Systems and methods for rear view mirror displays

• US 9,539,930 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2012
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Geerlings, Steven L.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAI T
• Application Number:
  US14/346,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20140300457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: 340/438, 340/435, 340/436, 340/5.7, 340/5.71, 340/3.32, 340/686.1, 340/12.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/00 Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor for lighting vehicle interior B60Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/26 to the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00507 keyless data carrier having more than one function
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00928 for garage doors
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/62 Comprising means for indicating the status of the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses

Abstract

A system for coupling to a vehicle and for causing actuation of a remote device via a control signal transmission includes a transmitter for causing the control signal transmission to the remote device. The system further includes a circuit configured to cause a back-up display to indicate status of the remote device in response to a status determination.

Claims

1. A system for coupling to a vehicle and for causing actuation of a remote device via a control signal transmission, comprising:

a transmitter for causing the control signal transmission to the remote device;

a receiver configured to receive status information from the remote device; and

a circuit configured to;

determine a status of the remote device based on the received status information; and

while the vehicle is in reverse, cause a back-up display to indicate the status of the remote device in response to determining the status.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the status determination comprises using the circuit to recognize the information as an indication of remote device status.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the back-up display is coupled to a rear view mirror.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the back-up display is embedded within at least one of an instrument panel and a center stack.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the status determination comprises receiving an acknowledgement in response to the control signal transmission to the remote device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the back-up display'"'"'s primary purpose is to display video from a back-up camera while the vehicle is in reverse.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the indication of status is an animation of the remote device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote device is a garage door, and wherein the animation shows a graphical representation of a garage door raising or lowering, depending on the state of the garage door.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the indication of status is an icon illustrating the status.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the indication of status is a text description of the status.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote device is a garage door opener and the status indication reports the status of the garage door as open or closed.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote device is a garage door opener and the status indication reports the status of the garage door as open, opening, closed, or closing.

13. A method for use by a vehicle control system, comprising:

causing a transmitter of the vehicle control system to transmit a control signal to a remote device;

receiving, at a receiver of the vehicle control system, status information from the remote device;

using a circuit of the vehicle control system to determine a status of the remote device based on the received status information; and

while the vehicle is in reverse, updating a status indication for the remote device on a back-up display in electronic communication with the circuit in response to determining the status.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the status determination comprises the step of:

using the circuit to recognize the information as an indication of remote device status.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the back-up display is coupled to a rear view mirror.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the back-up display is embedded within at least one of an instrument panel and a center stack.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the status determination comprises receiving an acknowledgement in response to the control signal transmission to the remote device.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the back-up display'"'"'s primary purpose is to display video from a back-up camera while the vehicle is in reverse.

19. A system for a vehicle, comprising:

a trainable transceiver;

a back-up display; and

back-up display electronics for controlling the back-up display;

wherein the trainable transceiver is configured to wait for an acknowledgement after transmitting a command to a remote device;

wherein the trainable transceiver is configured to report a status indication of the state of the remote device on the back-up display by providing information to the back-up display electronics and in response to whether or not the acknowledgement is received; and

wherein, in response to receiving the information from the trainable transceiver, the back-up display electronics are configured to cause the back-up display to display the status indication while the vehicle is in reverse.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the back-up display is coupled to a rear view mirror and wherein the back-up display'"'"'s primary purpose is to display video from a back-up camera while the vehicle is in reverse.