Interior rearview mirror system with compass

• US 20060139782A1
• Filed: 02/27/2006
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Weller, Andrew D., Schofield, Kenneth, Lynam, Niall R., Cooprider, Troy O., Blank, Rodney K., Schierbeek, Kenneth L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,452,090 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/879
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1215 with information displays

Abstract

An interior rearview mirror system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly and a compass sensor having first and second magnetoresponsive sensing elements. A physical mount mounts the compass sensor at the rear of the reflective element whereby the compass sensor adjusts in tandem with adjustment of the reflective element by the driver of the vehicle. The physical mount is configured to at least partially offset the angle of the reflective element selected by the driver. A control receives a first signal indicative of a magnetic field sensed by the first magnetoresponsive sensing element and receives a second signal indicative of a magnetic field sensed by the second magnetoresponsive sensing element. The control determines a directional heading of the vehicle based on the first and second signals, and automatically compensates for a deviating magnetic field of the vehicle and generates a signal indicative of the directional heading of the vehicle.

Claims

1-71. -71. (canceled)

72. An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising:

an interior rearview mirror assembly having a reflective element with a rearward field of view that is adjustable relative to a mounting structure that mounts said interior rearview mirror assembly at an interior portion of the vehicle;

a compass sensor having a first magnetoresponsive sensing element and a second magnetoresponsive sensing element;

a physical mount for mounting said compass sensor at the rear of said reflective element whereby said compass sensor adjusts in tandem with adjustment of the rearward field of view of said reflective element by a driver of the vehicle, said physical mount being configured to at least partially offset the angle of said reflective element selected by the driver of the vehicle when the driver adjusts the mirror assembly to select a rearward field of view when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle;

a control, said control receiving a first signal indicative of a magnetic field sensed by said first magnetoresponsive sensing element, said control receiving a second signal indicative of a magnetic field sensed by said second magnetoresponsive sensing element; and

said control determining a directional heading of the vehicle, said control automatically compensating for a deviating magnetic field of the vehicle and generating a signal indicative of the directional heading of the vehicle, wherein said control compensates for adjustment of said compass sensor in tandem with adjustment of said reflective element by the driver of the vehicle.

73. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 72, wherein said physical mount is configured to orient said first magnetoresponsive sensing element to be substantially parallel to a direction of travel of the vehicle and said second magnetoresponsive sensing element to be substantially orthogonal to the direction of travel of the vehicle when said reflective element is at the selected angled.

74. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 72, wherein said physical mount is configured to offset an angle of said reflective element that is about 22 degrees toward the driver side of the vehicle.

75. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 72, wherein said physical mount is configured to offset an angle of said reflective element that is about 6 degrees downward.

76. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 72, wherein said control determines that said reflective element is adjusted by the driver of the vehicle in response to a change in said first and second signals being indicative of an abrupt movement of said reflective element about said mounting structure.

77. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 76, wherein said control enters a rapid compensating mode to compensate for the mirror adjustment in response to said control determining that said reflective element is adjusted by the driver of the vehicle.

78. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 77, wherein said control is operable to enter said rapid compensating mode in response to an ignition cycle of the vehicle.

79. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 78, wherein said control automatically exits said rapid compensating mode and enters a less aggressive calibration mode that distinguishes the Earth'"'"'s magnetic field from magnetic anomalies and non-abrupt changes in the vehicle magnetic signature.

80. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 79, wherein said control automatically exits said rapid compensating mode after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the ignition cycle.

81. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 77, wherein said control automatically exits said rapid compensating mode after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since determination of the adjustment of said reflective element.

82. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 76, wherein said control discerns changes in said first and second signals via an algorithmic processing of said first and second signals.

83. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 72, wherein said control is operable to discern between a change in said first and second signals that is indicative of an adjustment of said reflective element and a change in said first and second signals that is indicative of a change in vehicle direction.

84. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 83, wherein said control enters a rapid compensating mode when the change in said first and second signals is indicative of an adjustment of said reflective element by the driver of the vehicle.

85. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 72 including a compass display for displaying directional heading information.

86. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 85, wherein said compass display comprises a plurality of at least partially light transmissive ports formed in a reflective coating of said reflective element, said display comprising a plurality of illumination sources positioned behind and generally aligned with corresponding ones of said plurality of ports, said control energizing said illumination sources to convey directional heading information to the driver of the vehicle.

87. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 86, wherein said control is operable to at least one of directly energize each of said illumination sources independently and directly energize two or more of said illumination sources in combination to provide illumination through one or more respective ones of said ports to convey the directional information to the driver of the vehicle.

88. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 86, wherein said control is positioned remote from said mirror assembly and is electrically connected to said illumination sources.

89. An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising:

an interior rearview mirror assembly having an electrochromic reflective element with a rearward field of view that is adjustable relative to a mounting structure that mounts said interior rearview mirror assembly at an interior portion of the vehicle;

a compass sensor having a first magnetoresponsive sensing element and a second magnetoresponsive sensing element;

a physical mount for mounting said compass sensor at the rear of said reflective element whereby said compass sensor adjusts in tandem with adjustment of the rearward field of view of said reflective element by a driver of the vehicle, said physical mount being configured to at least partially offset the angle of said reflective element selected by the driver of the vehicle when the driver adjusts the mirror assembly to select a rearward field of view when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle;

said physical mount being configured to orient said first magnetoresponsive sensing element to be substantially parallel to a direction of travel of the vehicle and said second magnetoresponsive sensing element to be substantially orthogonal to the direction of travel of the vehicle when said reflective element is at the selected angle;

a control, said control receiving a first signal indicative of a magnetic field sensed by said first magnetoresponsive sensing element, said control receiving a second signal indicative of a magnetic field sensed by said second magnetoresponsive sensing element; and

said control determining a directional heading of the vehicle, said control automatically compensating for a deviating magnetic field of the vehicle and generating a signal indicative of the directional heading of the vehicle, wherein said control compensates for adjustment of said compass sensor in tandem with adjustment of said reflective element by the driver of the vehicle.

90. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 89 including a compass display for displaying directional heading information.

91. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 90, wherein said compass display comprises a plurality of at least partially light transmissive ports formed in a reflective coating of said reflective element, said display comprising a plurality of illumination sources positioned behind and generally aligned with corresponding ones of said plurality of ports, said control energizing said illumination sources to convey directional heading information to the driver of the vehicle.

92. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 91, wherein said control is operable to at least one of directly energize each of said illumination sources independently and directly energize two or more of said illumination sources in combination to provide illumination through one or more respective ones of said ports to convey the directional information to the driver of the vehicle.

93. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 89, wherein said control determines that said reflective element is adjusted by the driver of the vehicle in response to a change in said first and second signals being indicative of an abrupt movement of said reflective element about said mounting structure.

94. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 93, wherein said control enters a rapid compensating mode to compensate for the adjustment of said reflective element in response to said control determining that said reflective element is adjusted by the driver of the vehicle.

95. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 94, wherein said control automatically exits said rapid compensating mode and enters a less aggressive calibration mode that distinguishes the Earth'"'"'s magnetic field from magnetic anomalies and non-abrupt changes in the vehicle magnetic signature.

96. An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising:

an interior rearview mirror assembly having an electrochromic reflective element with a rearward field of view that is adjustable relative to a mounting structure that mounts said interior rearview mirror assembly at an interior portion of the vehicle;

a compass sensor having a first magnetoresponsive sensing element and a second magnetoresponsive sensing element;

a physical mount for mounting said compass sensor at the rear of said reflective element whereby said compass sensor adjusts in tandem with adjustment of the rearward field of view of said reflective element by a driver of the vehicle, said physical mount being configured to at least partially offset an angle of said reflective element that is about 22 degrees toward the driver side of the vehicle that is about 6 degrees downward;

a control, said control receiving a first signal indicative of a magnetic field sensed by said first magnetoresponsive sensing element, said control receiving a second signal indicative of a magnetic field sensed by said second magnetoresponsive sensing element; and

said control determining a directional heading of the vehicle, said control automatically compensating for a deviating magnetic field of the vehicle and generating a signal indicative of the directional heading of the vehicle, wherein said control compensates for adjustment of said compass sensor in tandem with adjustment of said reflective element by the driver of the vehicle.

97. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 96, wherein said physical mount is configured to orient said first magnetoresponsive sensing element to be substantially parallel to a direction of travel of the vehicle and said second magnetoresponsive sensing element to be substantially orthogonal to the direction of travel of the vehicle when said reflective element is at said angle.

98. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 96 including a compass display for displaying directional heading information.

99. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 98, wherein said compass display comprises a plurality of at least partially light transmissive ports formed in a reflective coating of said reflective element, said display comprising a plurality of illumination sources positioned behind and generally aligned with corresponding ones of said plurality of ports, said control energizing said illumination sources to convey directional heading information to the driver of the vehicle.

100. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 99, wherein said control is operable to at least one of directly energize each of said illumination sources independently and directly energize two or more of said illumination sources in combination to provide illumination through one or more respective ones of said ports to convey the directional information to the driver of the vehicle.

101. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 96, wherein said control determines that said reflective element is adjusted by the driver of the vehicle in response to a change in said first and second signals being indicative of an abrupt movement of said reflective element about said mounting structure.

102. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 101, wherein said control enters a rapid compensating mode to compensate for the mirror adjustment in response to said control determining that said reflective element is adjusted by the driver of the vehicle.

103. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 102, wherein said control automatically exits said rapid compensating mode and enters a less aggressive calibration mode that distinguishes the Earth'"'"'s magnetic field from magnetic anomalies and non-abrupt changes in the vehicle magnetic signature.