Protective Camera Lens Cover With Glare-Controlled Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle-mounted cameras are often obscured by external elements like rain, snow, and low-light conditions, which diminish their view and functionality.
Innovation Solution
A protective cover with a housing, a meniscus-shaped macro lens, and a light source, including light-emitting diodes, is attached to the camera, providing illumination to the field of view while minimizing light reflection into the camera's imaging path through a lightguide and light isolating features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a protective cover is added to protect the camera from external elements, then the camera is protected from rain, snow, and dirt, but the camera's view may become obscured due to the cover itself
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a transparent or translucent protective cover made of thin film material that allows light transmission while providing protection. The cover is designed to be as thin and transparent as possible to minimize light blocking while still protecting against external elements like rain, snow, and dirt.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective cover acts as an intermediary barrier between the camera and external elements. It mediates between the need for protection and the need for clear viewing by being transparent enough to allow light passage while physically blocking harmful substances.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the camera is mounted on the exterior of the vehicle, then the camera can capture external views, but the view becomes obscured in low-light situations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates illumination sources that activate before or during camera operation in low-light conditions. The illumination is prepared in advance to ensure the field of view is properly lit before the camera needs to capture images, preventing darkness from obscuring the view.
Solution Approach 2:
The illumination system acts as an intermediary that bridges the gap between external mounting requirements and adequate lighting. It provides the necessary light in the field of view area without requiring the camera to be moved to a different location.
3Illumination intensity
If a light source is added to illuminate the field of view, then visibility is improved in low-light conditions, but light may be reflected into the camera's imaging path causing glare
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the light source and illumination areas to provide light only where needed in the field of view, away from the camera's optical axis. Different zones of the protective cover have different optical properties - areas near the imaging path are designed to minimize reflection while areas in the periphery provide illumination.
Solution Approach 2:
The illumination system is designed asymmetrically with light sources positioned at angles that illuminate the field of view without directing light back into the camera lens. The reflective properties of the cover are also asymmetric, with anti-reflective treatment applied specifically in areas where light reflection would interfere with imaging.
4Measurement precision
If a macro lens is used to enhance close-up viewing capability, then the camera can capture detailed views, but the lens is more susceptible to obscuration from external elements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the protective cover into different functional zones - a clear viewing zone directly over the macro lens that is particularly protected from obscuration, and other areas that can have different protective features. The cover design prioritizes keeping the lens area clean and clear while still providing overall protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective cover uses thin, transparent film material over the macro lens area that minimizes light scattering and obscuration while still providing protection from external elements. The thin film design reduces the risk of the cover itself becoming a source of glare or distortion.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively protects the camera from external elements and enhances its view by providing necessary illumination, reducing glare and improving visibility in adverse conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a lightguide attached to or incorporated into at least one of the housing and the light source and configured for conveying light from the light source to the field of view of the camera
Implementation Method 2
the lens may be coated with a hydrophobic coating
Data Source
AI summary
A protective cover for a camera includes a housing configured for attachment to one of the camera and a support structure which supports the camera, a lens attached to the housing and configured for alignment with an imaging axis of the camera, a light source attached to the housing and configured for providing light to a field of view of the camera, and an electrical connector carried by the housing and configured for receiving power and/or signal commands and for conveying the power and/or signal commands to the light source. The lens may be a meniscus-shaped macro lens, and a lightguide may be attached to or incorporated into at least one of the housing and the light source. The protective cover may be used to protect a camera mounted in a wheel well or anywhere along an outer surface of an automotive vehicle.