that are well-known or otherwise within the purview of those skilled in the art and are not necessarily intended to convey that any particular element is in any way required for practice of this application.

[0083] According to an embodiment, the processor is configured to predict glare on a predefined time lens based on information associated with at least one of a time of day, weather conditions, or a geographic location of the vehicle; generate a command signal at the predefined time; and transmit the command signal to the motor.

[0084] According to an embodiment, the shield is made of a colored material, a transparent material having a textured surface, or a material having light sensitive properties.

[0085] According to the present application, there is provided a vehicle having: a housing; a camera disposed in the housing, wherein the camera includes a lens facing away from an interior portion of the housing; and a shield configured to move between a retracted position, a partially extended position, and a fully extended position, wherein: the shield includes a first portion and a second portion connected to each other via a hinge, the first portion is configured to pivotally rotate relative to the second portion via the hinge, when the shield is in the partially extended position, the first portion is not rotated relative to the second portion and a first portion plane is perpendicular to a lens plane, and when the shield is in the fully extended position, the first portion is rotated relative to the second portion and the first portion plane is parallel to the lens plane.

[0086] According to embodiments, when the shade is moved to the fully extended position or the partially extended position, the first portion is configured to extend away from the housing interior portion and the second portion is configured to stay inside the housing interior portion, and wherein the shade is stowed inside the housing interior portion in a retracted position.

[0087] According to the present invention, a method comprises: obtaining, by a processor, a sensor input from a sensor unit associated with a vehicle, wherein the sensor unit is configured to detect a degree of glare or presence of rainwater on a lens associated with a camera, wherein the vehicle comprises: a housing; the camera disposed in the housing, wherein the lens faces away from a housing interior portion; and a shade configured to move between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein: the shade shades the lens from the glare in the extended position and does not shade the lens in the retracted position, the shade comprises a channel structure disposed at a distal end of the shade, and a channel structure plane is perpendicular to a shade plane; determining, by the processor, based on the sensor input, that the degree of glare on the lens is greater than a predefined threshold or that the presence of rainwater; in response to determining that the degree of glare on the lens is greater than the predefined threshold or that the presence of rainwater, generating, by the processor, a command signal to move the shade from the retracted position to the extended position; and transmitting, by the processor, the command signal to a motor associated with the vehicle, wherein the motor is configured to cause the shade movement between the retracted position and the extended position based on the command signal received from the processor.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising: case; A camera, the camera being disposed within the housing, wherein the camera includes a lens facing away from the interior portion of the housing; and A shielding member configured to move between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein: The shielding member shields the lens from glare in the extended position and does not shield the lens in the retracted position. The shielding element includes a groove structure disposed at the distal end of the shielding element, and The plane of the groove structure is perpendicular to the plane of the shielding component.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the groove structure is configured to protect the lens from rain at the extended location.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the shielding member is a rectangular plate, and wherein in the retracted position and the extended position, the plane of the shielding member is perpendicular to the lens plane.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a processor and a motor, wherein the motor is configured to cause movement of the shield between the retracted position and the extended position based on a command signal received from the processor.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to: User input is obtained via a user device or vehicle human-machine interface (HMI) to cause the masking element to move; The command signal is generated based on the user input; and The command signal is transmitted to the motor.

6. The vehicle of claim 4, further comprising a sensor unit configured to detect glare or the presence of rain on the lens, and wherein the processor is configured to: The sensor input is obtained from the sensor unit; Based on the sensor input, it is determined whether the degree of glare on the lens is greater than a predefined threshold or whether rainwater is present. In response to determining that the glare level on the lens is greater than the predefined threshold or that rain is present, the command signal is generated to move the shield from the retracted position to the extended position; as well as The command signal is transmitted to the motor.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein the camera further includes an image sensor disposed at a first predefined distance from the lens, and wherein the processor is further configured to move the image sensor away from the lens a second predefined distance in response to determining that the degree of glare on the lens is greater than the predefined threshold.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the image sensor is mounted on a piezoelectric actuator, and wherein the processor activates the piezoelectric actuator in response to determining that the degree of glare on the lens is greater than the predefined threshold, so that the image sensor moves away from the lens by the second predefined distance.

9. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the shielding member comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion and the second portion are connected to each other via a hinge, and wherein the first portion is configured to pivotally rotate relative to the second portion via the hinge.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the extended position includes a partially extended position and a fully extended position, and wherein when the shielding member moves to the fully extended position or the partially extended position, the first portion is configured to extend away from the housing interior portion and the second portion is configured to remain inside the housing interior portion.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein when the shield is in the partially extended position, the first portion does not rotate relative to the second portion, and the plane of the first portion is perpendicular to the lens plane, and wherein when the shield is in the fully extended position, the first portion rotates relative to the second portion, and the plane of the first portion is parallel to the lens plane.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to: The presence of external particles near the camera is detected based on sensor input obtained from the sensor unit. In response to determining the presence of external particles, the command signal is generated to move the shielding member to the fully extended position; and The command signal is transmitted to the motor.

13. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to: It is determined that the vehicle is operating in a predefined operating mode; In response to determining that the vehicle is operating in the predefined operating mode, the command signal is generated to move the shield to the fully extended position; and The command signal is transmitted to the motor.

14. The vehicle of claim 4, further comprising a washer disposed near the camera, wherein the washer is configured to blow air toward the lens based on an washer activation signal obtained from the processor.

15. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the housing includes a shield, wherein the camera is disposed in the shield, and wherein the processor is configured to move the camera into an interior portion of the shield in response to determining that the degree of glare on the lens is greater than a predefined threshold or that rain is present.

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