Patents by Inventor Jonathan D. Conger
Jonathan D. Conger has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 12634568Abstract: A vehicular camera includes an imager printed circuit board (PCB) having an imager disposed at a first side of the imager PCB. A metal lens barrel accommodates a lens having a plurality of lens optics disposed within the metal lens barrel between an inner end and an outer end. The inner end of the metal lens barrel is adhesively bonded to the first side of the imager PCB via an adhesive ring. The adhesive ring is disposed between the inner end of the metal lens barrel and the first side of the imager PCB and circumscribes the imager at the first side of the imager PCB to enclose a region between the imager PCB and the lens, whereby the imager is disposed within the enclosed region between the imager PCB and the lens accommodated by the metal lens barrel.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2024Date of Patent: May 19, 2026Assignee: Magna Electronics Inc.Inventors: Rene Dreiocker, Jonathan D. Conger, Jose Luis Zamudio Cabral, Steven V. Byrne
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Patent number: 12627872Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2023Date of Patent: May 12, 2026Assignee: Magna Electronics Inc.Inventors: Steven V. Byrne, Jonathan D. Conger, Rene Dreiocker, Matthew C. Sesti, Gavin E Skrocki
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Patent number: 12503043Abstract: A driving assist system for a vehicle includes a plurality of sensors having respective fields of sensing exterior of the vehicle. A control includes a data processor that processes data captured by the sensors. The control, via processing of captured data, determines a path of travel for the vehicle. The control, via processing of captured data, determines presence of a pedestrian at or near or approaching the determined path of travel for the vehicle. A projection device is disposed at the vehicle and is operable to project light exterior of the vehicle. The projection device (i) projects light onto the ground that is indicative of the determined path of travel of the vehicle for viewing by the determined pedestrian and/or (ii) projects an alert icon onto the ground to alert the determined pedestrian that the determined pedestrian is at or near or approaching the determined path of travel of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2018Date of Patent: December 23, 2025Assignee: Magna Electronics Inc.Inventor: Jonathan D. Conger
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Patent number: 12445703Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: February 1, 2023Date of Patent: October 14, 2025Assignee: Magna Electronics Inc.Inventors: Rene Dreiocker, Steven V. Byrne, Jonathan D. Conger, Garret F. Achenbach, Andreas Weis
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Publication number: 20250231369Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 4, 2025Publication date: July 17, 2025Inventors: Martin J. Reckker, Steven V. Byrne, Rene Dreiocker, Jonathan D. Conger, Jose Luis Zamudio Cabral, Jazmin Hortensia Gallardo Gabaldon, Robert A. Devota, Matthew C. Sesti
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Publication number: 20250184593Abstract: A vehicular driver monitoring system includes a camera disposed at an interior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle, an electronic control unit (ECU) with an image processor for processing image data captured by the camera. The camera is disposed at a mirror head of the interior rearview mirror assembly and moves in tandem with the mirror head when the mirror head is adjusted relative to a mounting portion of the interior rearview mirror assembly. The camera includes an imaging array sensor and a lens. The vehicular driver monitoring system, responsive to processing at the ECU of image data captured by the camera, monitors a body portion of a driver of the vehicle. The vehicular driver monitoring system determines that a scene viewed by the camera has changed at least in part via processing of image data captured by the camera.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 6, 2025Publication date: June 5, 2025Inventors: Jonathan D. Conger, Steven V. Byrne
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Patent number: 12316934Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2023Date of Patent: May 27, 2025Assignee: Magna Electronics Inc.Inventors: Zhongyao Liu, Yuesheng Lu, Jonathan D. Conger
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Patent number: 12271049Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2023Date of Patent: April 8, 2025Assignee: Magna Electronics Inc.Inventors: Martin J. Reckker, Steven V. Byrne, Rene Dreiocker, Jonathan D. Conger, Jose Luis Zamudio Cabral, Jazmin Hortensia Gallardo Gabaldon, Robert A. Devota, Matthew C. Sesti
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Patent number: 12262103Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2022Date of Patent: March 25, 2025Assignee: Magna Electronics Inc.Inventors: Nazar F. Bally, James L Smith, Jonathan D. Conger
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Patent number: 12225278Abstract: A vehicular driver monitoring system includes a camera disposed at an interior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle, an electronic control unit (ECU) with an image processor for processing image data captured by the camera. The camera is disposed at a mirror head of the interior rearview mirror assembly and moves in tandem with the mirror head when the mirror head is adjusted relative to a mounting portion of the interior rearview mirror assembly. The camera includes an imaging array sensor and a lens. The vehicular driver monitoring system, responsive to processing at the ECU of image data captured by the camera, monitors a body portion of a driver of the vehicle. The vehicular driver monitoring system adjusts viewing of the body portion of the driver by the camera to accommodate a change in a scene viewed by the camera.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2024Date of Patent: February 11, 2025Assignee: Magna Electronics Inc.Inventors: Jonathan D. Conger, Steven V. Byrne
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Publication number: 20240427220Abstract: A vehicular camera assembly includes a first portion, a second portion and a lens barrel accommodating a lens. The lens barrel has a first end and a second end. The first portion of the vehicular camera assembly is formed of plastic and the second portion is formed of metal. The first portion of the vehicular camera assembly receives the first end of the lens barrel, and the lens barrel is bonded at the first portion of the vehicular camera assembly via adhesive. The first portion of the vehicular camera assembly has a first coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), and the second portion of the vehicular camera assembly has a second CTE. The first CTE is higher than the second CTE. The adhesive has a third CTE that is higher than the second CTE.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 30, 2024Publication date: December 26, 2024Inventor: Jonathan D. Conger
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Publication number: 20240375589Abstract: A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head adjustably attached at a mounting base. The mirror head includes a mirror reflective element having a reflector-coated glass substrate having a front side and a rear side separated by a thickness of the glass substrate. A driver monitoring camera is accommodated by the mirror head and views through a camera region of the glass substrate of the mirror reflective element. A refraction-compensating element is disposed between a lens of the driver monitoring camera and the camera region of the glass substrate of the mirror reflective element. The refraction-compensating element has a first side and a second side that is not parallel to the first side. The refraction-compensating element offsets refraction of light that passes through the camera region of the glass substrate of the mirror reflective element.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 22, 2024Publication date: November 14, 2024Inventors: Zhongyao Liu, Justin E. Sobecki, Jonathan D. Conger, Steven V. Byrne, Austen C. Peterson
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Publication number: 20240364987Abstract: A vehicular camera includes an imager printed circuit board (PCB) having an imager disposed at a first side of the imager PCB. A metal lens barrel accommodates a lens having a plurality of lens optics disposed within the metal lens barrel between an inner end and an outer end. The inner end of the metal lens barrel is adhesively bonded to the first side of the imager PCB via an adhesive ring. The adhesive ring is disposed between the inner end of the metal lens barrel and the first side of the imager PCB and circumscribes the imager at the first side of the imager PCB to enclose a region between the imager PCB and the lens, whereby the imager is disposed within the enclosed region between the imager PCB and the lens accommodated by the metal lens barrel.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 24, 2024Publication date: October 31, 2024Inventors: Rene Dreiocker, Jonathan D. Conger, Jose Luis Zamudio Cabral, Steven V. Byrne
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Patent number: 12131511Abstract: A vehicular driver monitoring system includes a camera disposed at a mirror head of an interior rearview mirror of a vehicle and viewing at least the head of a driver of the vehicle. The camera moves together and in tandem with the mirror head when the mirror head is adjusted by the driver of the vehicle to adjust a rearward view of the driver. Responsive to the driver of the vehicle adjusting the orientation of the mirror head, and responsive to processing at the ECU of image data captured by the camera, the vehicular driver monitoring system maintains the camera's view of at least the head of the driver as it was before the driver adjusted the orientation of the mirror head. The vehicular driver monitoring system, at least in part via processing at the ECU of image data captured by the camera, monitors the driver of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2024Date of Patent: October 29, 2024Assignee: Magna Electronics Inc.Inventors: Marc Rother, Jonathan D. Conger, Steven V. Byrne, Zhongyao Liu
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Patent number: 12115912Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2022Date of Patent: October 15, 2024Assignee: Magna Electronics Inc.Inventors: Zhongyao Liu, Yuesheng Lu, Jonathan D. Conger
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Patent number: 12078913Abstract: A vehicular camera includes a printed circuit board (PCB) having an imager disposed thereat. A lens barrel accommodates a lens and includes a first end and a second end and an annular flange between the first end and the second end. A front camera housing includes a first portion having a first material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and a second portion having a second material having a second CTE, with the first CTE being higher than the second CTE. A rear camera housing and the second portion of the front camera housing are joined to encase the PCB within a cavity formed by joining the front camera housing and the rear camera housing.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2022Date of Patent: September 3, 2024Assignee: Magna Electronics Inc.Inventor: Jonathan D. Conger
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Publication number: 20240282069Abstract: A vehicular driver monitoring system includes a camera disposed at a mirror head of an interior rearview mirror of a vehicle and viewing at least the head of a driver of the vehicle. The camera moves together and in tandem with the mirror head when the mirror head is adjusted by the driver of the vehicle to adjust a rearward view of the driver. Responsive to the driver of the vehicle adjusting the orientation of the mirror head, and responsive to processing at the ECU of image data captured by the camera, the vehicular driver monitoring system maintains the camera's view of at least the head of the driver as it was before the driver adjusted the orientation of the mirror head. The vehicular driver monitoring system, at least in part via processing at the ECU of image data captured by the camera, monitors the driver of the vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 29, 2024Publication date: August 22, 2024Inventors: Marc Rother, Jonathan D. Conger, Steven V. Byrne, Zhongyao Liu
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Patent number: 12043179Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2022Date of Patent: July 23, 2024Assignee: Magna Electronics Inc.Inventors: Zhongyao Liu, Justin E. Sobecki, Jonathan D. Conger, Steven V. Byrne, Austen C. Peterson
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Publication number: 20240214666Abstract: A vehicular driver monitoring system includes a camera disposed at an interior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle, an electronic control unit (ECU) with an image processor for processing image data captured by the camera. The camera is disposed at a mirror head of the interior rearview mirror assembly and moves in tandem with the mirror head when the mirror head is adjusted relative to a mounting portion of the interior rearview mirror assembly. The camera includes an imaging array sensor and a lens. The vehicular driver monitoring system, responsive to processing at the ECU of image data captured by the camera, monitors a body portion of a driver of the vehicle. The vehicular driver monitoring system adjusts viewing of the body portion of the driver by the camera to accommodate a change in a scene viewed by the camera.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2024Publication date: June 27, 2024Inventors: Jonathan D. Conger, Steven V. Byrne
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Patent number: 12022176Abstract: A vehicular exterior camera includes a housing having a first portion and a second portion. An imager printed circuit board (imager PCB) includes a first side and a second side opposite the first side and separated from the first side by a thickness of the imager PCB, with an imager disposed at the first side of the imager PCB. A lens barrel accommodates a lens and has an inner end. The first housing portion includes a passageway for receiving the lens barrel. The lens barrel is received through the passageway of the first housing portion. The inner end of the lens barrel is adhesively bonded to the first side of the imager PCB via an adhesive. The adhesive circumscribes the imager at the first side of the imager PCB to enclose an area between the imager PCB and the lens. The imager is disposed within the enclosed area.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 2022Date of Patent: June 25, 2024Assignee: Magna Electronics Inc.Inventors: Rene Dreiocker, Jonathan D. Conger, Jose Luis Zamudio Cabral, Steven V. Byrne