MIRROR REPLACEMENT SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE

• US 20140036081A1
• Filed: 08/01/2013
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mekra Lang GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Mekra Lang GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: LANG, Werner, KUNZ, Manuel, GEISSENDOERFER, Peter, WITZKE, Michael, HORNUNG, Michael, CENTMAYER, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 9,707,891 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8046 for replacing a rear-view mirror system
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/08 Waterproof bodies or housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings

Abstract

A mirror replacement system for a vehicle includes an image capture unit, a supply unit, and an image reproduction unit. The image reproduction unit is adapted to be disposed in the vehicle interior in a manner viewable by the driver. The image capture unit and the supply unit are disposed in spaces, which are separated from each other and are separately sealed. Further, the image capture unit and the supply unit are each disposed separated from and outside the image reproduction unit.

Claims

1. A mirror replacement system for a vehicle including:

an image capture unit,

a supply unit, and

an image reproduction unit configured to be disposed in the vehicle interior in a manner viewable by the driver,

wherein the supply unit or the image capture unit or the supply unit and the image capture unit is/are configured to perform video processing of the images captured by the image capture unit for reducing the amount of data to be transmitted to the image reproduction unit, and

wherein the image capture unit and the supply unit are disposed in spaces separated from each other with respect to their sealing and are each disposed separated from and outside the image reproduction unit.

2. The mirror replacement system according to claim 1, wherein the supply unit or the image capture unit or the supply unit and the image capture unit is/are configured to perform at least one process selected from the group consisting of:

video processing for image resizing, image analysis for assisting the driver, image arrangement/compiling, white balancing, self-recognition of contamination, and overlays.

3. The mirror replacement system according to claim 1, wherein the image capture unit and the supply unit are disposed in direct proximity to each other.

4. The mirror replacement system according to claim 1, wherein the image capture unit and the supply unit are disposed in a common housing.

5. The mirror replacement system according to claim 1, wherein the image capture unit is disposed in a water-vapor-tight housing.

6. The mirror replacement system according to claim 5, wherein the image capture unit is disposed in a metallic housing.

7. The mirror replacement system according to claim 1, wherein the supply unit is disposed in a plastic housing.

8. The mirror replacement system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of image capture units is provided.

9. The mirror replacement system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of supply units is provided.

10. The mirror replacement system according to claim 1, wherein a heating element is integrated into the image capture unit, the heating element being controlled by the supply unit and being coupled to temperature detecting- and/or vehicle control elements.

11. The mirror replacement system according to claim 1, wherein the supply unit is coupled to vehicle functional components.

12. The mirror replacement system according to claim 11, wherein the vehicle functional components, the supply unit and the image capture unit are disposed in a common housing.

13. The mirror replacement system according to claim 1, wherein the supply unit is coupled to the image reproduction unit and transmits video data, which has been processed by the supply unit and/or by the image capture unit, to the image reproduction unit.

14. The mirror replacement system according to claim 1, wherein the image capture unit is a digital image sensor.

15. The mirror replacement system according to claim 1,

wherein in the image capture unit and the supply unit are disposed in a first, common, housing,

wherein the image capture unit is disposed in a water-vapor-tight second housing inside the first, common, housing,

wherein the supply unit is disposed in a third housing inside the first, common, housing, the third housing comprising a plastic housing,

wherein a heating element is integrated into the image capture unit, the heating element being controlled by the supply unit and being coupled to a temperature detecting elements and

wherein the supply unit is in communication with the image reproduction unit and transmits video data, which has been processed by the supply unit and/or by the image capture unit, to the image reproduction unit.

16. A mirror replacement system for a vehicle comprising:

a common housing,

an image capture unit sealed in an image capture unit case in the common housing, and

a supply unit sealed in a supply unit case, the supply unit case being located inside the common housing and outside the image capture unit case,

wherein the supply unit is configured to communicate with an image reproduction unit outside the common housing and in the vehicle interior in a location viewable by a driver and,

wherein the supply unit is configured to compress images captured by the image capture unit and to transmit the compressed images to the image reproduction unit.

17. The mirror replacement system according to claim 16, including the image reproduction unit, the image reproduction unit being operably connected to the supply unit.

18. The mirror replacement system according to claim 16, wherein the image capture unit case comprises a metallic case and the supply unit case comprises a plastic case.

19. The mirror replacement system according to claim 18, wherein the image capture unit case is sealed against the entry of water vapor.

20. The mirror replacement system according to claim 18, wherein the image capture unit case is sealed more tightly against the entry of water vapor than the supply unit case.