Vehicle exterior monitoring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11077798-B2
Application number	US-201916452681-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2019
Priority date	Jun 26, 2019
Publication date	Aug 3, 2021
Grant date	Aug 3, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle side-view mirror assembly includes an anchor element mountable to a vehicle exterior, and a foldable housing, including a first surface directed in a forward direction when the foldable housing is in an unfolded position, a first capacitive cover and a first electric ground path attached to the first surface, a second surface that is a lateral side surface facing away from the anchor element, a second capacitive cover and a second electric ground path attached to the second surface, a third surface that is a hinged side surface hingedly connected to the anchor element, and a third capacitive cover and a third electric ground path attached to the third surface. Each of the capacitive covers are electrically insulated from one another.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle side-view mirror assembly, comprising:
an anchor element mountable to a vehicle exterior; and
a foldable housing, including:
a first surface directed in a forward direction when the foldable housing is in an unfolded position;
a first capacitive cover and a first electric ground path attached to the first surface;
a second surface that is a lateral side surface facing away from the anchor element;
a second capacitive cover and a second electric ground path attached to the second surface;
a third surface that is a hinged side surface hingedly connected to the anchor element; and
a third capacitive cover and a third electric ground path attached to the third surface;
wherein each of the capacitive covers are electrically insulated from one another.

2. The vehicle side-view mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the hinged side surface faces a vehicle exterior surface when the housing is in the unfolded position and faces forward when the housing is in a folded position.

3. The vehicle side-view mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the capacitive covers and the electric ground paths are electrically coupled to a vehicle computer.

4. The vehicle side mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the capacitive covers and the electric ground paths are covered with paint.

5. A system, comprising:
a side-view mirror assembly, comprising:
an anchor element mountable to a vehicle exterior; and
a foldable housing, including:
a first surface directed in a forward direction when the foldable housing is in an unfolded position;
a first capacitive cover and a first electric ground path attached to the first surface;
a second surface that is a lateral side surface facing away from the anchor element;
a second capacitive cover and a second electric ground path attached to the second surface;
a third surface that is a hinged side surface hingedly connected to the anchor element; and
a third capacitive cover and a third electric ground path attached to the third surface;
wherein each of the capacitive covers are electrically insulated from one another; and

a computer comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
determine respective capacitances of each of the capacitive covers of the surfaces; and
actuate an actuator to move the housing to a folded position based on the determined respective capacitances.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to prevent an actuation of the foldable housing upon determining that a vehicle speed exceeds a threshold.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to actuate the foldable housing to fold upon determining that a rate of change of the determined capacitance is less than a first threshold and greater than a second threshold.

8. The system of claim 5 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to detect water on the housing based on the determined capacitance and a rate of change of the capacitance.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to actuate a vehicle running board to drop upon (i) determining that a vehicle gear is in a neutral position, (ii) detecting water on the foldable housing, and (iii) detecting water on a second foldable housing mounted to the vehicle.

10. The system of claim 5 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to actuate a vehicle actuator to stop based on determined capacitance of the hinged side surface while the foldable housing is in the folded position.

11. The system of claim 5 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to actuate the foldable housing to move to the folded position based on capacitances of the capacitive covers of at least one of the forward-facing surface and the lateral side surface.

12. The system of claim 5 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to actuate an electric actuator to electrically charge and discharge the capacitive covers of the surfaces and to determine the capacitances of the covers based on a determined rate of discharge of the capacitances.

13. The system of claim 5 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to actuate the actuator to move the housing to the folded position further based on location coordinates stored in the memory.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to store location coordinates in the memory upon determining that the housing was actuated to fold for at least a specified number of times at the respective location.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Salter Stuart C
• Van Wiemeersch John Robert
• Dellock Paul Kenneth
• Cooprider Anthony Dwayne
• Deljevic Zeljko

Classifications

• B60R1/12 Primary

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

• B60R1/074 Primary

  for retracting the mirror arrangements to a non-use position alongside the vehicle · CPC title

• B60R2001/1223

  with sensors or transducers · CPC title

• B60R1/078

  easily removable; mounted for bodily outward movement, e.g. when towing · CPC title

• G01V3/08

  operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified by objects or geological structures or by detecting devices (with electromagnetic waves G01V3/12) · CPC title