REAR-VIEW MIRROR WITH MULTI-MODE DISPLAY SCREEN, SYSTEM COMPRISING SAME, AND METHOD OF USING SAME

• US 20130107045A1
• Filed: 10/28/2011
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ramirez, Roberto, Pedlow, David Michael, Soderlind, Erik William
• Granted Patent: US 9,168,871 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens

Abstract

An image display system comprises a camera presence detector for detecting presence of a rear-view camera mounted on a towed unit connected to a towing vehicle, an image display format controller coupled to the camera presence detector, and a rear-view mirror assembly including an image display apparatus. The image display format controller enables a first display mode when the camera presence detector detects the towed unit rear-view camera and enables a second display mode when the camera presence detector fails to detect presence of the towed unit rear-view camera. An image output device of the image display apparatus underlies a central portion of an image display apparatus viewing substrate at a rear surface thereof. An image outputted is viewable through the central portion when the first display mode is implemented. The central portion can provide reflected rear-view imaging utility when the second display mode is implemented.

Claims

1. An image display system, comprising:

a camera presence detector for detecting presence of a rear-view camera mounted on a towed unit connected to a towing vehicle;

an image display format controller coupled to the camera presence detector, wherein the image display format controller enables a first display mode when the camera presence detector detects that the towed unit has a rear-view camera mounted thereon and enables a second display mode when the camera presence detector fails to detect that the towed unit has a rear-view camera mounted thereon; and

an image display apparatus coupled to the image display format controller, wherein the image display apparatus includes a viewing substrate having a front surface and a rear surface and an image output device underlying a central portion of the viewing substrate at the rear surface thereof, wherein an image outputted by the image output device is viewable through the central portion of the viewing substrate when the image display format controller causes the image display apparatus to be in the first display mode.

2. The image display system of claim 1 wherein:

a rear-view mirror assembly comprises the image display apparatus; and

the central portion of the viewing substrate provides reflected rear-view imaging utility when the image display format controller causes the image display apparatus to be in the second display mode

3. The image display system of claim 1 wherein a rear-view mirror assembly comprises the camera presence detector, the image display format controller, and the image display apparatus.

4. The image display system of claim 1 wherein:

the image display apparatus is coupled to the towed unit rear-view camera when the towed unit rear-view camera is detected;

the image output device includes an image output surface on which the viewable image is outputted;

a maximum image output area of the image output surface defines perimeter edges of the central portion of the viewing substrate; and

the image output device outputs over the maximum image output area of the image output surface an image corresponding to a signal provided by the towed unit rear-view camera when the image display format controller causes the image display apparatus to be in the first display mode.

5. The image display system of claim 1 wherein:

the image output device includes an image output surface on which the viewable image is outputted;

a maximum image output area of the image output surface defines perimeter edges of the central portion of the viewing substrate;

the image display apparatus is coupled to the towed unit rear-view camera and to a rear-view camera mounted on the towing vehicle when the towed unit rear-view camera is detected;

the image output device outputs over the maximum image output area of the image output surface an image corresponding to a signal provided by the towed unit rear-view camera when the image display format controller causes the image display apparatus to be in the first display mode and the image provided by the towed unit rear-view camera is selected for being displayed; and

the image output device outputs over the maximum image output area of the image output surface an image corresponding to a signal provided by the towing vehicle rear-view camera when the image display format controller causes the image display apparatus to be in the first display mode and the image provided by the towing vehicle rear-view camera is selected for being displayed.

6. The image display system of claim 5 wherein:

the image output device outputs over a partial area of the image output surface an image corresponding to a signal provided by the towing vehicle rear-view camera when the image display format controller causes the image display apparatus to be in the second display mode and the image provided by the towing vehicle rear-view camera is selected for being displayed; and

an area of the central portion surrounding the partial area of the image output surface provides reflected rear-view imaging utility when the image display format controller causes the image display apparatus to be in the second display mode and the image provided by the towing vehicle rear-view camera is selected for being displayed.

7. The image display system of claim 6 wherein the partial area of the image output surface is positioned adjacent to one of a left-side edge and a right-side edge of the image output surface.

8. The image display system of claim 1 wherein:

the image output device includes an image output surface on which the viewable image is outputted;

a maximum image output area of the image output surface defines perimeter edges of the central portion of the viewing substrate;

the image display apparatus includes a towed unit rear-view camera input and a towing vehicle rear-view camera input;

the image output device outputs over the maximum image output area of the image output surface an image corresponding to a signal provided at the towed unit rear-view camera input when the image display format controller causes the image display apparatus to be in the first display mode and the camera input selector is selecting the towed unit rear-view camera input; and

the image output device outputs over the maximum image output area of the image output surface an image corresponding to a signal provided at the towing vehicle rear-view camera input when the image display format controller causes the image display apparatus to be in the first display mode and the camera input selector is selecting the towing vehicle rear-view camera input.

9. The image display system of claim 8 wherein:

the image output device outputs over a partial area of the image output surface an image corresponding to a signal provided by at the towed unit rear-view camera input when the image display format controller causes the image display apparatus to be in the second display mode and the camera input selector is selecting the towing vehicle rear-view camera input; and

an area of the central portion surrounding the partial area of the image output surface provides reflected rear-view imaging utility when the image display format controller causes the image display apparatus to be in the second display mode and the image provided by the towing vehicle rear-view camera is selected for being displayed.

10. The image display system of claim 8 wherein the partial area of the image output surface is positioned adjacent to one of a left-side edge and a right-side edge of the image output surface.

11. A method, comprising:

monitoring a camera detection signal interface for detecting presence of a rear-view camera mounted on a towed unit connected to a towing vehicle; and

enabling an image output device of an image display apparatus of the towing vehicle to output over a maximum image output area of an image output surface thereof an image captured by the towed unit rear-view camera coupled to the image output device in response to detecting that the towed unit rear-view camera is present and that the image provided by the towed unit rear-view camera is selected for being displayed, wherein the image output device underlies a central portion of a rear surface of a viewing substrate of the image display apparatus, the maximum image output area of the image output surface defines perimeter edges of the central portion of the viewing substrate, and wherein the viewing substrate is configured for enabling the image captured by the towed unit rear-view camera to be viewable therethrough while the image is being outputted by the image output device.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein a rear-view mirror of the towing vehicle comprises the image display apparatus.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

enabling the image output device to output over the maximum image output area of the image output surface thereof an image captured by a rear-view camera mounted on the towing vehicle in response to detecting that the towed unit rear-view camera is present and that the image provided by the towing vehicle rear-view camera is selected for being displayed.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

enabling the image output device to output over a partial area of the image output surface the image captured by the towing vehicle rear-view camera in response to failing to detect that the towed unit rear-view camera is present, wherein an area of the central portion surrounding the partial area of the image output surface provides reflected rear-view imaging utility when the image output device is outputting the image captured by the towing vehicle rear-view camera over the partial area of the image output surface.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the partial area of the image output surface is positioned adjacent to one of a left-side edge and a right-side edge of the image output surface.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

inhibiting the image captured by the towing vehicle rear-view camera from being outputted over the maximum image output area of the image output surface in response to failing to detect that the towed unit rear-view camera is present.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

enabling the image output device to output over the maximum image output area of the image output surface thereof an image captured by a rear-view camera mounted on the towing vehicle in response to determining that the towing vehicle rear-view camera is present and that the image provided by the towing vehicle rear-view camera is selected for being displayed.

18. A vehicle to which a towed unit can be towably attached, comprising:

a vehicle wiring harness;

a wiring harness coupling coupled to the vehicle wiring harness for enabling a wiring harness of the towed unit to be electrically connected to the vehicle wiring harness, wherein the vehicle wiring harness is coupled to a towed unit camera interface of the wiring harness coupling thereby allowing an image signal generated by a camera mounted on the towed unit and connected to the towed unit wiring harness to be transmitted through the vehicle wiring harness; and

an image display apparatus coupled to the vehicle wiring harness for enabling the towed unit camera image signal to be provided from the towed unit mounted camera to the image display system, wherein the image display apparatus includes an image output device underlying a central portion of a viewing substrate of the image display system at a rear surface of the viewing substrate, a maximum image output area of the image output surface defines perimeter edges of the central portion of the viewing substrate, wherein the viewing substrate and the image output device are jointly configured for enabling an image outputted on the image output surface to be viewable through the viewing substrate, wherein an image corresponding to the towed unit camera image signal can be commanded to be outputted over the maximum image output area of the image output surface when the towed unit wiring harness is connected to the vehicle wiring harness.

19. The vehicle of claim 18 wherein:

a rear-view mirror assembly comprises the image display apparatus; and

the central portion of the viewing substrate provides reflected rear-view imaging utility when the image output device is inactive.

20. The vehicle of claim 18 wherein a rear-view mirror assembly comprises the image display apparatus.

21. The vehicle of claim 18 wherein:

the vehicle wiring harness is coupled to a camera mounted on the vehicle thereby allowing an image signal generated by the vehicle mounted camera to be provided to the image display system; and

the image output device can be commanded to output over the maximum image output area of the image output surface an image corresponding to the vehicle camera image signal when the towed unit wiring harness is connected to the vehicle wiring harness.

22. The vehicle of claim 21 wherein:

the image output device outputs over a partial area of the image output surface the image corresponding to the vehicle camera image signal when the vehicle wiring harness is not connected to the towed unit wiring harness; and

an area of the central portion surrounding the partial area of the image output surface provides reflected rear-view imaging utility while the image output device is outputting the image corresponding to the vehicle camera image signal over the partial area of the image output surface.

23. The vehicle of claim 22 wherein the partial area of the image output surface is positioned adjacent to one of a left-side edge and a right-side edge of the image output surface.

24. The vehicle of claim 19 wherein the image display system inhibits the image corresponding to the vehicle camera image signal from being outputted over the maximum image output area of the image output surface when the vehicle wiring harness is not connected to the towed unit wiring harness.

25. The vehicle of claim 24 wherein:

the image output device outputs over a partial area of the image output surface the image corresponding to the vehicle camera image signal when the vehicle wiring harness is not connected to the towed unit wiring harness; and

an area of the central portion surrounding the partial area of the image output surface provides reflected rear-view imaging utility when the image output device is outputting the image corresponding to the vehicle camera image signal over the partial area of the image output surface.

26. The vehicle of claim 24 wherein the central portion of the viewing substrate provides reflected rear-view imaging utility when the image output device is inactive.