Recording device and method for capturing and processing image data in a vehicle

1. A rear view mirror assembly for a vehicle having a vehicle bus system, said rear view mirror assembly comprising:

a mirror housing having a primary opening;

a reflective element housed within said mirror housing and visible through said primary opening, said reflective element showing images of a rearward direction;

and a recording device for capturing and processing image data in a vehicle with an optical image generating sensor and with an image processor for processing image data, with a communication processor for bidirectional communication with the vehicle,

wherein said recording device, optical image generating sensor, said image processor and said bidirectional communications processor are all housed within said mirror housing between said mirror housing and said reflective element,

and the image data and is imaged into the data structure of the vehicle bus system together as mixed data.

2. A rear view mirror assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the mixed data per byte is imaged into the data frame.

3. A rear view mirror assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the recording device includes a storage medium which is connected to the optical sensor.

4. A rear view mirror assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the image processor processes the image data and a data reduced image data set is stored in the memory.

5. A rear view mirror assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the rear view mirror assembly is an exterior mirror.

6. A rear view mirror assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the recording device performs the function of dead angle monitoring.

7. A rear view mirror assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the rear view mirror assembly is an interior mirror.