Head up side view mirror

• US 10,501,018 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2017
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sweet, Benjamin David
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Tung T
• Application Number:
  US15/652,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20180015881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 348148
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/173 Reversing assist
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/21 using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/31 Virtual images
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/334 Projection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/777 on or in sun visors
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/797 at the vehicle exterior
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/213 Virtual instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• 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 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/26 to the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/105 using multiple cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/205 using a head-up display
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/303 using joined images, e.g. multiple camera images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8046 for replacing a rear-view mirror system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8066 for monitoring rearward traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 : Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A motor vehicle includes a left side view camera attached to the left lateral side of the body and having a field of view in a rearward direction. A right side view camera is attached to the right lateral side of the body and has a field of view in a rearward direction. There is a right back up camera and a left back up camera. An optics module receives resulting video signals and produces light fields such that the light fields are reflected off of windows of the motor vehicle and are then visible to a driver of the motor vehicle as virtual images.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle, comprising:

a body including a left lateral side and an opposing right lateral side;

a left side view camera attached to the left lateral side of the body and having a field of view in a rearward direction;

a right side view camera attached to the right lateral side of the body and having a field of view in a rearward direction;

a left back up camera attached to the left lateral side of the body and having a field of view in a left lateral direction;

a right back up camera attached to the right lateral side of the body and having a field of view in a right lateral direction substantially opposite to the left lateral direction;

an electronic, processor configured to;

receive images captured by each of the left side view camera, right side view camera, left back tip camera, and right back up camera;

transmit a left video signal based on the images captured by the left side view camera and the left back up camera; and

transmit a right video signal based on the images captured by the right side view camera and the right back up camera;

a left optics module configured to receive the left video signal from the electronic processor and produce a left light field such that the left light field is reflected off of a left side window of the motor vehicle and is then visible to a driver of the motor vehicle as a first virtual image, the left light field being based on the left video signal; and

a right optics module configured to receive the right video signal from the electronic processor and produce a right light field such that the right light field is reflected off of a right side window of the motor vehicle and is then visible to the driver as a second virtual image, the right light field being based on the right video signal.

2. The motor vehicle of claim 1 wherein:

the left video signal is based on the images captured by the left side view camera and the left back up camera only when the vehicle is in a Reverse gear, is based on the images captured by the left side view camera when the vehicle is not in the Reverse gear, and is not based on the images captured by the left back up camera when the vehicle is not in the Reverse gear; and

the right video signal is based on the images captured by the right side view camera and the right back up camera only when the vehicle is in a Reverse gear, is based on the images captured by the right side view camera when the vehicle is not in the Reverse gear, and is not based on the images captured by the right back up camera when the vehicle is not in the Reverse gear.

3. The motor vehicle of claim 1 wherein the left side window comprises a first left side window, and the right side window comprises a first right side window, the vehicle further comprising:

a second left side window disposed in a driver'"'"'s side front door of the vehicle, the second left side window being movable relative to the driver'"'"'s side front door between an upper closed position and a lower open position; and

a second right side window disposed in a passenger'"'"'s side front door of the vehicle, the second right side window being movable relative to the passenger'"'"'s side front door between an upper closed position and a lower open position.

4. The motor vehicle of claim 1 wherein the left side view camera, right side view camera, and a steering wheel of the vehicle are substantially aligned.

5. The motor vehicle of claim 1 wherein the left back up camera and the right back up camera are each disposed at a rear end of the motor vehicle.

6. The motor vehicle of claim 1 wherein the left side view camera and the right side view camera each have a conical field of view.

7. The motor vehicle of claim 1 wherein the left back up camera and the right back up camera each have a conical field of view.

21. The motor vehicle of claim 1 wherein the left optics module and the right optics module are embodied as one single module.

8. A display method for a motor vehicle, the method comprising:

attaching a left side view camera to a left lateral side of a body of the motor vehicle such that the left side view camera has a field of view in a rearward direction;

attaching a right side view camera to a right lateral side of the body such that the right side view camera has a field of view in a rearward direction;

attaching a left back up camera to the left lateral side of the body such that the left back up camera has a field of view in a left lateral direction;

attaching a right back up camera to the right lateral side of the body such that the right back up camera has a field of view in a right lateral direction substantially opposite to the left lateral direction;

receiving images captured by each of the left side view camera, right side view camera, left back up camera, and right back up camera;

transmitting a left video signal based on the images captured by the left side view camera and the left back up camera;

transmitting a right video signal based on the images captured by the right side view camera and the right back up camera;

producing a left light field such that the left light field is reflected off of a left side window of the motor vehicle and is then visible to a driver of the motor vehicle as a first virtual image, the left light field being based on the left video signal; and

producing a right light field such that the right light field is reflected off of a right side window of the motor vehicle and is then visible to the driver as a second virtual image, the right light field being based on the right video signal.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein:

the left video signal is based on the images captured by the left side view camera and the left back up camera only when the vehicle is in a Reverse gear, is based on the images captured by the left side view camera when the vehicle is not in the Reverse gear, and is not based on the images captured by the left back up camera when the vehicle is not in the Reverse gear; and

the right video signal is based on the images captured by the right side view camera and the right back up camera only when the vehicle is in a Reverse gear, is based on the images captured by the right side view camera when the vehicle is not in the Reverse gear, and is not based on the images captured by the right back up camera when the vehicle is not in the Reverse gear.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the left side window comprises a first left side window, and the right side window comprises a first right side window, the method further comprising:

providing a second left side window disposed in a driver'"'"'s side front door of the vehicle;

moving the second left side window relative to the driver'"'"'s side front door between an upper closed position and a lower open position;

providing a second right side window disposed in a passenger'"'"'s side front door of the vehicle; and

moving the second right side window relative to the passenger'"'"'s side front door between an upper closed position and a lower open position.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the left side view camera, right side view camera, and a steering wheel of the vehicle are substantially aligned.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the left back up camera and the right back up camera are each disposed at a rear end of the motor vehicle.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the left side view camera and the right side view camera each have a conical field of view.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the left back up camera and the right back up camera each have a conical field of view.

15. A motor vehicle, comprising:

a body including a left lateral side and an opposing right lateral side;

a left side view camera attached to the left lateral side of the body and having a field of view in a rearward direction;

a right side view camera attached to the right lateral side of the body and having a field of view in a rearward direction;

an electronic processor configured to;

receive images captured by each of the left side view camera and right side view camera;

transmit a left video signal based on the images captured by the left side view camera; and

transmit a right video signal based on the images captured by the right side view camera;

a left optics module configured to receive the left video signal from the electronic processor and produce a left light field such that the left light field is reflected off of a left side window of the motor vehicle and is then visible to a driver of the motor vehicle as a first virtual image, the left light field being based on the left video signal; and

a right optics module configured to receive the right video signal from the electronic processor and produce a right light field such that the right light field is reflected off of a right side window of the motor vehicle and is then visible to the driver as a second virtual image, the right light field being based on the right video signal.

16. The motor vehicle of claim 15 wherein the left side window comprises a first left side window, and the right side window comprises a first right side window, the vehicle further comprising:

a second left side window disposed in a driver'"'"'s side front door of the vehicle, the second left side window being movable relative to the driver'"'"'s side front door between an upper closed position and a lower open position; and

a second right side window disposed in a passenger'"'"'s side front door of the vehicle, the second right side window being movable relative to the passenger'"'"'s side front door between an upper closed position and a lower open position.

17. The motor vehicle of claim 15 wherein the left side view camera, right side view camera, and a steering wheel of the vehicle are substantially aligned.

18. The motor vehicle of claim 15 wherein the left side view camera and the right side view camera each have a conical field of view.

19. The motor vehicle of claim 15 further comprising at least one other camera, wherein each of the left video signal and the right video signal is dependent upon images captured by the at least one other camera.

20. The motor vehicle of claim 19 wherein the at least one other camera has a field of view in a rearward direction.