Front camera

Abstract

A front camera (102) for a motor vehicle (100), comprising a sensor unit (200) having a camera chip (201) and an optical unit (202, 906) for acquiring image data (205), an interface unit (210, 414, 416, 418) for providing ultrasonic and / or radar data (212), and an evaluation unit (208) for evaluating the image data and ultrasonic and / or radar data (205, 212).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a front camera, a driver assistance system, a motor vehicle, and a method for operating a front camera. [Background technology]

[0002] In Europe, it is expected that front cameras and ultrasonic sensors will become mandatory for passenger cars. Procedures for vehicle safety assessment, such as the Euro NCAP protocol, also require radar sensors if the vehicle in question is to be given a high safety standard.

[0003] Current vehicle architectures typically provide multiple separate control units to control different sensor types, and such an approach tends to be costly due to the large number of components and associated assembly processes.

[0004] As a result, efforts are being made to unify vehicle architectures. For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0236660 discloses an emergency braking system that includes a control unit 40 (shown in FIG. 2) connected to an ultrasonic sensor 10, a camera 20, and a radar sensor 30 for transmitting signals. The control unit 40 evaluates these signals and performs emergency braking action if necessary.

[0005] A further approach for integrating functions into a control unit is known from German Patent Application No. 102017121302, which describes a reversing assistance system, particularly for commercial vehicles. The reversing assistance system comprises, on the one hand, a control unit that wirelessly receives and evaluates sensor signals. On the other hand, the control unit is designed to evaluate vehicle-related data independently of the sensor signals. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] US Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 0236660 [Patent Document 2] German Patent Application Publication No. 102017121302 Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] Against this background, the object of the present invention is to provide an improved approach, in particular with regard to the integration of driver assistance functions.

[0008] According to a first aspect, there is provided a front camera for a motor vehicle, the front camera comprising: a sensor unit having a camera chip and an optical unit for acquiring image data; an interface unit for providing ultrasonic and / or radar data; an evaluation unit for evaluating the image data and the ultrasound and / or radar data; Equipped with.

[0009] As already mentioned in the introduction, passenger cars in the future will be equipped as standard with both a front camera and an ultrasonic and / or radar sensor (also referred to herein as an "ultrasonic / radar sensor unit"). According to this approach, the evaluation unit of the front camera now evaluates both the image data and the ultrasonic and / or radar data. This allows saving or simplification of hardware, at least for the evaluation.

[0010] Another advantage is that front cameras are factory-equipped with powerful processors for processing image data. This computing power can also be used to evaluate ultrasonic and / or radar data. This offers significant cost advantages, especially for lower-class vehicles.

[0011] The sensor unit comprises a camera chip (also called an image sensor). For example, the camera chip may be a CMOS chip. The sensor unit comprises an optical unit, in particular a lens and / or an objective lens (e.g., a plurality of lenses, possibly including a lens holder), upstream of the camera chip. The optical unit or the lens and / or the objective lens directs light from the vehicle's surroundings to the camera chip, which generates image data as a function of the intensity distribution of the incident light. For example, the camera chip may have a resolution of more than 1 megapixel or more than 5 megapixels. The camera chip may be arranged on a printed circuit board (PCB). In particular, the camera chip may be arranged on a first printed circuit board, and the evaluation unit (and / or the control unit described below) may be arranged on a second printed circuit board different from the first printed circuit board. The printed circuit board and / or the first and / or second printed circuit boards may be arranged in a housing of the front camera described below.

[0012] The interface unit preferably forms a boundary with the periphery of the front camera. Thus, ultrasonic and / or radar data generated elsewhere in the vehicle is provided via the interface unit. For example, the front camera may also have multiple interface units, each of which is or can be connected to one or more sensor units. The multiple sensor units connected to each interface unit may be one type of sensor unit or various types of sensor units. For example, some of the rear ultrasonic sensor units may be connected to a first interface unit of the front camera, and some of the front ultrasonic sensor units may be connected to a second interface unit of the front camera. Alternatively, a mixture of front and rear ultrasonic sensor units may be connected to the same interface unit of the front camera.

[0013] The evaluation unit evaluates the provided image data and the ultrasonic and / or radar data. The image data on the one hand and the ultrasonic and / or radar data on the other hand can be evaluated simultaneously and / or with a time delay. The evaluation unit can be configured to provide the corresponding evaluation results to one or more driver assistance functions. The driver assistance functions can be implemented partially or completely within the front camera or outside the front camera. Examples of driver assistance functions mentioned are emergency braking assistance, parking assistance functions (reverse and / or forward), automatic parking, pedestrian monitoring, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning functions and / or light assistance functions.

[0014] The motor vehicle may be, for example, a passenger car or a commercial vehicle.

[0015] The front camera is configured to capture an image of an area in front of the vehicle using its sensor unit. For example, the aperture angle of the image capture area in the horizontal plane may be greater than 90°, 100°, or 110°. The front camera is preferably arranged behind the windshield, preferably in the area of ​​the rearview mirror, in particular at the base of the rearview mirror.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the front camera has a housing in or on which the sensor unit, the interface unit and / or the computer unit are arranged.

[0017] The mentioned units, ideally all of them, can advantageously be assembled as a single part, which reduces the assembly effort: in particular, the camera chip can be arranged completely inside the housing and the optical unit can be arranged at least partially inside the housing.

[0018] According to another embodiment, the interface unit is configured to provide ultrasonic or radar data when the ultrasonic or radar data is generated by the daisy-chained sensor units.

[0019] In other words, the interface unit can be connected for signal transmission to daisy-chained sensor units, in particular ultrasonic sensors and / or radar sensors.

[0020] The advantage of daisy-chaining is that it is not necessary to wire all sensor units to the front camera. Rather, because the sensor units are connected in series, a single wired or wireless connection between the interface unit and the first sensor unit in the series is sufficient to connect all sensor units to the interface unit for signal transmission. This advantageously reduces cabling effort and vehicle weight, thus positively impacting the CO2 footprint. The cabling savings are particularly relevant for the preferred placement of the front camera behind the windshield at rearview mirror height. However, there, the appropriate cables for connecting the sensor units to the front camera must be routed, for example, through the A-pillars and roof, when relatively little space is available.

[0021] According to a further embodiment, the front camera comprises a control unit configured to control a number of sensor units of the motor vehicle to transmit and receive ultrasonic and / or radar signals for generating ultrasonic and / or radar data.

[0022] Ultrasonic and / or radar data (electrical signals) can be obtained from ultrasonic and / or radar signals (acoustic signals and electromagnetic waves, respectively). For example, the ultrasonic and / or radar signals can be preprocessed by the (respective) sensor units. For example, one or more sensor units can calculate signal transit times, generate time stamps, perform trilateration, and / or perform analog-to-digital or digital-to-analog conversion. For example, the number of sensor units can be 1, 2, 5, 10, or more.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the evaluation of the image data and / or ultrasound and / or radar data includes scanning the vehicle's environment, object recognition, and / or object tracking.

[0024] For example, the evaluation may detect objects such as pedestrians, other vehicles, road signs, etc. in the image data.

[0025] Depending on the sensor units used, the evaluation of ultrasonic and / or radar data can be performed such that the environment is first scanned. This includes, in particular, the aforementioned determination of the distance to an obstacle in the vehicle's environment based on the signal transit time between the emission of a transmission signal, in particular an ultrasonic transmission signal or a radar transmission signal, and the reception of an associated reflected response signal or echo signal, in particular an ultrasonic echo signal or a radar echo signal, the determination of the position of the obstacle in the vehicle's environment by trilateration of the determined distances, and the determination of the height of the obstacle in the environment based on multiple signal transit times associated with single and multiple reflections, as well as other similar features. In other variants, the aforementioned scanning, e.g., the acquisition of signal transit times, is performed at least partially within each sensor unit or for all sensor units in one or more sensor units. However, the environment can also be scanned based on image data.

[0026] The evaluation unit may also perform object recognition and / or object tracking based on the image data, ultrasound and / or radar data. For this purpose, a Bernoulli filter may be used, for example. As part of the evaluation by the evaluation unit, the image, ultrasound and / or radar data may be evaluated separately and / or together (so-called fused).

[0027] According to a further embodiment, the front camera comprises one or more processors, in particular microprocessors, and the evaluation unit and / or the control unit are implemented on the one or more microprocessors.

[0028] The evaluation unit and / or the control unit can be implemented in hardware and / or software on one or more microprocessors. For example, in a hardware-based implementation, the evaluation unit and / or the control unit can be formed by an ASIC. In a software-based implementation, the evaluation unit and / or the control unit can be provided as program code stored in a memory, such as a flash memory, a ROM, an EPROM, or an EEPROM. Alternatively, the program code can be downloaded to a volatile memory, such as a RAM, via a network connection during startup or as needed. The implementation of the evaluation unit and / or the control unit in one or more microprocessors provides for the execution of the corresponding program code by one or more microprocessors. In particular, two or more microprocessors can be provided by virtualizing a single physically existing microprocessor. The corresponding program code can then be executed by the virtualized microprocessor.

[0029] According to a further embodiment, the front camera comprises a pre-processing unit, which pre-processes the provided ultrasound signals and then provides them to the evaluation unit.

[0030] Pre-processing may include, for example, generating timestamps and assigning them to the ultrasound and / or radar data. Pre-processing may include converting (e.g., analog / digital) and / or measuring, particularly scanning, the electrical ultrasound signals (also referred to herein as "ultrasound data").

[0031] According to a further embodiment, the pre-processing unit is implemented on a microprocessor other than the evaluation unit and / or the control unit, in particular on an ASIC.

[0032] It is a simple matter to implement in the pre-processing unit certain functions that require appropriately adapted hardware. The adapted hardware allows the pre-processing steps to be performed on the data faster and / or more efficiently, as in the case of an ASIC. The pre-processing unit may further be implemented in hardware and / or software. The "other" microprocessor may also be provided as a virtualized microprocessor (software-based implementation) or as a physical microprocessor (hardware-based implementation).

[0033] According to a further embodiment, the front camera is designed to be connected by said or one or more further interface units to a first and a second number of sensor units, preferably the first and / or second numbers being different.

[0034] This advantageously allows for a scalable approach, such that the same front camera can be installed in vehicles with different equipment variants, which may provide, for example, a first or second number of driver assistance functions. For example, the first and second number of sensor units may be 1, 2, 3, 5, 10 or more in each case. The second number of sensor units may include the first number of sensor units.

[0035] According to one embodiment, the evaluation unit and / or the control unit are configured to detect whether a first number and / or a second number of sensor units are connected to the interface unit. Depending on the result, ultrasonic and / or radar data or other data, such as LIDAR data, of the detected number of sensor units are evaluated by the evaluation unit. Alternatively or additionally, the detected number of sensor units are partially or fully controlled by the control unit to generate ultrasonic and / or radar data and / or other data, such as LIDAR data. This automatic detection and the ability to allow a different number of sensor units connected to the interface unit to transmit signals further simplify the scalability of the front camera for different equipment variants of the respective vehicle.

[0036] According to further embodiments, the or further interface unit is further configured to provide driver monitoring data, GPS or cloud data and / or to connect a heating element for window defogging.

[0037] This makes it possible to provide additional driver assistance functions.

[0038] According to a further embodiment, the or further interface unit comprises a multi-pole plug, a multi-pole socket, a bus and / or an Ethernet link.

[0039] A plurality of sensor units can be easily connected for signal transmission via a multi-pole plug or socket. The bus may be, for example, a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus. Alternatively or additionally, the interface unit may include a communication module for wireless communication with multiple sensor units. For example, the communication module may communicate via WLAN or Bluetooth.

[0040] According to a second aspect, there is provided a driver assistance system for a motor vehicle, comprising: The front camera as mentioned above, a plurality of sensor units connected to the interface unit of the front camera and configured to generate ultrasonic and / or radar data from the emitted and received ultrasonic and / or radar signals; Includes:

[0041] According to one embodiment, the sensor units are coupled together in one or more daisy chains.

[0042] Preferably, the sensor units in the daisy chain are wired together. In another variation, the sensor units in the daisy chain are wirelessly connected to each other.

[0043] According to a third aspect, there is provided a motor vehicle having a front camera or driver assistance system as described above.

[0044] According to a fourth aspect, there is provided a method for operating a front camera, in particular a front camera as described above, said method comprising the following steps: acquiring image data by a sensor unit, the sensor unit comprising a camera chip and an optical unit; providing ultrasonic and / or radar data via an interface unit; and evaluating the image data and ultrasound and / or radar data using an evaluation unit.

[0045] The embodiments and features suggested for the first aspect apply mutatis mutandis to the second, third and fourth aspects, and vice versa.

[0046] As used herein, "One" or "a" does not exclude the possibility that more than one corresponding element may be provided, unless otherwise specified.

[0047] Further possible implementations of the invention also include not explicitly mentioned combinations of features or embodiments described above or below with respect to the exemplary embodiments, in which case the skilled person also adds individual aspects as improvements or additions to the respective basic aspects of the invention.

[0048] Further advantageous configurations and aspects of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims and exemplary embodiments of the invention described below. The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0049] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a vehicle according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a front camera according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a method according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram of a driver assistance system according to one embodiment; [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating variants regarding allocation of control units to microprocessors. [Figure 6] 5 shows various equipment variants including driver assistance functions enabled by the driver assistance system according to FIG. 4; [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of a method according to a further embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a front camera according to a further embodiment. [Figure 9] The front camera in Figure 8 is seen from diagonally above, showing the front camera without the housing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0050] Unless otherwise noted, identical or functionally identical elements will be designated by the same reference numbers in the drawings.

[0051] FIG. 1 shows a schematic plan view of an automobile 100, which in an exemplary embodiment is a passenger car. The automobile 100 provides one or more vehicle assistance functions, such as emergency braking and / or parking assistance. To this end, the vehicle has a front camera 102 and multiple sensor units. For example, the multiple sensor units may include a rear ultrasonic sensor unit 104 (located at the rear of the vehicle), a front ultrasonic sensor unit 106 (located at the front of the vehicle), side-mounted ultrasonic sensor units 108 and 110 (located in the rear and front lateral regions of the vehicle 100), a rear corner radar sensor unit 112, a front corner radar sensor unit 114, and a front radar sensor unit 116. In addition to the sensor units mentioned and illustrated herein, other sensor units, such as additional cameras, may also be provided additionally or alternatively.

[0052] Figure 2 shows a schematic representation of the front camera 102 of Figure 1 according to one embodiment. It comprises an optical sensor unit 200 with a camera chip 201 for acquiring image data from an environment 118 (see Figure 1) ahead of the motor vehicle 100 in the direction of travel. The sensor unit 200 further comprises an optical unit 202, in particular an objective lens with one or more lenses, which directs light 204 from the environment 118 onto the camera chip 201. The sensor unit 200 or the camera chip 201 provides image data 205 to an evaluation unit 208, which is also part of the front camera 102.

[0053] Furthermore, the front camera 102 comprises an interface unit 210 for also providing ultrasound and / or radar data 212 to the evaluation unit 208 .

[0054] The evaluation unit 208 is configured to evaluate the provided image data 206 and the provided ultrasound and / or radar data 212 .

[0055] The sensor unit 200, the interface unit 210, and the evaluation unit 208 can be accommodated in a common housing 214. The interface unit 210 is designed here, for example, as a recessed socket in the housing 214, and provides a peripheral signal transmission connection for the front camera 102. An optical unit 202, which is partially integrated into the housing 214, directs light 204 from the environment into the housing 214 toward the camera chip 201. Otherwise, the housing 214 may be substantially closed. The housing 214 may be made, for example, of plastic or metal. Particularly preferably, the housing 214 comprises one or more cooling fins for cooling one or more microprocessors of the front camera 102, in particular those in which the evaluation unit 208 is implemented. In the example of FIG. 2, a physical microprocessor 216 is provided, on which the evaluation unit 208 is implemented in software, i.e., in the form of a computer program, when the computer program is executed by the microprocessor 216.

[0056] The basic method sequence is shown in Figure 3. The sensor unit 200 acquires image data 205 in step S1. The interface unit 210 provides ultrasound and / or radar data 212 in step S2. The evaluation unit 208 evaluates the image data 205 and the ultrasound and / or radar data 212 in step S3.

[0057] FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a vehicle assistance system 400. It comprises a front camera 102 in a further embodiment and the sensor units 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, and 116 described in relation to FIG. 1. Around the front camera 102, a heating element 402 for defrosting the windshield 120 (see FIG. 1) of the automobile 100 and a human-machine interface 404, such as a navigation system, are also shown. The human-machine interface 404 can be configured to retrieve data, particularly navigation data, from a cloud 406, particularly wirelessly. The human-machine interface 404 can include, for example, a sensor unit for monitoring the driver's state. For example, a system for detecting driver drowsiness can be provided.

[0058] The ultrasonic sensor units 104, 106, 108, 110 can form multiple daisy chains, with at least two of the sensor units (which may be of the same type or different types, e.g., only the rear sensor unit 104 in a row or a mixture of the sensor units 104, 106) being connected in series with each other. Signal transmission (i.e., transmission of ultrasonic data) between the serially connected sensor units can be performed wirelessly or via wires. Thus, in an exemplary embodiment, three daisy chains 408, 410, 412 are obtained, with only the first sensor unit of one of them being connected to the interface unit 414 of the front camera 102 for signal transmission to transmit ultrasonic data. For example, for this purpose, three separate cables can be provided from the first sensor unit of each of the daisy chains 408, 410, 412 through the A, B, and / or C pillars to the front camera 102. The cables can be connected to the interface unit 414 separately or via a common multi-pole plug. Alternatively or additionally, the first sensor unit of each daisy chain 408, 410, 412 may be connected to the interface unit 414 wirelessly, for example via WLAN.

[0059] The forward radar sensor unit 116 can be connected to the interface unit 416 of the front camera 102 for transmitting radar data, for example, via a CAN bus or Ethernet. This data connection can be wired or wireless. Similarly, the corner radar sensor units 112, 114 can be connected wirelessly or wired to the interface unit 418 of the front camera 102, for example, via a CAN bus or Ethernet.

[0060] The heating element 402 is wired to the interface unit 403 of the front camera 102. The human-machine interface 404 or vehicle actuators can then be connected to the interface unit 420 via Ethernet or to the interface unit 422 of the front camera 102 via a CAN bus. This can be done wirelessly or wired.

[0061] In contrast to Fig. 2, the front camera 102 according to Fig. 4 further comprises a microcontroller 424. For example, a control unit 426 is implemented as software on the microcontroller 424. The control unit 426 is designed to control the above-mentioned units belonging to the periphery (hereinafter also referred to as peripherals 428) and / or use them to monitor and / or control communication. For example, the control unit 426 may be adapted to control the ultrasonic sensor units 104, 106, 108, 110 to send and receive respective ultrasonic signals. The ultrasonic data received from the front camera 102 via the interface unit 414 are then evaluated in the evaluation unit 208.

[0062] According to the exemplary embodiment according to Fig. 4, pre-processing of the ultrasound data is preferably performed in a pre-processing unit 430, which is implemented, for example, as an ASIC. Thus, for example, the signal waveforms provided by the ultrasound sensor units 104, 106, 108, 110 (in analog or digital form, depending on the design of the ultrasound sensor units 104, 106, 108, 110) are time-stamped, which simplifies the calculation of the signal transit time by the evaluation unit 208 from the signal waveforms and the time-stamps. Additionally or alternatively, the signal waveforms can be converted from analog to digital form on the pre-processing unit. Additionally or alternatively, the pre-processing unit can be used to scan (or generally measure) the provided signal waveforms. In this case, for example, only the conversion of mechanical ultrasound signals (echoes) into electrical ultrasound signals (also referred to as ultrasound data) is performed in the ultrasound sensor units 104, 106, 108, 110.

[0063] In addition to evaluating the ultrasonic data, the evaluation unit 108 is also configured to evaluate radar data provided by the interfaces 416, 418. The evaluation of the ultrasonic and / or radar data by the evaluation unit 208 comprises, for example, scanning the environment of the vehicle. This includes, inter alia, measuring signal transit times, triangulation, etc. Furthermore, object recognition or even object tracking can be performed based on the ultrasonic and radar data, for example using Bernoulli filters.

[0064] As already explained in connection with Figure 2, light is collected from the environment 118 in front of the motor vehicle at an angle (in the horizontal plane) of, for example, greater than 90° or greater than 100° (see aperture angle α in Figure 4) and imaged on the camera chip 200. Corresponding image data 205 are also evaluated by the evaluation unit 208, which can be performed simultaneously or with a time delay with respect to the evaluation of the ultrasound and radar data 212. The evaluation of the image data 205 includes, for example, object recognition, which recognizes objects such as other vehicles, their distances, road signs, etc.

[0065] In a software-based implementation of the evaluation unit 208, it is stored in a non-volatile memory 432, for example a flash EEPROM, and can be loaded into a working memory 434 upon activation of the front camera 102, for example when the vehicle 100 is started. For example, the working memory is designed as a Low-Power Double Data Rate (LPDDR) SDRAM. The program code 208 is then executed by the microprocessor 216, which is preferably a video processor.

[0066] Additional functions can be implemented in the microcontroller 424. For example, it can monitor communications over the buses and / or Ethernet links mentioned above. Furthermore, it can be assigned tasks such as fault monitoring, fault diagnosis, and analog-to-digital conversion within the front camera 102. It can also perform functional safety tasks. For example, the microcontroller 424 can monitor the video processor 216 for correct operation.

[0067] 5 shows a detail of FIG. 4 , with the video processor 216 and the microcontroller 424 according to another embodiment. In this case, both the evaluation unit 208 and the control unit 426 are implemented on the video chip, in particular in software technology. The microcontroller 424 is assigned only the other tasks mentioned above, but is not assigned to control the sensor units, such as ultrasonic or radar sensors. In principle, virtualization on the microprocessor can also be provided. For example, the microprocessor 216 can virtualize two microprocessors 500, 502, with the control unit 426 implemented on one microprocessor 500 and the evaluation unit 208 implemented on the microprocessor 502. It is also possible to use the microprocessors 216, 424 to provide one or more virtualized microprocessors, in which the evaluation and / or control units 208, 426 are implemented in software technology.

[0068] FIG. 7 shows a flow diagram of a method according to a further exemplary embodiment. Compared to the method of FIG. 3, the method according to FIG. 7 is supplemented by step S4. In step S4, the results from the evaluation by the evaluation unit 208 are provided to one or more driver assistance functions. The driver assistance functions can be implemented in the front camera 102 itself, for example, using hardware and / or software technology. Such a driver assistance function 436 (see FIG. 4) is implemented, for example, as a computer program on the microprocessor 216. However, it can also be implemented in the microcontroller 424 or another microprocessor of the front camera 102. The driver assistance functions can equally well be provided outside the front camera. For this purpose, the evaluation results are transmitted to a corresponding computer unit inside or outside the motor vehicle 100 via a communication connection, for example, a CAN bus or an Ethernet link.

[0069] An example of a possible driver assistance function that can be implemented based on the peripherals 428 and the front camera 102 of FIG. 4 is shown in FIG.

[0070] Image recognition by the front camera 102 can provide, for example, pedestrian detection and corresponding emergency braking functions (driver assistance functions 700).

[0071] The rear ultrasonic sensor unit 104 can be used to provide reverse parking assistance (driver assistance function 702).

[0072] The forward ultrasonic sensor unit 106 can be used to provide forward parking assistance (driver assistance function 704).

[0073] The side mounted ultrasonic sensor units 108, 110 can be used to provide automatic parking functions (driver assistance functions 706).

[0074] The front corner radar sensor unit 114 can be used to provide turning assistance (driver assistance function 708).

[0075] The forward radar sensor unit 116 is used to provide distance driving control (driver assistance function 710), and the rear corner radar sensor unit 112 is used to provide lane departure warning assistance (driver assistance function 712).

[0076] A particular advantage of the driver assistance system according to FIG. 4 is its scalability. That is, one or more of the peripheral devices 428 may be provided depending on the equipment variants of the vehicle 100 being manufactured. This means that a subset of the peripheral devices 428 can be selected during the configuration process of the vehicle being manufactured. As shown in FIG. 6, depending on the sensor units selected, basic functions such as driver assistance functions 700, 702 can be provided, which will become a legal requirement in the near future. Furthermore, additional sensor units 106-116 can be selected during the vehicle configuration process to add one or more of the driver assistance functions 704-712.

[0077] 7, i.e., before step S1, it may be necessary to detect (in the manufacturing process of the vehicle 1 or in a subsequent upgrade) the peripheral devices 428 connected to the front camera 102. For this purpose, a detection unit 438 (FIG. 4) can be implemented on the microcontroller 424, which detects the connected peripheral devices 428, for example, when the camera 102 is powered on. Then, in step S4, the driver assistance functions are provided by the front camera (if it provides a driver assistance function) or by a computer unit outside the front camera 102, for example, in response to the particular peripheral devices 428 detected in the vehicle or in the cloud, if they provide the respective driver assistance function.

[0078] Figure 8 shows a perspective view of a front camera 102 according to a further embodiment. Figure 9 shows the front camera 102 of Figure 8, but from an oblique top view, without the housing 214.

[0079] 9 is disposed in the housing 214. The electronic device 900 includes a main printed circuit board 902, an image recorder assembly 904 having an objective lens 906 as the optical unit 202, electrical connection leads 908, an optional electrical image recorder connector portion 910, and an electrical plug connector portion 912 (here, a socket) as the interface unit 210.

[0080] The main printed circuit board 902 may, for example, be generally rectangular in shape. The main printed circuit board 902 may, for example, carry a processor on one or both sides, which will be described in more detail below. The main printed circuit board 902 is electrically connected to the image recorder assembly 904 via connecting leads 908.

[0081] 8 , it is shown that the housing 214 can be comprised of an upper portion 800 and a lower portion 802. The upper portion 800 and the lower portion 802 are each preferably fabricated from a conductive material, such as metal. In this way, the electronic device 20 is electrically shielded from the environment. Furthermore, the housing 214 can have one or more cooling fins 804, here located on the upper portion 800, for cooling the electronic device 900.

[0082] An image recorder assembly 904 is also preferably located on the side of the main printed circuit board 902 where the plug connector portion 912 is located. With the front camera 102 attached, the image recorder assembly 904 is fixed to the top 800 of the housing 214 such that the objective lenses 906 exit the housing 214 through corresponding objective lens openings.

[0083] 9, the lens 906 is fixed on an image recorder printed circuit board 914 of the image recorder assembly 904. The camera chip 201 is arranged, for example, on the image recorder printed circuit board 914 on the side facing the optical unit 906 (in the light direction behind the optical unit 906). The image recorder printed circuit board 914 is electrically connected to the main printed circuit board 902 by means of electrical connection leads 908 and an optional electrical image recorder connector part 910. The electrical connection leads 908 are designed, for example, as a flexible ribbon cable, in particular a so-called flexible printed circuit (FPC) cable. The electrical image recorder connector part 910 is designed, by way of example, to connect an FPC cable. The electrical image recorder connector part 910 connects the electrical connection leads 908 to corresponding conductor tracks on the main printed circuit board 902.

[0084] The main printed circuit board 902 includes, for example, the video processor 216 and / or the microcontroller 424, or one or more of the other processors mentioned herein, in particular the microprocessors 500, 502. In general terms, the main printed circuit board 902 includes the evaluation unit 208 and / or the control unit 426.

[0085] Similarly, the image recorder printed circuit board 914 may include one or more of the processors, microcontrollers, and / or units (either all or just individual ones) described above. For example, the image recorder printed circuit board 914 may include the evaluation unit 208.

[0086] The evaluation unit 208 and / or the control unit 426 may also be split across more than one of the above-mentioned printed circuit boards 902, 914, processors 216, 500, 502, and / or microcontrollers 424 (particularly in each case in a software-based implementation).

[0087] Although the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is not limited thereto and in fact may be modified in various ways. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 100 Automobiles 102 Front camera 104 Rear ultrasonic sensor unit 106 Front ultrasonic sensor unit 108 Rear corner ultrasonic sensor unit 110 Front corner ultrasonic sensor unit 112 Rear corner radar sensor unit 114 Front corner radar sensor unit 116 Forward radar sensor unit 118 Environment 120 Windshield 200 sensor units 201 Camera Chip 202 Optical Unit 204 light 205 Image Data 206 Video Processor 208 evaluation units 210 Interface Unit 212 Ultrasonic and / or Sensor Data 214 Housing 216 Video Processor 400 Vehicle Assistance Systems 402 Heating element 403 Interface Unit 404 Human-machine interfaces and / or vehicle actuators 406 Cloud 408 Daisy Chain 410 Daisy Chain 412 Daisy Chain 414 Interface Unit 416 Interface Unit 418 Interface Unit 420 Interface Unit 422 Interface Unit 424 microcontroller 426 Control Unit 428 Peripherals 430 Pretreatment Unit 432 ROM 434 RAM 436 Driver Assistance Functions 438 Detection Unit 500 Virtualized Microprocessors 502 Virtualized Microprocessor 700~712 Driver assistance functions 800 upper 802 Lower 804 Cooling fin 900 Electronic equipment 902 Primary Printed Circuit Board 904 Image Recorder Assembly 906 Lens 908 Connection Lead 910 Image recorder connector 912 Plug connector part 914 Image Recorder Printed Wiring Board α angle S0~S4 Method steps

Claims

1. A front camera (102) for a motor vehicle (100), comprising: a sensor unit (200) having a camera chip (201) and an optical unit (202, 906) for acquiring image data (205); an interface unit (210, 414, 416, 418) for providing ultrasonic and / or radar data (212); an evaluation unit (208) for evaluating the image data and the ultrasound and / or radar data (205, 212); a housing (214) in or on which the sensor unit (200), the interface unit (210, 414, 416, 418) and / or the evaluation unit (208) are arranged; a control unit (426) configured to control a number of sensor units (104-116) of the vehicle (100) to transmit and receive ultrasonic and / or radar signals to generate the ultrasonic and / or radar data (212); The sensor unit (200) includes a front camera (102) inside the housing (214) that provides the image data (205) to the evaluation unit (208) without going through the interface unit (210, 414, 416, 418).

2. 2. The front camera of claim 1, wherein the interface unit is configured to provide the ultrasonic and / or radar data when the ultrasonic and / or radar data is generated by sensor units coupled in a daisy chain.

3. 2. The front camera of claim 1, wherein the evaluation of the image data and / or the ultrasonic and / or radar data includes scanning, object recognition, and / or object tracking of an environment (118) of the vehicle (100).

4. 2. The front camera according to claim 1, further comprising one or more processors (216, 424, 500, 502), in particular microprocessors, wherein the evaluation unit (208) and / or the control unit (426) are implemented on the one or more microprocessors (216, 424, 500, 502).

5. The front camera according to claim 1 , comprising a pre-processing unit (430) for pre-processing the provided ultrasound data and then providing it to the evaluation unit (208).

6. 2. The front camera according to claim 1, further comprising a pre-processing unit (430) that pre-processes the provided ultrasound data and then provides it to the evaluation unit (208), the pre-processing unit (430) being implemented on a microprocessor other than the evaluation unit (208) and / or the control unit (426), in particular an ASIC.

7. 2. The front camera according to claim 1, wherein said or further interface unit (210, 414, 416, 418) is configured to connect to a first and a second number of sensor units (104-112), said first and second numbers preferably being different.

8. 2. The front camera of claim 1, wherein the or further interface unit (403, 420, 422) is further configured to provide driver monitoring data, GPS or cloud data and / or to allow a wired connection of a heating element (402) for window defogging.

9. 2. A front camera according to claim 1, wherein the or said further interface unit (210, 414, 416, 418) comprises a multi-pole plug and / or a multi-pole socket and / or a bus and / or an Ethernet link.

10. A driver assistance system (400) for a motor vehicle (100), comprising: A front camera (102) according to claim 1; a number of sensor units (104-116) connected to the interface unit (210, 414, 416, 418) of the front camera (102) and configured to generate the ultrasonic and / or radar data (212) from emitted and received ultrasonic and / or radar signals; A driver assistance system (400) comprising:

11. The driver assistance system of claim 10, wherein the sensor units (104-110) are coupled to one another in one or more daisy chains (408, 410, 412).

12. The driver assistance system of claim 11, wherein the sensor units (104-110) in the daisy chain (408, 410, 412) are coupled to each other by wires.

13. A motor vehicle (100) comprising a front camera (102) according to any one of claims 1 to 9 or a driver assistance system (400) according to any one of claims 10 to 12.

14. A method for operating a front camera (102) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising: A step (S1) of acquiring the image data (205) by the sensor unit (200), the sensor unit (200) comprising the camera chip (201) and the optical unit (202, 906); providing (S2) said ultrasonic and / or radar data (212) by said interface unit (210, 414, 416, 418); evaluating (S3) said image data and ultrasound and / or radar data (205, 212) using said evaluation unit (208); A method comprising:

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