Vehicular vision system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11285877-B2
Application number	US-202017247697-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2020
Priority date	Sep 1, 2009
Publication date	Mar 29, 2022
Grant date	Mar 29, 2022

Abstract

A vehicular vision system includes a video display screen and a video processor operable to process captured video image data captured by a rearward-viewing camera at the vehicle. The video display screen includes a left display region at a left portion, a right display region at a right portion, and a middle display region that spans between the left and right display regions. The video display screen displays at the left display region video images derived from image data captured by the rearward-viewing video camera to display a scene occurring at a left side lane at a left side of the equipped vehicle and does not display video images of the scene occurring at the left side lane at the left side of the equipped vehicle at the middle display region of the video display screen or at the right display region of the video display screen.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicular vision system comprising:
a video display screen operable for displaying video images;
wherein said video display screen is disposed in an interior electrochromic rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle equipped with said vehicular vision system;
wherein said video display screen is disposed behind a transflective mirror reflector of a transflective electrochromic mirror reflective element of said interior electrochromic rearview mirror assembly;
wherein video images displayed at said video display screen are viewable by a driver of the equipped vehicle;
wherein when not displaying video images, presence of said video display screen behind the transflective mirror reflector of the transflective electrochromic mirror reflective element is covert;
wherein said video display screen comprises a left display region at a left portion of said video display screen and a right display region at a right portion of said video display screen;
wherein said video display screen comprises a middle display region at a middle portion of said video display screen;
wherein said middle display region spans between said left display region and said right display region;
a rearward-viewing video camera disposed at the equipped vehicle;
said rearward-viewing video camera comprising a CMOS imaging array sensor;
a video processor operable to process image data; and
wherein, during forward travel of the equipped vehicle and responsive to a lane departure warning system of the equipped vehicle and responsive to processing of image data at said video processor, said video display screen displays at said left display region video images derived, at least in part, from image data captured by the rearward-viewing video camera in order to display a scene occurring at a left side lane at a left side of the equipped vehicle where another vehicle may overtake the equipped vehicle in the left side lane adjacent to the equipped vehicle and does not display video images of the scene occurring at the left side lane at the left side of the equipped vehicle at the middle display region of said video display screen, and does not display video images of the scene occurring at the left side lane at the left side of the equipped vehicle at the right display region of said video display screen.

2. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein, during forward travel of the equipped vehicle, and when said video display screen displays the scene occurring at the left side lane at said left display region of said video display screen, said video display screen displays an icon to enhance the driver's cognitive awareness of the displayed scene.

3. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein said video display screen comprises a reconfigurable thin film transistor liquid crystal screen.

4. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein image data is provided to said video processor as digital signals.

5. The vehicular vision system of claim 4 , wherein the image data provided to said video processor as digital signals is carried over a communication bus of the equipped vehicle.

6. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein, during forward travel of the equipped vehicle, said middle display region of said video display screen displays an iconistic warning responsive to detection of another vehicle in the left side lane or a right side lane adjacent to the equipped vehicle.

7. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein said video display screen comprises a reconfigurable thin film transistor liquid crystal screen that is backlit by at least one white light-emitting light emitting diode.

8. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , comprising dynamic contrast control of said video display screen, and wherein said dynamic contrast control is operable to increase contrast within individual video image frames.

9. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein said video processor is operable to at least one selected from the group consisting of (a) provide on screen display capability, (b) provide video decoding, (c) at least partially control dimming of said transflective electrochromic mirror reflective element, and (d) at least partially control display intensity of said video display screen.

10. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein said interior electrochromic rearview mirror assembly is configured to selectively receive at least one accessory module therein to update said interior electrochromic rearview mirror assembly to provide at least one function or feature.

11. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , comprising a forward-viewing camera having a forward field of view forward of the equipped vehicle and in the direction of travel of the equipped vehicle.

12. The vehicular vision system of claim 11 , wherein said video processor processes image data captured by said forward-viewing camera to detect and recognize a road sign ahead of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said video display screen displays an iconistic representation of the detected and recognized road sign for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said iconistic representation displayed by said video display screen is viewable through said transflective mirror reflector of said interior electrochromic rearview mirror assembly and is substantially not viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle when said video display screen is not operating to display said iconistic representation when said video display screen backlighting is locally dimmed.

13. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein, when said video display screen is operating to display video images, said video display screen provides a contrast ratio of greater than about 900:1.

14. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein said rearward-viewing video camera has a field of view of at least 130 degrees.

15. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein said rearward-viewing video camera has a field of view of at least 180 degrees.

16. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein video images displayed at said video display screen, an intensity of at least 1,500 candelas per square meter as viewed by the driver through the transflective mirror reflector of the transflective electrochromic mirror reflective element.

17. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein said video display screen comprises an organic light emitting diode (OLED) video display screen.

18. A vehicular vision system comprising:
a video display screen operable for displaying video images;
wherein said video display screen is disposed in an interior electrochromic rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle equipped with said vehicular vision system;
wherein said video display screen is disposed behind a transflective mirror reflector of a transflective electrochromic mirror reflective element of said interior electrochromic rearview mirror assembly;
wherein video images displayed at said video display screen are viewable by a driver of the equipped vehicle;
wherein when not displaying video images, presence of said video display screen behind the transflective mirror reflector of the transflective electrochromic mirror reflective element is covert;
wherein said video display screen comprises a left display region at a left portion of said video display screen and a right display region at a right portion of said video display screen;
wherein said video display screen comprises a middle display region at a middle portion of said video display screen;
wherein said middle display region spans b

Assignees

• Magna Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Baur Michael J
• Blank Rodney K
• Larson Mark L
• Lynam Niall R

Classifications

• G08G1/09623

  Systems involving the acquisition of information from passive traffic signs by means mounted on the vehicle (G08G1/0967 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G08G1/09626

  where the origin of the information is within the own vehicle, e.g. a local storage device, digital map · CPC title

• B60R2001/1215

  with information displays · CPC title

• B60R2300/806

  for aiding parking · CPC title

• B60R1/08 Primary

  involving special optical features, e.g. avoiding blind spots {, e.g. convex mirrors; Side-by-side associations of rear-view and other mirrors (B60R1/025, B60R1/10 take precedence)} · CPC title