Patent ID: 9019091
Filing Date: 2015-04-28
Classification: B60R,G01C,G01S,G09B

Abstract:
1. An interior rearview mirror system of a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising: a rearward facing camera of the vehicle, said rearward facing camera having a rearward field of view external of the vehicle, wherein said rearward facing camera comprises one of a CMOS camera and a CCD camera; a forward facing camera of the vehicle, said forward facing camera having a forward field of view external of the vehicle, wherein said forward facing camera comprises one of a CMOS camera and a CCD camera; an interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror reflective element with a mirror reflector disposed at a surface thereof; a video display screen disposed behind said mirror reflective element of said interior rearview mirror assembly, wherein said video display screen comprises a reconfigurable video display screen, wherein said video display screen is viewable by a driver of the vehicle when the driver is normally operating the vehicle, and wherein said video display screen is operable to display information for viewing by the driver of the vehicle through said mirror reflective element when the mirror assembly is normally mounted in the vehicle and when said video display screen is operated to display information; wherein said mirror reflective element has a width dimension and a height dimension, and wherein said width dimension of said mirror reflective element is longer than said height dimension of said mirror reflective element, and wherein said video display screen has a width dimension and a height dimension, and wherein said width dimension of said video display screen is longer than said height dimension of said video display screen, and wherein said width dimension of said video display screen is generally parallel to said width dimension of said mirror reflective element; wherein, when the vehicle is executing a reversing maneuver, said video display screen displays images captured by said rearward facing camera to assist the driver in reversing the vehicle; and wherein said video display screen is operable to display other information and wherein said other information comprises at least one of (i) vehicle information, (ii) a vehicle instrument status, (iii) a vehicle function status, (iv) a fuel level status, (v) information relating to a speed of the vehicle, (vi) tachometer information, (vii) a climate control setting status, (viii) GPS directional instructions, (ix) information relating to a global-positioning system, (x) a tire pressure status, (xi) a rain sensor status, (xii) compass information, (xiii) an engine coolant temperature status, (xiv) an oil pressure status, (xv) battery condition status, (xvi) telephone information, (xvii) telephone number information, (xviii) a page message, (xix) audio system information, (xx) an e-mail message, (xxi) a cellular phone operation status, (xxii) weather information, (xxiii) temperature information, (xxiv) highway status information, (xxv) a blind spot indicator, (xxvi) a hazard warning, (xxvii) traffic information, (xxviii) time, (xxix) a train approach warning, (xxx) a tollbooth transaction and (xxxi) a passenger airbag status; and wherein, during forward travel of the vehicle and responsive to information pertaining to the location of the vehicle and a route to a destination, said video display screen displays forward video images captured by said forward facing camera and said video display screen displays a graphic overlay on the displayed forward video images that one of (i) highlights a highway on/off ramp that the driver is to take to follow the route to the destination and (ii) highlights a building of the destination.