Patents by Inventor Christopher R. Koetje
Christopher R. Koetje has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 12286057Abstract: A vehicular video mirror system includes a display device having a video display screen accommodated by a mirror head of an interior rearview mirror assembly. The vehicular video mirror system is operable in a mirror mode or a display mode. A vehicle-mounted rearward-viewing digital camera is disposed at the vehicle and a trailer-mounted rearward-viewing analog camera is disposed at a trailer that is configured to be hitched to the vehicle. With no trailer hitched to the vehicle, and when the vehicular video mirror system operates in the display mode, the video display screen displays video images derived from image data captured by the vehicle-mounted rearward-viewing camera. With the trailer hitched to the vehicle, and when the vehicular video mirror system operates in the display mode, the video display screen displays rearward-view video images derived from image data captured by the trailer-mounted rearward-viewing camera.Type: GrantFiled: April 12, 2024Date of Patent: April 29, 2025Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America, Inc.Inventors: Rodney K. Blank, Christopher R. Koetje, Patrick M. Foley, IV
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Patent number: 12240384Abstract: A vehicular dual-state interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head that accommodates an electrochromic mirror reflective element. A video display device is disposed behind a viewable reflective region of the mirror reflective element. With the mirror assembly operating in a first state, the video display device does not display video images at the display screen and the driver of the vehicle views rearward via reflection at the viewable reflective region. With the mirror assembly operating in a second state, the video display device displays video images at the display screen for viewing by the driver. A touch sensor is disposed at an overhang region of the reflective element behind the front substrate and below the video display device. The video display device is operated responsive at least in part to a touch event at the first surface of the front substrate of the electrochromic mirror reflective element.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2023Date of Patent: March 4, 2025Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America, Inc.Inventors: Mark L. Larson, John T. Uken, Christopher R. Koetje
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Publication number: 20250068024Abstract: A vehicular vision system includes a rear-viewing camera disposed at a vehicle and viewing at least rearward of the vehicle. Video images derived from frames of image data captured by a CMOS imaging array of the rear-viewing camera during a driving maneuver are displayed at a video display screen within the vehicle for viewing by a driver of the vehicle. An electro-optic rearview mirror assembly includes an electro-optic mirror reflective element. An electronic control unit (ECU) disposed at the vehicle includes a processor operable to process captured frames of image data. The ECU determines, via processing by the processor of frames of image data captured by the CMOS imaging array of the rear-viewing camera, glaring light emanating from a rearward approaching vehicle rearward of the vehicle. The ECU controls dimming of the electro-optic mirror reflective element based at least on part on the determined glaring light.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 11, 2024Publication date: February 27, 2025Inventors: Niall R. Lynam, Hamid Habibi, Rodney K. Blank, Christopher R. Koetje, Mark L. Larson, Patrick M. Foley, IV, Michael L. Gallas
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Publication number: 20250018866Abstract: A vehicular vision system includes a plurality of cameras disposed at a vehicle, a multiplexor operable to aggregate the image data from the cameras into aggregated image data, and an interior rearview mirror assembly disposed at the vehicle remote from the multiplexor. The interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head adjustably disposed at a mounting base configured to attach at an interior portion of the vehicle. The mirror head includes a mirror casing and a mirror reflective element. The interior rearview mirror assembly includes an image processor for processing image data. The interior rearview mirror assembly includes a display for displaying images captured by the cameras. The image processor, responsive to receiving the aggregated image data transferred from the multiplexor, displays at the video display video images derived at least in part from the aggregated image data.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 11, 2024Publication date: January 16, 2025Inventors: Christopher R. Koetje, Christopher L. Long, Adan Pantoja-Parra, Maxwell E. Ziegler, Austin T. Buerkle
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Patent number: 12140849Abstract: A vehicular vision system includes a rear-viewing camera disposed at a vehicle and viewing at least rearward of the vehicle. Each frame of image data captured by the imaging array of the rear-viewing camera includes a plurality of grids, with each grid of the plurality of grids having a respective set of photosensing elements associated with respective rows and columns of photosensing elements. A electro-optic rearview mirror assembly includes an electro-optic mirror reflective element that is controlled responsive to an ambient light condition and a glare light condition. The ambient light condition is determined by processing at least one first grid of the plurality of grids of the frames of image data captured by the rear-viewing camera. The glare light condition is determined by processing at least one second grid of the plurality of grids of the frames of image data captured by the rear-viewing camera.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2022Date of Patent: November 12, 2024Assignee: MAGNA MIRRORS OF AMERICA, INC.Inventors: Niall R. Lynam, Hamid Habibi, Rodney K. Blank, Christopher R. Koetje, Mark L. Larson, Patrick M. Foley, IV, Michael L. Gallas
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Publication number: 20240253563Abstract: A vehicular video mirror system includes a display device having a video display screen accommodated by a mirror head of an interior rearview mirror assembly. The vehicular video mirror system is operable in a mirror mode or a display mode. A vehicle-mounted rearward-viewing digital camera is disposed at the vehicle and a trailer-mounted rearward-viewing analog camera is disposed at a trailer that is configured to be hitched to the vehicle. With no trailer hitched to the vehicle, and when the vehicular video mirror system operates in the display mode, the video display screen displays video images derived from image data captured by the vehicle-mounted rearward-viewing camera. With the trailer hitched to the vehicle, and when the vehicular video mirror system operates in the display mode, the video display screen displays rearward-view video images derived from image data captured by the trailer-mounted rearward-viewing camera.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 12, 2024Publication date: August 1, 2024Inventors: Rodney K. Blank, Christopher R. Koetje, Patrick M. Foley, IV
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Publication number: 20240123903Abstract: A vehicular dual-state interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head that accommodates an electrochromic mirror reflective element. A video display device is disposed behind a viewable reflective region of the mirror reflective element. With the mirror assembly operating in a first state, the video display device does not display video images at the display screen and the driver of the vehicle views rearward via reflection at the viewable reflective region. With the mirror assembly operating in a second state, the video display device displays video images at the display screen for viewing by the driver. A touch sensor is disposed at an overhang region of the reflective element behind the front substrate and below the video display device. The video display device is operated responsive at least in part to a touch event at the first surface of the front substrate of the electrochromic mirror reflective element.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2023Publication date: April 18, 2024Inventors: Mark L. Larson, John T. Uken, Christopher R. Koetje
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Patent number: 11958414Abstract: A vehicular video mirror system includes a video display screen disposed in a mirror head. The system includes a vehicle-mounted rear backup camera and a trailer-mounted rearward viewing camera. The trailer-mounted camera includes an imaging array with a first subset of pixels representative of an upper rearward-view region of the field of view and a second subset of pixels that represents a lower rearward-view region of the field of view. With the trailer hitched to the vehicle and responsive to the vehicle being set for forward propulsion, the video display screen displays images derived from the first subset of pixels and not from the second subset of pixels. With the trailer hitched to the vehicle and responsive to the vehicle being set for rearward propulsion, the video display screen displays images derived from the second subset of pixels and not from the first subset of pixels.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2022Date of Patent: April 16, 2024Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America, Inc.Inventors: Rodney K. Blank, Christopher R. Koetje, Patrick M. Foley, IV
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Publication number: 20240092267Abstract: A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head pivotally adjustable about a mirror support. The mirror head includes a video display device disposed rearward of a prismatic mirror reflective element having a transflective mirror reflector. A touch sensor is disposed at the prismatic mirror reflective element and is associated with circuitry at a flexible printed circuit of the video display device. The video display device is operable to display video images captured by a rearward viewing camera of the vehicle. Light emitted by the video display device passes through the transflective mirror reflector for viewing of displayed video images by the driver of the vehicle viewing the prismatic mirror reflective element. The reflective region of the transflective mirror reflector of the prismatic mirror reflective element reflects at least 40 percent of visible light incident at the front side of the prismatic mirror reflective element.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2023Publication date: March 21, 2024Inventors: Mark L. Larson, Christopher R. Koetje, Anthony J. LaCross, Eric Peterson
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Publication number: 20240064274Abstract: A vehicular vision system includes an electronic control unit (ECU), a plurality of exterior viewing vehicle cameras that capture image data and provide captured image data to the ECU. When the vehicle is towing a trailer, a rearward-viewing trailer camera captures image data and provides captured image data to the ECU. A video mirror display screen is disposed at an interior rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle and is operable to display video images derived from video image data provided from the ECU. The mirror assembly is adjustable between a mirror mode and a display mode. The mirror assembly, when in the display mode, is operable by the driver of the vehicle to display at the video mirror display screen (i) a single image display of video images, (ii) a dual image display of video images or (iii) a three image display of video images.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 6, 2022Publication date: February 22, 2024Inventors: Rodney K. Blank, Christopher R. Koetje, Mark L. Larson, John T. Uken, Kurtis M. Larson, Christopher L. Long, Jeffrey D. Heinz
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Patent number: 11858423Abstract: A vehicular dual-state interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head including an electrochromic mirror reflective element having a transflective mirror reflector. A video display device occupies at least 75 percent of the viewable reflective region of the mirror reflective element. With the mirror assembly operating in a first state, the video display device does not display video images and the driver views rearward via reflection at the viewable reflective region and, with the mirror assembly operating in a second state, the video display device displays video images for viewing at the viewable reflective region by the driver. When operating in a daytime mode, the display screen utilizes red pixels, green pixels, blue pixels and clear pixels of the display screen, and when operating in a nighttime mode, the display screen utilizes red pixels, green pixels and blue pixels and does not utilize clear pixels.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2022Date of Patent: January 2, 2024Assignee: MAGNA MIRRORS OF AMERICA, INC.Inventors: Mark L Larson, John T. Uken, Christopher R. Koetje
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Patent number: 11833971Abstract: A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head pivotally adjustable about a mirror support. The mirror head includes a mirror reflective element having a transflective mirror reflector. A video display device is disposed rearward of the mirror reflective element. A touch sensor is disposed at the mirror reflective element and is associated with circuitry at a flexible printed circuit of the video display device. The video display device is operable to display video images captured by a rearward viewing camera of the vehicle. Light emitted by the video display device passes through the transflective mirror reflector for viewing of displayed video images by the driver of the vehicle viewing the mirror reflective element. The mirror reflective element, at the reflective region of the transflective mirror reflector, reflects at least 40 percent of visible light incident at the front side of the mirror reflective element.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2022Date of Patent: December 5, 2023Assignee: MAGNA MIRRORS OF AMERICA, INC.Inventors: Mark L. Larson, Christopher R. Koetje, Anthony J. LaCross, Eric Peterson
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Patent number: 11679719Abstract: A vehicular display system includes an electronic control unit (ECU) and a plurality of cameras disposed at the vehicle. The cameras capture image data and provide captured image data to the ECU. The system includes a video display screen and a video mirror display screen that are operable to display video images derived from video images provided by the ECU. When the vehicle is traveling forward at a speed below a threshold speed, the ECU generates rearward view video images derived from image data captured by a rearward viewing camera and provides the rearward view video images to the video display screen. When the vehicle is traveling forward at a speed at or above the threshold speed, the ECU generates rearward view video images derived from image data captured by a rearward viewing camera and provides the rearward view video images to the video mirror display screen.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2022Date of Patent: June 20, 2023Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America, Inc.Inventors: Rodney K. Blank, Christopher R. Koetje
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Publication number: 20230140089Abstract: A vehicular vision system includes a rear-viewing camera disposed at a vehicle and viewing at least rearward of the vehicle. Each frame of image data captured by the imaging array of the rear-viewing camera includes a plurality of grids, with each grid of the plurality of grids having a respective set of photosensing elements associated with respective rows and columns of photosensing elements. A electro-optic rearview mirror assembly includes an electro-optic mirror reflective element that is controlled responsive to an ambient light condition and a glare light condition. The ambient light condition is determined by processing at least one first grid of the plurality of grids of the frames of image data captured by the rear-viewing camera. The glare light condition is determined by processing at least one second grid of the plurality of grids of the frames of image data captured by the rear-viewing camera.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 30, 2022Publication date: May 4, 2023Inventors: Niall R. Lynam, Hamid Habibi, Rodney K. Blank, Christopher R. Koetje, Mark L. Larson, Patrick M. Foley, Michael L. Gallas
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Patent number: 11613212Abstract: An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a mirror head, a mirror mounting structure configured to adjustably mount the mirror head at an interior portion of the vehicle, and a receiving portion for receiving a portable accessory module. A retaining element is configured to attach at the mirror casing at the receiving portion to releasably secure the portable accessory module at the receiving portion. With the retaining element at least partially detached from the mirror casing, the portable accessory module is insertable into and removable from the receiving portion. With the portable accessory module inserted into and received at the receiving portion and with the retaining element attached at the mirror casing, the retaining element overlaps a lower portion of the portable accessory module to secure the portable accessory module at the receiving portion.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2021Date of Patent: March 28, 2023Assignee: MAGNA MIRRORS OF AMERICA, INC.Inventors: Darryl P. De Wind, John T. Uken, Christopher R. Koetje
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Publication number: 20230015198Abstract: A vehicular dual-state interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head including an electrochromic mirror reflective element having a transflective mirror reflector. A video display device occupies at least 75 percent of the viewable reflective region of the mirror reflective element. With the mirror assembly operating in a first state, the video display device does not display video images and the driver views rearward via reflection at the viewable reflective region and, with the mirror assembly operating in a second state, the video display device displays video images for viewing at the viewable reflective region by the driver. When operating in a daytime mode, the display screen utilizes red pixels, green pixels, blue pixels and clear pixels of the display screen, and when operating in a nighttime mode, the display screen utilizes red pixels, green pixels and blue pixels and does not utilize clear pixels.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2022Publication date: January 19, 2023Inventors: Mark L. Larson, John T. Uken, Christopher R. Koetje
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Patent number: 11543724Abstract: A multifunctional rear camera system includes a rear camera and a processor. Responsive to processing of captured image data, the processor generates respective outputs for (i) a rear backup assist function, (ii) a mirror dimming control for at least an electro-optic interior rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle and (iii) ambient light detection. The processor processes a mirror zone of captured image data for mirror dimming control and processes upper corner regions of captured image data for ambient light detection. The processor processes at least lower regions of captured image data for the rear backup assist function. The generated output for the mirror dimming control is provided to the electro-optic interior rearview mirror assembly to control dimming of the electro-optic reflective element. The generated output for the rear backup assist function provides (i) object detection and/or (ii) video display of video images derived from captured image data.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2021Date of Patent: January 3, 2023Assignee: MAGNA MIRRORS OF AMERICA, INC.Inventors: Niall R. Lynam, Hamid Habibi, Rodney K. Blank, Christopher R. Koetje, Mark L. Larson, Patrick M. Foley, IV, Michael L. Gallas
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Patent number: 11458897Abstract: A vehicular dual-state interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head including an electrochromic mirror reflective element having a transflective mirror reflector. A video display device is disposed rearward of the viewable reflective region and occupies at least 85 percent of the viewable reflective region of the mirror reflective element. With the mirror assembly operating in a first state, the video display device does not display video images and the driver views rearward via reflection at the viewable reflective region and, with the mirror assembly operating in a second state, the video display device displays video images for viewing at the viewable reflective region by the driver. Video images displayed by the display screen at a center zone of the viewable reflective region are at unit magnification, and video images displayed at driver-side and passenger-side zones are not displayed at unit magnification.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2021Date of Patent: October 4, 2022Assignee: MAGNA MIRRORS OF AMERICA, INC.Inventors: Mark L. Larson, John T. Uken, Christopher R. Koetje
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Publication number: 20220297604Abstract: A vehicular video mirror system includes a video display screen disposed in a mirror head. The system includes a vehicle-mounted rear backup camera and a trailer-mounted rearward viewing camera. The trailer-mounted camera includes an imaging array with a first subset of pixels representative of an upper rearward-view region of the field of view and a second subset of pixels that represents a lower rearward-view region of the field of view. With the trailer hitched to the vehicle and responsive to the vehicle being set for forward propulsion, the video display screen displays images derived from the first subset of pixels and not from the second subset of pixels. With the trailer hitched to the vehicle and responsive to the vehicle being set for rearward propulsion, the video display screen displays images derived from the second subset of pixels and not from the first subset of pixels.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 6, 2022Publication date: September 22, 2022Inventors: Rodney K. Blank, Christopher R. Koetje, Patrick M. Foley, IV
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Publication number: 20220203899Abstract: A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head pivotally adjustable about a mirror support. The mirror head includes a mirror reflective element having a transflective mirror reflector. A video display device is disposed rearward of the mirror reflective element. A touch sensor is disposed at the mirror reflective element and is associated with circuitry at a flexible printed circuit of the video display device. The video display device is operable to display video images captured by a rearward viewing camera of the vehicle. Light emitted by the video display device passes through the transflective mirror reflector for viewing of displayed video images by the driver of the vehicle viewing the mirror reflective element. The mirror reflective element, at the reflective region of the transflective mirror reflector, reflects at least 40 percent of visible light incident at the front side of the mirror reflective element.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 18, 2022Publication date: June 30, 2022Inventors: Mark L. Larson, Christopher R. Koetje, Anthony J. LaCross, Eric Peterson