A vehicle camera is disclosed. A vehicle camera according to at least one embodiment includes a water-repellent coating layer configured to allow a contact angle of water droplets to be formed at at least a predetermined angle, a reflective member having a reflective surface configured to change an optical path, a lens group including at least one or more lenses that have high heat resistance and a glass transition temperature of 140° C. or higher, and an optical filter group including at least one or more optical filters, wherein the water-repellent coating layer, the reflective member, the lens group, and the optical filter group are arranged in order of appearance from an object side along an optical axis.

A method of visual-inertial odometry for a ground vehicle is disclosed and includes obtaining an initial set of images with a camera on-board a vehicle, identifying features within the initial set of images, determining a three-dimensional pose using the visual features in the initial set of images, obtaining information indicative of vehicle movement with an inertial measurement unit, obtaining information indicative of vehicle movement with wheel speed sensors and a steering wheel angle sensor, fusing the identified features within the images, the vehicle movement from the IMU, and vehicle sensors within a two-dimensional plane, and determining a vehicle position relative to an initial start location based on the visual features in the images and the vehicle movement information from the IMU, wheel speed sensors, and the steering wheel angle.

A camera has a field of view encompassing a portion of an environment outside of a motor vehicle and a portion of an environment inside a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle. An electronic processor is communicatively coupled to the camera and receives captured images from the camera. The electronic processor separates first extracted images from the captured images. The first extracted images correspond to the portion of the environment outside of the motor vehicle. The electronic processor transmits the first extracted images to a first software application for monitoring the environment outside of the motor vehicle. The electronic processor separates second extracted images from the captured images. The second extracted images correspond to the portion of the environment inside a passenger compartment. The electronic processor transmits the second extracted images to a second software application for monitoring human beings in the passenger compartment.

A surround view monitoring system and a method for providing the same, including a plurality of registration cameras, each mounted on a vehicle and photographing different areas around the vehicle; a depth camera that acquires distance information with respect to an obstacle existing around the vehicle; an image synthesis unit that generates a synthesis image by synthesizing images photographed by the plurality of registration cameras, and displays the distance information with respect to the obstacle acquired by the depth camera on an obstacle existing in the synthesis image; and an image control unit that displays the synthesized synthesis image on a display device are disclosed.

Systems including one or more sensors, coupled to a vehicle, may detect sensor information and provide the sensor information to another computing device for processing. The processing may include analyzing the sensor information to identify one or more risk objects, such as animals, pedestrians, potholes, etc. The processing may further include generating a three-dimensional (3D) risk map, which may be displayed to a passenger in the vehicle. The 3D risk map may illustrate the one or more risk objects as one or more point clouds, respectively, within a virtual world representation of the vehicle's surroundings. Such a display may be used to alert drivers to possible risks while driving. In case of an accident, the 3D risk map may also be leveraged by insurance providers to process insurance claims and to notify customers that an insurance claim has been established.

A roof mounted vehicle camera assembly includes a disk that can be positioned on a roof of a vehicle. A magnet is coupled to the disk to magnetically engage the roof of the vehicle for retaining the disk on the roof of the vehicle. A rod is coupled to and extends upwardly from the disk and an orb is coupled to the rod such that the orb is elevated above the roof of the vehicle when the disk is positioned on the roof of the vehicle. A pair of proximity sensors is each of the proximity sensors is integrated into the orb and a camera is integrated into the orb. A transmitter is integrated into the disk and the transmitter is in wireless communication with an extrinsic electronic device to facilitate imagery captured by the camera to be viewed on the extrinsic electronic device thereby facilitating a driver of the vehicle to view the imagery.

A method for aligning a camera of a vehicle camera monitor system (CMS) includes mounting the camera to a vehicle on one side thereof, the camera having a camera opening angle, providing the camera with at least one image sensor having an entire area of full sensor field of view (FoV), forwarding the image data recorded by the at least one image sensor to a monitor of the CMS to display an image comprising the first area to a driver of the vehicle, and aligning the camera with its camera opening angle such that the first area is at least one of arranged at the horizontal outermost position of the image captured by the image sensor of the camera or at the vertical outermost position of the image displayed on the monitor.

A vehicle camera system includes: an around view camera device including a front camera, a left camera, a right camera, and a rear camera, and configured to vary a field of view of one or more of the cameras in response to a control signal; and a control device configured to control the field of view by generating the control signal, in response to an operating mode.

A vehicle camera is disclosed. A vehicle camera according to at least one embodiment includes a water-repellent coating layer configured to allow a contact angle of water droplets to be formed at at least a predetermined angle, a reflective member having a reflective surface configured to change an optical path, a lens group including at least one or more lenses that have high heat resistance and a glass transition temperature of 140° C. or higher, and an optical filter group including at least one or more optical filters, wherein the water-repellent coating layer, the reflective member, the lens group, and the optical filter group are arranged in order of appearance from an object side along an optical axis.

A method for aligning a camera of a vehicle camera monitor system (CMS) includes mounting the camera to a vehicle on one side thereof, the camera having a camera opening angle, providing the camera with at least one image sensor having an entire area of full sensor field of view (FoV), forwarding the image data recorded by the at least one image sensor to a monitor of the CMS to display an image comprising the first area to a driver of the vehicle, and aligning the camera with its camera opening angle such that the first area is at least one of arranged at the horizontal outermost position of the image captured by the image sensor of the camera or at the vertical outermost position of the image displayed on the monitor.