Patent Publication Number: US-2010110188-A1

Title: Inverted vehicle front viewing system

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
     The technical field of the material described herein relates to systems that are arranged to view an area in the front of a vehicle. Such a viewing system may include, for example, a convex mirror and/or camera that views the area in front of the vehicle. 
     BACKGROUND  
     Mirrors are typically used on a vehicle to provide the operator with a field of view behind and along both sides of the vehicle so that the operator may more safely operate the vehicle. However, in some instances, it is also desirable to provide the operator with a field of view of the area in front of the vehicle. For example, school bus drivers can have trouble seeing children, particularly shorter children, crossing in close proximity to the front of the school bus. In order to avoid accidents when children cross in close proximity to the front of the school bus, it is known to mount mirrors in front of the bus with a backward and downward field of view. Thus, the school bus operator is made aware of any children who otherwise might not be in the operator&#39;s field of view. 
     However, the use of such a mirror poses significant problems. For example, if the mirror is planar with little or no magnification, then the field of view is limited. On the other hand, if the mirror is convex with a positive magnification, the field of view is greater than in the case of a planar mirror, but the objects in the image provided by the convex mirror are smaller and at a significant distance from the driver&#39;s eye. Thus, objects in the field of view are difficult to discern or recognize. Also, a mirror provides very limited visibility when little sunlight is available such as at night, dawn, and dusk. Thus, a driver has difficulty seeing persons or objects in front of the vehicle during such conditions. Moreover, mirrors are large, which increases wind resistance and vibration. Accordingly, mirrors adversely affect fuel efficiency and vehicle ride. 
     The present invention overcomes one or more of these or other disadvantages. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       Features and advantages of the vehicle front viewing system described below will become more apparent from the detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a top view of a vehicle front viewing system that includes a support arm and a camera mount; 
         FIG. 2  is a left side view of the vehicle front viewing system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a front view of the vehicle front viewing system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom view of the vehicle front viewing system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the vehicle front viewing system of  FIG. 1  showing the camera from the vantage point of a driver of a vehicle to which the vehicle front viewing system is mounted; 
         FIG. 6  is a rear view of the vehicle front viewing system of  FIG. 1 ; and, 
         FIG. 7  shows the vehicle front viewing system of the above figures mounted to a vehicle. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 , and  5 , a vehicle front viewing system  10  includes a support arm  12  and a camera  16 . The support arm  12 , for example, may include a mirror housing  14 . The support arm  12  has first and second ends  18  and  20 . The first end  18  attaches the support arm  12  to a vehicle, and the second end  20  includes the mirror housing  14 . 
     The first end  18 , for example, has fastener receiving holes  22  that receive fasteners such as screws that extend through a panel or other structure of the vehicle and into the first end  18  of the support arm  12  to secure the support arm  12  to the vehicle. However, the support arm  12  may be otherwise secured to the vehicle. 
     The mirror housing  14  may be formed as an integral part of the support arm  12 . However, the support arm  12  and the mirror housing  14  may be attached to one another such as by fasteners. Alternatively, the support arm  12  and the mirror housing  14  may be otherwise secured to one another. 
     The mirror housing  14 , as shown in the drawings, has a top  24  that faces upwardly when the vehicle front viewing system  10  is mounted to a vehicle, a bottom  26  that faces downwardly when the vehicle front viewing system  10  is mounted to a vehicle, left and right sides  28  and  30  extending between the top  24  and the bottom  26 , and a back  32  formed integrally with the top  24 , the bottom  26 , and the left and right sides  28  and  30 . The top  24 , the bottom  26 , the left and right sides  28  and  30 , and the back  32  form a well or recess (not shown). However, the mirror housing  14  may be otherwise formed such as by separate top, bottom, sides, and back suitably secured to one another, or the mirror housing  14  may be formed as a bracket or other structure. 
     The camera  16  is suitably secured to the support arm  12  at a position so that its field of view is the front of the vehicle when the support arm  12  is affixed to the vehicle. For example, a nut or other fastening device may be used to fasten the camera  16  within a recess of the support arm  12 . Alternatively, the camera  16  may have a housing that is arranged to be threaded into the support arm  12 . Other fastening arrangements are possible. An electrical wire from the camera  16  runs through the interior of the support arm  12  to a display that is suitable mounted to the vehicle for viewing by the vehicle operator. 
     The camera  16  is fixedly mounted to the support arm  12  so that the camera  16  has a fixed viewing angle with respect to the vehicle to which it is mounted. Alternatively, the camera  16  could be mounted to the support arm  12  so that the camera  16  may be rotated on the support arm  12  in order to provide a variable viewing angle with respect to the vehicle to which it is mounted. 
     As can be seen from  FIG. 2 , the support arm  12  has a horizontal arm portion  34 , a vertical arm portion  36 , and a curved arm portion  38  that joins the horizontal arm portion  34  and the vertical arm portion  36 . The vertical arm portion  36  includes the mirror housing  14 . The camera  16  is mounted to the horizontal arm portion  34 . However, the camera  16  could instead be mounted to either the vertical arm portion  36  that includes the mirror housing  14  (such that the camera  16 , for example, can be supported by the mirror housing  14 ) or the curved arm portion  38 . 
     The mirror housing  14  also a mirror  44 . The mirror  44 , for example, may have an upper mirror portion  46  and a lower mirror portion  48 . Alternatively, the mirror  44  may have more than two portions. For example, the mirror  44  may be a triple glass system. 
     The upper mirror portion  46  and the lower mirror portion  48  may be independently moved with respect to the mirror housing  14  either by manual operation or by motor operation so that the fields of view of the upper mirror portion  46  and the lower mirror portion  48  may be independently adjusted. 
     Alternatively or additionally, the upper mirror portion  46  and the lower mirror portion  48  may have the same magnification or different magnifications. For example, both the upper mirror portion  46  and the lower mirror portion  48  may be planar so that they each have a magnification of one. As another example, one of the upper mirror portion  46  and the lower mirror portion  48  may be convex so as to have a magnification greater than one, and the other of the upper mirror portion  46  and the lower mirror portion  48  may be planar so as to have a magnification of one. As still another example, both of the upper mirror portion  46  and the lower mirror portion  48  may be convex so as to have a magnification greater than one. Other examples are possible. 
     In this manner, the mirror  44  provides a field of view to the vehicle operator that extends alongside and behind the vehicle, and the camera  16  provides a field of view to the vehicle operator of the area in front of the vehicle. The field of view of the area in front of the vehicle may encompass the front bumper of the vehicle and/or the area ahead of the front bumper of the vehicle. In this manner, the vehicle operator can see if there is anything or anyone in front of the vehicle before the vehicle is put into forward operation. 
       FIG. 6  shows the vehicle front viewing system  10  mounted to a vehicle  50 . As can be seen in  FIG. 6 , the support arm  12  is fastened to a side of the vehicle  50  so that camera  16  and the mirror  44  are to the side but in front of the vehicle  50 . Thus, the mirror housing  14  is mounted to the vehicle  50  such that the top  24  of the mirror housing  14  abuts the second end  20  of the support arm  12  and is directed in an upwardly direction with respect to the vehicle  50  and such that the bottom  26  of the mirror housing  14  is opposite to and below the top  24  and is directed in an downwardly direction with respect to the vehicle  50 . Further, the dimension of the mirror housing  14  between the top  24  and the bottom  26  is vertical and is longer than the dimension of the mirror housing  14  between left and right sides  28  and  30  which is horizontal. Accordingly, the vehicle front viewing system  10  has an inverted appearance. 
     The camera  16 , for example, may have or include infrared capability so that the front of the vehicle may be viewed even in diminished light conditions. Accordingly, the camera  16  may comprise an infrared light camera such as an infrared LED camera, a visible light camera, or a composite of an infrared light camera and visible light camera. Moreover, the camera  16  may be small so that it has little mass, fitting snugly in the support arm  12  to offer little or no wind resistance and cause little or no vibration. 
     Certain modifications of the present invention have been discussed above. Other modifications of the present invention will occur to those practicing in the art of the present invention. Accordingly, the description of the present invention is to be construed as illustrative only and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode of carrying out the invention. The details may be varied substantially without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the exclusive use of all modifications which are within the scope of the appended claims is reserved.