Method for actuating a dimmable mirror

• US 20050052763A1
• Filed: 08/06/2004
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Company KG Coburg
• Original Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Company KG Coburg
• Inventors: Semineth, Marco
• Granted Patent: US 7,237,912 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/877
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors

Abstract

A method for actuating an electrically dimmable mirror in which a predefined degree of dimming of the mirror is set by charging or discharging the mirror to a predefined setpoint voltage. The method provides for actuating an electrically dimmable mirror in which particularly fast switching over the degree of dimming of the mirror is achieved. In the method, in order to switch over the degree of dimming, a charge voltage is applied to the mirror which exceeds in absolute terms the setpoint voltage which is necessary for the desired degree of dimming, and the setpoint voltage is applied to the mirror after the desired degree of dimming has been attained.

Claims

1. A control device of an electrically dimmable motor vehicle mirror for setting a predefined degree of dimming of the mirror, wherein the control device at least one of charges and discharges the mirror to a setpoint voltage which is assigned to a predefined degree of dimming, and for setting the degree of dimming, a charge voltage is applied to the mirror which exceeds in absolute terms the setpoint voltage which is necessary for the desired degree of dimming.

2. The control device of claim 1, wherein the control device sets the predefinable degree of dimming of the mirror by the control device one of charging and discharging the mirror to the setpoint voltage which is predefined for the respectively desired degree of dimming, and wherein in order to increase the degree of dimming of the mirror, the control device applies to the mirror a charge voltage which exceeds in absolute terms the setpoint voltage which is necessary for the desired degree of dimming, and wherein the control device applies the respective setpoint voltage to the mirror after the desired degree of dimming has been reached.

3. The control device as claimed in one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the control device comprises a full bridge circuit.

4. The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control device is connected to a sensor which measures light which is incident on the mirror, and the control device predefines the degree of dimming of the mirror at least as a function of the incident light power.

5. The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control device is connected to at least one of an external mirror and to an internal mirror of a motor vehicle and actuates the at least one of an external mirror and internal mirror.

6. The control device of claim 1, wherein the control device charges and discharges the mirror to the setpoint voltage in order to set the predefined degree of dimming, wherein a high-impedance measurement input of the control device is connectable to the mirror in order to monitor its charge state.

7. The control device of claim 1, wherein the control device sets a predefined degree of dimming of the mirror by the control device one of charging and discharging the mirror to the setpoint voltage wherein the control device monitors a charge state of the mirror by electrically disconnecting the mirror from the charge voltage, and measures with high impedance the actual voltage which is present at the mirror.

8. The control device as claimed in one of claims 6 or 7, wherein, in order to switch the mirror to a high impedance state, it has the control device further comprises at least one device selected from the group consisting of at least one switch and a linear amplifier.

9. A control device of an electrically dimmable motor vehicle mirror for setting a predefined degree of dimming of the mirror, wherein the control device at least one of charges and discharges the mirror to a setpoint voltage which is assigned to the predefined degree of dimming, and for setting the degree of dimming, a charge current is applied to the mirror so that a voltage which is present at the mirror exceeds in absolute terms the setpoint voltage which is necessary for the desired degree of dimming.

10. A method for actuating an electrically dimmable motor vehicle mirror comprising:

setting a predefined degree of dimming of the mirror by the mirror being one of charged and discharged to a predefined setpoint voltage, wherein, for the purpose of increasing the degree of dimming, a charge voltage which exceeds in absolute terms the setpoint voltage necessary for the desired degree of dimming is applied to the mirror, and wherein the setpoint voltage is applied to the mirror after the desired degree of dimming has been attained.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the respective maximum permitted charge voltage for the mirror is applied during the increasing of the degree of dimming.

12. The method as claimed in one of claims 10 or 11, wherein, during the charging of the mirror, a charge voltage which corresponds to the maximum permitted voltage for the mirror is applied to the mirror.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the charge voltage is switched over from the maximum voltage to the setpoint voltage as soon as the actual voltage of the mirror at least one of corresponds to the setpoint voltage and lies within a tolerance band which is predefined for the setpoint voltage.

14. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein in order to discharge the mirror, the polarity of the charge voltage is reversed, and wherein a voltage which corresponds in absolute terms to the difference in voltage between the maximum permitted voltage of the mirror and the respective actual voltage of the mirror is applied to the mirror.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein, during the discharging of the mirror, the charge voltage is simultaneously adapted so that the voltage which is present at the mirror during discharge corresponds in absolute terms to the difference in voltage between the maximum permitted voltage of the mirror and the actual voltage of the mirror.

16. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein at least light which is incident on the mirror is measured and the degree of dimming of the mirror is predefined at least as a function of the incident light power.

17. The method as claimed in claim 10 in which the predefined degree of dimming of the mirror is set by the mirror being one of charged and discharged to a predefined setpoint voltage, wherein a charge state of the mirror being monitored at least during one of the charging and discharging of the mirror by being electrically disconnected from the charge voltage and the actual voltage which is present at the mirror is measured with high impedance.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the electrical charge state of the mirror is monitored at least one of cyclically and continuously.

19. The method as claimed in one of claims 17 to 18, wherein the charge state of the mirror is also monitored by sensing at least one of the charge current and discharge current flowing through the mirror and evaluating the at least one charge current and discharge current.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the at least one charge current and discharge current flowing through the mirror is integrated, and wherein the resulting integration result is used to determine the charge.

21. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein, during the discharging of the mirror, the charge voltage is simultaneously adapted so that the voltage which is present at the mirror during the entire discharge process corresponds in absolute terms to the difference in voltage between the maximum permitted voltage of the mirror and the actual voltage of the mirror.