Forward facing imaging system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9827918-B2
Application number	US-201213353492-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 19, 2012
Priority date	Nov 24, 1999
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

A forward facing imaging system for a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at an interior portion of a vehicle and a camera disposed at the interior rearview mirror assembly. The camera has a forward field of view through a windshield of the vehicle. The camera captures image data and captured image data is recorded by a recording system. During operation of the vehicle, the recording system records image data, as it is captured over a given period of operation of the vehicle, in a closed-loop fashion onto electronic memory. Image data, as captured by the camera, is processed by an image processor in order to determine the presence of at least one object forward of the equipped vehicle.

First claim

We claim:

1. A forward facing imaging system for a vehicle, said forward facing imaging system comprising:
an interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with said forward facing imaging system;
a camera disposed at said interior rearview mirror assembly, said camera having a forward field of view through a windshield of the equipped vehicle;
wherein said camera captures image data and wherein the image data captured by said camera is recorded by a recording system;
wherein, during operation of the equipped vehicle, said recording system records the image data, as it is captured by said camera over a given period of operation of the equipped vehicle, in a closed-loop fashion onto electronic memory;
wherein the image data captured by said camera is processed by an image processor in order to determine a presence of at least one object forward of the equipped vehicle;
wherein the image data captured by said camera and vehicle information are transmitted to a remote receiver via a telematics system; and
wherein, responsive to a signal indicative of a collision involving the equipped vehicle, the remote receiver is operable to determine a number of occupants in the equipped vehicle and to notify emergency personnel of the number of occupants in the equipped vehicle.

2. The forward facing imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the remote receiver determines the number of occupants in the equipped vehicle responsive to an interior camera of the equipped vehicle that has a field of view of a portion of an interior cabin of the equipped vehicle.

3. A forward facing imaging system for a vehicle, said forward facing imaging system comprising:
an interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with said forward facing imaging system;
a camera disposed at said interior rearview mirror assembly, said camera having a forward field of view through a windshield of the equipped vehicle;
wherein said camera captures image data and wherein the image data captured by said camera is recorded by a recording system;
wherein, during operation of the equipped vehicle, said recording system records the image data, as it is captured by said camera over a given period of operation of the equipped vehicle, in a closed-loop fashion onto electronic memory;
wherein the image data captured by said camera is processed by an image processor in order to determine a presence of at least one object forward of the equipped vehicle; and
wherein said at least one object forward of the equipped vehicle comprises at least one of a headlamp and a taillight of another vehicle forward of the equipped vehicle, and wherein the image data captured by said camera is processed by said image processor for a headlamp control system of the equipped vehicle.

4. The forward facing imaging system of claim 3 , wherein said given period of operation of the equipped vehicle comprises at least about one minute of operation of the equipped vehicle.

5. The forward facing imaging system of claim 3 , wherein said given period of operation of the equipped vehicle is less than about fifteen minutes of operation of the equipped vehicle.

6. The forward facing imaging system of claim 3 , wherein said given period of operation of the equipped vehicle is in a range from about five minutes of operation of the equipped vehicle to about fifteen minutes of operation of the equipped vehicle.

7. The forward facing imaging system of claim 3 , wherein said given period of operation of the equipped vehicle comprises a last period of operation of the equipped vehicle before the equipped vehicle is involved in an accident event.

8. The forward facing imaging system of claim 7 , wherein said given period of operation of the equipped vehicle includes a period of time following said accident event.

9. The forward facing imaging system of claim 3 , wherein said recording system comprises a recording system of the equipped vehicle and wherein said electronic memory comprises non-volatile memory that is non-erasing in an event of electrical power loss in the equipped vehicle.

10. The forward facing imaging system of claim 3 , wherein, responsive to a triggering event, the image data captured by said camera is transmitted to a remote receiver via a telematics system.

11. The forward facing imaging system of claim 10 , wherein said triggering event comprises at least one of (i) activation of brakes of the equipped vehicle, (ii) activation of an air bag of the equipped vehicle, (iii) activation of a horn of the equipped vehicle, and (iv) deceleration of the equipped vehicle.

12. The forward facing imaging system of claim 3 , wherein vehicle information corresponding to the given period of operation of the equipped vehicle is recorded in a closed-loop fashion onto said electronic memory in conjunction with said closed-loop recording of the image data captured by said camera.

13. The forward facing imaging system of claim 12 , wherein said vehicle information includes at least one of (i) a gear in which the equipped vehicle is operating, (ii) activation of brakes of the equipped vehicle, (iii) speed at which the equipped vehicle is traveling, (iv) rate of acceleration/deceleration of the equipped vehicle, (v) time of the recording, (vi) date of the recording, (vii) current geographic location of the equipped vehicle, (viii) an atmospheric condition at the equipped vehicle, (ix) a lighting condition at the equipped vehicle, (x) a vehicle control status signal, (xi) a status of a turn signal of the equipped vehicle, (xii) a status of a tire traction of the equipped vehicle, (xiii) a tire pressure status of the equipped vehicle, (xiv) a yaw of the equipped vehicle and (xv) a roll of the equipped vehicle.

14. The forward facing imaging system of claim 13 , wherein, responsive to a triggering event, the image data captured by said camera and recorded by said recording system and the recorded vehicle information are transmitted to a remote receiver via a telematics system.

15. The forward facing imaging system of claim 14 , wherein said triggering event comprises at least one of (i) activation of brakes of the equipped vehicle, (ii) activation of an air bag of the equipped vehicle, (iii) activation of a horn of the equipped vehicle, and (iv) deceleration of the equipped vehicle.

16. The forward facing imaging system of claim 3 , further comprising at least one other camera, wherein, during operation of the equipped vehicle, said recording system records image data, as it is captured by said at least one other camera over a given period of operation of the equipped vehicle, in a closed-loop fashion onto electronic memory.

17. The forward facing imaging system of claim 16 , wherein said at least one other camera comprises at least one of (i) an interior camera having a field of view of a portion of an interior cabin of the equipped vehicle, (ii) a camera disposed at said interior rearview mirror assembly, (iii) an exterior camera having a field of view exterior of the equipped vehicle, (iv) a camera disposed at an exterior rearview mirror assembly of the equipped vehicle, (v) a camera disposed at a roof of the equipped vehicle, a camera disposed at a headliner or header console of the equipped vehicle, (vi) a camera disposed at a front exterior body portion of the equipped vehicle, (vii) a camera disposed at a side exterior body portion of the equipped vehicle, (viii) a camera disposed at a rear exterior body portion of the equipped vehicle, and (ix) a camera disposed at an interior portion of the equ

Assignees

• Hutzel Barry W
• Lynam Niall R
• Dewind Darryl P
• Lindahl John O
• Donnelly Corp

Inventors

• Hutzel Barry W
• Lynam Niall R
• Dewind Darryl P
• Lindahl John O

Classifications

• H04N7/181

  for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources · CPC title

• G01C11/02

  Picture taking arrangements specially adapted for photogrammetry or photographic surveying, e.g. controlling overlapping of pictures · CPC title

• B60R2300/8013

  for child monitoring · CPC title

• B60R2001/1292

  with holding means for personal articles · CPC title

• B60R2001/1253

  with cameras, video cameras or video screens · CPC title