Method for adjusting a position of a vehicle mirror

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10017121-B2
Application number	US-201615182996-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2016
Priority date	Jun 17, 2015
Publication date	Jul 10, 2018
Grant date	Jul 10, 2018

Abstract

A method for adjusting an angular position of a vehicle based on the position and gaze direction of the eye (or eyes) of a driver of the vehicle, and where the driver's line-of-sight intersects the mirror. A camera images the driver's eyes and determines and tracks the position, gaze direction, and any changes therein. An electronic controller determines the driver's line-of-sight and adjusting an orientation of the mirror of the vehicle in response to the movement of the driver's eye, to adjust the driver's field-of-view through the mirror. A point of intersection between the line-of-sight and a reference position on the mirror is determined, and an offset direction and/or distance between a datum location on the mirror and the point of intersection may be used to determine the mirror adjustments.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
detecting a position and a gaze direction of a driver's eye by a vehicle-mounted camera;
determining by a controller a) the eye's line-of-sight, b) a point at which the line-of-sight intersects a vehicle mirror surface, and c) an offset direction between b) and a reference position on the mirror; and
automatically adjusting, by a motor, the mirror's angular orientation to shift a field-of-view provided by the mirror toward the direction of offset.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to the controller determining that a magnitude of offset between the point and the reference position has reduced, operating the motor to readjust the angular orientation of the mirror to shift the field-of-view away from the direction of offset.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising operating the controller to detect a driving mode of the vehicle and adjusting the angular orientation of the mirror based upon the driving mode.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein adjustments to the angular orientation of the mirror of the vehicle in response to a change in the position of the eye are suppressed when the driving mode is a predetermined driving mode.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the angular orientation of the mirror is adjusted dynamically.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
operating the camera to detect an object of interest to the driver; and
adjusting the angular orientation of the mirror such that the object remains within the field-of-view.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Uppal Vaibhav

Classifications

• B60R1/00

  Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles · CPC title

• B60R1/072

  for adjusting the mirror relative to its housing · CPC title

• B60R2001/1253

  with cameras, video cameras or video screens · CPC title

• G02B27/0093

  with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking · CPC title

• B60R1/12 Primary

  Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks · CPC title