Automobile and method for automatically adjusting rearview mirror

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9802543-B2
Application number	US-201514687645-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2015
Priority date	Dec 29, 2014
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

An automobile includes a rearview mirror, a motor electrically coupled to the rearview mirror, an image capturing unit configured to capture a number of images of a face of a driver in real time, a light detecting unit configured to detect light on the rearview mirror, a storage unit configured to store a preset value of light intensity, and a processing unit configured to execute an automatic adjusting system to adjust a position of the rearview mirror when one of a number of conditions is met. The number of conditions include a position of eyes of the driver changes, and light exceeding the preset value of intensity enters into the eyes of the driver.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for automatically adjusting a rearview mirror of an automobile, the method comprising steps of:
capturing, by an image capturing unit, a plurality of images of a driver's face in real time;
detecting, by a light detecting unit, light on the rearview mirror;
obtaining from each image, by a processing unit, a position of eyes of the driver;
calculating from the light on the rearview mirror, by the processing unit, an incident angle of the light on the rearview mirror, an angle of reflection of the light from the rearview mirror, and an intensity of the light;
comparing, by the processing unit, every two successive images of the driver's face, and determining whether the position of the eyes of the driver has changed;
determining, by the processing unit, whether the intensity of the light is greater than a preset value;
determining, by the processing unit and when the illuminance value of the light is greater than the preset value, and according to the angle of reflection of the light from the rearview mirror and the position of the eyes of the driver, whether the light reflected off of the rearview mirror enters into the eyes of the driver; and
adjusting, by the processing unit, an angle of the rearview mirror when it is determined that either the position of the eyes of the driver has changed or that the light having an intensity greater than the preset value enters into the eyes of the driver;
wherein a first signal corresponding to the plurality of images is generated by the image capturing unit, and a second signal corresponding to the light is generated by the light detecting unit; the position of the eyes of the driver is determined from the first signal; and the incident angle of the light on the rearview mirror, the angle of reflection of the light from the rearview mirror, and the intensity of the light are calculated from the second signal.

2. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of images is still images or frames of a video.

3. The method as in claim 1 , wherein when the position of the eyes of the driver is determined to have changed, the rearview mirror is adjusted a same angle and direction as the eyes of the driver.

4. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the position of the eyes of the driver is determined to have changed when a position of the eyes in the two successive images is different.

5. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the first signal and the second signal are electrically sent to the processing unit.

6. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the first signal and the second signal are wirelessly sent to the processing unit.

7. An automobile comprising:
a rearview mirror;
a motor electrically coupled to the rearview mirror and configured to adjust a position of the rearview mirror;
an image capturing unit configured to capture a plurality of images of a face of a driver in real time;
a light detecting unit configured to detect light on the rearview mirror;
a storage unit configured to store a preset value of light intensity, and further store a plurality of instructions of a plurality of modules of an automatic adjusting system; and

a processing unit configured to execute the plurality of instructions of the plurality of modules of the automatic adjusting system to adjust a position of the rearview mirror when one of a plurality of conditions is met,
wherein the plurality of conditions for adjusting the position of the rearview mirror comprises:

a position of eyes of the driver changes; and the light exceeding the preset value of light intensity enters into the eyes of the driver; the image capturing unit produces a first signal corresponding to the plurality of images of the driver's face; the light detecting unit produces a second signal corresponding to the light on the rearview mirror; the processing unit determines from the first signal whether the position of the eyes of the driver changes; and the processing unit determines from the second signal an incident angle of the light on the rearview mirror, an angle of reflection of the light from the rearview mirror, and an intensity of the light.

8. The automobile as in claim 7 , wherein the first signal and the second signal are stored in the storage unit.

9. The automobile as in claim 7 , wherein the plurality of modules of the automatic adjusting system comprises:
a calculating module configured to determine from the first signal the position of the eyes of the driver, and calculate from the second signal the incident angle, the angle of reflection, and the intensity of the light;
an image comparing module configured to compare, according to the first signal, every two successive images of the driver's face, and determine whether the position of the eyes of the driver has changed;
a light comparing module configured to compare, according to the second signal, whether the intensity of the light is greater than the preset value;
a determining module configured to determine, according to the angle of reflection of the light and according to the position of the eyes of the driver, whether the light enters into the eyes of the driver; and
a controlling module configured to control the motor to adjust the position of the rearview mirror when one of the plurality of conditions is met.

10. The automobile as in claim 9 , wherein when the position of the eyes of the driver changes, the controlling module adjusts the rearview mirror by a same angle and direction as the eyes of the driver; and when the light having an intensity greater than the preset value enters into the eyes of the driver and the position of the eyes does not change, the controlling module adjusts the rearview mirror in any direction until the light does not enter into the eyes of the driver.

11. The automobile as in claim 7 , wherein the position of the eyes of the driver is determined to have changed when the position of the eyes of the driver in the two successive images is different.

12. The automobile as in claim 7 , wherein the plurality of images is still images or frames of a video.

13. The automobile as in claim 7 , wherein the image capturing unit and the light capturing unit are located on the rearview mirror.

14. The automobile as in claim 7 , wherein the image capturing unit and the light capturing unit are both electrically coupled to the processing unit, and the first signal and the second signal are sent electrically to the processing unit.

15. The automobile as in claim 7 , wherein the automobile further comprises a first communication unit and a second communication unit; the image capturing unit and the light capturing unit are both electrically coupled to the first communication unit; the processing unit is electrically coupled to the second communication unit; and the first signal and the second signal are sent wirelessly to the processing unit by being sent from the first communication unit to the second communication unit.

16. A method for automatically adjusting a rearview mirror of an automobile, the method comprising steps of:
monitoring a driver's face in real time for changes in a position of eyes of the driver;
determining an incident angle of light on the rearview mirror, an angle of reflection of the light from the rearview mirror, and whether the light reflected off of the rearview mirror enters into the eyes of the driver;
determining whether an intensity of the light on the rearview mirror is above a preset value; and
adjusting a position of the rearview mirror in response to either the position of the eyes changing or the light having a light intensity

Assignees

• Hon Hai Prec Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lu Pen-Uei

Classifications

• G06K9/00845

  Physics · mapped topic

• B60R2001/1253

  with cameras, video cameras or video screens · CPC title

• B60R1/025 Primary

  comprising special mechanical means for correcting the field of view in relation to particular driving conditions, e.g. change of lane; scanning mirrors · CPC title

• B60R2001/1223

  with sensors or transducers · CPC title

• G06K9/00604

  Physics · mapped topic