HYBRID INTERIOR MIRROR WITH ERROR RECOGNITION

• US 20200130584A1
• Filed: 10/25/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motherson Innovations Company Limited (Samvardhana Motherson Reflectec Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Motherson Innovations Company Limited (Samvardhana Motherson Reflectec Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Slama, Alexander, Rotzer, Ilka
• Granted Patent: US 11,312,304 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/08 involving special optical features, e.g. avoiding blind spots , e.g. convex mirrors; Side-by-side associations of rear-view and other mirrors B60R1/025, B60R1/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0235 of flat type, e.g. LCD
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1215 with information displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0033 Rear-view mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0085 with adjustment by rotation in their operational position
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8026 in addition to a rear-view mirror system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

An interior rear view mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a mirror housing rotatably attached to a housing holder which is adapted to be attached to an interior of the vehicle, the mirror housing including a first rear view side to which a reflective mirror element is attached, and a second rear view side to which a display device with a display screen is attached to, where a camera is connected to the display device establishing a display system to provide an image to the display screen; and an actuator unit configured to automatically rotate the mirror housing to the first or second rear view side. A vehicle and a method may be used to operate the interior rear view mirror assembly.

Claims

1. An interior rear view mirror assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

a mirror housing rotatably attached to a housing holder which is adapted to be attached to an interior of the vehicle, the mirror housing comprising

a first rear view side to which a reflective mirror element is attached; and

a second rear view side to which a display device with a display screen is attached to, wherein a camera is connected to the display device establishing a display system to provide an image to the display screen; and

an actuator unit configured to automatically rotate the mirror housing to the first or second rear view side,

wherein the actuator unit is adapted to rotate the mirror housing from the second rear view side to the first rear view side to be visible to the driver in response to an error signal of a malfunction of the display system being detected,

wherein the display system further comprises a function controller adapted to prove a correct function of the display system to ensure that rear traffic is displayed correctly on the display screen and to send-out the error signal in case of the detected malfunction,

wherein the mirror housing comprises an indication area illuminated by a lighting unit to indicate a manual mode, an actuator driven mode, or a blocked mode for rotating the mirror housing via different colors so that the indication area indicates to the driver which mode can be used to rotate the mirror housing, and

wherein the first and second rearview sides are arranged opposite to each other to provide a view of traffic either via the reflective mirror element or via the display screen.

2. The interior rear view mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the actuator unit is adapted to execute the rotation from the second rear view side to the first rear view side in a time range below one second after the malfunction is detected.

3. The interior rear view mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the actuator unit comprises a shape memory alloy for rotating the mirror housing.

4. The interior rear view mirror assembly of claim 2, wherein the actuator unit comprises a preloaded mechanism in order to perform a rapid rotation of the mirror housing in response to detecting the malfunction.

5. The interior rear view mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the function controller is adapted to prove the correct function of the display system periodically or continuously.

6. The interior rear view mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the function controller is adapted to check whether recording of rear traffic is prevented or hampered by a contamination of the camera exceeding a predetermined threshold.

7. The interior rear view mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the function controller is adapted to check whether electrical errors within the display system comprising at least one or more errors of the group of so-called ghost-scenarios, flickering, presence of a frozen image, image distortion, image pixel failures, provided power is weak or unsecure, exceeds a predetermined threshold.

8. The interior rear view mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the function controller is adapted to disable the rotation of the mirror housing after having executed the rotation to the first rear view side as long as the malfunction is present.

9. The interior rear view mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the indication area is shaped as a frame arranged at least partly around at least one of the display screen or the reflective mirror element.

10. The interior rear view mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the interior rear view mirror assembly further comprises at least one signal unit to send-out warning signals or traffic relevant hints.

11. The interior rear view mirror assembly of claim 12, wherein the signal unit is adapted to indicate at least one of a blind spot warning, temperature, battery status, traffic jam warning, navigation information, multimedia displays, fatigue detection, inspection instructions, weather information, absent calls, incoming calls, calendar appointments, social media information, or autonomous driving instructions.

12. The interior rear view mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the mirror housing further comprises a latching mechanism to latch a selected rear view side in a correct position.

13. The interior rear view mirror assembly of claim 1, the housing holder is adapted to enable a rotation of the housing holder relative to the interior of the vehicle either manually or automatically via a corresponding holder actuator.

14. A vehicle comprising the interior rear view mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the interior rear view mirror assembly is attached to an interior of the vehicle at a position providing a view of a rear traffic to a driver.

15. A method for operating the interior rear view mirror assembly of claim 1 in a vehicle, the interior rear view mirror being attached to an interior of the vehicle at a position to provide a view of rear traffic to a driver, the interior rear view mirror comprising a mirror housing rotatably attached to a housing holder having a first rear view side and a second rear view side being oppositely arranged to the first rear view side, comprising:

providing a view of rear traffic to the driver either via a reflective mirror element attached to the first rear view side or via a display screen of a display device, where the display screen is attached to the second rear view side and where a camera is connected to the display device establishing a display system to provide an image of the rear traffic to the display screen;

rotating the mirror housing from the first rear view side to the second rear view side or vice versa on demand of the driver in case of correct function of the display system either manually or via an actuator unit to automatically rotate the mirror housing; and

rotating the mirror housing by the actuator unit automatically from the second rear view side to the first rear view side to be visible to the driver in response to an error signal in case of detecting a malfunction of the display system.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

proving a correct function of the display system by a function controller of the display system ensuring that rear traffic is displayed correctly on the display device; and

sending out the error signal in case of the detected malfunction by the function controller.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising disabling the rotation of the mirror housing after having executed the rotation to the first rear view side as long as the malfunction is present by a function controller.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising indicating a manual mode, an actuator driven mode or a blocked mode for rotating the mirror housing via different colors by an indication area of the mirror housing being illuminated by a lighting unit arranged at least partly around the display screen or the reflective mirror element.