US 6,585,384 B2 · Wireless remote controlled mirror

Abstract

A wireless remote controlled mirror enabling a user to selectively adjust a view from a remote location. A preferred embodiment enables a driver to remotely control a mirror attached to a rear seat of a vehicle to remotely adjust the view of a child in a rear-facing safety seat. A preferred embodiment includes a base that mounts to an object (such as the safety seat or the rear seat), a reflective lens that moves relative to the base, one or more electric motors to drive the reflective lens, and a receiver that detects a command signal from a wireless remote controller and energizes the one or more motors to reorient the reflective lens to view the child. The mirror can alternatively be mounted on other portions of a vehicle, e.g., as a remote controlled side mirror.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A wireless remote controlled mirror, comprising:

(a) a base, said base including means for supporting the base with a portion of a vehicle so as to enable a person seated in the vehicle to view the wireless controlled mirror;
(b) a prime mover mounted on the base;
(c) a reflective lens drivingly coupled to the prime mover and pivotally coupled to the base by a pivot joint to enable the reflective lens to move relative to the base in two substantially orthogonal directions;
and
(d) a receiver in electrical communication with the prime mover, said receiver including means to detect a wireless command signal from a remote controller that is activated by a user, for controlling the prime mover in response to the wireless command signal, to cause the prime mover to drive the reflective lens to a desired orientation to enable the person seated in the vehicle to view a reflection in the reflective lens from a desired direction.

2 more elements

A system for providing a view of a rear-facing person that is visible to a front-facing person within a vehicle, comprising:

(a) a transmitter including means to be controlled by a front-facing person, to transmit a wireless signal indicating a desired adjustment to a reflected view of a rear-facing passenger;
(b) a receiver disposed within a base that is spatially separate from the transmitter, said base including means for supporting the base with a portion of a vehicle so as to enable a person seated in the vehicle to view the wireless controlled mirror, said receiver including control means to receive the wireless signal transmitted from the transmitter, and for producing a control signal that enables the person seated in the vehicle to selectively adjust the view of the rear-facing person;
(c) a reflective lens pivotally coupled to the base so as to move about two orthogonal axes relative to the base, for use in providing a reflected view of a rear-facing person;
and
(d) a first prime mover that is responsive to the control signal produced by the receiver, said first prime mover being drivingly coupled to the reflective lens and adapted to move the reflective lens about a first axis relative to the base, in response to the wireless signal, to an orientation controlled by a user with the transmitter, said control means varying the control signal in response to the wireless signal as to enable the person seated in the vehicle to remotely adjust the reflected view provided by the reflective lens so that the rear-facing person is visible to the person seated in vehicle.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Wireless remote controlled mirror

Life of this patent

Wireless remote controlled mirror

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims28