Back to results
US 2014/0211013 A1Published application
Accessory system for a vehicle
AssigneeMagna Electronics Inc.
InventorsJohn P. Drummond, Niall R. Lynam
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An accessory system for a vehicle includes a control and an accessory disposed at and behind a windshield of the vehicle. The accessory includes a forward facing camera viewing forward and through the windshield of the vehicle. The control includes digital circuitry and a microprocessor. The control controls at least the forward facing camera. The control includes a bus interface that connects with a vehicle network of the vehicle. The control sends data via the vehicle network of the vehicle and receives data via the vehicle network of the vehicle. The vehicle network includes a controlled area network. The control may connect with the vehicle network via at least one of (i) a cable connection and (ii) a fiber-optic connection.
Claims30
An accessory system for a vehicle, said accessory system comprising:
- an accessory disposed at and behind a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said accessory system;
- wherein said accessory comprises a forward facing camera, said forward facing camera viewing forward of the equipped vehicle through the windshield of the equipped vehicle;
- a control;
- wherein said control comprises digital circuitry and a microprocessor;
- wherein said control controls at least said forward facing camera;
- wherein said control comprises a bus interface that connects with a vehicle network of the equipped vehicle;
- wherein said control sends data via said vehicle network of the equipped vehicle and receives data via said vehicle network of the equipped vehicle;
- wherein said vehicle network comprises a controlled area network;
- and
- wherein said control connects with said vehicle network via at least one of (i) a cable connection and (ii) a fiber-optic connection.
7 more elements
An accessory system for a vehicle, said accessory system comprising:
- an accessory disposed at and behind a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said accessory system;
- wherein said accessory comprises a forward facing camera, said forward facing camera viewing forward of the equipped vehicle through the windshield of the equipped vehicle;
- a control;
- wherein said control comprises digital circuitry and a microprocessor;
- wherein said control controls at least said forward facing camera;
- wherein said control comprises a bus interface that connects with a vehicle network of the equipped vehicle;
- wherein said control sends data via said vehicle network of the equipped vehicle and receives data via said vehicle network of the equipped vehicle;
- wherein said vehicle network comprises a controlled area network;
- wherein said forward facing camera comprises a lens and a solid-state CMOS imager comprising a plurality of photosensing elements arranged in a matrix array of multiple rows and multiple columns of photosensing elements;
- and
- wherein said forward facing camera comprises part of at least one of (i) a headlamp controller of the equipped vehicle, (ii) a lane marker detection system of the equipped vehicle and (iii) a braking system of the equipped vehicle.
8 more elements
An accessory system for a vehicle, said accessory system comprising:
- an accessory disposed at and behind a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said accessory system;
- wherein said accessory comprises a forward facing camera, said forward facing camera viewing forward of the equipped vehicle through the windshield of the equipped vehicle;
- a control;
- wherein said control comprises digital circuitry and a microprocessor;
- wherein said control controls at least said forward facing camera;
- wherein said control comprises a bus interface that connects with a vehicle network of the equipped vehicle;
- wherein said control sends data via said vehicle network of the equipped vehicle and receives data via said vehicle network of the equipped vehicle;
- wherein said vehicle network comprises a controlled area network;
- wherein said forward facing camera comprises a lens and a solid-state CMOS imager comprising a plurality of photosensing elements arranged in a matrix array of multiple rows and multiple columns of photosensing elements;
- wherein said forward facing camera comprises part of a lane marker detection system of the equipped vehicle;
- wherein said forward facing camera comprises part of at least one of (i) a headlamp controller of the equipped vehicle and (ii) a braking system of the equipped vehicle;
- and
- wherein a spectral filter is disposed between said lens and said CMOS imager.
10 more elements
An accessory system for a vehicle, said accessory system comprising:
- an accessory disposed at and behind a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said accessory system;
- wherein said accessory comprises a forward facing camera, said forward facing camera viewing forward of the equipped vehicle through the windshield of the equipped vehicle;
- a control;
- wherein said control controls at least said forward facing camera;
- wherein said control comprises a bus interface that connects with a vehicle network of the equipped vehicle;
- wherein said control sends data via said vehicle network of the equipped vehicle and receives data via said vehicle network of the equipped vehicle;
- wherein said vehicle network comprises a controlled area network;
- wherein said forward facing camera comprises a lens and a solid-state CMOS imager comprising a plurality of photosensing elements arranged in a matrix array of multiple rows and multiple columns of photosensing elements;
- wherein said forward facing camera comprises part of a lane marker detection system of the equipped vehicle;
- wherein said forward facing camera comprises part of at least one of (i) a headlamp controller of the equipped vehicle and (ii) a braking system of the equipped vehicle;
- wherein said control sends and receives data via said vehicle network over a cable;
- and
- wherein said control receives data via said vehicle network from a sensor of the equipped vehicle.
10 more elements
An accessory system for a vehicle, said accessory system comprising:
- an accessory disposed at and behind a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said accessory system;
- wherein said accessory comprises a forward facing camera, said forward facing camera viewing forward of the equipped vehicle through the windshield of the equipped vehicle;
- a control;
- wherein said control controls at least said forward facing camera;
- wherein said control comprises a bus interface that connects with a vehicle network of the equipped vehicle;
- wherein said control sends data via said vehicle network of the equipped vehicle and receives data via said vehicle network of the equipped vehicle;
- wherein said vehicle network comprises a controlled area network;
- wherein said forward facing camera comprises a lens and a solid-state CMOS imager comprising a plurality of photosensing elements arranged in a matrix array of multiple rows and multiple columns of photosensing elements;
- wherein said forward facing camera comprises part of a lane marker detection system of the equipped vehicle;
- wherein said forward facing camera comprises part of at least one of (i) a headlamp controller of the equipped vehicle and (ii) a braking system of the equipped vehicle;
- wherein said control sends and receives data via said vehicle network over a cable;
- and
- wherein said cable comprises no more than three wires.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.