REARVIEW VISION SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE

• US 20170015248A1
• Filed: 07/14/2016
• Published: 01/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Baur, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,486,599 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/007 specially adapted for covering the lateral blind spot not covered by the usual rear-view mirror
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/06 mounted on vehicle exterior B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/23 with a predetermined field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/28 with an adjustable field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8026 in addition to a rear-view mirror system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8066 for monitoring rearward traffic

Abstract

A rearview vision system for a vehicle includes a driver side rearview mirror element, a passenger side rearview mirror element, and a camera at or near the rear portion of the vehicle. The rearview mirror elements provide respective regulation required fields of view rearward and sideward of the vehicle to a driver of the vehicle. A driver side display and a passenger side display are configured to be disposed at an interior of the vehicle so as to display images representative of captured image data for viewing by the driver of the vehicle when normally operating the vehicle. The displayed images provide a desired wider sideward and rearward field of view beyond the regulation required fields of view of the mirror elements, such that the side mirror assemblies need not include a larger reflective element.

Claims

1. A rearview vision system for a vehicle, the vehicle having a front portion, a driver side portion, a passenger side portion and a rear portion, said rearview vision system comprising:

a driver side exterior rearview mirror assembly configured to be disposed at the driver side portion of the vehicle, wherein said driver side exterior rearview mirror assembly comprises a reduced size driver side mirror element that provides no more than a regulation required driver side rearward field of view to the driver of the vehicle;

a passenger side exterior rearview mirror assembly configured to be disposed at the passenger side portion of the vehicle, wherein said driver side exterior rearview mirror assembly comprises a reduced size mirror element that provides no more than a regulation required passenger side rearward field of view to the driver of the vehicle;

a rear camera configured to be disposed at or near the rear portion of the vehicle, wherein said camera, when disposed at or near the rear portion of the vehicle, has a rearward and sideward field of view and captures image data;

a driver side display configured to be disposed at a driver side region of an interior of the vehicle, wherein said display, when disposed at the interior of the vehicle, is operable to display images representative of a driver side portion of image data captured by said rear camera for viewing by the driver of the vehicle when normally operating the vehicle;

a passenger side display configured to be disposed at a driver side region of an interior of the vehicle, wherein said display, when disposed at the interior of the vehicle, is operable to display images representative of a passenger side portion of image data captured by said rear camera for viewing by the driver of the vehicle when normally operating the vehicle;

wherein images displayed by said driver side display and images reflected by said driver side mirror element combine to provide a field of view at the driver side of the vehicle that is wider than the regulation required driver side rearward field of view at the driver side of the vehicle; and

wherein images displayed by said passenger side display and images reflected by said passenger side mirror element combine to provide a field of view at the driver side of the vehicle that is wider than the regulation required passenger side rearward field of view at the driver side of the vehicle.

2. The rearview vision system of claim 1, wherein image data captured by said camera is processed by an image processor to determine the presence of an object sideward and rearward of the vehicle.

3. The rearview vision system of claim 1, wherein said driver side mirror element comprises a curved reflective element and wherein said passenger side mirror element comprises a curved reflective element.

4. The rearview vision system of claim 3, wherein said curved reflective elements comprise reduced size reflective elements as compared to conventional exterior rearview mirror reflective elements.

5. The rearview vision system of claim 3, wherein said curved reflective elements comprise convex curved surfaces to provide a wide angle field of view of the respective area generally sideward and rearward of the vehicle.

6. The rearview vision system of claim 1, wherein image data captured by said camera is used for a multi-camera surround view system of the vehicle.

7. The rearview vision system of claim 1, wherein image data captured by said camera is used as part of a blind zone detection system of the vehicle.

8. The rearview vision system of claim 1, wherein said driver side exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a driver side wide angle rearview mirror element that, when said driver side exterior rearview mirror assembly is disposed at the driver side portion of the vehicle, provides a wide angle field of view rearward and sideward of the driver side of the vehicle to a driver of the vehicle, and wherein said passenger side exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a passenger side wide angle rearview mirror element that, when said passenger side exterior rearview mirror assembly is disposed at the passenger side portion of the vehicle, provides a wide angle field of view rearward and sideward of the passenger side of the vehicle to a driver of the vehicle.

9. The rearview vision system of claim 8, wherein said driver side wide angle rearview mirror element comprises a curved recess established at a rear surface of said driver side mirror element.

10. The rearview vision system of claim 9, wherein said curved recess is curved laterally across said driver side wide angle rearview mirror element and is not curved vertically across said driver side wide angle rearview mirror element.

11. The rearview vision system of claim 1, wherein said driver side display include images derived from image data captured by a side camera that has a field of view sideward and forward of a driver side A-pillar of the vehicle.

12. The rearview vision system of claim 11, wherein the displayed images derived from image data captured by said side camera are displayed around displayed images derived from image data captured by said rear camera.

13. A rearview vision system for a vehicle, the vehicle having a front portion, a driver side portion, a passenger side portion and a rear portion, said rearview vision system comprising:

a driver side display device disposed at an interior driver side region of the vehicle and viewable by a driver of the vehicle;

a first camera disposed at the vehicle so as to have a rearward and sideward field of view;

a second camera disposed at a driver side of the vehicle so as to have a sideward and forward field of view that encompasses a blind spot region caused an a driver side A-pillar of the vehicle;

wherein said driver side display device displays rearview images derived from image data captured by said first camera, and wherein said driver side display device displays A-pillar blind spot images derived from image data captured by said second camera; and

wherein the displayed rearview images are at least partially surrounded by the displayed A-pillar blind spot images.

14. The rearview vision system of claim 13, wherein image data captured by said first camera is processed by an image processor to determine the presence of an object sideward and rearward of the vehicle.

15. The rearview vision system of claim 14, wherein image data captured by said first camera is used for a multi-camera surround view system of the vehicle.

16. The rearview vision system of claim 15, wherein image data captured by said second camera is used as part of the multi-camera surround view system of the vehicle.

17. The rearview vision system of claim 13, wherein said display demarcates the displayed rearview images by providing a perimeter band that circumscribes the displayed rearview images.

18. A rearview vision system for a vehicle, the vehicle having a front portion, a driver side portion, a passenger side portion and a rear portion, said rearview vision system comprising:

a driver side display device disposed at an interior driver side region of the vehicle and viewable by a driver of the vehicle;

a passenger side display device disposed at an interior passenger side region of the vehicle and viewable by a driver of the vehicle;

a rear camera disposed at the vehicle so as to have a rearward and sideward field of view;

a driver side camera disposed at a driver side of the vehicle so as to have a sideward and forward field of view that encompasses a blind spot region caused an a driver side A-pillar of the vehicle;

a passenger side camera disposed at a passenger side of the vehicle so as to have a sideward and forward field of view that encompasses a blind spot region caused an a passenger side A-pillar of the vehicle;

wherein image data captured by said rear camera, said driver side camera and said passenger side camera are used for a multi-camera surround view system of the vehicle;

wherein said driver side display device displays driver side rearview images derived from image data captured by said rear camera, and wherein said driver side display device displays driver side A-pillar blind spot images derived from image data captured by said driver side camera;

wherein the driver side rearview images displayed at said driver side display device are at least partially surrounded by the displayed driver side A-pillar blind spot images;

wherein said passenger side display device displays passenger side rearview images derived from image data captured by said rear camera, and wherein said passenger side display device displays passenger side A-pillar blind spot images derived from image data captured by said passenger side camera; and

wherein the passenger side rearview images displayed at said passenger side display device are at least partially surrounded by the displayed passenger side A-pillar blind spot images.

19. The rearview vision system of claim 18, wherein said driver side display device demarcates the rearview images displayed at said driver side display device by providing a perimeter band that circumscribes the displayed driver side rearview images, and wherein said passenger side display device demarcates the rearview images displayed at said passenger side display device by providing a perimeter band that circumscribes the displayed passenger side rearview images.

20. The rearview vision system of claim 18, wherein image data captured by said rear camera is processed by an image processor to determine the presence of an object sideward or rearward of the vehicle.