Integrated Design and Functional Solution for a Camera Front-End in the Windshield Sensor Cluster

In the course of the last 10 years, the windshield-attached “sensor cluster”, mounted at the top edge of the windshield, has incorporated a range of sensor functionalities which automate many of the functions previously operated by the driver in terms of “light and sight”. In the future, this cluster will be expanded to include still more sensors, such as camera sensors.

This paper presents a compact camera “front-end” which is attached to the windshield and utilizes a unique optical solution to greatly reduce the on-glass “look through” of the camera and also reduce the in-cabin package size of the product. This solution also improves the technical performance of the camera system and still covers all the functional requirements for today's and next generation forward-facing camera applications.