Vehicle camera lens dirt protection via air flow

A system for mitigating contamination of a lens of a vehicular camera, said system comprising:

• a camera comprising an imager and a lens, wherein said camera is disposed at an exterior portion of a vehicle and has a field of view exterior of the vehicle, and wherein said camera captures image data;
• wherein an outer surface of said lens of said camera is exposed to the environment exterior of the vehicle;
• a passive air flow device disposed at the vehicle and configured to passively direct air flow across said outer surface of said lens of said camera to establish a passive air stream curtain;
• an active air flow device operable to actively propel air across said outer surface of said lens of said camera to establish an active air stream curtain;
• a control operable to activate and deactivate said active air flow device responsive to speed of travel of the vehicle;
• wherein, when the vehicle is driven at a speed of travel below a threshold level, said control activates said active air flow device to actively propel air across said outer surface of said lens of said camera;
• wherein, when the vehicle is driven at a speed of travel above the threshold level, said control does not active air flow device to actively propel air across said outer surface of said lens of said camera;
• wherein, when the vehicle is driven and in motion, said passive air flow device passively directs air flow across said outer surface of said lens of said camera, and wherein said passive air flow device is configured such that the passively directed air flow at said outer surface of said lens is at an air flow speed greater than a wind speed at an inlet port of said passive air flow device;
• and
• wherein, when the vehicle is driven and in motion, said passive air stream curtain deflects polluting particles away from said outer surface of said lens of said camera.

A system for mitigating contamination of a lens of a vehicular camera, said system comprising:

• a camera comprising an imager and a lens, wherein said camera is disposed at an exterior portion of a vehicle and has a field of view exterior of the vehicle, and wherein said camera captures image data, and wherein said camera comprises a front camera disposed at a front portion of the vehicle and having a field of view forwardly of the vehicle;
• wherein an outer surface of said lens of said camera is exposed to the environment exterior of the vehicle;
• a passive air flow device disposed at the front portion of the vehicle, wherein said passive air flow device comprises an inlet port at the front portion of the vehicle, and wherein said inlet port receives air and said passive air flow device is configured to passively direct air flow across said outer surface of said lens of said camera to establish a passive air stream curtain;
• an active air flow device operable to actively propel air across said outer surface of said lens of said camera to establish an active air stream curtain;
• a control operable to activate and deactivate said active air flow device responsive to speed of travel of the vehicle;
• wherein, when the vehicle is driven at a speed of travel below a threshold level, said control activates said active air flow device to actively propel air across said outer surface of said lens of said camera;
• and
• wherein, when the vehicle is driven and in motion, said passive air stream curtain deflects polluting particles away from said outer surface of said lens of said camera.