CN212869237U

CN212869237U - Camera module

Info

Publication number: CN212869237U
Application number: CN202021024101.XU
Authority: CN
Inventors: 马志华; 郝佳男
Original assignee: Tusimple Inc
Current assignee: Tusimple Inc
Priority date: 2020-06-05
Filing date: 2020-06-05
Publication date: 2021-04-02
Anticipated expiration: 2030-06-05

Abstract

The utility model relates to an image acquisition technical field discloses a camera module, and this camera module includes camera and camera support, wherein: the surface of the camera is provided with a plurality of connecting parts which are used for being matched and connected with the camera bracket; when the camera module is installed on the equipment at different types of positions to be installed, the camera support is located at different positions of the camera and connected with the corresponding connecting part, so that the camera is in a preset posture. In the embodiment, the camera surface is provided with the plurality of groups of connecting parts used for being matched with the camera support, so that the camera and the camera support have various combination forms, and the mounting requirements of different positions can be met.

Description

Camera module

Technical Field

The utility model relates to an image acquisition technical field especially relates to a camera module.

Background

In the field of automatic driving, the camera module is used for collecting images, forms a visual system of a vehicle, and is very popular in application.

At present, the structure of the camera module is generally as shown in fig. 1, which includes a camera 01 and a camera support 02, the camera 01 and the camera support 02 only have a combination form as shown in the figure, and are suitable for being installed on the top of a vehicle, and in order to meet the requirements of an automatic driving vehicle (especially an automatic driving truck), it is possible to install the camera module on other positions of the vehicle, such as the left and right sides of the vehicle, when the camera module in fig. 1 is installed on the side of the vehicle, the camera support 02 is fixed with the side of the vehicle, and the whole camera module is to be laid down. In the field of automatic driving, in order to facilitate calculation of algorithm modules such as positioning and sensing, a camera module mounted on a vehicle generally needs to be calibrated to determine a relationship between the camera module and a vehicle body coordinate system. In order to facilitate calibration of the camera module, the camera module is generally required to maintain a normal posture (for example, the roll angle is 0, and the yaw angle and the pitch angle are small). However, when the camera support 02 of fig. 1 is fixed to the side of the vehicle, the entire camera module is laid down, so that the camera module has a large roll angle, which is not favorable for calibration of the camera module. Current camera module as shown in fig. 1 only is applicable to the top installation of vehicle, and camera module's mounting means is comparatively single, can not satisfy the diversified demand of installing of autopilot vehicle.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

The utility model provides a camera module for the camera module that exists can not satisfy the problem of diversified installation among the solution prior art.

The embodiment of the utility model provides a camera module, this camera module are used for fixing at the equipment surface, including camera and camera support, wherein:

the camera surface is provided with a plurality of connecting parts which are used for being matched and connected with the camera bracket;

when the camera module is installed at different types of positions to be installed on equipment, the camera support is located at different positions of the camera and connected with the corresponding connecting part, so that the camera is in a preset posture.

In the above embodiment, a plurality of groups of connecting portions used for being matched with the camera support are arranged on the surface of the camera, so that a plurality of combination forms are provided between the camera and the camera support, the camera module formed in each combination form is adapted to one to-be-mounted position on the surface of the device, and when the camera module formed in any combination form is fixed to the corresponding to-be-mounted position, the camera can meet the preset posture requirement.

Optionally, the to-be-installed position includes a to-be-installed position located on the top surface of the device and a to-be-installed position located on the side surface of the device.

Optionally, the camera support is rotatably connected to the corresponding connecting portion, and is configured to enable the camera to generate a pitch motion or a yaw motion.

Optionally, a locking structure is disposed between the camera bracket and the corresponding connecting portion, and the locking structure is used for locking the camera when the camera rotates through a set angle. The pitching angle or the shaking angle of the camera can be locked through the locking structure so as to meet the requirement on the width of image acquisition.

Optionally, the camera support includes a base and a support portion disposed on the base, wherein:

the base and one end of the supporting part, which is matched with the base, are respectively provided with a plurality of hole sites distributed along the circumference, and the rotating axes of the hole sites are coincided;

the base is fixedly connected with the supporting part through a fastener and at least one group of coincident hole sites.

Optionally, the support portion is a single support arm disposed on the base.

Or, the support part is a U-shaped structure, and the camera is located between two side arms of the U-shaped structure.

Optionally, the locking structure includes:

a slotted hole disposed on the camera bracket;

the camera comprises a camera body, a plurality of long round holes and a plurality of threaded holes, wherein the camera body is provided with a camera body, the camera body is provided with a camera lens, the camera lens is arranged on the camera body, the camera lens is arranged on;

and the fastening piece penetrates through the oblong hole and is fixedly connected with the corresponding threaded hole. Thus, in any combination form, the locking at any angle can be realized within the range of the central angle of the oblong hole.

Optionally, the number of the long round holes is multiple, and the multiple long round holes are concentrically arranged. Therefore, the camera can be locked through the plurality of fasteners, so that the connection between the camera and the camera bracket is more stable, and the camera is prevented from loosening or falling off under the condition that the equipment vibrates or is impacted.

Optionally, the camera surface is provided with four connecting portions, the four connecting portions are located on four side surfaces arranged around the lens of the camera, and the connecting portions located on two opposite side surfaces of the four connecting portions are arranged in the same group; and two side arms of the U-shaped structure are respectively connected with the two connecting parts of the same group in a matching way.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a camera module provided in the prior art;

fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 3 is another schematic structural diagram of a camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a camera according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 5 is an assembly diagram of different positions to be installed on the camera module and the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Reference numerals:

the prior art is as follows:

01-Camera 02-Camera support

The application:

10-camera module

11-camera 111-connection 112-center hole

12-camera stand 121-base 122-support 123-hole site

13-locking structure 131-long round hole 132-threaded hole

20-vehicle

Detailed Description

In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, and it is obvious that the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by a person skilled in the art without creative work belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

The embodiment of the utility model provides a camera module, this camera module can adapt to the demand of diversified installation, and all can make the camera satisfy the gesture requirement of settlement.

Specifically, this camera module includes camera and camera support, wherein:

the surface of the camera is provided with a plurality of connecting parts used for being matched with the camera bracket;

when the camera support is located at different positions of the camera, the camera support is connected with the corresponding connecting part.

In the above embodiment, a plurality of groups of connecting parts for matching with the camera support are arranged on the surface of the camera housing, so that a plurality of combination forms are provided between the camera and the camera support, the camera module formed in each combination form is adapted to a to-be-mounted position on the device, and when the camera module formed in any combination form is fixed to the corresponding to-be-mounted position, the camera can meet the set posture requirement. And the camera support can be detachably connected, so that the same camera module can adapt to the installation requirements in different directions after the combination form is changed.

For a clearer understanding of the structure of the camera module provided by the embodiments of the present invention, a detailed description is now made with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in fig. 2, 3 and 5, the camera module 10 is used to be fixed on an automatic driving vehicle 20, a robot, an unmanned aerial vehicle, or the like, so as to capture images around the device, thereby forming a visual perception of the device. Specifically, the camera module 10 includes a camera 11 and a camera support 12, the surface of the camera 11 is provided with a plurality of connecting portions 111 for cooperating with the camera support 12, when the camera module is mounted on different types of belt mounting positions on the device, the camera support 12 is located at different positions of the camera 11, and the camera support 12 is connected with the corresponding connecting portions 111, so that the camera 11 is in a preset posture. That is, there are multiple combination forms between the camera 11 and the camera support 12, the camera module 10 formed in each combination form is adapted to a position to be installed on the device, and when the camera module 10 formed in any combination form is fixed to the corresponding position to be installed, the camera 11 can meet the set posture requirement. The preset posture may be various, for example, on the autonomous vehicle 20. For example, the camera module 10 is located on the top of the vehicle 20, and the yaw angle, the pitch angle and the roll angle of the camera 11 are all 0 ° to satisfy the forward observation of the camera 11; for another example, the camera module 10 is located on the top of the vehicle 20, and the yaw angle, the pitch angle and the roll angle of the camera 11 are 45 °, 45 ° and 0 °, respectively, so that the camera 11 is in a shooting posture in a forward oblique and downward direction to meet the observation of the camera on the oblique and forward oblique downward direction; for another example, the camera module 10 is located on the side of the vehicle 20, and the yaw angle of the camera 11 is 90 °, the pitch angle and the roll angle are 0 °, so that the camera 11 is in a posture of shooting outward toward the side of the vehicle, so as to satisfy the observation of the vehicle side by the camera 11. The above is only an explanation of the preset gesture, and those skilled in the art may set more preset gestures according to the requirement, and the embodiment of the present application is not particularly limited.

In the camera module 10, the camera 11 is used as a reference object, and when the orientation of the camera holder 12 relative to the camera 11 changes, the camera holder 12 can be connected to different connecting parts 111, as shown in two combination forms shown in fig. 2 and 3, wherein in the camera module 10 shown in fig. 2, the camera holder 12 is located at a first orientation of the camera 11, in the camera module 10 shown in fig. 3, the camera holder 12 is located at a second orientation of the camera 11, and when the camera holder 12 changes from the first orientation to the second orientation relative to the camera 11, the corresponding relationship between the camera holder 12 and the connecting parts 111 also changes; when the orientation of the camera support 12 relative to the camera 11 changes, the camera support 12 may also be connected to the same set of connection portions 111, taking the structure shown in fig. 2 as a reference, the camera 11 is kept still, and the corresponding relationship between the camera support 12 and the connection portions 111 is not changed, so that the camera support 12 may also be rotated above the camera 11, so that the camera 11 may be suspended on the bottom surface of a certain component of the device, and taking the structure shown in fig. 3 as a reference, the camera support 12 may also be rotated to the left side of the camera 11, so that the camera 11 may be installed on the other side surface corresponding to the device. By changing the orientation of the camera holder 12 with respect to the camera 11, the camera holder 12 can be adapted to different positions to be mounted.

In the actual use process, at an arbitrary position to be installed, the camera 11 needs to meet the requirement of a uniform posture, so that some position information acquired by the camera 11 can be accurately converted into a coordinate system of the device itself, on the premise that the camera 11 meets the requirement of the posture, when the camera 11 needs to be fixed at different positions to be installed, the position to be installed can be located on the top surface, the side surface or the bottom surface of the device, the position of the camera support 12 relative to the camera 11 is adjusted, the camera support 12 is adapted to the position to be installed, and the camera 11 is fixed at the position to be installed through the camera support 12.

In the three-dimensional space coordinate system, the attitude of the camera 11 can be described by a pitch angle, a yaw angle and a roll angle, and in the present embodiment, the pitch angle or the yaw angle of the camera 11 can be adjusted in general, but the camera 11 is not allowed to roll. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the different positions of the camera mount 12 in the camera 11 are described with the camera 11 as a reference object, so that the position of the camera mount 12 relative to the camera 11 is changed to adapt to different positions to be installed by changing the position of the camera mount 12 when the camera 11 maintains a certain posture; the pitch angle and yaw angle of the camera 11 are at certain mounting positions to describe different attitudes of the camera 11 while the camera mount 12 is held stationary.

Taking the autonomous driving vehicle 20 as an example, reference is also made to fig. 2, fig. 3, and fig. 5, where fig. 2 and fig. 3 show two combinations of the camera module 10, and fig. 5 shows an assembly diagram of the camera module 10 and different types of positions to be mounted on the vehicle 20. Specifically, in the camera module shown in fig. 2, the camera bracket 12 is located at a first position of the camera 11, and the camera bracket 12 is adapted to a position to be installed on the top surface of the vehicle 20; in the camera module shown in fig. 3, the camera support 12 is rotated through 90 ° counterclockwise with respect to the camera 11, and is located in a second orientation of the camera 11, the camera support 12 corresponding to a position to be mounted on a side of the vehicle 20. With continued reference to fig. 2, 3, 5, wherein, as with the camera module shown in fig. 2, the camera mount 12 is fixed to the top surface of the vehicle 20, the pitch angle of the camera 11 may be adjusted; the camera module shown in fig. 3 can adjust the yaw angle of the camera 11 when the camera mount 12 is fixed to the side of the vehicle 20. In both mounting positions, the camera 11 is moved from the top of the vehicle 20 to the side of the vehicle 20 without generating a roll angle, and the camera mount 12 is changed from the first orientation to the second orientation with respect to the camera 11 and from the horizontal orientation to the vertical orientation, thereby accommodating the position to be mounted on the side. As can be seen from fig. 2 and 3, the relative positional relationship between the camera mount 12 and the camera 11 changes, and the camera mount 12 is connected to two different sets of connecting portions 111, respectively.

In any position to be installed, in order to meet the requirement of image acquisition, the camera 11 may be fixedly connected with the camera bracket 12 by adopting a set pitch angle or a set yaw angle, and meanwhile, the camera 11 is generally not allowed to generate a roll angle; or, the camera support 12 is rotatably connected to the corresponding connecting portion 111, so that the camera 11 can perform a pitch motion or a yaw motion, but is not allowed to perform a roll motion, and thus, the pitch angle or the yaw angle of the camera 11 can be flexibly adjusted according to actual needs during use. In the latter form, a locking structure 13 is also provided between the camera bracket 12 and the corresponding connection 111, the locking structure 13 being used to lock the camera 11 in this position when the camera 11 is rotated through a set angle relative to the camera bracket 12.

When specifically arranged, the locking structure 13 includes an elongated hole 131 arranged on the camera support 12 and a plurality of threaded holes 132 arranged on the surface of the corresponding connecting portion 111, and the threaded holes 132 are distributed along the circumference and arranged concentrically with the elongated hole 131, and at least one threaded hole 132 is overlapped with the elongated hole 131; the locking structure 13 further comprises at least one fastener, which is fixedly connected with the corresponding threaded hole 132 through the oblong hole 131. In any combination, a plurality of threaded holes 132 are coincident with the oblong holes 131, or a plurality of oblong holes 131 are provided in the camera support 12, and the oblong holes 131 are concentrically arranged, and each oblong hole 131 is coincident with at least one threaded hole 132. The arrangement is such that the camera 11 can be locked in a certain position by a plurality of fasteners at the same time, preventing the camera 11 from loosening or falling off in case of vibration or impact of the device.

If the camera 11 is kept still, the corresponding relationship between the camera support 12 and the connecting part 111 is not changed, and the camera support 12 is rotated relative to the camera 11, the relative position relationship between the camera support 12 and the camera 11 is adjusted until the camera support 12 is adapted to the position to be installed, taking the structure shown in fig. 2 as reference, the camera 11 is kept still, the corresponding relationship between the camera support 12 and the connecting part 111 is not changed, the camera support 12 can be rotated to the position above the camera 11, the camera support 12 is adapted to the position to be installed on the bottom surface of a certain component, and the camera 11 can be installed in a hanging manner; with reference to the structure shown in fig. 3, it is also possible to rotate the camera stand 12 to the opposite side of the camera 11, so that the camera stand 12 is adapted to the position to be mounted on the other side of the apparatus. In the process that the camera support 12 rotates relative to the camera 11, the position of the oblong hole 131 changes, and when the camera support 12 rotates relative to the camera 11 by any angle, at least one threaded hole 132 is ensured to be overlapped with the oblong hole 131, so that after the camera support 12 is fixed at the corresponding position to be installed, the camera support 12 and the camera 11 can be locked through a fastener.

The camera support 12 has various structural forms, the camera support 12 may be in a single-arm form, or in a double-arm form, in the single-arm form, the camera support 12 includes a base and a single supporting arm disposed on the base, which may be in an integral structure or fixedly connected by welding, etc., in the double-arm form, the camera support 12 includes a base and a double supporting arm disposed on the base, the camera is located between the two supporting arms, and the base and the two supporting arms are in an integral structure or fixedly connected by welding, etc. Under the structure, the base is used for being fixedly connected with a position to be installed on the equipment, and the supporting arm is used for being fixedly connected with the camera or being rotatably connected with the camera, but the base and the supporting arm only have an inherent combination form.

Or, the camera support 12 includes a base 121 and a support portion 122 disposed on the base 121, where the support portion 122 may be a single-arm structure or a double-arm structure, where the base 121 and one end of the support portion 122 that is engaged with the base 121 are respectively provided with a plurality of holes 123 distributed along a circumference, and rotation axes of the holes 123 coincide with each other, and the rotation axes simultaneously pass through a circle center of a circumference formed by the holes 123 disposed on the base 121 and a circle center of a circumference formed by the holes 123 disposed on the support portion 122, and the base 121 and the support portion 122 may rotate relatively around the rotation axes and may be fixedly connected to each other at a set position through a fastener and at least one group of coinciding holes 123. Thus, when the base 121 is fixed to a certain installation setting, the lens of the camera is oriented in different directions by adjusting the rotation angle of the supporting portion 122 relative to the base 121. In a specific embodiment, as shown in fig. 2 and 3, the hole 123 formed on the supporting portion 122 is an oblong hole, the hole 123 formed on the base 121 is a circular threaded hole, and at least one threaded hole coincides with the oblong hole.

Specifically, in the single-arm form, the supporting portion 122 is a single supporting arm disposed on the base 121, and the camera 11 and the supporting arm may be fixedly connected or rotatably connected; in the double-arm form, as shown in fig. 2 and 3, the support portion 122 is a U-shaped structure, the camera 11 is located between two side arms of the U-shaped structure, the camera 11 may be respectively and fixedly connected with the two side arms, or may be rotatably connected with the two side arms, and the hole sites are disposed at the bottom of the U-shaped structure. The supporting portion 122 and each connecting portion 111 on the surface of the camera 11 are provided with a central hole 112, and a connecting member such as a pin may be disposed in the central hole 112. In actual installation, the combination form between the camera 11 and the supporting portion 122 may be determined according to the specific position to be installed on the surface of the device, then the relative rotation angle between the supporting portion 122 and the base 121 may be adjusted, and finally the supporting portion 122 and the base 121 may be fixed.

In this camera module, the orientation of the camera lens may be changed by adjusting the pitch angle and yaw angle of the camera 11, or by adjusting the rotation angle of the support 122 with respect to the base 121.

In a specific embodiment, the camera 11 includes a camera body and a camera housing, the camera body is fixed inside the camera housing, the camera housing is a sealed structure, and erosion of the camera body by wind, sand, rain, and the like is avoided; as shown in fig. 4, the camera housing is provided with four connecting portions 111, the four connecting portions 111 are located on four sides disposed around the lens of the camera 11, and the connecting portions 111 located on two opposite sides among the four connecting portions 111 are disposed in the same group; each connecting portion 111 is provided with four threaded holes 132 uniformly distributed along the circumference, and a group of threaded holes 132 can be added to each connecting portion 111 at the outer circle of the four threaded holes 132 to match with different camera brackets 12.

The camera support 12 is in a double-arm form and comprises a support part 122 and a base 121, wherein the support part is in a U-shaped structure, the camera 11 is located between two side arms of the U-shaped structure, and the two side arms of the U-shaped structure are respectively connected with the two connecting parts 111 in the same group in a matching manner; each side arm is provided with two long round holes 131 which are concentrically arranged and symmetrically distributed relative to the circle center, each long round hole 131 is superposed with two threaded holes 132, meanwhile, each side arm and the connecting part 111 are also provided with a circle center hole 112 at the circle center position, and connecting parts such as a pin shaft and the like can be arranged in the circle center hole 112; the bottom of the U-shaped structure is also provided with two concentric long circular holes which are symmetrically distributed relative to the circle center, and the base 121 is provided with a threaded hole matched with the long circular holes.

As shown in fig. 2 and 5, the camera support 12 is taken as a whole, the camera support 12 is located at a first position of the camera 11, the camera support 12 is adapted to a position to be mounted on the top surface of the vehicle 20, the camera support 12 is rotatably connected to the left and right connecting portions 111 of the camera 11, and the camera support 12 can be rotated above the camera 11 to hang the camera 11 on the bottom surface of a certain component while the camera support 12 is kept connected to the two connecting portions 111. In any of the above positions, the locking structure 13 can lock the pitch angle of the camera 11, for example, the camera 11 can be directed to the front of the vehicle 20 or to the 45 ° pitch angle. In addition, the camera stand 12 may adjust the orientation of the camera 21 by adjusting the relative rotation angle between the support 122 and the base 121 with the base 121 as a reference.

As shown in fig. 3, with the camera bracket 12 as a whole, the camera bracket 12 is located at the second orientation of the camera 11, the camera bracket 12 is adapted to the to-be-mounted position of the left side surface of the vehicle 20 (with reference to the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of the head of the vehicle 20), the two supporting arms of the camera bracket 12 are respectively rotatably connected to the upper connecting portion 111 and the lower connecting portion 111 of the camera 11, and meanwhile, on the premise that the camera bracket 12 is connected to the two connecting portions 111, the camera bracket 12 can also be rotated to the left side of the camera 11, so as to fix the camera 11 at the to-be-mounted position of the right side surface of the vehicle 20. In any of the above positions, the lock mechanism 13 can lock the yaw angle of the camera 11, for example, the camera 11 can be directed to the front of the vehicle 20 or to the outside of the vehicle 20 and can be yawed by 45 °. In addition, the camera stand 12 may adjust the orientation of the camera 21 by adjusting the relative rotation angle between the support 122 and the base 121 with the base 121 as a reference.

As can be seen from the above description, the embodiment of the present invention provides a camera module, which is used for connecting with a camera support through setting multiple groups on the surface of a camera housing, so that multiple combination forms are provided between a camera and the camera support, and the installation requirements of different positions can be met.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, if such modifications and variations of the present invention fall within the scope of the claims and their equivalents, the present invention is also intended to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. The utility model provides a camera module, its characterized in that includes camera and camera support, wherein:

2. The camera module of claim 1, wherein the to-be-mounted locations include a to-be-mounted location on a top surface of the device and a to-be-mounted location on a side surface of the device.

3. The camera module of claim 1, wherein the camera mount is pivotally connected to the corresponding connection and is configured to allow the camera to move in pitch or yaw.

4. The camera module of claim 3, wherein a locking structure is disposed between the camera bracket and the corresponding connecting portion, and the locking structure is configured to lock the camera when the camera is rotated through a set angle.

5. The camera module of claim 1, wherein the camera stand comprises a base and a support disposed on the base, wherein:

6. The camera module of claim 5, wherein the support portion is a single support arm disposed on the base.

7. The camera module of claim 5, wherein the support portion is a U-shaped structure, and the camera is located between two side arms of the U-shaped structure.

8. The camera module of claim 4, wherein the locking structure comprises:

a slotted hole disposed on the camera bracket;

the threaded holes are distributed along the circumference and are concentrically arranged with the long round holes, and at least one threaded hole is superposed with the long round hole;

and the fastening piece penetrates through the oblong hole and is fixedly connected with the corresponding threaded hole.

9. The camera module of claim 8, wherein the oblong hole is plural and the plural oblong holes are concentrically arranged.

10. The camera module of claim 7, wherein the camera surface is provided with four connecting portions, four of the connecting portions are located on four sides disposed around the lens of the camera, and the connecting portions located on two opposite sides of the four connecting portions are disposed in the same group; and two side arms of the U-shaped structure are respectively connected with the two connecting parts of the same group in a matching way.