Patent ID: 8593520

Claim:
A peripheral viewing system for a vehicle including two opposing sides, a steering wheel positioned within a passenger compartment, and a rear, the peripheral viewing system comprising: a pair of cameras, one of the cameras mounted on one of the two opposing sides of the vehicle, another of the cameras mounted on another of the two opposing sides of the vehicle; a pair of video displays mounted separately in different locations within the passenger compartment, wherein the pair of video displays are positioned to be readily visible by a driver, and wherein each video display are in selective communication with a designated one of the pair of cameras; a microprocessor means in communication with each of the pair of cameras and the pair of video displays for continuously processing images received from each of the pair of cameras and for continuously transmitting the images to each of the pair of video displays; a third camera mounted on the rear of the vehicle, wherein the third camera is connected to the microprocessor means; a third video display mounted separately from the pair of video displays within the vehicle passenger compartment, wherein the third video display is in selective communication with the third camera using the microprocessor means for continuously depicting images behind the vehicle; and a warning means for alerting a driver of an approaching vehicle, wherein the warning means comprises: one or more phototransistors, each mounted on each side of the vehicle and adjacent the rear of the vehicle, wherein each phototransistor is electrically connected to the microprocessor means; an audible alarm means electrically connected to the microprocessor means for audibly alerting a driver if one of the one or more phototransistor detects a trailing vehicle within a predetermined range of the vehicle; wherein the vehicle includes a turn signal switch means electrically connected to the microprocessor means for exclusively activating an audible alarm means if a trailing vehicle is within a predetermined range of the vehicle.