Rearview mirror assembly with monitor

• US 6,642,840 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2001
• Issued: 11/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lang-Mekra North America LLC
• Original Assignee: Lang-Mekra North America LLC
• Inventors: Witzke, Michael, Lang, Heinrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US09/810,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20020011927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 340/435, 340/425.5, 362/494, 359/838, 359/839, 359/871, 359/843, 348/143, 348/148, 348/151
• US Class Current: 340/435
• 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 1/28 with an adjustable field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/101 using cameras with adjustable capturing direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views

Abstract

A rearview mirror assembly having a mirror, an imaging device and a monitor is provided for a vehicle. The monitor and the mirror may be integrated in the housing to provide the driver of the vehicle with at least two fields of view simultaneously.

Claims

1. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a mirror housing for attachment to the vehicle;

a mirror pane attached to the mirror housing and having a reflective coating, the mirror pane disposed in a field of view of a driver of the vehicle, the reflective coating having a reduced areal density on at least one area of the mirror pane; and

a monitor attached to the mirror housing, the monitor having a reflective surface disposed proximate the reduced areal density on the at least one area of the mirror pane, the reduced areal density configured for viewing the monitor therethrough when the monitor is activated and the reduced areal density and the reflective surface cooperable to reflect images when the monitor is inactive.

2. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the monitor is configured to be selectively activated.

3. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the surface is substantially integrated in the mirror pane.

4. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, further comprising an imaging device configured to collect an image and data from a vehicle field of regard and wherein the surface defines at least one image plane, the imaging device in electrical communication with the monitor to thereby display the image and data on the at least one image plane.

5. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 4, wherein the reflective coating is a partial coating disposed on the at least one area of the mirror pane proximate the at least one image plane.

6. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 5, wherein the partial coating is a stippled coating defining interrupted areal integrity.

7. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 5, wherein the partial coating is a striped coating defining interrupted areal integrity.

8. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 4, wherein the at least one image plane defines an image differing from the mirror pane.

9. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 4, wherein the at least one image plane is substantially invisible when the monitor is inactive.

10. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 4, wherein the at least one image plane is visible when the monitor is activated.

11. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle having a camera device for imaging, the mirror assembly comprising:

a mirror housing for attachment to the vehicle;

a mirror pane attached to the mirror housing; and

a monitor attached to the mirror housing in electrical communication with the camera device, the monitor having a surface and an image plane, the surface disposed proximate the mirror pane and having a reflecting coating defining interrupted areal integrity, the mirror pane and the reflecting coating cooperating to provide a reflection when the monitor is inactive.

12. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 11, wherein the surface is disposed adjacent the mirror pane.

13. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 11, wherein the image plane is visible when the monitor is active.

14. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, the rearview mirror assembly comprising:

a mirror housing configured for attachment to the vehicle;

at least one camera configured to record at least one image from at least one vehicle field of regard, the at least one camera disposed apart from the mirror housing;

at least one other camera configured to record at least one other image from at least one other vehicle field of regard;

a monitor having a reflective coating with a reduced areal density and at least one image plane configured to selectively display the at least one image and the at least one other image via the reduced areal density, the monitor attached to the mirror housing such that the monitor is disposed in a field of view of a driver of the vehicle; and

a mirror pane configured to reflect a rearview image, the mirror pane attached to the mirror housing and disposed proximate the at least one image plane of the monitor and the field of view of the driver, the mirror pane configured to present the rearview image at an angle differing from the at least one image and the at least one other image, wherein the mirror pane further includes means for interrupting areal density such that the at least one image plane is visible when the monitor is activated and not visible when the monitor is not activated.

15. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 14, wherein the housing defines an opening therethrough, the at least one other camera disposed in the housing proximate the opening and configured to capture the at least one other vehicle field of regard in a direction away from the rearview image.

16. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 14, wherein the at least one image plane includes at least two presentation areas such that a respective one of the at least one image and the at least one other image is displayed on a respective one of the at least two presentation areas.

17. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 14, wherein the means for interrupting areal density are substantially parallel lines of reflective coating in spaced apart relation to each other, the parallel lines disposed on the mirror pane proximate the at least one image plane.

18. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 14, wherein the means for interrupting areal density are dots of reflective coating in spaced apart relation to each other, the dots disposed on the mirror pane proximate the at least one image plane.