US 8,325,028 B2 · Interior rearview mirror system · patentgrep

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Abstract

An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle includes a mirror mounting button adhesively attached at an in-cabin surface of a vehicle windshield, and an interior rearview mirror assembly including a mirror head and a mirror support. The mirror head includes a mirror reflective element and a mirror casing, and the mirror support includes a mirror mount that is configured to mount the interior rearview mirror assembly to the mirror mounting button at the in-cabin surface of the vehicle windshield. A forward facing camera is disposed at the mirror support and has a field of view through the vehicle windshield when the interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted at the mirror mounting button at the in-cabin surface of the vehicle windshield. The forward facing camera is a CMOS camera, and the forward facing camera captures images for a collision avoidance system of the equipped vehicle.

Claims39

Dependent claims

An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising:

a mirror mounting button adhesively attached at an in-cabin surface of a vehicle windshield;
an interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a mirror head and a mirror support;
wherein said mirror head comprises a mirror reflective element and a mirror casing;
wherein said mirror support comprises a mirror mount that is configured to mount said interior rearview mirror assembly to said mirror mounting button at the in-cabin surface of the vehicle windshield;
wherein said mirror mount, when mounted to said mirror mounting button, provides a breakaway connection;
wherein said mirror support comprises a first pivot element and wherein said mirror head comprises a second pivot element that pivotally attaches at said first pivot element to pivotally mount said mirror head at said mirror support via a single pivot joint;
a forward facing camera disposed at said mirror support, wherein said forward facing camera has a field of view through the vehicle windshield when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted at said mirror mounting button at the in-cabin surface of the vehicle windshield;
wherein said forward facing camera comprises a CMOS camera;
and
wherein said forward facing camera captures images for a collision avoidance system of the equipped vehicle.

7 more elements

An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising:

a mirror mounting button adhesively attached at an in-cabin surface of a vehicle windshield;
wherein a layer of light absorbing material is established at the vehicle windshield and at least partially masks the presence of at least said mirror mounting button when viewed from outside the vehicle through the vehicle windshield;
an interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a mirror head and a mirror support;
wherein said mirror head comprises a mirror reflective element and a mirror casing;
wherein said mirror support comprises a mirror mount that is configured to mount said interior rearview mirror assembly to said mirror mounting button at the in-cabin surface of the vehicle windshield;
wherein said mirror mount, when mounted to said mirror mounting button, provides a breakaway connection;
wherein said mirror support comprises a first pivot element and wherein said mirror head comprises a second pivot element that pivotally attaches at said first pivot element to pivotally mount said mirror head at said mirror support via a single pivot joint;
a forward facing camera disposed at said mirror support, wherein said forward facing camera has a field of view through the vehicle windshield when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted at said mirror mounting button at the in-cabin surface of the vehicle windshield;
wherein said forward facing camera comprises a CMOS camera;
and
wherein wiring that supplies at least one of power and a signal to said interior rearview mirror assembly passes through said mirror support.

8 more elements

An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising:

a mirror mounting button adhesively attached at an in-cabin surface of a vehicle windshield;
wherein a layer of light absorbing material is established at the vehicle windshield and at least partially masks the presence of at least said mirror mounting button when viewed from outside the vehicle through the vehicle windshield;
an interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a mirror head and a mirror support;
wherein said mirror head comprises a mirror reflective element and a mirror casing;
wherein said mirror support comprises a mirror mount that is configured to mount said interior rearview mirror assembly to said mirror mounting button at the in-cabin surface of the vehicle windshield;
wherein said mirror mount, when mounted to said mirror mounting button, provides a breakaway connection;
wherein said mirror support comprises a first pivot element and wherein said mirror head comprises a second pivot element that pivotally attaches at said first pivot element to pivotally mount said mirror head at said mirror support via a single pivot joint;
wherein said mirror support houses at least one accessory of the vehicle;
a forward facing camera disposed at said mirror support, wherein said forward facing camera has a field of view through the vehicle windshield when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted at said mirror mounting button at the in-cabin surface of the vehicle windshield;
wherein said forward facing camera comprises a CMOS camera;
and
wherein wiring that supplies at least one of power and a signal to said interior rearview mirror assembly passes through said mirror support.

9 more elements

An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising:

a mirror mounting button adhesively attached at an in-cabin surface of a vehicle windshield;
an interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a mirror head and a mirror support;
wherein said mirror head comprises a mirror reflective element and a mirror casing;
wherein said mirror support comprises a mirror mount that is configured to mount said interior rearview mirror assembly to said mirror mounting button at the in-cabin surface of the vehicle windshield;
wherein said mirror mount, when mounted to said mirror mounting button, provides a breakaway connection;
wherein said mirror support comprises a first pivot element and wherein said mirror head comprises a second pivot element that pivotally attaches at said first pivot element to pivotally mount said mirror head at said mirror support via a single pivot joint;
a forward facing camera disposed at said mirror support, wherein said forward facing camera has a field of view through the vehicle windshield when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted at said mirror mounting button at the in-cabin surface of the vehicle windshield;
wherein said forward facing camera comprises a CMOS camera;
and
wherein, with said mirror mount of said mirror support mounted at said mirror mounting button, at least one of (a) an upper portion of said mirror support extends generally along the vehicle windshield above said mirror mounting button, (b) a lower portion of said mirror support extends generally along the vehicle windshield below said mirror mounting button, (c) an upper portion of said mirror support extends generally along the vehicle windshield above said mirror mounting button and wherein said upper portion of said mirror support extends above a level that is generally aligned with an uppermost portion of said mirror head when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the vehicle, and (d) a lower portion of said mirror support extends generally along the vehicle windshield below said mirror mounting button and wherein said lower portion of said mirror support does not extend below a level that is generally aligned with a lowermost portion of said mirror head when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the vehicle.

7 more elements

An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising:

a mirror mounting button adhesively attached at an in-cabin surface of a vehicle windshield;
an interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a mirror head and a mirror support;
wherein said mirror head comprises a mirror reflective element and a mirror casing;
wherein said mirror support comprises a mirror mount that is configured to mount said interior rearview mirror assembly to said mirror mounting button at the in-cabin surface of the vehicle windshield;
wherein said mirror mount, when mounted to said mirror mounting button, provides a breakaway connection;
wherein said mirror support comprises a first pivot element and wherein said mirror head comprises a second pivot element that pivotally attaches at said first pivot element to pivotally mount said mirror head at said mirror or support via a single pivot joint;
a forward facing camera disposed at said mirror support, wherein said forward facing camera has a field of view through the vehicle windshield when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted at said mirror mounting button at the in-cabin surface of the vehicle windshield;
wherein said forward facing camera comprises a CMOS camera;
and
wherein said forward facing camera captures images for a collision avoidance system of the equipped vehicle and for a headlamp control system of the equipped vehicle.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/345,303Filed 6 Jan 2012 · continuation
Priority: 7 Jan 1998
Published: US 2012/0105641 A13 May 2012
Granted: 4 Dec 2012
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

B60C 23/00
Devices for measuring, signalling, controlling, or distributing tyre pressure or temperature, specially
B60R 1/02
Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or…:…
B60C 23/0401
Mounted on the wheel or tyre: characterised by the type of alarm
B60C 23/0406
Characterised by the type of alarm: alarms noticeable from outside the vehicle, e.g. indication in side mirror, front light or audible alarms

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
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
US 6,124,647 AParent of this continuation-in-part · filed 26 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
US 6,243,003 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 5 Jun 2001
Application09/876,816Parent of this continuation · filed 7 Jun 2001
US 6,250,148 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 26 Jun 2001
Application09/903,336Parent of this continuation · filed 11 Jul 2001
US 6,278,377 B1Parent of this continuation · filed 21 Aug 2001
US 6,294,989 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 25 Sep 2001
Application09/997,579Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Nov 2001
US 6,326,613 B1Parent of this continuation · filed 4 Dec 2001
Application10/232,122Parent of this continuation · filed 30 Aug 2002
US 6,445,287 B1Parent of this continuation · filed 3 Sep 2002
Application10/270,830Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 15 Oct 2002
US 6,466,136 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 15 Oct 2002
Application10/279,059Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 23 Oct 2002
US 6,472,979 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Oct 2002
Application10/618,334Parent of this continuation · filed 11 Jul 2003
US 6,593,565 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 15 Jul 2003
Application10/755,915Parent of this continuation · filed 13 Jan 2004
US 6,690,268 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 10 Feb 2004
US 6,717,524 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 6 Apr 2004
Application10/913,748Parent of this continuation · filed 6 Aug 2004
US 6,774,356 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 10 Aug 2004
US 6,774,774 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 10 Aug 2004
Application10/940,545Parent of this continuation · filed 14 Sep 2004
US 6,975,215 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 13 Dec 2005
Application11/418,906Parent of this continuation · filed 5 May 2006
US 7,041,965 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 9 May 2006
Application11/441,592Parent of this continuation · filed 26 May 2006
US 7,053,761 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 30 May 2006
Application11/625,374Parent of this continuation · filed 22 Jan 2007
Application11/699,271Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Jan 2007
Application11/828,880Parent of this continuation · filed 26 Jul 2007
US 7,262,406 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 28 Aug 2007
US 7,265,342 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 4 Sep 2007
Application12/052,341Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 20 Mar 2008
Application12/197,660Parent of this continuation · filed 25 Aug 2008
US 7,420,159 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 2 Sep 2008
US 7,446,650 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 4 Nov 2008
Application12/276,770Parent of this continuation · filed 24 Nov 2008
US 7,460,007 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 2 Dec 2008
Application12/467,660Parent of this continuation · filed 18 May 2009
US 7,538,316 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 26 May 2009
US 7,579,940 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 25 Aug 2009
US 7,579,939 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 25 Aug 2009
Application12/759,305Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 13 Apr 2010
Application12/764,359Parent of this continuation · filed 21 Apr 2010
US 7,728,721 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 1 Jun 2010
US 7,888,629 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 15 Feb 2011
Application13/039,962Parent of this continuation · filed 3 Mar 2011
US 7,916,009 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Mar 2011
US 2012/0105641 A1Pre-grant publication · published 3 May 2012
US 8,094,002 B2Parent of this continuation
Application09/710,016Parent of this continuation-in-part
Application12/764,359Parent of this continuation-in-part
Application12/759,305Parent of this continuation
Application09/433,467Parent of this continuation-in-part
Application12/276,770Parent of this continuation-in-part
Application12/052,341Parent of this continuation
Application10/232,122Parent of this continuation-in-part
Application10/755,915Parent of this continuation-in-part
Application10/279,059Parent of this continuation
Application09/513,941Parent of this continuation
Application09/213,075Parent of this continuation
Application10/618,334Parent of this continuation-in-part
Application10/270,830Parent of this continuation
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 2004/0145457 A1Published application
US 2005/0006575 A1Published application
US 2005/0040941 A1Published application
US 2006/0202111 A1Published application
US 2006/0220817 A1Published application
US 2007/0120043 A1Published application
US 2007/0171037 A1Published application
US 2007/0265755 A1Published application
US 2008/0212215 A1Published application
US 2008/0308708 A1Published application
US 2009/0134606 A1Published application
US 2009/0219394 A1Published application
US 2010/0195226 A1Published application
US 2010/0219985 A1Published application
US 2011/0164135 A1Published application
US 8,309,907 B2Related patent
US 8,325,028 B2This patent

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

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