Rearview correcting/controlling system for vehicle

• US 7,325,936 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2006
• Issued: 02/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Honda Lock
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Honda Lock
• Inventors: Sakamoto, Hiroshi, Kukita, Tomoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer; Ricky D.
• Application Number:
  US11/417,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20060262432A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 359/841, 359/843, 359/877, 307/10.1, 701/301
• US Class Current: 359/843
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/025 comprising special mechanical means for correcting the field of view in relation to particular driving conditions, e.g. change of lane; scanning mirrors

Abstract

A rearview correcting/controlling system for a vehicle includes: a rearview obtaining device for providing a rearview to an occupant on a driver'"'"'s seat; a drive device for driving the rearview obtaining device to change a view angle of the rearview provided by the rearview obtaining device; and a control device for controlling the operation of the drive device. The control device controls the operation of the drive device to vertically change the view angle of the rearview obtaining device based on a value detected by a forward/rearward inclination detecting device. Thus, even when the forward/rearward inclination of the vehicle occurs, a rearview at an optimal view angle can be obtained.

Claims

1. A rearview correcting system for a vehicle, comprising:

rearview obtaining means for providing a rearview to an occupant on a driver'"'"'s seat, including a mirror;

drive means for driving the rearview obtaining means to change a view angle of the rearview provided by the rearview obtaining means, wherein the driving means changes the view angle of the rearview in forward and rearward directions and also leftward and rightward directions;

a mirror position detecting device;

control means for controlling the operation of the drive means; and

forward and rearward inclination detecting means for detecting a forward and rearward inclination of the vehicle, wherein

the control means includes a section which stores an initial position of the rearview obtaining means;

the control means controls the operation of the drive means so as to vertically change the view angle of the rearview obtaining means based on a value detected by the forward and rearward inclination detecting means; and

the control means also delays the operation of the drive means dependent on the value detected by the forward and rearward inclination detecting means.

2. A rearview correcting system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control means delays the operation of the drive means by selectively ignoring variations of said value detected by the forward and rearward inclination detecting means depending on duration of said variations.

3. A rearview correcting system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control means delays the operation of the drive means by ignoring said value detected by the forward and rearward inclination detecting means when the value is less than a predetermined value.

4. A rearview correcting system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the mirror faces rearwardly and four shafts are provided oscillatably on a front side of the mirror so as to be distanced from one another in a direction crossing a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, said four shafts extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and operatively associated with the drive means.

5. A rearview correcting system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the rearview obtaining means comprises a rearview mirror located on an exterior of a driver'"'"'s side door and a rearview mirror located on an exterior of a passenger'"'"'s side door of the vehicle.

6. A rearview correcting system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control means includes a mode determining section;

a forward and rearward tilting determining section;

a mirror driving angle determinining section; and

a mirror driving output section.

7. A rearview correcting system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the forward and rearward inclination detecting means comprises a front portion height detector for detecting a height of a front portion of the vehicle and a rear portion height detector for detecting a height of a rear portion of the vehicle.

8. A rearview correcting system for a vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the front portion height detector detects the height of the front portion of the vehicle from a stroke of a suspension in the front portion of the vehicle, and the rear portion height detector detects the height of the rear portion of the vehicle from a stroke of a suspension in the rear portion of the vehicle.