Rearview camera display mounted on a vehicle overhead console

• US 20060227212A1
• Filed: 04/06/2005
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VOXX International Corporation
• Original Assignee: VOXX International Corporation
• Inventors: Schedivy, George C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,564,479 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0235 of flat type, e.g. LCD
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A video display system for a vehicle includes a first video display for providing an image projection to a rearview mirror of the vehicle, and a second video display mounted behind the first video display. A camera can provide an image feed to the first video display, and the second video display can display media content such as DVD media.

Claims

1. A video display system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

a first video display for providing an image projection to a rearview mirror of the vehicle; and

a second video display mounted behind the first video display.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first video display is at least one of a liquid crystal display device, an electro-luminescent display device, a cathode-ray tube device and a gas plasma device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second video display is at least one of a liquid crystal display device, an electro-luminescent display device, a cathode-ray tube device and a gas plasma device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second video display is coupled with a media player to display media contents on the second video display.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the media player is at least one of a digital video disk (DVD), a video cassette player, a flash-memory media player, a magnetic storage media player and a hard-disk based media player.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second video display provides a display for a video game.

7. The system of claim, 1 wherein the second video display provides a display for a television signal.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a navigation system coupled to the first video display, wherein the first video display shows navigation information received from the navigation system.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second video displays are connected to a wiring harness of the vehicle.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a camera for capturing an image from the rear side of the vehicle and transmitting a video signal to the first video display for displaying the image on the first video display.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the camera is coupled to the first video display through a wired link.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the camera is coupled to the first video display through a wireless link.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

an image processing system coupled to the camera and the first video display.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the image processing system alters at least one of sharpness, clarity, brightness, contrast and color image parameters for the video signal.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the image processing system adds a visual symbol to the image representing at least one of temperature, wind speed, GPS (Global Positioning System) parameters, weather information, warnings, and vehicle dashboard information.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the image processing system provides correction for lateral inversion of the image.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a camera for capturing an image of a driver'"'"'s blind spot and transmitting a video signal to the first video display for displaying the image on the first video display.

18. A video display system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

a first video display, optically synchronized with a rearview mirror of the vehicle, wherein the first video screen displays an image that is projected onto the rearview mirror; and

a second video display, mounted behind the first video display, wherein both the first and second video displays are mounted in an overhead position inside the vehicle.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a link for optically synchronizing the first video display with the rearview mirror, wherein the link causes movement of at least one of the first video display and the rearview mirror to maintain the image projected onto the rearview mirror.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the link is a mechanical assembly.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the link is an electromechanical assembly.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the second video display is mounted to be aligned with a backside of the first video display.

23. An video display system for a vehicle, the system comprising:

a rearview mirror; and

a video unit comprising a first video display for providing an image projection to the rearview mirror, and a second video display mounted behind the first video display.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein one of the first and second video displays is at least one of a liquid crystal display device, an electro-luminescent display device, a cathode-ray tube device and a gas plasma device.

25. The system of claim 23, further comprising a link for optically synchronizing the first video display with the rearview mirror, wherein the link causes movement of at least one of the first video display and the rearview mirror to maintain the image projected into the rearview mirror.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the link is a mechanical assembly including a belt.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the link is an electromechanical assembly.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the first video display and second video display are physically separated from each other.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein the video unit is an integrated unit including the first and second displays.

30. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

a camera for capturing an image from the rear side of the vehicle and transmitting a video signal to the first video display for displaying the image on the first video display.