# US 2014/0192410 A1 · Vehicle exterior imaging apparatus

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- Number: US 2014/0192410 A1
- Document ID: US20140192410A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/149,480
- Filed: 2014-01-07
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-10
- Assignees: Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Naohide YOSHIMURA
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140192410A1

## CPC

- G02B 27/0006: {with means to keep optical surfaces clean, e.g. by preventing or removing dirt, stains, contamination, condensation (G02B1/18 takes precedence; cleaning in general B08B)}
- B60R 11/04: Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A vehicle exterior imaging apparatus includes a photo-receiving element, a transparent member that is disposed on a front face of the photo-receiving element and introduces light into it, and a movable body movable between a covering position for covering part or all of a front face of the transparent member with the movable body being spaced apart from the transparent member, and an evacuated position evacuating from the front face of the transparent member with respect to the covering position. The movable body has a higher surface wettability in a portion opposing to the transparent member at the covering position than the one of the front face of the transparent member. The movable body evacuates water adhered to the surface of the transparent member in a moving direction of the movable body during the movement of the movable body from the covering position to the evacuated position.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle exterior imaging apparatus, comprising:
a photo-receiving element;
a transparent member disposed on a front face of the photo-receiving element, the transparent member being configured to introduce light into the photo-receiving element; and
a movable body movable between a covering position in which the movable body covers part or all of a front face of the transparent member in a state where the movable body is spaced apart from the transparent member with a gap, and an evacuated position in which the movable body is evacuated from the front face of the transparent member with respect to the covering position;
wherein the movable body has a higher surface wettability at least in a portion thereof opposing to the transparent member at the covering position than the surface wettability of the front face of the transparent member, and
wherein the movable body evacuates water adhered to the surface of the transparent member in a moving direction of the movable body during the movement of the movable body from the covering position to the evacuated position.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle exterior imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transparent member is a convex lens.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The vehicle exterior imaging apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
an adherence determiner for determining an adhered state of a foreign substance containing water on the front face of the transparent member; and
a movement controller for, when the adherence determiner determines that the foreign substance is adhered to the front face of the transparent member, moving the movable body from the evacuated position to the covering position and then resuming the movable body from the covering position to the evacuated position.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The vehicle exterior imaging apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:
an adherence determiner for determining an adhered state of a foreign substance containing water on the front face of the transparent member; and
a movement controller for, when the adherence determiner determines that the foreign substance is adhered to the front face of the transparent member, moving the movable body from the evacuated position to the covering position and then resuming the movable body from the covering position to the evacuated position.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The vehicle exterior imaging apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:
a washer for discharging washer fluid on the front face of the transparent member,
wherein when the adherence determiner determines that the foreign substance is adhered to the transparent member, the movement controller moves the movable body from the evacuated position to the covering position and then resumes the movable body from the covering position to the evacuated position, and
wherein after the movable body is moved, the adherence determiner again determines the adhered state of the foreign substance, and when it is determined that the adhered foreign substance is adhered to the transparent member, the washer discharges the washer fluid, and the movement controller again moves the movable body from the evacuated position to the covering position and then resumes the movable body from the covering position to the evacuated position.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The vehicle exterior imaging apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:
a washer for discharging washer fluid on the front face of the transparent member,
wherein when the adherence determiner determines that the foreign substance is adhered to the transparent member, the movement controller moves the movable body from the evacuated position to the covering position and then resumes the movable body from the covering position to the evacuated position, and
wherein after the movable body is moved, the adherence determiner again determines the adhered state of the foreign substance, and when it is determined that the adhered foreign substance is adhered to the transparent member, the washer discharges the washer fluid, and the movement controller again moves the movable body from the evacuated position to the covering position and then resumes the movable body from the covering position to the evacuated position.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The vehicle exterior imaging apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:
a washer for discharging the washer fluid to the front face of the transparent member,
wherein the adherence determiner determines to identify that the adhered foreign substance is water or dirt, and
wherein when the adherence determiner determines that the dirt is adhered to the transparent member, the washer discharges the washer fluid, and the movement controller moves the movable body from the evacuated position to the covering position and then resumes the movable body from the covering position to the evacuated position.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The vehicle exterior imaging apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:
a washer for discharging the washer fluid to the front face of the transparent member,
wherein the adherence determiner determines to identify that the adhered foreign substance is water or dirt, and
wherein when the adherence determiner determines that the dirt is adhered to the transparent member, the washer discharges the washer fluid, and the movement controller moves the movable body from the evacuated position to the covering position and then resumes the movable body from the covering position to the evacuated position.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The vehicle exterior imaging apparatus of claim 7, wherein the adherence determiner determines the adhered state of the foreign substance based on image data captured sequentially, and identifies to be water or dirt based on a brightness of an image area where the adhered state is determined.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The vehicle exterior imaging apparatus of claim 8, wherein the adherence determiner determines the adhered state of the foreign substance based on image data captured sequentially, and identifies to be water or dirt based on a brightness of an image area where the adhered state is determined.

### Claim 11 (depends on 5)

The vehicle exterior imaging apparatus of claim 5, wherein when the washer fluid is discharged by the washer, the movement controller starts moving the movable body from the evacuated position to the covering position after the discharge of the washer fluid is started, and the movement controller resumes the movable body from the covering position to the evacuated position after the discharge of the washer fluid is finished.

### Claim 12 (depends on 6)

The vehicle exterior imaging apparatus of claim 6, wherein when the washer fluid is discharged by the washer, the movement controller starts moving the movable body from the evacuated position to the covering position after the discharge of the washer fluid is started, and the movement controller resumes the movable body from the covering position to the evacuated position after the discharge of the washer fluid is finished.

### Claim 13 (depends on 7)

The vehicle exterior imaging apparatus of claim 7, wherein when the washer fluid is discharged by the washer, the movement controller starts moving the movable body from the evacuated position to the covering position after the discharge of the washer fluid is started, and the movement controller resumes the movable body from the covering position to the evacuated position after the discharge of the washer fluid is finished.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The vehicle exterior imaging apparatus of claim 8, wherein when the washer fluid is discharged by the washer, the movement controller starts moving the movable body from the evacuated position to the covering position after the discharge of the washer fluid is started, and the movement controller resumes the movable body from the covering position to the evacuated position after the discharge of the washer fluid is finished.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The vehicle exterior imaging apparatus of claim 9, wherein when the washer fluid is discharged by the washer, the movement controller starts moving the movable body from the evacuated position to the covering position after the discharge of the washer fluid is started, and the movement controller resumes the movable body from the covering position to the evacuated position after the discharge of the washer fluid is finished.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The vehicle exterior imaging apparatus of claim 10, wherein when the washer fluid is discharged by the washer, the movement controller starts moving the movable body from the evacuated position to the covering position after the discharge of the washer fluid is started, and the movement controller resumes the movable body from the covering position to the evacuated position after the discharge of the washer fluid is finished.