Vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly with driver monitoring camera

A vehicular cabin monitoring system, the vehicular cabin monitoring system comprising:

• a vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a mirror head adjustable about a mounting structure, wherein the mounting structure is configured to mount the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly at an interior portion of an interior cabin of a vehicle;
• wherein the mirror head accommodates a mirror reflective element;
• wherein a cabin monitoring camera is accommodated by the mirror head, and wherein the cabin monitoring camera moves together and in tandem with the mirror head when, with the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the interior portion of the interior cabin of the vehicle, the mirror head is adjusted about the mounting structure to provide a rearward view provided by the mirror reflective element for a driver of the vehicle;
• wherein the cabin monitoring camera is operable to capture image data;
• wherein a near infrared light source is accommodated by the mirror head, and wherein the near infrared light source moves together and in tandem with the mirror head when, with the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the interior portion of the interior cabin of the vehicle, the mirror head is adjusted about the mounting structure to provide the rearward view for the driver of the vehicle;
• an electronic control unit (ECU);
• wherein image data captured by the cabin monitoring camera is transferred to the ECU;
• wherein the ECU comprises electronic circuitry and associated software, and wherein the electronic circuitry of the ECU comprises an image processor operable to process image data captured by the cabin monitoring camera and transferred to the ECU;
• wherein the mirror head comprises a chin portion that, with the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the interior portion of the interior cabin of the vehicle, is disposed at a lower region of the mirror head, and wherein the chin portion of the mirror head accommodates a cover panel disposed below a lower edge region of the mirror reflective element;
• wherein, with the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the interior portion of the interior cabin of the vehicle, (i) the cabin monitoring camera views through the cover panel and views at least a driver region of the interior cabin of the vehicle and a front passenger region of the interior cabin of the vehicle and (ii) the near infrared light source, when electrically operated to emit near infrared light, emits near infrared light that passes through the cover panel;
• wherein an outer surface of the cover panel is disposed at an oblique angle relative to an outer surface of the mirror reflective element at the lower region of the mirror reflective element;
• wherein a principal viewing axis of the cabin monitoring camera is perpendicular to the outer surface of the cover panel;
• wherein the cabin monitoring camera is accommodated by the chin portion at a first side region of the chin portion, and wherein the near infrared light source is accommodated by the chin portion at a second side region of the chin portion that is opposite the first side region;
• wherein, with the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the interior portion of the interior cabin of the vehicle, (i) the first side region of the chin portion is closer to the front passenger region of the interior cabin of the vehicle than the second side region of the chin portion and (ii) the second side region of the chin portion is closer to the driver region of the interior cabin of the vehicle than the first side region of the chin portion;
• wherein the near infrared light source comprises (i) a first near infrared light emitter that, when electrically operated, emits near infrared light that illuminates the driver region of the interior cabin of the vehicle and (ii) a second near infrared light emitter that, when electrically operated, emits near infrared light that illuminates the front passenger region of the interior cabin of the vehicle;
• and
• wherein, with the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the interior portion of the interior cabin of the vehicle, image data captured by the cabin monitoring camera is processed at the ECU at least for (i) monitoring the driver of the vehicle and (ii) monitoring the front passenger region of the interior cabin of the vehicle.

A vehicular cabin monitoring system, the vehicular cabin monitoring system comprising:

• a vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a mirror head adjustable about a mounting structure, wherein the mounting structure is configured to mount the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly at an interior portion of an interior cabin of a vehicle;
• wherein the mirror head accommodates a mirror reflective element;
• wherein a cabin monitoring camera is accommodated by the mirror head, and wherein the cabin monitoring camera moves together and in tandem with the mirror head when, with the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the interior portion of the interior cabin of the vehicle, the mirror head is adjusted about the mounting structure to provide a rearward view provided by the mirror reflective element for a driver of the vehicle;
• wherein the cabin monitoring camera is operable to capture image data;
• wherein a near infrared light source is accommodated by the mirror head, and wherein the near infrared light source moves together and in tandem with the mirror head when, with the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the interior portion of the interior cabin of the vehicle, the mirror head is adjusted about the mounting structure to provide the rearward view for the driver of the vehicle;
• an electronic control unit (ECU);
• wherein image data captured by the cabin monitoring camera is transferred to the ECU;
• wherein the ECU comprises electronic circuitry and associated software, and wherein the electronic circuitry of the ECU comprises an image processor operable to process image data captured by the cabin monitoring camera and transferred to the ECU;
• wherein the mirror head comprises a chin portion that, with the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the interior portion of the interior cabin of the vehicle, is disposed at a lower region of the mirror head, and wherein the chin portion of the mirror head accommodates a cover panel disposed below a lower edge region of the mirror reflective element;
• wherein, with the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the interior portion of the interior cabin of the vehicle, (i) the cabin monitoring camera views through the cover panel and views at least a driver region of the interior cabin of the vehicle and a front passenger region of the interior cabin of the vehicle and (ii) the near infrared light source, when electrically operated to emit near infrared light, emits near infrared light that passes through the cover panel;
• wherein an outer surface of the cover panel is disposed at an oblique angle relative to an outer surface of the mirror reflective element at the lower region of the mirror reflective element;
• wherein a principal viewing axis of the cabin monitoring camera is perpendicular to the outer surface of the cover panel;
• wherein the cabin monitoring camera is accommodated by the chin portion at a first side region of the chin portion, and wherein the near infrared light source is accommodated by the chin portion at a second side region of the chin portion that is opposite the first side region;
• wherein, with the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the interior portion of the interior cabin of the vehicle, (i) the first side region of the chin portion is closer to the driver region of the interior cabin of the vehicle than the second side region of the chin portion and (ii) the second side region of the chin portion is closer to the front passenger region of the interior cabin of the vehicle than the first side region of the chin portion;
• wherein the near infrared light source comprises (i) a first near infrared light emitter that, when electrically operated, emits near infrared light that illuminates the driver region of the interior cabin of the vehicle and (ii) a second near infrared light emitter that, when electrically operated, emits near infrared light that illuminates the front passenger region of the interior cabin of the vehicle;
• and
• wherein, with the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the interior portion of the interior cabin of the vehicle, image data captured by the cabin monitoring camera is processed at the ECU at least for (i) monitoring the driver of the vehicle and (ii) monitoring the front passenger region of the interior cabin of the vehicle.