Synchronized rear vision system
First Claim
1. A synchronized rear vision system for a vehicle comprising:
- a pair of external side rearview mirrors for attachment to the vehicle;
an interior rearview mirror for attachment to the vehicle; and
a system master controller for;
detecting an instantaneous position of one of said pair of external side rearview mirrors;
determining an external side rearview mirror setting method based upon said instantaneous position and a predetermined setting method threshold;
calculating a first driver'"'"'s eye position and a position output signal for at least another one of said pair of external side rearview mirrors and said interior rearview mirror based upon said external side rearview mirror setting method determined; and
automatically positioning at least the another one of said pair of external side rearview external mirrors and said interior rearview mirror based on said detected external side rearview mirror setting method and said first driver'"'"'s eye position.
12 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A synchronized rear vision system for a vehicle includes a pair of external side rearview mirrors for attachment to the vehicle and an interior rearview mirror for attachment to the vehicle. The synchronized rear vision system also includes a system master controller for detecting an instantaneous position of one of the side rearview mirrors and calculating position output signals for at least another one of the side rearview mirrors and the interior rearview mirror to automatically position at least the another one of the side rearview mirrors and the interior rearview mirror based on the instantaneous position. The synchronized rear vision system may include a controller to readjust the position of the rearview mirrors based on a position of a driver seat of the vehicle.
-
Citations
30 Claims
-
1. A synchronized rear vision system for a vehicle comprising:
-
a pair of external side rearview mirrors for attachment to the vehicle; an interior rearview mirror for attachment to the vehicle; and a system master controller for; detecting an instantaneous position of one of said pair of external side rearview mirrors; determining an external side rearview mirror setting method based upon said instantaneous position and a predetermined setting method threshold; calculating a first driver'"'"'s eye position and a position output signal for at least another one of said pair of external side rearview mirrors and said interior rearview mirror based upon said external side rearview mirror setting method determined; and automatically positioning at least the another one of said pair of external side rearview external mirrors and said interior rearview mirror based on said detected external side rearview mirror setting method and said first driver'"'"'s eye position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
wherein; S is a longitudinal distance from a driver'"'"'s eye to a centerpoint of at least one of said external side rearview mirrors; hs is a side vertical distance from said driver'"'"'s eye to said centerpoint of at least one of said external side rearview mirrors; X is a first fore/aft position of said driver seat; X′
is a second fore/aft position of said driver seat;Z is a first up/down position of said driver seat; Z′
is a second up/down position of said driver seat;λ
is a first angular position of said driver seat;λ
′
is a second angular position of said driver seat; andS′ and
hs′
are the first driver'"'"'s eye position.
-
-
14. The synchronized rear vision system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said external side rearview mirror setting method detected is one of a Blindzone Setting Method and a Blindzone/Glare Elimination Setting Method.
-
15. The synchronized rear vision system as set forth in claim 14, wherein said first driver'"'"'s eye position is represented by the longitudinal distance, S, from said driver'"'"'s eye to a centerpoint of said one of said pair of external side rearview mirrors and is determined in accordance with one of the following formulas:
-
if said Blindzone Setting Method is detected, then
S=rLH/tan 2α
,wherein rLH is a lateral distance associated with said one of said pair of external side rearview mirrors; and
α
is a horizontal angle associated with said one of said pair of external side rearview mirrors, andif said Blindzone/Glare Elimination Setting Method is detected, then
S=(rLH-rL)/tan 2α
,wherein α
is a horizontal angle associated with said one of said pair of external side rearview mirrors;
rLH is a lateral distance from a driver'"'"'s eye position in a normal driving posture to a centerpoint of one of said pair of external side rearview mirrors; and
rL is a lateral distance from the driver'"'"'s eye position in the normal driving posture to a centerpoint of said one of said pair of external side rearview mirrors when a driver'"'"'s head is placed against a side window of the vehicle.
-
-
16. The synchronized rear vision system as set forth in claim 1, including a power driver seat controller communicating with a mirror adjustment input device and communicating with said system master controller to readjust a position of at least one of said external side rearview mirrors and said interior rearview mirror based upon a position of a driver seat of the vehicle, wherein said mirror readjustment is based on a second driver'"'"'s eye position in accordance with the following formulas:
-
S≈
S′
+(X-X′
)+(Z′
+hs′
)(λ
-λ
′
); and
hs≈
hs′
−
(Z-Z′
)−
Z′
+hs′
)(λ
-λ
′
)tan —
λ
′
;wherein; S is a longitudinal distance from a driver'"'"'s eye to a centerpoint of at least one of said external side rearview mirrors; hs is a side vertical distance from said driver'"'"'s eye to said centerpoint of at least one of said external side rearview mirrors; X is a first fore/aft position of said driver seat; X′
is a second fore/aft position of said driver seat;Z is a first up/down position of said driver seat; Z′
is a second up/down position of said driver seat;λ
is a first angular position of said driver seat;λ
′
is a second angular position of said driver seat; andS′ and
hs′
are the first driver'"'"'s eye position.
-
-
17. The synchronized rear vision system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said system master controller automatically positions at least one of said another one of said side rearview mirrors and said interior rearview mirror when only said instantaneous position of said one of said side rearview mirrors is changed.
-
18. The synchronized rear vision system set forth in claim 17, wherein said position output signal associated with said another one of said pair of external side rearview mirrors is calculated based upon one of the following formulas:
-
if the Blindzone Setting Method is detected, then
β
=½
tan−
1(rRH/S)+β
b,wherein β
is a horizontal angle associated with said another one of said pair of external side rearview mirrors;
rRH is a lateral distance associated with said another one of said pair of external side rearview mirrors; and
β
b is a personal bias angle associated with said another one of said pair if external side rearview mirrors; andif the Blindzone/Glare Elimination Setting Method is detected, then
β
=½
tan−
[(rRH-rR)/S]+β
b,wherein rRH is a lateral distance from said first driver'"'"'s eye position in a normal driving posture to a centerpoint of one of the pair of external side rearview mirrors, rR is a lateral distance from said first driver'"'"'s eye position to a centerpoint of said interior mirror when a driver'"'"'s head is placed at a middle of the vehicle;
S is a lateral distance from the first driver'"'"'s eye position to a centerpoint of one of the pair of external side rearview mirrors; and
β
b is a personal bias horizontal angle of said one of the pair of external side rearview mirrors.
-
-
19. The synchronized rear vision system set forth in claim 18, wherein the personal bias horizontal angle is the difference between an automatic angle and an overriding setting angle set by the driver.
-
20. The synchronized rear vision system set forth in claim 17, wherein said position output signal associated with said interior rearview mirror is calculated based upon the following formula:
-
γ
=½
tan−
1(rR/S+SR)+γ
bwherein γ
is a horizontal angle associated with said interior rearview mirror;
rR is a lateral distance associated with said interior rearview mirror;
SR is a lateral distance associated with said interior rearview mirror; and
γ
b is a personal bias angle associated with said interior rearview mirror.
-
-
21. A synchronized rear vision system for a vehicle comprising:
-
an adjustable driver seat; a pair of external side rearview mirrors for attachment to the vehicle; an interior rearview mirror for attachment to the vehicle; a power driver seat controller communicating with said driver seat; and a system master controller for; detecting an instantaneous position of one of said pair of external side rearview mirrors; determining an external side rearview mirror setting method based upon said instantaneous position and a predetermined setting method threshold; calculating a first driver'"'"'s eye position and position output signals for at least another one of said pair of external side rearview mirrors and said interior rearview mirror; and automatically positioning at least the another one of said pair of external side rearview mirrors and said interior rearview mirror based on the instantaneous position and to readjust a position of at least one of said pair of external side rearview mirrors and said interior rearview mirror based on said detected external side rearview mirror setting method and a position of said driver seat of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
-
-
24. A method of operating a rear vision system for a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:
-
receiving a power mirror user input; determining a driver task selected based on the power mirror user input; repositioning a left-hand side rearview mirror if the driver task selected is a left-hand side rearview mirror; recording a left-right angle and up-down angle of the left-hand side rearview mirror; determining whether the left-right angle of the left-hand side rearview mirror is greater than a predetermined threshold; calculating a driver eyes location and left-right angle and up-down angle of a right-hand side rearview mirror and an interior rearview mirror using a Blindzone/Glare Elimination setting formula if the left-right angle of the left-hand side rearview mirror is not greater than a predetermined threshold; calculating a driver eyes location and left-right angle and up-down angle of a right-hand side mirror and an interior rearview mirror using a Blindzone setting formula if the left-right angle of the left-hand side rearview mirror is greater than a predetermined threshold; repositioning the interior rearview mirror; repositioning the right-hand side rearview mirror; determining whether errors of the left-right angle and the up-down angle of the interior rearview mirror are less than a predetermined value or time expired; determining whether errors of the left-right angle and the up-down angle of the right-hand side rearview mirror are less than a predetermined value or time expired; repositioning the interior rearview mirror if the errors of the left-right angle and the up-down angle of the interior rearview mirror are not less than a predetermined value or time expired; and repositioning the right-hand side rearview mirror if the errors of the left-right angle and the up-down angle of the interior rearview mirror are not less than a predetermined value or time expired. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
-
Specification