Heads up display for side mirror display

• US 9,908,472 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2015
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Wippler, Erik Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Geroleo, Francis G
• Application Number:
  US14/826,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20170043719A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• 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 1/26 to the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/28 with an adjustable field of view
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/205 using a head-up display
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8046 for replacing a rear-view mirror system
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A vehicle side viewing system that can replace side view mirrors of the vehicle and provide improved vehicle aerodynamics. The vehicle side viewing system can be part of a vehicle that has a driver'"'"'s side and a passenger'"'"'s side as is known to those skilled in the art. The vehicle side viewing system has a driver'"'"'s side view camera and a passenger'"'"'s side view camera. The vehicle side viewing system also has a driver'"'"'s side heads up display (HUD) and a passenger'"'"'s side HUD. The driver'"'"'s side HUD is operable to display a camera view from the DSV camera and the passenger'"'"'s side HUD is operable to display a camera view from the PSV camera.

Claims

1. A vehicle side viewing system comprising:

a motor vehicle having a driver'"'"'s side with a driver'"'"'s side window and a passenger side with a passenger'"'"'s side window;

a driver'"'"'s side view (DSV) camera and a passenger'"'"'s side view (PSV) camera;

a driver'"'"'s side head up display (HUD) and a passenger'"'"'s side HUD;

a driver'"'"'s side HUD window being present and located for said driver'"'"'s side HUD to be displayed on when said driver'"'"'s side window is in a lowered position, wherein said driver'"'"'s side HUD window is in a lowered position when said driver'"'"'s side window is in a raised position and said driver'"'"'s side HUD window is in a raised position when said driver'"'"'s side window is in a lowered position;

said driver'"'"'s side HUD operable to display a camera view from said DSV camera and said passenger'"'"'s side HUD operable to display a camera view from said PSV camera;

said DSV camera and said PSV camera replacing a DSV mirror and a PSV mirror, respectively, on said motor vehicle and resulting in said motor vehicle having improved aerodynamics compared to said motor vehicle having said DSV mirror and said PSV mirror.

2. The vehicle side viewing system of claim 1, wherein said driver'"'"'s side HUD is located on said driver'"'"'s side window when said driver'"'"'s side window is in said raised position and on said driver'"'"'s side HUD window when said driver'"'"'s side window is in said lowered position, and said passenger'"'"'s side HUD is located on said passenger'"'"'s side window.

3. The vehicle side viewing system of claim 2, wherein said driver'"'"'s side HUD is located on a front lower portion of said driver'"'"'s side window when said driver'"'"'s side window is in said raised position and said passenger'"'"'s side HUD is located on a front lower portion of said passenger'"'"'s side window.

4. The vehicle side viewing system of claim 3, wherein said DSV camera has a DSV control operable for an occupant of said motor vehicle to change a viewing angle of said DSV camera and said camera view displayed on said driver'"'"'s side HUD.

5. The vehicle side viewing system of claim 4, wherein said PSV camera has a PSV control operable for said occupant of said motor vehicle to change a viewing angle of said PSV camera and said camera view displayed on said passenger'"'"'s side HUD.

6. The vehicle side viewing system of claim 1, further comprising a passenger'"'"'s side HUD window being present and located for said passenger'"'"'s side HUD to be displayed on when said passenger'"'"'s side window is in a lowered position.

7. The vehicle side viewing system of claim 6, wherein said passenger'"'"'s side HUD window is in a lowered position when said passenger'"'"'s side window is in a raised position and said passenger'"'"'s side HUD window is in a raised position when said passenger'"'"'s side window is in a lowered position.

8. The vehicle side viewing system of claim 7, wherein said passenger'"'"'s side HUD is in a raised position when said passenger'"'"'s side window is in a lowered position and a raised position.

9. A vehicle side viewing system with side view cameras instead of side view mirrors, said vehicle comprising:

a motor vehicle having a driver'"'"'s side with a driver'"'"'s side window and a passenger side with a passenger'"'"'s side window;

a driver'"'"'s side view (DSV) camera located on an exterior surface of said driver'"'"'s side and a passenger'"'"'s side view (PSV) camera located on an exterior surface of said passenger'"'"'s side;

a DSV camera control operable for an occupant of said motor vehicle to change a viewing angle of said DSV camera;

a PSV camera control operable for the occupant of said motor vehicle to change a viewing angle of said PSV camera;

a driver'"'"'s side head up display (HUD) located on said driver'"'"'s side and a passenger'"'"'s side HUD located on said passenger'"'"'s side;

a driver'"'"'s side HUD window being present and located for said driver'"'"'s side HUD to be displayed on when said driver'"'"'s side window is in a lowered position, wherein said driver'"'"'s side HUD window is in a lowered position when said driver'"'"'s side window is in a raised position and said driver'"'"'s side HUD window is in a raised position when said driver'"'"'s side window is in a lowered position;

said driver'"'"'s side HUD operable to display a camera view from said DSV camera at a front lower portion of a driver'"'"'s side window and said passenger'"'"'s side HUD operable to display a camera view from said PSV camera at a front lower portion of a passenger'"'"'s side window;

said DSV camera and said PSV camera replacing a DSV mirror and a PSV mirror, respectively, on said motor vehicle and resulting in said motor vehicle having improved aerodynamics compared to said motor vehicle having said DSV mirror and said PSV mirror.

10. The vehicle side viewing system of claim 9, wherein said DSV camera is embedded within said exterior surface of said driver'"'"'s side.

11. The vehicle side viewing system of claim 10, wherein said PSV camera is embedded within said exterior surface of said passenger'"'"'s side.

12. The vehicle side viewing system of claim 9, further comprising a passenger'"'"'s side HUD window being present and located for said passenger'"'"'s side HUD to be displayed on when said passenger'"'"'s side window is in a lowered position.

13. The vehicle side viewing system of claim 12, wherein said passenger'"'"'s side HUD window is in a lowered position when said passenger'"'"'s side window is in a raised position and said passenger'"'"'s side HUD window is in a raised position when said passenger'"'"'s side window is in a lowered position.

14. The vehicle side viewing system of claim 12, wherein said passenger'"'"'s side HUD is in a raised position when said passenger'"'"'s side window is in a lowered position and a raised position.