Crew monitoring camera

Abstract

This disclosure aims to provide an occupant monitoring camera that can prevent the generation of stray light and improve design aesthetics. [Solution] The occupant monitoring camera according to this disclosure comprises a mounting part for attachment to a vehicle, a camera provided on the mounting part for photographing the interior of the vehicle, a light source provided on the mounting part for illuminating the interior of the vehicle, and a shielding member provided on the mounting part so as to cover the camera and the light source. The mounting part has a first stepped portion for mounting the camera and a second stepped portion for mounting the light source. The shielding member has a transparent member through which light emitted from the light source passes and an opaque member through which light does not pass.

Description

【Technical Field】 【0001】 The present disclosure relates to an occupant monitoring camera for monitoring an occupant of a vehicle. 【Background Art】 【0002】 In an occupant monitoring camera installed in a vehicle, in order to reduce the size of the housing or improve the design, the light source and the camera may be arranged in the same housing. In such an occupant monitoring camera, in order to prevent the occupant from feeling being watched by the occupant monitoring camera, a shielding member is arranged between the camera and the light source and the occupant. The occupant monitoring camera can be installed at various positions in the vehicle. For example, there is a form in which an opening is provided in a part of the interior parts of the vehicle and the occupant monitoring camera is fitted into the opening. In such an occupant monitoring camera, the shielding member often has a step for fitting into the opening rather than a planar shape, and stray light may be generated due to this step. In addition, when the shielding member covering the camera and the shielding member covering the light source are common, the light emitted from the light source can be reflected inside the shielding member and become stray light that enters the camera. 【0003】 Conventionally, in order to prevent interference and stray light of the light emitted from the light source, a configuration in which silicone resin and silicone rubber are multi-colored molded and the silicone rubber absorbs light has been disclosed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). 【Prior Art Documents】 【Patent Documents】 【0004】 【Patent Document 1】 Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2021-15250 【Summary of the Invention】 【Problems to be Solved by the Invention】 【0005】 Patent Document 1 describes a design that allows light traveling parallel to the optical axis of a light source to pass through, while absorbing light traveling perpendicular to the optical axis of the light source. However, this requires exposing silicone rubber on the surface of the product, resulting in a visible silicone rubber appearance. Therefore, applying the configuration of Patent Document 1 to an occupant monitoring camera presents a design problem, as occupants may feel as if they are being watched by the camera. 【0006】 This disclosure is made to solve such problems and aims to provide an occupant monitoring camera that can prevent the generation of stray light and improve design aesthetics. [Means for solving the problem] 【0007】 To solve the above problems, the occupant monitoring camera according to this disclosure comprises a mounting part for attachment to a vehicle, a camera provided on the mounting part for photographing the interior of the vehicle, a light source provided on the mounting part for illuminating the interior of the vehicle, and a shielding member provided on the mounting part so as to cover the camera and the light source. The mounting part has a first stepped portion for mounting the camera and a second stepped portion for mounting the light source, and the shielding member has a transmissive member through which light emitted from the light source passes and an opaque member through which light does not pass. [Effects of the Invention] 【0008】 According to this disclosure, it is possible to prevent the generation of stray light and improve the aesthetic appearance. [Brief explanation of the drawing] 【0009】 [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an occupant monitoring camera according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the product-side mounting portion according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the shielding member according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of AA in Figure 3. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the reflection and transmission of light. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the reflection and transmission of light. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the absorption of light. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows the necessary and unnecessary angles of view when the camera is taking a picture. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows the areas where light emitted from a light source needs to be illuminated and areas where it does not. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the use of the occupant monitoring camera according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating the dimensional relationship between the transparent member and the opaque member according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] Figure 12 shows an example of the shape of an opaque member. [Figure 13] Figure 13 shows an example of the shape of an opaque member. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an occupant monitoring camera related to the technology. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is a diagram illustrating how light emitted from a light source becomes stray light. [Figure 16] Figure 16 is a diagram illustrating the use of an occupant monitoring camera related to the relevant technology. [Modes for carrying out the invention] 【0010】 <Related technologies> FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an occupant monitoring camera according to the related art. The occupant monitoring camera according to the related art includes a product-side attachment portion 1, a camera 2, a light source 3, a shielding member 26, and a light-shielding member 27. The occupant monitoring camera is installed such that the product-side attachment portion 1 is attached to the vehicle-side attachment portion 7 and the shielding member 26 is exposed from the opening of the interior component 8. The vehicle-side attachment portion 7 and the interior component 8 are members provided in the vehicle. 【0011】 The camera 2 and the light source 3 are provided in the product-side attachment portion 1. The shielding member 26 is a member through which the light emitted from the light source 3 passes, and is provided in the product-side attachment portion 1 so as to cover the camera 2 and the light source 3. The light-shielding member 27 is provided in the vicinity of each of the camera 2 and the light source 3. 【0012】 FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining how the light irradiated from the light source becomes stray light. In the example of FIG. 15, a configuration in which the occupant monitoring camera does not include the light-shielding member 27 is shown. As shown in FIG. 15, when the light emitted from the light source 3 enters the stepped portion (outer peripheral stepped portion) on the outer periphery of the shielding member 26, it is reflected inside the shielding member 26 and reaches the camera 2 (see the arrows in the figure). The light that reaches the camera 2 in this way becomes stray light. 【0013】 FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining the state during the use of the occupant monitoring camera according to the related art. As shown in FIG. 16, when the occupant monitoring camera includes the light-shielding member 27, the light emitted from the light source 3 is blocked by the light-shielding member 27 and does not enter the outer peripheral stepped portion of the shielding member 26. Therefore, the stray light as shown in FIG. 15 does not occur. 【0014】 As described above, the passenger monitoring camera according to the related art shown in FIG. 14 includes a light shielding member 27, so that the generation of stray light can be prevented. However, depending on the mounting angles of the camera 2 or the light source 3 provided on the product-side mounting portion 1, it is necessary to increase the size of the light shielding member 27, which increases the product size and makes the passenger monitoring camera more likely to be subject to layout constraints. That is, there is room for design improvement in the passenger monitoring camera according to the related art in terms of being subject to layout constraints. 【0015】 The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems and will be described in detail below. 【0016】 <Embodiment> <Configuration> FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a passenger monitoring camera according to an embodiment. The passenger monitoring camera according to the embodiment includes a product-side mounting portion 1, a camera 2, a light source 3, and a shielding member 4. The passenger monitoring camera is installed such that the product-side mounting portion 1 is attached to the vehicle-side mounting portion 7 and the shielding member 4 is exposed from the opening of the interior component 8. The vehicle-side mounting portion 7 and the interior component 8 are members provided on the vehicle. Note that the passenger monitoring camera may be installed on the vehicle in other forms, not limited to the example of FIG. 1. 【0017】 The camera 2 is provided on the product-side mounting portion 1 and captures the interior of the vehicle (particularly the passengers). The light source 3 is provided on the product-side mounting portion 1 and illuminates the interior of the vehicle (particularly the passengers). The light source 3 emits light having, for example, an infrared wavelength. 【0018】 FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the product-side mounting portion 1. The product-side mounting portion 1 has a first stepped portion 9 and a second stepped portion 10. The camera 2 is provided on the first stepped portion 9. The light source 3 is provided on the second stepped portion 10. 【0019】 The shielding member 4 is a material that transmits light emitted from the light source 3 and is provided on the product-side mounting portion 1 so as to cover the camera 2 and the light source 3. Furthermore, the shielding member 4 is made of a material with low visible light transmittance, visually shielding the camera 2 so that it is not visible to the occupants. This prevents occupants from feeling that they are being watched by the occupant monitoring camera. 【0020】 Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the shielding member 4. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view AA of Figure 3. The shielding member 4 has a transparent member 5 through which light emitted from the light source 3 is transmitted, and an opaque member 6 through which light emitted from the light source 3 is not transmitted. The opaque member 6 is provided between the outer stepped portion of the shielding member 4 and the first stepped portion 9 and the second stepped portion 10 in the product-side mounting portion 1. 【0021】 Specifically, at the stepped portion on the outer periphery of the shielding member 4, the opaque member 6 is provided inside the transparent member 5. Furthermore, the opaque member 6 is provided so as to separate the first stepped portion 9 and the second stepped portion 10. 【0022】 The non-transparent member 6 may be provided either on the outer stepped portion of the shielding member 4, or between the first stepped portion 9 and the second stepped portion 10 in the product-side mounting portion 1. 【0023】 <Mechanism by which shielding member 4 prevents the generation of stray light> When two materials are joined together, the reflectivity of the interface between them is determined by the refractive indices of each material (according to Fresnel's relation). 【0024】 Figures 5 and 6 illustrate the reflection and transmission of light. In Figure 5, the refractive index n1 of the first material 11 and the refractive index n2 of the second material 12 are approximately the same. In Figure 6, the refractive index n4 of the fourth material 14 is higher than the refractive index n3 of the third material 13. 【0025】 As shown in Figure 5, when the refractive index n1 of the first material 11 and the refractive index n2 of the second material 12 are approximately the same, light incident from the first material 11 side enters the second material 12 with almost no reflection at the bonding interface. The first material 11 and the second material 12 are, for example, PC (polycarbonate) base materials or acrylic base materials. When the same base materials are bonded together, the difference in refractive index becomes small, so light is hardly reflected at the bonding interface. 【0026】 On the other hand, as shown in Figure 6, when the refractive index n4 of the fourth material 14 is higher than the refractive index n3 of the third material 13, light incident from the fourth material 14 side is reflected with almost no impact on the third material 13. 【0027】 Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating light absorption. In Figure 7, the refractive index n5 of the transparent material 15 and the refractive index n6 of the opaque material 16 are approximately the same. The transparent material 15 has the property of transmitting light, and the opaque material 16 has the property of not transmitting light. As shown in Figure 7, light incident from the transparent material 15 side is incident on the opaque material 16 with almost no reflection at the bonding interface. Then, the light incident on the opaque material 16 is attenuated inside the opaque material 16. In other words, the light incident on the opaque material 16 is absorbed by the opaque material 16. By utilizing these properties, light emitted from the light source 3, which is the cause of stray light, or light incident from the outside, can be blocked by the opaque material 16. 【0028】 Specifically, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the non-transparent member 6 is provided inside the transparent member 5 at the stepped outer periphery of the shielding member 4. Therefore, at the stepped outer periphery near the light source 3, the light emitted from the light source 3 is absorbed by the non-transparent member 6 (corresponding to the non-transparent material 16 in Figure 7), thus preventing the generation of stray light as shown in Figure 15. Furthermore, at the stepped outer periphery, not only the light emitted from the light source 3 but also the light incident from the outside is absorbed by the non-transparent member 6, thus preventing the generation of stray light. 【0029】 Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the opaque member 6 is provided to separate the first stepped section 9 and the second stepped section 10. Therefore, not only the light emitted from the light source 3 but also the light incident from the outside is absorbed by the opaque member 6, thus preventing the generation of stray light. 【0030】 <Camera 2's field of view> Figure 8 shows the required and unnecessary angles of view when camera 2 is taking pictures. The angle of view that camera 2 can capture includes the required angle of view 17 and the unnecessary angle of view 18. The required angle of view 17 is the angle of view that camera 2 needs to capture the occupants of the vehicle. When camera 2 captures the occupants, the occupants are included within the required angle of view 17, but not within the unnecessary angle of view 18. 【0031】 <Irradiation range of light source 3> Figure 9 shows the areas where illumination by light emitted from light source 3 is necessary and unnecessary. The area illuminated by light emitted from light source 3 includes the necessary illumination area 19 and the unnecessary illumination area 20. The necessary illumination area 19 is the area necessary for light source 3 to illuminate the vehicle occupants. When light emitted from light source 3 illuminates the occupants, the occupants are included within the necessary illumination area 19, but not within the unnecessary illumination area 20. 【0032】 <Use of crew monitoring cameras> Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the use of the occupant monitoring camera according to the embodiment. When camera 2 photographs the occupants, the occupants are included within the required field of view 17. At this time, light is emitted from light source 3, and the occupants are included within the required illumination range 19. In the example of Figure 10, a portion of the unwanted illumination range 20 of the light emitted from light source 3 overlaps with the outer stepped portion of shielding member 4, but the light irradiated onto the outer stepped portion is absorbed by the non-transparent member 6. 【0033】 <Interface width required for an opaque material to absorb light> Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating the dimensional relationship between the transparent member 21 and the opaque members 22 and 23. In Figure 11, the interface width (length of the joint interface) between the opaque member 22 and the transparent member 21 is shorter than the thickness of the transparent member 21. Also, the interface width between the opaque member 23 and the transparent member 21 is more than twice the thickness of the transparent member 21. The arrows shown within the transparent member 21 indicate the propagation of light emitted from the light source 3, and the cross marks indicate the locations where light irradiates the opaque members 22 and 23. 【0034】 For an opaque member to absorb light, the interface width between the transparent and opaque members with respect to the direction of light propagation is important. In the example in Figure 11, the opaque member 23 can absorb more light than the opaque member 22. In other words, by making the interface width between the opaque and transparent members at least twice the thickness of the transparent member, light can be effectively absorbed by the opaque member. 【0035】 <Method for joining the transparent member 5 and the opaque member 6> Possible methods for joining the transparent member 5 and the opaque member 6 include multi-color molding, welding, or adhesive bonding. In the case of adhesive bonding, the presence of air or impurities at the bonding interface increases the reflectivity of the bonding interface; therefore, the light absorption effect can be enhanced by applying a primer to improve wettability. 【0036】 <Prevention of molding defects associated with multi-color molding> When joining a transparent member 5 and an opaque member 6 by multi-color molding, there is a concern that molding defects (sink marks) will occur as the interface width or the height of the opaque member 6 increases. To prevent such molding defects, the opaque member may be shaped like a U-shape (see Figure 12), like the opaque member 24, or like a strip (see Figure 13), rather than a rectangular shape (see Figure 3), like the opaque member 6. When using a strip shape like the opaque member 25, the light absorption effect can be further enhanced by varying the spacing between at least some of the adjacent strips rather than keeping all of them the same. 【0037】 <Materials for the transparent member 5 and the opaque member 6> The materials used for the transparent member 5 and the opaque member 6 have similar refractive indices, as this reduces the reflectivity of the bonding interface, thus increasing the effectiveness of preventing stray light (see Figure 7). 【0038】 Furthermore, even if the refractive index of the non-transparent member 6 is made higher than that of the transparent member 5, the effect of preventing stray light is enhanced (see Figure 6). 【0039】 <Effects> The occupant monitoring camera according to this embodiment includes a shielding member 4 having a transparent member 5 and an opaque member 6. The opaque member 6 is provided between the stepped portion on the outer periphery of the shielding member 4 and the first stepped portion 9 and the second stepped portion 10 of the product-side mounting portion 1. With this configuration, the opaque member 6 absorbs the light emitted from the light source 3, thereby preventing the generation of stray light. 【0040】 Furthermore, the occupant monitoring camera according to this embodiment does not require the light-shielding member 27 found in the occupant monitoring camera according to the related technology (see Figure 14), thus contributing to a smaller product size and reducing the constraints on the placement of the occupant monitoring camera. 【0041】 Thus, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the generation of stray light and improve the aesthetic appearance. 【0042】 It should be noted that the embodiments may be modified or omitted as appropriate within the scope of this disclosure. 【0043】 <Note> The various aspects of this disclosure are summarized below as an appendix. 【0044】 (Note 1) Mounting part for attachment to the vehicle, A camera provided at the mounting portion for photographing the interior of the vehicle, A light source provided in the mounting portion for illuminating the interior of the vehicle, A shielding member provided on the mounting portion so as to cover the camera and the light source, Equipped with, The mounting portion has a first stepped portion for mounting the camera and a second stepped portion for mounting the light source. The shielding member is a crew monitoring camera having a transparent member through which light emitted from the light source is transmitted and an opaque member through which the light is not transmitted. 【0045】 (Note 2) The occupant monitoring camera according to Appendix 1, wherein the non-transparent member is provided on the outer peripheral stepped portion of the shielding member and at least one of the space between the first stepped portion and the second stepped portion. 【0046】 (Note 3) The occupant monitoring camera according to Appendix 1 or 2, wherein the non-transparent member is provided on the inside of the transparent member at the outer peripheral stepped portion of the shielding member. 【0047】 (Note 4) The occupant monitoring camera according to any one of the appendices 1 to 3, wherein the non-transparent member is provided to separate the first stepped portion and the second stepped portion. [Explanation of symbols] 【0048】 1 Product-side mounting part, 2 Camera, 3 Light source, 4 Shielding member, 5 Transmitting member, 6 Opaque member, 7 Vehicle-side mounting part, 8 Interior part, 9 First step section, 10 Second step section, 11 First material, 12 Second material, 13 Third material, 14 Fourth material, 15 Transmitting material, 16 Opaque material, 17 Required field of view, 18 Unnecessary field of view, 19 Required illumination range, 20 Unnecessary illumination range, 21 Transmitting member, 22 Opaque member, 23 Opaque member, 24 Opaque member, 25 Opaque member, 26 Shielding member, 27 Light-shielding member.

Claims

[Claim 1] Mounting part for attachment to the vehicle, A camera provided at the mounting portion for photographing the interior of the vehicle, A light source provided in the mounting portion for illuminating the interior of the vehicle, A shielding member provided on the mounting portion so as to cover the camera and the light source, Equipped with, The mounting portion has a first stepped portion for mounting the camera and a second stepped portion for mounting the light source. The shielding member is a crew monitoring camera having a transparent member through which light emitted from the light source is transmitted and an opaque member through which the light is not transmitted. [Claim 2] The occupant monitoring camera according to claim 1, wherein the non-transparent member is provided on at least one of the outer peripheral stepped portion of the shielding member and between the first stepped portion and the second stepped portion. [Claim 3] The occupant monitoring camera according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the non-transparent member is provided on the inside of the transparent member at the outer peripheral stepped portion of the shielding member. [Claim 4] The occupant monitoring camera according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the non-transparent member is provided to separate the first stepped portion and the second stepped portion.

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