Rearview mirror with integrated microwave receiver

• US 6,407,712 B1
• Filed: 06/28/2000
• Issued: 06/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Watstra, Eric J., Turnbull, Robert R., Knapp, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Tan
• Application Number:
  US09/605,230
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 343/713, 701/201, 701/213, 701/214, 701/207, 701/215, 701/216, 701/1, 342/457, 342/461, 342/463, 340/988, 340/995, 455/456, 455/209
• US Class Current: 343/713
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/061 by monitoring wheel speed measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/1423 Automatic dimming circuits, i.e. switching between high beam and low beam due to change of ambient light or light level in road traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/052 Switching delay, i.e. the beam is not switched or changed instantaneously upon occurrence of a condition change
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/112 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/312 Adverse weather
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/314 Ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/3321 Detection of streetlights
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/337 Tunnels or bridges
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/43 following vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1215 with information displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1246 with clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1261 with antennae
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1284 with communication systems other than radio-receivers, e.g. keyless entry systems, navigation systems; with anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 17/38 Testing, calibrating, or compensating of compasses
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/36 relating to the receiver frond end
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3266 : using the mirror of the vehicle

Abstract

An inventive rearview mirror assembly is disclosed in which a microwave antenna is mounted so as to receive transmissions from one or more satellites through the front windshield of the vehicle. The microwave antenna may be tuned to receive satellite transmissions from a position identification system constellation of satellites, such as GPS or GLONASS. Additionally, the microwave antenna may be tuned to alternatively or additionally receive transmissions from at least one communication satellite, such as a CD radio satellite. In addition to the inventive rearview mirror assembly, an inventive electrical control system is disclosed that may be used as a navigation system, an electrochromic rearview mirror control system, a head lamp control system, a tire pressure monitoring and display system, a temperature sensing and display system, a vehicle compass system, a vehicle data recorder system, and/or a vehicle odometer verification system. In each of the above systems, new parameters are made available by the microwave antenna to perform control operations not previously performed.

Claims

1. A vehicle navigation system comprising:

a microwave receiver for receiving transmissions from satellites of a position identification system constellation and for generating vehicle position data from said satellite transmissions;

a transmitter coupled to said microwave receiver to receive the vehicle position data from said microwave receiver and to transmit a signal including the vehicle position data to the interior passenger area of the vehicle; and

a portable computer positioned within the interior passenger area of the vehicle and configured to execute a navigation program that displays the position of the vehicle on a map, said portable computer having a receiver for receiving the signal transmitted by the transmitter so as to supply the navigation program with the vehicle position data.

2. The navigation system as defined in claim 1, wherein said transmitter is an infrared transmitter.

3. An automobile data recorder comprising:

an interface adapted to be coupled to a source of vehicle-generated data;

a memory device for storing time-stamped vehicle data;

a microwave receiver for receiving transmissions from a satellite and for generating a clock signal representing the time of day from said satellite transmissions;

a control circuit coupled to said interface, said memory device, and said microwave receiver for periodically time-stamping the vehicle-generated data received from said interface using the clock signal received from said microwave receiver and storing the time-stamped data in said memory device.

4. The data recorder as defined in claim 3, wherein said data includes at least one of:

vehicle speed, direction of vehicle travel, position of vehicle, application of brakes, and airbag deployment.

5. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a mirror mounting structure adapted to be mounted to the vehicle, and including a mirror housing and a mounting bracket;

a mirror mounted in said mirror housing;

a control circuit mounted to said mirror mounting structure and adapted to be coupled to a microwave receiver that receives transmissions from satellites of a position identification system constellation and generates vehicle position data from the satellite transmissions, said control circuit determines the vehicle'"'"'s direction of travel from the vehicle position data received from the microwave receiver; and

a vehicle direction indicator mounted to said mirror mounting structure and coupled to said control circuit for advising a vehicle occupant of the vehicle'"'"'s direction of travel.

6. The rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 5, wherein vehicle direction indicator is a display device mounted in said mirror housing.

7. The rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 5, wherein the microwave receiver is mounted to said mirror mounting structure.

8. A vehicle compass system comprising:

an electronic compass sensor for sensing the earth'"'"'s magnetic field and for generating an electrical signal representing the vehicle heading based upon the sensed magnetic field;

a microwave receiver for receiving transmissions from satellites of a position identification system constellation and for generating vehicle position data from said satellite transmissions;

a control circuit coupled to said electronic compass sensor and to said microwave receiver for determining the vehicle heading from the vehicle position data received from said microwave receiver, adjusting the vehicle heading as identified by said electronic compass sensor using calibration data, comparing the vehicle heading as determined using the vehicle position data with the vehicle heading as received from said electronic compass, and recalibrating the compass system when the vehicle heading as determined by both the microwave receiver and the adjusted electronic compass sensor readings are not substantially the same; and

a vehicle direction indicator coupled to said control circuit for advising a vehicle occupant of the vehicle heading.