Vehicle mirror positioning system for increased visibility

Abstract

An automated mirror positioning system (201) for a vehicle (100) is disclosed that may adjust a position of one or more rearview mirrors (150, 212, 306) to a default position that maximizes visibility of the driver (210) to a rear environment based on characteristics of the driver (210), these characteristics may be inferred from the configuration of the driver's seat (104), including the height, position, and tilt of the seat (104), and images captured from an in-cabin camera (180). If the default position is not ideal, the mirror (150, 212, 306) may be automatically adjusted by the AI model based on the driver's movement to obtain an ideal rear field of view. In another embodiment, explicit input may be provided via a driver's eye gaze, where the driver's eye gaze is captured and detected using an in-cabin camera (180), and the mirror (150, 212, 306) is adjusted based on a position in the mirror (150, 212, 306) that the driver is looking.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein relate to increasing visibility for a driver of a vehicle. BACKGROUND

[0002] When operating a vehicle, a driver can observe elements of the environment behind the vehicle in one or more rearview mirrors. The rearview mirrors can include interior rearview mirrors, exterior rearview mirrors mounted on a side of the vehicle, or different types of rearview mirrors. Frequent or regular checking of the rearview mirrors can increase safety for the driver when operating the vehicle.

[0003] The field of view of the environment behind provided by the one or more rearview mirrors can be smaller or more obstructed than desired due to the positioning of the one or more rearview mirrors. If the rearview mirrors are not positioned well with respect to the driver’s head or eyes, the visibility of the environment behind the vehicle can be lower than desired. When the rearview mirrors are not positioned well, the driver can adjust the position of the rearview mirrors to increase the visibility. The rearview mirrors can be manually adjusted via mechanical, electronic, or virtual controls within the vehicle, such as on the vehicle’s dashboard or door. However, manual adjustment of the rearview mirrors can be cumbersome and time consuming, and the driver can neglect to adjust the rearview mirrors before operating the vehicle. Additionally, the driver can not notice that the rearview mirrors are not positioned well until after beginning to operate the vehicle. Manually adjusting the rearview mirrors while operating the vehicle can include the driver removing their hands from the steering wheel, gearshift, or other control elements of the vehicle, which can decrease safety for the driver. SUMMARY

[0004] The present disclosure addresses one or more of the above issues, at least in part, by an automatic mirror positioning system of a vehicle that includes a processor and instructions stored in a memory of the vehicle that, when executed, cause the processor to: receive, from a sensor of a driver’s seat of the vehicle, a driver-selected seat position and a body weight of the driver while the driver of the vehicle is seated within the vehicle; adjust one or more rearview mirrors of the vehicle to a default mirror position for the driver based on the received driver-selected seat position and body weight, the default mirror position increasing a size of an unobstructed portion of the environment behind the driver and / or the vehicle for an average driver having the received driver-selected seat position and the received body weight; and, in response to receiving a selection of an automatic mirror adjustment mode of the vehicle by the driver, further adjust the one or more rearview mirrors based on visual input of the driver captured by an in-vehicle camera.

[0005] The above advantages and other advantages of the present description, and features of the description will be readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings, from which an exemplary embodiment of the present description, not limiting, will become apparent to those skilled in the art, when considered in connection with the following detailed description. It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the subject matter, as claimed. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present description and together with the description, explain the principles of the present description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0006] Various aspects of the disclosure can be better understood after a reading of the following detailed description together with the drawings in which:

[0007] Figure 1 is a schematic view of a vehicle in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0008] Figure 2 is a schematic view illustrating vehicle components for adjusting one or more mirrors of a vehicle in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0009] Figure 3 is an eye gaze view depicting positioning of various mirrors of a vehicle from a perspective of a driver of the vehicle in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0010] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary high-level method for automatically adjusting orientations of a plurality of rearview and sideview mirrors of a vehicle for a driver in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0011] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for adjusting mirrors of a vehicle based on a head tracking model in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0012] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for adjusting mirrors of a vehicle based on eye gaze of a driver in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 7 is a depiction of mirrors of a vehicle in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0014] Figure 8 is a timing diagram depicting a sequence of actions performed by a driver to adjust a position of one or more rearview mirrors of a vehicle in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0015] The accompanying drawings illustrate specific aspects of the described systems and methods. Together with the following description, the drawings demonstrate and explain the principles of the structures, methods, and apparatuses described herein. In the drawings, the sizes of components can be exaggerated or modified for clarity. Well-known structures, materials, or processes are not shown or described in detail in order to avoid obscuring aspects of the described components, systems, and methods. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Disclosed herein are systems and methods for increasing rearward environmental visibility of a vehicle by providing an efficient procedure for adjusting one or more rearview / sideview mirrors of the vehicle to a driver of the vehicle. The safety of the driver can depend on being able to quickly and efficiently monitor the exterior of the vehicle, particularly the rear of the vehicle, as well as activity within the cabin of the vehicle. In some instances, the driver can not attend to the position of one or more rearview mirrors when initiating operation of the vehicle. This can be due in part to the time and effort it takes to adjust the position of the mirrors to a desired position. As a result, the driver can have one or more “blind spots” with respect to the rearward environment, oncoming traffic, the driver, and / or the area behind or around the vehicle that are not visible via the rearview mirrors without adjusting the position of the driver’s head. The presence of such blind spots can decrease the safety of the driver.

[0017] The inability of the driver to position the rearview mirrors to eliminate or reduce the blind spots can depend on the experience level of the driver, where an inexperienced driver can operate the vehicle with greater blind areas than an experienced driver. Furthermore, the inexperienced driver can not be aware of the size or positioning of the blind spots. When the driver becomes aware of the blind spots or limited visibility via the rearview mirrors, the driver can adjust the position of one or more of the rearview mirrors. However, adjusting the position of one or more rearview mirrors can require the driver to make a manual adjustment with the driver’s hands while operating the vehicle, which can decrease the safety of the driver. Alternatively, the driver can not perform the manual adjustment and can instead continue to operate the vehicle with poor visibility, which can also decrease the safety of the driver.

[0018] To address this issue, the inventors herein propose an automated or partially automated mirror positioning system for a vehicle that can adjust the position of one or more rearview mirrors to a default position that maximizes the visibility of the rearward environment to the driver based on characteristics of the driver, such as height, weight, or body type, which can be inferred through the configuration of the driver’s seat, including the height, position, and tilt of the seat, as well as images captured from an in-cabin camera. For the purposes of this disclosure, maximizing the visibility of the rearward environment includes increasing the size of the unobstructed portion of the rearward environment that is visible via the one or more rearview mirrors.

[0019] If the default position is not ideal for the driver, the driver can select an automatic mirror adjustment mode in which the mirror is automatically adjusted by an AI model based on visual input of the driver captured by an in-vehicle camera. The visual input can include movements made by the driver to obtain an ideal rearward view, which are captured by images taken by an in-vehicle camera (e.g., such as a driver monitoring system (DMS) camera). For example, the driver can adjust the position of their head and face to obtain a desired view of the rearward environment via the mirror. The cabin camera can capture images of the adjustment, which are then processed by the AI model to determine an adjustment to the orientation of the mirror so that the driver can obtain the desired view without adjusting the position of their head. In another embodiment, the visual input can include the direction of the driver’s eye gaze, where the driver’s eye gaze is captured and detected via one or more cabin cameras, and the mirror is adjusted based on the edge of the mirror at which the gaze is detected. For example, if the driver focuses their eye gaze on the left edge of the mirror, the mirror can be incrementally rotated to the left.

[0020] In this way, the vehicle mirror can be automatically adjusted, meaning that for drivers of different heights and body types, there is no need to rely on manual manipulation of controls by the driver. The mirror can be adjusted more quickly and with less effort compared to selecting and manipulating physical or virtual controls of the vehicle. Furthermore, the mirror can be adjusted during operation of the vehicle in a way that does not rely on the use of the driver’s hands and while the driver is using the mirror during operation of the vehicle. As a result, driver safety can be increased and the risk of vehicle accidents can be reduced.

[0021] Turning now to the drawings, Figure 1 An example vehicle 100 is schematically illustrated. The vehicle 100 includes an instrument panel 102, a driver seat 104, a first passenger seat 106, a second passenger seat 108, and a third passenger seat 110. In other examples, the vehicle 100 can include more or fewer passenger seats. The driver seat 104 and the first passenger seat 106 are located in the front of the vehicle, near the instrument panel 102, and can therefore be referred to as front seats. The second passenger seat 108 and the third passenger seat 110 are located in the rear of the vehicle and can be referred to as rear seats (or back seats).

[0022] The vehicle 100 includes a plurality of integrated speakers 114, which can be arranged around a perimeter of the vehicle 100. In some embodiments, the integrated speakers 114 can be integrated into seats (e.g., headrests) of the vehicle 100. The integrated speakers 114 can be electronically coupled to an electronic control system of the vehicle, such as the computing system 120, via a wired connection. In other embodiments, the integrated speakers 114 can be in wireless communication with the computing system 120. As an example, an audio file can be generated by the computing system 120 or selected by an occupant of the vehicle 100, and the selected audio file can be played at one or more of the integrated speakers 114. In some examples, an audio alert can be generated by the computing system 120 and can also be played at the integrated speakers 114. In some embodiments, an audio file, signal, and / or alert can be selected or generated for an occupant of the vehicle 100 and can be played at an integrated speaker 114 associated with and / or proximate to the occupant’s seat. Further, in some embodiments, an audio file, signal, and / or alert selected or generated for an occupant can be played at an integrated speaker 114 associated with and / or proximate to a seat of one or more other occupants of the vehicle 100.

[0023] The vehicle 100 can also include a driver seat sensor 124 coupled to or within the driver seat 104 and a passenger seat sensor 126 coupled to or within the first passenger seat 106. The rear seats can also include seat sensors, such as a passenger seat sensor 128 coupled to the second passenger seat 108 and a passenger seat sensor 130 coupled to the third passenger seat 110. The driver seat sensor 124 and the passenger seat sensor 126 can each include one or more sensors, such as a weight sensor, a pressure sensor, and one or more seat position sensors, which output measurement signals to the computing system 120. For example, the computing system 120 can use the output of the weight sensor or the pressure sensor to determine whether a respective seat is occupied, and if so, the weight of the person occupying the seat. As another example, the computing system 120 can use the output of the one or more seat position sensors to determine one or more of an occupant of the vehicle 100, a seat height, a longitudinal position relative to the dashboard 102 and the rear seats, and an angle (e.g., recline) of a seatback of the corresponding seat.

[0024] The computing system 120 can include a user interface (UI) 116. The computing system 120 can receive input via the UI 116 and output information to the UI 116. The user interface 116 can be included in, for example, a digital cockpit, and can include a display and one or more input devices. The one or more input devices can include one or more touchscreens, knobs, dials, hard buttons, and soft buttons for receiving user input from a vehicle occupant. The UI 116 can include a display screen on which information, images, video, and the like can be displayed. The display screen can be a touchscreen, and an occupant of the vehicle 100 can interact with the UI 116 via control elements displayed on the display screen.

[0025] The computing system 120 includes a processor 142 configured to execute machine readable instructions stored in a memory 144. The processor 142 can be single or multi-core, and programs executed by the processor 142 can be configured for parallel or distributed processing. In some embodiments, the processor 142 is a microcontroller. The processor 142 can optionally include individual components that are distributed among two or more devices, which can be remotely located and / or configured for coordinated processing. In some embodiments, one or more aspects of the processor 142 can be virtualized and executed by remotely accessible networking computing devices configured as a cloud computing configuration. For example, the computing system 120 can be communicatively coupled with a wireless network.

[0026] The computing system 120 can communicate with networking computing devices via short-range communication protocols, such as Bluetooth®. In some embodiments, the computing system 120 can include other electronic components capable of performing processing functions, such as a digital signal processor, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or a graphics board. In some embodiments, the processor 142 can include multiple electronic components capable of performing processing functions. For example, the processor 142 can include two or more electronic components selected from a plurality of possible electronic components, including a central processor, a digital signal processor, a field programmable gate array, and a graphics board. In still further embodiments, the processor 142 can be configured as a graphics processing unit (GPU), including parallel computing architecture and parallel processing capabilities.

[0027] Further, the memory 144 can include any non-transitory, tangible computer- readable medium in which programmed instructions are stored. As used herein, the term tangible computer-readable medium is expressly defined to include any type of computer- readable storage. The example methods described herein can be implemented using encoded instructions (e.g., computer-readable instructions) stored on a non-transitory computer- readable medium such as a flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), a cache, or any other storage medium in which information is stored for any duration (e.g., for extended time periods, permanently, for brief instances, for temporarily buffering, and / or for caching of the information).

[0028] The computer memory of the computer-readable storage medium referred to herein can include volatile and nonvolatile, or removable and non-removable media used to store electronic formatted information such as computer-readable program instructions or modules of computer-readable program instructions, data, and the like, either independently or as part of a computing device. Examples of computer memory can include any other medium that can be used to store information in the desired electronic format and that is accessible by at least a portion of one or more processors or computing devices. In various embodiments, the memory 144 can include an SD memory card, an internal and / or external hard drive, a USB memory device, or similar modular memory.

[0029] The vehicle 100 includes a rearview mirror 150 that can allow a driver of the vehicle 100 to view a portion of the vehicle’s cabin behind the driver and a portion of the rearward environment 170 behind the vehicle 100 through a rear windshield 160 of the vehicle 100 (referred to herein as a rearward field of view). However, the driver’s rearward field of view can be obstructed by portions of the rear windshield 160, the seats 108 and 110, and / or occupants of the seats 108 and 110 around the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 also includes a right side mirror 152 located on a right side 174 of the vehicle 100 and a left side mirror 154 located on a left side 176 of the vehicle 100, which can increase the visibility (e.g., field of view, depth of view, or amount of unobstructed view) of the driver’s rearward field of view. Specifically, the right side mirror 152 can provide greater visibility of a right side portion of the rearward field of view, and the left side mirror 154 can provide greater visibility of a left side portion of the rearward field of view. For the purposes of this disclosure, the rearview mirror 150, the right side mirror 152, and the left side mirror 154 can be collectively referred to as rearview mirrors.

[0030] The driver's visibility of the rearward view can depend on the positioning of the rearview mirror 150, the right side mirror 152, and the left side mirror 154. That is, each of the mirrors 150, 152, and 154 can be adjustable such that the driver can adjust each of the rearview mirror 150, the right side mirror 152, and the left side mirror 154 to maximize or increase the size of the unobstructed portion of the rearward view. For example, the driver can adjust the rearview mirror 150 from a first position to a second position, where the second position of the rearview mirror 150 provides a clearer or larger view of the driver's rearward environment including the rearward environment 170. The second position can be based on the driver's height and / or the position of the driver's seat 104.

[0031] Similarly, the driver can adjust the right side mirror 152 from a first position to a second position, where the second position of the right side mirror 152 provides a clearer or larger view of the right side portion of the driver's rearward environment, and the driver can adjust the left side mirror 154 from a first position to a second position, where the second position of the left side mirror 154 provides a clearer or larger view of the left side portion of the driver's rearward environment. The second position of the right side mirror 152 and the second position of the left side mirror 154 can also be based on the driver's height and / or the position of the driver's seat 104.

[0032] For example, the vehicle 100 can be operated by two different drivers of different heights. When a first driver operates the vehicle, the first driver can adjust the seat 104 to a first seat position based on a first height of the first driver. The first driver can adjust the position of one or more of the rearview mirror 150, the right side mirror 152, and the left side mirror 154 to maximize the first driver's visibility of the rearward view of the vehicle. Later, a second driver can operate the vehicle 100. When the second driver operates the vehicle 100, the second driver can adjust the seat 104 to a second seat position based on a second height of the second driver. The second driver can adjust the position of one or more of the rearview mirror 150, the right side mirror 152, and the left side mirror 154 to maximize the second driver's visibility of the rearward view of the vehicle.

[0033] Right mirror 152 and left mirror 154 can be adjusted from their respective first positions to their respective second positions via right mirror control system 151 and left mirror control system 153, respectively. Left mirror control system 153 can be included in mirror housing 156 and can be mechanically or electrically coupled to right mirror 152. Right mirror control system 151 can be included in mirror housing 157 and can be mechanically or electrically coupled to left mirror 154. Each of right mirror control system 151 and left mirror control system 153 can be electrically coupled to computing system 120, and a driver can adjust the positions of right mirror 152 and left mirror 154 via dashboard controls of vehicle 100 (e.g., via UI 116). That is, a driver can select and manipulate one or more controls at dashboard 102, on a door of vehicle 100, or at a different location to adjust right mirror 152 and left mirror 154. In response to the driver selection and manipulation, an electrical signal can be generated at computing system 120 and sent to right mirror control system 151 and left mirror control system 153. Right mirror control system 151 and left mirror control system 153 can actuate right mirror 152 and left mirror 154, respectively, based on the electrical signal. The electrical signal can encode instructions to adjust the position of right mirror 152 and / or left mirror 154 (e.g., in two-dimensional or three-dimensional orientation angles) to a position desired by the driver. The electrical signal can also encode instructions to incrementally adjust the position of right mirror 152 and / or left mirror 154 in a direction desired by the driver.

[0034] Additionally, vehicle 100 can include a rearview mirror control system 158 disposed at rearview mirror 150, which can receive an electrical signal from computing system 120 and actuate rearview mirror 150 to control the position of rearview mirror 150 in a similar manner to right mirror 152 and left mirror 154.

[0035] Additionally or alternatively, although Figure 1 Not depicted in FIG. 1, right mirror control system 151 and / or left mirror control system 153 can be controlled to adjust the position of right mirror 152 and / or left mirror 154, respectively, via manual controls mounted at mirror housing 156 and mirror housing 157, respectively.

[0036] To help the driver (e.g., the first driver and / or the second driver) maximize the driver’s view of the environment 170 behind the vehicle 100, the computing system 120 can include an automatic mirror positioning system 148 that can be configured to adjust one or more of the rearview mirror 150, the right side mirror 152, and the left side mirror 154 in an automated or partially automated manner, as described in greater detail herein. The automatic mirror positioning system 148 can automatically adjust one or more of the rearview mirror 150, the right side mirror 152, and the left side mirror 154 to a default setting for the driver that can increase (e.g., maximize) the size of the unobstructed portion of the driver’s rearward view. In some embodiments, the automatic mirror positioning system 148 can detect, estimate, or predict the position of the driver’s head, and based on the position of the head, the automatic mirror positioning system 148 can adjust one or more of the rearview mirror 150, the right side mirror 152, and the left side mirror 154 to maximize the driver’s rearward view. The automatic mirror positioning system 148 can detect, estimate, or predict the position of the driver’s head based on an estimate of the driver’s body size, where the driver’s body size can be estimated based on data received from sensors (e.g., the sensors 124) of the seat 104. This data can include the driver’s body weight collected via a body weight sensor and the position, height, and / or angle of the seat 104. Additionally or alternatively, the position of the driver’s head can be estimated based on images captured via an in-cabin camera 180 of the vehicle, where the in-cabin camera 180 can be integrated into the dashboard 102 or the roof of the vehicle cabin or mounted at a different location. Additionally, an in-cabin microphone 181 can be integrated into the vehicle 100 in a similar manner, which can receive voice commands from the driver. The following will refer to the in-cabin camera 180 and the in-cabin microphone 181 collectively as the in-cabin sensors 182. The in-cabin sensors 182 can be configured to detect, estimate, or predict the position of the driver’s head based on the driver’s body size, as described in greater detail below. Figure 4 Adjusting one or more of the rearview mirror 150, the right side mirror 152, and the left side mirror 154 to a default position is described in greater detail.

[0037] If the driver is not satisfied with the mirror default positions established by the automatic mirror positioning system 148, the automatic mirror positioning system 148 can be configured to receive instructions from the driver as to how to further adjust one or more of the rearview mirror 150, the right side mirror 152, and the left side mirror 154 for the driver. The driver can select an automatic mirror adjustment mode in which driver inputs (e.g., instructions) can be provided to the automatic mirror positioning system 148 in a non-manual, non-intrusive manner that indicates how one or more of the rearview mirror 150, the right side mirror 152, and the left side mirror 154 can be further adjusted to obtain the driver’s desired field of view. In some embodiments, an AI model such as a machine learning (ML) or deep learning (DL) model can be trained to recognize movements of the driver’s head as the driver adjusts their head to obtain a desired field of view from the camera 180 and to output a desired orientation of one or more of the rearview mirror 150, the right side mirror 152, and the left side mirror 154 based on the movements. One or more of the rearview mirror 150, the right side mirror 152, and the left side mirror 154 can then be adjusted to the desired orientation by the corresponding control system 151, 153, or 158. The use of AI models to adjust one or more of the rearview mirror 150, the right side mirror 152, and the left side mirror 154 will be described in more detail below with reference to Figure 5 The use of eye gaze detection to adjust one or more of the rearview mirror 150, the right side mirror 152, and the left side mirror 154 will be described in more detail below with reference to

[0038] In other embodiments, instructions for adjusting the orientation of one or more of the rearview mirror 150, the right side mirror 152, and the left side mirror 154 can be communicated to the automatic mirror positioning system 148 via driver eye gaze captured by one or more in-cabin cameras positioned at the rearview mirror 150, the right side mirror 152, and the left side mirror 154. That is, eye gaze information with instructions for adjusting the position of the rearview mirror 150 can be captured by the camera 180; eye gaze information with instructions for adjusting the position of the right side mirror 152 can be captured by the right side mirror camera 182; and eye gaze information with instructions for adjusting the position of the left side mirror 154 can be captured by the left side mirror camera 184. The use of eye gaze detection to adjust one or more of the rearview mirror 150, the right side mirror 152, and the left side mirror 154 will be described in more detail below with reference to Figure 6 The use of eye gaze detection to adjust one or more of the rearview mirror 150, the right side mirror 152, and the left side mirror 154 will be described in more detail below with reference to

[0039] In some examples, the computing system 120 can include a number of subsystems or modules tasked with performing specific functions related to performing image capture and analysis. As used herein, the term “system,” “unit,” or “module” can include a hardware and / or software system that operates to perform one or more functions. For example, a module, unit, or system can include a computer processor, controller, or other logic-based device that performs operations based on instructions stored on a tangible and non-transitory computer readable storage medium, such as a computer memory. Alternatively, a module, unit, or system can include a hard-wired device that performs operations based on hard-wired logic of the device. The various modules or units shown in the figures can represent hardware, software, or a combination thereof that operates based on software or hard-wired instructions.

[0040] Figure 2 FIG. 200 shows various components of a vehicle on which an automatic mirror positioning system 201 relies for adjusting the position of one or more rearview mirrors 212 of the vehicle, which can be Figure 1 a non-limiting example of an automatic mirror positioning system 148 of a vehicle 100. The rearview mirrors 212 can include, for example, a rearview mirror 150, a right side mirror 152, and a left side mirror 154. The automatic mirror positioning system 201 includes three components: a default mirror setting model 220, a head tracking model 222, and an eye gaze detector 224, which are used to determine the position and orientation of the rearview mirrors 212 to increase the size of the unobstructed portion of the driver’s 210 view of the driver’s 210 and / or the rear environment of the vehicle (e.g., the rear environment 170). When the driver 210 enters the vehicle and turns on the vehicle, the automatic mirror positioning system 201 can use the default mirror setting model 220 to generate a set of default mirror settings for the vehicle, as described below in the method of Figure 4 If the one or more default mirror settings of the driver 210 are still not ideal, the automatic mirror positioning system 201 can further adjust the position and orientation of the rearview mirrors 212 based on tracking the head movement of the driver 210 using the head tracking model 222, as described below in the method of Figure 5 or based on tracking the eye gaze of the driver 210 using the eye gaze detector 224, as described below in the method of Figure 6 In some embodiments, the automatic mirror positioning system 201 can output an estimated final position of one or more mirrors to be adjusted; in other embodiments, the automatic mirror positioning system 201 can output one or more directions in which to incrementally adjust one or more mirrors 212 toward a last final position.

[0041] The estimated final position or direction of the incremental adjustment can be sent to the position transducer 204, which can convert the estimated final position or the direction to an electrical signal. The electrical signal can be sent to the electrical rearview mirror (RVM) unit 206 associated with the respective mirror 212, which can actuate the physical RVM unit 208 associated with the respective mirror 212 to physically adjust the position of the mirror 212. Physically adjusting the position of the mirror 212 can include adjusting the orientation of the respective mirror 212 in one or more dimensions. For example, physically adjusting the position of the mirror 212 can include horizontally or vertically rotating the mirror.

[0042] Referring to Figure 7 , a simplified mirror 700 is shown, which can be a non-limiting example of the mirror 212 in Figure 2 . The mirror 700 can be rotatably integrated into a housing of a mirror housing 156 or 157, such as the mirror housing 156 or 157 of Figure 1 . That is, the mirror 700 can be configured to rotate about either or both of a vertical central axis 702 and a horizontal central axis 704. To adjust the orientation of the mirror 700, a mirror control system (e.g., the mirror control system 151, 153, and / or 158 of Figure 1 ) including a physical RVM unit (e.g., the physical RVM unit 208) can be actuated to rotate the mirror 700 about the vertical central axis 702 and the horizontal central axis 704 according to electrical signals generated from an electrical RVM unit (e.g., the electrical RVM unit 206). The mirror 700 can be rotated about the vertical central axis 702 by a first rotation angle and about the horizontal central axis 704 by a second rotation angle, such that a wide range of orientations of the mirror 700 can be reached by adjusting either or both of the first angle or the second angle.

[0043] Referring back to Figure 2 , it should be appreciated that data regarding the position of the mirror 212 can also be received at the automatic mirror positioning system 201 in a reverse data flow. That is, the position of the mirror 212 (e.g., the current position before adjustment) can be specified at the physical RVM unit 208. The automatic mirror positioning system 201 can request the position of the mirror 212, and the electrical RVM unit 206 can send an electrical signal indicative of the position of the mirror 212 to the automatic mirror positioning system 201 via the position transducer 204.

[0044] Figure 4 An exemplary high-level method 400 for automatically or semi-automatically adjusting one or more rearview mirrors of a vehicle to increase the visibility of the rearward view (e.g., the view of the rearward environment of the driver and / or the vehicle) of a driver of the vehicle is shown. The one or more rearview mirrors can include an outside mirror (e.g., a side mirror) of the vehicle and an inside mirror of the vehicle, such as the outside mirror 110 and the inside mirror 112, respectively. Figure 1the right side mirror 152, the left side mirror 154, and the rearview mirror 150 of the vehicle 100. The method 400 can be performed by an automatic mirror positioning system of the vehicle, such as the automatic mirror positioning system 148 and / or the automatic mirror positioning system 201. In particular, one or more steps of the method 400 can be performed by a processor of a computing system of the vehicle, such as the processor 142 of the computing system 120 of the vehicle 100, in accordance with instructions stored in a memory of the vehicle (e.g., the memory 144). Figure 2

[0045] The method 400 begins at 402, where the method 400 includes receiving a driver-selected seat position from one or more sensors (e.g., the sensors 124) of a seat (e.g., the seat 104) of the driver. The driver-selected seating position can be established manually or automatically by the driver when the driver is seated in the driver seat of the vehicle. For example, the driver can enter the vehicle and adjust the driver seat forward or backward based on the leg length of the driver. Thus, the horizontal position of the driver seat can be determined, for example, from a reference position of the driver seat, where the reference position is defined with respect to a fixed component of the vehicle, such as a pedal of the vehicle, a center console of the vehicle, etc. The driver can adjust the height of the driver seat, for example, via mechanical or electronic controls. The driver can adjust the inclination of the driver seat or different positioning of the driver seat so that the driver can comfortably operate the controls of the vehicle, such as pedals, etc. The position, height, and inclination of the driver seat can be transmitted to the automatic mirror positioning system. At 404, the method 400 includes receiving a body weight of the driver, where the body weight is measured or estimated based on a measurement of a weight sensor of the seat.

[0046] At 406, the method 400 includes determining a default position of one or more rearview mirrors, where the default position is a position that provides a minimum obstructed view of the driver and / or the rear environment of the vehicle for an average driver having the received driver-selected seat position and the received body weight. In various embodiments, the default position can be generated by a default mirror setting model (e.g., the default mirror setting model 220), where the default mirror setting model is a first AI model that takes as input components the driver-selected seat position (e.g., seat height, seat position, seat inclination, etc.) and the body weight of the driver and can output the default position. Figure 2

[0047] The default position of the mirror output by the default mirror setting model can be defined as a set of angles with respect to one or more reference axes of the mirror, where the default position can be determined by positioning the mirror around the reference axes as described above with reference to the mirror 150 of the vehicle 100. In various embodiments, the default position of the mirror can be determined by positioning the mirror around the reference axes such that the mirror is positioned at a default angle with respect to the driver seat of the vehicle, where the default angle is determined by the default mirror setting model. Figure 7 ​​The one or more reference axes are rotated by these angles to achieve. For example, the mirror can be rotated about the mirror’s horizontal central axis (e.g., horizontal central axis 704) according to a first angle to reach the default position, or the mirror can be rotated about the mirror’s horizontal central axis according to a first angle and about the mirror’s vertical central axis (e.g., vertical central axis 702) according to a second angle to reach the default position.

[0048] In some embodiments, the default mirror setting model can be a rule-based model generated by a human expert, such as a decision tree model. In other embodiments, the default mirror setting model can be a machine learning (ML) or deep learning (DL) model, such as a convolutional neural network (CNN), trained to output the default position using supervised learning. For example, the default mirror setting model can be trained on training data collected from multiple drivers of different body types and weights during operation of the respective multiple vehicles. The training data can include multiple training pairs, where each training pair includes seat sensor data of a driver as input data, and a position of the driver’s rearview mirror received as ground truth data. The training data can be collected at the end of operation of the vehicle, at which time it can be assumed that the position of the rearview mirror has been adjusted by the driver to the driver’s preferred position.

[0049] In some embodiments, additional data can be included as input data to the default mirror setting model. For example, an image of the driver captured by an in-cabin camera can be additional input to the default mirror setting model, where the image can indicate the relative positioning of the driver’s head with respect to the one or more rearview mirrors. In other examples, other types of additional data can be included as input data.

[0050] At 408, the method 400 includes adjusting the one or more rearview mirrors to the default position output by the default mirror setting model. The default position of the rearview mirror can be a position at which an average driver seated in the driver-selected seating position can comfortably view the rear environment of the vehicle via the rearview mirror. Adjusting the mirror to the default position can include adjusting the vertical tilt and / or the horizontal tilt of the mirror according to the angles output by the default mirror setting model, as described above. For example, adjusting the vertical tilt of the mirror can include actuating the mirror to rotate the mirror about the horizontal central axis such that the rearward view visible in the mirror is adjusted upward or downward from the driver’s perspective. Adjusting the horizontal tilt of the mirror can include actuating the mirror to rotate the mirror about the vertical central axis such that the rearward view visible in the mirror is adjusted upward or downward from the driver’s perspective. To adjust each mirror, the angle by which the mirror is to be rotated can be determined by the automatic mirror positioning system’s Figure 2The position converter module of position converter 204 in the middle is converted into an electrical signal. The electrical signal can be received at an electrical RVM unit (e.g., electrical RVM unit 206), which can actuate a physical RVM unit (e.g., physical RVM unit 208) to adjust the mirror to a position specified by an angle (e.g., tilt or orientation).

[0051] At 410, method 400 includes determining whether the vehicle's automatic mirror adjustment mode is activated. For example, the driver can activate the automatic mirror adjustment mode via controls on the vehicle's dashboard and / or a user interface integrated into the dashboard (e.g., UI 116). In other embodiments, the driver can activate the automatic mirror adjustment mode via various types of controls, such as voice control. When the automatic mirror adjustment mode is activated, the driver can further adjust one or more rearview mirrors in a semi-automatic manner to fine-tune the adjustment of one or more rearview mirrors, as described below. For example, the default position of the rearview mirrors may not provide an ideal view of the environment behind the vehicle.

[0052] If it is determined at 410 that the mirror adjustment mode is not yet enabled, then method 400 proceeds to 412. At 412, method 400 includes waiting until the mirror adjustment mode is enabled, and then method 400 returns to 410. Alternatively, if it is determined at 410 that the mirror adjustment mode is already enabled, then method 400 proceeds to 414.

[0053] At 414, method 400 includes selecting a mirror to be adjusted based on the driver's facial position and / or detected eye gaze direction. The driver's facial position and / or eye gaze direction can be determined from an image of the driver captured by an in-cabin camera, such as a camera in a vehicle's driver monitoring system (DMS), using techniques known in the art. For example, if an image of the driver captured by a camera positioned in front of the driver (e.g., camera 180) indicates that the driver is looking forward, it can be inferred that the driver is looking at the vehicle's interior rearview mirror (e.g., 150). If the driver's image indicates that the driver is looking to the left, it can be inferred that the driver is looking at the vehicle's left-side mirror (e.g., mirror 154). If the driver's image indicates that the driver is looking to the right, it can be inferred that the driver is looking at the vehicle's right-side mirror (e.g., mirror 152). In other examples, cameras can be positioned at each of the right-side and left-side mirrors (e.g., cameras 182 and 184, respectively), and if the corresponding camera detects that the driver is looking at the corresponding camera / selected mirror, the mirror to be adjusted can be selected.

[0054] At 416, method 400 includes performing adjustments to the selected mirror based on input provided by the user, wherein the input is received via an in-cabin camera. In some embodiments, the input may be provided as a series of head movements or changes in head position of the pilot, as referenced below. Figure 5 As described above. In other embodiments, input can be provided via the driver's eye gaze, as referenced below. Figure 6 As stated above.

[0055] At 418, method 400 includes determining whether the driver is still looking at the selected mirror based on images received at one or more locations in the cockpit camera. If it is determined at 418 that the driver is still looking at the selected mirror, method 400 returns to 416, where method 400 continues to perform adjustments to the selected mirror based on user input. Alternatively, if it is determined at 418 that the driver is not still looking at the mirror, method 400 proceeds to 420.

[0056] At 420, method 400 includes determining whether the driver is looking at a different mirror based on images received at one or more locations of an in-cabin camera (e.g., a DMS camera). If it is determined at 420 that the driver is looking at a different mirror, method 400 returns to 414, where method 400 includes selecting the mirror the driver is looking at for adjustment. In other words, the driver can repeatedly and / or iteratively adjust the position of different rearview mirrors by changing their gaze from a first mirror to a second mirror.

[0057] If at 420 it is determined that the driver is not looking at any of the rearview mirrors, method 400 proceeds to 422. At 422, method 400 includes determining whether a threshold time has elapsed (as determined by images received from one or more in-cabin cameras) during which the driver has not been looking at any of the rearview mirrors. If at 422 it is determined that the threshold time during which the driver has not been looking at the mirrors has not yet elapsed, method 400 returns to 418. In other words, method 400 may continue to monitor the driver's images to determine whether the driver is looking at any of the rearview mirrors. As long as the driver is looking at the rearview mirrors, it can be inferred that the driver wishes to adjust the position of the rearview mirrors. For example, during normal operation of the vehicle, if the driver takes their gaze away from all the mirrors in the mirrors, it can be inferred that the driver no longer wishes to adjust the position of any of the rearview mirrors.

[0058] Therefore, if at 422 it is determined that the threshold amount of time during which the driver has not looked at the mirror has passed, then method 400 proceeds to 424. At 424, method 400 includes disabling the mirror adjustment mode, and method 400 ends.

[0059] Now for reference Figure 5Method 500 is shown, which is used to adjust the rearview mirror of a vehicle to increase the size of the unobstructed portion of the driver's rear view by using an in-cabin camera, such as a DMS camera of the vehicle, to track the driver's head movement. Method 500 can be used as described above. Figure 4 A portion of method 400 is performed by the automatic mirror positioning system described therein. The rearview mirror may be an interior rearview mirror or an exterior (e.g., side) rearview mirror.

[0060] At point 502, method 500 includes receiving from an in-cabin camera a first image showing the head and face of a driver in a first driving position. The first driving position may be a preferred driving position in which the driver typically operates the vehicle comfortably. The first driving position may indicate the desired position of the driver's head relative to a rearview mirror.

[0061] At 504, method 500 includes tracking the movement of the driver's head and receiving a second image showing the driver's head and face in a second position where a desired view of the rear environment in the selected mirror is available. In other words, to indicate how the driver wishes to adjust the rearview mirror, the driver can move their head from a first driving position to a second position. For example, if the rearview mirror's view in the first driving position includes a portion of the vehicle's cabin ceiling, the driver can move their head vertically upward until (e.g., in the second position) the desired view of the rear environment is achieved. Alternatively, if the rearview mirror's view in the first driving position includes a portion of one side of the vehicle, the driver can move their head horizontally to one side until the desired view of the rear environment is achieved in the second position. In some embodiments, the automatic mirror positioning system can retrieve a sequence of images captured by an in-cabin camera during the driver's head movement. In other embodiments, the automatic mirror positioning system can retrieve a first image of the driver's head in the first position and a second image of the driver's head in the second position, and may not retrieve images of the driver's head between the first and second positions.

[0062] At 506, method 500 includes calculating an adjustment to be made to the current position of the selected mirror based on the first image and the second image or image sequence to compensate for driver head movement. In various environments, this adjustment can be calculated by a head-tracking model (e.g., Figure 2 The head tracking model 222) is executed, wherein the head tracking model is a second AI model that takes the first image and the second image (or image sequence) as input and outputs the target position of the selected mirror, wherein the target position is defined by one or more angles, and the selected mirror should rotate around the horizontal or vertical central axis of the selected mirror by one or more angles to reach the target position from the current position.

[0063] In various implementations, the second AI model can be an ML model trained using supervised learning on multiple training data pairs collected from multiple drivers across multiple vehicles. Each training data pair may include the following as input data: a first training image of a driver in a first position, typical for the driver operating the corresponding vehicle (e.g., the driver's head is positioned so that the driver's forward field of vision is comfortably obtained); a second training image of a driver in a second position, where the driver achieves a desired field of vision of the vehicle's rear environment via a vehicle mirror; and the current position of the mirror (e.g., relative to a reference position). In other words, the second position differs from the first position when the mirror is not adjusted to achieve the desired field of vision of the vehicle's rear environment. To achieve the desired field of vision, the driver adjusts their position from the first position to the second position. For example, adjusting from the first position to the second position may include raising or lowering the driver's head position; tilting forward or backward, or tilting or turning the driver's head in a certain direction, or different movements of the driver's head or face. Each training pair may also include the desired position of the mirror as ground reality data, wherein the desired position of the mirror is the position in which the driver obtains the desired field of vision of the rear environment when the driver is in the first position typical of the driver operating the corresponding vehicle.

[0064] Training data can be collected according to a training procedure in which multiple drivers sit in one or more vehicles, in which one or more rearview mirrors are in different, predefined positions that are not adjusted for the driver. For each driver, a first training image of the driver in a first position is collected via an in-cabin camera, and a second training image of the driver in a second position is collected via an in-cabin camera. The driver can then be instructed to adjust one or more rearview mirrors to an ideal position that provides a desired field of view of the rear environment of the vehicle when the driver is in the first position, and the adjusted mirror positions are stored as ground-based data. As described above, in some embodiments, multiple additional images of the driver can be collected as the driver moves from the first position to the second position. During training, the ML model can implement one or more gradient descent algorithms and apply one or more loss functions to iteratively adjust the parameters of the ML model until the ML model has been trained.

[0065] At 508, method 500 includes using a corresponding mirror control system (e.g., ...) of the selected mirror. Figure 1 The mirror control systems 151, 153 and 158, and / or Figure 2The position converter 204, electrical RVM unit 206, and physical RVM unit 208 are used to adjust the selected mirror to the target position output by the head tracking model. The adjustment of the selected mirror can be as follows: Figure 4 Step 408 is performed. Method 500 ends.

[0066] Now for reference Figure 6 Method 600 is shown, which is used by using, for example Figure 1 Cameras 180, 182, and 184, which are in-cabin cameras of the vehicle, track the driver's eye gaze to adjust one or more rearview mirrors of the vehicle to increase the size of the unobstructed portion of the driver's rear view. Method 600 can be used as described above. Figure 4 A portion of method 400 is performed by the automated mirror positioning system described therein, wherein method 600 describes Figure 5 This is an alternative to Method 500 for fine-tuning the adjustment of one or more rearview mirrors of a vehicle. The rearview mirrors can be interior rearview mirrors or exterior (e.g., side) rearview mirrors.

[0067] Method 600 begins at 602, wherein method 600 includes detecting the driver's eye gaze in the direction of the mirror. The eye gaze can be detected by an eye gaze detector of an automated mirror positioning system (such as...). Figure 2 The eye gaze detector 202) detects the gaze. That is, the eye gaze detector can receive an image of the driver captured by a camera integrated in the vehicle, and the eye gaze detector can determine from the image that the eye gaze is focused on the mirror based on techniques known in the art.

[0068] The camera used to detect eye gaze can vary depending on the mirror selected. In some embodiments, a central camera (e.g., camera 180) can capture images analyzed by an eye gaze detector. In other embodiments, each mirror can have a corresponding camera integrated into the vehicle and positioned near the mirror. Thus, when the driver is looking at the selected mirror, the driver's eye gaze can be detected from the image received by the corresponding camera of the selected mirror.

[0069] At 604, method 600 includes determining whether the eye gaze is pointing towards the top portion or edge of the mirror. If at 610 it is determined that the eye gaze is pointing towards the top portion or edge of the mirror, then method 600 proceeds to 606. At 606, method 600 includes adjusting the mirror by vertically rotating it in an upward direction (e.g., as if the driver manually pushes the top edge of the mirror in), and method 600 proceeds to 612. Alternatively, if at 604 it is determined that the eye gaze is not pointing towards the top portion or edge of the mirror, then method 600 proceeds to 608.

[0070] At 608, method 600 includes determining whether the eye gaze is pointing towards the bottom portion or edge of the mirror. If at 610 it is determined that the eye gaze is pointing towards the bottom portion or edge of the mirror, then method 600 proceeds to 610. At 610, method 600 includes adjusting the mirror by vertically rotating it in a downward direction, and method 600 proceeds to 612. Alternatively, if at 608 it is determined that the eye gaze is not pointing towards the bottom portion or edge of the mirror, then method 600 proceeds to 612.

[0071] At 612, method 600 includes determining whether the eye gaze is pointing towards the left portion or edge of the mirror. If at 610 it is determined that the eye gaze is pointing towards the left portion or edge of the mirror, then method 600 proceeds to 614. At 614, method 600 includes adjusting the mirror by horizontally rotating it in a leftward direction, and method 600 proceeds to 620. Alternatively, if at 612 it is determined that the eye gaze is not pointing towards the left portion or edge of the mirror, then method 600 proceeds to 616.

[0072] At 616, method 600 includes determining whether the eye gaze is pointing towards the right portion or edge of the mirror. If at 616 it is determined that the eye gaze is pointing towards the right portion or edge of the mirror, then method 600 proceeds to 618. At 618, method 600 includes adjusting the mirror by horizontally rotating it in a rightward direction, and method 600 proceeds to 620. Alternatively, if at 616 it is determined that the eye gaze is not pointing towards the right portion or edge of the mirror, then method 600 proceeds to 620.

[0073] At 620, method 600 includes determining whether the eye gaze is still pointing at any part of the mirror. If it is determined at 620 that the eye gaze is still pointing at a part of the mirror, method 600 returns to 604, and steps 604-618 can be performed subsequently to continue adjusting the mirror's position. Alternatively, if it is determined at 620 that the eye gaze is not pointing at any part of the mirror, method 600 proceeds to 622. At 622, method 600 includes ending the adjustment of the mirror, and method 600 ends.

[0074] As an example of how method 600 is used, as described above, the driver can enter the vehicle and adjust the seat to the driver's preferred position. The driver can then consider the positions of various mirrors included in the vehicle, such as rearview mirrors and side mirrors. The driver may see that the various mirrors are not in ideal positions for observing the environment behind the vehicle. As a result, the driver can select controls on the dashboard or issue voice control to activate the automatic mirror adjustment mode. An indication that the automatic mirror adjustment mode is activated can be displayed on the dashboard. The driver can then sequentially focus their gaze on each of the various mirrors, and for each mirror, the driver can indicate the direction in which the mirror should be adjusted, such as up, down, right, or left, by pointing their gaze towards the relevant edge of the mirror. When the automatic mirror positioning system detects the driver's gaze, incremental adjustments can be made to the mirror's position to increase the visibility of the rear environment via the mirror. Multiple incremental adjustments can be made as the driver continues to point their gaze towards the same edge. When the driver removes their gaze from the mirror, no further adjustments can be made to the mirror, and the driver can turn to a different mirror. The automatic mirror adjustment mode can be deactivated when the driver has removed their gaze from all the various mirrors for a threshold amount of time. In this way, the positions of various mirrors can be adjusted individually until the driver is certain that the desired visibility of the rear environment has been achieved.

[0075] In various implementations, the mirror can be adjusted along the corresponding direction using predefined movement increments, and one or more steps of method 600 can be repeated or executed iteratively to adjust the mirror to the desired position. For example, the driver can focus their gaze on the edge of the mirror to adjust it toward the desired position; then, the driver can continue to focus their gaze on the same edge to continue adjusting the mirror toward the desired position until it is reached.

[0076] Now for reference Figure 3 The eye-focusing view 300 depicts the positioning of various mirrors of the vehicle, including the left mirror 302, right mirror 304, and endoscope 306, relative to the driver's eye position 308. The left mirror 302, right mirror 304, and endoscope 306 can be... Figure 1 Non-limiting examples of the right-side mirror 152, left-side mirror 154, and rearview mirror 150 of vehicle 100. Eye gaze used by the aforementioned automatic mirror positioning system 201 can be received when the driver is looking at each of the left-side mirror 302, right-side mirror 304, and interior mirror 306. Steering wheel 350 is shown as a position reference.

[0077] The driver can make a first eye gaze toward the left mirror 302 in a first direction 310. A first camera can capture a first image of the driver's first eye gaze. An eye gaze detector 202 can detect the first eye gaze toward the left mirror 302 in the first image, and an automatic mirror positioning system 201 can adjust the position of the left mirror 302 based on the first eye gaze using a mirror control system (e.g., mirror control systems 151, 153, and / or 158), the mirror control system including... Figure 2 The location converter 204, the electrical RVM unit 206, and the physical RVM unit 208.

[0078] The driver can then make a second eye gaze toward the right mirror 304 in the second direction 312. A second camera can capture a second image of the second eye gaze, which can be the same as or a different camera than the first camera. An eye gaze detector can detect the second eye gaze toward the right mirror 304 in the second image, and the automatic mirror positioning system 201 can adjust the position of the right mirror 304 based on the second eye gaze using a position converter 204, an electrical RVM unit 206, and a physical RVM unit 208.

[0079] The driver can then make a third-eye gaze on the endoscope 306 via a third-party camera 314. A third camera can capture a third image of this third-eye gaze; this third camera can be the same as or a different camera than the first and / or second cameras. An eye gaze detector can capture the driver's third-eye gaze on the endoscope 306, and the automatic mirror positioning system 201 can adjust the position of the endoscope 306 based on this third-eye gaze using a position converter 204, an electrical RVM unit 206, and a physical RVM unit 208. In this way, the driver can advantageously use the automatic mirror positioning system 201 to set the desired positions of multiple rearview and / or side mirrors of the vehicle using eye gaze, instead of manually adjusting multiple rearview and / or side mirrors via controls on the dashboard, virtual, or other means.

[0080] Now for reference Figure 8 The diagram 800 illustrates the sequence of actions of a driver when adjusting the rearview mirror, right-side mirror, and left-side mirror of a vehicle using the automatic mirror positioning system (automatic mirror positioning system 201) according to the method 600 described above. The horizontal (x) axis represents time, where t1–t10 identifies significant times in the action sequence.

[0081] The timing diagram 800 includes four graphs. The first graph 802 shows a line 803 indicating the state of the vehicle's automatic mirror adjustment mode, which can be on or off; the second graph 804 shows the eye's focus on the interior rearview mirror; the third graph 806 shows the eye's focus on the right-side mirror; and the fourth graph 808 shows the eye's focus on the left-side mirror. For each of graphs 804, 806, and 808, the corresponding mirror is depicted as a rectangle, and the focus of the eye's gaze within the corresponding mirror is depicted as a black dot. No black dot is depicted when the driver's gaze is not focused on the corresponding mirror.

[0082] At time t0, the driver is seated in the driver's seat (e.g., seat 104) of the vehicle. The interior rearview mirror, right-side mirror, and left-side mirror are all in an unadjusted position for the driver, and the unobstructed view of the rear environment through the mirrors is not ideal. To increase the unobstructed view of the rear environment, the driver switches the automatic mirror adjustment mode to on. For example, the driver can use the vehicle's microphone (such as...) Figure 1 The driver receives a voice command at the microphone 181 to switch the automatic mirror adjustment mode to on. The driver's eyes are not focused on any of the interior rearview mirror, right-side mirror, or left-side mirror.

[0083] At time t1, the driver focuses their gaze on the interior rearview mirror. An eye gaze detector (e.g., eye gaze detector 224) detects the eye gaze in an image captured by an in-cabin camera (e.g., camera 180) and determines the location where the eye gaze is focused. As a result of the eye gaze detector detecting focus on the interior rearview mirror, the interior rearview mirror is adjusted, such as... Figure 8 The darker border in the center indicates this. Eye focus can be placed anywhere within the rearview mirror to select the appropriate mirror.

[0084] At time t2, the driver focuses their gaze on the left edge 810 of the interior rearview mirror. As a result of the eye gaze detector detecting that the eyes are focused on the left edge 810, the automatic mirror positioning system automatically adjusts the interior rearview mirror via the mirror control system (e.g., mirror control system 158), causing the interior rearview mirror to rotate horizontally to the left, i.e., clockwise about the vertical axis 811 of the interior rearview mirror. The interior rearview mirror is adjusted horizontally to the left by a predefined increment of movement (e.g., a predefined angle of movement). After the interior rearview mirror has been adjusted by the predefined increment of movement, a horizontal adjustment is made for the driver.

[0085] At time t3, the driver focuses their gaze on the top edge 812 of the interior rearview mirror. As a result of the eye gaze detector detecting that the eyes are focused on the top edge 812, the automatic mirror positioning system automatically adjusts the interior rearview mirror via the mirror control system, thereby rotating the interior rearview mirror vertically upward, i.e., clockwise around the horizontal axis 813 of the interior rearview mirror (from the right-side view of the interior rearview mirror). The interior rearview mirror is adjusted vertically upward according to a predefined movement increment. After the interior rearview mirror has been adjusted vertically for the driver, the vertical adjustment of the interior rearview mirror is performed.

[0086] At time t4, the driver focuses their gaze on the right-side mirror. As a result of the eye gaze detector detecting that the gaze is focused on the right-side mirror, the right-side mirror is selected and adjusted, as indicated by the darker boundary. The eye gaze can be focused anywhere within the right-side mirror to select it.

[0087] At time t5, the driver focuses their gaze on the left edge 814 of the right-side mirror. As a result of the eye gaze detector detecting that the eyes are focused on the left edge 814, the automatic mirror positioning system automatically adjusts the right-side mirror, thereby rotating it horizontally to the left, i.e., clockwise around its vertical axis 815. The right-side mirror is adjusted horizontally to the left by a predefined increment. After the predefined increment has been made to the right-side mirror, a horizontal adjustment is made for the driver. The right-side mirror can also be adjusted vertically for the driver, thus eliminating the need for further adjustments.

[0088] At time t6, the driver focuses their gaze on the left mirror. As a result of the eye gaze detector detecting that the gaze is focused on the left mirror, the left mirror is selected and adjusted as indicated by the darker boundary. The left mirror can be selected by focusing the gaze anywhere within it.

[0089] At time t7, the driver focuses their gaze on the top edge 816 of the left mirror. As a result of the eye gaze detector detecting that the eyes are focused on the top edge 816, the automatic mirror positioning system automatically adjusts the left mirror via the mirror control system, thereby rotating the left mirror vertically upward, i.e., clockwise, about the horizontal axis 820 of the interior rearview mirror (from the right-side view of the interior rearview mirror). The left mirror is adjusted vertically upward in a predefined increment.

[0090] However, after a predefined movement increment has been made to the left mirror at time t7, the left mirror still has not been vertically adjusted for the driver. As a result, at time t8, the driver continues to focus their gaze on the top edge 816 of the left mirror. The eye gaze detector continues to detect the focus on the top edge 816, and as a result, the automatic mirror positioning system automatically adjusts the left mirror to rotate it vertically upwards by a second predefined movement increment. After the second predefined movement increment has been made to the left mirror, the left mirror is vertically adjusted for the driver. The left mirror can be horizontally adjusted for the driver, thus eliminating the need for further adjustments to the left mirror.

[0091] At time t9, as a result of the horizontal and vertical adjustments made to all mirrors—the interior rearview mirror, the right-side mirror, and the left-side mirror—for the driver, the size of the unobstructed field of vision for the driver and / or the vehicle's rear environment can be increased or maximized. Consequently, the driver shifts the focus of their gaze away from all mirrors in these mirrors. Between times t9 and t10, the driver maintains the focus of their gaze away from all mirrors in these mirrors.

[0092] At time t10, as a result of the driver maintaining their eye focus away from all the mirrors in the rearview mirror, right-side mirror, and left-side mirror for a threshold amount of time (e.g., the time increment between time t9 and time t10), the automatic mirror positioning system automatically switches the automatic mirror adjustment mode off, as indicated by dashed line 830. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the automatic mirror adjustment mode can be switched off by the driver via voice command or other means.

[0093] Therefore, by selectively guiding the driver's eye gaze to the portion of the rearview mirror located at its edge, the driver can instruct the automatic mirror positioning system how the rearview mirror should be adjusted to increase the size of the driver's unobstructed field of vision of the rear environment. In various embodiments, the size or precision of this portion can vary or may depend on the precision of the eye gaze detector. In this way, a hands-free option for adjusting the vehicle's mirrors is presented, which can be performed faster and more efficiently than manual mirror adjustment. As a second hands-free option, when the driver initiates the automatic mirror adjustment mode, an AI model can advantageously be employed to determine the appropriate or ideal position of the rearview mirror by tracking how the driver moves their head to adapt to a poorly positioned mirror. In some embodiments, the head-tracking model can even be used to adjust one or more rearview mirrors discreetly (e.g., in the background) while the driver operates the vehicle during normal operation, based on detected movements. After the automatic mirror positioning system performs an initial default adjustment to the mirror based on the driver's physical characteristics inferred from the driver's seat configuration, other vehicle sensor data, and / or images of the driver captured via an in-cabin camera, either the first or second hands-free option can be executed. As a result, the size of the driver's unobstructed rear view can be increased compared to alternative scenarios that rely on manual adjustments to the driver's mirrors. Additionally, the presence, size, and / or range of the driver's blind spots can be reduced, thereby increasing driver safety and reducing the risk of accidents.

[0094] The technical effect of automatically adjusting one or more rearview mirrors of a vehicle is that it can increase the size of the unobstructed field of vision of the driver's rear environment and reduce the size, range and / or presence of blind spots, thereby increasing driver safety and reducing the risk of accidents.

[0095] This disclosure also provides support for an automatic mirror positioning system for a vehicle, the system comprising: a processor and instructions stored in the vehicle's memory, which, when executed, cause the processor to: receive, while the driver is seated in the vehicle, a driver-selected seating position and the driver's weight from sensors on the driver's seat; adjust one or more rearview mirrors of the vehicle to a default mirror position for the driver based on the received driver-selected seating position and weight, the default mirror position increasing the size of the unobstructed portion of the driver's and / or the vehicle's rear environment for a typical driver with the received driver-selected seating position and received weight; and further adjust one or more rearview mirrors based on visual input from the driver captured by an onboard camera in response to receiving a driver's selection of an automatic mirror adjustment mode for the vehicle. In a first example of the system, the one or more rearview mirrors include an interior rearview mirror and side mirrors of the vehicle. In a second example of the system, optionally including the first example, the driver-selected seating position includes one or more of the following: driver's seat height, driver's seat tilt, and driver's seat horizontal position. In a third example of the system, optionally including one or both of the first and second examples, further instructions are stored in memory, which, when executed, cause the processor to input one or more of the driver's seat height, driver's seat tilt, driver's seat position, and driver's weight into the first AI model, and to receive one or more angles as output of the first AI model for rotating the mirror about one or more central axes of one or more rearview mirrors to achieve a default mirror position. In a fourth example of the system, optionally including one or each of the first to third examples, further instructions are stored in memory, which, when executed, cause the processor to: receive from the driver a selection of one or more rearview mirrors to be adjusted, the selection being determined based on images of the driver's head and face captured by an in-cabin camera while the driver is looking at the selected rearview mirror. In a fifth example of the system, one or more of the first to fourth examples may be optionally included, with further instructions stored in memory that, when executed, cause the processor to: receive a first image of the driver's head and face from an in-cabin camera when the driver is in a driver-preferred driving position; receive a second image of the driver's head and face from the in-cabin camera when the driver obtains the desired field of vision from the rearview mirror; calculate an adjustment to the selected rearview mirror based on the difference between the first and second images; and use the vehicle's mirror control system to adjust the selected mirror to the desired position.In a sixth example of the system, one or more of the first to fifth examples may be included, wherein an adjustment to the selected rearview mirror is calculated by a second AI model, which is trained to take the first and second images as input and output one or more angles for rotating the selected mirror around one or more central axes of the selected mirror to achieve the desired position. In a seventh example of the system, one or more of the first to sixth examples may be optionally included, with further instructions stored in memory that, when executed, cause the processor to: detect the driver's eye gaze via an in-cabin camera positioned near the selected mirror while the driver is looking at the selected mirror; when an eye gaze at the selected mirror is detected: in response to detecting an eye gaze at the top portion of the selected mirror, adjust the selected mirror by rotating it upwards by a predefined increment about the horizontal central axis of the selected mirror; in response to detecting an eye gaze at the bottom portion of the selected mirror, adjust the selected mirror by rotating it downwards by a predefined increment about the horizontal central axis of the selected mirror; in response to detecting an eye gaze at the left side of the selected mirror, adjust the selected mirror by rotating it to the left by a predefined increment about the vertical central axis of the selected mirror; in response to detecting an eye gaze at the right side of the selected mirror, adjust the selected mirror by rotating it to the right by a predefined increment about the vertical central axis of the selected mirror; and in response to no eye gaze at the selected mirror being detected, stop rotating the selected mirror. In the eighth example of the system, one or more of the first to seventh examples may be optionally included, with further instructions stored in memory that, when executed, cause the processor to: disable the automatic mirror adjustment mode in response to the absence of a threshold amount of eye fixation on any of the one or more rearview mirrors.

[0096] This disclosure also provides support for a method comprising: adjusting one or more rearview mirrors of a vehicle to a default mirror position for the driver while seated in the vehicle, based on sensor data received from the driver's seat, the sensor data including one or more of the driver's seat height, driver's seat tilt, driver's seat position relative to a reference position of the driver's seat, and driver's weight; and further adjusting the one or more rearview mirrors based on visual input from the driver captured by an onboard camera in response to receiving a selection of an automatic mirror adjustment mode for the vehicle. In a first example of the method, the one or more rearview mirrors include one or more of an interior rearview mirror, a right-side mirror of the vehicle, and a left-side mirror of the vehicle. In a second example of the method, optionally including the first example, adjusting one or more rearview mirrors of the vehicle to the driver's default mirror position based on sensor data further comprises: inputting the sensor data into a first AI model, and receiving one or more angles for rotating the mirror about one or more central axes of the mirror in the one or more rearview mirrors to achieve the default position of the mirror as the output of the first AI model. In a third example of the method, optionally including one or both of the first and second examples, adjusting one or more rearview mirrors to a default mirror position based on sensor data further includes: inputting sensor data into a first AI model, and receiving a first angle for rotating the mirror about a horizontal central axis of the mirror and a second angle for rotating the mirror about a vertical central axis of the mirror to achieve the default position of the mirror as the output of the first AI model. In a fourth example of the method, optionally including one or more of the first to third examples, further adjusting one or more rearview mirrors based on the driver's visual input captured by the vehicle-mounted camera further includes: selecting one or more rearview mirrors that the driver is looking at, based on a first image of the driver's head and face captured by an in-cabin camera; receiving a second image of the driver's head and face from the in-cabin camera when the driver is in a driver-preferred driving position; receiving a third image of the driver's head and face from the in-cabin camera after the driver moves their head to obtain a desired view of the driver and / or the vehicle's rear environment via the selected mirror, once the desired view of the rear environment is obtained; calculating an adjustment to the selected mirror based on the difference between the second and third images; and performing the adjustment to the selected mirror using the vehicle's mirror control system.In a fifth example of the method, optionally including one or more of the first to fourth examples, calculating the adjustment of the selected mirror based on the difference between the second and third images further includes: inputting the second and third images into a second AI model, and receiving one or more angles as the output of the second AI model for rotating the selected mirror about one or more central axes of the selected mirror to achieve an unobstructed portion of the driver's field of vision of the rear environment. In a sixth example of the method, optionally including one or more of the first to fifth examples, the second AI model is a machine learning (ML) model trained using supervised learning on multiple training data pairs, each training data pair including: a first training image of a sample driver of a sample vehicle in a typical first position for the sample driver operating the sample vehicle, and a second training image of the driver in a second position, where the sample driver achieves a desired field of vision of the sample vehicle's rear environment via the sample vehicle's mirror; and the current position of the mirror as input data and the desired position of the mirror for the sample driver as ground reality data. In a seventh example of the method, optionally including one or more of the first to sixth examples, the method further includes: receiving a sequence of images of the driver from an in-cabin camera, the sequence beginning with a second image and ending with a third image, wherein a second AI model uses the image sequence as input data and outputs one or more angles for rotating a selected mirror based on the image sequence. In an eighth example of the method, optionally including one or more of the first to seventh examples, further adjusting one or more rearview mirrors based on visual input of the driver captured by an in-vehicle camera further includes: selecting the mirror that the driver is looking at from one or more rearview mirrors based on a first image of the driver's head and face captured by a first in-cabin camera; detecting the driver's eye gaze at the selected mirror via a second in-cabin camera positioned near the selected mirror while the driver is looking at the selected mirror; adjusting the selected mirror by incrementally rotating it about the central axis of the selected mirror toward the edge in response to detecting eye gaze at the edge of the selected mirror until eye gaze is no longer detected at the edge; and disabling the automatic mirror adjustment mode in response to no eye gaze at any of the one or more rearview mirrors being detected for a threshold amount of time.

[0097] This disclosure also provides support for an automatic mirror positioning system for a vehicle, the system comprising: a rearview mirror, and an electronic rearview mirror (RVM) unit and a physical RVM unit for the rearview mirror; a processor and instructions stored in the vehicle's memory, which, when executed, cause the processor to: send an electrical signal to the electronic RVM to cause the physical RVM unit to adjust the position of the rearview mirror, the electrical signal being encoded for rotating the rearview mirror by one or more angles about one or more central axes of the rearview mirror, the one or more angles being generated by one of: a default mirror setting model that outputs one or more angles based on sensor data of the driver's seat when the driver is seated in the vehicle; a head tracking model that outputs one or more angles based on a first image of the driver's head and face captured by an in-cabin camera of the vehicle when the driver is in a driver-preferred driving position, and a second image of the driver's head and face captured by the in-cabin camera when the driver obtains the desired field of vision of the rearview mirror; and an automatic mirror positioning system that is based on the direction of the driver's eye gaze detected by an eye gaze detector when the driver is looking at the rearview mirror. In a first example of the system, the electrical signal also includes encoding of a predefined increment for the rearview mirror rotation.

[0098] When describing elements of various embodiments of this disclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to indicate the presence of one or more elements. The terms “first,” “second,” etc., do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance herein, but are used to distinguish one element from another. The terms “comprising” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and indicate that there may be additional elements besides those listed. When the terms “connected to,” “coupled to,” etc., are used herein, an object (e.g., a material, element, structure, component, etc.) may be connected to or coupled to another object, regardless of whether the one object is directly connected to or coupled to the other object, or whether there are one or more intervening objects between the one object and the other object. Furthermore, it should be understood that references to “one embodiment” or “implementation” of this disclosure are not intended to be construed as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the described features.

[0099] In addition to any modifications noted above, numerous other variations and alternative arrangements can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this specification, and the appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and arrangements. Therefore, although the information enhancement has been described above in detail in conjunction with aspects currently considered to be most practical and preferred, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous modifications, including but not limited to those in form, function, operation, and use, can be made without departing from the principles and concepts set forth herein. Furthermore, as used herein, these examples and embodiments are intended in all respects to be illustrative only and should not be construed as limiting in any way.

Claims

1. An automatic mirror positioning system (201) for a vehicle (100), comprising: The processor and instructions stored in the memory of the vehicle (100), which, when executed, cause the processor to: When the driver (210) of the vehicle (100) is seated in the vehicle (100): The driver's selected seat position and the driver's weight are received from the sensor of the driver's (210) seat of the vehicle (100); Based on the received driver-selected seat position and weight, one or more rearview mirrors (150, 212, 306) of the vehicle (100) are adjusted to the driver's (210) default mirror position. For a typical driver (210) with the received driver-selected seat position and received weight, the default mirror position increases the size of the unobstructed portion of the driver's (210) and / or the vehicle's (100) rear environment; and In response to receiving the driver's (210) selection of an automatic mirror adjustment mode for the vehicle (100), the one or more rearview mirrors (150, 212, 306) are further adjusted based on the visual input of the driver (210) captured by the onboard camera.

2. The automatic mirror positioning system (201) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more rearview mirrors (150, 212, 306) include the interior rearview mirror (150, 306) and side mirrors (302, 304) of the vehicle (100).

3. The automatic mirror positioning system (201) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the seat position selected by the driver includes one or more of the height of the driver's seat, the tilt of the driver's seat, and the horizontal position of the driver's seat.

4. The automatic mirror positioning system (201) of claim 3, wherein further instructions are stored in the memory, and when executed, the further instructions cause the processor to input one or more of the height of the driver's seat (104), the tilt of the driver's seat (104), the position of the driver's seat (104), and the weight of the driver (210) into the first AI model (220), and to receive one or more angles for rotating the mirrors (150, 212, 306) about one or more central axes of the mirrors in the one or more rearview mirrors (150, 212, 306) to achieve the default mirror position as the output of the first AI model (220).

5. The automatic mirror positioning system (201) of claim 1, wherein further instructions are stored in the memory, and the further instructions, when executed, cause the processor to: The driver (210) receives a selection of one or more rearview mirrors (150, 212, 306) to be adjusted, the selection being determined based on an image of the driver's (210) head and face captured by an in-cabin camera (180) while the driver (210) is looking at the selected rearview mirror (150, 212, 306).

6. The automatic mirror positioning system (201) of claim 5, wherein further instructions are stored in the memory, and the further instructions, when executed, cause the processor to: When the driver (210) is in a driver-preferred driving position, a first image of the driver's (210) head and face is received from the in-cabin camera; When the driver (210) obtains the desired field of view of the rearview mirrors (150, 212, 306), a second image of the driver's (210's) head and face is received from the in-cabin camera (180); The adjustment to the selected rearview mirror (150, 212, 306) is calculated based on the difference between the first and second images; and The mirror control system of the vehicle (100) is used to adjust the selected mirrors (150, 212, 306) to the desired position.

7. The automatic mirror positioning system (201) of claim 6, wherein the adjustment of the selected rearview mirror (150, 212, 306) is calculated by a second AI model, the second AI model being trained to take the first image and the second image as input and output one or more angles for rotating the selected mirror (150, 212, 306) around one or more central axes of the selected mirror (150, 212, 306) to achieve a desired position.

8. The automatic mirror positioning system (201) of claim 5, wherein further instructions are stored in the memory, and the further instructions, when executed, cause the processor to: While the driver (210) is looking at the selected mirror, the driver's (210) eye gaze is detected by an in-cabin camera (180) located near the selected mirror (150, 212, 306); When eye fixation on the selected mirrors (150, 212, 306) is detected: In response to the detection of eye gaze on the top portion of the selected mirror (150, 212, 306), the selected mirror (150, 212, 306) is adjusted by rotating the selected mirror (150, 212, 306) in the upward direction by a predefined increment around the horizontal central axis of the selected mirror (150, 212, 306). In response to the detection of eye gaze toward the bottom portion of the selected mirror, the selected mirror (150, 212, 306) is adjusted by rotating the selected mirror (150, 212, 306) in a downward direction by a predefined increment around the horizontal central axis of the selected mirror (150, 212, 306). In response to the detection of eye gaze toward the left side of the selected mirror (150, 212, 306), the selected mirror (150, 212, 306) is adjusted by rotating the selected mirror (150, 212, 306) in a predefined increment to the left around the vertical central axis of the selected mirror (150, 212, 306). In response to detecting eye gaze directed toward the right side of the selected mirror (150, 212, 306), the selected mirror (150, 212, 306) is adjusted by rotating it in a predefined increment to the right around its vertical central axis; and And in response to the absence of eye gaze on the selected mirror (150, 212, 306), the rotation of the selected mirror (150, 212, 306) is stopped.

9. The automatic mirror positioning system (201) of claim 8, wherein further instructions are stored in the memory, and the further instructions, when executed, cause the processor to: In response to the absence of a threshold amount of eye fixation on any of the one or more rearview mirrors (150, 212, 306), the automatic mirror adjustment mode is turned off.

10. A method comprising: When the driver is seated in the vehicle (408), based on sensor data received from the driver's seat, one or more rearview mirrors of the vehicle are adjusted to the default mirror position for the driver while seated in the vehicle. The sensor data includes one or more of the following: the height of the driver's seat, the tilt angle of the driver's seat, the position of the driver's seat relative to a reference position of the driver's seat, and the driver's weight. In response to receiving the driver's selection of an automatic mirror adjustment mode for the vehicle, the one or more rearview mirrors are further adjusted based on the driver's visual input captured by the onboard camera (416).

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more rearview mirrors include one or more of an interior rearview mirror, a right-side mirror of the vehicle, and a left-side mirror of the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein adjusting the one or more rearview mirrors of the vehicle to the driver's default mirror position based on the sensor data further comprises: The sensor data is input into a first AI model, and one or more angles are received as the output of the first AI model for rotating the mirror about one or more central axes of the mirror in the one or more rearview mirrors to achieve the default position of the mirror.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein adjusting the one or more rearview mirrors to the default mirror position based on the sensor data further comprises: The sensor data is input into the first AI model, and a first angle for rotating the mirror about its horizontal central axis and a second angle for rotating the mirror about its vertical central axis to reach the default position are received as the output of the first AI model.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein further adjusting the one or more rearview mirrors based on the driver's visual input captured by the vehicle-mounted camera further comprises: The driver is selected from one or more rearview mirrors based on a first image of the driver’s head and face captured by an in-cabin camera (414). When the driver is in the driver's preferred driving position, a second image of the driver's head and face is received from the in-cabin camera (502); After the driver moves their head to obtain a desired view of the driver and / or the vehicle’s rear environment via the selected mirror, a third image of the driver’s head and face is received from the in-cabin camera when the desired view of the rear environment is obtained (504). The adjustment of the selected mirror is calculated based on the difference between the second image and the third image (506); and The vehicle's mirror control system is used to perform the adjustment of the selected mirror (508).

15. The method of claim 14, wherein calculating the adjustment of the selected mirror based on the difference between the second image and the third image further comprises: The second image and the third image are input into the second AI model, and one or more angles for rotating the selected mirror around one or more central axes of the selected mirror to achieve the size of the unobstructed portion of the driver's field of vision of the rear environment are received as the output of the second AI model.

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