Television – Special applications – Observation of or from a specific location
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-07
2002-07-16
Kelley, Chris (Department: 2713)
Television
Special applications
Observation of or from a specific location
C340S436000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06421081
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to rear and side viewing devices for vehicles and, more particularly, the present invention relates to a rear and side viewing device for vehicles providing real time images of the area surrounding the vehicle to a driver of the vehicle by utilizing a video camera.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous innovations for rear and side viewing devices for vehicles void of rear and quarter windows have been provided in the prior art. For example, as shown in
FIG. 1
, the prior art external rear view mirrors
32
a
and
32
b
are mounted to the doors
24
a
and
24
b
of the cab portion
20
a
of a vehicle
18
a
. The vehicle includes an opaque rear side
17
a
. With the prior art external rear view mirrors
32
a
and
32
b
extending from the sides of vehicle
18
a
, the width of the vehicle
18
a
is increased and, more importantly, the mirrors
32
a
and
32
b
include blind spots preventing the driver from viewing all areas surrounding the vehicle
18
a
regardless of the distance to which the prior art external rear view mirrors
32
a
and
32
b
extend from the vehicle
18
a.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,710,040; 4,161,352; 4,934,246; and 4,964,712 are all also illustrative of such prior art. While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,710,040
Inventor: Jorgen Boysen
Issued: May 9, 1929
This invention relates to automobile-mirrors, and has for its object to provide a specimen of mirror, somewhat similar to a periscope, which, when properly adjusted, will at all times keep the driver of a car informed as to the movements that take place in the rear of the automobile as well as in front thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,352
Inventor: Larry L. Felix et al.
Issued: Jul. 17, 1979
Apparatus for use in surveillance from a vehicle includes an adapter which is mounted adjacent to a wall opening in the vehicle and a casing which is rotatably mounted on the adapter. Mounted within the casing is an extendible-retractable scope for selective shifting through the wall opening. The scope includes a pair of opposed mirror surfaces for reflecting images from outside the vehicle to the inside.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,246
Inventor: William M. Benson et al.
Issued: Jun. 19, 1990
A wide angle trapezoidal periscope is disclosed having an upper trapezoidal housing and a smaller lower trapezoidal housing secured to said upper housing having optics sealed therein which include parallel upper and lower windows and parallel upper and lower mirrors. When used on military vehicles, the lower trapezoidal periscope housings are inserted within evenly and closely spaced trapezoidal openings in the rim of a hatch and are secured to the hatch with comer connectors to clamp non-parallel walls of said upper housings within about ⅛ of an inch of the adjacent non-parallel walls of the next adjacent trapezoidal housing. Each periscope provides a vertical field of view of about 43 degrees and a horizontal field of view of about 140 degrees.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,712
Inventor: Allen J. Anderson
Issued: Oct. 23, 1990
A device for enabling the driver of a vehicle to view behind the vehicle as he is driving. The apparatus includes a number of elongated periscopes mounted generally vertical within the vehicle. The periscopes are mounted so as to provide adjacent angular fields about a generally vertically-oriented axis. The device further includes a plurality of sleeves, each sleeve receiving a corresponding periscope for axial movement relative thereto. The sleeves are mounted for movement about a generally horizontal axis. Each sleeve includes a pawl member which projects axially from its corresponding sleeve. The apparatus is, further, constructed so that when a main body portion of a periscope is moved telescopically within its corresponding sleeve to bring that sleeve into engagement with a collar carried by a head portion of the periscope, the pawl member will enter one of a plurality of circumferentially-spaced notches formed in the collar to enable rotation of the main body portion of the periscope tube about the axis of elongation thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to rear and side viewing devices for vehicles and, more particularly, the present invention relates to a rear and side viewing device for vehicles providing real time images of the area surrounding the vehicle to a driver of the vehicle by utilizing a video camera.
A primary object of the present invention to provide a rear and side viewing device for vehicles which will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a real time video rear and side viewing device for vehicles which eliminates the need for prior art external rear view mirrors on vehicles.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a real time video rear and side viewing device for vehicles which does not fog up and thus reduce the effectiveness of the device.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a real time video rear and side viewing device for vehicles which displays images of objects so as to appear at their actual distance.
A yet further object of the present invention is to provide a real time video rear and side viewing device for vehicles which reflects images present in the rear and immediately adjacent lane on each side of the vehicle.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a real time video rear and side viewing device in which images at the rear and sides of the vehicle are captured by a video camera and are available for real time viewing by the driver of the vehicle on a video screen within the vehicle cab thereby eliminating blind spots.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a real time video rear and side viewing device including a video screen having a plurality of screen picture adjusters, the plurality of screen picture adjusters including adjusters for at least one of brightness, contrast, vertical hold, horizontal hold, and color.
A yet further object of the present invention is to provide a real time video rear and side viewing device including a video screen having a plurality of camera position adjusters, the plurality of camera position adjusters including adjusters for at least one of vertical span, horizontal span, on/off, and focus.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a real time video rear and side viewing device wherein a vertical scan range of the video camera is 90° and the horizontal scan range of the video camera is 180°.
A yet further object of the present invention is to provide a real time video rear and side viewing device including horizontal motion sensors for detecting objects adjacent the vehicle and turn the video camera to capture an image of the object.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a real time video rear and side viewing device including manual controls within the cab of the vehicle for controlling the movement of the video camera along the vertical and horizontal scan ranges based upon the desires of the driver.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a real time video rear and side viewing device including a mount for retaining the video camera having a fixed base portion and a movable fork portion, the movable fork portion being movably affixed to the fixed base portion and including a left fork and a right fork emanating therefrom, the left fork having a left end containing a left throughbore and the right fork having a right end containing a right throughbore.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a real time video rear and side viewing device wherein the fixed base portion of the mount includes an internally positioned fixed horizontal scan motor having a horizontal scan gear and a revolving shaft, the revolving shaft including
Kelley Chris
Kroll Michael I
Philippe Gims
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