Navigation system for a vehicle

• US 20030065444A1
• Filed: 11/04/2002
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eugenie V. Uhlmann, Kevin C. Mccarthy, Niall R. Lynam
• Original Assignee: Eugenie V. Uhlmann, Kevin C. Mccarthy, Niall R. Lynam
• Inventors: Uhlmann, Eugenie V., McCarthy, Kevin C., Lynam, Niall R.
• Granted Patent: US 6,678,614 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/213
• 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 11/0241 for telephones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0247 for microphones or earphones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1284 with communication systems other than radio-receivers, e.g. keyless entry systems, navigation systems; with anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0026 Windows, e.g. windscreen
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0033 Rear-view mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8026 in addition to a rear-view mirror system
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/34 Route searching; Route guidance
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/36 Input/output arrangements for on-board computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3626 Details of the output of route guidance instructions traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/21 Interference related issues ; Issues related to cross-correlation, spoofing or other methods of denial of service
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/35 Constructional details or hardware or software details of the signal processing chain
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/36 relating to the receiver frond end
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/37 Hardware or software details of the signal processing chain
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/10 Map spot or coordinate position indicators; Map reading aids optical projection apparatus per se G03B

Abstract

A vehicular rearview mirror-based navigation system includes a rearview mirror system, including an interior rearview mirror assembly, having an interior reflective element and interior mirror housing for the interior reflective element. The interior rearview mirror assembly further includes a scrolling display. The scrolling display displays scrolling driver informational messages on the scrolling display. The interior rearview mirror assembly may include a global-positioning system display receiving an output from a global-positioning system receiving system and displaying turn-by-turn information to a vehicle driver.

Claims

1. A vehicular rearview mirror-based navigation system, comprising:

a rearview mirror system including an interior rearview mirror assembly, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising an interior reflective element and an interior mirror housing for said interior reflective element;

a global-positioning system comprising a receiving system;

said interior rearview mirror assembly further comprising a global-positioning system display displaying information derived from an output of said global-positioning system receiving system, said global-positioning system display displaying scrolling information.

2. The system in claim 1 wherein said global-positioning system display provides turn-by-turn instructions.

3. The system in claim 2 wherein said turn-by-turn instructions comprise at least one of (i) direction, (ii) when to turn and (iii) how far until the turn.

4. The system in claim 1 wherein said global-positioning system display comprises a dot-matrix pixelated display.

5. The system in claim 4 wherein said global-positioning system display is selected from the group consisting of a vacuum fluorescent display, an organic electro-luminescent display, a field-emission display, a plasma display, a light-emitting diode display, and a liquid crystal display.

6. The system in claim 1 wherein said global-positioning system display is positioned at said interior reflective element.

7. The system in claim 1 wherein said global-positioning system display is positioned at said housing.

8. The system in claim 1 wherein said rearview mirror system further includes at least one exterior rearview mirror assembly including an exterior reflective element and an exterior mirror housing for said exterior reflective element.

9. The system in claim 8 wherein said global-positioning system receiving system comprising a global-positioning system antenna and a global-positioning receiver.

10. The system in claim 9 wherein at least one of said system antenna and said receiving system is positioned at one of said interior mirror assembly and said exterior mirror assembly.

11. The system in claim 10 wherein said at least one of said system antenna and said system receiver are positioned at said interior mirror assembly.

12. The system in claim 1 wherein said receiving system is positioned at said interior mirror assembly.

13. The system in claim 10 wherein said at least one of said system antenna and said system receiver are positioned at said exterior rearview mirror assembly and wherein said output is supplied to said display via one of a wire connection, a vehicle data bus connection, and a short-range wireless communication channel.

14. The system in claim 13 wherein said output is supplied via a vehicle data bus connection that comprises one of a LIN and a CAN bus.

15. The system in claim 13 wherein said output is supplied via a wireless communication channel that comprises a BLUETOOTH protocol.

16. The system in claim 1 wherein said global-positioning system display has an aspect ratio of width-to-height that is greater than or equal to 3.

17. The system in claim 16 wherein said global-positioning system display has an aspect ratio of width-to-height that is greater than or equal to 5.

18. The system in claim 17 wherein said global-positioning system display has an aspect ratio of width-to-height that is greater than or equal to 10.

19. The system in claim 1 wherein said global-positioning system display has a height that is greater than or equal to 4 millimeters.

20. The system in claim 19 wherein said global-positioning system display has a height that is greater than or equal to 5 millimeters.

21. The system in claim 20 wherein said global-positioning system display has a height that is greater than or equal to 6 millimeters.

22. The system in claim 1 wherein said global-positioning system display has a width that is greater than or equal to 5 millimeters.

23. The system in claim 22 wherein said global-positioning system display has a width that is greater than or equal to 7 millimeters.

24. The system in claim 23 wherein said global-positioning system display has a width that is greater than or equal to 10 millimeters.

25. The system in claim 1 wherein said global-positioning system display displays simple compass/directional heading information.

26. The system in claim 25 further including an audio output generator indicating a need to change direction.

27. The system in claim 1 wherein said global-positioning system display is a multiplexing display.

28. The system in claim 27 wherein said global-positioning system display also displays other vehicle functions.

29. The system in claim 1 wherein said rearview mirror system receives a remote input from a remote attendant providing destination information.

30. The system in claim 29 wherein said rearview mirror system includes a sound system for receiving voice commands from the driver.

31. The system in claim 30 wherein said sound system activates a vehicular wireless communication system communicating driver voice commands to the remote attendant.

32. A vehicular rearview mirror-based navigation system, comprising:

a rearview mirror system including an interior rearview mirror assembly, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising an interior reflective element and an interior mirror housing for said interior reflective element;

a global-positioning system comprising a receiving system;

said interior rearview mirror assembly further comprising a global-positioning system display displaying information derived from an output from said global-positioning system receiving system, said global-positioning system display displaying turn-by-turn information.

33. The system in claim 32 wherein said global-positioning system display comprises a scrolling display.

34. The system in claim 32 wherein said turn-by-turn information comprise at least one of (i) direction, (ii) when to turn and (iii) how far until the turn.

35. The system in claim 32 wherein said global-positioning system display comprises a dot-matrix pixelated display.

36. The system in claim 35 wherein said global-positioning system display is selected from the group consisting of a vacuum fluorescent display, an organic electro-luminescent display, a field-emission display, a plasma display, a light-emitting diode display, and a liquid crystal display.

37. The system in claim 35 wherein said global-positioning system display is positioned at said interior reflective element.

38. The system in claim 37 wherein said global-positioning system display is positioned at said housing.

39. The system in claim 32 wherein said rearview mirror system further includes at least one exterior rearview mirror assembly including an exterior reflective element and an exterior mirror housing for said exterior reflective element.

40. The system in claim 39 wherein said global-positioning system receiving system comprises a global-positioning system antenna and a global-positioning receiver.

41. The system in claim 40 wherein at least one of said system antenna and said receiving system is positioned at one of said interior mirror assembly and said exterior mirror assembly.

42. The system in claim 41 wherein said at least one of said system antenna and said system receiver are positioned at said interior mirror assembly.

43. The system in claim 41 wherein said at least one of said system antenna and said system receiver are positioned at said exterior mirror assembly and wherein said output is supplied to said display via one of a wire connection, a vehicle data bus connection, and a short-range wireless communication channel.

44. The system in claim 43 wherein said output is supplied via a vehicle data bus connection that comprises one of a LIN and a CAN bus.

45. The system in claim 43 wherein said output is supplied via a wireless communication channel that comprises a BLUETOOTH protocol.

46. The system in claim 32 wherein said global-positioning system display has an aspect ratio of width-to-height that is greater than or equal to 3.

47. The system in claim 46 wherein said global-positioning system display has an aspect ratio of width-to-height that is greater than or equal to 5.

48. The system in claim 47 wherein said global-positioning system display has an aspect ratio of width-to-height that is greater than or equal to 10.

49. The system in claim 32 wherein said global-positioning system display has a height that is greater than or equal to 4 millimeters.

50. The system in claim 49 wherein said global-positioning system display has a height that is greater than or equal to 5 millimeters.

51. The system in claim 50 wherein said global-positioning system display has a height that is greater than or equal to 6 millimeters.

52. The system in claim 32 wherein said global-positioning system display has a width that is greater than or equal to 5 millimeters.

53. The system in claim 52 wherein said global-positioning system display has a width that is greater than or equal to 7 millimeters.

54. The system in claim 53 wherein said global-positioning system display has a width that is greater than or equal to 10 millimeters.

55. The system in claim 32 wherein said global-positioning system display displays simple compass/directional heading information.

56. The system in claim 55 further including an audio output generator indicating a need to change direction.

57. The system in claim 32 wherein said global-positioning system display comprises a multiplexing display.

58. The system in claim 57 wherein said global-positioning system display also displays other vehicle functions.

59. The system in claim 32 wherein said rearview mirror system receives a remote input from a remote attendant providing destination information.

60. The system in claim 59 wherein said rearview mirror system includes a sound system for receiving voice commands from the driver.

61. The system in claim 60 wherein said sound system activates a vehicular wireless communication system communicating driver voice commands to the remote attendant.