ACTIVE BLINDSPOT/LANE DEPARTURE DETECTION MIRROR SYSTEM
First Claim
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1. A vehicle mounted mirror system to automatically reflect light from a vehicle blind spot toward a driver, comprising:
- a primary mirror having a first surface and a second surface, an electrically polarizable reflective coating on at least a portion of its first surface;
said polarizable reflective coating being reflective in a depolarized state and substantially clear when polarized by an electric current applied thereto;
a blind zone viewing convex mirror adjacent to said second surface and proximal to said polarizable coating portion of said first surface; and
a blind spot detection system electrically connected to the primary mirror and a power source adapted to automatically apply current to polarize said primary mirror first surface when an object is detected in a blind spot and change the reflectivity of the reflective polarizable coating on at least a portion of the primary mirror first surface and expose the concave mirror to reflect light from the blind spot to the vehicle driver to permit the driver to see the object in the blind spot;
said blind spot detection system discontinuing current to the primary mirror thereby depolarizing the mirror surface once an object has assed out of the blind spot.
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Abstract
A system to polarize a reflective layer on a vehicle mirror to reveal a convex mirror to view objects in a vehicle blindspot and method of operating the same.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A vehicle mounted mirror system to automatically reflect light from a vehicle blind spot toward a driver, comprising:
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a primary mirror having a first surface and a second surface, an electrically polarizable reflective coating on at least a portion of its first surface;
said polarizable reflective coating being reflective in a depolarized state and substantially clear when polarized by an electric current applied thereto;a blind zone viewing convex mirror adjacent to said second surface and proximal to said polarizable coating portion of said first surface; and a blind spot detection system electrically connected to the primary mirror and a power source adapted to automatically apply current to polarize said primary mirror first surface when an object is detected in a blind spot and change the reflectivity of the reflective polarizable coating on at least a portion of the primary mirror first surface and expose the concave mirror to reflect light from the blind spot to the vehicle driver to permit the driver to see the object in the blind spot;
said blind spot detection system discontinuing current to the primary mirror thereby depolarizing the mirror surface once an object has assed out of the blind spot. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method to operate a mirror system to reflect light from a vehicle blind spot toward a driver, comprising:
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detecting an object in a vehicle blind spot; determining whether the detected object is keeping pace or gaining on said vehicle; applying an electric current to a polarizable layer to polarize at least a portion of the layer to change reflectivity off the layer expose a convex mirror through which the operator may actually view objects in a vehicle blind spot and upon termination of application of electricity, the polarizable layer resumes reflectivity.
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Specification