MIRROR MONITOR USING TWO LEVELS OF REFLECTIVITY
First Claim
1. A rear-view mirror and modular monitor system for enhanced viewing by a vehicle operator of areas within or exterior to a bus or public transit vehicle comprising:
- a rear-view mirror mounted forward of the vehicle operator, the rear-view mirror having a first area with a first reflectivity not less than about 20% and a second area with a second reflectivity not less than about 20%;
at least one monitor module disposed on a rear side of the rear-view mirror and aligned with the first area of the rear-view mirror having the first reflectivity; and
a first image capture device mounted at a first location on the vehicle and configured to capture and transmit at least a first image to the at least one monitor module, the first image being displayable on the at least one monitor module through the first area of the rear-view mirror.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A rear-view mirror and modular monitor system and method include an interior mirror that embeds a modular monitor behind see-through mirror glass. In some embodiments, the system includes multiple cameras, some in the vehicle, bus and/or truck, as well as some cameras outside the vehicle, bus and/or truck, advantageously providing the driver an opportunity to view what is happening, for example, in the back rows of the bus and/or cabin, while also using the mirror to look at objects in the bus and/or cabin that are visible using the mirror. The rear-view mirror and modular monitor system is configured to be easily assembled and/or disassembled when necessary for maintenance and/or to replace parts.
24 Citations
30 Claims
-
1. A rear-view mirror and modular monitor system for enhanced viewing by a vehicle operator of areas within or exterior to a bus or public transit vehicle comprising:
-
a rear-view mirror mounted forward of the vehicle operator, the rear-view mirror having a first area with a first reflectivity not less than about 20% and a second area with a second reflectivity not less than about 20%; at least one monitor module disposed on a rear side of the rear-view mirror and aligned with the first area of the rear-view mirror having the first reflectivity; and a first image capture device mounted at a first location on the vehicle and configured to capture and transmit at least a first image to the at least one monitor module, the first image being displayable on the at least one monitor module through the first area of the rear-view mirror. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 21, 22)
-
-
18. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one monitor module further comprises at least two channels configured to respectively receive the first image and the second image, the at least one monitor module further configured to display the first image and the second image one of together in a multiple-feed configuration and individually in a single-feed configuration responsive to the input switch.
-
20. The system of claim 20, wherein the first location of the first audio capture device is proximate to the first location of the first image capture device, and wherein the at least one monitor module is configured to provide the first audio signal to the vehicle operator responsive to the first image being displayed on the at least one monitor module.
-
23. A rear view mirror and modular monitor system for enhanced viewing by a vehicle operator of areas within or exterior to a vehicle comprising:
-
a rear-view mirror mounted forward of the vehicle operator, the rear-view mirror having a first area with a first reflectivity not less than about 20% and a second area with a second reflectivity not less than about 20%; at least one monitor module disposed on a rear side of the rear-view mirror and aligned with the first area of the rear-view mirror; a first image capture device mounted at a first location on the vehicle and configured to provide a first image to the at least one monitor module, the first image being displayable on the monitor; a second image capture device mounted at a second location on the vehicle and configured to provide a second image to the at least one monitor module, the second image being displayable on the monitor; and an input switch connected to the first and second image capture devices, and configured to provide at least one of the first image and the second image to the at least one monitor module responsive to at least one of a manually selected view, an automatically selected view, and an event-triggered selected view; wherein, when at least one of the first image and the second image is provided to the at least one monitor module and displayed on the monitor module, the at least one of the first image and the second image is viewable through the first area of the rear-view mirror; and wherein the first reflectivity and the second reflectivity are not less than about 20%.
-
-
24. A method of applying a reflective coating to a rear-view mirror configured to accommodate a modular monitor system for enhanced viewing by a vehicle operator of areas within or exterior to a bus or public transit vehicle, the method comprising:
-
applying at least a first reflective coating of a first reflective material on a front surface of a mirror substrate for the mirror; applying a mask over a first area of the first reflective coating, the mask having a size and position on the mirror substrate corresponding to a size and mounting position of a monitor module configured to display an image through the first area; applying at least a second reflective coating of a second reflective material on the first reflective coating; and removing the mask from the first area; wherein the at least a first reflective coating and the at least a second reflective coating are selected so that the first area has a first reflectivity of not less than about 20% and a second area of the mirror comprising the second reflective coating has a second reflectivity of not less than about 20%, and wherein the first reflectivity of the first area and the second reflectivity of the second area are configured to be substantially visually similar when the monitor module is not displaying the image. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
-
-
29. A method of displaying an image on a rear-view mirror mounted forward of a vehicle operator using a modular monitor system for enhanced viewing by a vehicle operator of areas within or exterior to a bus or public transit vehicle, the rear-view mirror having a first area with a first reflectivity not less than about 20% and a second area with a second reflectivity not less than about 20%, comprising:
-
capturing, by a first image capture device mounted at a first location in the vehicle at least a first image; transmitting, by the first image capture device, the first image to at least one monitor module disposed on a rear side of the rear-view mirror, the first image being displayable on the at least one monitor module through a first area of the rear-view mirror and aligned with the first area of the rear-view mirror having the first reflectivity and configured to be substantially similar to the second area with the second reflectivity when the first image is transmitted to the at least one monitor module and when viewed at least from a position at or near the vehicle operator. - View Dependent Claims (30)
-
Specification