Rearview mirror with integrated microwave receiver

• US 6,166,698 A
• Filed: 02/16/1999
• Issued: 12/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Walstra, Eric J., Turnbull, Robert R., Knapp, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Tan
• Application Number:
  US09/250,086
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 343/713, 343/700 MS
• US Class Current: 343/713
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/061 by monitoring wheel speed measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/1423 Automatic dimming circuits, i.e. switching between high beam and low beam due to change of ambient light or light level in road traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/052 Switching delay, i.e. the beam is not switched or changed instantaneously upon occurrence of a condition change
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/112 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/312 Adverse weather
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/314 Ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/3321 Detection of streetlights
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/337 Tunnels or bridges
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/43 following vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1215 with information displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1246 with clocks
• 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: G01C 17/38 Testing, calibrating, or compensating of compasses
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/36 relating to the receiver frond end
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3266 : using the mirror of the vehicle

Abstract

An inventive rearview mirror assembly is disclosed in which a microwave antenna is mounted so as to receive transmissions from one or more satellites through the front windshield of the vehicle. The microwave antenna may be tuned to receive satellite transmissions from a position identification system constellation of satellites, such as GPS or GLONASS. Additionally, the microwave antenna may be tuned to alternatively or additionally receive transmissions from at least one communication satellite, such as a CD radio satellite. In addition to the inventive rearview mirror assembly, an inventive electrical control system is disclosed that may be used as a navigation system, an electrochromic rearview mirror control system, a head lamp control system, a tire pressure monitoring and display system, a temperature sensing and display system, a vehicle compass system, a vehicle data recorder system, and/or a vehicle odometer verification system. In each of the above systems, new parameters are made available by the microwave antenna to perform control operations not previously performed.

Claims

1. An inside rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a mounting bracket adapted to be mounted inside the vehicle in a location proximate to or on the front windshield of the vehicle;

a mirror bezel coupled to said mounting bracket;

a mirror mounted in said mirror bezel; and

a microwave antenna mounted to said mounting bracket proximate the windshield.

2. The rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 1 and further including a microwave receiver circuit at least a portion of which is mounted to said mounting bracket, said microwave receiver circuit being electrically coupled to said microwave antenna.

3. The rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said microwave antenna includes a dielectric substrate, a conductive resonant patch mounted on one side of said dielectric substrate and a conductive ground plane mounted to an opposite side of said dielectric substrate, said resonant patch having a rectangular shape with the length of a first pair of opposing side edges selected to tune the antenna to a first resonant frequency for receiving microwave transmissions from satellites of a position identification system constellation, and the length of a second pair of opposing side edges selected to tune the antenna to a second resonant frequency for receiving microwave transmissions from at least one communication satellite.

4. The rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said mounting bracket includes a mounting foot adapted to be mounted to a vehicle and a stem extending between said mounting foot and said bezel, said microwave antenna being mounted to said mounting foot.

5. The rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 4, wherein said mounting foot includes a mounting portion for mounting said mirror assembly to an inside surface of the front windshield and an antenna housing portion abutting the inside surface of the front windshield and having an aperture in which said microwave antenna is mounted.

6. The rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 5 and further including a microwave receiver circuit mounted in said aperture in said antenna housing portion behind said microwave antenna, said microwave receiver circuit being electrically coupled to said microwave antenna.

7. The rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said microwave antenna is tuned to receive transmissions from satellites of a position identification system constellation.

8. The rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 7, wherein said microwave antenna is tuned to receive transmissions from GPS satellites.

9. The rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 7, wherein said microwave antenna is tuned to receive transmissions from GLONASS satellites.

10. The rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said microwave antenna is tuned to receive CD radio transmissions from a satellite.

11. The rearview mirror assembly as defined in claim 1 and further including a microwave receiver circuit at least a portion of which is mounted in said bezel, said microwave receiver circuit being electrically coupled to said microwave antenna.

12. A mirror mounting bracket for mounting an inside rearview mirror assembly to a vehicle, said mirror mounting bracket comprising:

a mounting foot including a mounting portion for mounting said rearview mirror assembly to an inside surface of the front windshield of the vehicle, and an antenna housing portion abutting the inside surface of the front windshield and having an aperture opening towards the inside surface of the front windshield;

a stem extending between said mounting portion and a bezel of the rearview mirror assembly; and

a microwave antenna mounted in said aperture of said antenna housing of said mounting foot.

13. The mirror bracket as defined in claim 12 and further including a microwave receiver circuit electrically coupled to said microwave antenna and mounted in said aperture in said antenna housing portion behind said microwave antenna.

14. The mirror bracket as defined in claim 12 and further including a foam cover mounted in said aperture in said antenna housing portion in front of said microwave antenna.

15. The mirror bracket as defined in claim 12, wherein said microwave antenna is tuned to receive transmissions from satellites of a position identification system constellation.

16. The mirror bracket as defined in claim 15, wherein said microwave antenna is tuned to receive transmissions from GPS satellites.

17. The mirror bracket as defined in claim 15, wherein said microwave antenna is tuned to receive transmissions from GLONASS satellites.

18. The mirror bracket as defined in claim 12, wherein said microwave antenna is tuned to receive CD radio transmissions from a satellite.

19. The mirror bracket as defined in claim 12, wherein said mounting foot is adapted to be mounted to a location on an inside rear surface of a front windshield having a low-E coating except in a region in front of the location to which said mounting foot is to be mounted so that said antenna is mounted behind the region of the front windshield that does not have the low-E coating.