Exterior rearview mirror system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of adjusting an automobile rearview mirror system having both a driver side exterior mirror and a passenger side exterior mirror, comprising the steps of:
- receiving a mirror position input signal from a user-activated mirror position switch;
adjusting the position of the driver side exterior mirror using the input signal;
determining the horizontal angle of the adjusted driver side exterior mirror relative to a reference position;
determining a desired angle for the passenger side exterior mirror using the horizontal angle and distance data related to the position of an inboard edge of each of the exterior mirrors, the distance data comprising first and second distance data, with the first distance data being indicative of the distance along a lateral axis of the automobile between a driver position and the inboard edge of the driver side exterior mirror and the second distance data being indicative of the distance along the lateral axis between the driver position and the inboard edge of the passenger side exterior mirror; and
adjusting the position of the passenger side exterior mirror using the desired angle.
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Abstract
An automobile exterior rearview mirror system in which adjustments by the vehicle operator to the driver side mirror are used to make automatic adjustments to the passenger side mirror without requiring the operator to make separate, independent adjustment of that mirror. The automatic adjustment is determined using the measured horizontal angle of the driver side mirror along with distance data related to the position of an inboard edge of each of the exterior mirrors.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of adjusting an automobile rearview mirror system having both a driver side exterior mirror and a passenger side exterior mirror, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a mirror position input signal from a user-activated mirror position switch;
adjusting the position of the driver side exterior mirror using the input signal;
determining the horizontal angle of the adjusted driver side exterior mirror relative to a reference position;
determining a desired angle for the passenger side exterior mirror using the horizontal angle and distance data related to the position of an inboard edge of each of the exterior mirrors, the distance data comprising first and second distance data, with the first distance data being indicative of the distance along a lateral axis of the automobile between a driver position and the inboard edge of the driver side exterior mirror and the second distance data being indicative of the distance along the lateral axis between the driver position and the inboard edge of the passenger side exterior mirror; and
adjusting the position of the passenger side exterior mirror using the desired angle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of adjusting an automobile rearview mirror system having both a driver side exterior mirror and a passenger side exterior mirror, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a mirror position input signal from a user-activated mirror position switch;
adjusting the position of the driver side exterior mirror in accordance with the input signal using a driver side mirror controller;
obtaining feedback position data related to the position of the driver side exterior mirror using one or more position sensors;
generating a passenger side control signal using the feedback position data and distance data, the distance data comprising first and second distance data, with the first distance data being indicative of the distance along a lateral axis of the automobile between a driver position and an inboard edge of the driver side exterior mirror and the second distance data being indicative of the distance along the lateral axis between the driver position and an inboard edge of the passenger side exterior mirror;
supplying the control signal to a passenger side mirror controller; and
adjusting the position of the passenger side exterior mirror in accordance with the control signal using the passenger side mirror controller. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. An automobile exterior rearview mirror system, comprising:
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a first exterior mirror assembly having a driver side exterior mirror, at least one motor for adjusting the position of the driver side exterior mirror, and one or more position sensors for determining the orientation of the driver side exterior mirror;
a second exterior mirror assembly having a passenger side exterior mirror, at least one motor for adjusting the position of the passenger side exterior mirror, and one or more position sensors for determining the orientation of the passenger side exterior mirror;
a mirror position switch for adjusting the position of at least the driver side exterior mirror using its associated motor; and
one or more control circuits electrically coupled to the motors an mirror position switch, the control circuit(s) being operable in response to adjustments of the driver side exterior mirror using the mirror position switch to generate a control signal that actuates the motor associated with the passenger side exterior mirror to make corresponding adjustments to the passenger side exterior mirror;
wherein the control circuit(s) is operable to generate the control signal using a mathematical relationship that utilizes position data from the first exterior mirror assembly position sensor(s) and distance data related to the position of an inboard edge of each of the exterior mirrors, the distance data comprising first and second distance data, with the first distance data being indicative of the distance along a lateral axis of the automobile between a driver position and the inboard edge of the driver side exterior mirror and the second distance data being indicative of the distance along the lateral axis between the driver position and the inboard edge of the passenger side exterior mirror. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. An automobile exterior rearview mirror system, comprising:
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a first exterior mirror assembly having a driver side exterior mirror, at least one motor for pivoting the driver side exterior mirror about a center of rotation, and one or more position sensors for determining the orientation of the driver side exterior mirror;
a second exterior mirror assembly having a passenger side exterior mirror, at least one motor for pivoting the passenger side exterior mirror about a center of rotation, and one or more position sensors for determining the orientation of the passenger side exterior mirror;
a mirror position switch for adjusting the position of at least the driver side exterior mirror using its associated motor; and
one or more control circuits electrically coupled to the motors and mirror position switch, the control circuit(s) being operable in response to adjustments the driver side exterior mirror via the mirror position switch to generate a control signal that actuates the motor associated with the passenger side exterior mirror to make corresponding adjustments to the passenger side exterior mirror;
wherein the control signal represents a desired angle β
for the passenger side exterior mirror, with the control signal being generated using a horizontal angle α
of the driver side exterior mirror that is determined using position data from the first exterior mirror assembly position sensor(s); and
wherein the desired angle β
is determined according to the equation;
where;
wRH is the distance along a lateral axis between the driver position and the center of rotation of the passenger side exterior mirror;
wLH is the distance along a lateral axis between the driver position and the center of rotation of the driver side exterior mirror;
tRH is the distance between the center of rotation of the passenger side exterior mirror and an inboard edge of the passenger side exterior mirror; and
tLH is the distance between the center of rotation of the driver side exterior mirror and an inboard edge of the driver side exterior mirror;
and wherein tRH is approximated using the value of tLH with tLH being determined using the equation tLH=ν
sin (α
+τ
), where;
τ
is a second angle formed between (i) a centerline of the driver side exterior mirror and (ii) an edge line that intersects the inboard edge of the driver side exterior mirror and meets the centerline at the center of rotation of the driver side exterior mirror; and
τ
is the distance from the center of rotation of the driver side exterior mirror to the inboard edge of the driver side exterior mirror.
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Specification