Heater Control System

Abstract

To provide a heater control system that does not incur excess power consumption in a vehicle or a decrease in the imaging performance of an onboard camera due to the fact that the heat generation temperature of a heater unit of the camera is properly controlled in response to the outside air temperature.SOLUTION: A control unit 400 of a heater control system 500 applies a prescribed high voltage to a heater unit 20 when a sensor 200 indicates at the time input of a heater switch 300 is accepted that the outside air temperature is less than a prescribed temperature, and applies a prescribed low voltage to the heater unit 20 when the sensor 200 indicates at the time input of the heater switch 300 is accepted that the outside air temperature is higher than or equal to the prescribed temperature.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a heater control system. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, vehicles are equipped with cameras, and images captured by the on-board cameras are used for functions such as automatic braking and automatic driving. These functions control the running of the vehicle, and a deterioration in the imaging function of the on-board camera may lead to the occurrence of an accident or the like.

[0003] In an in-vehicle camera, the lens (first lens) closest to the object is exposed to the outside, so snow may adhere to the front surface (surface on the object side) of the first lens when it snows. In addition, when the outside air temperature falls below freezing, the front surface of the first lens 1 may freeze, and frost or ice may adhere to the lens. In addition, condensation may occur on the first lens 1 due to the temperature difference with the outside air, causing the lens to become cloudy. In such cases, the image captured by the in-vehicle camera becomes unclear, leading to a decrease in the imaging performance of the camera. For this reason, there is a demand for the development of an in-vehicle camera equipped with a snow melting function and a function to eliminate cloudiness. Patent Document 1 discloses a camera that is equipped with a CCD that generates heat when in operation and a fan that circulates air inside the camera, with the aim of preventing condensation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-10983 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, when a heater unit is provided inside a camera for the purpose of defrosting or defogging the lens, the temperature of the heater unit required for removing snow and frost is different from the temperature of the heater unit required for defogging, and if these are not appropriately controlled, the heater unit may heat up more than necessary or the amount of heat generated by the heater unit may be insufficient. That is, even if you want to remove the fog, the heater unit may heat up to a temperature at which frost can be removed, and in this case, the power consumption of the heater unit may increase, which may cause problems such as the consumption of the vehicle battery. Also, if you want to remove the frost, but the heater unit is only heated to a temperature at which frost can be removed, the frost may not be removed sufficiently even after a certain time has passed, and the captured image may become unclear.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a heater control system that appropriately controls the heat generation temperature of the heater section of the camera according to the outside air temperature, thereby preventing unnecessary power consumption in the vehicle and preventing a decrease in the imaging performance of the in-vehicle camera. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the heater control system of the present invention is mounted on a vehicle, a camera having a heater unit for heating a lens located closest to an object among a plurality of lenses arranged inside a lens barrel; A sensor for detecting an outside air temperature of the vehicle; A heater switch that accepts input operations; A control unit that controls a voltage applied to the heater unit, The control unit is characterized in that when the control unit receives an input from the heater switch, if the sensor indicates that the outside air temperature is below a predetermined temperature, it applies a predetermined high voltage to the heater unit, and when the control unit receives an input from the heater switch, if the sensor indicates that the outside air temperature is above a predetermined temperature, it applies a predetermined low voltage to the heater unit.

[0008] According to this configuration, when the control unit receives the input of the heater switch, if the sensor indicates that the outside air temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature, the control unit applies a predetermined high voltage to the heater unit, and when the control unit receives the input of the heater switch, if the sensor indicates that the outside air temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, the control unit applies a predetermined low voltage to the heater unit, so that the heating temperature of the heater unit of the camera is appropriately controlled according to the outside air temperature. That is, when it is desired to remove fog from the lens, the heater unit generates heat to a temperature at which the fog can be removed and heats the lens (first lens) located closest to the object, and when it is desired to remove frost from the lens, the heater unit generates heat to a temperature at which the frost can be removed and heats the first lens. This makes it possible to prevent unnecessary power consumption in the vehicle and a decrease in the imaging performance of the vehicle-mounted camera.

[0009] In addition, in the above configuration of the present invention, the control unit is characterized in that it stops application of the specified high voltage when a first predetermined time has elapsed, and stops application of the specified low voltage when a second predetermined time has elapsed.

[0010] According to this configuration, the control unit stops applying the predetermined high voltage when the first predetermined time has elapsed, and stops applying the predetermined low voltage when the second predetermined time has elapsed. By configuring the heater unit to stop generating heat when the predetermined time has elapsed, it is possible to reduce unnecessary power consumption and prevent the vehicle battery from being worn down.

[0011] In addition, in the configuration of the present invention, the control unit changes the lengths of the first and second predetermined times depending on the operating state of other devices mounted on the vehicle. According to this configuration, the control unit changes the lengths of the first and second predetermined times depending on the operating state of other devices mounted on the vehicle. For example, when the power consumption of the other devices is large, the control unit sets the first and second predetermined times to be shorter. This makes it possible to prevent the battery from running out due to excessive power consumption in the vehicle.

[0012] In the above-mentioned configuration of the present invention, the heater section is made of ceramics having a self-temperature control function. With this configuration, the heater section has a self-temperature control function, i.e., a function in which the resistance value increases when the temperature rises and reaches a predetermined temperature, so that a constant temperature can be maintained without ON / OFF control.

[0013] In the above-mentioned configuration of the present invention, the camera includes a wiring portion connected to the heater portion and a through hole formed in the lens barrel along the axial direction, and the wiring portion is drawn out to the image side through the through hole. According to this configuration, since the wiring portion is drawn out to the image side through the through hole of the lens barrel provided along the axial direction, it is possible to prevent the problem of deterioration of sealing property that occurs when the wiring portion is drawn out to the image side through the outer periphery of the lens barrel. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, the heat generation temperature of the heater unit of the camera is appropriately controlled in accordance with the outside air temperature, thereby preventing excess power consumption in the vehicle and a decrease in the imaging performance of the vehicle-mounted camera. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a heater control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the lens unit of the camera taken along the axial direction. [Diagram 3] 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the control unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram for explaining the control by the control unit according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the operation of the heater switch and the voltage applied to the heater unit of the camera in chronological order. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a heater control system 500 according to the present embodiment. Heater control system 500 is mounted on a vehicle and includes camera 100, sensor 200, heater switch 300, and control unit 400. Although the following describes a case where sensor 200 and control unit 400 are provided separately from camera 100, one or both of sensor 200 and control unit 400 may be configured integrally with camera 100.

[0017] (Camera 100) Camera 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is an axial cross-sectional view of lens unit 101 used in camera 100. Camera 100 includes at least lens unit 101 and an imaging element (not shown) arranged on the image side of lens unit 101, constituting a camera module. This camera module constitutes camera 100. An example of camera 100 is a rearview camera mounted on a side mirror of a vehicle to capture an image behind the vehicle.

[0018] The lens unit 101 includes a lens barrel 10, a first lens 1, a second lens 2, a third lens 3, a fourth lens 4, an optical filter 5, an aperture 6, a seal member 8, a wiring section 9, and a heater section 20. In the lens unit 101, an optical filter 5 is disposed at an end on the image side (image forming side) where the first lens 1, the second lens 2, the third lens 3, and the fourth lens 4 form an image. Also, an imaging element is disposed on the image side of the lens unit 101, facing the optical filter 5. This imaging element captures an image formed by the first lens 1 to the fourth lens 4.

[0019] Lens unit 101 is disposed so that the end opposite to the image side, i.e., the end on the object side, faces the subject to be imaged. Lens unit 101 forms an image of the object on the image side. Lens unit 101 constitutes a camera module together with an image sensor, a camera case, a substrate, a signal processing circuit, a flexible wiring sheet, and a connector (none of which are shown).

[0020] The camera module operates as follows. Light incident from the object side is incident on the image sensor via the lens group of the lens unit 101. The image sensor converts the incident image into an electrical signal. The signal processing circuit performs signal processing (A / D conversion, image correction processing, etc.) on the electrical signal from the image sensor. The electrical signal output from the signal processing circuit is output to an external electronic device via a flexible wiring sheet and a connector.

[0021] The lens barrel 10 is a cylindrical member made of resin. The first lens 1 is a substantially circular glass lens, and the second lens 2 to the fourth lens 4 are substantially circular glass or resin lenses. The first lens 1 to the fourth lens 4 are arranged inside the lens barrel 10 with their respective optical axes aligned. The first lens 1 to the fourth lens 4 are positioned in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction by their outer circumferential surfaces abutting against the inner circumferential surface of the lens barrel 10. The optical filter 5 is, for example, an infrared cut filter formed in a circular shape. The optical filter 5 is arranged for the purpose of removing a specific frequency component. The optical filter 5 is fixed to the end face on the image side of the lens barrel 10, for example, by adhesive. As the adhesive, an ultraviolet curing resin or the like is used. The diaphragm 6 is an annular member made of, for example, metal. This diaphragm 6 is disposed between the lenses inside the lens barrel 10. The diaphragm 6 may be an aperture diaphragm that limits the amount of transmitted light and determines the F-number, which is an index of brightness, or a light blocking diaphragm that blocks light rays that cause ghosts and light rays that cause aberrations.

[0022] A support portion 10a that protrudes radially inward and has an annular shape when viewed from the axial direction is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the lens barrel 10 closest to the image. The image-side surface of the outer periphery of the fourth lens 4 abuts against this support portion 10a. The outer periphery of the lens refers to a portion (flange portion) formed on the outer periphery side of the effective diameter of the lens. Furthermore, crimped portion 10b is provided at the end of lens barrel 10 closest to the object side. Crimped portion 10b is formed by crimping after components are accommodated inside lens barrel 10. The inner diameter of crimped portion 10b is smaller than the outer diameter of first lens 1. The inner peripheral surface of crimped portion 10b abuts against the outer peripheral portion of the object side surface of first lens 1. The components housed inside the lens barrel 10 are supported by being sandwiched between the support portion 10a and the crimped portion 10b, so that no gaps are formed between the components.

[0023] A tapered portion 1a having an outer diameter smaller than that of the object-side outer peripheral surface is formed on the image-side outer peripheral surface of the first lens 1. An O-ring is disposed between this tapered portion 1a and the inner peripheral surface of the lens barrel 10 as a seal member 8. This seal member 8 is made of, for example, rubber so as to be elastically deformable, and is disposed in a compressed (pressed) state between the first lens 1 and the lens barrel 10 to seal the gap at the object-side end of the lens unit 101 and prevent water, dust, and the like from entering the inside of the lens barrel 10. A brim-like flange portion 10c that protrudes radially outward is provided around the entire circumference at approximately the center in the axial direction of the outer circumferential surface of the lens barrel 10. A camera case is arranged on the object side surface of this flange portion 10c with an O-ring interposed as a sealing member.

[0024] The heater section 20 is an annular (donut-shaped) ceramic heater or a transparent conductive film (ITO film) and is formed with a predetermined thickness. The heater section 20 is sandwiched and disposed between the image side surface of the flange section of the first lens 1 and the object side surface of the flange section of the second lens 2. The flange section is a portion formed on the outer periphery side of the lens effective diameter, and in this embodiment, the image side surface of the flange section of the first lens 1 and the object side surface of the flange section of the second lens 2 are both flat. The heater section 20 is formed with an inner diameter that does not affect the imaging performance of the lens unit 101.

[0025] The heater section 20 is connected to the wiring section 9, and power is supplied to the heater section 20 via the wiring section 9. The heater section 20 generates heat when power is supplied to the heater section 20. When the heater section 20 generates heat, the first lens 1 is heated, and the temperature of the first lens 1 increases. When the temperature of the first lens 1 reaches a first predetermined temperature, defogging (removal of fog) is achieved. That is, fog, condensation, etc. on the first lens 1 are removed. When the temperature of the first lens 1 reaches a second predetermined temperature, defrosting (removal of frost) is achieved. That is, frost, snow, ice, etc. attached to the first lens 1 are removed.

[0026] The heater section 20 may be made of ceramics mainly composed of barium titanate and have PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) characteristics. The PTC characteristics are a characteristic that has a Curie temperature (Curie point), and when the temperature exceeds the Curie temperature, the crystal system undergoes a phase transition from the previous tetragonal system to a cubic system, and the electrical resistance value rises sharply. The heater section 20 having the PTC characteristics detects the ambient temperature, and when the temperature exceeds the Curie temperature, the resistance increases sharply and the flowing current is reduced. The Curie temperature (Curie point) is defined as the temperature at which the resistance value is twice the resistance value at 25°C. The PTC characteristics can also be said to be a self-temperature control function. When the heater section 20 has the PTC characteristics, it can maintain a constant temperature without controlling ON / OFF. The Curie point of the heater section 20 is preferably within the range of 80°C to 120°C. In other words, it is preferable that the heater section 20 is configured such that the electrical resistance value rises sharply between 80°C and 120°C.

[0027] A conductor wire (lead wire) is used as the wiring section 9. The wiring section 9 is provided to supply power from the outside to the heater section 20. One end of the wiring section 9 is connected (joined) to the heater section 20 by soldering or the like, and the other end is connected to the control section 400. The other end may be connected to the control section 400 via another member. The conductor wire is a metal wire for passing an electric current, and is covered with, for example, PVC (polyvinyl chloride). The lens barrel 10 is provided with a through hole 10d for leading two conductor wires (for positive electrode and negative electrode) as the wiring section 9 to the image side on the inner periphery side of the lens barrel 10 in parallel with the axial direction. The through hole 10d is formed in two places corresponding to the two conductor wires, and has a circular shape (round hole) with a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the conductor wires. By passing wiring portion 9 through the inside of the lens barrel in this way, it is possible to prevent the problem of a decrease in the sealing performance of seal member 8 that occurs when wiring portion 9 is routed to the image side through the outer periphery of lens barrel 10. The wiring section 9 is a flexible printed circuit board (FPC). When an FPC is used as the wiring portion 9, the through hole 10d is formed in an arc shape with a size corresponding to the width and thickness of the FPC. Furthermore, the heater section 20 need not be a ceramic heater, but may be a flexible printed wiring board with a heater circuit formed from an organic paint having a PTC function, or a heater circuit formed by screen printing lead silver chloride and forming a thermistor chip having a PTC function on the circuit, or a heater circuit formed by etching a composite film of polyimide film and copper foil. The Curie temperature of the heater section 20 having the thermistor chip is defined as the heater circuit, thermistor circuit (wiring), and thermistor chip as a whole. When the temperature starts from room temperature (25°C) and rises above a certain value, the resistance value begins to increase rapidly, and the temperature at which the resistance becomes twice that at 25°C is defined as the Curie temperature. This value is preferably within the range of 80°C to 120°C.

[0028] (Sensor 200) The sensor 200 can detect the outside air temperature of the vehicle, and when it detects that the outside air temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature Te, it outputs a signal indicating that to the control unit 400. In this embodiment, the predetermined temperature Te is set to 0°C, and when the sensor 200 detects that the outside air temperature is equal to or higher than 0°C, it outputs a signal indicating that the temperature is equal to or higher than 0°C to the control unit 400. However, this predetermined temperature Te can be set appropriately. The sensor 200 may be mounted at a predetermined location on the vehicle, but when the camera 100 is a camera used in a side mirror of the vehicle, for example, it is preferable that the sensor 200 is disposed in the vicinity of the camera. The output signal of the sensor 200 may be the outside air temperature (for example, a numerical value).

[0029] (Heater Switch 300) The heater switch 300 can receive an input operation. The heater switch 300 is, for example, a momentary or alternate type push switch, and when pressed to an ON state, outputs an ON signal to the control unit 400. The heater switch 300 is disposed in a position where it can be operated by the driver of the vehicle, for example, on the instrument panel of the vehicle.

[0030] (Control unit 400) The control unit 400 is mounted at a predetermined location in the vehicle, and controls the application of voltage to the heater unit 20 of the camera 100. The control unit 400 may be provided in a body control ECU of the vehicle. The operation of the control unit 400 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 3. It is assumed that at the start of this flowchart, the engine is running and the heater switch 300 is in a state capable of accepting an operation. First, the control unit 400 determines whether or not an ON signal has been received from the heater switch 300 (step ST1). If the control unit 400 determines that an ON signal has been received from the heater switch 300 (step ST1: YES), the control unit 400 proceeds to processing in step ST2. On the other hand, if the control unit 400 determines that an ON signal has not been received from the heater switch 300 (step ST1: NO), the control unit 400 repeats the processing in step ST1.

[0031] Next, the control unit 400 judges whether or not a signal indicating that the temperature is 0° C. or higher is acquired from the sensor 200 (step ST2). When the control unit 400 judges that a signal indicating that the temperature is 0° C. or higher is acquired from the sensor 200 (step ST2: YES), that is, when the sensor 200 indicates that the outside air temperature is 0° C. or higher, the control unit 400 controls the circuit so that a predetermined low voltage is applied to the heater unit 20 for a second predetermined time T2 [min] (step ST3). The control of the circuit will be described later. The predetermined low voltage is, for example, 4 [V], and when the predetermined low voltage is applied to the heater unit 20, the first lens 1 is heated to a temperature at which defog (fogging removal) is realized. The second predetermined time T2 is, for example, about 2 [min]. When the second predetermined time T2 has elapsed, the control unit 400 stops applying the predetermined low voltage and returns to the process of step ST1. By configuring the heater unit 20 to stop generating heat after the second predetermined time T2 has elapsed, it is possible to reduce excess power consumption and prevent the vehicle battery from being worn down. When the sensor 200 is used to output an outside air temperature (e.g., a numerical value) as an output signal, the control unit 400 determines in step ST2 whether the output of the sensor 200 is equal to or higher than 0°C.

[0032] On the other hand, when the control unit 400 determines that it has not received a signal indicating that the temperature is 0° C. or higher from the sensor 200 (step ST2: NO), that is, when the sensor 200 detects a temperature lower than 0° C. (when the sensor 200 indicates that the outside air temperature is lower than 0° C.), it controls the circuit so that a predetermined high voltage is applied to the heater unit 20 for a first predetermined time T1 [min] (step ST4). The predetermined high voltage is, for example, 8 [V], and when the predetermined high voltage is applied to the heater unit 20, the first lens 1 is heated to a temperature at which defrosting (removal of frost) is realized. In addition, the first predetermined time T1 is, for example, about 1 [min]. When the first predetermined time T1 has elapsed, the control unit 400 stops applying the predetermined high voltage and returns to the process of step ST1. By configuring the heater unit 20 to stop generating heat when the first predetermined time T1 has elapsed, it is possible to suppress excess power consumption and prevent the vehicle battery from being worn down.

[0033] Next, the circuit control by the control unit 400 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. When the heater switch 300 is in the ON state, it outputs "1", and when it is in the OFF state, it outputs "0". When the sensor 200 detects that the temperature is 0°C or higher, it turns the switch ON and outputs "1", and when it detects that the temperature is less than 0°C, it turns the switch OFF and outputs "0".

[0034] (When the outside temperature is 0°C or higher and the heater switch 300 is operated) The heater switch 300 outputs “1”, the OR circuit 401 outputs “1”, and “1” is input to the AND circuit 403 and the AND circuit 404. In addition, the sensor 200 outputs “1”, the NOT circuit 402 outputs “0”, and “0” is input to the AND circuit 403. A "1" and a "0" are input to the AND circuit 403, a "0" is output from the AND circuit 403, and a "0" is input to the timer 451. The timer 451 to which "0" is input does not operate. In other words, the switch 491 does not turn ON. Meanwhile, "0" output from AND circuit 403 is input to NOR circuit 405, "1" is output from NOR circuit 405, "1" and "1" are input to AND circuit 404, "1" is output from AND circuit 404, and "1" is input to timer 452. Timer 452 to which "1" is input controls so that a current flows through transistor 472 for T2 [min]. When a current flows through transistor 472, a switch 492 is turned ON by the generation of a magnetic field in coil 482, and a voltage (a predetermined low voltage) is output via resistor 499.

[0035] (When the outside temperature is below 0°C and the heater switch 300 is operated) The heater switch 300 outputs “1”, the OR circuit 401 outputs “1”, and the “1” is input to the AND circuit 403 and the AND circuit 404. In addition, the sensor 200 outputs “0”, the NOT circuit 402 outputs “1”, and the “1” is input to the AND circuit 403. "1" and "1" are input to AND circuit 403, "1" is output from AND circuit 403, and "1" is input to timer 451. Timer 451 to which "1" is input controls transistor 471 so that current flows for T1 [min]. When current flows through transistor 471, switch 491 is turned ON due to generation of a magnetic field in coil 481, and a voltage (predetermined high voltage) not passing through resistor 499 is output. On the other hand, the "1" output from the AND circuit 403 is input to the NOR circuit 405, which outputs "0", "1" and "0" are input to the AND circuit 404, which outputs "0", and "0" is input to the timer 452. The timer 452 to which "0" has been input does not operate. In other words, the switch 492 does not turn ON. A PTC for overcurrent protection may be disposed at part X shown in FIG.

[0036] Next, the relationship between the operation of the heater switch 300 and the voltage applied to the heater section 20 will be described in chronological order with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 5(a), when the outside air temperature is below 0° C., when the heater switch 300 is turned ON, a predetermined high voltage is applied to the heater section 20 for a period T1. As shown in Fig. 5(b), when the outside air temperature is 0°C or higher, when the heater switch 300 is turned OFF, a predetermined low voltage is applied to the heater unit 20 for T2. Note that, although Fig. 5 shows that T2 is longer than T1, this is not the only possible case, and T1 and T2 can be set appropriately depending on the relationship between the applied voltage and the amount of heat generation. Furthermore, the control unit 400 may change T1 and T2 according to the operating state (power consumption state) of other devices in the vehicle. Examples of other devices include an air conditioner, audio, wipers, and power windows. The control unit 400 acquires information indicating the operating state of the other devices, and sets T1 and T2 to shorter times when the load (power consumption) is large. This makes it possible to prevent the battery from running out due to excessive power consumption in the vehicle.

[0037] In this heater control system 500, when the control unit 400 receives an input from the heater switch 300 and the sensor 200 indicates that the outside air temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature, the control unit 400 applies a predetermined high voltage to the heater unit 20, and when the control unit 400 receives an input from the heater switch 300 and the sensor 200 indicates that the outside air temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, the control unit 400 applies a predetermined low voltage to the heater unit 20. Therefore, the heat generation temperature of the heater unit 20 of the camera 100 is appropriately controlled according to the outside air temperature. This makes it possible to prevent unnecessary power consumption in the vehicle and a decrease in the imaging performance of the vehicle-mounted camera. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1 Heater control system 1,2,3,4 Lens 9 Wiring section 10. Telescope tube 10d through hole 20 Heater section 100 Cameras 200 Sensors 300 Heater Switch 400 Control section

Claims

1. A heater control system installed in a vehicle having an engine, The heater control system includes: a camera having a heater unit for heating a lens located closest to an object among a plurality of lenses arranged inside a lens barrel; A sensor for detecting an outside air temperature of the vehicle; a heater switch that receives an input operation by a user and drives the heater unit based on the input operation; A control unit that controls a voltage applied to the heater unit, the heater switch is capable of accepting the input operation by a user while the engine is running, The control unit is When the input of the heater switch is received, if the sensor indicates that the outside air temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature, a predetermined high voltage is applied to the heater unit, and when a first predetermined time has elapsed, the application of the predetermined high voltage is stopped; When the input of the heater switch is received, if the sensor indicates that the outside air temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, a predetermined low voltage is applied to the heater unit, and when a second predetermined time has elapsed, the application of the predetermined low voltage is stopped; The control unit is capable of setting the lengths of the first predetermined time and the second predetermined time to be short in accordance with the power consumption of other devices mounted on the vehicle. A heater control system comprising:

2. 2. The heater control system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is capable of setting the second predetermined time for applying the predetermined low voltage to a time longer than the first predetermined time for applying the predetermined high voltage.

3. 3. The heater control system according to claim 1, wherein the heater portion is made of ceramics having a self-temperature control function.

4. The camera includes: A wiring portion connected to the heater portion; a through hole formed in the lens barrel along an axial direction, 4. The heater control system according to claim 1, wherein the wiring portion is led out to an image side through the through hole.

Images