Automatic viewing of vehicle blind spot

• US 7,354,166 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2003
• Issued: 04/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Autonomous Mobility US LLC (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Temic Automotive of North America, Incorporated (Continental AG)
• Inventors: McGrath, Michael J., Qualich, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer; Ricky D.
• Application Number:
  US10/722,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20050111117A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,596 Days
• Field of Search: 359/843, 359/872, 359/877, 388/907.5, 701/49, 307/10.1, 340/501, 340/901, 340/904, 702/150
• US Class Current: 359/843
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/025 comprising special mechanical means for correcting the field of view in relation to particular driving conditions, e.g. change of lane; scanning mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/081 avoiding blind spots, e.g. by using a side-by-side association of mirrors

Abstract

Observing an object within a visual blind spot of a motor vehicle includes using a mirror with at least one motor mechanically coupled thereto. Preferably, a position of the side view mirror can be adjusted by the at least one motor. An object detector detects objects within a visual blind spot of a vehicle. The object detector is operable to provide a detection signal to the at least one motor to adjust a position of the mirror to provide a view of the blind spot to a driver of the vehicle. The view can be toggled between normal viewing and blind spot viewing depending on the detection signal. The view can also be adjusted to track the object.

Claims

1. An apparatus to observe an object within a visual blind spot of a motor vehicle using a minor, the apparatus comprising:

at least one motor mechanically coupled to a mirror for positioning the mirror; and

an object detector for detecting objects within a visual blind spot of a vehicle, wherein, when an object is detected, the object detector provides a detection signal to the at least one motor to adjust a position of the mirror to provide a view of the blind spot of the vehicle to a driver of the vehicle, and

wherein the at least one motor adjusts the position of the mirror to provide the view of the blind spot of the vehicle based at least on a viewing position signal corresponding to a viewing position of the driver, the viewing position signal provided to the at least one motor when the object is detected in the vehicle blind spot by the object detector.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a memory that can pre-store a setting of the at least one motor that provides a position of the mirror giving the view of the blind spot.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the memory can pre-store a second setting of the at least one motor that provides a normal viewing position of the mirror, wherein the detection signal from the object detector is used to toggle the mirror between the normal and blind spot viewing positions depending on whether an object is detected in the blind spot of the vehicle.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the memory can pre-store normal and blind spot viewing position of the mirror for more than one driver.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the object detector can detect a position of the object within the blind spot of the vehicle and provide a position signal for the at least one motor to adjust the position of the mirror to track the object.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a viewing position detector that can detect the viewing position of the driver, wherein, when the object is detected in the vehicle blind spot by the object detector, the viewing position detector can provide a control signal to the at least one motor to adjust the position of the mirror to maintain the vehicle blind spot within the driver'"'"'s view.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the viewing position detector detects a position of at least one of the group consisting of a driver'"'"'s head and a driver'"'"'s eyes.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a viewing position detector that can detect the viewing position of the driver, wherein the object detector can detect a position of the object within the blind spot of the vehicle, and wherein, when the object is detected in the vehicle blind spot by the object detector, the viewing position detector and the object detector can provide individual control signals to the at least one motor to adjust the position of the mirror to maintain the object that is in the vehicle blind spot within the driver'"'"'s view.

9. A motor vehicle having an apparatus to observe objects in a visual blind spot of a vehicle, the motor vehicle comprising:

a side view mirror;

at least one motor mechanically coupled to the side view mirror for positioning the side view mirror;

a controller for controlling the at least one motor; and

an object detector for detecting objects within a visual blind spot of a vehicle, wherein, when an object is detected, the object detector provides a detection signal to the controller,

wherein the controller, based at least on a first control signal corresponding to a viewing position of a driver, the first control signal provided to the controller when the object is detected in the vehicle blind spot by the object detector, provides a second control signal to the at least one motor to adjust a position of the side view mirror to provide a view of the blind spot of the vehicle to the driver of the vehicle, and

wherein the at least one motor responsively adjusts the position of the side view mirror to provide the view of the visual blind spot of the vehicle.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, further comprising a memory that can pre-store a first setting of the at least one motor that provides a position of the side view mirror giving the view of the blind spot and a second setting of the at least one motor that provides a normal viewing position of the side view mirror, wherein the detection signal from the object detector is used by the controller to send a control signal to the at least one motor to toggle the side view mirror between the normal and blind spot viewing positions depending on whether an object is detected in the blind spot of the vehicle.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the memory can pre-store normal and blind spot viewing position of the side view mirror for more than one driver.

12. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the object detector can detect a position of the object within the blind spot of the vehicle and provide a position signal to the at least one motor to adjust the position of the side view mirror to track the object.

13. The vehicle of claim 9, further comprising a viewing position detector that can detect the viewing position of the driver, wherein, when the object is detected in the vehicle blind spot by the object detector, the viewing position detector can provide the first control signal to the controller for use in controlling the at least one motor to adjust the position of the side view mirror to maintain the vehicle blind spot within the driver'"'"'s view.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the viewing position detector detects a position of at least one of the group consisting of a driver'"'"'s head and a driver'"'"'s eyes.

15. The vehicle of claim 9, further comprising a viewing position detector that can detect the viewing position of the driver, wherein the object detector can detect a position of the object within the blind spot of the vehicle, and wherein, when the object is detected in the vehicle blind spot by the object detector, the viewing position detector and the object detector can provide individual control signals to the controller for controlling the at least one motor to adjust the position of the side view mirror to maintain the object that is in the vehicle blind spot within the driver'"'"'s view.