Exterior rearview mirror assembly for vehicle

• US 9,676,336 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2016
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Peterson, Kenneth C., Huizen, Gregory A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer, Ricky D
• Application Number:
  US15/142,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20160243988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 410 Days
• Field of Search: 359841, 348148
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/002 specially adapted for covering the peripheral part of the vehicle, e.g. for viewing tyres, bumpers or the like integrated in the windows B60R1/001; combined with rear-view mirrors B60R1/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/0617 foldable along the vehicle, e.g. in case of external force applied thereon
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/072 for adjusting the mirror relative to its housing
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/074 for retracting the mirror arrangements to a non-use position alongside the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/082 using a single wide field mirror or an association of rigidly connected 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 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices

Abstract

An exterior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a mirror head pivotally mounted at a mounting base configured for attachment at a side of a vehicle, and a camera module disposed at the mirror head and operable to capture image data. The camera module is adjustably disposed at the mirror head and pivots about a generally vertical pivot axis as the camera module is extended and retracted relative to the mirror casing. When extended, the camera module is disposed laterally sideward away from the mirror casing and is pivoted so as to have a rearward field of view, and when retracted, the camera module is disposed at the mirror casing and is pivoted so as to have an outboard field of view that is directed outward away from the side of the vehicle and from the rearward field of view of the camera module when extended.

Claims

1. An exterior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said exterior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

a mirror head pivotally mounted at a mounting base configured for attachment at a side of a vehicle, wherein said mirror head comprises a mirror casing and a reflective element disposed at said mirror casing;

a camera module disposed at said mirror head and operable to capture image data, wherein said camera module is adjustably disposed at said mirror head and is adjustable to adjust an exterior field of view of said camera module;

wherein said camera module is extendable and retractable relative to said mirror casing;

wherein said camera module pivots about a generally vertical pivot axis as said camera module is extended and retracted relative to said mirror casing;

wherein, when extended, said camera module is disposed laterally sideward away from said mirror casing at the side of the vehicle and is pivoted so as to have a rearward field of view; and

wherein, when retracted, said camera module is disposed at said mirror casing and is pivoted so as to have an outboard field of view that is directed outward away from the side of the vehicle and outward away from said rearward field of view of said camera module when said camera module is extended.

2. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said camera module pivots between an outboard viewing orientation when said camera module is retracted and a rearward viewing orientation when said camera module is extended.

3. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 2, wherein a principal axis of the outboard field of view of said camera module is directed generally outwardly away from the side of the vehicle when said camera module is retracted to said outboard viewing orientation, and wherein the principal axis of the rearward field of view of said camera module is directed generally rearward along the side of the vehicle when said camera module is extended to said rearward viewing orientation.

4. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said camera module is extendable and retractable via a mechanism that extends and retracts said camera module and that pivots said camera module about the generally vertical pivot axis.

5. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 4, wherein said mechanism comprises a plurality of linkages pivotally joined in a manner that pivots said camera module as said camera module is extended and retracted relative to said mirror casing.

6. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 5, wherein said mechanism is operable via a rotational drive motor that rotates one of said linkages about a generally vertical pivot axis.

7. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 5, wherein said plurality of linkages comprises a pair of first positional linkages pivotally attached at said mirror head and a second positional linkage pivotally attached at ends of said first positional linkages, wherein said camera module is pivotally attached at an outboard end of said second positional linkage.

8. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 7, wherein said plurality of linkages comprises a pivot linkage pivotally attached to one of said first positional linkages and said camera module, and wherein, when said first positional linkages rotate about pivot axes at said mirror head, said second positional linkage moves said camera module relative to said mirror casing and said pivot linkage pivots said camera module relative to said outboard end of said second positional linkage.

9. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 8, wherein a rotational drive motor is operable to rotate one of said first positional linkages about its generally vertical pivot axis.

10. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 4, wherein said mechanism is operable to extend and retract and pivot said camera module responsive to a user input.

11. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said reflective element is adjustably disposed at said mirror casing.

12. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, comprising a powerfold actuator operable to pivot said mirror head relative to said mounting base responsive to a user input actuatable by a driver of the vehicle.

13. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, comprising a video display operable to display video images derived from the image data captured by said camera module.

14. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 13, wherein said video display is proximate said mirror reflective element of said mirror head.

15. An exterior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said exterior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

a mirror head pivotally mounted at a mounting base configured for attachment at a side of a vehicle, wherein said mirror head comprises a mirror casing and a reflective element disposed at said mirror casing;

a camera module disposed at said mirror head and operable to capture image data, wherein said camera module is adjustably disposed at said mirror head and is adjustable to adjust an exterior field of view of said camera module;

wherein said camera module is extendable and retractable relative to said mirror casing;

wherein said camera module pivots about a generally vertical pivot axis as said camera module is extended and retracted relative to said mirror casing;

wherein, when extended, said camera module is disposed laterally sideward away from said mirror casing at the side of the vehicle and is pivoted so as to have a rearward field of view;

wherein, when retracted, said camera module is disposed at said mirror casing and is pivoted so as to have an outboard field of view that is directed outward away from the side of the vehicle and outward away from said rearward field of view of said camera module when said camera module is extended;

wherein said camera module pivots between an outboard viewing orientation when said camera module is retracted and a rearward viewing orientation when said camera module is extended;

wherein a principal axis of the outboard field of view of said camera module is directed generally outwardly away from the side of the vehicle when said camera module is retracted to said outboard viewing orientation, and wherein the principal axis of the rearward field of view of said camera module is directed generally rearward along the side of the vehicle when said camera module is extended to said rearward viewing orientation; and

wherein said camera module is extendable and retractable via a mechanism that extends and retracts said camera module and that pivots said camera module about the generally vertical pivot axis.

16. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 15, wherein said mechanism comprises a plurality of linkages pivotally joined in a manner that pivots said camera module as said camera module is extended and retracted relative to said mirror casing, wherein said mechanism is operable via a rotational drive motor that rotates one of said linkages about a generally vertical pivot axis.

17. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 15, wherein said mechanism is operable to extend and retract and pivot said camera module responsive to a user input.

18. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 15, comprising a video display operable to display video images derived from the image data captured by said camera module.

19. An exterior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said exterior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

a mirror head pivotally mounted at a mounting base configured for attachment at a side of a vehicle, wherein said mirror head comprises a mirror casing and a reflective element adjustably disposed at said mirror casing;

a camera module disposed at said mirror head and operable to capture image data, wherein said camera module is adjustably disposed at said mirror head and is adjustable to adjust an exterior field of view of said camera module;

wherein said camera module is extendable and retractable relative to said mirror casing;

wherein said camera module pivots about a generally vertical pivot axis as said camera module is extended and retracted relative to said mirror casing;

wherein, when extended, said camera module is disposed laterally sideward away from said mirror casing at the side of the vehicle and is pivoted so as to have a rearward field of view;

wherein, when retracted, said camera module is disposed at said mirror casing and is pivoted so as to have an outboard field of view that is directed outward away from the side of the vehicle and outward away from said rearward field of view of said camera module when said camera module is extended;

wherein said camera module is extendable and retractable via a mechanism that extends and retracts said camera module and that pivots said camera module about the generally vertical pivot axis;

wherein a rotational drive motor is operable to rotate said camera module about its generally vertical pivot axis; and

wherein said mechanism is operable to extend and retract and pivot said camera module responsive to a user input.

20. The exterior rearview mirror assembly of claim 19, wherein said camera module pivots between an outboard viewing orientation when said camera module is retracted and a rearward viewing orientation when said camera module is extended, and wherein a principal axis of the field of view of said camera module is directed generally outwardly away from the side of the vehicle when said camera module is retracted to said outboard viewing orientation, and wherein the principal axis of the field of view of said camera module is directed generally rearward along the side of the vehicle when said camera module is extended to said rearward viewing orientation.