US 7,446,650 B2 · Accessory system suitable for use in a vehicle

Abstract

An accessory system suitable for use in a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror-mounting portion that is adapted to detachably mount the interior rearview mirror assembly at an interior portion of the vehicle. A windshield accessory module assembly is also preferably included attached at the windshield of the vehicle. The windshield accessory module assembly is unaffected by adjustment of the rearward field of view of the reflective element of the interior rearview mirror assembly and preferably comprises at least one of a forward facing imaging device with a field of view forward of the vehicle through the windshield of the vehicle and an interior cabin imaging device with a field of view encompassing at least a portion of the interior cabin of the vehicle. The accessory system preferably includes a video display screen displaying an image captured by an image capture device with a field of view rearward of the vehicle.

Claims25

Dependent claims

An accessory system suitable for use in a vehicle comprising:

an interior rearview mirror assembly having a reflective element, said reflective element having a rearward field of view when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle;
said rearward field of view of said reflective element being adjustable by a driver of the vehicle when said rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle;
said mirror assembly having a mirror-mounting portion adapted to detachably mount said interior rearview mirror assembly at an interior portion of the vehicle;
a windshield accessory module assembly attached at the windshield of the vehicle, said windshield accessory module assembly being unaffected by adjustment of the rearward field of view of said reflective element;
said windshield accessory module assembly comprising at least one of a forward facing imaging device with a field of view forward of the vehicle through the windshield of the vehicle and an interior cabin imaging device with a field of view encompassing at least a portion of the interior cabin of the vehicle;
and
wherein said windshield accessory module assembly detachably attaches at an attachment member adhered at an inner surface of said windshield.

4 more elements

An accessory system suitable for use in a vehicle comprising:

an interior rearview mirror assembly having a reflective element, said reflective element having a rearward field of view when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle;
said rearward field of view of said reflective element being adjustable by a driver of the vehicle when said rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle;
said mirror assembly having a mirror-mounting portion adapted to detachably mount said interior rearview mirror assembly at an interior portion of the vehicle;
said interior portion comprising a windshield accessory module assembly attached at the windshield of the vehicle, said windshield accessory module assembly being unaffected by adjustment of the rearward field of view of said reflective element;
and
said windshield accessory module assembly comprising a forward facing imaging device with a field of view forward of the vehicle through the windshield of the vehicle, said forward facing imaging device comprising part of at least one of a) a headlamp control, b) a collision avoidance control, c) a windshield fogging control, and d) a rain sensing control.

3 more elements

An accessory system suitable for use in a vehicle comprising:

an interior rearview mirror assembly having a reflective element, said reflective element having a rearward field of view when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle;
said rearward field of view of said reflective element being adjustable by a driver of the vehicle when said rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle;
said mirror assembly having a mirror-mounting portion adapted to detachably mount said interior rearview mirror assembly at an interior portion of the vehicle;
a video display screen;
said video display screen displaying an image captured by an image capture device with a field of view rearward of the vehicle;
said image being displayed by said video display screen upon selection by the driver of a reverse gear of the vehicle and wherein said image capture device comprises part of a back-up aid system;
said video display screen moving from a stowed position at or adjacent said reflective element to a viewing position for the driver of the vehicle when the gear shift of the vehicle is moved to its reverse position;
at least one actuator adapted to move said video display screen to said viewing position in response to the gear shift of the vehicle being moved to its reverse position;
and
said video display screen moving from said viewing position to said stowed position when the gear shift of the vehicle is moved out of its reverse position.

7 more elements

An accessory system suitable for use in a vehicle, said accessory system comprising:

an interior rearview mirror assembly;
said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising an electrochromic reflective element, said reflective element providing a rearward field of view to a driver of a vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle;
said electrochromic reflective element comprising an electrochromic medium disposed between a first substrate and a second substrate;
said first substrate being closer to the driver of the vehicle than said second substrate when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle;
said first substrate having a first surface and a second surface;
said first surface being closer to the driver of the vehicle than said second surface when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle;
said second substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface;
said third surface being closer to the driver of the vehicle than said fourth surface when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle;
a transparent electrical conductor disposed at said second surface of said first substrate;
a mirror reflector disposed at said third surface of said second substrate;
said mirror reflector comprising a metal layer;
said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a video screen;
said video screen disposed to the rear of said fourth surface of said second substrate;
said video screen comprising a back-lit liquid crystal device;
said video screen emitting light when actuated to display a video image, said emitted light passing through said mirror reflector of said electrochromic reflective element to be viewed by the driver of the vehicle;
said mirror reflector comprising a transflective mirror reflector and wherein the presence of said video screen disposed to the rear of said fourth surface of said second substrate is substantially unobservable to a driver of the vehicle until said video screen is actuated to emit
light that passes through said electrochromic reflective element to be viewed by the driver of the vehicle;
said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising at least one light sensing photosensor, said at least one light sensing photosensor sensing the intensity of ambient light present when said interior rearview mirror assembly is being operated in the vehicle;
said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising control circuitry;
said control circuitry increasing the intensity of light emitted by said video screen when said ambient light is high and said control circuit circuitry decreasing the intensity of light emitted by said video screen when said ambient light is low;
wherein said video screen actuates upon selection of a reverse gear by the driver of the vehicle in order to display video images captured by a video imaging device disposed to the rear of the vehicle and having a field of view rearward of and external to the vehicle;
wherein said video screen deactuates upon deselection of a reverse gear of the vehicle in order to cease display of video images captured by said video imaging device disposed to the rear of the vehicle and having a field of view rearward of and external to the vehicle;
wherein said video screen has a diagonal screen dimension in a range of about 1 inch to about 4 inches;
wherein said video screen is disposed to the rear of said reflective element at the side of said reflective element that corresponds to the driver-side of said interior rearview mirror assembly when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in a vehicle and is viewed by a driver of said vehicle sitting at the driver-side front seat of said vehicle;
and
wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly includes at least one of (a) a user input for a telematic system of the vehicle, (b) a compass sensor and (c) a compass direction display.

23 more elements

An accessory system suitable for use in a vehicle, said accessory system comprising:

an interior rearview mirror assembly, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising an electrochromic reflective element, said reflective element providing a rearward field of view to a driver of a vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle;
said electrochromic reflective element comprising an electrochromic medium disposed between a first substrate and a second substrate;
said first substrate being closer to the driver of the vehicle than said second substrate when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle;
said first substrate having a first surface and a second surface;
said first surface being closer to the driver of the vehicle than said second surface when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle;
said second substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface;
said third surface being closer to the driver of the vehicle than said fourth surface when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle;
a transparent electrical conductor disposed at said second surface of said first substrate;
a mirror reflector disposed at said third surface of said second substrate;
said mirror reflector comprising a metal layer;
said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a video screen;
said video screen disposed to the rear of said fourth surface of said second substrate;
said video screen comprising a back-lit liquid crystal device;
said video screen emitting light when actuated to display a video image, said emitted light passing through said mirror reflector of said electrochromic reflective element to be viewed by the driver of the vehicle;
said mirror reflector comprising a transflective mirror reflector and wherein the presence of said video screen disposed to the rear of said fourth surface of said second substrate is substantially unobservable to a driver of the vehicle until said video screen is actuated to emit light that passes through said electrochromic reflective element to be viewed by the driver of the vehicle;
said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising at least one light sensing photosensor, said at least one light sensing photo sensor sensing the intensity of ambient light present when said interior rearview mirror assembly is being operated in the vehicle;
said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising control circuitry;
said control circuitry increasing the intensity of light emitted by said video screen when said ambient light is high and said control circuit circuitry decreasing the intensity of light emitted by said video screen when said ambient light is low;
said video screen actuates upon selection of a reverse gear by the driver of the vehicle in order to display video images captured by a video imaging device disposed to the rear of the vehicle and having a field of view rearward of and external to the vehicle;
wherein said video screen deactuates upon deselection of a reverse gear of the vehicle in order to cease display of video images captured by said video imaging device disposed to the rear of the vehicle and having a field of view rearward of and external to the vehicle;
wherein said video screen has a diagonal screen dimension in a range of about 1 inch to about 4 inches;
and
wherein said photo sensor comprises at least one of a photo diode and a photo transistor.

20 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

10/755,915Filed 13 Jan 2004 · continuation

Priority

7 Jan 1998

Published

US 2004/0069938 A129 Jul 2004

Granted

4 Nov 2008

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification69 codes

B60Q 1/50
The devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic: for indicating other…
B60C 23/00
Devices for measuring, signalling, controlling, or distributing tyre pressure or temperature, specially
B60C 23/0408
Mounted on the wheel or tyre: transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver
B60K 35/10
Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles: input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle,…

Family

Application09/003,966Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 7 Jan 1998

Application09/213,075Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 16 Dec 1998

Application09/382,720Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 25 Aug 1999

Application09/396,179Parent of this continuation · filed 14 Sep 1999

Application09/433,467Parent of this continuation · filed 4 Nov 1999

Application09/513,941Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 28 Feb 2000

Application09/513,941Parent of this continuation · filed 28 Feb 2000

Application60/186,520Us provisional application · filed 2 Mar 2000

Application60/218,336Us provisional application · filed 14 Jul 2000

Application60/234,412Us provisional application · filed 21 Sep 2000

Application60/237,077Us provisional application · filed 30 Sep 2000

Application60/238,483Us provisional application · filed 6 Oct 2000

Application60/243,986Us provisional application · filed 27 Oct 2000

Application09/710,016Parent of this continuation · filed 10 Nov 2000

Application60/263,680Us provisional application · filed 23 Jan 2001

Application09/793,002Parent of this continuation · filed 26 Feb 2001

Application09/876,816Parent of this continuation · filed 7 Jun 2001

Application09/903,336Parent of this continuation · filed 11 Jul 2001

Application09/997,579Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 29 Nov 2001

Application10/232,122Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 30 Aug 2002

Application10/270,830Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 15 Oct 2002

Application10/279,059Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 23 Oct 2002

Application10/618,334Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 11 Jul 2003

US 2004/0145457 A1Pre-grant publication · published 29 Jul 2004

US 6,690,268 B2Parent of this continuation

US 6,975,215 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 6,445,287 B1Parent of this continuation

Application10/232,122Parent of this continuation

US 6,294,989 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part

Application09/710,016Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 6,124,647 AParent of this continuation-in-part

US 6,774,774 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 6,472,979 B2Parent of this continuation

Application10/279,059Parent of this continuation

US 6,294,989 B1Parent of this continuation

US 6,774,356 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 6,593,565 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 6,326,613 B1Parent of this continuation

Application09/997,579Parent of this continuation

US 6,250,148 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part

Application09/433,467Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 6,717,524 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 6,466,136 B2Parent of this continuation

Application10/270,830Parent of this continuation

US 6,278,377 B1Parent of this continuation

US 6,243,003 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part

Application09/396,179Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 2001/0026218 A1Published application

US 2002/0003571 A1Published application

US 2002/0030588 A1Published application

US 2002/0113203 A1Published application

US 2003/0001734 A1Published application

US 2003/0052772 A1Published application

US 2003/0058090 A1Published application

US 2004/0069938 A1Published application

US 7,446,650 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Accessory system suitable for use in a vehicle

Life of this patent

Accessory system suitable for use in a vehicle

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims25