Dashcam Installation: Simplifying the Setup of Dashboard Cameras

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.

A vehicle camera module design that improves accuracy and robustness while reducing cost and complexity compared to conventional designs. The camera module has a carrier board that directly mounts the camera chip and lens assembly without requiring tight tolerance alignment. The carrier board also integrates the necessary illumination components like IR LEDs. This camera carrier board is mounted to a main PCB along with other components like connectors and electronics. The camera components are protected and aligned in a housing. This modular design allows easier assembly, reduces errors from thermal expansion, and enables better camera calibration.

A vehicle camera system that aligns the camera lens with the vehicle opening to capture exterior images effectively. The camera has a separate supporting body that attaches to the vehicle, a camera mechanism with the lens, and a covering body that encloses the camera. The supporting body has an insertion portion and the covering body has an engaging portion that fit together. This allows the camera assembly to be inserted and aligned through the vehicle opening before attaching the covering body to enclose it.

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.

An easily replaceable and reproducible bracket system for retaining a camera or sensor in a vehicle windshield bracket. The bracket has fixed supports and resilient limbs that define guideways. The camera/sensor housing has mounting stubs that slide into the guideways. The resilient limbs bias against the stubs to retain the housing in the bracket. This allows the camera/sensor to be easily inserted and removed for windshield replacement without additional parts.

Camera module design for easy and cost-effective assembly and installation in vehicles. The module consists of a camera unit with an optical system and housing that define an optical axis. A support attaches to the vehicle surface and a cover retains the camera unit against the support. The camera housing has a transverse front contact surface. The cover has protruding members that press on the camera unit transversely to the optical axis when fastened to the support. This alignment ensures correct optical axis positioning despite vehicle vibrations.

Camera for a vehicle with a circuit board retained in the housing by a retaining element. The retaining element has flaps that engage the sides of the circuit board and spring inward when inserted into the housing to press against the board. This provides precise positioning and retention without screws or clips.

A vehicle camera telemetry system to monitor a vehicle and/or trailers. The system uses a removable, adjustable camera with a magnetic base that can be mounted on vehicles and trailers to provide rearward views for hitching, reversing, and other tasks. The camera wirelessly transmits video to a mobile device. It has a stem with a magnet to attach to metallic surfaces, and an adjustable camera on the end that can rotate 180 degrees.

Vehicle camera with enhanced electrical connection to vehicle wiring through self-adjusting spring-loaded connectors that flex to maintain contact with internal circuitry as the camera housing is assembled. The camera housing has two portions, one with a lens and the other with the connector. Inside is a circuit board with an imager. As the housing parts are joined, the spring connectors engage the circuitry to electrically connect the terminals to the imager board.

Vehicle camera design that reduces cost and complexity while improving reliability. The camera has a rear housing with electrical connectors that directly mate with front housing connectors, eliminating jumper wires. The rear housing aligns with the front housing using an alignment feature. The camera also has features like conductive coating to ground the front housing and a rotating lock for installation without fasteners.

A module and support structure assembly for a vehicle that allows secure mounting and easy release of components like cameras on a support structure. The module has pins and the support structure has grooves that the pins engage into. The pins and grooves are designed to allow the module to be snapped into and released from the support structure with rotation. This provides a secure attachment that can withstand vehicle vibrations and forces, while also allowing easy removal and reattachment for maintenance.

An onboard device and attachment structure for attaching the device to a curved vehicle windshield without using thick adhesive tape. The attachment structure has a curved base that matches the windshield shape. The double-sided adhesive tape is slit at the top and bottom edges so it can stretch and conform to the curved base. This allows the taped device to stick flat on the curved windshield. The slits prevent air bubbles and allow easy tape removal.

Modular external rearview mirror system for vehicles that allows flexible configuration of mirror types and features. The modular system uses interchangeable heads that attach to a common base. The heads include traditional mirrors, camera-mirrors, and camera-only pods. The modular design allows mixing mirror types and upgrading from mirrors to cameras. This provides a common mounting system for regulatory compliance while enabling customization based on driver preference and cost.

A camera for vehicle vision systems with improved electrical connections between the camera housing connector and internal circuitry. The camera connector has self-adjusting pins that extend, retract, or flex to maintain engagement with the internal circuitry as the housing is assembled and during use. This allows for manufacturing tolerance variations without breaking the electrical connection over the lifetime of the camera.

A lane departure warning system that can be easily and securely installed on a vehicle, without requiring adhesive priming and curing. The system uses a bracket to hold the camera, an adhesive pad to attach the bracket to the vehicle, and a heater attached to the pad to warm the interface between the pad and vehicle for improved adhesion. This allows the warning system to be quickly and firmly attached to the vehicle for lane departure detection.