Multi-View Dashboard Cameras: Innovations and Patents

A vehicle telematics camera system that captures critical incident footage, driver behavior data, vehicle health and performance data to reduce road incidents. The camera system attaches to a vehicle windshield and includes a rotatable camera to continuously capture the road scene, and a detachable modular camera to capture the driver scene. It has sensors, communications, and interfaces with the vehicle's engine control module to provide real-time incident warnings. The modular design allows easy camera swapping.

Backup camera for vehicle tailgates that adjusts its viewing angle when the tailgate is open versus closed. The camera housing can rotate on its base between two positions. In the closed tailgate position, the camera points outward perpendicular to the tailgate plane. In the open tailgate position, the camera rotates parallel to the tailgate plane. This allows the camera to maintain an effective field of view regardless of tailgate position. The rotation can be manual or automated using sensors and a servo motor.

Flexible, adjustable optical system for a vehicle that provides panoramic top-down views and rear/side views using a single camera housing. The housing has an opening for receiving different camera/lens assemblies. The camera/lens assemblies can be positioned and oriented as needed before being attached. This allows a single housing to be used for different vehicle models by adjusting the camera positions.

Method for displaying a realistic 3D model of a vehicle's surrounding area by harmonizing color information from multiple wide-angle camera views. The method uses a lattice structure to assign pixels from overlapping camera images. Color differences at lattice points are evaluated and weighted to determine a global color transformation. This transformation is then applied to adapt one camera view's colors to match the other view, providing a consistent appearance. The adapted images are used to create the 3D model with realistic color and brightness across views.

Vehicle camera system with overlapping fields of view. The system uses multiple cameras arranged in a line with cameras on each end having wider and narrower fields of view. This arrangement allows the cameras to have overlapping fields of view without necessitating all wide-angle lenses. The cameras are mounted facing forward through the windshield to capture images of the road ahead. This setup allows for collision avoidance and other features using cameras with overlapping fields of view.

Smart roadside unit with high and low sensitivity cameras for improved vehicle detection accuracy. The roadside unit has two cameras with different brightness sensitivities but the same field of view. One camera captures a clear image under bright conditions and the other captures a clear image under dark conditions. The roadside unit extracts vehicle information from both images to improve accuracy in scenes with large lighting differences like tunnels.

Reducing the resolution and distance limitations of camera modules in vehicles to allow accurate long-range object recognition. The camera module has two cameras - one wide-angle and one narrow-angle. The narrow-angle camera with the same pixel count as the wide-angle camera can recognize distant objects more clearly. The wide-angle camera captures the overall scene. The dual camera setup provides both context and detail for accurate long-range object recognition.

Vehicle safety system using extendable camera towers for detecting blind spot vehicles and warning the driver to avoid intersection collisions. The system uses cameras on telescoping poles that extend above the vehicle roof to provide a 360-degree view of approaching traffic. Sensors track vehicle speed and position. Alarms warn the driver if it's unsafe to proceed.

Vehicle camera system that provides a fail-safe mechanism for when side view or top view cameras fail. When a side view camera fails, the system changes the imaging angle of the top view cameras to compensate and provide the missing side view. Conversely, if a top view camera fails, it changes the imaging angle of a side view camera to provide partial top view coverage. By dynamically adjusting the remaining cameras to cover the blind spot, it reduces the risk of accidents.

A retractable multi-view imaging system for vehicles that replaces external mirrors with a compact retractable camera housed in a small triangular pod forward of the window. The camera extends out when needed and retracts when not in use. The camera provides side and rear views without the disadvantages of traditional mirrors. The system can be controlled manually or automatically.

Vehicle recording system with synchronized interior and exterior video capture for providing a comprehensive view of accidents and incidents. The system uses two cameras, one facing forward and one facing the interior. Video is continuously recorded and overwritten in a loop, but when certain events occur like hard braking or impacts, the system saves the video leading up to and after the event. This allows for review of incidents inside and outside the vehicle. The system may also include GPS, accelerometers, and diagnostic indicators.

A side imaging device for a vehicle that can reduce air resistance and move the camera unit in and out of the vehicle body. The device has a camera body that can extend from the vehicle sides. Inside are a rearward-facing camera and a side-facing camera. A driving unit moves the camera body in and out of the vehicle body. When extended, the cameras film the rear and sides. When retracted, they are protected within the vehicle.

A low cost wide field of view vision system that provides a 180° unobstructed undistorted image for backup camera systems for vehicles and machines. The system comprises of two cameras arranged at a 90° angle to cover the full rear field of view. The camera images are displayed side by side without distortion to give a seamless panoramic view. This avoids the need for expensive stitching software or lenses to achieve wide FOV from multiple cameras.

Vehicle camera system with an adjustable focal length lens that can be rotated between two positions. The lens has a longer focal length for a narrower field of view and a shorter focal length for a wider field of view. A controller rotates the lens based on vehicle conditions to optimize the camera view. This provides an improved rear camera system that can dynamically adjust the field of view based on conditions to provide better visibility for the driver.

Triple camera system for vehicles that provides both stereo and monocular images for advanced driver assistance systems. The triple camera has two forward-facing cameras for stereo vision and a third center camera for monocular vision. The cameras are housed in a thick rear housing to dissipate heat.