Forward facing imaging system
First Claim
1. A forward facing imaging system for a vehicle, said forward facing imaging system comprising:
- an interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with said forward facing imaging system;
a camera disposed at said interior rearview mirror assembly, said camera having a forward field of view through a windshield of the equipped vehicle;
wherein said camera captures image data and wherein the image data captured by said camera is recorded by a recording system;
wherein, during operation of the equipped vehicle, said recording system records the image data, as it is captured by said camera over a given period of operation of the equipped vehicle, in a closed-loop fashion onto electronic memory;
wherein the image data captured by said camera is processed by an image processor in order to determine a presence of at least one object forward of the equipped vehicle;
wherein the image data captured by said camera and vehicle information are transmitted to a remote receiver via a telematics system; and
wherein, responsive to a signal indicative of a collision involving the equipped vehicle, the remote receiver is operable to determine a number of occupants in the equipped vehicle and to notify emergency personnel of the number of occupants in the equipped vehicle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A forward facing imaging system for a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at an interior portion of a vehicle and a camera disposed at the interior rearview mirror assembly. The camera has a forward field of view through a windshield of the vehicle. The camera captures image data and captured image data is recorded by a recording system. During operation of the vehicle, the recording system records image data, as it is captured over a given period of operation of the vehicle, in a closed-loop fashion onto electronic memory. Image data, as captured by the camera, is processed by an image processor in order to determine the presence of at least one object forward of the equipped vehicle.
164 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A forward facing imaging system for a vehicle, said forward facing imaging system comprising:
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an interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with said forward facing imaging system; a camera disposed at said interior rearview mirror assembly, said camera having a forward field of view through a windshield of the equipped vehicle; wherein said camera captures image data and wherein the image data captured by said camera is recorded by a recording system; wherein, during operation of the equipped vehicle, said recording system records the image data, as it is captured by said camera over a given period of operation of the equipped vehicle, in a closed-loop fashion onto electronic memory; wherein the image data captured by said camera is processed by an image processor in order to determine a presence of at least one object forward of the equipped vehicle; wherein the image data captured by said camera and vehicle information are transmitted to a remote receiver via a telematics system; and wherein, responsive to a signal indicative of a collision involving the equipped vehicle, the remote receiver is operable to determine a number of occupants in the equipped vehicle and to notify emergency personnel of the number of occupants in the equipped vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A forward facing imaging system for a vehicle, said forward facing imaging system comprising:
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an interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with said forward facing imaging system; a camera disposed at said interior rearview mirror assembly, said camera having a forward field of view through a windshield of the equipped vehicle; wherein said camera captures image data and wherein the image data captured by said camera is recorded by a recording system; wherein, during operation of the equipped vehicle, said recording system records the image data, as it is captured by said camera over a given period of operation of the equipped vehicle, in a closed-loop fashion onto electronic memory; wherein the image data captured by said camera is processed by an image processor in order to determine a presence of at least one object forward of the equipped vehicle; and wherein said at least one object forward of the equipped vehicle comprises at least one of a headlamp and a taillight of another vehicle forward of the equipped vehicle, and wherein the image data captured by said camera is processed by said image processor for a headlamp control system of the equipped vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A forward facing imaging system for a vehicle, said forward facing imaging system comprising:
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an interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with said forward facing imaging system; a camera disposed at said interior rearview mirror assembly, said camera having a forward field of view through a windshield of the equipped vehicle; wherein said camera captures image data and wherein the image data captured by said camera is recorded by a recording system; wherein, during operation of the equipped vehicle, said recording system records the image data, as it is captured by said camera over a given period of operation of the equipped vehicle, in a closed-loop fashion onto electronic memory; wherein the image data captured by said camera is processed by an image processor in order to determine a presence of at least one object forward of the equipped vehicle; and wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a storage space, and wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a dockable accessory, said dockable accessory being dockable in and removable from said storage space whereby said dockable accessory can be docked in said storage space and accessible to an occupant of the equipped vehicle who can remove said dockable accessory from said storage space and use said dockable accessory independently of said rearview mirror assembly, and wherein said dockable accessory comprises a light assembly comprising white light emitting light emitting diodes.
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25. A forward facing imaging system for a vehicle, said forward facing imaging system comprising:
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an interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with said forward facing imaging system; a camera disposed at said interior rearview mirror assembly, said camera having a forward field of view through a windshield of the equipped vehicle; wherein said camera captures image data and wherein the image data captured by said camera is recorded by a recording system; wherein, during operation of the equipped vehicle, said recording system records the image data, as it is captured by said camera over a given period of operation of the equipped vehicle, in a closed-loop fashion onto electronic memory; wherein vehicle information corresponding to the given period of operation of the equipped vehicle is recorded in a closed-loop fashion onto said electronic memory in conjunction with said closed-loop recording of the image data captured by said camera; wherein said given period of operation of the equipped vehicle comprises a last period of operation of the equipped vehicle before the equipped vehicle is involved in an accident event; wherein the image data captured by said camera is processed by an image processor in order to determine a presence of at least one object forward of the equipped vehicle; and wherein said at least one object forward of the equipped vehicle comprises at least one of a headlamp and a taillight of another vehicle forward of the equipped vehicle, and wherein the image data captured by said camera is processed by said image processor for a headlamp control system of the equipped vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A forward facing imaging system for a vehicle, said forward facing imaging system comprising:
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an interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with said forward facing imaging system; a camera disposed at said interior rearview mirror assembly, said camera having a forward field of view through a windshield of the equipped vehicle; wherein said camera comprises a solid-state CMOS camera; wherein said camera captures image data and wherein image data captured by said camera is recorded by a recording system; wherein, during operation of the equipped vehicle, said recording system records the image data, as it is captured by said camera over a given period of operation of the equipped vehicle, in a closed-loop fashion onto electronic memory; wherein vehicle information corresponding to the given period of operation of the equipped vehicle is recorded in a closed-loop fashion onto said electronic memory in conjunction with said closed-loop recording of the image data captured by said camera; wherein the image data captured by said camera is processed by an image processor in order to determine a presence of at least one object forward of the equipped vehicle; and wherein said at least one object forward of the equipped vehicle comprises at least one of a headlamp and a taillight of another vehicle forward of the equipped vehicle, and wherein the image data captured by said camera is processed by said image processor for a headlamp control system of the equipped vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33)
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34. A forward facing imaging system for a vehicle, said forward facing imaging system comprising:
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an interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with said forward facing imaging system, wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises an electrochromic mirror element; a camera disposed at said interior rearview mirror assembly, said camera having a forward field of view through a windshield of the equipped vehicle; wherein said camera captures image data and wherein the image data captured by said camera is recorded by a recording system; wherein, during operation of the equipped vehicle, said recording system records the image data captured by said camera, as it is captured over a given period of operation of the equipped vehicle, in a closed-loop fashion onto electronic memory; wherein said given period of operation of the equipped vehicle is less than about fifteen minutes of operation of the equipped vehicle; and wherein the image data captured by said camera is processed by an image processor in order to determine a presence of at least one of a headlamp and a taillight of another vehicle forward of the equipped vehicle, and wherein the image data captured by said camera is processed by said image processor for a headlamp control system of the equipped vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification