Vehicle accessory system
First Claim
1. An accessory system for a vehicle, said vehicular accessory system comprising:
- a mounting element;
wherein a first side of said mounting element comprises an attachment portion for attachment of said mounting element at a vehicle windshield of a vehicle equipped with the accessory system;
wherein, at least when said mounting element is attached at the vehicle windshield, a module is mounted at a second side of said mounting element that opposes said first side;
wherein said module comprises a housing having a windshield-facing side that faces towards the vehicle windshield when said module is mounted at said second side of said mounting element attached at the vehicle windshield;
wherein said housing of said module has a cabin-facing side that faces away from the vehicle windshield towards the interior cabin of the equipped vehicle when said module is mounted at said second side of said mounting element attached at the vehicle windshield;
wherein a camera is disposed in said housing between said windshield-facing side of said housing and said cabin-facing side of said housing;
wherein said camera comprises an imager and a lens;
wherein said windshield-facing side of said housing comprises a generally wedge-shaped recess;
wherein, with said module mounted at said mounting element attached at the vehicle windshield, said wedge-shaped recess tapers from the vehicle windshield; and
wherein said camera, with said module mounted at said mounting element attached at the vehicle windshield, views through the vehicle windshield via said wedge-shaped recess.
4 Assignments
1 Petition
Accused Products
Abstract
An accessory system for a vehicle includes a mounting element and a module. The mounting element includes an attachment portion that is configured for attachment of the mounting element at a vehicle windshield. The mounting element may be configured for attachment of an interior rearview mirror assembly thereto. The mounting element may be configured for accommodating an accessory at least when the mounting element is attached at the vehicle windshield. The module is configured for attachment to the mounting element when the mounting element is attached at the vehicle windshield. The module accommodates a camera, and the module includes structure that orients the field of view of the camera with respect to the vehicle windshield when the module is attached to the mounting element.
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Citations
65 Claims
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1. An accessory system for a vehicle, said vehicular accessory system comprising:
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a mounting element; wherein a first side of said mounting element comprises an attachment portion for attachment of said mounting element at a vehicle windshield of a vehicle equipped with the accessory system; wherein, at least when said mounting element is attached at the vehicle windshield, a module is mounted at a second side of said mounting element that opposes said first side; wherein said module comprises a housing having a windshield-facing side that faces towards the vehicle windshield when said module is mounted at said second side of said mounting element attached at the vehicle windshield; wherein said housing of said module has a cabin-facing side that faces away from the vehicle windshield towards the interior cabin of the equipped vehicle when said module is mounted at said second side of said mounting element attached at the vehicle windshield; wherein a camera is disposed in said housing between said windshield-facing side of said housing and said cabin-facing side of said housing; wherein said camera comprises an imager and a lens; wherein said windshield-facing side of said housing comprises a generally wedge-shaped recess; wherein, with said module mounted at said mounting element attached at the vehicle windshield, said wedge-shaped recess tapers from the vehicle windshield; and wherein said camera, with said module mounted at said mounting element attached at the vehicle windshield, views through the vehicle windshield via said wedge-shaped recess. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
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21. An accessory system for a vehicle, said vehicular accessory system comprising:
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a mounting element; wherein a first side of said mounting element comprises an attachment portion for attachment of said mounting element at the vehicle windshield of a vehicle equipped with the accessory system, and wherein said attachment portion of said mounting element adhesively attaches at the vehicle windshield; wherein said mounting element comprises a metallic mounting element; wherein, at least when said mounting element is attached at the vehicle windshield, a module is mounted at a second side of said mounting element that opposes said first side; wherein said module comprises a housing having a windshield-facing side that faces towards the vehicle windshield when said module is mounted at said second side of said mounting element attached at the vehicle windshield; wherein said housing of said module has a cabin-facing side that faces away from the vehicle windshield towards the interior cabin of the equipped vehicle when said module is mounted at said second side of said mounting element attached at the vehicle windshield; wherein a camera is disposed in said housing between said windshield-facing side of said housing and said cabin-facing side of said housing; said camera comprising an imager and a lens; wherein said windshield-facing side of said housing comprises a generally wedge-shaped recess; wherein, with said module mounted at said mounting element attached at the vehicle windshield, said wedge-shaped recess tapers from the vehicle windshield; and wherein said camera, with said module mounted at said mounting element attached at the vehicle windshield, views through the vehicle windshield via said wedge-shaped recess. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 64)
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28. An accessory system for a vehicle, said vehicular accessory system comprising:
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a mounting element; wherein a first side of said mounting element comprises an attachment portion for attachment of said mounting element at a vehicle windshield of a vehicle equipped with the accessory system; wherein, at least when said mounting element is attached at the vehicle windshield, a module is mounted at a second side of said mounting element that opposes said first side; wherein said module comprises a housing having a windshield-facing side that faces towards the vehicle windshield when said module is mounted at said second side of said mounting element attached at the vehicle windshield; wherein said housing of said module has a cabin-facing side that faces away from the vehicle windshield towards the interior cabin of the equipped vehicle when said module is mounted at said second side of said mounting element attached at the vehicle windshield; wherein a camera is disposed in said housing between said windshield-facing side of said housing and said cabin-facing side of said housing said camera comprising an imager and a lens; wherein said windshield-facing side of said housing comprises a recess; wherein, with said module mounted at said mounting element attached at the vehicle windshield said recess tapers from the vehicle windshield; wherein said camera, with said module mounted at said mounting element attached at the vehicle windshield, views through the vehicle windshield via said recess; wherein structure of said housing angles the field of view of said camera with respect to the vehicle windshield to at least partially compensate for the windshield angle of the vehicle windshield in the equipped vehicle; and wherein said camera is associated with at least one of (i) a headlamp control system, (ii) a lane departure warning system, (iii) an adaptive cruise control system, (iv) a sign recognition system, (v) a night vision system, (vi) a pedestrian detection system, (vii) a vehicle detection system and (viii) a crash avoidance system. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 65)
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33. An accessory system for a vehicle, said vehicular accessory system comprising:
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a mounting element; wherein a first side of said mounting element comprises an attachment portion for attachment of said mounting element at a vehicle windshield of a vehicle equipped with the accessory system; wherein, at least when said mounting element is attached at the vehicle windshield, a module is mounted at a second side of said mounting element that opposes said first side; wherein said module comprises a housing having a windshield-facing side that faces towards the vehicle windshield when said module is mounted at said second side of said mounting element attached at the vehicle windshield; wherein said housing of said module has a cabin-facing side that faces away from the vehicle windshield towards the interior cabin of the equipped vehicle when said module is mounted at said second side of said mounting element attached at the vehicle windshield; wherein a camera is disposed in said housing between said windshield-facing side of said housing and said cabin-facing side of said housing; said camera comprising an imager and a lens; wherein said windshield-facing side of said housing comprises a recess; wherein said camera, with said module mounted at said mounting element attached at the vehicle windshield, views through the vehicle windshield via said recess; wherein at least one of (a) said attachment portion of said mounting element attaches at an attachment element that is adhered to the vehicle windshield, (b) said attachment portion of said mounting element adhesively attaches at the vehicle windshield, and (c) said mounting element comprises a metallic mounting element; wherein at least one of (a) a principal axis of the forward field of view of said camera is directed generally at or below horizontal when said module is mounted at said mounting element attached at the vehicle windshield, and (b) said module includes a light transmitting port and wherein said camera has its forward field of view through said light transmitting port; and wherein said camera is associated with at least one of (i) a headlamp control system, (ii) a lane departure warning system, (iii) an adaptive cruise control system, (iv) a sign recognition system, (v) a night vision system, (vi) a pedestrian detection system, (vii) a vehicle detection system and (viii) a crash avoidance system. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. An accessory system for a vehicle, said vehicular accessory system comprising:
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a mounting element; wherein a first side of said mounting element comprises an attachment portion for attachment of said mounting element at a vehicle windshield of a vehicle equipped with the accessory system; wherein said attachment portion of said mounting element adhesively attaches at the vehicle windshield; wherein, at least when said mounting element is attached at the vehicle windshield, a module is mounted at a second side of said mounting element that opposes said first side; wherein said module is detachably mounted at said mounting element; wherein said module comprises a housing having a windshield-facing side that faces towards the vehicle windshield when said module is mounted at said second side of said mounting element attached at the vehicle windshield; wherein said housing of said module has a cabin-facing side that faces away from the vehicle windshield towards the interior cabin of the equipped vehicle when said module is mounted at said second side of said mounting element attached at the vehicle windshield; wherein a camera is disposed in said housing between said windshield-facing side of said housing and said cabin-facing side of said housing; said camera comprising an imager and a lens; wherein said windshield-facing side of said housing comprises a recess; wherein, with said module mounted at said mounting element attached at the vehicle windshield, said recess tapers from the vehicle windshield; wherein said camera, with said module mounted at said mounting element attached at the vehicle windshield, views through the vehicle windshield via said recess; and wherein said camera is associated with at least one of (i) a headlamp control system, (ii) a lane departure warning system, (iii) an adaptive cruise control system, (iv) a sign recognition system, (v) a night vision system, (vi) a pedestrian detection system, (vii) a vehicle detection system and (viii) a crash avoidance system. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. An accessory system for a vehicle, said vehicular accessory system comprising:
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a mounting element; wherein a first side of said mounting element comprises an attachment portion for attachment of said mounting element at a vehicle windshield of a vehicle equipped with the accessory system; wherein, at least when said mounting element is attached at the vehicle windshield, a module is mounted at a second side of said mounting element that opposes said first side; wherein said module includes attaching structure that cooperates with attaching structure of said mounting element in order to detachably mount said module at said mounting element; wherein said module comprises a housing having a windshield-facing side that faces towards the vehicle windshield when said module is mounted at said second side of said mounting element attached at the vehicle windshield; wherein said housing of said module has a cabin-facing side that faces away from the vehicle windshield towards the interior cabin of the equipped vehicle when said module is mounted at said second side of said mounting element attached at the vehicle windshield; wherein a camera is disposed in said housing between said windshield-facing side of said housing and said cabin-facing side of said housing; said camera comprising an imager and a lens; wherein said windshield-facing side of said housing comprises a recess; wherein said camera, with said module mounted at said mounting element attached at the vehicle windshield, views through the vehicle windshield via said recess; and wherein said camera is associated with at least one of (i) a headlamp control system, (ii) a lane departure warning system, (iii) an adaptive cruise control system, (iv) a sign recognition system, (v) a night vision system, (vi) a pedestrian detection system, (vii) a vehicle detection system and (viii) a crash avoidance system. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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Specification