Automotive rear view mirror system

• US 5,559,640 A
• Filed: 03/29/1995
• Issued: 09/24/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
• Original Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
• Inventors: Vachss, Frederick R., Malus, Joseph, Southwell, William H., Khoshnevisan, Mohsen
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer, Ricky D.
• Application Number:
  US08/412,644
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 359/838, 359/850, 359/857, 359/858, 359/859, 359/861, 359/862, 359/863, 359/871, 359/726, 359/727, 359/730, 359/731, 359/864, 359/364, 359/365, 359/366
• US Class Current: 359/838
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/10 Front-view mirror arrangements; specially adapted for covering the peripheral part of the vehicle B60R1/002; Periscope arrangements , i.e. optical devices using combinations of mirrors, lenses, prisms or the like specially adapted for covering the peripheral part of the vehicle B60R1/002; for viewing traffic-lights B60R1/005; Other mirror arrangements giving a view from above or under the vehicle

Abstract

An automotive rear view mirror system comprises passive optical elements (which may include lenses, but must include one or an odd number of mirrors) configured to provide a wide field of view with a negative optical element having a small width dimension mounted externally and close to the body of the vehicle. In a basic embodiment, a small negative optical element, such as a convex mirror, is mounted outside the vehicle, and a larger positive optical element, such as a convex lens, is placed inside the vehicle. The optical elements are positioned to be substantially confocal, with the distance between them equal to the difference in their focal lengths, so as to cancel the curvature of field generated by the external element. The internal element magnifies the image to a size comparable to that obtained with a standard external flat mirror. Alternative embodiments that are optically equivalent may incorporate a more compact "folding" of the optical path by using at least one additional mirror placed between the external and internal optical elements, thus allowing the elements to be configured more compactly and placed out of the driver'"'"'s way in the passenger compartment. Because the system does not require a large side-mounted outside mirror as is commonly used on present-day vehicles, the external element may be integrated into the body line of the vehicle to improve aerodynamics, styling, and safety.

Claims

1. A rear view system for an automotive vehicle, comprising;

a plurality of passive optical elements including at least one mirror, where the number of mirrors is odd;

a first of said passive optical elements comprising a negative optical element having a maximum width dimension of 3 inches mounted on the exterior close to the body of the vehicle;

a second of said passive optical elements comprising a positive optical element mounted inside the vehicle and positioned substantially confocal with said first optical element;

said first optical element directing a rear view image to said second optical element; and

said second optical element directing said rear view image to a vehicle operator with objects at infinity focused at infinity in a substantially flat, undistorted optical image viewable by both eyes of the operator simultaneously.

2. The rear view system of claim 1, wherein said negative optical element comprises a convex mirror and said positive optical element comprises a convex lens.

3. The rear view system of claim 1, wherein said negative optical element comprises a concave lens and said positive optical element comprises a concave mirror.

4. The rear view system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of passive optical elements further includes at least one folding mirror placed between said first and second optical elements for redirecting said image from said first optical element to said second optical element.

5. The rear view system of claim 4, wherein said negative optical element comprises a convex mirror and said positive optical element comprises a concave mirror.

6. The rear view system of claim 4, wherein said negative optical element comprises a convex mirror and said positive optical element comprises a convex lens.

7. A rear view system for an automotive vehicle, comprising;

a plurality of passive optical elements including an odd number of mirrors, where odd includes one;

a first of said passive optical elements comprising a convex mirror having a maximum width dimension of 3 inches mounted on the exterior close to the body of the vehicle;

a second of said passive optical elements comprising a positive optical element mounted inside the vehicle and substantially confocal with said negative optical element;

said convex mirror directing a vehicle rear view image to said positive optical element; and

said positive optical element directing said rear view image to a vehicle operator with objects at infinity focused at infinity in a substantially flat, undistorted optical image viewable by both eyes of the operator simultaneously.

8. The rear view system of claim 7, wherein said positive optical element comprises a convex lens.

9. The rear view system of claim 7, wherein said positive optical element comprises a concave mirror.

10. The rear view system of claim 7, wherein said plurality of passive optical elements further includes at least one folding mirror placed between said first and second optical elements for redirecting said image from said first optical element to said second optical element.

11. The rear view system of claim 10, wherein said positive optical element comprises a concave mirror.

12. The rear view system of claim 10, wherein said positive optical element comprises a convex lens.

13. A rear view system for an automotive vehicle, comprising;

a plurality of passive optical elements including an odd number of mirrors, where odd includes one;

a first of said passive optical elements comprising a negative optical element having a width dimension less than about 3 inches mounted on the exterior close to the body of the vehicle;

a second of said passive optical elements comprising a positive optical element mounted inside the vehicle and substantially confocal with said negative optical element;

said negative optical element directing a rear view image to said positive optical element; and

said positive optical element directing said rear view image to a vehicle operator, said rear view image having a field of view of at least 15°

with objects at infinity focused at infinity in a substantially flat, undistorted optical image viewable by both eyes of the operator simultaneously.

14. The rear view system of claim 13, wherein said negative optical element comprises a convex mirror.

15. The rear view system of claim 13, wherein said negative optical element comprises a convex mirror and said positive optical element comprises a convex lens.

16. The rear view system of claim 13, wherein said negative optical element comprises a concave lens and said positive optical element comprises a concave mirror.

17. The rear view system of claim 13, wherein said plurality of passive optical elements further includes at least one folding mirror placed between said negative and positive optical elements for redirecting said image from said negative optical element to said positive optical element.

18. The rear view system of claim 17, wherein said negative optical element comprises a convex mirror and said positive optical element comprises a concave mirror.