Abstract: An environment monitoring apparatus for vehicles comprises a stereo camera that has two fisheye lenses, an image sensor apparatus having at least two sensor regions for detecting optical signals of the fisheye lenses in a respective one of the sensor regions and for generating and outputting image data signals based on the respective optical signals, wherein the sensor regions each have at least a first part region, which corresponds to a first aperture angle within the maximum aperture angle of the respective fisheye lens, and a second part region that corresponds to a second aperture angle within the maximum aperture angle of the respective fisheye lens, a processing unit for processing the image data signals output by the image sensor apparatus and for providing the processed image data signals, wherein the processing unit can be set in order, in particular at a respective point in time, to selectively process the image data signals corresponding to only one of the part regions, and a control unit for sett

Abstract: An environment monitoring apparatus for vehicles comprises a stereo camera that has two fisheye lenses, an image sensor apparatus having at least two sensor regions for detecting optical signals of the fisheye lenses in a respective one of the sensor regions and for generating and outputting image data signals based on the respective optical signals, wherein the sensor regions each have at least a first part region, which corresponds to a first aperture angle within the maximum aperture angle of the respective fisheye lens, and a second part region that corresponds to a second aperture angle within the maximum aperture angle of the respective fisheye lens, a processing unit for processing the image data signals output by the image sensor apparatus and for providing the processed image data signals, wherein the processing unit can be set in order, in particular at a respective point in time, to selectively process the image data signals corresponding to only one of the part regions, and a control unit for sett

Abstract: In order to enable high image acquisition rate with simultaneous low energy consumption of a camera 1, a camera (1), in particular a 3D time-of-flight camera, is provided, comprising an illumination unit (2) which emits light pulses during an illumination phase (Bp), an image sensor (3) which generates images from the light pulses reflected by an object, a switching controller (4) which controls current to the illumination unit (2), the switching controller (4) being operable in a continuous and a discontinuous mode (CCM; DCM), and a control unit (5) which is designed to activate and deactivate the continuous mode (CCM) of the switching controller (4) as a function of the illumination phase (Bp) of the illumination unit (2).

Abstract: In order to enable high image acquisition rate with simultaneous low energy consumption of a camera 1, a camera (1), in particular a 3D time-of-flight camera, is provided, comprising an illumination unit (2) which emits light pulses during an illumination phase (Bp), an image sensor (3) which generates images from the light pulses reflected by an object, a switching controller (4) which controls current to the illumination unit (2), the switching controller (4) being operable in a continuous and a discontinuous mode (CCM; DCM), and a control unit (5) which is designed to activate and deactivate the continuous mode (CCM) of the switching controller (4) as a function of the illumination phase (Bp) of the illumination unit (2).