Multi-camera vehicular video display system

A multi-camera vehicular video display system, said multi-camera vehicular video display system comprising:

• an interior rearview mirror assembly;
• said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a mounting assembly configured for mounting at an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with said multi-camera vehicular video display system;
• wherein the interior portion of the equipped vehicle comprises an in-cabin side of a windshield of the equipped vehicle;
• said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a mirror head;
• wherein said mirror head is pivotally adjustable relative to said mounting assembly via a ball and socket joint;
• said mirror head comprising a transflective mirror element and a video display screen;
• said transflective mirror element comprising a transparent planar glass substrate coated at a surface thereof with a transflective mirror reflector that is partially transmissive of light therethrough and partially reflective of light incident thereon;
• wherein the transflective mirror reflector of said transparent planar glass substrate comprises a metallic conductive coating;
• wherein said video display screen is disposed behind the transflective mirror reflector of said transparent planar glass substrate of said transflective mirror element;
• said transflective mirror element comprising an outermost bare glass surface that is closer than the transflective mirror reflector to a driver of the equipped vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle;
• wherein the equipped vehicle comprises (i) a rear camera disposed at a rear portion of the equipped vehicle, (ii) a first side camera disposed at a left side portion of the equipped vehicle and (iii) a second side camera disposed at a right side portion of the equipped vehicle;
• wherein said first side camera is disposed at a driver-side exterior rearview mirror assembly of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said second side camera is disposed at a passenger-side exterior rearview mirror assembly of the equipped vehicle;
• wherein said rear camera views at least rearward of the equipped vehicle and is operable to capture image data;
• wherein said first side camera views at least sideward of the left side of the equipped vehicle and is operable to capture image data;
• wherein said second side camera views at least sideward of the right side of the equipped vehicle and is operable to capture image data;
• wherein said rear camera comprises a CMOS imaging array sensor;
• wherein said first side camera comprises a CMOS imaging array sensor;
• wherein said second side camera comprises a CMOS imaging array sensor;
• wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mechanism that, with said interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle, is operable by the driver of the equipped vehicle to change orientation of said outermost bare glass surface of said transflective mirror element relative to the driver of the equipped vehicle when the driver views said transflective mirror element;
• wherein, with said interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle, said mechanism is operable to change orientation of said outermost bare glass surface between a first position that is tilted towards the eyes of the driver of the equipped vehicle and a second position that is tilted away from the eyes of the driver of the equipped vehicle;
• wherein said mechanism comprises a motor operable to change orientation of said outermost bare glass surface of said transflective mirror element between the first position and the second position;
• wherein, when said mechanism changes orientation of said outermost bare glass surface to the second position that is tilted away from the eyes of the driver of the equipped vehicle, said video display screen disposed behind the transflective mirror reflector displays video images viewable through the transflective mirror reflector of said transflective mirror element for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle;
• wherein, when said mechanism changes orientation of said outermost bare glass surface to the first position that is tilted towards the eyes of the driver of the equipped vehicle, said video display screen disposed behind the transflective mirror reflector does not display video images viewable through the transflective mirror reflector of said transflective mirror element for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle and presence of said video display screen behind the transflective mirror reflector of said transflective mirror element is rendered covert by the transflective mirror reflector;
• and
• wherein the video images displayed by said video display screen when orientation of said outermost bare glass surface is at the second position that is tilted away from the eyes of the driver of the equipped vehicle are derived, at least in part, from image data captured by at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) said rear camera disposed at the rear portion of the equipped vehicle, (ii) said first side camera disposed at the left side portion of the equipped vehicle and (iii) said second side camera disposed at said right side portion of the equipped vehicle.

A multi-camera vehicular video display system, said multi-camera vehicular video display system comprising:

• a frameless interior electrochromic rearview mirror assembly;
• said frameless interior electrochromic rearview mirror assembly comprising a mounting assembly configured for mounting at an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with said multi-camera vehicular video display system;
• wherein the interior portion of the equipped vehicle comprises an in-cabin side of a windshield of the equipped vehicle;
• said frameless interior electrochromic rearview mirror assembly comprising a mirror head;
• wherein said mirror head is pivotally adjustable relative to said mounting assembly via a ball and socket joint;
• said mirror head comprising a transflective electrochromic mirror element and a video display screen;
• wherein said transflective electrochromic mirror element comprises (i) a front transparent planar glass substrate and a rear transparent planar glass substrate and (ii) an electrochromic medium contained within an interpane cavity between the front and rear transparent planar glass substrates via a perimeter seal;
• wherein said rear transparent planar glass substrate is coated with a transflective mirror reflector, and wherein the transflective mirror reflector of said rear transparent planar glass substrate contacts the electrochromic medium contained within the interpane cavity between the front and rear transparent planar glass substrates;
• wherein the transflective mirror reflector is partially transmissive of light therethrough and partially reflective of light incident thereon;
• wherein the transflective mirror reflector of said rear transparent planar glass substrate comprises a metallic conductive coating;
• wherein said video display screen is disposed behind the transflective mirror reflector of said rear transparent planar glass substrate of said transflective electrochromic mirror element;
• said transflective electrochromic mirror element comprising an outermost bare glass surface that is closer than the transflective mirror reflector to a driver of the equipped vehicle when said frameless interior electrochromic rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle;
• wherein the equipped vehicle comprises (i) a rear camera disposed at a rear portion of the equipped vehicle, (ii) a first side camera disposed at a left side portion of the equipped vehicle and (iii) a second side camera disposed at a right side portion of the equipped vehicle;
• wherein said first side camera is disposed at a driver-side exterior rearview mirror assembly of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said second side camera is disposed at a passenger-side exterior rearview mirror assembly of the equipped vehicle;
• wherein said rear camera views at least rearward of the equipped vehicle and is operable to capture image data;
• wherein said first side camera views at least sideward of the left side of the equipped vehicle and is operable to capture image data;
• wherein said second side camera views at least sideward of the right side of the equipped vehicle and is operable to capture image data;
• wherein said rear camera comprises a CMOS imaging array sensor;
• wherein said first side camera comprises a CMOS imaging array sensor;
• wherein said second side camera comprises a CMOS imaging array sensor;
• wherein said frameless interior electrochromic rearview mirror assembly includes a mechanism that, with said frameless interior electrochromic rearview mirror assembly mounted at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle, is operable by the driver of the equipped vehicle to change orientation of said outermost bare glass surface of said transflective electrochromic mirror element relative to the driver of the equipped vehicle when the driver views said transflective electrochromic mirror element;
• wherein, with said frameless interior electrochromic rearview mirror assembly mounted at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle, said mechanism is operable to change orientation of said outermost bare glass surface between a first position that is tilted towards the eyes of the driver of the equipped vehicle and a second position that is tilted away from the eyes of the driver of the equipped vehicle;
• wherein, when said mechanism changes orientation of said outermost bare glass surface to the second position that is tilted away from the eyes of the driver of the equipped vehicle, said video display screen disposed behind the transflective mirror reflector displays video images viewable through the transflective mirror reflector of said transflective electrochromic mirror element for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle;
• wherein, when said mechanism changes orientation of said outermost bare glass surface to the first position that is tilted towards the eyes of the driver of the equipped vehicle, said video display screen disposed behind the transflective mirror reflector does not display video images viewable through the transflective mirror reflector of said transflective electrochromic mirror element for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle and presence of said video display screen behind the transflective mirror reflector of said transflective electrochromic mirror element is rendered covert by the transflective mirror reflector;
• and
• wherein the video images displayed by said video display screen when orientation of said outermost bare glass surface is at the second position that is tilted away from the eyes of the driver of the equipped vehicle are derived, at least in part, from image data captured by at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) said rear camera disposed at the rear portion of the equipped vehicle, (ii) said first side camera disposed at the left side portion of the equipped vehicle and (iii) said second side camera disposed at said right side portion of the equipped vehicle.