Method for adjusting a position of a vehicle mirror

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016368422-A1
Application number	US-201615182996-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 15, 2016
Priority date	Jun 17, 2015
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for adjusting an angular positon 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:
operating a vehicle-mounted camera to detect a position and a gaze direction of an eye of a vehicle driver; operating a controller to determine a) a line-of-sight of the eye, b) a point at which the line-of-sight intersects a surface of a vehicle mirror, and c) a direction of offset between the point and a reference position on the mirror; and automatically operating a motor to adjust an angular orientation of the mirror 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.

7 . A method for adjusting a mirror of a vehicle, comprising:
operating a camera to detect a position and a gaze direction of an eye of a driver; determining, from the position and gaze direction, a line-of-sight of the eye; determining a point at which the line-of-sight intersects the mirror; and automatically adjusting an orientation of the mirror based on a distance between the point and a lateral center of the mirror.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
in response to a reduction in a magnitude of the distance between the point and the lateral center, automatically readjusting the orientation of the mirror.

9 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
detecting a driving mode of the vehicle; and automatically adjusting the orientation of the mirror further based upon the driving mode.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein adjustments to the 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.

11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the orientation of the mirror is adjusted dynamically.

12 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
operating the camera to detect an object of interest to the driver; and adjusting the orientation of the mirror such that the object remains within a field-of-view provided to the driver by the mirror.

13 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the orientation of the mirror is adjusted such that an object visible to the driver in the mirror is seen by the driver closer to the lateral center of the mirror following adjustment.

14 . A method comprising:
operating a vehicle-mounted camera to detect a position and a gaze direction of an eye of a vehicle driver; operating a controller to determine a) a line-of-sight of the eye, b) a position at which the line-of-sight intersects a surface of a vehicle mirror, and c) a reflected field-of-view provided to the driver by the mirror; and automatically operating a motor to adjust an angular orientation of the mirror to adjust a position of the reflected field-of-view.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the angular is adjusted such that the reflected field-of-view is substantially unaffected by a change in the position of the driver's eye.

16 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
identifying a desired position of the reflected field-of-view when the line-of-sight intersects the surface at a reference position on the mirror; and automatically adjusting the angular orientation to maintain the desired position of the reflected field-of-view.

17 . The method of claim 14 , 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.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein adjustments to the angular orientation of the mirror of the vehicle in response to changes in the position of the eye are suppressed when the driving mode is a predetermined driving mode.

19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the angular orientation of the mirror is adjusted dynamically.

20 . The method of claim 14 , 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

• B60R11/04

  Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle · CPC title

• B60R2001/1253

  with cameras, video cameras or video screens · CPC title

• B60R1/12 Primary

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

• B60R1/081 Primary

  avoiding blind spots, e.g. by using a side-by-side association of mirrors · CPC title

• B60R1/04

  mounted inside vehicle {(B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence)} · CPC title