Vision system for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9446715-B2
Application number	US-201514946854-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2015
Priority date	Aug 25, 1999
Publication date	Sep 20, 2016
Grant date	Sep 20, 2016

Abstract

A vision system for a vehicle includes an attachment element adhered to the in-cabin surface of a vehicle windshield at a windshield first location and an attachment member adhered to the in-cabin surface of the vehicle windshield at a windshield second location. The attachment element is configured for mounting thereto an interior rearview mirror assembly. An accessory module is configured to attach to and be supported by the attachment member adhered to the in-cabin surface of the vehicle windshield. The accessory module includes a forward facing camera that has a field of view through the vehicle windshield. The forward facing camera may be a component of a collision avoidance system of the vehicle. A light absorbing layer may be disposed at the vehicle windshield to at least partially mask the presence of the attachment element and/or the accessory module from view through the vehicle windshield from outside the vehicle.

First claim

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:
an attachment element adhered using an adhesive to the in-cabin surface of a vehicle windshield of a vehicle equipped with said vision system, said attachment element adhered to the inner surface of the windshield at a windshield first location;
an attachment member adhered using an adhesive to the in-cabin surface of the vehicle windshield, said attachment member adhered to the inner surface of the windshield at a windshield second location;
wherein said windshield second location is separate from and is spaced from said windshield first location;
said attachment element comprising a mirror mounting button;
wherein said mirror mounting button is configured for mounting thereto an interior rearview mirror assembly;
an accessory module configured to attach to and be supported by said attachment member adhered to the in-cabin surface of the vehicle windshield;
wherein said accessory module comprises a forward facing camera;
wherein, with said accessory module attached to and supported by said attachment member, said forward facing camera of said accessory module has a field of view through the vehicle windshield;
wherein said forward facing camera comprises a component of a collision avoidance system of the equipped vehicle;
wherein a light absorbing layer disposed at the vehicle windshield at least partially masks the presence of said attachment element from view through the vehicle windshield from outside the equipped vehicle; and
wherein said light absorbing layer disposed at the vehicle windshield at least partially masks the presence of said accessory module from view through the vehicle windshield from outside the equipped vehicle.

2. The vision system of claim 1 , wherein, with said accessory module attached to and supported by said attachment member, an uppermost portion of said accessory module is disposed above said attachment element.

3. The vision system of claim 2 , wherein, with said accessory module attached to and supported by said attachment member, a lowermost portion of said accessory module is disposed below said attachment element.

4. The vision system of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive adhering said attachment member to the in-cabin surface of the vehicle windshield at said windshield second location comprises an epoxy adhesive, and wherein the adhesive adhering said attachment element to the in-cabin surface of the vehicle windshield at said windshield first location comprises an epoxy adhesive.

5. The vision system of claim 1 , wherein a shadeband is disposed at the vehicle windshield at least proximate to where said attachment element and said attachment member are adhered to the in-cabin surface of the vehicle windshield.

6. The vision system of claim 1 , wherein said accessory module further comprises a video camera that is configured, with said accessory module attached to and supported by said attachment member, to view a portion of the interior cabin of the equipped vehicle.

7. The vision system of claim 6 , wherein illumination from at least one near-infrared light source illuminates the portion of the interior cabin viewed by said video camera.

8. The vision system of claim 1 , wherein said accessory module further comprises a video camera that is configured, with said accessory module attached to and supported by said attachment member, to view at least a portion of the face of a driver of the equipped vehicle.

9. The vision system of claim 8 , wherein illumination from at least one near-infrared light source illuminates the portion of the face of the driver viewed by said video camera.

10. The vision system of claim 1 , wherein, with said accessory module attached to and supported by said attachment member, said accessory module straddles said attachment element.

11. The vision system of claim 1 , wherein, with said accessory module attached to and supported by said attachment member, a mirror mount of an interior rearview mirror assembly can be mounted to said mirror mounting button of said attachment element and can be demounted from said mirror mounting button of said attachment element without demounting said accessory module from said attachment member.

12. The vision system of claim 1 , comprising a vehicular tire pressure monitoring system having a tire pressure indicator assembly operable to provide at least one of an audible tire inflation status indicator and a visual tire inflation status indicator and wherein said tire inflation status indicator provides indication of the inflation condition of a vehicle tire to a person exteriorly of the equipped vehicle when the person is engaged in an act of adjusting the tire pressure of the vehicle tire, and wherein a control of said tire pressure monitoring system receives inputs from tire pressure sensors sensing pressure of the vehicle tires and produces outputs to actuate said tire inflation status indicator.

13. The vision system of claim 1 , wherein said forward facing camera comprises a CMOS camera and wherein said forward facing camera comprises a component of an automatic headlamp control system of the equipped vehicle.

14. The vision system of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive adhering said attachment member to the in-cabin surface of the vehicle windshield at said windshield second location comprises an epoxy adhesive.

15. The vision system of claim 14 , wherein said epoxy adhesive comprises an epoxy structural bonding tape.

16. The vision system of claim 15 , wherein the adhesive adhering said attachment element to the in-cabin surface of the vehicle windshield at said windshield first location comprises an epoxy adhesive, and wherein said epoxy adhesive comprises an epoxy structural bonding tape.

17. The vision system of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive adhering said attachment member to the in-cabin surface of the vehicle windshield at said windshield second location comprises a silicone adhesive.

18. The vision system of claim 1 , wherein said forward facing camera provides input for a camera-based “black box” recorder system.

19. The vision system of claim 1 , wherein said windshield first location is local to said windshield second location.

20. The vision system of claim 1 , wherein said light absorbing layer comprises a substantially opaque black-out layer.

21. The vision system of claim 1 , wherein said light absorbing layer comprises a substantially opaque frit layer.

22. A vision system for a vehicle, said vision system comprising:
an attachment element adhered using an adhesive to the in-cabin surface of a vehicle windshield of a vehicle equipped with said vision system, said attachment element adhered to the inner surface of the windshield at a windshield first location;
an attachment member adhered using an adhesive to the in-cabin surface of the vehicle windshield, said attachment member adhered to the inner surface of the windshield at a windshield second location;
wherein said windshield second location is separate from and is spaced from said windshield first location;
said attachment element comprising a mirror mounting button;
wherein said mirror mounting button is configured for mounting thereto an interior rearview mirror assembly;
an accessory module configured to attach to and be supported by said attachment member adhered to the in-cabin surface of the vehicle windshield;
wherein sai

Assignees

• Magna Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Schofield Kenneth
• Lynam Niall R

Classifications

• B60Q1/2661

  mounted on parts having other functions (on wheels B60Q1/326) · CPC title

• B60R1/12

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

• G02B2027/0118

  comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility · CPC title

• B60C23/0406

  Alarms noticeable from outside the vehicle, e.g. indication in side mirror, front light or audible alarms (B60C23/0403, B60C23/0405 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60C23/0401

  characterised by the type of alarm · CPC title