Vehicle rearview mirror system, and vehicle provided with said vehicle rearview mirror system

Abstract

A vehicle rearview mirror system is described. A display device constructs an image by an image signal having been output from an image receiving unit of a vehicle-mounted camera and then causes a display screen to display the constructed image. A vehicle mirror main body incorporates the display device. A posture of the vehicle mirror main body is altered between a posture when a driver watches a vehicle rear side appearing in a half mirror and a posture when the driver watches an image which is displayed on the display screen. An operating lever member is employed to alter the posture of the vehicle mirror main body. A power supply switch switches on or off the display device in conjunction with operation of the operating lever member.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A vehicle rearview mirror system comprising:
 a display device in which is provided a signal processing unit to construct an image by an image signal outputted from an image receiving unit of a vehicle-mounted camera and then cause a display screen to display the constructed image; 
 a vehicle mirror main body in which the display device is incorporated, a posture of the vehicle mirror main body is altered between a first posture when a driver watches a vehicle rear side reflected in a half mirror and a second posture when the driver watches an image displayed on the display screen of the display device; 
 an operating lever member to alter the posture of the vehicle mirror main body such that when the operating lever member is in a first position, the vehicle mirror main body is in the first posture, and when the operating lever member is in a second position, the vehicle mirror main body is in the second posture; and 
 a power supply switch to switch on or off the display device in conjunction with operation of the operating lever member, 
 wherein when the operating lever member is in the first second position, the operating lever member contacts an actuator to cause the power supply switch to switch on the display device. 
 
     
     
       2. The vehicle rearview mirror system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the vehicle mirror main body has a casing which is supported to be inclinable on a ceiling via a support arm, 
 the operating lever member is turnably supported by the casing, and 
 on a circuit board of the display device, the power supply switch is arranged. 
 
     
     
       3. The vehicle rearview mirror system according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the operating lever member is manually operable. 
 
     
     
       4. The A vehicle rearview mirror system according to  claim 2 , comprising:
 a display device in which is provided a signal processing unit to construct an image by an image signal outputted from an image receiving unit of a vehicle-mounted camera and then cause a display screen to display the constructed image; 
 a vehicle mirror main body in which the display device is incorporated, a posture of the vehicle mirror main body is altered between a first posture and a second posture; 
 an operating lever member to alter the posture of the vehicle mirror main body such that when the operating lever member is in a first position, the vehicle mirror main body is in the first posture, and when the operating lever member is in a second position, the vehicle mirror main body is in the second posture; and 
 a power supply switch to switch on or off the display device in conjunction with operation of the operating lever member, 
 wherein when the operating lever member is in the second position, the operating lever member contacts an actuator to cause the power supply switch to switch on the display device; 
 wherein the vehicle mirror main body has a casing which is supported to be inclinable on a ceiling via a support arm, 
 the operating lever member is turnably supported by the casing, 
 on a circuit board of the display device, the power supply switch is arranged;  
 wherein a driving member to drive the operating lever member is provided in the support arm, and 
 the operating lever member is turned by driving of the driving member. 
 
     
     
       5. The vehicle rearview mirror system according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the display device has a detection circuit portion to detect luminance by the image signal and then compare the detected luminance with a threshold value, and 
 wherein, when the luminance detected by the detection circuit portion is the threshold value or less, or alternatively, the threshold value or more, the driving member drives the operating lever member so that the posture of the vehicle mirror main body is altered from the second posture to the first posture. 
 
     
     
       6. A vehicle having the vehicle rearview mirror system according to  claim 1  mounted thereon. 
     
     
       7. The vehicle rearview mirror system according to claim 1, wherein when the operating lever member is in the first position, the operating lever member does not contact the actuator and the display device is off. 
     
     
       8. The vehicle rearview mirror system according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is connected to the power supply switch when said display device is on and when said display device is off. 
     
     
       9. The vehicle rearview mirror system according to claim 1, further comprising an electronic circuit board, and wherein the power supply switch is mounted on said electronic circuit board. 
     
     
       10. A vehicle rearview mirror system, comprising:
 a display device in which is provided a signal processing unit to construct an image by an image signal outputted from an image receiving unit of a vehicle-mounted camera and then cause a display screen to display the constructed image;   a vehicle mirror main body in which the display device is incorporated, a posture of the vehicle mirror main body is altered between a first posture and a second posture;   an operating lever member to alter the posture of the vehicle mirror main body such that when the operating lever member is in a first position, the vehicle mirror main body is in the first posture, and when the operating lever member is in a second position, the vehicle mirror main body is in the second posture;   a power supply switch to switch on or off the display device in conjunction with operation of the operating lever member,   wherein when the operating lever member is in the second position, the operating lever member contacts an actuator to cause the power supply switch to switch on the display device; and   further comprising an image signal clipping unit configured to output the image signal to said signal processing unit, and further configured to prevent the image displayed on the display screen from being distorted.   
     
     
       11. A vehicle rearview mirror system comprising:
 a display device comprising a display screen configured to display an image;   a vehicle mirror main body in which the display device is incorporated, a posture of the vehicle mirror main body is altered between a first posture and a second posture;   an operating member to alter the posture of the vehicle mirror main body such that when the operating member is in a first position, the vehicle mirror main body is in the first posture, and when the operating member is in a second position, the vehicle mirror main body is in the second posture; and   a power supply switch to switch on or off the display device in conjunction with operation of the operating member,   wherein when the operating member is in the second position, the operating member actuates the power supply switch by contact so as to switch on the display device, and   wherein when the operating member is in the first position, the display device is off.   
     
     
       12. The vehicle rearview mirror system according to claim 11, further comprising an electronic circuit board, and wherein the power supply switch is mounted on said electronic circuit board. 
     
     
       13. The vehicle rearview mirror system according to claim 11, wherein said display device further comprises a signal processing unit configured to construct said image. 
     
     
       14. The vehicle rearview mirror system according to claim 13, wherein said signal processing unit is configured to construct said image from an image signal outputted from an image receiving unit of a vehicle-mounted camera. 
     
     
       15. A vehicle rearview mirror system, comprising:
 a display device comprising a display screen configured to display an image;   a vehicle mirror main body in which the display device is incorporated, a posture of the vehicle mirror main body is altered between a first posture and a second posture;   an operating member to alter the posture of the vehicle mirror main body such that when the operating member is in a first position, the vehicle mirror main body is in the first posture, and when the operating member is in a second position, the vehicle mirror main body is in the second posture; and   a power supply switch to switch on or off the display device in conjunction with operation of the operating member,   wherein when the operating member is in the second position, the operating member actuates the power supply switch by contact so as to switch on the display device,   wherein when the operating member is in the first position, the display device is off;   wherein said display device further comprises a signal processing unit configured to construct said image;   wherein said signal processing unit is configured to construct said image from an image signal outputted from an image receiving unit of a vehicle-mounted camera; and   further comprising an image signal clipping unit configured to output the image signal to said signal processing unit, and further configured to prevent the image displayed on the display screen from being distorted.   
     
     
       16. A vehicle rearview mirror system comprising:
 a half mirror;   display means for displaying an image through said half mirror;   a casing means for incorporating said display means and said half mirror, said casing means being movable between a first posture and a second posture;   an operating means for moving said casing means from said first posture to said second posture, and for moving said casing means from said second posture to said first posture; and   a switching means for switching on the display means when the casing means is in said second posture, and for switching off the display means when the casing means is in said first posture,   wherein, when said casing means is in said second posture, at least a portion of the operating means actuates the switching means by contact so as to switch on the display device.   
     
     
       17. A vehicle rearview mirror system comprising:
 a display device in which is provided a signal processing unit to construct an image by an image signal outputted from an image receiving unit of a vehicle-mounted camera and then cause a display screen to display the constructed image;   a vehicle mirror main body in which the display device is incorporated, a posture of the vehicle mirror main body is altered between a first posture when a driver watches a vehicle rear side reflected in a half mirror and a second posture when the driver watches an image displayed on the display screen of the display device;   operating means for altering the posture of the vehicle mirror main body such that when the operating means is in a first position, the vehicle mirror main body is in the first posture, and when the operating means is in a second position, the vehicle mirror main body is in the second posture; and   a power supply switch to switch on or off the display device in conjunction with operation of the operating means,   wherein when the operating means is in the second position, the operating means contacts an actuator to cause the power supply switch to switch on the display device.   
     
     
       18. A vehicle rearview mirror system comprising:
 a display device comprising a display screen configured to display an image;   a vehicle mirror main body in which the display device is incorporated, a posture of the vehicle mirror main body is altered between a first posture and a second posture;   an operating means for altering the posture of the vehicle mirror main body such that when the operating means is in a first position, the vehicle mirror main body is in the first posture, and when the operating means is in a second position, the vehicle mirror main body is in the second posture; and   a power supply switch to switch on or off the display device in conjunction with operation of the operating means,   wherein when the operating means is in the second position, the operating means actuates the power supply switch by contact so as to switch on the display device, and   wherein when the operating means is in the first position, the display device is off.