Adjustment of vehicle rearview mirror displays

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for adjusting a vehicle rearview mirror display are disclosed. An example vehicle includes a rearview camera to capture an image, a rearview mirror display positioned at a fixed orientation, the rearview mirror display to present a portion of the image, a housing to rotate behind the rearview mirror display, and a sensor to detect an orientation of the housing. The example vehicle also includes a controller to adjust the portion of the image presented via the rearview mirror display based on the orientation of the housing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to rearview mirror displays, and more particularly to the adjustment of vehicle rearview mirror displays. Background Technology

[0002] Vehicles typically include mirrors to allow the driver to observe the area around the vehicle. Vehicles often include rearview mirrors, which are coupled to the vehicle's windshield and allow the driver to observe the area behind the vehicle. Vehicles also frequently include side mirrors (also called side mirrors, fender mirrors, or wing mirrors), which are coupled to the corresponding doors and allow the driver to observe the areas to the sides and / or rear of the vehicle. Typically, each rearview and side mirror in a vehicle includes a reflective layer (e.g., formed of a metallic material) that allows the driver to observe the areas to the sides and / or rear of the vehicle via the mirror. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The appended claims define this application. This disclosure summarizes various aspects of the embodiments and is not intended to limit the claims. Other implementations are conceivable based on the technology described herein, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon studying the following drawings and detailed description, and these implementations are intended to fall within the scope of this application.

[0004] An example embodiment for adjusting a vehicle rearview mirror display is shown. The disclosed vehicle includes: a rearview camera for capturing images; a rearview mirror display positioned in a fixed orientation, the rearview mirror display presenting a portion of the image; a housing that rotates behind the rearview mirror display; and a sensor for detecting the orientation of the housing. The disclosed vehicle also includes a controller that adjusts the portion of the image presented via the rearview mirror display based on the orientation of the housing.

[0005] The disclosed method includes capturing an image via a rearview mirror and presenting a portion of the image via a rearview mirror display positioned in a fixed orientation. The disclosed method further includes: detecting the orientation of a housing via a sensor, the housing being configured to rotate behind the rearview mirror display; and adjusting the portion of the image presented via the rearview mirror display via a processor based on the orientation of the housing. Attached Figure Description

[0006] To better understand the present invention, reference can be made to the embodiments shown in the following figures. Components in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale, and related elements may be omitted, or in some cases the scale may be enlarged to emphasize and clearly illustrate the novel features described herein. Additionally, as is known in the art, system components may be arranged differently. Furthermore, in the figures, the same reference numerals denote corresponding parts in several views.

[0007] Figure 1 An example vehicle is shown in accordance with the teachings of this article.

[0008] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 The example of a vehicle's rearview display system is the rearview mirror display.

[0009] Figure 3A Depicting Figure 2 The side view of the rearview mirror display.

[0010] Figure 3B Depicting Figure 2 A top view of the rearview mirror display.

[0011] Figure 4A It is by Figure 1 Images captured by the vehicle's rearview camera.

[0012] Figure 4B Depicting via Figure 2 The rearview mirror display shows Figure 4A The region of interest for each instance of the image.

[0013] Figure 4C Depicting via Figure 2 Another example of the region of interest presented by the rearview mirror display.

[0014] Figure 5 It shows Figure 1 Another example of a vehicle's rearview display system.

[0015] Figure 6 yes Figure 1 A block diagram of the vehicle's electronic components.

[0016] Figure 7 It is based on the teachings of this article for adjusting the pathways Figure 1 The flowchart displayed on the vehicle's rearview mirror display. Detailed Implementation

[0017] While the invention may be embodied in various forms, some exemplary and non-limiting embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings and will be described below. It should be understood that this disclosure is considered as an example of the invention and not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments shown.

[0018] Vehicles typically include mirrors to allow the driver to observe the area around the vehicle. Vehicles often include rearview mirrors, which are coupled to the vehicle's windshield and allow the driver to observe the area behind the vehicle. Vehicles also frequently include side mirrors (also called side mirrors, fender mirrors, or wing mirrors), which are coupled to the corresponding doors and allow the driver to observe the areas to the sides and / or rear of the vehicle. Typically, each rearview and side mirror in a vehicle includes a reflective layer (e.g., formed of a metallic material) that allows the driver to observe the areas to the sides and / or rear of the vehicle via the mirror.

[0019] Recently, some vehicles include rearview mirror displays (e.g., liquid crystal displays (LCDs)) that provide images and / or video captured by vehicle cameras of the area behind the vehicle. Rearview mirror displays can be positioned and shaped similarly to conventional rearview mirrors. In some cases, rearview mirror displays may provide a clearer image of the area behind the vehicle compared to conventional rearview mirrors because they provide a view of the area not partially obstructed by the vehicle frame and / or objects located within the passenger compartment. Some rearview mirror displays include buttons that allow the driver to adjust which portion of the area behind the vehicle is displayed. In some situations, the driver may find adjusting the image presented via the rearview mirror display unintuitive.

[0020] The example methods and apparatus disclosed herein include a rearview display system that enables a vehicle operator and / or other vehicle occupants to visually adjust a region of interest presented via a rearview mirror display by rotating the rearview mirror display and / or the housing of the rearview mirror display. Examples disclosed herein include a rearview mirror display of a vehicle that presents a region of interest located behind the vehicle. The rearview mirror display is coupled to and shaped like a conventional rearview mirror. The region of interest presented via the rearview mirror display is included in an image captured by a rearview camera of the vehicle. Based on a detected rotation of the rearview mirror display and / or the display housing, a controller adjusts the region of interest presented on the rearview mirror display by performing a pixel shift count of the region of interest within the image captured by the rearview camera. The vehicle includes one or more sensors to detect the amount, direction, and / or orientation of adjustment of the rearview mirror display and / or the housing of the rearview mirror display. The amount and direction of the pixel shift count correspond to the degree and direction of rotation of the rearview mirror display and / or the housing of the rearview mirror display.

[0021] Turn to the attached diagram. Figure 1An example vehicle 100 according to the teachings herein is shown. Vehicle 100 can be a standard gasoline-powered vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, an electric vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, and / or any other type of mobility vehicle. Vehicle 100 includes mobility-related components, such as a powertrain having an engine, transmission, suspension, driveshaft, and / or wheels. Vehicle 100 can be non-autonomous, semi-autonomous (e.g., some conventional power functions are controlled by vehicle 100), or autonomous (e.g., power functions are controlled by vehicle 100 without direct driver input). In the illustrated example, vehicle 100 includes a windshield 102 and a rearview display system 104.

[0022] The windshield 102 allows the vehicle operator and / or other occupants of the vehicle 100 to observe the area in front of the vehicle 100. For example, the windshield 102 is formed of laminated glass to prevent it from shattering. In other instances, the windshield 102 may be formed of non-laminated tempered glass.

[0023] The rearview display system 104 of the illustrated example includes a rearview mirror display 106, a rearview camera 108, and a rearview controller 110. For example, the rearview controller 110 of the rearview display system 104 displays images and / or videos of the area behind the vehicle 100 captured by the rearview camera 108 via the rearview mirror display 106.

[0024] In the illustrated example, the rearview camera 108 is positioned toward the rear of vehicle 100 so that it can capture images and / or video of the area behind vehicle 100. In other examples, the rearview camera 108 may be located at any other position on vehicle 100, such that it can capture an unobstructed view of the area behind vehicle 100. Furthermore, in some examples, the rearview camera 108 is a wide-field-of-view camera that includes a wide-angle lens. The rearview camera 108 includes a wide-angle lens so that it can capture a larger area behind vehicle 100 compared to a standard lens. For example, the wide-angle lens allows the rearview camera 108 to have a field of view between approximately 64 and 84 degrees behind vehicle 100.

[0025] The rearview mirror display 106 is coupled to and shaped to the windshield 102 in a manner similar to a conventional rearview mirror. In the illustrated example, the rearview mirror display 106 presents at least a portion of the image and / or video captured by the rearview camera 108. For example, the rearview mirror display 106 presents the area of ​​interest of the vehicle operator (e.g., Figure 4B and Figure 4CThe region of interest (406) is defined as follows: That is, the rearview mirror display 106 presents to the vehicle operator a view of the area behind the vehicle 100, unobstructed by the frame of the vehicle 100 and / or objects located within the vehicle's passenger compartment (e.g., rear seat occupants). The rearview mirror display 106 includes, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, a flat panel display, a solid-state display, and / or any other display capable of presenting to the occupants of the vehicle 100 at least a portion of the images and / or videos captured by the rearview camera 108. In some instances, the rearview mirror display 106 includes an LCD display and / or other electronic displays located behind a translucent mirror (e.g., a one-way mirror), such that the translucent mirror acts as a mirror when the electronic display is not emitting light and emits images and / or videos through the translucent mirror when the electronic display is emitting light.

[0026] The rearview controller 110 displays a portion of the image and / or video captured by the rearview camera 108 via the rearview mirror display 106. Furthermore, the rearview controller 110 of the illustrated example determines which portion of the image and / or video captured by the rearview camera 108 is displayed via the rearview mirror display 106. For example, the rearview controller 110 determines this based on the vehicle operator's positioning of the rearview mirror display 106 and / or the housing of the rearview mirror display 106 (e.g., Figure 2 The orientation of the display housing 206 is used to identify the region of interest (e.g., region of interest 406) within the image captured by the rearview camera 108 that will be displayed via the rearview mirror display 106. In other words, the rearview controller 110 adjusts the region of interest presented via the rearview mirror display 106 based on the orientation of the rearview mirror display 106, similar to adjusting the reflected image based on the orientation of a conventional rearview mirror. Therefore, the rearview controller 110 enables the vehicle operator to intuitively adjust the area of ​​interest presented via the rearview mirror display 106 by adjusting the orientation of the rearview mirror display 106 and / or the housing of the rearview mirror display 106 (e.g., the vehicle operator rotates the rearview mirror display 106 and / or the housing to the left to move or pan the presented image to the left, rotates the rearview mirror display 106 and / or the housing to the right to move or pan the presented image to the right, rotates the rearview mirror display 106 and / or the housing downward to move or pan the presented image downward, and rotates the rearview mirror display 106 and / or the housing upward to move or pan the presented image upward).

[0027] Figure 2 An example of a rearview display system 104 for vehicle 100 is shown. For example... Figure 2As shown, the rearview display system 104 includes a rearview mirror display 106, an arm 202, a base 204, and a housing or display housing 206. In the illustrated example, the rearview mirror display 106 is coupled to the windshield 102 of the vehicle 100 via the arm 202 and the base 204. For example, the base 204 is fixed to the windshield 102 (e.g., via adhesive), and the arm 202 is connected to the rearview mirror display 106 and the base 204 to couple the rearview mirror display 106 to the windshield 102.

[0028] In the illustrated example, the rearview mirror display 106 is fixedly oriented and positioned at a fixed location via arm 202 and base 204. That is, the arm 202 coupling the rearview mirror display 106 to the windshield 102 is immovable to prevent adjustment of the orientation and / or position of the rearview mirror display 106. Therefore, the vehicle operator and / or other occupants of the vehicle 100 cannot adjust the orientation and / or position of the rearview mirror display 106. In some embodiments, the fixed orientation and fixed position of the rearview mirror display 106 reduces the amount of glare on the rearview mirror display 106 to facilitate the vehicle operator's viewing of the image presented via the rearview mirror display 106. Additionally or alternatively, the fixed orientation and fixed position of the rearview mirror display 106 reduces parallax effects on the image presented via the rearview mirror display 106 to facilitate the vehicle operator's viewing of the image presented via the rearview mirror display 106.

[0029] like Figure 2 As shown, the display housing 206 is located behind the rearview mirror display 106. For example, the display housing 206 at least partially surrounds the rearview mirror display 106 to provide a smooth surface that the vehicle operator can grip to adjust the area of ​​interest presented via the rearview mirror display 106 (e.g., Figure 4B and Figure 4C (Region of interest 406). Alternatively or additionally, the display housing 206 at least partially surrounds the back of the rearview mirror display 106 to prevent the rearview mirror display 106 from being damaged by other objects.

[0030] In the illustrated example, the display housing 206 is rotatably coupled to the arm 202 so that the display housing 206 can rotate behind the rearview mirror display 106. That is, the display housing 206 is configured to rotate about the rear of the rearview mirror display 106 to adjust the orientation of the display housing 206 relative to the rearview mirror display 106. The rearview controller 110 communicates via one or more sensors (e.g., Figure 3A and Figure 3B One or more sensors 306) identify the orientation of the display housing 206 relative to the rearview mirror display 106 and adjust the region of interest presented via the rearview mirror display 106 based on the identified orientation.

[0031] Figure 3A and Figure 3B The rearview display system 104 is further illustrated. More specifically, Figure 3A This is a side view of the rearview display system 104, and Figure 3B This is a top view of the rearview display system 104. For example... Figure 3A and Figure 3B As shown, the orientation and position of the rearview mirror display 106 are fixed via a non-movable arm 202, which couples the rearview mirror display 106 to the windshield 102. Additionally, the display housing 206 is rotatably coupled to the arm 202 adjacent to the back of the rearview mirror display 106, allowing the display housing 206 to rotate behind the rearview mirror display 106 relative to its fixed position and orientation.

[0032] In some instances, the display housing 206 is at least partially formed of a flexible material. For example, the portion of the display housing 206 that engages with and couples to the arm 202 includes a flexible material so that the orientation of the display housing 206 can be adjusted relative to the arm 202, and thus relative to the rearview mirror display 106. Additionally or alternatively, such as Figure 3A and Figure 3B As shown, the display housing 206 defines teeth 302 (e.g., a first set of teeth), and the arm 202 defines teeth 304 (e.g., a second set of teeth). The teeth 302 of the display housing 206 and the teeth 304 of the arm 202 engage together to position the display housing 206 behind the rearview mirror display 106 and to allow the orientation of the display housing 206 to rotate behind the rearview mirror display 106. That is, the display housing 206 includes a flexible material, teeth 302, and / or any other structure that allows the display housing 206 to be rotatably coupled to the arm 202 behind the rearview mirror display 106.

[0033] In addition, such as Figure 3A and Figure 3B As shown, the rearview display system 104 also includes one or more sensors 306 that detect the orientation of the display housing 206 relative to the rearview mirror display 106 and / or arm 202. For example, the rearview controller 110 adjusts the area of ​​interest (e.g., behind the vehicle 100) presented via the rearview mirror display 106 based on the orientation of the display housing 206 detected via the sensors 306. Figure 4B and Figure 4CThe region of interest is 406. In the illustrated example, one or more of the sensors 306 are coupled to the arm 202 and / or the display housing 206 to detect the orientation of the display housing 206 relative to the arm 202 and / or the rearview mirror display 106. Alternatively or additionally, one or more of the sensors 306 are coupled to the back of the rearview mirror display 106 and / or positioned at any other location that enables one or more of the sensors 306 to measure the orientation of the display housing 206 relative to the arm 202 and / or the rearview mirror display 106.

[0034] exist Figure 3A In this configuration, the display housing 206 is rotated in a downward direction 308 relative to the rearview mirror display 106 by the vehicle operator (e.g., driver) and / or other occupants. During operation, one or more of the sensors 306 detect the rotation in the downward direction 308 (e.g., a change in orientation) and measure the magnitude of the rotation in the downward direction 308 (e.g., in degrees). The rearview controller 110 then uses the image captured by the rearview camera 108 (e.g., ...) to... Figure 4A The region of interest 406 presented via the rearview mirror display 106 is adjusted by moving the region of interest 406 downward in the image 402 by a value corresponding to the measured value of the rotation of the display housing 206. Similarly, in response to one or more of the sensors 306 detecting rotation of the display housing 206 in the upward direction, the rearview controller 110 adjusts the region of interest 406 presented via the rearview mirror display 106 by moving the region of interest 406 upward in the image 402 by a value corresponding to the measured value of the rotation of the display housing 206.

[0035] exist Figure 3B In this configuration, the display housing 206 is rotated 310 to the left relative to the rearview mirror display 106 by the vehicle operator and / or other occupants. During operation, one or more of the sensors 306 detect the rotation 310 to the left and measure the magnitude of the rotation. The rearview controller 110 then adjusts the region of interest 406 presented via the rearview mirror display 106 by shifting the region of interest 406 to the left within the image captured by the rearview camera 108 by an amount corresponding to the measured value of the rotation of the display housing 206. Similarly, in response to one or more of the sensors 306 detecting a rightward rotation of the display housing 206, the rearview controller 110 adjusts the region of interest 406 presented via the rearview mirror display 106 by shifting the region of interest 406 to the right by an amount corresponding to the measured value of the rotation of the display housing 206.

[0036] Figure 4A Image 402 captured by rear-view camera 108 is shown. Additionally, Figure 4B and Figure 4C The region of interest is shown via the rearview mirror display 106. More specifically, Figure 4B A region of interest 406 (e.g., a first region of interest) at a first location within image 402 is shown, and Figure 4C A region of interest 406 (e.g., a second region of interest) is shown at a second location within image 402.

[0037] like Figure 4A As shown, the rearview camera 108 captures an image 402 of the area behind vehicle 100. In the illustrated example, image 402 identifies another vehicle following vehicle 100. Furthermore, image 402 is a digital image comprising a plurality of pixels 404 arranged in rows and columns. For example, rearview camera 108 is a digital camera that captures digital images and / or video (e.g., image 402).

[0038] Figure 4B A portion of an image 402 presented via a rearview mirror display 106 is shown. This portion of image 402 corresponds to the region of interest 406 behind the vehicle 100 for the operator (e.g., driver) and / or other occupants of the vehicle 100. Figure 4B As shown, the region of interest 406 is smaller than image 402 and is formed by a portion of a plurality of pixels 404 of image 402. That is, the rearview mirror display 106 presents a portion (e.g., region of interest 406) of image 402 captured by rearview camera 108.

[0039] A portion of the image 402 presented via the rearview mirror display 106 (e.g., region of interest 406) is based on the detected orientation of the display housing 206. In the illustrated example, the rearview controller 110 forms the region of interest 406 from the lower portion of the image 402 in response to one or more of the sensors 306 detecting that the display housing 206 is positioned downwards. Additionally, the rearview controller 110 forms the region of interest 406 from the upper portion of the image 402 in response to one or more of the sensors 306 detecting that the display housing 206 is positioned upwards. The rearview controller 110 forms the region of interest 406 from the left portion of the image 402 in response to one or more of the sensors 306 detecting that the display housing 206 is positioned to the left. The rearview controller 110 forms the region of interest 406 from the right portion of the image 402 in response to one or more of the sensors 306 detecting that the display housing 206 is positioned to the right.

[0040] Figure 4C It has been shown that it is already relative to Figure 4BThe region of interest (ROI) is the region of interest 406 that moves within image 402. More specifically, the rearview controller 110 moves the ROI 406 upward within image 402 captured by the rearview camera 108 in response to one or more of the sensors 306 detecting that the display housing 206 has rotated upward. That is, the rearview controller 110 translates the ROI 406 in image 402 in that direction in response to one or more of the sensors 306 detecting that the display housing 206 has rotated in one direction (e.g., translating the ROI 406 upward when the display housing 206 rotates upward, translating the ROI 406 downward when the display housing 206 rotates downward, translating the ROI 406 to the left when the display housing 206 rotates to the left, and / or translating the ROI 406 to the right when the display housing 206 rotates to the right).

[0041] To adjust the region of interest 406 presented via the rearview mirror display 106, the rearview controller 110 performs shift counting on a portion of a plurality of pixels 404 forming the region of interest 406 within the image 402. In some instances, the pixel shift counting performed by the rearview controller 110 is calibrated to correspond linearly to the rotation of the display housing 206 measured by one or more of the sensors 306. That is, each degree of rotation of the display housing 206 corresponds to a predefined number of pixels (e.g., 1 degree of rotation corresponds to 2 shifted pixels, 2 degrees of rotation corresponds to 4 shifted pixels, 3 degrees of rotation corresponds to 6 shifted pixels, etc.). In other instances, the pixel shift counting performed by the rearview controller 110 is calibrated to correspond non-linearly to the rotation of the display housing 206 measured by one or more of the sensors 306. That is, a larger degree of rotation of the display housing 206 corresponds to a larger shift count rate within the image 402. For example, 1 degree of rotation corresponds to 1 shifted pixel, 2 degrees of rotation corresponds to 3 shifted pixels, 3 degrees of rotation corresponds to 6 shifted pixels, etc.

[0042] Figure 5 Another example of a rearview display system 104 for vehicle 100 is shown. In the illustrated example, the rearview display system 104 includes a rearview mirror display 106, an arm 202, a base 204, a display housing 206, and a sensor 306. Figure 5 The rearview mirror display 106, arm 202, base 204, display housing 206, and sensor 306 are... Figures 2 to 3B The rearview mirror display 106, arm 202, base 204, display housing 206, and sensor 306 are the same and / or substantially similar. (This is because the above text regarding...) Figures 2 to 3B The components have been detailed, so their characteristics will not be further disclosed below.

[0043] like Figure 5 As shown, arm 202 is adjustable via ball joint 502, which couples arm 202 to base 204. Additionally, arm 202 is fixedly coupled to rearview mirror display 106 and display housing 206. Therefore, the orientation and / or position of rearview mirror display 106 can be adjusted by adjusting arm 202 via ball joint 502.

[0044] In the illustrated example, sensor 306 is electrically coupled to circuit 504, which is coupled to base 204 and also electrically coupled to rearview controller 110. That is, rearview controller 110 retrieves measurements from sensor 306 via circuit 504. Additionally, in the illustrated example, sensor 306 measures the orientation and / or rotation of rearview mirror display 106 by monitoring the orientation and / or rotation of ball joint 502 and / or arm 202 relative to base 204. Rearview controller 110 identifies the size and / or rotation of rearview mirror display 106 via one or more of sensors 306 and adjusts the region of interest 406 presented via rearview mirror display 106 based on the orientation and / or rotation of rearview mirror display 106.

[0045] Figure 6 This is a block diagram of electronic component 600 in vehicle 100. (For example...) Figure 6 As shown, the electronic component 600 includes a camera module 602, a rearview mirror display 106, a rearview camera 108, a sensor 306, and a vehicle data bus 604.

[0046] Camera module 602 controls one or more cameras of the vehicle (e.g., rearview camera 108) to collect images and / or videos (e.g., image 402) of the area surrounding the vehicle 100. For example, the captured images and / or videos are presented to the occupants of the vehicle 100 (e.g., via rearview mirror display 106) and / or used to facilitate the execution of autonomous and / or semi-autonomous driving strategies of the vehicle 100.

[0047] The camera module 602 of the illustrated example includes a microcontroller unit, a controller or processor 606, and a memory 608. In some instances, the processor 606 of the camera module 602 is configured to include a rearview controller 110. Alternatively, in some instances, the rearview controller 110 is integrated with its own processor 606 and memory 608 into another electronic control unit (ECU). The processor 606 can be any suitable processing device or set of processing devices, such as, but not limited to, a microprocessor, a microcontroller-based platform, an integrated circuit, one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and / or one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). The memory 608 can be volatile memory (e.g., RAM including non-volatile RAM, magnetic RAM, ferroelectric RAM, etc.), non-volatile memory (e.g., disk storage, flash memory, EPROM, EEPROM, memristor-based non-volatile solid-state memory, etc.), immutable memory (e.g., EPROM), read-only memory, and / or high-capacity storage devices (e.g., hard disk drives, solid-state drives, etc.). In some instances, memory 608 includes various types of memory, particularly volatile and non-volatile memory.

[0048] Memory 608 is a computer-readable medium on which one or more instruction sets, such as software for operating the methods of this disclosure, may be embedded. Instructions may embody one or more of the methods or logic described herein. For example, during execution of the instructions, the instructions reside wholly or at least partially within any one or more of memory 608, the computer-readable medium, and / or processor 606.

[0049] The terms "non-transitory computer-readable medium" and "computer-readable medium" include single or multiple media, such as centralized or distributed databases, and / or associated caches and servers storing one or more instruction sets. Additionally, the terms "non-transitory computer-readable medium" and "computer-readable medium" include any tangible medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instruction sets for processor execution or causing a system to perform any one or more of the methods or operations disclosed herein. As used herein, the term "computer-readable medium" is explicitly defined to include any type of computer-readable storage device and / or storage disk and excludes propagated signals.

[0050] Sensor 306 detects the orientation and / or rotation (i.e., change of orientation) of the rearview mirror display 106 and / or display housing 206 so that the rearview controller 110 can display the region of interest 406 via the rearview mirror display 106. In the illustrated example, sensor 306 monitoring the rearview mirror display 106 and / or display housing 206 includes one or more of an inertial measurement unit 610, a potentiometer 612, a gyroscope sensor 614, a magnetometer 616, an accelerometer 618, a pressure sensor 620, a Hall effect sensor 622, an optical sensor 624, a resistance sensor 626, a position sensor 628, and a limit switch 630.

[0051] Additionally, vehicle 100 may include other sensors arranged within and around vehicle 100 to monitor characteristics of vehicle 100 and / or the environment in which vehicle 100 is located. One or more of these sensors may be mounted to measure characteristics of the external surroundings of vehicle 100. Alternatively or additionally, one or more sensors may be mounted within the passenger compartment or body of vehicle 100 (e.g., engine compartment, wheel wells, etc.) to measure internal characteristics of vehicle 100. For example, sensors include accelerometers, odometers, tachometers, pitch and yaw sensors, wheel speed sensors, microphones, tire pressure sensors, biometric sensors, and / or any other suitable type of sensor.

[0052] The vehicle data bus 604 communicatively couples the rearview mirror display 106, the rearview camera 108, the sensor 306, and the camera module 602. In some instances, the vehicle data bus 604 includes one or more data buses. The vehicle data bus 604 can be configured according to the Controller Area Network (CAN) bus protocol, the System Transmission to Media (MOST) bus protocol, the CAN Flexible Data (CAN-FD) bus protocol (ISO 11898-7), and / or the K-line bus protocol (ISO 9141 and ISO 14230-1) as defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 11898-1, and / or Ethernet. TM It is implemented using bus protocols such as IEEE 802.3 (since 2002).

[0053] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of an instance method 700 for adjusting the region of interest presented via a vehicle's rearview mirror display. Figure 7 The flowchart represents the storage in memory (such as...) Figure 6 The memory 608 contains and includes one or more machine-readable instructions for a program, said one or more programs being processed by a processor (such as...) Figure 6 When the processor 606 executes, it enables vehicle 100 to achieve Figure 1 and Figure 6Example rearview controller 110. Although reference Figure 7 The flowchart shown describes an example program, but many other methods for implementing the instance backview controller 110 can be used instead. For example, the execution order of the blocks can be rearranged, changed, eliminated, and / or combined to execute method 700. Additionally, because of the combination... Figures 1 to 6 The method 700 is disclosed for the components, so some of the functions of those components will not be described in detail below.

[0054] Initially, at box 702, the rearview camera 108 captures images and / or video (e.g., image 402) of the surrounding area behind the vehicle 100. At box 704, one or more of the sensors 306 detect the orientation of the rearview mirror display 106 and / or display housing 206. At box 706, the rearview controller 110 identifies a region of interest 406 within the image 402 captured by the rearview camera 108. For example, the rearview controller 110 determines a portion of the image 402 that forms the region of interest 406 based on the orientation of the rearview mirror display 106 and / or display housing 206 detected via one or more of the sensors 306. At box 708, the rearview controller 110 presents the region of interest 406 via the rearview mirror display 106.

[0055] At block 710, the rearview controller 110 determines whether one or more of the sensors 306 have detected rotation (i.e., a change in orientation) of the rearview mirror display 106 and / or the display housing 206. In response to the rearview controller 110 not recognizing rotation of the rearview mirror display 106 and / or the display housing 206, method 700 returns to block 702 to continue presenting the region of interest 406 via the rearview mirror display 106. Otherwise, in response to the rearview controller 110 recognizing rotation of the rearview mirror display 106 and / or the display housing 206, method 700 proceeds to block 712.

[0056] At block 712, the rearview controller 110 identifies the direction (e.g., up, down, right, left, or a combination thereof) and magnitude (i.e., degrees) of rotation of the rearview mirror display 106 and / or display housing 206 via measurements collected from one or more of the sensors 306. At block 714, the rearview controller 110 performs a pixel shift count of the region of interest 406 within the image 402 based on the magnitude and direction of rotation identified at block 712. For example, the rearview controller 110 translates the region of interest 406 within the image 402 in a direction corresponding to the identified direction of rotation. In other words, the rearview controller 110 translates the region of interest 406 upward within image 402 in response to a detected upward rotation, translates the region of interest 406 downward within image 402 in response to a detected downward rotation, translates the region of interest 406 to the right within image 402 in response to a detected rightward rotation, and / or translates the region of interest 406 to the left within image 402 in response to a detected leftward rotation. Additionally, in some instances, the shift count performed by the rearview controller 110 corresponds linearly to the identified rotation amount. In other instances, the shift count performed by the rearview controller 110 corresponds non-linearly to the identified rotation amount (e.g., the shift count increases exponentially with increasing rotation degrees). After the rearview controller 110 performs pixel shift counting at box 714, method 700 returns to box 706 to allow the rearview controller 110 to identify the region of interest 406 to be presented via the rearview mirror display 106.

[0057] In this application, the use of contrastive conjunctions is intended to include conjunctions. The use of definite or indefinite articles is not intended to indicate cardinality. Specifically, references to “the” object or “an” and “a” object are intended to also indicate one of a possible plurality of such objects. Additionally, the conjunction “or” can be used to convey concurrent features rather than mutually exclusive alternatives. In other words, the conjunction “or” should be understood to include “and / or”. The term “comprising” is inclusive and has the same scope as “including”. Furthermore, as used herein, the terms “module” and “unit” refer to hardware having circuitry for providing communication, control, and / or monitoring capabilities, typically in conjunction with sensors. “Module” and “unit” may also include firmware executed on the circuitry.

[0058] The above embodiments, especially any "preferred" embodiments, are possible examples of implementations and are merely illustrative for the purpose of clearly understanding the principles of the invention. Many variations and modifications can be made to one or more of the above embodiments without substantially departing from the spirit and principles of the technology described herein. All modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure and are protected by the claims.

[0059] According to the present invention, a vehicle is provided, the vehicle comprising: a rearview camera for capturing an image; a rearview mirror display positioned in a fixed orientation, the rearview mirror display presenting a portion of the image; a housing that rotates behind the rearview mirror display; a sensor for detecting the orientation of the housing; and a controller that adjusts the portion of the image presented via the rearview mirror display based on the orientation of the housing.

[0060] According to an embodiment, a further feature of the invention is that the rearview mirror display, positioned in the fixed orientation, reduces the parallax effect of the portion of the image presented via the rearview mirror display.

[0061] According to an embodiment, a further feature of the invention is that the rearview mirror display, positioned in the fixed orientation, reduces the amount of glare on the rearview mirror display.

[0062] According to an embodiment, the portion of the image presented via the rearview mirror display corresponds to the region of interest of the vehicle operator.

[0063] According to an embodiment, the image captured by the rear-view camera comprises pixels, and the region of interest is formed by a portion of the pixels in the image.

[0064] According to an embodiment, a further feature of the above invention is that, in order to adjust the portion of the image presented via the rearview mirror display, the controller performs a shift count of the portion of the pixel forming the region of interest.

[0065] According to an embodiment, the shift count performed by the controller corresponds linearly to the rotation of the housing as measured by the sensor.

[0066] According to an embodiment, the shift count performed by the controller corresponds non-linearly to the rotation of the housing as measured by the sensor.

[0067] According to an embodiment, the controller translates the region of interest in the image in the direction detected by the sensor that the housing has rotated in one direction.

[0068] According to an embodiment, a further feature of the invention is a windshield and an arm that couples the rearview mirror display to the windshield in the fixed orientation.

[0069] According to an embodiment, the housing defines a first set of teeth, and the arm defines a second set of teeth, the first set of teeth and the second set of teeth engaging together to enable the housing to rotate behind the rearview mirror display.

[0070] According to an embodiment, the housing is coupled to the arm, and the housing is at least partially formed of a flexible material that engages the arm to allow the orientation of the housing to be adjusted relative to the rearview mirror display.

[0071] According to an embodiment, the sensor is coupled to the arm to detect the orientation of the housing relative to the rearview mirror display.

[0072] According to an embodiment, the sensor is coupled to the housing to detect the orientation of the housing relative to the rearview mirror display.

[0073] According to an embodiment, the sensor is selected from the group consisting of: pressure sensor, limit switch, Hall effect sensor, optical sensor, resistance sensor, position sensor, inertial measurement unit, potentiometer, gyroscope sensor, magnetometer, and accelerometer.

[0074] According to the present invention, a method includes: capturing an image via a rearview mirror; presenting a portion of the image via a rearview mirror display positioned in a fixed orientation; detecting the orientation of a housing configured to rotate behind the rearview mirror display via a sensor; and adjusting the portion of the image presented via the rearview mirror display via a processor based on the orientation of the housing.

[0075] According to an embodiment, the portion of the image presented via the rearview mirror display corresponds to the region of interest of the vehicle operator, which is formed by a portion of the pixels of the image.

[0076] According to an embodiment, a further feature of the invention described above is that adjusting a portion of the image presented via the rearview mirror display includes performing a shift count on the portion of the pixel forming the region of interest.

[0077] According to an embodiment, the shift count corresponds to the rotation of the housing as measured by the sensor.

[0078] According to an embodiment, a further feature of the invention is that it includes translating the region of interest in the image in a direction in response to the sensor detecting that the housing has rotated in a direction.

Claims

1. A vehicle, the vehicle comprising: A rear-view camera, used to capture images; A rearview mirror display, wherein the rearview mirror display is positioned in a fixed orientation, and the rearview mirror display will display a portion of the image; A housing that rotates behind the rearview mirror display to adjust the orientation of the housing relative to the rearview mirror display, wherein the rearview mirror display is fixed by a non-movable arm; Sensor, the sensor being used to detect the orientation of the housing; and A controller that adjusts portions of the image presented via the rearview mirror display based on the orientation of the housing.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the portion of the image presented via the rearview mirror display corresponds to the region of interest of the vehicle operator.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the image captured by the rear-view camera comprises pixels, and the region of interest is formed by a portion of the pixels of the image.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein, in order to adjust the portion of the image presented via the rearview mirror display, the controller performs a shift count of the portion of the pixel forming the region of interest.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the shift count performed by the controller linearly corresponds to the rotation of the housing as measured by the sensor.

6. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the shift count performed by the controller corresponds non-linearly to the rotation of the housing as measured by the sensor.

7. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the controller translates the region of interest in the image in the direction detected by the sensor as having rotated the housing in one direction.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a windshield and an arm that couples the rearview mirror display to the windshield in the fixed orientation.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the housing defines a first set of teeth and the arm defines a second set of teeth, the first set of teeth and the second set of teeth engaging together to enable the housing to rotate behind the rearview mirror display.

10. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the housing is coupled to the arm, the housing being at least partially formed of a flexible material that engages the arm to enable adjustment of the orientation of the housing relative to the rearview mirror display.

11. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the sensor is coupled to the arm to detect the orientation of the housing relative to the rearview mirror display.

12. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the sensor is coupled to the housing to detect the orientation of the housing relative to the rearview mirror display.

13. A method, the method comprising: Image captured via rearview mirror; A portion of the image is displayed via a rearview mirror display positioned in a fixed orientation; The orientation of the housing is detected by a sensor, and the housing is configured to rotate behind the rearview mirror display to adjust the orientation of the housing relative to the rearview mirror display, wherein the rearview mirror display is fixed by a non-movable arm; as well as The orientation based on the housing is adjusted by the processor of a portion of the image presented via the rearview mirror display.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the portion of the image presented via the rearview mirror display corresponds to a region of interest for the vehicle operator, the region of interest being formed by a portion of the pixels of the image.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein adjusting the portion of the image presented via the rearview mirror display includes performing a shift count of the portion of the pixel forming the region of interest, the shift count corresponding to a rotation of the housing measured by the sensor.

Images