VEHICLE REARVIEW MIRROR ASSEMBLY INCORPORATING A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20080103655A1
• Filed: 01/03/2008
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Watson, Alan, Rumsey, Wayne, Walstra, Eric, Turnbull, Robert, Roberts, John, Poe, G., Knapp, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,772,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/1207 with lamps; with turn indicators
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1223 with sensors or transducers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1261 with antennae
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1284 with communication systems other than radio-receivers, e.g. keyless entry systems, navigation systems; with anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/0075 Automatic parameter input, automatic initialising or calibrating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3266 using the mirror of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/30 Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/371 Branching current paths
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/30 with feed to end of elongated active element, e.g. unipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/08 : Mouthpieces; Microphones; Attachments therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 : Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle communication and control system is provided that may be more readily installed in a vehicle and that utilizes minimal additional wiring. According to some of the disclosed embodiments, the electrical components of the “brick” of a communication and control system are integrated into a rearview mirror assembly. Preferably, the microwave antenna for the GPS and the cellular telephone antenna are also integrated into the rearview mirror assembly. Various functions and features of the system are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A telematics system for installation in a vehicle having an electronic module configured to control a feature of the vehicle that affects the ability of the vehicle to be driven, said telematics system comprising:

a global position identification component for identifying the location of the vehicle;

a telephone transceiver component coupled to said global position identification component for transmitting the location of the vehicle to a remote system; and

a controller component coupled to said global position identification component and said telephone transceiver component,

wherein at least one of said components is configured to periodically communicate with the electronic module and to thereby acknowledge that each of said components is present and functional such that if the electronic module does not receive periodic acknowledgement of the presence and/or functionality of said components, the electronic module affects the ability of the vehicle to be driven.

2. The telematics system of claim 1, wherein said at least one component is said controller component, wherein said controller component verifies the presence and status of said telephone transceiver component and said global position identification component.

3. The telematics system of claim 2, wherein said controller component periodically transmits a signal to the electronic module to acknowledge the presence and status of the telematics system.

4. The telematics system of claim 2, wherein said controller component responds to periodic polling signals from the electronic module to acknowledge the presence and status of the telematics system.

5. The telematics system of claim 1, wherein said at least one component and the electronic module communicate with one another using a rolling code sequence.

6. The telematics system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said components is associated with a rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle.

7. The telematics system of claim 1, wherein all of said components are associated with a rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle.

8. The telematics system of claim 1 and further including a battery back-up to allow a distress call to be made when power is otherwise disrupted to the telematics system.

9. The telematics system of claim 1 and further including a telephone antenna coupled to said telephone transceiver component.

10. The telematics system of claim 9, wherein said antenna is mounted to a rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle.

11. The telematics system of claim 1, wherein the electronic module disables the vehicle upon detection that one of said components is not present or non-functional.

12. A telephone system for installation in a vehicle having an electronic module for determining whether an ignition key has been inserted into the vehicle ignition and for communicating the presence of the key in the ignition, said telephone system comprising:

a telephone transceiver for transmitting calls over a wireless communication link; and

a control circuit coupled to said telephone transceiver and in communication with the electronic module, said control circuit disables at least some functions of said telephone transceiver when an ignition key is not detected in the vehicle ignition.

13. The telephone system of claim 12, wherein said control circuit disables the ability of the telephone system to make at least some calls using said telephone transceiver.

14. The telephone system of claim 12, wherein said control circuit disables the ability to make calls to telephone numbers not previously stored in a memory component of said control circuit.