Abstract: A vehicular camera assembly includes a printed circuit board (PCB) and a camera housing having a first housing portion with a lens barrel that accommodates a lens. An imager at the PCB faces the lens. At least one of (i) the PCB is attached at the first housing portion via a thermally conductive adhesive and (ii) the lens barrel is attached at the first housing portion via the thermally conductive adhesive. The PCB is thermally conductively connected to the first housing portion and, while the vehicular camera assembly is electrically operated to capture image data, heat generated within the camera housing is drawn away from the PCB at least in part through the thermally conductive adhesive and the front housing portion.

Abstract: A vehicular occupant monitoring system includes a camera disposed at an interior rearview mirror of a vehicle. The camera includes an imaging array sensor and a lens. The lens is disposed at the imaging array sensor with a center axis of the lens vertically offset from a center region of the imaging array sensor. A center region of the lens is disposed at and images at a lower region of the imaging array sensor when the camera is disposed at the interior rearview mirror and an upper peripheral region of the lens images at the center region and a lower region of the imaging array sensor when the camera is disposed at the interior rearview mirror. The vehicular occupant monitoring system, responsive to processing by the image processor of image data captured by the camera, determines presence of an occupant of the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicular driver monitoring system includes a camera disposed at an interior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular driver monitoring system, an electronic control unit (ECU) with an image processor for processing image data captured by the camera. The camera includes an imaging array sensor and a lens and the camera is adjustable by at least one of (i) adjusting a position of the imaging array sensor relative to the lens and (ii) adjusting a position of the lens relative to the imaging array sensor. The system, responsive to processing at the ECU of image data captured by the camera, monitors a body portion of a driver of the vehicle and adjusts the camera to adjust the position of where the monitored body portion of the driver is imaged at the imaging array sensor.

Abstract: A vehicular camera assembly includes a lens barrel accommodating at least an outer lens element and an inner lens element. An imager printed circuit board (imager PCB) includes an imager disposed at a side. The lens barrel is disposed at the housing such that the imager is aligned with the inner lens element and the outer lens element, with the inner lens element disposed closer to the imager than the outer lens element. A vacuum exists in a space between the outer lens element and the inner lens element to thermally insulate an outer surface of the outer lens element from an inner surface of the inner lens element. Light passing through the outer lens element, the vacuum, and the inner lens element is imaged by the imager.

Abstract: A vehicular camera includes a housing having a front housing portion and a rear housing portion, with the front housing portion including a lens accommodated by a lens barrel. A heating device is disposed at an outermost lens element of the lens. The heating device includes a heating element and electrically conductive elements that extend along the lens barrel for electrical connection to circuitry at a printed circuit board. The electrically conductive elements are disposed along respective channels established along the inner surface of the lens holder. An outer end of each of the electrically conductive elements is disposed at and in contact with the heating element. When powered, the heating element heats the outermost lens element. The camera is configured to be disposed at an exterior portion of a vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicular camera includes a camera housing, a lens assembly having a lens, an imager printed circuit board (imager PCB), and a heating device. The imager PCB is disposed at the camera housing and the lens is aligned with an imager disposed at the imager PCB. The heating device is disposed at at least a portion of the lens assembly and includes an electrically connecting portion having electrical contacts at an end thereof, with the electrical contacts disposed at an inner surface of the camera housing. The heating device is electrically connected to circuitry of the vehicular camera via electrical connectors that electrically connect with the electrical contacts of the electrically connecting portion of the heating device at the camera housing as the vehicular camera is assembled.

Abstract: A vehicular camera includes a camera housing having a first portion and a second portion joined to the first portion. The first portion of the camera housing accommodates a lens and has an attaching portion having a first coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). A circuit board includes circuitry disposed at a circuit board substrate that has a second CTE that is different from the first CTE. The circuitry includes an imager. The circuit board substrate is attached at the attaching portion of the first portion of the camera housing. When the vehicular camera is operated at an operating temperature greater than 50 degrees C., the attaching portion expands a greater degree than the circuit board substrate. When the vehicular camera is operated at an operating temperature below ?20 degrees C., the attaching portion contracts a greater degree than the circuit board substrate.

Abstract: A vehicular camera module includes a camera housing having a front housing portion and a rear housing portion, a lens barrel accommodating a lens, and an imager printed circuit board (PCB). The lens barrel is attached at the front housing portion and extends through an aperture of the front housing portion. With an imager aligned with the lens, the imager PCB is adhesively attached at an inner end of the lens barrel. With the lens barrel and a connector PCB attached at the front housing portion, the connector PCB is spaced from the imager printed circuit board. Circuitry of the imager PCB is electrically connected to circuitry of the connector PCB via a flexible electrical connector. The rear housing portion includes a receiving portion configured to receive the electrical connector when the front housing portion is attached at the rear housing portion during assembly of the vehicular camera module.

Abstract: A vehicular camera for a vehicular vision system includes a housing having a front housing portion and a rear housing portion, with the front housing portion including a lens barrel for accommodating a lens. A heating device is disposed at an outermost lens element of the lens. The heating device includes a pair of electrically conductive elements that are routed along the lens barrel for electrical connection to circuitry at a printed circuit board. An outer end of each of the electrically conductive elements is disposed at and in contact with a heating element at and in contact with the inner surface of the outermost lens element. When powered, the heating element heats the outermost lens element to evaporate moisture or condensation thereat. The camera is configured to be disposed at an exterior portion of a vehicle so as to have a field of view exterior of the vehicle.

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 vehicular camera includes a front housing portion, a first circuit board having an imager, a second circuit board in board-to-board electrical connection with the first circuit board, and a rear housing portion having a connector for electrically connecting to an electrical connection of a wire harness of a vehicle. The rear housing portion when joined with the front housing portion forms a camera housing. The connector of the rear housing portion includes a multi-pin connector having at least three terminals that, with the rear housing portion joined with the front housing portion, electrically connect to respective terminals of the electrical connector at the second circuit board. The connector includes an electrically conductive metallic clamping element that engages a metallic shield element at the electrical connector at the second circuit board to establish a ground path from the connector of the rear housing portion to the second circuit board.

Abstract: A vehicular camera module includes (i) a lens holder formed of a first material, (ii) a lens barrel accommodating a lens and formed of a second material, (iii) an imager printed circuit board having an imager, and (iv) a processor circuit board having an image processor. The imager printed circuit board is attached at the lens holder with the imager aligned with the lens accommodated in the lens barrel. The processor printed circuit board has circuitry that is electrically connected to circuitry of the imager printed circuit board. The coefficient of thermal expansion of the second material forming the lens barrel is lower than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the first material forming the lens holder. Circuitry of the vehicular camera module includes connecting elements that are configured to electrically connect to a wire harness of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular camera module.

Abstract: A vehicular camera includes a PCB having an imager disposed thereat, a lens barrel accommodating a lens, and a lens barrel support structure that protrudes from the PCB and at least partially circumscribes the imager. The lens barrel has an outer surface between the ends of the lens barrel. The outer surface of the lens barrel is adhesively bonded to an inner surface of the lens barrel support structure via adhesive. The outer surface of the lens barrel opposes the inner surface of the lens barrel support structure. With the adhesive in its uncured state and contacting the opposed surfaces, the imager is aligned with the lens accommodated at the lens barrel. With the imager aligned with the lens, the adhesive is cured to adhesively attach the lens barrel at the lens barrel support structure.

Abstract: A method for assembling a vehicular camera includes providing a front camera housing, providing a rear camera housing, and providing a PCB. The rear camera housing includes a coaxial electrical connector and the PCB has inner and outer electrically conductive traces. The coaxial electrical includes inner and outer electrically conductive terminals. The rear camera housing is moved toward engagement with the front camera housing so that the terminals contact the traces. The rear camera housing is attached at the front camera housing so that the terminals remain in contact with the traces. After the rear camera housing is attached at the front camera housing, the terminals are in electrical connection with the traces at the PCB. The coaxial electrical connector includes a cable connecting end that is opposite the terminals and that is configured to electrically connect to a coaxial connector of a coaxial cable of a vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head adjustably attached at a mounting base. The mirror head includes a prismatic mirror reflective element having a wedge-shaped, reflector-coated glass substrate having a front side and a rear side separated by a thickness of the glass substrate, with the thickness of the glass substrate varying between a lower edge region of the glass substrate and an upper edge region of the glass substrate. A driver monitoring camera is accommodated by the mirror head and views through the prismatic mirror reflective element. A refraction-compensating element is disposed between a lens of the driver monitoring camera and the rear side of the glass substrate of the prismatic mirror reflective element. The refraction-compensating element is a wedge-shaped element that offsets refraction of light that passes through the wedge-shaped, reflector coated glass substrate of the prismatic mirror reflective element.

Abstract: A vehicular camera assembly includes a printed circuit board, a metallic shield element at least partially enclosing the printed circuit board, and a housing at least partially enclosing the shield element. The housing includes a front housing portion accommodating a lens. An imager is disposed at the printed circuit board and is optically aligned with the lens. The camera assembly includes an electrical connector for electrically connecting an electrical connecting element of the printed circuit board to a wire harness of a vehicle. The shield element includes at least one seam, with one or more seams including a respective gap between opposing edge regions of the shield element and an overlapping tab that extends from one of the opposing edge regions that at least partially closes the respective seam. The housing and the shield element are in contact.

Abstract: A vehicular vision system includes a camera module configured to be disposed at a vehicle. An image processor processes multiple frames of image data captured by the imager of the camera module. With the camera module disposed at the vehicle, the heating device is activated to heat a lens of the camera module responsive to determination of lens occlusion at the lens. Responsive at least in part to determination of lens occlusion at the lens, and via processing of frames of captured image data while the heating device is activated, the vehicular vision system determines a change in degree of lens occlusion occurring between capture of a previous frame of captured image data and capture of a current frame of captured image data. The heating device is deactivated responsive to determination that the change in degree of lens occlusion is less than a threshold amount.

Abstract: A vehicular camera assembly includes a camera housing, a circuit board having an imager and a first electrical connector. A rear portion of the camera housing includes an attachment portion having an aperture, and includes a first electrically conductive element at the aperture. A second electrical connector is attached at the rear portion of the camera housing. The second electrical connector includes (i) a connector portion for connecting to a vehicle wire harness, (ii) a connecting end for connecting to the first electrical connector, and (iii) a second electrically conductive element for electrically connecting to the first electrically conductive element. As the second electrical connector is attached at the rear portion of the camera housing, the first electrically conductive element engages the second electrically conductive element to establish and maintain electrically conductive connection between the first and second electrically conductive elements.

Abstract: A vehicular camera includes a front housing portion, a first circuit board having an imager, a second circuit board in board-to-board electrical connection with the first circuit board, and a rear housing portion having a connector for electrically connecting to an electrical connection of a wire harness of a vehicle. The rear housing portion when joined with the front housing portion forms a camera housing. The connector of the rear housing portion includes a multi-pin connector having at least three terminals that, with the rear housing portion joined with the front housing portion, electrically connect to respective terminals of the electrical connector at the second circuit board. The connector includes an electrically conductive metallic clamping element that engages a metallic shield element at the electrical connector at the second circuit board to establish a ground path from the connector of the rear housing portion to the second circuit board.

Abstract: A vehicular camera for a vehicular vision system includes a PCB having an imager disposed thereat, a lens barrel accommodating a lens, and a lens barrel support structure that protrudes from the PCB and at least partially circumscribes the imager. The lens barrel has an outer surface that extends between the ends of the lens barrel. The outer surface of the lens barrel is adhesively bonded to an inner surface of the lens barrel support structure via adhesive. The outer surface of the lens barrel radially opposes the inner surface of the lens barrel support structure where the adhesive is disposed. With the adhesive in its uncured state and contacting the opposed surfaces, the imager is optically aligned with the lens accommodated at the lens barrel. With the imager optically aligned with the lens, the adhesive is cured to adhesively attach the lens barrel at the lens barrel support structure.