Electronic accessory system for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9434314-B2
Application number	US-201414147801-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2014
Priority date	Apr 8, 1998
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

An electronic accessory system for a vehicle includes an accessory module housing electronics, which includes a CMOS camera and a vehicle bus node and a digital signal processor. When the accessory module is mounted at a vehicle windshield, the vehicle bus node is connected to a vehicle bus of the vehicle. At least one of (a) data generated by the electronics is conveyed to the vehicle bus via the vehicle bus node and (b) the vehicle bus conveys data to the electronics via the vehicle bus node. The digital signal processor is operable at a computational speed of at least 75 million instructions per second, and may include at least one of (a) at least 40 kilobytes of on-chip memory, (b) at least one serial port, (c) at least one DMA port, (d) at least one timer and (e) at least one interrupt capability.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic accessory system for a vehicle, said electronic accessory system comprising:
an accessory module, said accessory module housing electronics;
wherein said electronics includes a CMOS camera;
wherein said electronics includes a vehicle bus node;
wherein said accessory module is adapted for mounting at a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said electronic accessory system;
wherein, when said accessory module is mounted in the equipped vehicle at the windshield, said vehicle bus node is connected to a vehicle bus of the equipped vehicle;
wherein at least one of (a) data generated by said electronics is conveyed to said vehicle bus via said vehicle bus node and (b) said vehicle bus conveys data to said electronics via said vehicle bus node;
wherein said electronics includes a digital signal processor;
wherein said digital signal processor is operable at a computational speed of at least 75 million instructions per second; and
wherein said digital signal processor comprises at least one of (a) at least 40 kilobytes of on-chip memory, (b) at least one serial port, (c) at least one DMA port, (d) at least one timer and (e) at least one interrupt capability.

2. The electronic accessory system of claim 1 , wherein said electronics includes circuitry operable to control dimming of an electrochromic reflective element of the equipped vehicle.

3. The electronic accessory system of claim 1 , wherein said electronics includes at least one microphone, said at least one microphone generating at least one signal indicative of a vocal input with vehicle cabin noise included therewith when said accessory module is mounted in the equipped vehicle at the windshield, and wherein said electronics includes a processor for processing said at least one signal and providing an output signal with reduced vehicle cabin noise, and wherein said accessory module includes a casing, and wherein, when said accessory module is mounted in the equipped vehicle at the windshield, said at least one microphone is located at a location chosen from the group consisting of a rear portion of said casing, a bezel portion of said casing, a side portion of said casing, an upper portion of said casing and a lower portion of said casing.

4. The electronic accessory system of claim 3 , wherein said accessory module includes an indicator operable to indicate at least one of clarity of said output signal and volume of said output signal, and wherein said indicator provides an indication of the status of a security alarm.

5. The electronic accessory system of claim 4 , wherein said at least one microphone provides an input to a vehicular telematics system via said vehicle bus node.

6. The electronic accessory system of claim 5 , wherein said accessory module comprises an interior rearview mirror assembly.

7. The electronic accessory system of claim 5 , wherein said processor processes at least one of an echo cancellation algorithm, a beam forming algorithm, and a noise cancellation algorithm.

8. The electronic accessory system of claim 1 , wherein said digital signal processor is operable at a computational speed of at least 100 million instructions per second.

9. The electronic accessory system of claim 1 , wherein said digital signal processor comprises at least 40 kilobytes of on-chip memory and at least one timer.

10. The electronic accessory system of claim 1 , wherein said digital signal processor comprises at least one DMA port.

11. The electronic accessory system of claim 1 , wherein said digital signal processor comprises at least one timer.

12. The electronic accessory system of claim 1 , wherein said electronics includes at least two microphones, each of said at least two microphones generating a signal indicative of a vocal input with vehicle cabin noise included therewith when said accessory module is mounted in the equipped vehicle at the windshield, and wherein said electronics includes a processor for processing said signals and providing an output signal with reduced vehicle cabin noise.

13. The electronic accessory system of claim 12 , wherein said accessory module comprises an interior rearview mirror assembly and wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a mirror casing, and wherein, when said accessory module is mounted in the equipped vehicle at the windshield, said at least two microphones are located at a location chosen from the group consisting of an upper portion of said mirror casing and a lower portion of said mirror casing.

14. The electronic accessory system of claim 1 , wherein said vehicle bus node comprises a vehicle CAN bus node and wherein said vehicle bus comprises a vehicle CAN bus.

15. The electronic accessory system of claim 1 , wherein said vehicle bus node comprises a vehicle LIN bus node and wherein said vehicle bus comprises a vehicle LIN bus.

16. The electronic accessory system of claim 1 , wherein said electronics includes a control for a driver assistance feature of the equipped vehicle.

17. The electronic accessory system of claim 16 , wherein said driver assistance feature of the equipped vehicle comprises headlamp control.

18. An electronic accessory system for a vehicle, said electronic accessory system comprising:
an accessory module, said accessory module housing electronics;
wherein said electronics includes a CMOS camera;
wherein said electronics includes a vehicle CAN bus node;
wherein said accessory module is adapted for mounting at a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said electronic accessory system;
wherein, when said accessory module is mounted in the equipped vehicle at the windshield, said vehicle CAN bus node is connected to a vehicle CAN bus of the equipped vehicle;
wherein at least one of (a) data generated by said electronics is conveyed to said vehicle CAN bus via said vehicle CAN bus node and (b) said vehicle CAN bus conveys data to said electronics via said vehicle CAN bus node;
wherein said electronics includes a digital signal processor;
wherein said digital signal processor is operable at a computational speed of at least 75 million instructions per second;
wherein said digital signal processor comprises at least 40 kilobytes of on-chip memory and at least one timer; and
wherein said electronics includes a control for a driver assistance feature of the equipped vehicle.

19. The electronic accessory system of claim 18 , wherein said driver assistance feature of the equipped vehicle comprises headlamp control.

20. An electronic accessory system for a vehicle, said electronic accessory system comprising:
an accessory module, said accessory module housing electronics;
wherein said accessory module includes a casing;
wherein said electronics includes a CMOS camera;
wherein said electronics includes a vehicle bus node;
wherein said accessory module is adapted for mounting at a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said electronic accessory system;
wherein, when said accessory module is mounted in the equipped vehicle at the windshield, said vehicle bus node is connected to a vehicle bus of the equipped vehicle;
wherein at least one of (a) data generated by said electronics is conveyed to said vehicle bus via said vehicle bus node and (b) said vehicle bus conveys data to said electronics via said vehicle bus node;
wherein said electronics includes a digital signal processor;
wherein said digital signal processor is operable at a computational speed of at least 100 million instructions per second;
wherein said digita

Assignees

• Donnelly Corp

Inventors

• Deline Jonathan E
• Lynam Niall R
• Spooner Ralph A
• March Philip A

Classifications

• G02B6/00

  Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings · CPC title

• B60R11/02

  for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof · CPC title

• B60R11/0247

  for microphones or earphones · CPC title

• B60R2011/0026

  Windows, e.g. windscreen · CPC title

• B60R11/0217

  for loud-speakers · CPC title