Intelligent rear-view mirror system

• US 10,043,083 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2015
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thunder Power New Energy Vehicle Development Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Thunder Power New Energy Vehicle Development Company Limited
• Inventors: Ding, Jia-Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): KALAPODAS, DRAMOS
• Application Number:
  US14/923,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20170113616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/597 Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness

Abstract

Described herein is a rear view mirror system that is configured to adjust to a user'"'"'s position without direct user interaction. In some embodiments, a camera may be included in the rear view mirror system so that its line of sight is perpendicular to a reflective surface. The camera may capture a digital image of the user. Eye patterns may be identified from the image information to determine an appropriate position for the mirror. In some embodiments, the mirror may be repositioned so that the camera'"'"'s line of sight is directed halfway between the identified eye information and the center of a rear window. In some embodiments, the mirror may be re-adjusted periodically.

Claims

1. A rear view mirror apparatus, comprising:

a mirror housing;

a planar reflective surface;

a camera device configured to capture image information, the camera device positioned within the mirror housing perpendicular to the reflective surface;

a processor device configured to;

receive, from the camera device, an image that includes a representation of at least a portion of a driver, the portion of the driver including at least a representation of at least one eye belonging to the user;

identify, within the image, the representation of at least one eye belonging to the driver;

determine a first set of coordinates associated with a point of origin in the image with respect to a coordinate system;

determine a second set of coordinates associated with the at least one eye in the image with respect to the coordinate system;

determine a third set of coordinates that comprises a point located halfway between the first set of coordinates and the second set of coordinates with respect to the coordinate system;

determine an adjusted position for the reflective surface based at least in part on the captured image information, wherein the adjusted position comprises a position for which a line of sight of the camera device is aimed directly at the third set of coordinates; and

a first actuation device configured to rotate the reflective surface and camera device within the mirror housing into the adjusted position in accordance with instructions received from the processor device.

2. The rear view mirror apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second actuation device configured to rotate the mirror housing based at least in part on the identified adjusted position.

3. The rear view mirror apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reflective surface is semi-transparent.

4. The rear view mirror apparatus of claim 3, wherein the camera is located within the mirror housing, behind the reflective surface.

5. The rear view mirror apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second reflective surface configured to reflect light away from the driver.

6. A method comprising:

receiving, from a camera device located perpendicular to a mirror surface, an image including at least a representation of a partial image of a driver;

identifying, using one or more image processing techniques, a location of an eye of the driver within the received image;

determining, based on the location of the eye of the driver, a first set of coordinates associated with the eye of the driver within a coordinate system;

determining a second set of coordinates associated with a point of origin within the coordinate system;

determining a third set of coordinates that comprises a point located halfway between the first set of coordinates and the second set of coordinates with respect to the coordinate system;

determine an adjusted position for the camera device, wherein the adjusted position comprises a position for which a line of sight of the camera device is aimed directly at the third set of coordinates; and

adjusting a current position of the camera device and mirror surface to the adjusted position.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving an updated image information;

determining that the location of the eye of the driver has changed in the updated image information; and

re-adjusting the mirror surface so that the focus of the camera device is located halfway between the location of the eye of the driver and the default position within the image information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the updated image information is received on a periodic basis.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the mirror surface is positioned such that a line of sight of the camera perpendicular to the mirror surface bisects the location of the eye of the driver and the default position.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the location of the eye of the driver is identified by matching patterns in the image information with at least one stored eye pattern.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the default position is the center of a rear window of the vehicle within the image.

12. A vehicle rear-view mirror system, comprising:

a mirror housing;

a mirror unit configured to rest within the mirror housing, the mirror unit including at least one camera and at least one reflective surface, the at least one camera being perpendicular to the at least one reflective surface;

a first actuation device configured to rotate the mirror unit within the mirror housing;

a processor device; and

a memory including instructions that, when executed with the processor device, cause the system to, at least;

capture, via the camera device, an image that includes at least a driver;

identify, within the image, a representation of an eye of the driver;

determine, based on the identified eye of the driver, a first set of coordinates associated with the eye of the driver within a coordinate system;

determine a second set of coordinates associated with a point of origin within the coordinate system;

determine a third set of coordinates that represents a point located halfway between the first set of coordinates and the second set of coordinates with respect to the coordinate system;

determine a degree of rotation needed to aim the at least one camera at the third set of coordinates; and

provide, to the first actuation device, instructions to rotate the mirror unit within the mirror housing such that the at least one camera and the at least one reflective surface is at the determined degree of rotation.

13. The vehicle rear-view mirror system of claim 12, wherein the first actuation device is a servomotor.

14. The vehicle rear-view mirror system of claim 12, further comprising:

a second actuation device configured to rotate the mirror housing; and

wherein the instructions further cause the system to at least;

determine, from the image information, a second degree of rotation; and

provide, to the second actuation device, instructions to rotate the mirror housing such that the at least one reflective surface is at the determined second degree of rotation.

15. The vehicle rear-view mirror system of claim 12, wherein the at least one reflective surface comprises a semi-transparent first reflective surface and a second reflective surface.

16. The vehicle rear-view mirror system of claim 15, wherein the at least one camera device comprises a first camera device positioned perpendicular to the first reflective surface and a second camera device positioned perpendicular to the second reflective surface.

17. The vehicle rear-view mirror system of claim 16, wherein image information captured by the first camera device is used to determine the degree of rotation for the semi-transparent first reflective surface.

18. The vehicle rear-view mirror system of claim 12, wherein the instructions are executed upon detecting a repositioning event.