US 5,574,443 · Granted 1996-11-12
The 1994 Backup Camera Patent That Made Reversing Safer
Before backup cameras became standard in cars, this patent invented a system that puts video feeds from rear and side cameras onto your dashboard screen—automatically flipping the image so it matches what you'd see in a mirror, preventing accidents when backing up or turning.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a vehicle monitoring system combining three video cameras (one rear-mounted, one on each sideview mirror) connected to a TV screen inside the car, with a special circuit that automatically inverts the video image so it displays in the same orientation as the real world behind you. What's protected is the specific combination of multiple camera placement, the image-flipping circuitry, and the automatic switching between cameras based on whether you're reversing, turning left, or turning right.
Why it matters
This patent arrived during the early 1990s when backup cameras were novel and rarely seen in consumer vehicles. By solving the image-orientation problem—the biggest usability hurdle of early camera systems—it made rear-view monitoring practical enough for everyday driving. Today, backup cameras and 360-degree camera systems are standard safety features in modern cars, and this patent represents one of the foundational patents in that technology category.
Real-world use
Every modern car with a backup camera display uses similar logic: when you shift into reverse, a camera image appears on your infotainment screen showing what's directly behind you, automatically flipped to match what your eyes would see.
Original USPTO abstract
A vehicle monitoring apparatus includes a rear video camera mounted on a rear portion of a vehicle, a right video camera mounted on a right sideview mirror, a left video camera mounted on a left-sideview mirror, a mirror-effect circuit connected across two poles of a pair of horizontal deflection coils of a horizontal deflection add oscillation circuit of a television receiver electrically connected to the video cameras for inverting an image or picture orientation to be the same as an orientation of the real subject positioned at a rear side of the vehicle, whereby upon a backing, a rightward turning or a leftward turning of the vehicle a corresponding video camera will be initiated to transmit a "picture" of the subject positioned at the rear side of the vehicle to display a picture on a television placed in the vehicle having a same orientation of the picture as that of the true subject for preventing an accidental collision due to falsely backing or turning of the vehicle for driving safety.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 5,574,443
- Filing date
- 1994-06-22
- Grant date
- 1996-11-12
- Assignee
- Hsieh; Chi-Sheng
- Inventor(s)
- HSIEH; CHI-SHENG
- CPC class
- G07C5/0891
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