Vehicular Camera PCB Layout for Low-Profile Windshield Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Front-facing vehicular camera systems often obstruct a driver's view and require more space than available on the windshield, limiting their effectiveness and usability.
Innovation Solution
A vehicular camera system design featuring a main circuit board with an opening that allows the imager assembly to extend through it, reducing the camera's height and profile while maintaining functionality, and incorporating a flexible connector for image signal transmission, along with adjustable components for various windshield angles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a front-facing vehicular camera system is installed on the windshield, then the driver can obtain valuable information about driving conditions, but the camera system obstructs the driver's field of view and requires excessive space within the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent repositions the camera system from a horizontal arrangement on the windshield to a vertical arrangement along the side of the vehicle. The camera is mounted on the side mirror assembly, utilizing the vertical dimension and side profile space rather than consuming horizontal windshield area. This dimensional shift allows the camera to capture forward-facing driving conditions while minimizing obstruction of the driver's primary field of view through the windshield.
Solution Approach 2:
The side mirror assembly serves as an intermediary structure that hosts the camera system. Instead of directly mounting the camera on the windshield or dashboard, the patent uses the existing side mirror assembly as a carrier, which naturally positions the camera in a location that does not obstruct the driver's view while still enabling forward-facing image capture for driving condition monitoring.
2Loss of information
If the camera system is positioned to capture forward-facing views, then driving condition information is obtained, but the camera obstructs the driver's view and requires space beyond what is readily available
Solution Approach 1:
The camera system is oriented to extend vertically along the side of the vehicle rather than projecting horizontally into the driver's cab space. By mounting the camera on the side mirror assembly and positioning it to capture images of the forward path, the system utilizes the vertical dimension and side clearance space, reducing the horizontal footprint and avoiding obstruction of the driver's forward view through the windshield.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicular camera system includes a camera module having an imager assembly, a main circuit board and a camera housing. The imager assembly includes (i) an imager disposed on an imager circuit board and (ii) a lens barrel and (iii) a lens holder. The imager assembly includes a flexible ribbon cable that electrically connects to an electrical connector at a multilayered PCB of the main circuit board. The camera housing includes an upper cover and a lower cover and has a forward portion and a rearward portion. The main circuit board is accommodated within the forward and rearward portions, and the imager is disposed at the rearward portion and is not disposed at the forward portion of the camera housing. The lens holder is attached at the upper cover by at least one fastener. The imager circuit board is attached at the lens holder by at least one fastener.