US 10,871,628 B2Granted

Camera multi-lens mount for assisted-driving vehicle

AssigneePony AI Inc.

InventorsKai Chen, Zhenhao Pan, Xiang Yu, Tiancheng Lou, Jun Peng, Yiming Liu, Hao Song, Jie Hou, Zichao Qi, Sinan Xiao

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A lens mount apparatus mountable on a vehicle and a method for controlling a lens mount apparatus are described. The lens mount apparatus includes a plurality of lenses concentrically arranged around a center, and the plurality of lenses include a first lens having a first focal length and a second lens having a second focal length that is shorter than the first focal length. The method includes positioning one of the plurality of lenses, such that one of the lenses that has a focal length suitable for capturing an object is used for image capturing.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A lens mount apparatus mountable on a vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of lenses concentrically arranged around a center and coupled to the center through a plurality of respective shafts, the plurality of lenses comprising a plurality of respective focal lengths;
an actuator configured to cause a first lens of the plurality of lenses to move to a position to obtain image data;
an image sensor disposed at the position to obtain the image data using the first lens or other lenses of the plurality of lenses;
and
a lens cleaner disposed along a concentric arc associated with the arrangement of the plurality of lenses and radially with respect to the center, and configured to clean surfaces of at least one lens of the plurality of lenses while the first lens actuates to the position to obtain the image data.

2 more elements

A method of controlling a lens mount apparatus mounted on a vehicle, the method comprising:

positioning a first lens of a plurality of lenses at a position to obtain image data, wherein the first lens has a first focal length;
obtaining the image data from an image sensor through the first lens of the plurality of lenses;
identifying a target object based on the image data, wherein the target object is within an angle of view of the lens mount apparatus and is at a first distance from the lens mount apparatus;
determining whether or not the target object is predicted to be closer to the lens mount apparatus than the first focal length of the first lens after a predetermined period of time;
and
upon determining that the target object is predicted to be closer to the lens mount apparatus than the first focal length of the first lens after the predetermined period of time, positioning a second lens of the plurality of lenses having a second focal length shorter than the first focal length at the position to obtain the image data in place of the first lens.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/799,190Filed 31 Oct 2017
Published: US 2019/0129129 A12 May 2019
Granted: 22 Dec 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

G02B 7/09
With mechanism for focusing or varying magnification: adapted for automatic focusing or varying magnification
G02B 7/021
For lenses: for more than one lens
G02B 7/28
Mountings, adjusting means, or light-tight connections, for optical elements: systems for automatic generation of focusing signals
G02B 15/04
By changing, adding, or subtracting a part of the objective, e.g. convertible objective: by changing a part

Family

US 2019/0129129 A1Pre-grant publication · published 2 May 2019
US 10,871,628 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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