Exterior viewing camera module for vehicle vision system

A camera module for a vehicle, said camera module comprising:

• a housing that houses (i) a main circuit board electrically connected with an imager circuit board via a flexible ribbon cable, (ii) an imager disposed on said imager circuit board, (iii) a lens barrel accommodating at least one lens and (iv) a lens holder;
• wherein the imager disposed on said imager circuit board comprises a photosensor array having at least one million photosensor elements arranged in rows and columns;
• wherein said housing comprises an upper cover and a lower cover, and wherein the upper cover and the lower cover are joined together;
• wherein said main circuit board comprises a multilayered printed circuit board (main PCB) having a first planar side and an opposing second planar side separated from the first planar side by a thickness dimension of the main PCB of said main circuit board;
• wherein said imager circuit board comprises a printed circuit board (imager PCB) having a first planar side and an opposing second planar side separated from the first planar side by a thickness dimension of the imager PCB of said imager circuit board;
• wherein circuitry disposed at the main PCB of said main circuit board comprises (i) first circuitry disposed at the first planar side of the main PCB of said main circuit board and (ii) second circuitry disposed at the second planar side of the main PCB of said main circuit board;
• wherein the second circuitry disposed at the second planar side of the main PCB of said main circuit board comprises an image processor chip;
• wherein said image processor chip is operable for processing image data captured by the imager;
• wherein, with the imager operated to capture image data, image data captured by the imager is provided via said flexible ribbon cable to circuitry disposed at the main PCB of said main circuit board;
• wherein said housing, with said upper cover and said lower cover joined together, comprises a front portion and a rear portion;
• wherein said front portion is in front of said rear portion;
• wherein said main circuit board is accommodated within said front and rear portions;
• wherein the imager is accommodated within said rear portion and is not accommodated within said front portion of said housing;
• wherein said housing of said camera module has breadth and length, and wherein the main PCB of said main circuit board extends across the breadth of said housing and along the length of said housing;
• wherein said rear portion of said housing has height;
• wherein said front portion of said housing has height;
• wherein the maximum height dimension of said rear portion of said housing is greater than the maximum height dimension of said front portion of said housing;
• wherein the lens holder comprises a first opening therethrough;
• wherein the lens holder comprises a second opening therethrough;
• wherein the upper cover at said rear portion of said housing comprises a first threaded hole that corresponds with the first opening of the lens holder, and wherein the upper cover at said rear portion of said housing comprises a second threaded hole that corresponds with the second opening of the lens holder;
• wherein the lens holder is mechanically attached at an inner surface of the upper cover at said rear portion of said housing by (i) a first screw fastener that passes through the first opening of the lens holder and that screws into the first threaded hole of the upper cover at said rear portion of said housing and (ii) a second screw fastener that passes through the second opening of the lens holder and that screws into the second threaded hole of the upper cover at said rear portion of said housing;
• wherein the upper cover at said rear portion of said housing comprises an opening, and wherein the imager views to exterior of said housing via said opening;
• wherein the lens barrel extends through said opening to protrude outside said housing;
• wherein the lens barrel is tilted at an acute angle upward relative to the plane of the main PCB of said main circuit board;
• and
• wherein the first circuitry disposed at the first planar side of the main PCB of said main circuit board comprises an electrical socket connector configured for electrical connection to a plug connector of a vehicular wire harness.

A camera module for a vehicle, said camera module comprising:

• a housing that houses (i) a main circuit board electrically connected with an imager circuit board via a flexible ribbon cable, (ii) an imager disposed on said imager circuit board, (iii) a lens barrel accommodating at least one lens and (iv) a lens holder;
• wherein the imager disposed on said imager circuit board comprises a photosensor array having at least one million photosensor elements arranged in rows and columns;
• wherein said housing comprises an upper cover and a lower cover, and wherein the upper cover and the lower cover are joined together;
• wherein said main circuit board comprises a multilayered printed circuit board (main PCB) having a first planar side and an opposing second planar side separated from the first planar side by a thickness dimension of the main PCB of said main circuit board;
• wherein said imager circuit board comprises a printed circuit board (imager PCB) having a first planar side and an opposing second planar side separated from the first planar side by a thickness dimension of the imager PCB of said imager circuit board;
• wherein circuitry disposed at the main PCB of said main circuit board comprises an image processor;
• wherein said image processor is operable for processing image data captured by the imager;
• wherein, with the imager operated to capture image data, image data captured by the imager is provided via said flexible ribbon cable to circuitry disposed at the main PCB of said main circuit board;
• wherein said housing, with said upper cover and said lower cover joined together, comprises a front portion and a rear portion;
• wherein said front portion is in front of said rear portion;
• wherein said main circuit board is accommodated within said front and rear portions;
• wherein the imager is accommodated within said rear portion and is not accommodated within said front portion of said housing;
• wherein the lens holder is attached at an inner surface of the upper cover at said rear portion of said housing;
• wherein said housing of said camera module has breadth and length, and wherein the main PCB of said main circuit board extends across the breadth of said housing and along the length of said housing;
• wherein said rear portion of said housing has height;
• wherein said front portion of said housing has height;
• wherein the maximum height dimension of said rear portion of said housing is greater than the maximum height dimension of said front portion of said housing;
• wherein the breadth of said housing has a maximum dimension of 100 mm or less;
• wherein the length of said housing has a maximum dimension of 100 mm or less;
• wherein the height of said rear portion of said housing has a maximum dimension of 35 mm or less;
• wherein the upper cover at said rear portion of said housing comprises an opening, and wherein the imager views to exterior of said housing via said opening;
• wherein the lens barrel extends through said opening to protrude outside said housing;
• and
• wherein circuitry of the main PCB of said main circuit board comprises an electrical socket connector configured for electrical connection to a plug connector of a vehicular wire harness.