Patent Application
20240034240
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The disclosure relates to rear view devices and more particularly pertains to a new rear view device for facilitating a driver of a vehicle to read text messages on their rear view mirror. The device includes a rear view mirror and a display that is movably integrated into the rear view mirror which can be positioned in a deployed position for viewing by the driver. The device includes a personal electronic device for receiving text messages and a communication unit integrated into the rear view mirror for facilitating the text messages to be displayed on the display.
The prior art relates to rear view devices including a message projection device that projects messages onto a rearview mirror of a vehicle. The prior art discloses a driver assistance device that includes a global positioning system and a display that is integrated into a reflector of a rear view mirror in a vehicle. The prior art discloses a video mirror system that includes a mirror case that is mountable in a vehicle and a display that is slidably integrated into the mirror case. The prior art discloses a rear view mirror device that includes projectors mounted within a rear view mirror for projecting imagery onto a reflective element of the rear view mirror. The prior art discloses a rear view mirror device that includes a rear view mirror and a plurality of light emitters integrated into the rear view mirror for displaying a variety of pre-determined messages.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a rear view mirror that is mounted on a windshield of a vehicle and a personal electronic device in remote communication with an extrinsic communication network for sending and receiving text messages. A display is movably integrated into the rear view mirror such that the display is visible to the driver. A communication unit is integrated into the rear view mirror and the communication unit is in communication with the display. The communication unit is in remote communication with the personal electronic device thereby facilitating the display to display text messages received from the personal electronic device. In this way the display facilitates the driver to read the text messages without requiring the driver to look away from the road upon which the vehicle is traveling.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A track 34 is integrated into the front side 22 of the housing 20 such that the track 34 is positioned within the housing 20. The track 34 extends from the first lateral side 24 of the housing 20 toward the second lateral side 26 of the housing 20. Additionally, the track 34 is spaced from the bottom side 28 of the housing 20 and the track 34 is oriented to extend along the bottom side 28 of the housing 20. The track 34 has a first end 36 and a second end 38 and each of the first end 36 and the second end 38 are rounded.
A personal electronic device 40 provided and the personal electronic device 40 is in remote communication with an extrinsic communication network 42 for sending and receiving text messages. The personal electronic device 40 includes a first transceiver 44 that is in wireless communication with the extrinsic communication network 42. The personal electronic device 40 may comprise a smart phone or other type of electronic device 40 that would commonly be employed for sending and receiving text messages. Additionally, the first transceiver 44 may comprise a radio frequency transceiver and the first transceiver 44 may employ Bluetooth communication protocols.
A display 46 is movably integrated into the rear view mirror 12 and the display 46 is positionable in a deployed position having the display 46 extending outwardly from the rear view mirror 12 such that the display 46 is visible to the driver 18. The display 46 is positionable in a stored position having the display 46 being contained within the rear view mirror 12. The display 46 has a forward surface 48 and a lateral edge 50, and the display 46 extends outwardly from the opening 30 in the first lateral side 24 of the housing 20 of the rear view mirror 12 when the display 46 is positioned in the deployed position. Moreover, the forward surface 48 of the display 46 lies on a plane that is coplanar with the front side 22 of the housing 20 of the rear view mirror 12 when the display 46 is in the deployed position. The display 46 may comprise a liquid crystal display or other type of electronic display. A peg 52 is coupled to and extends away from the forward surface 48 of the display 46 and the peg 52 is positioned adjacent to the lateral edge 50 of the display 46. The peg 52 slidably engages the track 34 in the housing for slidably attaching the display 46 to the track 34.
A communication unit 54 is integrated into the rear view mirror 12 and the communication unit 54 is in communication with the display 46. The communication unit 54 is in remote communication with the personal electronic device 40 thereby facilitating the display 46 to display text messages received from the personal electronic device 40. In this way the display 46 facilitates the driver 18 to read the text messages without requiring the driver 18 to look away from the road upon which the vehicle 16 is traveling. The communication unit 54 comprises a control circuit 56 that is integrated into the housing 20 of the rear view mirror 12. The control circuit 56 is electrically coupled to the display 46 and the control circuit 56 includes an electronic memory 50 which stores a database comprising a plurality of voice commands. Additionally, the control circuit 56 is electrically coupled to a power source 58 comprising an electrical system of the vehicle 16.
The communication unit 54 includes a second transceiver 60 that is integrated into the housing 20. The second transceiver 60 is in communication with the first transceiver 44 such that the second transceiver 60 receives the text messages from the personal electronic device 40. Additionally, the second transceiver 60 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 56 thereby facilitating the display 46 to display the text messages received from the personal electronic device 40. The second transceiver 60 may comprise a radio frequency transceiver or the like and the second transceiver 60 may employ Bluetooth communication protocols. The communication unit 54 includes a microphone 62 that is integrated into the housing 20 for detecting voice commands. The microphone 62 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 56 thereby facilitating the control circuit 56 to respond to voice commands received by the microphone 62 which correspond to respective voice commands stored in the electronic memory 50.
A plurality of control buttons 64 is included and each of the control buttons 64 is movably integrated into the front side 22 of the housing 20. The control buttons 64 are electrically coupled to the control circuit 56 and each of the control buttons 64 controls respective operational parameters of the communication unit 54. The plurality of control buttons 64 includes a sync button 66, a map button 68, a voice command button 70 and a mirror control button 72. The second transceiver 60 is synchronized with the first transceiver 44 when the sync button 66 is manipulated. The display 46 displays map indicia received from the personal electronic device 40 when the map button 68 is manipulated thereby aiding the driver 18 with navigating. Additionally, the display 46 is actuated to respond to voice commands received from the microphone 62 when the voice control button is manipulated.
A camera 74 is coupled to the rear view mirror 12 to capture imagery of an interior of the vehicle 16. The camera 74 is positioned on the front side 22 of the housing of the rear view mirror 12 and the camera 74 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 56. The camera 74 comprises an electronic video camera that is capable of capturing video footage and still imagery. Additionally, the camera 74 comprises a lens 76 that is integrated into the front side 22 of the housing 20.
In use, the personal electronic device 40 is synchronized with the communication unit 54 thereby facilitating the communication unit 54 to received text messages that are received by the personal electronic device 40. The display 46 can be urged into the deployed position at any time the driver 18 wishes. Additionally, as is most clearly shown in
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
