Patent classifications
B60R2001/1215
HEAT MITIGATION FOR REARVIEW ASSEMBLY
A system for controlling temperatures within a rearview assembly may comprise a rearview assembly having a housing defining an opening and at least one of a display element and an electro-optic element disposed in the opening; and an in-cabin monitoring system comprising at least one printed circuit board; an imager disposed on one of the at least one printed circuit boards, an image signal processor in communication with the imager, at least one light source, and at least one heat spreader positioned within the housing. The heat spreader may be stamped aluminum. The imager may be at a distance from the at least one light source.
Vehicular video camera display system
A vehicular video camera display system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having a casing and an electro-optic reflective element, with a video display device disposed in the casing behind the electro-optic reflective element. With the interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the interior cabin portion of the vehicle, a video display screen of the video display device is operable to display video images that are viewable through the electro-optic reflective element by a driver of the vehicle. A rearward-viewing video camera is disposed at a rear portion of the vehicle and views at least rearward of the vehicle. Control circuitry is disposed at the interior rearview mirror assembly. Image data captured by the rearward-viewing video camera is communicated from the rearward-viewing video camera via a twisted pair wire to the control circuitry disposed at the interior rearview mirror assembly.
Vehicular trailer hitching assist system
A vehicular trailer hitching assist system includes a rear backup camera disposed at a rear portion of a vehicle and a control disposed in the vehicle. A display device includes a video display screen operable to display video images for viewing by a driver of the vehicle. During a hitching maneuver event undertaken by the driver to hitch a trailer hitch of the vehicle to a trailer tongue of a trailer, and while the driver of the vehicle is maneuvering the vehicle to hitch the vehicle to the trailer, the control outputs video images derived from image data captured by the rear backup camera for display by the video display screen. At least one overlay overlays the displayed video images to guide the driver during the hitching maneuver. The at least one overlay aids in guiding connection of the trailer hitch of the vehicle to the trailer tongue of the trailer.
REARVIEW MIRROR SYSTEM AND DISPLAY WITH ENHANCED FUNCTIONALITY FOR LOW-LIGHT CONDITIONS AND VEHICLE INCLUDING THE SAME
A rearview mirror system for a vehicle providing a direct reflection of scenes in good light and an enhanced display of scenes in bad lighting includes a housing defining an opening, a display screen arranged at the opening, a camera, a fill light lamp, and a controller. The display screen is light-pervious at only one side. The camera and the fill light lamp are arranged on the housing. An image processing chip and the controller are arranged between the display screen and the housing. When ambient brightness is below a preset brightness value, the camera and the fill light lamp are activated, the camera captures images of side and rear scenes of the vehicle and generates an optical signal, the image processing chip, based on the optical signal, outputs an enhanced image on the display screen for better driving safety. A vehicle including the rearview mirror system is also disclosed.
Vehicular rearview mirror assembly
A vehicular rearview mirror assembly includes an electrochromic reflective element having front and rear glass substrates with an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween. The front glass substrate includes a specularly reflective perimeter layer at least partially around a perimeter border region of the rear side of the front glass substrate. At least one light source is disposed behind the perimeter layer. With the vehicular rearview mirror assembly mounted at the vehicle and when the at least one light source is electrically powered, the at least one light source emits light that passes through the perimeter border region of the second side of the front glass substrate and that is visible to a viewer viewing the first side of the front glass substrate of the electrochromic reflective element at the perimeter layer.
MIRROR REFLECTIVE ELEMENT SUB-ASSEMBLY FOR EXTERIOR REARVIEW MIRROR OF A VEHICLE
A mirror reflective element sub-assembly for an exterior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle includes a mirror reflective element, a heater pad, a mirror back plate, and a blind spot indicator module attached at a rear side of the back plate. The heater pad is adhered at the rear of the reflective element with a light transmitting aperture of the heater pad juxtaposed with a light transmitting aperture of the mirror reflector of the reflective element. The heater pad is adhered at the mirror back plate with its light transmitting aperture juxtaposed with a light transmitting aperture of the mirror back plate. Light emitted by the blind spot indicator module passes through a light-transmitting aperture of the mirror reflector to provide an illuminated icon to a driver of the vehicle when a blind spot detection system of the vehicle detects the presence of another vehicle in an adjacent lane.
Vehicular imaging system with extendable camera
A vehicular imaging system includes an electronic control unit (ECU) and a camera device disposed at a body portion of the vehicle. The camera device includes structure that supports a camera and that is movable between a stowed position, where the structure and camera are within the body portion, and an extended position, where the structure and camera are extended outward from the body portion so that the camera is positioned with a field of view exterior of the vehicle. The structure includes a plurality of individually movable elements that are disposed adjacent one another and that cooperate to form the outer surface. The individually movable elements, when moved relative to the body portion of the vehicle, cooperate to extend and retract the camera. The camera, when the structure is in the extended position, captures image data and provides captured image data to the ECU.
Vehicular camera module with focus athermalization
A vehicular camera module includes a front camera housing portion having an imager, a lens having a plurality of optical elements, and an imager printed circuit board. The imager is disposed at a front side of the imager printed circuit board and the lens is optically aligned with the imager. A rear camera housing portion is mated with the front camera housing portion to form a camera housing. A thermal element is disposed between the imager printed circuit board and the camera housing. The thermal element has a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of 13 ppm/° C. or less. With the vehicular camera module disposed at a vehicle, circuitry of the vehicular camera module is in electrical connection with a wire harness of the vehicle.
Auto-switch display intelligent rearview mirror system
A motor vehicle includes a rearview mirror display system with a visible surface and having a mirror mode and a display mode. The visible surface functions as a mirror in the mirror mode. The visible surface displays an electronically produced image in the display mode. An electronic processor is communicatively coupled to the rearview mirror display system. The electronic processor detects that the display mode is not operating properly, and, in response to the detecting, automatically switches the rearview mirror display system from the display mode to the mirror mode.
EXTERIOR REARVIEW DEVICE FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES AND KIT OF PARTS
An exterior rearview device for an automotive vehicle includes a cover body with a cover body opening where the cover covers a front part of at least one reflective means, display or camera accommodated in the cover body. The exterior rearview device also contains a light module having a base body, a lens attachable to the base body and a selected functional device selected from at least two different functional devices each of which is adapted to achieve a specific light function. The base body is attachable to the cover body such that, in an attached state, the lens is arranged in the cover body opening, and the selected functional device is attachable to the base body such that, in the attached state, light from the light module passes through the lens to fulfil the specific light function of the selected functional device.