LANE CHANGE AID SIDE-MIRROR SYSTEM

• US 20090310237A1
• Filed: 06/16/2008
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Lee, Jin-Woo, Shin, Kwang-Keun, Ryu, Jihan
• Application Number:
  US12/140,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20090310237A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/843
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/025 comprising special mechanical means for correcting the field of view in relation to particular driving conditions, e.g. change of lane; scanning mirrors

Abstract

A vehicle-mounted system for automatically adjusting a viewing angle of at least one rear-view mirror of a vehicle. The system includes a sensing unit for detecting and obtaining the positional parameters of an object in a side blind zone of the vehicle. The system also includes a control unit that is capable of adjusting the rear-view mirror based on the positional parameters received from the sensing unit, to facilitate viewing of the object by a driver of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting at least one rear-view mirror of a vehicle, said method comprising:

obtaining one or more positional parameters corresponding to the position of at least one object proximal to a rear end of the vehicle; and

adjusting a viewing angle of the at least one rear-view mirror based on the one or more positional parameters so that the object is visible to a driver of the vehicle in the mirror.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one object is located in a side blind zone of the vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein adjusting the at least one rear-view mirror includes:

calculating a mirror-adjustment angle based on the one or more positional parameters; and

orienting the at least one rear-view mirror based on the mirror-adjustment angle.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the one or more positional parameters are obtained from a sensing unit.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the sensing unit is selected from the group comprising a radar device and a video camera.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the one or more positional parameters correspond to one or more polar coordinates of the at least one object.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the one or more positional parameters correspond to one or more cartesian coordinates of the at least one object.

8. A system for adjusting at least one rear-view mirror of a vehicle, said system comprising:

at least one sensing unit configured to obtain one or more positional parameters corresponding to at least one object proximal to a rear end of the vehicle; and

at least one control unit capable of adjusting a viewing angle of the at least one rear-view mirror based on the one or more positional parameters, wherein the at least one rear-view mirror is adjusted to facilitate viewing of an image of the at least one object by a driver of the vehicle.

9. The system according to claim 8 wherein the at least one control unit comprises:

a calculation module configured to calculate a mirror-adjustment angle based on the one or more positional parameters; and

an orientation module capable of orienting the at least one rearview mirror based on the mirror-adjustment angle.

10. The system according to claim 8 wherein the one or more positional parameters correspond to one or more polar coordinates of the at least one object.

11. The system according to claim 8 wherein the one or more positional parameters correspond to one or more cartesian coordinates of the at least one object.

12. The system according to claim 8 wherein the sensing unit is selected from the group comprising a radar device and a video camera.

13. The system according to claim 8 wherein the at least one object is located in a side blind zone of the vehicle.

14. A vehicle comprising:

at least one rear-view mirror;

at least one sensing unit configured to obtain one or more positional parameters corresponding to at least one object proximal to a rear end of the vehicle; and

at least one control unit capable of adjusting a viewing angle of the at least one rear-view mirror based on the one or more positional parameters.

15. The vehicle according to claim 14 wherein the at least one rear-view mirror is adjusted to facilitate viewing of an image of the at least one object by a driver of the vehicle.

16. The vehicle according to claim 14 wherein the at least one object is located in a side blind zone of the vehicle.

17. The vehicle according to claim 14 wherein the at least one control unit comprises:

a calculation module configured to calculate a mirror-adjustment angle based on the one or more positional parameters; and

an orientation module capable of orienting the at least one rearview mirror based on the mirror-adjustment angle.

18. The vehicle according to claim 17 wherein the sensing unit is selected from the group comprising a radar device and a video camera.

19. The vehicle according to claim 14 wherein the one or more positional parameters correspond to one or more polar coordinates of the at least one object.

20. The vehicle according to claim 14 wherein the one or more positional parameters correspond to one or more cartesian coordinates of the at least one object.