Electromotive reversing car camera

• US 6,477,334 B1
• Filed: 09/25/2000
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chia-Meng Chen
• Original Assignee: Chia-Meng Chen
• Inventors: Chen, Chia-Meng
• Primary Examiner(s): MAHONEY, CHRISTOPHER E
• Application Number:
  US09/668,453
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 396/429, 396/427, 348/148, 701/301
• US Class Current: 396/429
• 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 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/101 using cameras with adjustable capturing direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/404 triggering from stand-by mode to operation mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8066 for monitoring rearward traffic

Abstract

An electromotive reversing car camera , especially a electromotive reversing car camera mounted in a car number plate. When the car is not actuated, the camera can be closed automatically for avoiding to be destroyed. When the car is actuated, the lens of the camera is opened for monitoring the rear side condition of the car by the driver so as to assist the monitoring the dead point which can not be viewed through the back view mirrors of the car. When the car is entered into a reverse (R) stage, the lens of the camera can be moved downwards for monitoring the condition of the load for avoiding collision with a child or other dangerous object. The functions of the present invention is that as the car is stopped, the camera is protected from damaged. When the car is actuated, the lens of the camera can be opened and moved automatically for taking a photograph. Further, the image can be transferred to a monitor for being viewed by the driver to adjust the condition of the load so as to drive safely.

Claims

1. An electromotive reversing car camera comprising:

a manual/auto signal input for generating an input signal directly through an operation of the user or a digital switch;

a control processing circuit for controlling the actuation of a motor driving structure, thereby a load on the motor driving structure being rotated bidirectionally, or stopped, and set to a respective position;

the control processing circuit storing a program and controlling the motor driving structure for driving a motor to control the cameras;

the load including a camera and camera mask;

wherein the motor drives the camera to rotate, a supporting mask structure being disposed about a base of the camera and having a notch with a size of approximately a lens of the camera;

as the lens of the camera is rotated to the notch, then the camera takes a photograph of the rear side of the car.

2. An electromotive reversing car camera comprising:

a manual/auto signal input for generating an input signal directly through an operation of the user or a digital switch;

a control processing circuit for controlling the actuation of a motor driving structure, thereby a load on the motor driving structure being rotated bidirectionally, or stopped, and set to a respective position;

the control processing circuit storing a program and controlling the motor driving structure for driving a motor to control the cameras, the control processing circuit including a PIC single chip microprocessor and an EEPROM;

the load including a camera and camera mask;

wherein the memory in the control processing circuit serves to store program control codes, including primary process control codes and secondary process control codes, the primary process control codes serving to determine the condition of actuation, stopping, scanning, reversing car, or control key, and for setting various parameters;

the secondary process control codes including a scanning secondary process control code serving to determine whether the camera has achieved a monitoring position for adjusting automatically the camera to a correct position for reversing a car, and reading the reversing car position in the EEPROM, which is provided to a program for comparison and calculation, whereby, the camera is adjusted to a correct position of reversing a car;

wherein a comparison process in the secondary process control code of the control processing circuit is performed through a comparison micro step of the secondary process control code for incrementally comparing a positive outputted pulse signal with a predetermined pulse width outputted from the control processing circuit and a negative pulse signal with a determined pulse width generated from a reference pulse signal of the motor driving structure for determining whether a D.C. motor of the motor driving structure is in a condition of positive rotation, negative rotation or stopping.

3. An electromotive reversing car camera comprising:

a manual/auto signal input for generating an input signal directly through an operation of the user or a digital switch;

a control processing circuit for controlling the actuation of a motor driving structure, thereby a load on the motor driving structure being rotated bidirectionally, or stopped, and set to a respective position;

the control processing circuit storing a program and controlling the motor driving structure for driving a motor to control the cameras, the control processing circuit including a PIC single chip microprocessor and an EEPROM;

the load including a camera and camera mask;

wherein the memory in the control processing circuit serves to store program control codes, including primary process control codes and secondary process control codes, the primary process control codes serving to determine the condition of actuation, stopping, scanning, reversing car, or control key, and for setting various parameters;

the secondary process control codes including an actuation secondary process control code serving to read an ACCON position parameter in the EEPROM as the vehicle is operated, which is provided to a program for comparison and calculation, thereby, the camera is adjusted to a monitoring position;

wherein a comparison process in the secondary process control code of the control processing circuit is performed through a comparison micro step of the secondary process control code for incrementally comparing a positive outputted pulse signal with a predetermined pulse width outputted from the control processing circuit and a negative pulse signal with a determined pulse width generated from a reference pulse signal of the motor driving structure for determining whether a D.C. motor of the motor driving structure is in a condition of positive rotation, negative rotation or stopping.

4. An electromotive reversing car camera comprising:

a manual/auto signal input for generating an input signal directly through an operation of the user or a digital switch;

a control processing circuit for controlling the actuation of a motor driving structure, thereby a load on the motor driving structure being rotated bidirectionally, or stopped, and set to a respective position;

the control processing circuit storing a program and controlling the motor driving structure for driving a motor to control the cameras, the control processing circuit including a PIC single chip microprocessor and an EEPROM;

the load including a camera and camera mask;

wherein the memory in the control processing circuit serves to store program control codes, including primary process control codes and secondary process control codes, the primary process control codes serving to determine the condition of actuation, stopping, scanning, reversing car, or control key, and for setting various parameters;

the secondary process control codes including a stopping secondary process control code serving to read an ACCON position parameter in the EEPROM as the car is stopped, which is provided to a program for comparison and calculation, thereby, the camera is adjusted to a stopping position;

wherein a comparison process in the secondary process control code of the control processing circuit is performed through a comparison micro step of the secondary process control code for incrementally comparing a positive outputted pulse signal with a predetermined pulse width outputted from the control processing circuit and a negative pulse signal with a determined pulse width generated from a reference pulse signal of the motor driving structure for determining whether a D.C. motor of the motor driving structure is in a condition of positive rotation, negative rotation or stopping.

5. An electromotive rear monitoring camera system for a vehicle comprising:

an input unit for generating an input actuation signal;

a load disposed in pivotally displaceable manner within a support structure having an opening formed thereon, said load including a camera portion;

a motor driving unit coupled to said load, said motor being operable to reversibly drive the pivotal displacement of said load between a plurality of predefined angular positions, said camera portion of said load being visible through said support structure opening at least at a first of said predefined angular positions and hidden from view through said support structure opening at a second of said predefined angular positions; and

,

a control processing circuit coupled to said motor driving unit, said control processing circuit being operable responsive to said input actuation signal to control actuation of said motor driving unit.

6. The electromotive rear monitoring camera system as recited in claim 5 wherein said predefined angular positions of said load include moving, reversing, and stopped positions.

7. The electromotive rear monitoring camera system as recited in claim 5 wherein said load further includes a camera mask portion, said camera mask portion extending across said support structure opening in said second of said predefined angular positions.

8. The electromotive rear monitoring camera system as recited in claim 7 wherein said load includes a substantially cylindrical surface defining said camera mask portion, said camera being angularly displaced from said camera mask portion.

9. The electromotive rear monitoring camera system as recited in claim 5 wherein said input unit is actuable both manually and automatically.

10. The electromotive rear monitoring camera system as recited in claim 5 wherein said control processing circuit includes a single chip microprocessor and a memory device.

11. The electromotive rear monitoring camera system as recited in claim 10 wherein said single chip microprocessor is a PIC single chip microprocessor, and said memory device includes an EEPROM.

12. The electromotive rear monitoring camera system as recited in claim 11 wherein said EEPROM is programmably configured to store a plurality of program codes including primary process control codes for determining the angular position of said load and the actuation state of said electromotive rear monitoring camera system, and for setting a plurality of predetermined parametric values.

13. The electromotive rear monitoring camera system as recited in claim 12 wherein said program control codes stored in said EEPROM include secondary process control codes for controlling upper and lower limits of travel for said camera portion, and for recording a current position of said camera portion.

14. The electromotive rear monitoring camera system as recited in claim 12 wherein said program control codes stored in said EEPROM further include secondary process control codes for automatically adjusting the angular position of said camera portion between predefined monitoring and reversing positions responsive to operation of the vehicle in reverse gear.

15. The electromotive rear monitoring camera system as recited in claim 14 wherein said program control codes stored in said EEPROM wherein said secondary process control codes for automatically adjusting the angular position of said camera portion includes a micro step program code for incrementally defining said predefined angular positions of said load.

16. The electromotive rear monitoring camera system as recited in claim 12 wherein said program control codes stored in said EEPROM further include secondary process control codes for automatically adjusting the angular position of said camera portion to monitoring and stopped positions responsive respectively to the vehicle being operated in a forward drive gear and being parked.

17. The electromotive rear monitoring camera system as recited in claim 16 wherein said program control codes stored in said EEPROM wherein said secondary process control codes for automatically adjusting the angular position of said camera portion includes a micro step program code for incrementally defining said predefined angular positions of said load.

18. The electromotive rear monitoring camera system as recited in claim 5 wherein said control processing circuit is an ASIC device.