REAR-VIEW MIRROR WITH MULTI-MODE DISPLAY SCREEN, SYSTEM COMPRISING SAME, AND METHOD OF USING SAME
First Claim
1. An image display system, comprising:
- a camera presence detector for detecting presence of a rear-view camera mounted on a towed unit connected to a towing vehicle;
an image display format controller coupled to the camera presence detector, wherein the image display format controller enables a first display mode when the camera presence detector detects that the towed unit has a rear-view camera mounted thereon and enables a second display mode when the camera presence detector fails to detect that the towed unit has a rear-view camera mounted thereon; and
an image display apparatus coupled to the image display format controller, wherein the image display apparatus includes a viewing substrate having a front surface and a rear surface and an image output device underlying a central portion of the viewing substrate at the rear surface thereof, wherein an image outputted by the image output device is viewable through the central portion of the viewing substrate when the image display format controller causes the image display apparatus to be in the first display mode.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An image display system comprises a camera presence detector for detecting presence of a rear-view camera mounted on a towed unit connected to a towing vehicle, an image display format controller coupled to the camera presence detector, and a rear-view mirror assembly including an image display apparatus. The image display format controller enables a first display mode when the camera presence detector detects the towed unit rear-view camera and enables a second display mode when the camera presence detector fails to detect presence of the towed unit rear-view camera. An image output device of the image display apparatus underlies a central portion of an image display apparatus viewing substrate at a rear surface thereof. An image outputted is viewable through the central portion when the first display mode is implemented. The central portion can provide reflected rear-view imaging utility when the second display mode is implemented.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. An image display system, comprising:
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a camera presence detector for detecting presence of a rear-view camera mounted on a towed unit connected to a towing vehicle; an image display format controller coupled to the camera presence detector, wherein the image display format controller enables a first display mode when the camera presence detector detects that the towed unit has a rear-view camera mounted thereon and enables a second display mode when the camera presence detector fails to detect that the towed unit has a rear-view camera mounted thereon; and an image display apparatus coupled to the image display format controller, wherein the image display apparatus includes a viewing substrate having a front surface and a rear surface and an image output device underlying a central portion of the viewing substrate at the rear surface thereof, wherein an image outputted by the image output device is viewable through the central portion of the viewing substrate when the image display format controller causes the image display apparatus to be in the first display mode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method, comprising:
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monitoring a camera detection signal interface for detecting presence of a rear-view camera mounted on a towed unit connected to a towing vehicle; and enabling an image output device of an image display apparatus of the towing vehicle to output over a maximum image output area of an image output surface thereof an image captured by the towed unit rear-view camera coupled to the image output device in response to detecting that the towed unit rear-view camera is present and that the image provided by the towed unit rear-view camera is selected for being displayed, wherein the image output device underlies a central portion of a rear surface of a viewing substrate of the image display apparatus, the maximum image output area of the image output surface defines perimeter edges of the central portion of the viewing substrate, and wherein the viewing substrate is configured for enabling the image captured by the towed unit rear-view camera to be viewable therethrough while the image is being outputted by the image output device. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A vehicle to which a towed unit can be towably attached, comprising:
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a vehicle wiring harness; a wiring harness coupling coupled to the vehicle wiring harness for enabling a wiring harness of the towed unit to be electrically connected to the vehicle wiring harness, wherein the vehicle wiring harness is coupled to a towed unit camera interface of the wiring harness coupling thereby allowing an image signal generated by a camera mounted on the towed unit and connected to the towed unit wiring harness to be transmitted through the vehicle wiring harness; and an image display apparatus coupled to the vehicle wiring harness for enabling the towed unit camera image signal to be provided from the towed unit mounted camera to the image display system, wherein the image display apparatus includes an image output device underlying a central portion of a viewing substrate of the image display system at a rear surface of the viewing substrate, a maximum image output area of the image output surface defines perimeter edges of the central portion of the viewing substrate, wherein the viewing substrate and the image output device are jointly configured for enabling an image outputted on the image output surface to be viewable through the viewing substrate, wherein an image corresponding to the towed unit camera image signal can be commanded to be outputted over the maximum image output area of the image output surface when the towed unit wiring harness is connected to the vehicle wiring harness. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification