Virtual outside rear view mirror

A rear view imaging system for a vehicle, comprising:

• a left side camera located at a left side of the vehicle, where the left side camera is oriented to view an area behind the vehicle that is by an occupant in a driver's seat of the vehicle when the occupant looks at an apparent location of a left outside rear-view mirror of the vehicle;
• a display device for displaying a left rear image at a first display region of a front left side window of the vehicle, wherein a line-of-sight between the occupant and the apparent location of the left outside rear-view mirror passes through the first display region;
• a rear-view mirror;
• and
• a controller to control operation of the display device to display the left rear image in the first display region, wherein the controller is configured to display the left rear image at the rear view mirror when the front left side window has been rolled down such that the first display region is no longer visible to the driver.

A vehicle, comprising:

• a left side camera located at a left side of the vehicle, where the left side camera is oriented to view a left side viewing area behind the vehicle that is by an occupant in a driver's seat of the vehicle when the occupant looks at an apparent location of a left outside rear-view mirror of the vehicle;
• a first display device for displaying a left rear image at a first display region of a front left side window of the vehicle, wherein a line-of-sight between the occupant and the apparent location of the left outside rear-view mirror passes through the first display region;
• a right side camera located at a right side of the vehicle, where the right side camera is oriented to view a right side viewing area behind the vehicle that is by the occupant looking at the apparent location of a right outside rear-view mirror of the vehicle;
• a second display device for displaying a right rear image at a second display region of a front right side window of the vehicle;
• a rear-view mirror;
• and
• a controller to control operation of the first display device to display the left rear image in the first display region and the second display device to display the right rear image in the second display region, wherein the controller is configured to perform at least one of displaying the left rear image at the rear view mirror when the front left side window has been rolled down such that the first display region is no longer visible to the drive and displaying the right rear image at the rear view mirror when the front right side window has been rolled down such that the second display region is no longer visible to the driver.