Patent ID: 7057500

Claim:
A rear view monitoring system for a motor vehicle having a longitudinal center axis and passenger compartment symmetrically centered upon said axis and bounded by front and rear, left side and right side portions of the vehicle, a front windshield, a roof, and upwardly directed roof-supporting pillars, said monitoring system comprising: a) first and second rear view side video assemblies installable on opposite sides of the front portion of said vehicle and positioned and configured to produce mirror images of rearward areas contiguous to the left and right sides of the vehicle, respectively, b) a third video assembly installable upon the rear of said vehicle and configured to produce a mirror image of an area behind said vehicle, and c) first, second and third monitor screens of substantially rectangular contour located within said compartment and separately interactive with said first, second and third video assemblies, respectively, to provide visually observable pictures corresponding to said mirror images, said first and second screens being positioned adjacent pillars on the same side of the compartment as the associated video assemblies, and said third screen being centered high upon said front windshield said pictures being of substantially equal magnification and wherein the pictures on said first and second screens partially and adjustably overlap the picture on said third screen, the nature of said overlap being such that between 5% and 20% of the picture on said third screen, measured inwardly from the opposite lateral extremities thereof repeats those portions of pictures on said other two screens which are closest to said axis.