Control circuit for an automatic rearview mirror

• US 4,886,960 A
• Filed: 04/05/1988
• Issued: 12/12/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donnelly Mirrors Limited NAAS County Kildare REP of Ireland
• Original Assignee: Donnelly Mirrors Limited
• Inventors: Molyneux, Keith W., Gaffney, Thomas D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms, David C.
• Application Number:
  US07/177,614
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 250/208, 250/209, 250/214 R, 250/214 AL, 350/278, 350/279, 350/280, 350/281
• US Class Current: 250/206
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/087 with remote or automatic control means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors

Abstract

The invention provides an automatic rearview mirror system (10) for a vehicle comprising a reflective element (22) actuatable between at least two different reflective conditions. The system includes a forward light sensor (11) to detect light forward of the vehicle and a rear light sensor (12) to detect light rearward of the mirror. A control circuit means (14,16) is coupled to the reflective element (22), the forward light sensor (11) and the rear light sensor (12). The control circuit causes the reflective element to assume a reflective state dependent upon the output of the forward and rear light sensors. The control circuit includes means for modifying the output of the forward light sensor (11) to cause a reduction in the sensitivity of the mirror.

Claims

1. An automatic rearview mirror system for a vehicle comprising:

a reflective element actuatable between at least two different reflective conditions;

a forward light sensor means for sensing light in a direction other than rearward of the mirror;

a rear light sensor means for sensing light rearward of the mirror; and

control circuit means for causing the reflective element to assume a reflective condition as a function of at least the output of said forward and rear light sensor means, said control circuit including modulation means for modifying the output of said forward light sensor means to produce a modified forward light signal and comparison means responsive to the output of said rear light sensor means and said modified forward light signal for indicating the desired reflectance condition of said reflective element as a function of said output of said rear light sensor and said modified forward light signal, wherein said modulation means modifies the output of said forward light sensor means in a manner that reduces the sensitivity of said control means to light rearward of the mirror.

2. A rearview mirror as claimed in claim 1 wherein the control circuit means preferably includes a time-filter means for time filtering said modified forward light signal, said time-filter means providing faster time filtering of the signal during periods of increasing ambient light than during periods of decreasing ambient light, whereby said time-filter means and therefore said control means approximates the adaption of the human eye to changing ambient light levels.

3. A rearview mirror as claimed in claim 1 wherein the forward and rear light sensor means are both variable impedance devices and wherein said modulation means includes said forward and rear light sensor means being connected in parallel with one another and in series with a modulating resistor in a network such that, with electrical power applied to said network, said modified forward light signal is the signal across said forward light sensing means.

4. A rearview mirror system as claimed in claim 2 wherein said time-filter means filters with a first time constant during periods of an increasing ambient light signal and with a second time constant during periods of a decreasing ambient light signal.

5. A rearview mirror system as claimed in claim 4 wherein said time-filter means comprises a capacitor, first and second resistors connected to a common side of the capacitor and current control means for charging said capacitor through said first resistor and discharging said capacitor through said second resistor.

6. A rearview mirror as claimed in claim 5 wherein said current control means and said resistors are configured so that the rate of discharge of the capacitor through said second resistor is proportional to the difference between the charge on the capacitor and the output signal of said forward sensor.

7. A rearview mirror system as defined in claim 1 wherein said reflective element is a prism movable between at least two positions to establish different reflective conditions of said mirror and wherein the control circuit means includes a reversible d.c. motor to change the position of said prism.

8. A rearview mirror system as claimed in claim 7 wherein the control circuit includes a rotary switch means energized by the d.c. motor means to control the position of said prism.

9. A rearview mirror as claimed in claim 1 wherein said modulation means includes circuit means to modify the output of the forward sensor means as a function of the output of the rear sensor means to reduce the sensitivity of the mirror to light rearward of the mirror and as a function of the mirror being in a partial reflectance condition to further reduce the sensitivity of the mirror to light rearward of the mirror.

10. A rearview mirror as claimed in claim 1 wherein the control circuit means includes means to provide a first time delay of a relatively short duration for changing the condition of the reflective element from a full reflectance to a partial reflectance condition, and a second time delay of a relatively longer duration for changing the condition of the reflective element from the partial reflectance to the full reflectance condition.

11. A rearview mirror as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reflective condition of said reflective element is essentially continuously variable.

12. A rearview mirror as claimed in claim 7 wherein the control circuit means includes braking means for said reversible d.c. motor.

13. A rearview mirror as claimed in claim 11 wherein said rear sensor means is mounted behind the reflective element and said reflective element is non-reflective in the region of said rear sensor.

14. A rearview mirror as claimed in claim 2 wherein the forward and rear light sensor means are both variable impedance devices and wherein said modulation means includes said forward and rear light sensor means being connected in parallel with one another and in series with a modulating resistor in a network such that, with electrical power applied to said network, said modified forward light signal is the signal across said forward light sensing means.

15. An automatic rearview mirror system for a vehicle comprising, a reflective element actuatable between a full reflectance mode in which substantially all incident light striking said reflective element is reflected and a partial reflectance mode in which only a portion of incident light striking said reflective element is reflected, a forward light sensor to detect light forward of the mirror, a rear light sensor to detect light rearward of the mirror, a control circuit means coupled to said reflective element, said forward light sensor and said rearward light sensor, assume one of said reflective modes dependent upon the relationship between the output of said rear light sensor and a sensitivity signal, said control circuit including modulation means for modifying the output of the forward sensor as a function of the reflectance mode of said reflectance element and means responsive to the output of said forward light sensor for establishing said sensitivity signal, wherein said modulation means reduces the sensitivity of the mirror system to light rearward of the mirror when said reflectance element is in said partial reflectance mode.

16. An automatic rearview mirror system for a vehicle comprising:

a reflective element actuated between at least two different reflective conditions;

a modulating resistor;

a forward light sensor means for sensing light in a direction other than rearward of the reflectance element, said forward light sensing means having a parameter that varies in response to light;

a rear light sensor means for sensing light rearward of the reflective element, said rearward light sensing means having a parameter that varies in response to light;

said forward and rear light sensor means being connected in parallel with one another and in series with said modulating resistor between a pair of supply voltage terminals such that a change in said parameter of said rearward sensor means will modify said parameter of said forward sensor means;

means responsive to said parameter of said forward light sensor means for producing a forward light signal;

means responsive to said parameter of said rearward light sensor means for producing a rearward light signal; and

comparison means for comparing said rearward light signal with said forward light signal and for causing the reflective element to assume a reflective condition as a function of the relationship between said signals.