Interior mirror

• US 20070052805A1
• Filed: 10/14/2003
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai RIKA Denki Seisakusho
• Inventors: Inagaki, Bunji, Mizuno, Hiromitsu
• Application Number:
  US10/683,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20070052805A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• 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: H04N 23/20 for generating image signals from infrared radiation only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

An interior mirror which enables surveillance of a vehicle driver even at night, in tunnels and the like, without obstructing a forward field of vision of the vehicle driver or subjecting the vehicle driver to psychological pressure due to the presence of a surveillance device. Light with wavelengths in the infra-red light region is illuminated from infra-red LEDs inside a housing. When this light enters a filter from a rear face side thereof, the infra-red light that has wavelengths outside a range X is reflected, and the infra-red light that has wavelengths inside the range X is transmitted. This transmitted infra-red light is irradiated at the vehicle driver. This infra-red light is reflected from the vehicle driver, is incident at the filter from the front face side thereof and is again transmitted to the rear face side, and enters a lens of an infra-red camera.

Claims

1. An interior mirror comprising:

a housing including an opening;

a mirror including a mirror face and a mirror rear face at opposite sides thereof, the mirror being disposed so as to cover the opening of the housing, and the mirror including functionality as a filter which substantially reflects light of wavelengths in a visible light region that is incident from the mirror face side and substantially transmits light of wavelengths in an infra-red light region that is incident from either of the mirror face side and the mirror rear face side;

an image capture section disposed in the housing; and

a light-emitting section disposed in the housing, and capable of illuminating light including a wavelength in the infra-red light region at the mirror rear face.

2. The interior mirror of claim 1, wherein the light with wavelengths in the infra-red light region that is transmitted by the mirror is limited to a predetermined range which is appropriate to characteristics of the image capture section.

3. The interior mirror of claim 1, further comprising a baseplate for mounting of the image capture section and the light-emitting section.

4. The interior mirror of claim 1, wherein the image capture section comprises an infra-red camera.

5. The interior mirror of claim 1, wherein the light-emitting section comprises an infra-red LED.

6. An interior mirror comprising:

a mirror including a mirror face and a mirror rear face at opposite sides thereof, the mirror including functionality as a filter which substantially reflects visible light that is incident from the mirror face side and substantially transmits light other than visible light;

an image capture section including a lens facing the mirror rear face;

a light-emitting section disposed at the mirror rear face side of the mirror, and capable of illuminating light other than visible light at the mirror rear face; and

a shading member disposed between the lens and the light-emitting section, and capable of substantially preventing direct and indirect intrusion at the lens of illumination light from the light-emitting section.

7. The interior mirror of claim 6, wherein the shading member includes compressibility and is retained in a compressed state between the image capture section and the mirror.

8. The interior mirror of claim 6, wherein the shading member comprises a hollow cylindrical form with an inner diameter greater than an outer diameter of the lens, and is disposed concentrically with an optical axis of the lens.

9. The interior mirror of claim 6, wherein the light-emitting section is disposed at a vicinity of the image capture section.

10. The interior mirror of claim 6, further comprising a housing including an opening.

11. The interior mirror of claim 10, wherein the mirror is disposed so as to fill the opening of the housing.

12. The interior mirror of claim 10, wherein the image capture section and the light-emitting section are disposed in the housing.

13. An interior mirror comprising:

a mirror including a mirror face and a mirror rear face at opposite sides thereof, the mirror including functionality as a first filter whose transmissivity and reflectivity of light of wavelengths in a visible light region are approximately equal, and whose transmissivity of light of wavelengths in an infra-red light region is higher than reflectivity of the same;

an image capture section disposed at the mirror rear face side of the mirror;

a light-emitting section disposed at the mirror rear face side of the mirror, and capable of illuminating light including a wavelength in the infra-red light region at the mirror rear face; and

a second filter disposed between the mirror and the image capture section.

14. The interior mirror of claim 13, wherein, of light of wavelengths in the infra-red light region that is incident from the mirror side of the second filter, the second filter transmits light of wavelengths in a predetermined range which is appropriate to the image capture section.

15. The interior mirror of claim 13, wherein the image capture section comprises a lens facing the mirror rear face.

16. The interior mirror of claim 15, wherein the second filter comprises a circular plate form with an inner diameter greater than an outer diameter of the lens, and is disposed concentrically with an optical axis of the lens

17. The interior mirror of claim 13, wherein the light-emitting section is disposed at a vicinity of the image capture section.

18. The interior mirror of claim 13, further comprising a housing including an opening.

19. The interior mirror of claim 18, wherein the mirror is disposed so as to fill the opening of the housing.

20. The interior mirror of claim 18, wherein the image capture section and the light-emitting section are disposed in the housing.