US 8,044,776 B2Granted

Rear vision system for vehicle

AssigneeDonnelly Corporation

InventorsKenneth Schofield, Frank O'Brien, Robert L. Bingle, Niall R. Lynam

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A rear vision system includes a video camera for capturing video images and a video display disposed in the cabin of the vehicle for displaying the video images captured by the camera. The camera has a field of view that at least encompasses a vehicle hitch connector of the vehicle. The display displays the video images for viewing by a driver of the vehicle to assist the driver in connecting the vehicle hitch connector of the vehicle to a tow hitch connector of a trailer. The camera may have an adjustable zoom, an adjustable iris and/or an adjustable field of view. A graphic overlay may be superimposed on the displayed video images for viewing by a driver of the vehicle to guide the driver during a reversing maneuver and/or to assist the driver in connecting a tow hitch connector of a trailer to the vehicle hitch connector of the vehicle.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A rear vision system for a vehicle, said rear vision system comprising:

a video camera for capturing video images, wherein said video camera has a field of view that at least encompasses a vehicle hitch connector of the vehicle;
a video display disposed in the cabin of the vehicle and operable to display said video images captured by said video camera, said video display displaying said video images for viewing by a driver of the vehicle to assist the driver in connecting the vehicle hitch connector of the vehicle to a tow hitch connector of a trailer;
and
wherein said rear vision system further comprises at least one of (a) a second video camera disposed at a rear portion of the trailer and having a field of view rearward of the trailer, and wherein said video display is responsive to an output of said second video camera to display video images captured by said second video camera of the area rearward of the trailer, and wherein said rear vision system is responsive to a user input to switch said video display between a vehicle back-up display, where said video display displays video images captured by said video camera, and a trailer back-up display, where said video display displays video images captured by said second video camera, (b) a trailer camera having a field of view that encompasses an interior portion of the trailer, and wherein said video display displays video images captured by said trailer camera, and (c) a microphone in the trailer and a speaker in the vehicle, and wherein said speaker is responsive to an output of said microphone for providing an audible signal for the driver of the vehicle.

1 more element

A rear vision system for a vehicle, said rear vision system comprising:

a video camera for capturing video images, wherein said video camera has a field of view that at least encompasses a vehicle hitch connector of the vehicle;
a video display disposed in the cabin of the vehicle and operable to display said video images captured by said video camera, said video display displaying said video images for viewing by a driver of the vehicle to assist the driver in connecting the vehicle hitch connector of the vehicle to a tow hitch connector of a trailer;
wherein said video display is at or near or associated with an interior rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle;
and
wherein at least one of (a) said interior rearview mirror assembly functions as part of a wireless communication telematic system of the vehicle, (b) wiring or cabling required for operation of said video display passes through a support aim and at least one ball joint of said interior rearview mirror assembly, (c) wiring or cabling required for operation of said video display passes through a support arm of said interior rearview mirror assembly, (d) wiring or cabling required for operation of said video display passes through at least one ball joint of said interior rearview mirror assembly, (e) wiring or cabling required for operation of said video display passes along a support arm and through at least one ball joint of said interior rearview mirror assembly, (f) wiring or cabling required for operation of said video display passes through a support arm and two ball joints of said interior rearview mirror assembly, (g) circuitry of said interior rearview mirror assembly receives display data via a fiber-optic link, (h) said interior rearview mirror assembly connects to a network bus of the vehicle, (i) said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a wireless link to an accessory of the vehicle, said wireless link being in accordance with a short-range RF communication protocol, (j) said video camera provides a rearward field of view to the driver of the vehicle and wherein said video display displays video images captured by said video camera when the vehicle is in a reverse gear, and (k) said video camera provides a rearward field of view to the driver of the vehicle and wherein said video display displays video images captured by said video camera when the vehicle is in a reverse gear and wherein said video display displays navigational information during periods of travel of the vehicle when the vehicle is not in a reverse gear.

2 more elements

A rear vision system for a vehicle, said rear vision system comprising:

a video camera for capturing video images, wherein said video camera has a field of view that at least encompasses a vehicle hitch connector of the vehicle;
a video display disposed in the cabin of the vehicle and operable to display said video images captured by said video camera, said video display displaying said video images for viewing by a driver of the vehicle to assist the driver in connecting the vehicle hitch connector of the vehicle to a tow hitch connector of a trailer;
wherein said video display is at or near or associated with an interior rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle;
and
wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly includes at least one accessory selected from the group consisting of (i) a trainable garage door opener, (ii) a universal home access system, (iii) an INTERNET interface, (iv) a remote keyless entry receiver, (v) a information display device, (vi) a rain sensor, (vii) a compass sensor, (viii) a flip computer, (ix) an intrusion detector, (x) a phone, (xi) an interior light, (xii) a seat occupancy detector, (xiii) a phone attachment, (xiv) a compass direction display, (xv) a map light, (xvi) a headlamp controller, (xvii) a printer, (xviii) a transmitter/receiver, (xix) a modem, (xx) an instrumentation light (xxi) a console light, (xxii) a solar panel, (xxiii) a windshield portion defogger device, (xxiv) an antenna, (xxv) a loudspeaker, (xxvi) a microphone, (xxvii) a digital message recorder, (xxviii) a magnetic tape message recorder, (xxix) a phone control panel, (xxx) a digital storage device, and (xxxi) a user input for a telematic system of the vehicle.

2 more elements

A rear vision system for a vehicle, said rear vision system comprising:

a video camera for capturing video images, wherein said video camera has a field of view that at least encompasses a vehicle hitch connector of the vehicle and encompasses a tow hitch connector of a trailer when the vehicle is at or near the trailer;
an interior rearview mirror assembly disposed in a cabin of the vehicle and attached to an interior portion of the cabin of the vehicle, wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a reflective element comprising a glass substrate having a mirror reflector established at a surface thereof, and wherein said mirror reflector comprises a transflective mirror reflector that is partially reflective of light incident thereon and partially transmissive of light therethrough;
a video display disposed in said interior rearview mirror assembly and behind said reflective element, wherein said video display is operable to display video images captured by said video camera, and wherein said video display displays said video images for viewing by a driver of the vehicle through said transflective mirror reflector, said video display displaying said video images to assist the driver in connecting the vehicle hitch connector of the vehicle to a tow hitch connector of a trailer.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/536,930Filed 6 Aug 2009 · continuation
Priority: 2 Mar 2000
Published: US 2009/0290369 A126 Nov 2009
Granted: 25 Oct 2011
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

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
Application60/263,680Us provisional application · filed 23 Jan 2001
Application09/793,002Parent of this continuation · filed 26 Feb 2001
Application10/755,915Parent of this continuation · filed 13 Jan 2004
US 6,690,268 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 10 Feb 2004
Application11/625,374Parent of this continuation · filed 22 Jan 2007
Application12/052,341Parent of this continuation · filed 20 Mar 2008
US 7,446,650 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 4 Nov 2008
US 2009/0290369 A1Pre-grant publication · published 26 Nov 2009
US 7,579,940 B2Parent of this continuation
US 7,579,939 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2002/0003571 A1Published application
US 2004/0145457 A1Published application
US 2007/0171037 A1Published application
US 2008/0212215 A1Published application
US 8,044,776 B2This patent

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