Vehicle camera
monitoring system that includes the following: an
electronic control unit (ECU) located in a vehicle equipped with the vehicle camera
monitoring system, wherein the ECU comprises an
electronic circuit and associated
software; a support arm movably arranged on a side panel of the vehicle, wherein the support arm has a base end attached to the side panel and a distal end opposite the base end; wherein the support arm is pivotably attached to the side panel of the vehicle; a camera positioned at the distal end of the support arm; wherein the camera comprises a lens and an
image sensor and wherein the
image sensor comprises a two-dimensional
image sensor array with at least one million photosensors arranged in rows and columns; wherein the support arm is movable between a stowed and an extended position; wherein the support arm is located in the stowed position at an opening on the side panel of the vehicle, wherein an outer surface of the support arm is coplanar with an outer surface of the side panel; wherein, when the support arm is in the stowed position and the outer surface of the support arm is coplanar with the outer surface of the side panel, the camera is positioned within the outer surface of the side panel; wherein the support arm is extended from the side panel in the extended position, so that the camera is positioned outside the side panel of the vehicle; a cover element that covers the opening on the side panel at least when the support arm is in the extended position; wherein the cover element is movable between a covering position, in which the cover element covers the opening, and a non-covering position, in which the cover element does not cover the opening; wherein the cover element is in the covering position when the support arm is extended, and wherein the cover element is in the non-covering position when the support arm is stowed; the camera captures image data when the support arm is extended and delivers the captured image data to the ECU; and wherein the captured image data are processed in the ECU for at least one of the group consisting of (i) the display of video images derived from the image data captured by the camera and provided to the ECU, and (ii) the detection of an object outside the vehicle that is within a
field of view of the camera, and vehicle camera
monitoring system comprising a
front cover element arranged in front of a pivot axis of the support arm, wherein the
front cover element is in a
front cover position covering a front opening when the support arm is in the extended position and when the support arm is in the stowed position, and wherein the front cover element is moved from the front cover position to a non-covering position when the support arm is moved beyond the extended position in a direction opposite to the stowed position.