Image display of a rearview mirror system with a camera device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a rearview mirror system (1) for a motor vehicle (10), comprising a rearview mirror device (2) having a rearview mirror base (21) to be attached to the vehicle (10) and a rearview mirror head (22) attached to the rearview mirror base (21), the rearview mirror device (2) including a mirror element (23) arranged in the rearview mirror head (22) and being transparent or light-transmissive when viewed from within the rearview mirror head (22), wherein an actuator (3) enables adjustment of the orientation of the mirror element (23) by rotating and / or tilting the mirror element (23) and / or the rearview mirror head (22), wherein a camera device (4) is arranged within the rearview mirror head (22) and behind the mirror element (23) for recording a camera device view (CV) of the surroundings of the vehicle (10) having a first viewing angle at least through the mirror element (23), wherein a control unit (5) processes the camera device view (CV) received from the camera device (4) to provide a monitor view (MV) having a second viewing angle smaller than the first viewing angle for display on a monitor (6) to provide the monitor view (MV) to a driver (20) of the vehicle (10), and wherein the control unit (5) is adapted to extract the monitor view (MV) as part of the camera device view (CV) from the camera device view (CV), and the monitor view (MV) remains constant regardless of the orientation of the camera device; and / or in a case where the rearview mirror device (2) enables the mirror element (23) to move relative to the camera device (4), the control unit (5) is adapted to recalibrate the camera device (4) with respect to the orientation of the mirror element (23) relative to the camera device (4), or, in a case where the rearview mirror device (2) enables the mirror element (23) and the camera device (4) to move together with the rearview mirror head (22), the control unit (5) is adapted to recalibrate the camera device (4) with respect to the orientation of the mirror element (23) relative to the rearview mirror base (21). The present invention also relates to a motor vehicle having such a rearview mirror system and a method of operating such a rearview mirror system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a rearview mirror system, a vehicle including such a rearview mirror system, and a method for operating such a rearview mirror system. Background Art

[0002] Motor vehicles are usually equipped with exterior rearview mirrors on both sides of the driver's field of view, which detect the surrounding environment of the motor vehicle at least in the rearward direction. In addition to traditional rearview mirrors, camera device monitoring systems should also assist the driver by providing a view of the surroundings of the vehicle. The camera device can be arranged at any position of the vehicle. In order to receive images from the surroundings with a wide-angle view, the camera device can be equipped with a fish-eye lens, or the camera device can obtain a wide-angle view from a mirror that generates a wide-angle view through a curved surface. In the case of applying a reflective member with a specific shape, the camera device does not need to be positioned outside the vehicle surface, but can be positioned in a more concealed position.

[0003] FR2794700 A1 discloses the use of a convex mirror to reflect a wide-angle view to a camera device. The received camera device image is distorted, so image processing applying a geometric correction function to the distorted image from the convex mirror is required to obtain a distortion-free two-dimensional wide-angle view. The advantage of this solution is that the relationship between the fixed camera device position and the fixed mirror position with a known mirror shape is known.

[0004] To ensure space safety and avoid installing additional functional components outside the vehicle, the camera device can be placed inside the housing of an existing rearview mirror. The camera device inside the rearview mirror does not change the outer surface of the vehicle, thus avoiding additional openings in the vehicle body or additional camera device arms that must protrude or be in a stationary posture protruding from the vehicle body at the start of the journey. The advantage of using an existing rearview mirror to accommodate the camera device is also that, due to its rearview function, the position of the rearview mirror protrudes from the outer wall of the vehicle, so that the camera device arranged therein can provide a good overview of the traffic conditions behind without applying a complex mirror system to obtain a rear traffic view. The camera device can also be positioned in the rearview mirror to observe the traffic conditions ahead. However, the observation of the traffic conditions behind and ahead through the view of the camera device displayed on the monitor should not depend on the orientation of the rearview mirror. The orientation of the rearview mirror is adjusted according to the driver's position, body size, and viewing direction, and varies from driver to driver. In some cases, the driver may change the mirror orientation during his journey. This should not affect the view provided on the monitor in order to ensure that the monitor always presents a view suitable for driving safety to the driver.

[0005] US2011 / 254957A1 relates to image correction for a vehicle, which includes: a display device for showing a modified image; and a screen for receiving a recorded image improved by image correction. In addition, the known system includes image correction communicating with the display device and the screen, such that pixels located in the recorded image are improved by reorienting or relocating the pixels from a first position to a second position using a transfer or transmission process.

[0006] An external rearview mirror assembly for mounting on a vehicle according to WO2019 / 040711A1 includes: a mounting arm configured to be attached to the exterior of the vehicle; and a lens portion having a mirror housing, a mirror reflecting element, and a mirror actuator. The mounting arm is received through an aperture in the mirror housing and the mirror actuator is attached to the mounting arm within the mirror housing. The mirror actuator is operable electrically to adjust the mirror reflecting element and the mirror housing relative to the mounting arm. During operation of the mirror actuator, the aperture allows movement of the mirror housing relative to the mounting arm. An electric folding actuator is operable to pivot the head of the mirror between a folded or non-use position and an extended or use position relative to a base portion.

[0007] It is desirable to be able to install a camera device monitoring system without changing the outer surface of the vehicle and while always providing a view suitable for driving safety to the driver regardless of the orientation of the camera device. Summary of the Invention

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a camera device monitoring system installed without changing the outer surface of the vehicle and while always providing a view suitable for driving safety to the driver regardless of the orientation of the camera device.

[0009] This problem is solved by a rearview mirror system for a motor vehicle, the rearview mirror system including a rearview mirror device having a rearview mirror base attached to the vehicle and a rearview mirror head portion attached to the rearview mirror base, the rearview mirror device including a mirror element disposed in the rearview mirror head portion and being transparent or light-transmissive when viewed from within the rearview mirror head portion, wherein an actuator is capable of adjusting the orientation of the mirror element by rotating and / or tilting the mirror element and / or the rearview mirror head portion, wherein a camera device is disposed within the rearview mirror head portion and behind the mirror element for recording a camera device view of the vehicle surroundings having a first viewing angle at least through the mirror element, wherein a control unit processes the camera device view received from the camera device to provide a monitor view having a second viewing angle smaller than the first viewing angle for display on a monitor to provide the monitor view to a driver of the vehicle, wherein,

[0010] - the control unit is adapted to extract from the camera device view a monitor view that is part of the camera device view and that remains constant regardless of the orientation of the camera device, and / or

[0011] —— In the case where the mirror device enables the mirror element to move relative to the imaging device, the control unit is adapted to recalibrate the imaging device with respect to the orientation of the mirror element relative to the imaging device, or

[0012] —— In the case where the mirror device enables the mirror element and the imaging device to move together with the rear-view head, the control unit is adapted to recalibrate the imaging device with respect to the orientation of the mirror element relative to the rear-view base.

[0013] The mirror element can rotate and / or tilt as a separate and independent element in the rear-view head, keeping the rear-view head in an unchanged position, or rotate and / or tilt as an element fixed to the rear-view head, where the entire rear-view head is rotated and / or tilted to rotate and / or tilt the mirror element.

[0014] The rearview mirror system according to the present invention is a hybrid system that includes a conventional rearview mirror device combined with a camera device monitoring system, where the camera device monitoring system represents such a system in which, in addition to the mirror element, a camera device that provides a view of the vehicle surroundings is also connected to a monitor by a data connection by a control unit, and the control unit further processes the images from the vehicle surroundings recorded by the camera device. The camera device can record a view of the rear traffic situation through the mirror element, or can record the front traffic situation through a light-transmissive housing of the rearview mirror head. The camera device can be any suitable camera device that provides a digital image from the surrounding environment. The camera device can be equipped with different lenses to provide a wider viewing angle or a small viewing angle, or a zoom can be applied to provide an adaptable viewing angle. The control unit includes a processor in which image processing software is installed to process the received images according to the orientation of the camera device and its alignment relative to the vehicle. The monitor can be any suitable monitor whose screen is adapted to display the images or video stream received by the camera device and processed by the control unit. The mirror element reflects ambient light but is transparent or light-transmissive (light passes through the mirror element but with a slightly reduced intensity) when viewed from the other side or the back side of the inner space facing the rearview mirror head, so that the camera device can record the vehicle surroundings through the mirror element. Suitable materials for the mirror element are glass, plastic, or a thin metal layer such as a chromium or chromium alloy layer. Therefore, the camera device must be calibrated relative to the mirror element in front of it, which results in different optical characteristics along the optical path of the camera device compared to the case where there is no mirror element in front of the camera device. This basic calibration can be performed in a standard arrangement in which the mirror element and the camera device are in an absolute and relative standard position (mid-position or a predetermined reference orientation) with respect to each other. However, when the mirror element is rotated relative to the orientation of the camera device, whether it is a rotating mirror or a rearview mirror head with a fixed mirror element rotated, the optical characteristics along the optical path change, thus requiring recalibration to provide a constant image quality of the monitor view. In the case where the camera device rotates or tilts together with the mirror element or the rearview mirror head, the basic calibration is also correct for any rotated and / or tilted position, but the position of the monitor view that should be stable on the monitor moves within the camera device view according to the changed position of the camera device. Therefore, if the orientation of the camera device changes relative to the vehicle or relative to the mirror element, new orientations must be considered for image quality, detection algorithms, ADAS, or additionally for the superimposed content (such as distance or steering lines) displayed on top of the monitor view to place them in the expected or correct position. Since the monitor view is a table, additional information can be displayed in the same way as before the mirror element rotates and / or tilts.

[0015] The system according to the invention avoids any mechanical solution in which the imaging device is mechanically rotated by an additional actuator to compensate for any movement of the mirror element or the rearview camera head. Furthermore, by means of the image correction applied according to the invention, the quality of the recorded image or video stream remains at its desired level regardless of the relative orientation between the mirror element and the imaging device.

[0016] Thus, the rearview mirror system according to the invention provides a camera monitoring system that is installed without changing the outer surface of the vehicle and that always provides a driver with a view suitable for driving safety regardless of the orientation of the imaging device.

[0017] In one embodiment, the imaging device is adapted to provide a camera view that covers the monitor view direction for all possible orientations of the rearview camera head or the mirror element. The monitor view can be displayed regardless of the orientation of the rearview camera head or the mirror element.

[0018] In another embodiment, the control unit provides the monitor view by cutting out the monitor view from the camera view, where the position of the monitor view within the camera view is a function of the orientation of the rearview camera head and / or the mirror element relative to the orientation of the imaging device. This enables the control unit to obtain the monitor view from the camera view in a simple and efficient manner.

[0019] In another embodiment, the control unit performs an initial calibration of the imaging device in a predetermined reference direction of the imaging device. Since the mirror element has an optical influence on the recorded view due to its optical properties and orientation, the initial calibration improves the recording quality of the camera view and the resulting monitor view. Manufacturing tolerances may cause the positions of the imaging device and the mirror element to change slightly in the initial "normal" position of the imaging device relative to the mirror element, which can be compensated for by this initial calibration. In another preferred embodiment, the monitor view corresponds to an observation area centered within the camera view, preferably in a predetermined reference orientation.

[0020] In another embodiment, the imaging device is mounted in a fixed position relative to the mirror element in the rearview camera head, and the shift of the monitor view within the camera view is derived by the control unit based on the current orientation of the imaging device relative to a predetermined reference orientation. Here, since the imaging device moves with the mirror element, the change in the position of the imaging device can be determined by monitoring the position of the imaging device or by monitoring the position of the mirror element. Here, the imaging device can be mounted on the back plate of the mirror element or, in the case of a rearview camera head with moving head, within the rearview camera head. In a preferred embodiment, the current orientation is determined by a sensor that monitors the position of the mirror element. The control unit must know the current orientation of the camera view relative to the reference position in order to properly cut out the monitor view from the camera view.

[0021] In another embodiment, the camera device view includes at least a part of the vehicle identified by the control unit at a specific position within the camera device view, and the current orientation is derived from the displacement of the vehicle position in the camera device view relative to its previous position. This embodiment avoids the need for additional sensors as hardware components to determine any position. The visible part of the vehicle can be processed by an image processing device and used as a reference, which makes the system easier to install and more reliable. Corresponding algorithms for analyzing the camera device view of the vehicle part are known to those of ordinary skill in the art, who are able to select suitable reference points to perform such image processing. The reference points can be door handles, vehicle edges, or other special reference points on the outer surface of the vehicle.

[0022] In an alternative embodiment, the camera device has a fixed position relative to the vehicle and does not move with the mirror element, and the orientation of the mirror element relative to the camera device is derived by the control unit from rotational or tilting data received from sensors monitoring the position of the mirror element. In this case, the optical contribution of the mirror element to the recorded camera device view varies with the relative orientation of the mirror element relative to the camera device. To compensate for this effect, the orientation of the mirror element must be determined in the case of rearview camera head or mirror element movement.

[0023] In another embodiment, the control unit uses calibration data stored internally for all possible orientations of the mirror element relative to the camera device to dynamically adjust the calibration for each orientation of the mirror element. Re - calibration of the camera device enables the camera device view to be received with the same quality regardless of the orientation of the mirror element relative to the camera device.

[0024] In another embodiment, sensors monitor the rotation or tilt of the actuator that moves the mirror element or the rearview camera head to determine the orientation of the mirror element based on the actuator position. The sensors can determine any rotation or tilt very accurately, which in turn determines the orientation of the mirror element relative to the vehicle and thus relative to the camera device.

[0025] In another embodiment, a processing algorithm is installed in the control unit to perform camera device calibration and extraction of the monitor view from the camera device view. The algorithm can apply image recognition to determine the required orientation. Alternatively, it can use orientation data and a look - up table, where the re - calibration to be applied for all possible orientations of the mirror element is listed as a function of the orientation of the mirror element. Since the movement of the mirror element only occurs in a limited rotational and tilting range, the look - up table can be established with reasonable effort.

[0026] In another embodiment, the camera device view and the monitor view are images or video streams of the vehicle's surroundings displayed on the monitor. In the case of observing the traffic situation through the monitor, both the camera device view and the monitor view are recorded and displayed as video streams.

[0027] In another embodiment, the orientation of the mirror element and / or the predetermined reference orientation of the camera device are adapted to be changed by the driver to a driver orientation for adjusting the field of view, and the driver orientation can be stored in a storage unit connected to or included in the control unit, wherein the storage unit is adapted to store multiple driver orientations for multiple drivers.

[0028] The control unit can be adapted to control an actuator to bring the camera device and / or the mirror element into any one of the multiple driver orientations, preferably upon driver recognition and / or driver input.

[0029] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle comprising at least one rearview mirror system according to the invention. Here, the monitor can display the surroundings of the vehicle on the driver side or on both sides. In one embodiment, the system can enable the driver or any other passenger in the vehicle to select which part (right side, left side, entire area) of the surroundings should be displayed on the monitor. The term "motor vehicle" means any vehicle driven by a motor. The motor vehicle can be a car, a truck, a train, a ship or an airplane or any other motorized vehicle. Thus, the vehicle according to the invention provides a camera device monitoring system installed in such a way that without changing the outer surface of the vehicle and at the same time always providing a view suitable for driving safety to the driver regardless of the orientation of the camera device.

[0030] In one embodiment, the vehicle includes a first rearview mirror system on the driver side of the vehicle and a second rearview mirror system on the passenger side, wherein the monitor view can be selected from the monitor views of the first rearview mirror system and / or the second rearview mirror system.

[0031] The monitor can be arranged inside the passenger compartment. Preferably, the monitor includes:

[0032] a first monitor associated with the first rearview mirror system,

[0033] a second monitor associated with the first rearview mirror system, and / or

[0034] a third monitor associated with the first rearview mirror system and the second rearview mirror system.

[0035] The present invention also relates to a method for operating a motor vehicle, in particular a rear-view mirror system according to the present invention. The motor vehicle includes a rear-view mirror device having a rear-view mirror base to be attached to the vehicle and a rear-view mirror head attached to the rear-view mirror base. The rear-view mirror device includes a mirror element disposed in the rear-view mirror head and transparent or light-transmissive when viewed from within the rear-view mirror head. An actuator is capable of adjusting the orientation of the mirror element by rotating and / or tilting the mirror element and / or the rear-view mirror head. A camera device is disposed within the rear-view mirror head and behind the mirror element for recording a camera device view of the vehicle's surrounding environment with a first viewing angle at least through the mirror element, and includes the following steps:

[0036] - Receiving the camera device view from the camera device and processing the camera device view by a control unit;

[0037] - Providing, by the control unit, a monitor view with a second viewing angle smaller than the first viewing angle to a monitor;

[0038] - Displaying the monitor view on the monitor to provide the monitor view to the vehicle driver;

[0039] wherein, in the case of rotating and / or tilting the mirror element relative to the camera device,

[0040] - The control unit extracts, from the camera device view, a monitor view that is part of the camera device view, and the monitor view remains constant regardless of the orientation of the camera device, and / or

[0041] - In the case where the rear-view mirror device enables the mirror element to move relative to the camera device, the control unit recalibrates the camera device with respect to the orientation of the mirror element relative to the camera device, or

[0042] - In the case where the rear-view mirror device enables the mirror element and the camera device to move together with the rear-view mirror head, the control unit recalibrates the camera device with respect to the orientation of the mirror element relative to the rear-view mirror base.

[0043] The method may include a further step of adjusting the viewing field by changing a predetermined reference orientation of the camera device and / or the orientation of the mirror element to a driver orientation and storing the driver orientation.

[0044] The method may further include a further step of bringing the camera device and / or the mirror element into a selected driver orientation, preferably when a driver is identified and / or a driver input is received.

[0045] Therefore, the method according to the present invention is capable of operating a camera device monitoring system installed without changing the outer surface of the vehicle and always providing a view suitable for driving safety to the driver regardless of the orientation of the camera device.

[0046] The embodiments listed above can be used alone or in any combination to provide the devices and processes according to the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] These and other aspects of the present invention are shown in detail in the following drawings.

[0048] Figure 1 : Schematic diagram of an embodiment of a rearview mirror system according to the present invention;

[0049] Figure 2 : Schematic diagram showing the camera view and monitor view of a camera device fixed to a vehicle in the case of (a) a right-handed rotating lens unit or mirror element and (b) a left-handed rotating lens unit or mirror element;

[0050] Figure 3 : Schematic diagram showing the camera view and monitor view of a camera device rotating with a mirror element in the case of (a) a right-handed rotating lens unit or mirror element and (b) a left-handed rotating lens unit or mirror element;

[0051] Figure 4 : Schematic diagram showing the movement of the monitor view within the camera view when the camera device rotates with the mirror element;

[0052] Figure 5 : Schematically shows how the second position of the camera view will be determined;

[0053] Figure 6 : Shows an embodiment of a motor vehicle according to the present invention; and

[0054] Figure 7 : Shows an embodiment of a method according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0055] Figure 1FIG. 0 shows a schematic view of an embodiment of a rearview mirror system 1 according to the present invention, the rearview mirror system including a rearview mirror device 2 having a rearview mirror base 21 attached to a vehicle 10 (indicated by solid lines) and a rearview mirror head portion 22 attached to the rearview mirror base 21, the rearview mirror device including a mirror element 23 disposed in the rearview mirror head portion 22. The mirror element 23 is transparent or light-transmissive such that an imaging device 4 disposed within the rearview mirror head portion 22 can record the surrounding environment of the vehicle, here by recording through the mirror element 23. Further, an actuator 3 is disposed in the head portion of the mirror base to adjust the orientation of the mirror element 23 by rotating and / or tilting the mirror element 23 separated from the head portion 22 or, in the case where the mirror element 23 is rigidly mounted to the rearview mirror head portion, by rotating and / or tilting the rearview mirror head portion 22 (so-called head mover). In both cases, the imaging device 4 is disposed inside the rearview mirror head portion 22 and behind the mirror element 23 for recording an imaging device view CV having a wide first viewing angle of the surrounding environment of the vehicle 10 through the mirror element 23, wherein the imaging device 4 is adapted to provide an imaging device view CV covering the monitor view MV direction for all possible orientations of the rearview mirror head portion 22 or the mirror element 23. The possible orientations of the rearview mirror head portion 22 are generally limited to orientations that can be used to provide a direct view of the rear traffic to the driver 20 via the reflective mirror element 23. Thus, the rearview mirror head portion 22 or the mirror element 23 can be rotated by about a few degrees around an intermediate position denoted as P1. The same applies to the case of tilting the rearview mirror head portion 22 or the mirror element 23. The monitor view MV corresponds to an observation area centered within the imaging device view CM at a predetermined reference orientation P1, in this example, the intermediate position of the rearview mirror head portion 22 or the mirror element 23. A control unit 5 processes the imaging device view CV received from the imaging device 4 to provide a monitor view MV having a second viewing angle smaller than the first viewing angle for display on a monitor 6 to provide the monitor view MV to the driver 20 of the vehicle 10, wherein the control unit 5 is adapted to extract the monitor view MV as a part of the imaging device view CV from the imaging device view CV, wherein the monitor view MV remains constant regardless of the imaging device orientation, and / or, in the case where the rearview mirror device 2 enables the mirror element 23 to move relative to the imaging device 4, the control unit 5 is adapted to recalibrate the imaging device 4 with respect to the orientation of the mirror element 23 relative to the imaging device 4. Keeping the monitor view MV constant means that the monitor view MV shows the same viewing direction even when the imaging device 4 is rotated or tilted. To do so, the control unit 5 provides the monitor view MV by cutting out the monitor view MV from the imaging device view CV, wherein the position of the monitor view MV in the imaging device view CV is a function of the orientation of the rearview mirror head portion 22 or the mirror element 23 relative to the orientation of the imaging device 4.To provide good observation quality, the control unit 5 performs an initial calibration of the imaging device 4 in a predetermined reference orientation P1 (here: the middle position of the rear view lens unit 22 or the mirror element 23). To display the rear traffic situation to the driver 20, the imaging device view CV and the monitor view MV can be images of the surroundings of the vehicle 10 to be displayed on the monitor 6, preferably a video stream.

[0056] Figure 2 Shows in (a) the left part of the right-hand rotating lens unit ( Figure 2 ), or the right part of the mirror element 23 ( Figure 2 ), and (b) the left part of the left-hand rotating lens unit ( Figure 2 ), or the right part of the mirror element 23 ( Figure 2 ), a schematic view of the imaging device view CV and the monitor view MV of the non-rotating and non-tilting imaging device 4 having a fixed orientation relative to the vehicle 10. The orientation of the mirror element 23 relative to the imaging device 4 is determined by the control unit 4 based on the rotation or tilt data received from the sensor 7 that monitors the position of the mirror element 23. After rotating and / or tilting the mirror element 23 relative to the imaging device 4, the initial calibration is no longer applicable to the current situation with the changed orientation. Therefore, the control unit 5 uses the calibration data stored internally for all possible orientations of the mirror element 23 relative to the imaging device 4 to dynamically adjust the calibration for each orientation of the mirror element 23. The calibration data used can be stored in a look-up table together with the corresponding rotation and tilt data. For the determined or derived rotation and / or tilt, the control unit 5 simply applies the corresponding calibration data from the look-up table to perform a re-calibration of the imaging device 4 and the imaging device view CV. Regardless of the orientation of the rear view lens unit 22 or the mirror element 23, the monitor view MV corresponds to the observation area centered within the imaging device view CM in the predetermined reference orientation P1. This re-calibration may not be applicable to embodiments in which the imaging device 4 and the mirror element 23 rotate or tilt simultaneously so as to maintain a constant relative orientation between the imaging device 4 and the mirror element 23. In such cases, the initial calibration is also applied to any subsequent rotated or tilted orientation of the rear view lens unit 22 or the mirror element 23.

[0057] By changing the predetermined reference orientation P1 of the imaging device 4 and / or the orientation of the mirror element 23 to the driver orientation, the view field can be adjusted, and different driver orientations can be stored. Therefore, preferably when the driver is identified and / or driver input is received, the imaging device 4 and / or the mirror element 23 can be brought into the selected driver orientation.

[0058] Figure 3 Shows in (a) the left part of the right-hand rotating lens unit 22 ( Figure 3 ), or the mirror element 23 ( Figure 3the right part thereof) and (b) the left - hand - rotated lens unit 22( Figure 3 the left part thereof) or the lens element 23( Figure 3 the right part thereof), a schematic diagram of the camera - device view CV and the monitor view MV of the camera device 4 that rotates together with the lens element 23. Different from Figure 2 here, the orientation of the camera device 4 relative to the lens element 23 does not change. Therefore, recalibration of the camera device 4 can be performed, but it is not as important as for the installation shown in Figure 2 . However, when the camera device 4 is installed in the rear - view lens unit 22 in a fixed position relative to the lens element 23, the camera - device view CV moves from the initial position P1 (not shown here) to a later position P2 simultaneously with the rotating and / or tilting lens element, and the monitor view MV should be displayed in a constant orientation according to the predetermined reference orientation P1 of the camera device 4 regardless of the rotation or tilt of the lens element 23. Therefore, the shift of the monitor view MV within the camera - device view CV is obtained by the control unit 4 based on the current orientation P2 of the camera device relative to the predetermined reference orientation P1. Regardless of the orientation of the rear - view lens unit 22 or the lens element 23, the monitor view MV corresponds to the observation area centered within the camera - device view CM at the predetermined reference orientation P1.

[0059] Figure 4 shows the relative movement of the monitor view MV within the camera - device view CV when the camera device 4 rotates together with the lens element. In principle, the camera - device view CV moves from an initial position or orientation P1 (not shown here) to a current position or orientation P2a corresponding to the position shown in Figure 3 (a). From this position P2a, the lens element can be rotated to another current position or orientation P2b corresponding to the position shown in Figure 3 (b), while the monitor view MV remains in the constant direction P1. The control unit 5 provides the monitor view MV by cutting out the monitor view MV from the camera - device view CV, where the position of the monitor view MV within the camera - device view CV is a function of the orientation of the rear - view lens unit 22 or the lens element 23 relative to the orientation of the camera device 4. How to perform the cut - out in the correct area of the camera - device view CV is shown in the following figures.

[0060] Figure 5Schematically shows how to determine the second position P2 of the camera device view CV and the corresponding position cut out by the monitor view MV in the camera device view CV. In one embodiment, the current orientation P2 can be determined by a sensor 7 that directly monitors the position of the mirror element 23. In another embodiment, the camera device view CM can include at least a part of the vehicle 10 identified by the control unit 4 at a certain position within the camera device view CV, and the current orientation P2 is derived based on the shift of the vehicle position in the camera device view CV relative to its previous position. In another embodiment, the sensor 7 can monitor the rotation or tilt of the actuator 3 that causes the mirror element 23 or the rearview head 22 to determine the orientation of the mirror element 23 based on the actuator position. To obtain the monitor view MV at the right position P1 from the camera device view CV, a processing algorithm is installed in the control unit 5 to perform camera device calibration and extraction of the monitor view MV from the camera device view CV.

[0061] Figure 6 Schematically shows an embodiment of a motor vehicle 10 according to the invention including a rearview mirror system 1 according to the invention, where the monitor 6 can display the surroundings of the vehicle 10 on the driver side or on both sides. In one embodiment (not shown here), the system can enable the driver 20 or any other passenger within the vehicle 10 to select which part of the surroundings (right side, left side, entire area) should be displayed on the monitor 6. The term "motor vehicle" refers to any vehicle driven by a motor. The motor vehicle 10 can also be a car, a truck, a train, a ship, an airplane or any other motorized vehicle. The monitor 6 can be arranged on the dashboard or on the side of a door or window of the vehicle 10.

[0062] Figure 7Shows an embodiment of a method 100 according to the invention for operating a rearview mirror system 1 according to the invention for a motor vehicle 10, the rearview mirror system 1 comprising a rearview mirror device 2 having a rearview mirror base 21 to be attached to the vehicle 10 and a rearview mirror head 22 attached to the rearview mirror base 21, the rearview mirror device 2 including a mirror element 23 arranged in the rearview mirror head 22 and transparent or light-transmissive when viewed from within the rearview mirror head 22, wherein an actuator 3 enables adjustment of the orientation of the mirror element 23 by rotating and / or tilting the mirror element 23 or the rearview mirror head 22, and wherein a camera device 4 is arranged inside the rearview mirror head 22 and behind the mirror element 23 for recording a camera device view CV with a wide first viewing angle of the surroundings of the vehicle 10 through the mirror element 23, the method comprising the steps of: receiving 110 the camera device view CV from the camera device 4 and processing the camera device view CV by a control unit 5; providing 120 by the control unit 4 to a monitor 6 a monitor view MV having a second viewing angle smaller than the first viewing angle; displaying 130 the monitor view MV on the monitor 6 to provide the monitor view MV to a driver 20 of the vehicle 10; wherein, in the case of rotating and / or tilting the mirror element 23, the control unit 5 extracts 140 the monitor view MV as part of the camera device view CV from the camera device view CV, wherein the monitor view MV remains constant regardless of the orientation of the camera device, and / or, in the case where the rearview mirror device 2 enables the mirror element 23 to move relative to the camera device 4, recalibrating 150 the camera device 4 with respect to the orientation of the mirror element 23 relative to the camera device 4. The camera device view can be received from the control unit 5 as a video stream in digital signal form, and appropriate video processing is applied to the digital video stream data. Video processing can also be used for distortion correction, aspherical correction, object detection, hazard detection, start warning based on video processing and object classification. The resulting processed video stream is displayed on the monitor 6 as the monitor view MV, which can include overlays indicating traffic conditions, lane markings, distance lines, warning signals or symbols, etc.

[0063] The embodiments shown herein are merely examples of the invention and should not be construed as limiting. Alternative embodiments contemplated by those of ordinary skill in the art are equally included within the scope of the invention.

[0064] List of reference numerals

[0065] 1 Rearview mirror system according to the invention

[0066] 2 Rearview mirror device

[0067] 21 Rearview mirror base

[0068] 22 Rearview mirror head

[0069] 23 Mirror element

[0070] 3 Actuator

[0071] 4 Imaging device

[0072] 5 Control unit

[0073] 6 Monitor

[0074] 7 Position sensor

[0075] 10 Vehicle

[0076] 20 Driver

[0077] 100 Method for operating a rearview mirror system according to the invention

[0078] 110 Receive and process the imaging device view from the imaging device

[0079] 120 Provide the monitor view through the control unit

[0080] 130 Display the monitor view on the monitor

[0081] 140 Extract the monitor view from the imaging device view as part of the imaging device view

[0082] 150 Recalibrate the imaging device with respect to the orientation of the mirror element relative to the imaging device

[0083] CV Imaging device view

[0084] MV Monitor view

[0085] P1 Predetermined reference orientation of the imaging device

[0086] P2 Current orientation of the imaging device

[0087] P2a According to Figure 3 the current orientation of the imaging device in position (a)

[0088] P2b According to Figure 3 the current orientation of the imaging device in position (b)

Claims

1. A rearview mirror system for a motor vehicle, comprising: An external rearview mirror device, the external rearview mirror device comprising, Constructed to be attached to a rearview mirror base of a motor vehicle, A rearview mirror head attached to the rearview mirror base, and A mirror element, the mirror element being arranged in the rearview mirror head and being transparent or light-transmissive when viewed from within the rearview mirror head, Among them, An actuator enabling adjustment of the orientation of the mirror element by rotating and / or tilting one or more of the mirror element and the rearview mirror head, Wherein a camera device is arranged within the rearview mirror head and behind the mirror element for recording a camera view (CV) having a first view angle of the surrounding environment of the motor vehicle at least through the mirror element, and wherein the camera device has a fixed position relative to the motor vehicle and does not move with the mirror element, such that the rearview mirror device enables the mirror element to move relative to the camera device, Wherein a control unit processes the camera view (CV) received from the camera device to provide a monitor view (MV) having a second view angle smaller than the first view angle for display on a monitor to provide the monitor view (MV) to a driver of the motor vehicle, Wherein the control unit is adapted to extract the monitor view (MV) as part of the camera view (CV) from the camera view (CV), wherein the monitor view (MV) remains constant regardless of the orientation of the camera device, and Wherein the control unit is adapted to recalibrate the camera device with respect to the orientation of the mirror element relative to the camera device.

2. The rearview mirror system according to claim 1, wherein, The camera device is adapted to provide a camera view (CV) covering the direction of the monitor view (MV) for all possible orientations of the rearview mirror head or the mirror element.

3. The rearview mirror system according to claim 1, wherein The control unit provides the monitor view (MV) by cutting out the monitor view (MV) from the camera view (CV), wherein the position of the monitor view (MV) in the camera view (CV) is a function of the orientation of one or more of the rearview mirror head and the mirror element relative to the orientation of the camera device.

4. The rearview mirror system according to claim 1, wherein, The control unit performs an initial calibration of the camera device at a predetermined reference orientation (P1) of the camera device.

5. The rearview mirror system according to claim 1, wherein, The monitor view (MV) corresponds to an observation area centered within the camera view (CV).

6. The rearview mirror system according to claim 4, wherein, The shift of the monitor view (MV) within the camera view (CV) is derived by the control unit based on the current orientation (P2) of the camera device relative to the predetermined reference orientation (P1).

7. The rearview mirror system according to claim 6, wherein, The current orientation (P2) is determined by a sensor monitoring the position of the mirror element.

8. The rearview mirror system according to claim 6, wherein, The camera device view (CV) includes at least a part of the motor vehicle identified by the control unit at a specific position within the camera device view (CV), and the current orientation (P2) is derived from the displacement of the position of the motor vehicle in the camera device view (CV) relative to its previous position.

9. The rearview mirror system (1) according to claim 1, wherein, The orientation of the mirror element relative to the camera device is derived by the control unit from rotation or tilt data received from a sensor that monitors the position of the mirror element.

10. The rearview mirror system according to claim 9, wherein, The control unit uses calibration data stored internally for all possible orientations of the mirror element relative to the camera device to dynamically adjust the calibration of each orientation of the mirror element.

11. The rearview mirror system according to claim 7, wherein, The sensor monitors the actuator to rotate or tilt the mirror element or the rear view lens head to determine the orientation of the mirror element based on the actuator position.

12. The rear view mirror system according to claim 1, wherein, A processing algorithm is installed in the control unit to perform camera device calibration and extraction of the monitor view (MV) from the camera device view (CV).

13. The rearview mirror system according to claim 1, wherein, The camera device view (CV) and the monitor view (MV) are images or video streams of the surrounding environment of the motor vehicle displayed on the monitor.

14. The rear view mirror system according to claim 4, wherein, The orientation of one or more of the mirror elements and the orientation (P1) of a predetermined reference of the camera device are adapted to be changed by the driver to a driver orientation for adjusting the field of view of the view, and The driver orientation can be stored in a storage unit connected to or included in the control unit, wherein the storage unit is adapted to store multiple driver orientations for multiple drivers.

15. The rearview mirror system according to claim 14, wherein, The control unit is adapted to control the actuator to bring the camera device and / or the mirror element into any one of the multiple driver orientations.

16. A motor vehicle comprising at least one rear view mirror system according to claim 1.

17. The motor vehicle according to claim 16, comprising: A first rear view mirror system on the driver side and a second rear view mirror system on the passenger side of the motor vehicle, wherein the monitor view (MV) can be selected from the monitor views of the first rear view mirror system and / or the second rear view mirror system.

18. The motor vehicle according to claim 17, wherein, The monitor is provided inside the passenger compartment, and the monitor includes one or more of the following: A first monitor associated with the first rear view mirror system, A second monitor associated with the first rear view mirror system, or A third monitor associated with the first rear view mirror system and the second rear view mirror system.

19. A method for an operating rearview mirror system for a motor vehicle, the rearview mirror system including an external rearview mirror device, the external rearview mirror device including a rearview mirror base configured to be attached to the motor vehicle, a rearview mirror head attached to the rearview mirror base, and a mirror element disposed in the rearview mirror head and transparent or light-transmissive when viewed from within the rearview mirror head, wherein, The actuator enables adjustment of the orientation of the mirror element by rotating and / or tilting at least one of the mirror element and / or the rear view lens head, wherein a camera device is arranged inside the rear view lens head and behind the mirror element for recording a camera device view (CV) having a first perspective of the surrounding environment of the motor vehicle at least through the mirror element, and the method includes the following steps: -- receiving the camera view (CV) from the camera device and processing the camera view (CV) by a control unit; -- providing, by the control unit, a monitor view (MV) having a second viewing angle smaller than the first viewing angle to a monitor; -- displaying the monitor view (MV) on the monitor to provide the monitor view (MV) to a driver of the motor vehicle; in response to rotating and / or tilting the mirror element, -- the control unit extracts the monitor view (MV) as part of the camera view (CV) from the camera view (CV), wherein the monitor view (MV) remains constant regardless of the orientation of the camera device, and -- the control unit recalibrates the camera device with respect to the orientation of the mirror element relative to the camera device, wherein the camera device has a fixed position relative to the motor vehicle and does not move with the mirror element, such that the rearview mirror device enables the mirror element to move relative to the camera device.

20. The method according to claim 19, comprising the further step of: adjusting the field of view of the view by changing the orientation (P1) of a predetermined reference of the camera device and / or the orientation of the mirror element to a driver orientation, and storing the driver orientation.

21. The method according to claim 20, comprising the further step of: bringing the camera device and / or the mirror element into a selected driver orientation.

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