Integrated camera and communication antenna
AssigneeVeoneer US, Inc.
InventorBernard DeMersseman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus includes a camera lens assembly and a printed circuit board attached to said camera lens assembly. The camera lens assembly may be configured to provide a forward view through a windshield of a vehicle. The printed circuit board generally comprises an antenna, a ground plane, and an image sensor. The antenna is generally disposed on a front surface of the printed circuit board. The ground plane may be disposed either on the front surface or within a layer of the printed circuit board. The image sensor is generally mounted on a back surface of the printed circuit board. The camera lens assembly is generally configured to focus an image of the forward view through the windshield on the image sensor.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a windshield mount configured to mount a camera lens assembly to a windshield of a vehicle, wherein said camera lens assembly is configured to provide a forward view and an upward view through said windshield of said vehicle;
- a camera lens attached to said camera lens assembly such that a field of view of said camera lens is aligned with a horizontal plane and is directed toward the front of said vehicle;
- and
- a single printed circuit board mounted within said camera lens assembly at an angle to said camera lens, said single printed circuit board comprising an antenna, a ground plane, and an image sensor, wherein (i) said antenna is disposed on a front surface of said single printed circuit board such that said antenna is angled above said field of view of said camera lens and has open sky visibility directed towards a portion of the sky above said vehicle, (ii) said ground plane is disposed either on said front surface or within a layer of said single printed circuit board, (iii) said image sensor is mounted on a back surface of said single printed circuit board, and (iv) said camera lens assembly is configured to focus an image of the forward view through said windshield and said camera lens onto said image sensor.
A method of generating automated driver assistance information comprising:
- mounting a camera lens assembly to a back surface of a windshield of a vehicle using a windshield mount enclosing said camera lens assembly, wherein said camera lens assembly is configured to provide a forward view and an upward view through said windshield of said vehicle, align a field of view of a camera lens attached to said camera lens assembly with a horizontal plane, and direct said field of view of said camera lens towards the front of said vehicle;
- and
- encasing a single printed circuit board within said camera lens assembly, wherein (i) said single printed circuit board is mounted at an angle to said camera lens and comprises an antenna, a ground plane, and an image sensor, (ii) said antenna is disposed on a front surface of said single printed circuit board such that said antenna is angled above said field of view of said camera lens and has open sky visibility directed towards a portion of sky above said vehicle, (iii) said ground plane is disposed either on said front surface or within a layer of said single printed circuit board, (iv) said image sensor is mounted on a back surface of said single printed circuit board, and (v) said camera lens assembly is configured to focus an image of the forward view through said windshield and said camera lens onto said image sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.