Abstract: A vehicular camera includes a camera housing having a rear camera housing and a front camera housing. The front camera housing includes a lens, an imager and an imager printed circuit board. The lens is held in position relative to the imager by a UV-curable adhesive. With the lens held in position relative to the imager by the adhesive, the outer surface of the imager is devoid of the adhesive and an air gap exists between the lens and the outer surface of the imager. With the adhesive disposed in an uncured state on the imager printed circuit board and laterally outboard of the imager, and with the lens positioned relative to the imager, the adhesive is cured from its uncured state to an at least partially-cured state by exposure to UV light. The rear housing portion is joined at the front housing portion.

Abstract: A vehicular camera module includes a lens barrel having a plurality of optical elements accommodated therein, a front camera housing portion, and a rear camera housing portion mated with the front camera housing to form a housing that encases an imager printed circuit board and a processor printed circuit board. A heat transfer element is disposed between and in thermal conductive contact with the imager printed circuit board and a rear wall of the rear camera housing. The heat transfer element extends through an aperture of the processor printed circuit board. Circuitry of the camera module is electrically connected to electrical connecting elements that electrically connect to a wire harness of a vehicle when the camera module is disposed at the vehicle. Heat generated by operation of the vehicular camera module is drawn from the imager printed circuit board to the rear camera housing portion via the heat transfer element.

Abstract: A vehicular camera module includes a front camera housing portion having an imager, a lens having a plurality of optical elements, and an imager printed circuit board. The imager is disposed at a front side of the imager printed circuit board and the lens is optically aligned with the imager. A rear camera housing portion is mated with the front camera housing portion to form a camera housing. A thermal element is disposed between the imager printed circuit board and the camera housing. The thermal element has a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of 13 ppm/° C. or less. With the vehicular camera module disposed at a vehicle, circuitry of the vehicular camera module is in electrical connection with a wire harness of the vehicle.

Abstract: A camera module for a vehicular vision system includes a front camera housing having a housing portion and a cylindrical lens barrel extending from the housing portion and accommodating a lens. An imager printed circuit board is attached at the front camera housing portion. With the imager printed circuit board attached at the front camera housing, the imager is optically aligned with an optical axis of the lens. A rear camera housing portion is mated with the housing portion of the front camera housing so as to encase the imager printed circuit board in the camera module. The housing portion of the front camera housing includes mounting structure configured to mount the camera module at a vehicle. The lens barrel includes a material having a lower coefficient of thermal expansion as compared to the material of the front camera housing.

Abstract: A vehicular camera includes an imager printed circuit board and a lens having a plurality of optical elements. The lens is held in optical alignment with an imager at the imager printed circuit board via a dual cure one-part, filled adhesive that in its uncured state has an epoxy resin. The adhesive is both UV-curable and thermal-curable. A flexible electrical ribbon cable electrically connects circuitry of the imager printed circuit board with additional circuitry of the vehicular camera. Image data captured by the imager is provided to the additional circuitry of the vehicular camera via the flexible electrical ribbon cable. The additional circuitry includes at least a processor for processing image data captured by the imager and provided to the additional circuitry via the flexible electrical ribbon cable. The vehicular camera, when installed and used in a vehicle, captures image data for use by a vision system of the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicular camera includes a housing having a front and rear housing portions, and a circuit board having a first side and a second side, with a first electrical connector disposed at the second side. The rear housing portion includes a second electrical connector that, with the front and rear housing portions mated together, electrically connects with the first electrical connector. The second electrical connector includes electrically conductive terminals that extend through the rear housing portion and that each have an inner end portion and an outer end portion. The inner end portions of the electrically conductive terminals of the second electrical connector extend from an inner surface of the rear housing portion and the outer end portions of the electrically conductive terminals of the second electrical connector extend through a wall of the rear housing portion into a socket connection portion of the rear housing portion.

Abstract: A vehicular camera includes a front camera housing and a lens assembly having cylindrical barrel portion that is at least partially received at the front camera housing. An adhesive is disposed in an uncured state at the front camera housing and/or at the printed circuit board and laterally outboard of the imager. With the adhesive in the uncured state, an air gap exists between the inner surface of the lens and the imager. The adhesive is initially cured from the uncured state to an initially-cured state in an initial radiation curing process that comprises exposure to UV light for a first time period. With the adhesive in the initially-cured state, the front camera housing, with the printed circuit board adhesively attached thereto, is further cured to a further more cured state in a secondary curing process undertaken for a longer time period than the first time period.

Abstract: A camera module for a vehicular vision system includes a lens barrel accommodating a lens, a front camera housing portion having an imager PCB disposed therein, and a rear camera housing portion mated with the front camera housing. The imager PCB is disposed at the front camera housing portion with the imager optically aligned with an optical axis of the optical elements of the lens barrel. A thermal element (i) is disposed between the imager PCB and the front camera housing portion and has a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) element of 13 ppm/° C. or less and/or (ii) has its temperature controlled via a thermoelectric device of the camera module. With the camera module disposed at the vehicle, circuitry of the camera module is in electrical connection with a wire harness of the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicular display system includes a rearward viewing camera disposed at a vehicle and a controller that includes a processor for processing image data captured by the rearward viewing camera. A display device is disposed in the vehicle for viewing by a driver of the vehicle. Image data captured by the rearward viewing camera is processed at the controller, which generates an output representative of an image having three image panes including a central image pane derived from a central subset of captured image data and two side image panes derived from respective side subsets of captured image data. Each of the side image panes are shaped and arranged with respect to the central image pane to have non-parallel upper edges and non-parallel lower edges. The display device, responsive to the output generated by the processing system, displays the image for viewing by the driver of the vehicle.

Abstract: A method for assembling an imager assembly for a vehicular camera includes providing a lens barrel that accommodates a lens, providing a lens holder, and providing a PCB with an imager disposed thereat. A cylindrical portion of the lens barrel is disposed in a cylindrical passageway of the lens holder and the PCB is disposed at the lens holder. An adhesive is dispensed to hold the lens optically aligned with the imager. After the lens is optically aligned with the imager, the adhesive is initially cured to an initially-cured state in an initial curing process for an initial-cure time period. The adhesive is further cured to a further-cured state in a secondary curing process for a longer further-cure time period. As further cured, the further-cured adhesive maintains optical alignment of the lens with the imager for use of the imager assembly in a vehicular camera in a vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicular camera includes a housing having a front housing and a rear housing, and a circuit board having an imaging element disposed at a first side and a first electrical connector disposed at a second side. The rear housing includes a second electrical connector that, with the rear housing mated with the front housing, electrically connects with the first electrical connector. The second electrical connector includes electrically conductive terminals that extend through the rear housing and that each have an inner end portion and an outer end portion that is physically and electrically contiguous with the inner end portion. The inner end portions of the electrically conductive terminals of the second electrical connector extend from an inner surface of the rear housing and the outer end portions of the electrically conductive terminals of the second electrical connector extend into a socket connection portion of the rear housing.

Abstract: A vehicular camera includes a metallic front housing member having a circuit board attachment portion, a lens barrel extending outward from the circuit board attachment portion and accommodating at least one lens, and a circuit board having an imager disposed at a first side and a circuit board connector disposed at a second side. With the circuit board attached at the circuit board attachment portion, the at least one lens is aligned with the imager and the lens barrel is retained relative to the metallic front housing member via cured UV curable adhesive. A metallic rear housing member is attached to the metallic front housing member and the circuit board is accommodated in a cavity formed by the attached metallic front and metallic rear housing members. An electrical connector is electrically connected to the circuit board connector and is configured for electrically connecting to an electrical cable of a vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicular camera module includes a metal front housing, a printed circuit board housed by the metal front housing, a lens holder disposed at the metal front housing with the lens aligned with an imager at the printed circuit board, a metal rear housing joined with the metal front housing, and a coaxial connecting element. With the metal rear housing joined with the metal front housing, an inward-extending portion of the coaxial connecting element extends inward of the metal rear housing towards the metal front housing and electrically connects with circuitry at the printed circuit board. With the metal rear housing joined with the metal front housing, a plurality of spring tabs make, via spring contact, an electrical connection between the circuitry at the printed circuit board and the metal rear housing. An outward-extending portion of the coaxial connecting element is configured for coaxial electrical connection to a vehicle connector.

Abstract: A vehicular backing up assistance system includes a rearview camera at a rear portion of a vehicle, the vehicle being a vehicle family member of a particular family of pickup trucks. The system receives first input data that corresponds to the vehicle configuration of the vehicle. When the vehicle is backing up, the system receives second input data corresponding to steering angle of the vehicle. The system displays a predicted trajectory of the vehicle at the in-cabin display as an overlay overlaying the images captured by the rearview camera being displayed at the in-cabin display. The overlay comprises a pair of guidelines that are spaced apart and that are appropriate to (i) the wheelbase of the vehicle configuration of a plurality of vehicle configurations of the particular family of pickup trucks the rearview camera is mounted at and (ii) a current steering angle of the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicular camera assembly includes a front housing portion accommodating a lens, a circuit board having a connecting element, and an electrical connector. The rear housing portion includes a rear attachment portion that has an aperture therethrough. The electrical connector electrically connects a wire harness of the vehicle to the connecting element of the circuit board. The electrical connector includes an electrically conductive element that is electrically conductively connected to a coaxial or shielded wire connecting element of the electrical connector. The rear housing portion includes an electrically conductive element that protrudes through the aperture. As the electrical connector is attached at the rear attachment portion, the electrically conductive element of the rear housing portion engages the electrically conductive element of the electrical connector to establish and maintain electrically conductive connection between the electrically conductive elements.

Abstract: A camera sub-assembly for a vehicular camera includes a lens barrel having a cylinder accommodating a plurality of lens optics, and an annular flange extending radially outward from the cylinder. The cylinder is received in a receiving structure of a lens holder so that an annular attaching surface of the lens barrel is juxtaposed with an annular attaching surface of the receiving structure with a cured adhesive disposed between and contacting both of the annular attaching surfaces. The cured adhesive includes an adhesive material. With the lens optics aligned with respect to an imaging array of a printed circuit board attached at the lens holder, the adhesive material is cured to a partially-cured state via exposure of the adhesive material to ultraviolet light. With the joined lens barrel and lens holder construction at a further curing station, the adhesive material is further cured from the partially-cured state to a more-cured state.

Abstract: A vehicular camera is configured to be disposed at a vehicle. The camera includes a circuit board and a lens holder having a lens barrel accommodating a lens. The circuit board has circuitry disposed at a circuit board substrate. The circuitry includes an imager disposed at a first side of the circuit board substrate. The circuit board substrate has a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that is different from the CTE of the lens holder. The circuit board substrate is attached at the structure of the lens holder via a fastener that passes through an oversized hole in the circuit board substrate, with a cross dimension of the oversized hole being greater than a corresponding cross dimension of the fastener. The vehicular camera, via movement of the fastener within the oversized hole, allows for temperature-induced expansion or contraction of the lens holder relative to the circuit board substrate.

Abstract: A vehicular control system includes a rear backup camera viewing at least rearward of the vehicle. With a trailer hitched to the vehicle, and based at least in part on image processing of captured image data during a backing-up maneuver, the image processor determines a distance between an axle of the trailer and the hitch of the vehicle and determines a trailer angle of the trailer hitched to the vehicle. During the backing-up maneuver of the trailer hitched to the vehicle, the vehicular control system determines a path of the trailer responsive to (i) a steering angle of the vehicle, (ii) the determined trailer angle of the trailer and (iii) the determined distance between the axle of the trailer and the hitch of the vehicle. The vehicular control system displays information to assist the driver in backing up the trailer hitched to the vehicle.

Abstract: A method of calibrating a multi-camera vision system includes moving a vehicle along a vehicle assembly line having targets at respective side regions, with each target including a longitudinal line and a plurality of tick marks that extend laterally from the longitudinal line. As the vehicle moves along the vehicle assembly line it is equipped with a plurality of cameras and an image processor. As the vehicle moves along the vehicle assembly line, the target at a respective side region of the vehicle assembly line is present within the fields of view of front, side and rear cameras. Image data is captured by the cameras and processed to detect the targets and to determine misalignment of at least one of the cameras. The vehicular multi-camera vision system is calibrated by adjusting processing by the image processor of image data captured by the at least one misaligned camera.

Abstract: A camera for a vehicular vision system includes a circuit board having a first side and a second side opposite the first side. The circuit board has a first coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). An imager is disposed at the first side of the circuit board, and a lens assembly is optically aligned with the imager. A bend-countering element is disposed at the first side or the second side of the circuit board. The bend-countering element has a second CTE that is different from the first CTE of the circuit board. The bend-countering element counters temperature-induced bending of the circuit board. With the camera disposed at the vehicle, temperature-induced bending of the bend-countering element is in an opposite direction from temperature-induced bending of the circuit board.