Systems and components for enhancing rear vision from a vehicle
US6550949B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 15, 1998 |
| Grant date | Apr 22, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 15, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S362/80
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A vehicle system is disclosed that includes a vehicle lamp assembly including a plurality of LEDs that emit white light so as to function as an illuminator light. The lamp assembly also may include a plurality of LEDs that emit colored light, such as red or red-orange, so as to function as a signal light. Alternatively or additionally, the lamp assembly may include a camera of a vehicle imaging system. The lamp assembly may serve as a center high mounted stop light or as a tail light. The system also includes a controller that rapidly pulses the LEDs on and off at a rate that is imperceivable by the human eye. The pulsing intervals of the LEDs may be related to the readout intervals of the camera sensor array. In this manner, the LEDs may be pulsed on during camera readout so as to increase their intensity while the camera is capturing an image, or may be pulsed off during camera readout to prevent feedback glare from interfering with image capture by a highly sensitive image sensor array of the camera.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.