Magna Mirrors of America, Inc.

Magna Electronics Inc.

Austen C Peterson

Justin E Sobecki

Gregory A Huizen

Yuesheng Lu

Niall R Lynam

Rodney K Blank

Ian A McCabe

Martin Solar

James A Ruse

Steven V Byrne

Jonathan David Conger

Anthony J LaCross

Zhongyao Liu

Jason A Durfee

Anthony J Schutz

Joel W Stiverson

A vehicular accessory system includes an overhead console configured to mount at an interior portion of a vehicle, and an interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror head mounted via mounting structure at the overhead console. The overhead console includes a base portion configured to attach at the interior portion of the vehicle to mount the overhead console at the interior portion and an extending portion that, with the overhead console mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle, extends from the base portion along and spaced from a headliner of the vehicle. The overhead console includes a light source that, with the overhead console mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle, and when electrically operated to emit light, light emitted by the light source illuminates a surface at the interior portion of the vehicle above the overhead console.

Overhead console accessory system with shared controls, cameras, and lighting

A vehicular cabin monitoring system includes a vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly configured for mounting at an interior portion of an equipped vehicle and having a mirror head accommodating an electrochromic mirror reflective element, a driver monitoring camera that is operable to capture image data, and a near infrared light emitter that, when electrically operated to emit near infrared light, illuminates at least the head of the driver. With the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle, and as the equipped vehicle travels along a road, image data captured by the driver monitoring camera is processed at an electronic control unit to detect light emanating from at least one headlamp of at least one trailing vehicle traveling along the road behind the equipped vehicle.

Vehicular cabin monitoring system with camera and near IR light emitter at interior rearview mirror assembly

A vehicular cabin monitoring system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror head that accommodates a prismatic mirror reflective element and a camera. The prismatic mirror reflective element is adhesively attached at a mirror back plate of the mirror head. A not-optically-clear adhesive (NOCA) layer is disposed between a mirror reflector coating at a rear side of the prismatic mirror reflective element and the mirror back plate. The camera views through (i) the NOCA layer, (ii) the mirror reflector coating and (iii) the glass substrate of the prismatic mirror reflective element. Electronic circuitry of an electronic control unit (ECU) includes an image processor for processing image data captured by the camera. With the mirror assembly mounted at an interior portion of a vehicle, image data captured by the camera is processed at the ECU for an occupant monitoring function or a driver monitoring function.

Vehicular cabin monitoring system with camera at interior rearview mirror assembly

A vehicular driver monitoring system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly including a mirror head and a mirror reflective element, a driver monitoring camera and a video mirror display screen accommodated by the mirror head and that move together and in tandem with the mirror head. The video mirror display screen displays video images viewable through the mirror reflective element. A sensing device generates sensor data representative of an orientation of the mirror head relative to mounting structure and the system determines orientation of the mirror head relative to the mounting structure. Image data captured by the driver monitoring camera is processed based on the determined orientation of the mirror head for monitoring of the driver of the vehicle. Responsive to adjustment of the mirror head relative to the mounting structure, video images displayed by the display screen are adjusted based on the determined orientation of the mirror head.

Vehicular driver monitoring system

A vehicular cabin monitoring system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror head that accommodates a prismatic mirror reflective element. A camera is accommodated by the mirror head. The mirror reflective element is adhesively attached at a mirror back plate of the mirror head. An optically clear adhesive (OCA) and a neutral density (ND) filter are disposed between the mirror back plate and a mirror reflector coating disposed at a rear side of the mirror reflective element. The camera views through (i) the OCA, (ii) the ND filter, (iii) the mirror reflector coating of the mirror reflective element, and (iv) the glass substrate of the mirror reflective element. With the interior rearview mirror assembly attached at an interior portion of a vehicle, image data captured by the camera is processed at an electronic control unit (ECU) for a cabin monitoring function.

Vehicular driver monitoring system with camera disposed behind prismatic mirror element of interior rearview mirror assembly

A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head that accommodates an electronic component and a heatsink assembly. The heatsink assembly includes (i) a first portion that is thermally coupled to the electronic component and draws heat from the electronic component, (ii) a second portion that extends from the first portion, (iii) a chamber extending between the first and second portions and (iv) a phase-changing refrigerant within the chamber. With the refrigerant in a liquid phase and responsive to heating of the first portion, the refrigerant draws heat from the first portion and changes to a gaseous phase. With the refrigerant in the gaseous phase, the refrigerant flows within the chamber and along the second portion and condenses at an inner surface of the second portion to transfer heat to the second portion. The heat is dissipated from the second portion to exterior the mirror head.

Vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly with heatsink

A vehicular driver monitoring system includes a camera disposed at an interior rearview mirror assembly within a cabin of a vehicle and viewing a driver operating of the vehicle. Image data captured by the camera is transferred to and is processed at an electronic control unit (ECU). The vehicular driver monitoring system, via processing at the ECU of image data captured by the camera, determines posture of the driver operating the vehicle. The vehicular driver monitoring system, based at least in part on a comparison between the determined posture of the driver and a proper posture stored in memory, determines improper posture of the driver. The proper posture stored in memory is determined based at least in part on a determined head position of the driver relative to the interior rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle.

A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head accommodating an interior rearview mirror reflective element. The mirror reflective element has a mirror transflector that transmits near infrared light incident thereon, transmits visible light incident thereon and reflects visible light incident thereon. The mirror transflector includes repeating alternating layers of a higher refractive index layer and a lower refractive index layer. A megapixel camera is disposed within the mirror head behind the mirror reflective element and views through the mirror transflector. A near infrared illumination source is disposed within the mirror head and operable to emit near infrared light that passes through the mirror transflector. Responsive at least in part to the data processor processing captured image data, at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) driver attentiveness is monitored, (ii) driver drowsiness is monitored and (iii) driver gaze direction is monitored.

Vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly

A vehicular vision system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror head adjustable about a mounting base configured to attach at an interior portion of a vehicle. A driver monitoring camera is accommodated by the mirror head and moves in tandem with the mirror head when the mirror head is adjusted relative to the mounting base to adjust a driver's rearward view. At least one near infrared light emitter is accommodated by the mirror head and is operable to emit near infrared light toward a head region of the driver of the vehicle. Image data captured by the driver monitoring camera is processed to determine driver attentiveness and/or driver drowsiness. The vehicular vision system may adjust processing of the captured image data to accommodate adjustment of the mirror head when the driver adjusts the mirror head to adjust his or her rearward view.

Vehicular vision system with driver monitoring camera at interior rearview mirror assembly

A vehicular cabin monitoring system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly configured for attaching at an interior portion of an equipped vehicle and having a having a mirror head accommodating a driver monitoring camera and first and second near infrared light emitters. When the equipped vehicle is a left hand drive vehicle, a beam of light emitted by the first near infrared light emitters is directed toward a driver-side front seating location of the left hand drive vehicle when the first near infrared light emitter emits near infrared light for a driver monitoring function. When the equipped vehicle is a right hand drive vehicle, a beam of light emitted by the second light emitting element is directed toward a driver-side front seating location of the right hand drive vehicle when the second near infrared light emitter emits near infrared light for the driver monitoring function.

A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head adjustably attached at a mounting base. The mirror head includes a prismatic mirror reflective element having a wedge-shaped, reflector-coated glass substrate having a front side and a rear side separated by a thickness of the glass substrate, with the thickness of the glass substrate varying between a lower edge region of the glass substrate and an upper edge region of the glass substrate. A driver monitoring camera is accommodated by the mirror head and views through the prismatic mirror reflective element. A refraction-compensating element is disposed between a lens of the driver monitoring camera and the rear side of the glass substrate of the prismatic mirror reflective element. The refraction-compensating element is a wedge-shaped element that offsets refraction of light that passes through the wedge-shaped, reflector coated glass substrate of the prismatic mirror reflective element.

Vehicular prismatic interior rearview mirror assembly with driver monitoring camera

A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head accommodating an interior mirror reflective element. The mirror reflective element has a mirror transflector that transmits near infrared light incident thereon, transmits visible light incident thereon and reflects visible light incident thereon. A camera is disposed within the mirror head and views through the mirror transflector. The camera includes an imaging sensor having a quantum efficiency (QE) of at least 15% for near infrared light having a wavelength of 940 nm. First, second and third near infrared illumination sources are disposed within the mirror head and operable to emit near infrared light that passes through the mirror transflector. The near infrared illumination sources are at respective locations at the mirror reflective element and, when powered, illuminate respective seat regions for a driver-monitoring function or an occupant-detection function.

Interior rearview mirror assembly with driver monitoring system

A vehicular driver monitoring system includes a camera disposed in a cabin of a vehicle and viewing a driver operating of the vehicle. The camera captures image data and provides captured image data to an electronic control unit (ECU). The vehicular driver monitoring system, via processing captured image data at the ECU, determines posture of the driver operating the vehicle. Responsive to the determined posture of the driver being indicative of at least a threshold degree of improper posture, the vehicular driver monitoring system generates an alert to the driver that the driver has improper posture.

Vehicular driver monitoring system with posture detection and alert

A vehicular driver monitoring system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror head adjustably attached at a mounting base configured to attach at an interior portion of a vehicle. A driver monitoring camera is accommodated by the mirror head so as to move in tandem with the mirror head when the mirror head is adjusted relative to the mounting base to adjust a driver's rearward view. At least one near infrared light emitter is accommodated by the mirror head and is operable to emit near infrared light toward a head region of the driver of the vehicle. Image data captured by the driver monitoring camera is processed to determine driver attentiveness and/or driver drowsiness. The vehicular driver monitoring system adjusts processing of the captured image data to accommodate adjustment of the mirror head when the driver adjusts the mirror head to adjust his or her rearward view.

Vehicular driver monitoring system with DMS camera at interior rearview mirror assembly

A vehicular driver monitoring system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having a driver monitoring camera and first and second near-infrared light emitting elements accommodated by a mirror head. The light emitting elements are oriented at the mirror head so that (i) a beam of light emitted by the first light emitting element would be directed toward a driver's region of a left hand drive vehicle if the mirror assembly were installed in the LHD vehicle, and (ii) a beam of light emitted by the second light emitting element would be directed toward a driver's region of a right hand drive vehicle if the mirror assembly were installed in the RHD vehicle. The system enables and/or operates the first or second light emitting element for a driver monitoring function responsive to indication that the mirror assembly is installed or will be installed in a LHD vehicle or a RHD vehicle.

Growing community of inventors

Hudsonville, MI, United States of America

Austen C Peterson