Automobile rearview mirror with driving video recording function

• US 10,363,885 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2016
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InvenTel Products, LLC
• Original Assignee: InvenTel Products, LLC
• Inventors: Tang, Jack
• Primary Examiner(s): Sullivan, Tyler W.
• Application Number:
  US15/253,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20180020139A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 403122-144
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0023 the element being a sensor, e.g. distance sensor, camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/08 involving special optical features, e.g. avoiding blind spots , e.g. convex mirrors; Side-by-side associations of rear-view and other mirrors B60R1/025, B60R1/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0211 for record carriers apparatus, e.g. video recorders, tape players or CD players
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0033 Rear-view mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera

Abstract

An automobile rearview mirror is provided having a driving video recording function that includes a rearview mirror body. The body has a housing, a mirror, a first pivot holder and a second pivot holder mounted at the housing and respectively defined therein is a ball socket and a position-limiting passage. The passage is an open-ended passage disposed in communication with the ball socket and having an inner diameter gradually increased toward an open end thereof. A camera module is provided which includes a camera holder, an image capture device mounted in the camera holder for capturing images. A connection rod extends from the camera holder and is inserted through the position-limiting passage to suspend the camera holder outside the rearview mirror body and has a ball located at an inner end thereof that couples to the ball socket of the first pivot holder.

Claims

1. A rearview mirror attachment having recording functionality for removably coupling to a face of an existing automobile rearview mirror, wherein said automobile review mirror includes a top and bottom edge and backward facing surface, said attachment comprising:

a rearview mirror body comprising a housing and a mirror mounted in said housing, said housing comprising a first pivot holder and a second pivot holder, said first pivot holder and said second pivot holder each defining therein a ball socket and a position-limiting passage in communication with said ball socket, each said position limiting passage being an open-ended passage facing downwards and having an inner diameter gradually increased toward an open end thereof;

a first camera module comprising a camera holder, an image capture device mounted in said camera holder and adapted for capturing outside video images, a connection rod extended from a top side of said camera holder and terminating in a ball, said connection rod having a substantially uniform circumference, wherein said ball being coupled to said ball socket of said first pivot holder in a tight-fit manner so that said ball is rotatable relative to said ball socket to the desired angular position by an external force and then positively positioned in the adjusted angular position after said external force is disappeared, wherein the uniform connection rod is capable of being adjusted within the position-limiting passage off-axis from mechanical center of said position-limiting passage, said connection rod being extended through said position-limiting passage to a certain distance outside said rearview mirror body to suspend said camera holder outside said rearview mirror body

wherein the ball further comprises a pin protrusion; and

the ball socket further comprises a corresponding pin opening except in one location where the ball socket comprises a pin arresting surface configured so that the maximum rotation of the camera holder about the yaw axis cannot be greater than 360°

.

2. The automobile rearview mirror with driving video recording function as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a second camera module, said second camera module comprising a camera holder, an image capture device mounted in the said camera holder of the said second camera module and adapted for capturing outside video images, a connection rod extended from a top side of the said camera holder of the said second camera module and terminating in a ball, the said ball of the said second camera module being coupled to the said ball socket of the said second pivot holder in a tight-fit manner so that the said ball of the said second camera module is rotatable relative to the said ball socket of the said second camera module to the desired angular position by an external force and then positively positioned in the adjusted angular position after said external force is disappeared, the said connection rod of the said second camera module being extended through the said position-limiting passage of the said second pivot holder to a certain distance outside said rearview mirror body to suspend the said camera holder of the said second camera module outside said rearview mirror body.

3. The automobile rearview mirror with driving video recording function as claimed in claim 2, wherein said first camera module and said second camera module each further comprise at least one light source.

4. automobile rearview mirror with driving video recording function as claimed in claim 3, wherein said first camera module and said second camera module each comprise at least two light sources respectively located at two opposite lateral sides of the respective said camera holders of said first camera module and said second camera module.

5. The automobile rearview mirror with driving video recording function as claimed in claim 4, wherein said light sources are selectively configured to emit infrared light or white light.

6. The automobile rearview mirror with driving video recording function as claimed in claim 1 wherein the camera holder can be positioned up to 75°

off of the neutral position in either the Roll, Pitch, or combined Roll &

Pitch directions and maintained at that position after the external force is disappeared.