Is this normal?

[Jedadiah]

I've never taken a picture, but that thing is definitely a defroster. Ice melts right along that line to clear the view for the camera when the defrost is on.

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[Trigganometry]

These frontal cameras have many different techs all going on at once. Think newer generation phones. So LIDAR (distance), GPS (figures speed and direction) Image registration (some library type for street sign reading) All this is tied into other systems (crash prevention and lane keeping)

I can’t see that the wire would be in the cameras corrected focal length. Way to close to the lens for it to be in focus in anyway. The cavity the camera lives in is a plastic box that attaches to windshield. That why the heater is in there. It’s a closed space.

 

[Old Norm]

My buddy, a former marine, modified his.

 

[veedubtuner]

I've never taken a picture, but that thing is definitely a defroster. Ice melts right along that line to clear the view for the camera when the defrost is on.

Maybe it's both? The one smart Ford engineer combined the 2 for practicality ?

 

[navsnipe]

Some comedian put a crooked pine needle in there to drive all of us with OCD to the brink.

 

[airline tech]

From the Service Manual:

IPMA Camera Windshield Defrost Heater

The camera windshield defrost heater keeps the windshield in front of the IPMA clear of frost and ice. The IPMA uses input from the front camera and the ambient air temperature to turn the camera windshield defrost heater on and off. Voltage and ground is supplied to the heater by the IPMA . The heater may be commanded on if the ambient temperature is below 5°C (41°F ).

Except Raptor, the IPMA camera windshield defrost heating element is integral to the windshield and can not be serviced without replacing the windshield. For Raptor, the IPMA camera windshield defrost heating element is a resistive-type heater grid that is adhered to the inside of the windshield directly in front of the IPMA camera. Before replacing the IPMA camera heated windshield element or the IPMA for an IPMA camera heated windshield element concern, verify the integrity of the wiring, connectors and terminals on the jumper harness.


IPMA

The IPMA is located on the windshield, below the interior rear view mirror. The IPMA communicates on the HS-CAN2 and on vehicles equipped with the adaptive cruise control and collision warning system, the IPMA shares information with the CCM on a dedicated CAN circuits to assist the driver in avoiding collision. The IPMA contains a forward-looking camera that is used to detect the position of the vehicle within the lane.

The IPMA requires PMI and camera alignment when replaced.

Camera Windshield Defrost Heater

The camera windshield defrost heater is a resistive-type heater grid that is adhered to the inside of the windshield directly in front of the IPMA camera.

The camera windshield defrost heater uses a jumper harness between the component and the vehicle harness. Before replacing the camera windshield defrost heater or IPMA for a camera windshield defrost heater concern, verify the integrity of the wiring, connectors and terminals on the jumper harness.

Lane Keeping System Switch

The lane keeping system switch is momentary contact switch located on the LH steering column multifunction switch. The lane keeping system inputs directly to the SCCM , which provides a switch state message to the IPMA .

 

[notsolinear]

Basically the lens is able to focus on the point on the left and then the point on the right at different focus points. Then that will come back to the computer as photographic data. The engineering wizards are then able to translate that focal difference into a real-life distance in ft., meters., whatever.

So long story short - the camera takes a picture of the car in front of you, checks it against its little line, and if it violates a certain threshold it will sound the alarm. Does this at probably 24-30 frames per second - mind boggling stuff this technology!

I have to disagree with the characterization that this slanted line on the windshield glass is somehow involved in distance detection. As a disclaimer, I am not a Ford engineer, but with some publicly available information we can be fairly confident that it's not the case. As for why it's a slanted line vs. basically any other shape for the heater wire, I have no clue.

Monocular cameras, like the Ranger has, are the worse possible choice when it comes to distance estimation. If you want useful range estimation from cameras you use two spaced apart (like Subaru) or more (Tesla has 3 front facing cameras). Various Ford publications support an assumption that they're using a common approach which is to fuse data from a single forward camera with a forward looking radar sensor: Radar has excellent distance and speed accuracy but low spatial resolution. Cameras have great spatial resolution but low distance and speed accuracy. The vehicle's computers fuse those two sources together to get the best parts of both. The camera would also be used for other functions that radar is useless at, like visualizing lane markers for the lane assistance features.

Another clue is that the defroster line on the window is so close to the camera that it is almost certainly – and probably by design – out of focus. Rather than seeing a crisp horizontal line in the camera's picture, it's far more likely it's just a hazy blur over part of the image, which I'd guess is then calibrated out during manufacturing.

 

[KJRR]

I have to disagree with the characterization that this slanted line on the windshield glass is somehow involved in distance detection. As a disclaimer, I am not a Ford engineer, but with some publicly available information we can be fairly confident that it's not the case. As for why it's a slanted line vs. basically any other shape for the heater wire, I have no clue.

Monocular cameras, like the Ranger has, are the worse possible choice when it comes to distance estimation. If you want useful range estimation from cameras you use two spaced apart (like Subaru) or more (Tesla has 3 front facing cameras). Various Ford publications support an assumption that they're using a common approach which is to fuse data from a single forward camera with a forward looking radar sensor: Radar has excellent distance and speed accuracy but low spatial resolution. Cameras have great spatial resolution but low distance and speed accuracy. The vehicle's computers fuse those two sources together to get the best parts of both. The camera would also be used for other functions that radar is useless at, like visualizing lane markers for the lane assistance features.

Another clue is that the defroster line on the window is so close to the camera that it is almost certainly – and probably by design – out of focus. Rather than seeing a crisp horizontal line in the camera's picture, it's far more likely it's just a hazy blur over part of the image, which I'd guess is then calibrated out during manufacturing.

So if you don't have the radar portion for cruise control distance following, how do you get the collision alerts?

 

[notsolinear]

So if you don't have the radar portion for cruise control distance following, how do you get the collision alerts?

That’s a great question, and I admittedly learned something by digging through some literature. It looks like there has been a lot of academic research (example) into implementing AEB and FCW using a single camera. It’s interesting to see some of the challenges and solutions they came up with to counter the inherent limitations that monocular vision has in estimating distance. A lot of it seems to boil down to: If you know the true physical size of something, and you know the apparent size in the camera image, then you can estimate the distance. Given that vehicles and road lanes are not hugely variable in size, you can make a reasonable guess about their true size (and thus estimate distance).

My original statement should probably be that monocular cameras are the worst choice for distance estimation of arbitrary scenes. With two cameras you can make a depth map, even if you don’t understand what you’re looking at. It’s clear however that the industry has come up with solutions for estimating distance of fairly well defined objects like vehicles and people with sufficient accuracy.

 

[Max Crafter]

From the Service Manual:

IPMA Camera Windshield Defrost Heater

The camera windshield defrost heater keeps the windshield in front of the IPMA clear of frost and ice. The IPMA uses input from the front camera and the ambient air temperature to turn the camera windshield defrost heater on and off. Voltage and ground is supplied to the heater by the IPMA . The heater may be commanded on if the ambient temperature is below 5°C (41°F ).

Except Raptor, the IPMA camera windshield defrost heating element is integral to the windshield and can not be serviced without replacing the windshield. For Raptor, the IPMA camera windshield defrost heating element is a resistive-type heater grid that is adhered to the inside of the windshield directly in front of the IPMA camera. Before replacing the IPMA camera heated windshield element or the IPMA for an IPMA camera heated windshield element concern, verify the integrity of the wiring, connectors and terminals on the jumper harness.


IPMA

The IPMA is located on the windshield, below the interior rear view mirror. The IPMA communicates on the HS-CAN2 and on vehicles equipped with the adaptive cruise control and collision warning system, the IPMA shares information with the CCM on a dedicated CAN circuits to assist the driver in avoiding collision. The IPMA contains a forward-looking camera that is used to detect the position of the vehicle within the lane.

The IPMA requires PMI and camera alignment when replaced.

Camera Windshield Defrost Heater

The camera windshield defrost heater is a resistive-type heater grid that is adhered to the inside of the windshield directly in front of the IPMA camera.

The camera windshield defrost heater uses a jumper harness between the component and the vehicle harness. Before replacing the camera windshield defrost heater or IPMA for a camera windshield defrost heater concern, verify the integrity of the wiring, connectors and terminals on the jumper harness.

Lane Keeping System Switch

The lane keeping system switch is momentary contact switch located on the LH steering column multifunction switch. The lane keeping system inputs directly to the SCCM , which provides a switch state message to the IPMA .

this is definately more concrete than the standard I read it somewhere else on google therefore it must be true.
Still doesnt explain mine where I specifically went out on a frosty morning to watch and see if it defrosted anything. which it didnt.

Do the wiring diagrams show any specific power wired in the upper harness to power it?
I've come across this pic last night, I am assuming those two dots are the windshield connections.

 

[ArchitectThom]

I wish I could help here, but living in Phoenix and keeping my baby garaged 90% of the time that it's parked anywhere (home and work) pretty much prevents me from ever caring at all what that line would / should / could be. Snow is a once a decade occurrence in the valley here and ice on a windshield is myth. I suppose frost can be a thing for about 3 weeks worth of mornings every winter, but only when parking outside overnight.

Sorry.... but not sorry.

 

[airline tech]

Well, the service manuals call out that it is installed, but reference this video of another forum member getting his windshield replaced, the installer points out a connector and it is believed to be for the heater. It is for a heater, but it is the Wiper Parking Grid, that was deleted.
You can possibly see the wire harness for the IPMA heater, when the installer is scrapping off his windshield decal (parking pass?)



So, the service manual calls out that IPMA heater is installed, and states that it is part of the windshield assembly.
The IPMA itself (connector-feeds power to the heater grid)
Windshield Replacement makes no mention of a connector on the camera mounting bracket.
Troubleshoot for heater, if bad - Replace Windshield

***I truly think, it is not a full power heater, it only defogs the inner windshield in front of the camera. since it is enclosed, and the truck defroster vents cannot reach that area.
This would be why - we do not see it working.
Which would explain a message I got this winter,
Front Camera Low Visibility Clean Screen, driving home from work, wet snow covered.

So, the pic of the Mounting Bracket, with the (2) wires is the Heater Element, now this Mounting Bracket is part of a new windshield.
So, it is a 50/50 shot if we actually have this on the bracket and or the wire harness for it.
Might pull cover of and see,

See attached for the references to the heater grid and connector.

 

[Max Crafter]

Well, the service manuals call out that it is installed, but reference this video of another forum member getting his windshield replaced, the installer points out a connector and it is believed to be for the heater. It is for a heater, but it is the Wiper Parking Grid, that was deleted.
You can possibly see the wire harness for the IPMA heater, when the installer is scrapping off his windshield decal (parking pass?)



So, the service manual calls out that IPMA heater is installed, and states that it is part of the windshield assembly.
The IPMA itself (connector-feeds power to the heater grid)
Windshield Replacement makes no mention of a connector on the camera mounting bracket.
Troubleshoot for heater, if bad - Replace Windshield

***I truly think, it is not a full power heater, it only defogs the inner windshield in front of the camera. since it is enclosed, and the truck defroster vents cannot reach that area.
This would be why - we do not see it working.
Which would explain a message I got this winter,
Front Camera Low Visibility Clean Screen, driving home from work, wet snow covered.

So, the pic of the Mounting Bracket, with the (2) wires is the Heater Element, now this Mounting Bracket is part of a new windshield.
So, it is a 50/50 shot if we actually have this on the bracket and or the wire harness for it.
Might pull cover of and see,

See attached for the references to the heater grid and connector.

Thank you for your knowledge.
Electricity isn't my favorite thing in the world.
I don't even like taking the time to shut off the breakers at home when changing a light switch or a fixture. I just risk electrocution as the easy way to avoid staring at the breaker panel wondering which one to shut off to save my life.

 

[svgrdr]

Heater to clear ice

Edit: At least that’s what I read on here.

I can confirm, I've seen it defrost that little patch up top. It doesn't work as well as the rear defrost, but it definitely does what it's supposed to. You'll notice it when there is just a light layer of frost, not solid ice.

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