Vehicle Rearview Mirror with Dynamic Display Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
In vehicle rearview mirror systems, the existing technology faces challenges in automatically switching the liquid crystal display device on or off in conjunction with the alteration of the mirror's posture, leading to difficulties in recognizing images due to intense illumination or smearing, especially at night, and the need to avoid bright disturbance light from the rear side.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle rearview mirror system incorporating a signal processing unit, an operating lever member, and a power supply switch that allows the display device to be switched on or off in conjunction with the alteration of the mirror's posture between viewing the rear side in a half mirror and an image on the display screen, using a support arm member with stopper units and a curved unit to maintain the mirror's inclined posture and minimize disturbance light.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the liquid crystal display device is provided inside the vehicle mirror main body to display images, then the driver can view rear side images on a display screen, but intense illumination light from following vehicles causes smearing and makes it difficult to recognize the displayed image
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a movable mirror main body that can dynamically change its inclination angle between a first angle (for viewing reflected images) and a second angle (for viewing display screen). This dynamic positioning allows the system to adapt to different viewing conditions and avoid intense illumination light that causes smearing, thereby resolving the contradiction between image recognition and harmful light exposure
Solution Approach 2:
The system periodically switches between two operational states: viewing the rear side through the half mirror at the first inclination angle, and viewing the displayed image on the liquid crystal display screen at the second inclination angle. This periodic alternation allows the driver to access rear view information while avoiding continuous exposure to harmful illumination light
2Ease of operation
If the vehicle mirror main body is inclined to allow the driver to watch the displayed image on the liquid crystal display screen, then the display can be viewed, but the power source switching and automatic posture alteration mechanisms are complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into a single integrated system: the power source switching unit simultaneously controls both the liquid crystal display device power state and the mirror main body inclination angle. This merging of power control and positioning control into one unified mechanism simplifies the overall system architecture while maintaining the ability to switch between viewing modes
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates automatic control mechanisms where the power source switching unit automatically alters the mirror main body posture based on the selected viewing mode. When the driver selects to view the display screen, the system automatically adjusts the inclination angle and power supply state without requiring manual intervention for each individual action, thereby reducing operational complexity
3Loss of information
If the liquid crystal display device is switched on to display images, then the driver can view the rear side image, but at night time with intense illumination light, smearing occurs and image recognition becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the display viewing function from the normal reflected image viewing path by providing a separate viewing angle (second angle) specifically optimized for observing the liquid crystal display screen. This separation allows the rear side image information to be accessed through the display without being affected by intense illumination light that would otherwise cause smearing during nighttime conditions
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle rearview mirror system is described. A display device constructs an image by an image signal having been output from an image receiving unit of a vehicle-mounted camera and then causes a display screen to display the constructed image. A vehicle mirror main body incorporates the display device. A posture of the vehicle mirror main body is altered between a posture when a driver watches a vehicle rear side appearing in a half mirror and a posture when the driver watches an image which is displayed on the display screen. An operating lever member is employed to alter the posture of the vehicle mirror main body. A power supply switch switches on or off the display device in conjunction with operation of the operating lever member.