US 6,498,620 · Granted 2002-12-24

The Patent That Turned Car Mirrors Into Camera Screens

Imagine a camera mounted on the back of a car that shows you what's behind you on a screen inside the cabin—but positioned so your eyes don't have to refocus when you glance from the road ahead. This patent describes exactly that: a rear-facing camera system that displays a combined, wide-angle rear view on a screen integrated into the driver's forward line of sight.

Curated and verified by the IsItPatented Editorial team

The plain-English version

What it protects

The claim covers a rearview vision system for vehicles that uses one or more rear-facing cameras to capture what's behind the car and displays that image on an in-cabin screen. The key innovation is the screen's placement and focal length—it's positioned so the driver can see it without shifting focus away from the road ahead, and it synthesizes multiple camera feeds into a single unified rear-view image that approximates what a driver would see from a single vantage point.

Why it matters

This patent became foundational to modern backup cameras and surround-view systems now standard on vehicles. Rather than relying on physical mirrors alone, which have blind spots and limited range, this technology lets automakers offer drivers a clearer, wider rear perspective. Donnelly Corporation's work here helped establish digital camera-based visibility as a viable alternative to traditional glass mirrors, influencing safety regulations and vehicle design for decades.

Real-world use

When you put a car in reverse today and a camera feed pops up on the center console or dashboard, you're seeing the direct descendant of this 2002 patent—a rear view captured by a camera and displayed on a screen positioned exactly where this patent described.

Original USPTO abstract

A rearview vision system for a vehicle includes at least one image capture device directed rearwardly with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle. A display system displays an image synthesized from output of the image capture device. The display system is preferably contiguous with the forward field of view of the vehicle driver at a focal length that is forward of the vehicle passenger compartment. A plurality of image capture devices may be provided and the display system displays a unitary image synthesized from outputs of the image capture devices which approximates a rearward-facing view from a single location, such as forward of the vehicle.

Patent details

Publication number: US 6,498,620
Filing date: 1996-05-22
Grant date: 2002-12-24
Assignee: Donnelly Corporation
Inventor(s): SCHOFIELD KENNETH, LARSON MARK L., VADAS KEITH J.
CPC class: H04N7/181

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