Patent ID: 9126525
Filing Date: 2015-09-08
Classification: B60Q,B60R,B60W,G05D,G06K,H04N

Abstract:
1. An alert system for a vehicle having a rear vision system, said alert system comprising: a video display screen for displaying video images that are captured by a rearward-facing camera, wherein said video display screen is viewable by the driver of a vehicle equipped with said alert system; an interior visual alert device disposed at an interior rearview mirror assembly of the equipped vehicle, wherein said interior visual alert device is operable independently of said video display screen; a driver-side visual alert device disposed at a driver-side exterior rearview mirror assembly of the equipped vehicle; a passenger-side visual alert device disposed at a passenger-side exterior rearview mirror assembly of the equipped vehicle; wherein said video display screen is disposed in the equipped vehicle separate from said interior visual alert device disposed at the interior rearview mirror; a control responsive to a rearward-directed object detection system of the equipped vehicle, wherein said rearward-directed object detection system is operable to detect an object rearward of the equipped vehicle during a reversing maneuver of the equipped vehicle; and wherein, during a reversing maneuver of the equipped vehicle and responsive to detection of an object rearward of the equipped vehicle by said rearward-directed object detection system, said control is operable to activate (i) said interior visual alert device, (ii) said driver-side visual alert device and (iii) said passenger-side visual alert device, and wherein said interior visual alert device, said driver-side visual alert device and said passenger-side visual alert device are viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle when activated and are operable to guide or prompt the driver to check video images that are captured by said at least one rearward-facing camera and displayed in the interior cabin of the equipped vehicle by said video display screen during the reversing maneuver so that the driver can verify the nature and type of a potential hazard rearward of the vehicle as being detected by said rearward-directed object detection system.