Control apparatus for a dazzle-free reflection mirror of a vehicle

• US 4,671,615 A
• Filed: 01/03/1985
• Issued: 06/09/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation), Kohler Company
• Original Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Itoh, Hiroshi, Suzuki, Yasutoshi, Hara, Kunihiko, Fukada, Tsuyoshi, Ohmi, Shinya
• Primary Examiner(s): Corbin, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewis, David
• Application Number:
  US06/688,505
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 350/342, 350/332, 350/338, 350/283, 350/279-281
• US Class Current: 345/50
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors

Abstract

A control apparatus for a dazzle-free reflection mirror of a vehicle is disclosed. The control apparatus is provided with a rear light sensor and a circuit for driving the reflection mirror into a dazzle-free condition in accordance with an intensity of a rear light detected by said rear light sensor when a light switch is turned on. The control apparatus is further provided with a winker manipulation detecting switch, a reverse position detecting switch and a steering wheel detecting switch for detecting a change in the moving direction of the vehicle. When one of them detects the change in the vehicle moving direction, the dazzle-free operation of the reflection mirror is disabled even if intensive light is incident to the reflection mirror from the rear of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for a rear view reflection mirror of a vehicle having a manipulation device adapted to be manipulated by a vehicle driver to change a moving direction of said vehicle comprising:

reflectivity reducing means provided in said reflection mirror for reducing, when electrically driven, reflectivity of light incident thereto;

darkness detecting means for detecting a dark condition exterior of said vehicle;

rear light detecting means for detecting an intensity of light incident thereto from the rear of said vehicle and generating a first output signal indicative of the detected rear light intensity;

manipulation detecting means operatively associated with said manipulation device for detecting a predetermined manipulated condition of said manipulation device and generating a second output signal indicative of a change in the moving direction of said vehicle;

circuit means, responsive to said darkness detecting means and said rear light detecting means, for generating a third output signal in response to the first output signal of said rear light detecting means when a dark condition is detected by said darkness detecting means; and

driving means, responsive to said circuit means and said manipulation detecting means, for electrically driving said reflectivity reducing means in response to said third output signal of said circuit means in the absence of said second output signal of said manipulation detecting means so that said reflection mirror is driven into a dazzle-free condition, said driving means preventing said reflection mirror from being electrically driven when said second output signal is generated by said manipulation detecting means.

2. A control apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said manipulation detecting means includes winker manipulation detecting means for detecting the manipulated condition of a winker switch which is manipulated when said vehicle turns to the left or right.

3. A control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said winker manipulation detecting means comprises a winker manipulation detecting switch which turns on and off in response to turning on and off of said winker switch.

4. A control apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said manipulation detecting means includes reverse position detecting means for detecting that a transmission shift lever is in its "reverse" position.

5. A control apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said reverse position detecting means comprises a back-up light switch for switching the situation thereof when said transmission shift lever is in its "reverse" position.

6. A control apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said manipulation detecting means includes steering wheel rotation detecting means for detecting that a steering wheel is rotated more than a predetermined angle.

7. A control apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said manipulation detecting means comprises winker manipulation detecting means for detecting the manipulation of a winker switch which is manipulated when said vehicle turns to the left or right, reverse position detecting means for detecting that a transmission shift lever is in its "reverse" position, steering wheel rotation detecting means for detecting that a steering wheel is rotated more than a predetermined angle, and logic means for detecting that at least one of said winker manipulation detecting means, reverse position detecting means, and steering wheel detecting means detects the predetermined manipulated condition.

8. A control apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said driving means drives said reflection mirror continuously into a dazzle-free condition in response to an intensity of said rear light.

9. A control apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said reflection mirror includes a liquid crystal panel which reduces transparency thereof for the dazzle-free condition and a reflection layer provided behind said liquid crystal panel.

10. A control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said reflection mirror comprises a side mirror mounted on a side portion of said vehicle.

11. A control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said reflection mirror comprises a room mirror mounted in an interior of said vehicle.

12. A control apparatus for a rear view mirror having a reflection panel and a liquid crystal panel therein and mounted on a vehicle equipped with a manipulation device adapted to be manipulated by a vehicle driver to change a moving direction of said vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

a single rear light detecting means mounted on said rear view mirror for detecting an intensity of light incident from the rear of said vehicle;

direction change detecting means operatively connected to said manipulation device for detecting a predetermined manipulated condition of said manipulation device;

signal generating means for generating an electric driving signal; and

switching means, responsive to output signals of said rear light detecting means and said direction change detecting means, for switching on and off application of said electric driving signal of said signal generating means to said liquid crystal panel, said switching means switching on the application of said electric driving signal to said liquid crystal panel in response to the output of said rear light detecting means indicative of high intensity of the detected rear light thereby to reduce reflectivity of light of said rear view mirror and switching off the application of said electric driving signal to said liquid crystal panel in response to the output of said direction change detecting means indicative of the change in the moving direction of said vehicle irrespective of the output of said rear light detecting means.