Accessory system for a vehicle
First Claim
1. An accessory system for a vehicle, said accessory system comprising:
- an accessory disposed at and behind a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said accessory system;
wherein said accessory comprises a forward facing camera, said forward facing camera viewing forward of the equipped vehicle through the windshield of the equipped vehicle;
a control;
wherein said control comprises digital circuitry and a microprocessor;
wherein said control controls at least said forward facing camera;
wherein said control comprises a bus interface that connects with a vehicle network of the equipped vehicle;
wherein said control sends data via said vehicle network of the equipped vehicle and receives data via said vehicle network of the equipped vehicle;
wherein said vehicle network comprises a controlled area network;
wherein said control connects with said vehicle network via at least one of (i) a cable connection and (ii) a fiber-optic connection; and
wherein said control communicates with a global positioning system of the equipped vehicle over said vehicle network.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An accessory system for a vehicle includes a control and an accessory disposed at and behind a windshield of the vehicle. The accessory includes a forward facing camera viewing forward and through the windshield of the vehicle. The control includes digital circuitry and a microprocessor. The control controls at least the forward facing camera. The control includes a bus interface that connects with a vehicle network of the vehicle. The control sends data via the vehicle network of the vehicle and receives data via the vehicle network of the vehicle. The vehicle network includes a controlled area network. The control may connect with the vehicle network via at least one of (i) a cable connection and (ii) a fiber-optic connection.
512 Citations
40 Claims
-
1. An accessory system for a vehicle, said accessory system comprising:
-
an accessory disposed at and behind a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said accessory system; wherein said accessory comprises a forward facing camera, said forward facing camera viewing forward of the equipped vehicle through the windshield of the equipped vehicle; a control; wherein said control comprises digital circuitry and a microprocessor; wherein said control controls at least said forward facing camera; wherein said control comprises a bus interface that connects with a vehicle network of the equipped vehicle; wherein said control sends data via said vehicle network of the equipped vehicle and receives data via said vehicle network of the equipped vehicle; wherein said vehicle network comprises a controlled area network; wherein said control connects with said vehicle network via at least one of (i) a cable connection and (ii) a fiber-optic connection; and wherein said control communicates with a global positioning system of the equipped vehicle over said vehicle network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. An accessory system for a vehicle, said accessory system comprising:
-
an accessory disposed at and behind a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said accessory system; wherein said accessory comprises a forward facing camera, said forward facing camera viewing forward of the equipped vehicle through the windshield of the equipped vehicle; a control; wherein said control comprises digital circuitry and a microprocessor; wherein said control controls at least said forward facing camera; wherein said control comprises a bus interface that connects with a vehicle network of the equipped vehicle; wherein said control sends data via said vehicle network of the equipped vehicle and receives data via said vehicle network of the equipped vehicle; wherein said vehicle network comprises a controlled area network; wherein said forward facing camera comprises a lens and a solid-state CMOS imager comprising a plurality of photosensing elements arranged in a matrix array of multiple rows and multiple columns of photosensing elements; wherein said forward facing camera comprises part of at least one of (i) a headlamp controller of the equipped vehicle, (ii) a lane marker detection system of the equipped vehicle and (iii) a braking system of the equipped vehicle; and wherein said control communicates with a global positioning system of the equipped vehicle over said vehicle network. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. An accessory system for a vehicle, said accessory system comprising:
-
an accessory disposed at and behind a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said accessory system; wherein said accessory comprises a forward facing camera, said forward facing camera viewing forward of the equipped vehicle through the windshield of the equipped vehicle; a control; wherein said control comprises digital circuitry and a microprocessor; wherein said control controls at least said forward facing camera; wherein said control comprises a bus interface that connects with a vehicle network of the equipped vehicle; wherein said control sends data via said vehicle network of the equipped vehicle and receives data via said vehicle network of the equipped vehicle; wherein said vehicle network comprises a controlled area network; wherein said forward facing camera comprises a lens and a solid-state CMOS imager comprising a plurality of photosensing elements arranged in a matrix array of multiple rows and multiple columns of photosensing elements; wherein said forward facing camera comprises part of a lane marker detection system of the equipped vehicle; wherein said forward facing camera comprises part of at least one of (i) a headlamp controller of the equipped vehicle and (ii) a braking system of the equipped vehicle; wherein a spectral filter is disposed between said lens and said CMOS imager; wherein said control, responsive to detection of a state of a traffic light changing from green to yellow or from yellow to red, at least one of (i) warns a driver of the equipped vehicle and (ii) automatically decelerates the equipped vehicle; and wherein said control communicates with a global positioning system of the equipped vehicle over said vehicle network. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
-
-
21. An accessory system for a vehicle, said accessory system comprising:
-
an accessory disposed at and behind a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said accessory system; wherein said accessory comprises a forward facing camera, said forward facing camera viewing forward of the equipped vehicle through the windshield of the equipped vehicle; a control; wherein said control controls at least said forward facing camera; wherein said control comprises a bus interface that connects with a vehicle network of the equipped vehicle; wherein said control sends data via said vehicle network of the equipped vehicle and receives data via said vehicle network of the equipped vehicle; wherein said vehicle network comprises a controlled area network; wherein said forward facing camera comprises a lens and a solid-state CMOS imager comprising a plurality of photosensing elements arranged in a matrix array of multiple rows and multiple columns of photosensing elements; wherein said forward facing camera comprises part of a lane marker detection system of the equipped vehicle; wherein said forward facing camera comprises part of at least one of (i) a headlamp controller of the equipped vehicle and (ii) a braking system of the equipped vehicle; wherein said control sends and receives data via said vehicle network over a cable; wherein said control receives data via said vehicle network from a sensor of the equipped vehicle; wherein said control is operable to determine an abrupt increase of an intensity of a rear light of a leading vehicle; wherein said control, responsive to determination of the abrupt increase of the intensity of the rear light of the leading vehicle, determines that the leading vehicle is braking and controls a system of the equipped vehicle to avoid the braking leading vehicle; and wherein said control communicates with a global positioning system of the equipped vehicle over said vehicle network. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
-
-
24. An accessory system for a vehicle, said accessory system comprising:
-
an accessory disposed at and behind a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said accessory system; wherein said accessory comprises a forward facing camera, said forward facing camera viewing forward of the equipped vehicle through the windshield of the equipped vehicle; a control; wherein said control controls at least said forward facing camera; wherein said control comprises a bus interface that connects with a vehicle network of the equipped vehicle; wherein said control sends data via said vehicle network of the equipped vehicle and receives data via said vehicle network of the equipped vehicle; wherein said vehicle network comprises a controlled area network; wherein said forward facing camera comprises a lens and a solid-state CMOS imager comprising a plurality of photosensing elements arranged in a matrix array of multiple rows and multiple columns of photosensing elements; wherein said forward facing camera comprises part of a lane marker detection system of the equipped vehicle; wherein said forward facing camera comprises part of at least one of (i) a headlamp controller of the equipped vehicle and (ii) a braking system of the equipped vehicle; wherein said control sends and receives data via said vehicle network over a cable; wherein said cable comprises no more than three wires; wherein said control, responsive to detection of a state of a traffic light changing from green to yellow or from yellow to red, automatically decelerates the equipped vehicle; and wherein said control communicates with a global positioning system of the equipped vehicle over said vehicle network. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
-
-
35. An accessory system for a vehicle, said accessory system comprising:
-
an accessory disposed at and behind a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said accessory system; wherein said accessory comprises a forward facing camera, said forward facing camera viewing forward of the equipped vehicle through the windshield of the equipped vehicle; a control; wherein said control controls at least said forward facing camera; wherein said control comprises a bus interface that connects with a vehicle network of the equipped vehicle; wherein said control sends data via said vehicle network of the equipped vehicle and receives data via said vehicle network of the equipped vehicle; wherein said vehicle network comprises a controlled area network; wherein said forward facing camera comprises a lens and a solid-state CMOS imager comprising a plurality of photosensing elements arranged in a matrix array of multiple rows and multiple columns of photosensing elements; wherein said forward facing camera comprises part of a lane marker detection system of the equipped vehicle; wherein said control sends and receives data via said vehicle network over no more than three wires; wherein a spectral filter is disposed between said lens and said CMOS imager; wherein said control, responsive to detection of a state of a traffic light changing from green to yellow or from yellow to red, automatically decelerates the equipped vehicle; wherein said control is operable to determine an abrupt increase of an intensity of a rear light of a leading vehicle; and wherein said control communicates with a global positioning system of the equipped vehicle over said vehicle network. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
-
Specification