Vehicular vision system with windshield mounted camera

A vehicular vision system, said vehicular vision system comprising:

• a camera module configured for mounting at an in-cabin portion of a windshield of a vehicle;
• wherein said camera module comprises a camera and a circuit board;
• wherein, with said camera module mounted at the in-cabin portion of the windshield, said camera views forward of the vehicle and through the windshield of the vehicle;
• wherein said camera comprises a CMOS imaging sensor array and a lens;
• wherein the CMOS imaging sensor array comprises a plurality of photosensor elements arranged in a photosensor array having rows and columns;
• wherein said lens is accommodated in a lens barrel having a longitudinal axis;
• wherein, with said camera module mounted at the in-cabin portion of the windshield, said circuit board is tilted at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of said lens barrel of said camera;
• a data processor operable to process image data captured by the CMOS imaging sensor array of said camera;
• wherein image data captured by the CMOS imaging sensor array of said camera is encoded by a data encoder chip;
• wherein image data captured by the CMOS imaging sensor array of said camera that is encoded at the data encoder chip is carried as a data stream from said camera module to the data processor via a coaxial cable;
• wherein image data captured by the CMOS imaging sensor array of said camera that is encoded at the data encoder chip is carried via the coaxial cable from said camera module utilizing Low Voltage Differential Signaling (LVDS);
• wherein the vehicle is equipped with at least one other camera, and wherein image data captured by the at least one other camera is provided to and is processed at the data processor;
• wherein the at least one other camera is part of a birds-eye surround view system of the vehicle;
• wherein communication via the coaxial cable between said camera and the data processor is bidirectional;
• and
• wherein the data processor is located in the vehicle remote from said camera module.

A vehicular vision system, said vehicular vision system comprising:

• a camera module configured for mounting at an in-cabin portion of a windshield of a vehicle;
• wherein said camera module comprises a camera and a circuit board;
• wherein, with said camera module mounted at the in-cabin portion of the windshield, said camera views forward of the vehicle and through the windshield of the vehicle;
• wherein said camera comprises a CMOS imaging sensor array and a lens;
• wherein the CMOS imaging sensor array comprises a plurality of photosensor elements arranged in a photosensor array having rows and columns;
• wherein said lens is accommodated in a lens barrel having a longitudinal axis;
• wherein, with said camera module mounted at the in-cabin portion of the windshield, said circuit board is tilted at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of said lens barrel of said camera;
• a data processor operable to process image data captured by the CMOS imaging sensor array of said camera;
• wherein the data processor operable to process image data comprises image processing circuitry;
• wherein image data captured by the CMOS imaging sensor array of said camera is encoded by a data encoder chip;
• wherein image data captured by the CMOS imaging sensor array of said camera that is encoded at the data encoder chip is carried as a data stream from said camera module to the data processor via a coaxial cable;
• wherein image data captured by the CMOS imaging sensor array of said camera that is encoded at the data encoder chip is carried via the coaxial cable from said camera module utilizing Low Voltage Differential Signaling (LVDS);
• wherein image data captured by the CMOS imaging sensor array of said camera that is encoded at the data encoder chip and that is carried from said camera module to the data processor via the coaxial cable is processed at the data processor for at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) a vehicle headlamp control system of the vehicle, (ii) a lane departure warning system of the vehicle and (iii) a traffic sign recognition system of the vehicle;
• wherein the vehicle is equipped with at least one other camera, and wherein image data captured by the at least one other camera is provided to and is processed at the data processor;
• wherein the at least one other camera is part of a birds-eye surround view system of the vehicle;
• wherein communication via the coaxial cable between said camera and the data processor is bidirectional;
• and
• wherein the data processor is located in the vehicle remote from said camera module.