Patent ID: 11890990
Assignee: MAGNA MIRRORS OF AMERICA, INC.
Field: Audio-visual technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  H  G | IPC B  G  H

Claim 85:
86. A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly, the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
an interior rearview mirror head adjustably disposed at a mounting base that is configured to attach the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly at an interior portion of a left hand drive vehicle equipped with the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly;
wherein the interior portion of the equipped left hand drive vehicle comprises a portion of an in-cabin side of a windshield of the equipped left hand drive vehicle;
wherein the interior rearview mirror head accommodates an interior rearview mirror reflective element;
wherein the interior rearview mirror reflective element comprises a mirror transflector, and wherein the mirror transflector transmits near infrared light incident thereon, transmits visible light incident thereon and reflects visible light incident thereon;
a camera disposed within the interior rearview mirror head behind the interior rearview mirror reflective element;
wherein the camera views through the mirror transflector of the interior rearview mirror reflective element;
wherein the camera comprises a backside Illumination (BSI) imaging sensor having a quantum efficiency (QE) of at least 15% for near infrared light having a wavelength of 940 nm;
wherein the backside Illumination (BSI) imaging sensor camera comprises an least 2.3 megapixel imaging array;
wherein the camera is operable to capture frames of image data at a frame capture rate of at least 60 frames per second;
a data processor disposed within the interior rearview mirror head behind the interior rearview mirror reflective element;
first, second and third near infrared illumination sources disposed within the interior rearview mirror head behind the interior rearview mirror reflective element;
wherein the respective first, second and third near infrared illumination sources are operable to emit near infrared light that passes through the mirror transflector of the interior rearview mirror reflective element;
wherein the interior rearview mirror reflective element and the camera and the first, second and third near infrared illumination sources and the data processor move in tandem with the interior rearview mirror head when, with the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly attached at the interior portion of the equipped left hand drive vehicle, the interior rearview mirror head is adjusted by a driver of the equipped left hand drive vehicle to set a rearward view of the interior rearview mirror reflective element for the driver;
wherein the first near infrared illumination source comprises at least two near infrared emitting light emitting diodes, and wherein the second near infrared illumination source comprises at least two near infrared emitting light emitting diodes, and wherein the third near infrared illumination source comprises at least two near infrared emitting light emitting diodes;
wherein, with the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly attached at the interior portion of the equipped left hand drive vehicle, the first near infrared illumination source is disposed at the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly to the left of the second near infrared illumination source, and wherein the third near infrared illumination source is disposed at the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly to the right of the second near infrared illumination source;
wherein, with the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly attached at the interior portion of the equipped left hand drive vehicle and with the interior rearview mirror head adjusted by the driver to set the rearward view of the interior rearview mirror reflective element for the driver, the first near infrared illumination source, when activated to emit near infrared light, illuminates at least a front driver seat region at a driver side of the equipped left hand drive vehicle;
wherein, with the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly attached at the interior portion of the equipped left hand drive vehicle and with the interior rearview mirror head adjusted by the driver to set the rearward view of the interior rearview mirror reflective element for the driver, the third near infrared illumination source, when activated to emit near infrared light, illuminates at least a front passenger seat region at a passenger side of the equipped left hand drive vehicle;
wherein the data processor is operable to process frames of image data captured by the camera for a driver-monitoring function and for an occupant-detection function;
wherein the camera captures multiple frames of image data, and wherein the multiple captured frames of image data include a plurality of driver-monitoring frames of image data and a plurality of occupant-detection frames of image data;
wherein, with the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly attached at the interior portion of the equipped left hand drive vehicle and when the data processor is operating to provide the driver-monitoring function, the first and second near infrared illumination sources are activated to emit near infrared light and provide near infrared irradiance at the eyes of the driver;
wherein, when the camera is capturing driver-monitoring frames of image data, the third near infrared illumination source is not activated to emit near infrared light;
wherein the data processor adjusts processing of captured frames of image data to accommodate adjustment of the interior rearview mirror head when the driver adjusts the interior rearview mirror head to set the rearward view of the interior rearview mirror reflective element for the driver;
wherein, with the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly attached at the interior portion of the equipped left hand drive vehicle and with the data processor processing captured driver-monitoring frames of image data to provide the driver-monitoring function, 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; and
wherein, with the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly attached at the interior portion of the equipped left hand drive vehicle and with the data processor processing captured occupant-detection frames of image data to provide the occupant-detection function, an occupant present at a passenger seat region within the interior cabin of the equipped left hand drive vehicle is detected.