Mirror replacement system for a vehicle

• US 9,707,891 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2013
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mekra Lang GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Mekra Lang GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Kunz, Manuel, Geissendoerfer, Peter, Hornung, Michael, Witzke, Michael, Centmayer, Stefan, Lang, Werner
• Primary Examiner(s): Aynalem, Nathnael
• Application Number:
  US13/956,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20140036081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,447 Days
• Field of Search: 224 422, 348148, 396419
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8046 for replacing a rear-view mirror system
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/08 Waterproof bodies or housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings

Abstract

A mirror replacement system for a vehicle includes an image capture unit, a supply unit, and an image reproduction unit. The image reproduction unit is adapted to be disposed in the vehicle interior in a manner viewable by the driver. The image capture unit and the supply unit are disposed in spaces, which are separated from each other and are separately sealed. Further, the image capture unit and the supply unit are each disposed separated from and outside the image reproduction unit.

Claims

1. A mirror replacement system for a vehicle comprising:

a common housing that forms a camera arm which is provided on a left and/or right side of a driver'"'"'s cabin, outside the vehicle,

an image capture unit sealed in a water-vapor-tight image capture unit case in the common housing, and

a supply unit sealed in a supply unit case, the supply unit case being located inside the common housing and outside the image capture unit case, the supply unit case being less tightly sealed against an entry of water vapor than the image capture unit case,

wherein the supply unit is configured to communicate with an image reproduction unit outside the common housing and in the vehicle interior in a location viewable by a driver of the vehicle,

wherein the supply unit is configured to compress images captured by the image capture unit and to transmit the compressed images to the image reproduction unit, and

wherein a heating element is integrated into the image capture unit, the heating element being controlled by the supply unit and being coupled to temperature detecting elements or being coupled to vehicle control elements or being coupled to temperature detecting elements and to vehicle control elements.

2. The mirror replacement system according to claim 1, wherein the supply unit is configured to perform at least one process selected from the group consisting of:

video processing for image resizing, image analysis for assisting the driver, image arrangement, image compiling, white balancing, self-recognition of contamination, and overlays.

3. The mirror replacement system according to claim 1, wherein the image capture unit is disposed in a metallic housing.

4. The mirror replacement system according to claim 3, wherein the supply unit is disposed in a plastic housing.

5. The mirror replacement system according to claim 1, including at least one additional image capture unit.

6. The mirror replacement system according to claim 1, including at least one additional supply unit.

7. The mirror replacement system according to claim 1, wherein the supply unit is coupled to vehicle functional components of the vehicle.

8. The mirror replacement system according to claim 7, wherein the vehicle functional components of the vehicle, the supply unit and the image capture unit are disposed in the common housing.

9. The mirror replacement system according to claim 1, wherein the supply unit is coupled to the image reproduction unit and is configured to transmit video data, which has been processed by the supply unit and/or by the image capture unit, to the image reproduction unit.

10. The mirror replacement system according to claim 1, wherein the image capture unit is a digital image sensor.

11. The mirror replacement system according to claim 1, wherein the image capture unit comprises a primary mirror replacement image capture unit and further including a wide angle mirror replacement image capture unit and wherein the image capture unit and/or the supply unit is configured to perform an image analysis for assisting the driver, self-recognition of contamination and white balancing.