Electrical control system for vehicle options

• US 5,691,848 A
• Filed: 01/31/1995
• Issued: 11/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Prince (Wellman Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Prince (Wellman Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zeinstra, Mark L., Van Lente, Paul S., Suman, Michael J., DeVree, William S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dzierzynski, Paul M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SIKDER, MOHAMMAD YUNUS
• Application Number:
  US08/381,087
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• Field of Search: 359/601, 359/603, 359/604, 359/843, 359/872, 359/877, 340/825.69, 340/825.31, 180/287, 296/135, 296/136, 250/206
• US Class Current: 359/601
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/1207 with lamps; with turn indicators
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1215 with information displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1223 with sensors or transducers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/123 with thermometers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1284 with communication systems other than radio-receivers, e.g. keyless entry systems, navigation systems; with anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00261 the keyless data carrier having more than one function
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00928 for garage doors
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00182 operated with unidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00817 where the code of the lock can be programmed
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/20 Binding and programming of remote control devices

Abstract

A vehicle structural accessory includes one or more electronic accessories. One electrical accessory which may be provided is an electronically trainable transmitter which is trainable to generate a control signal which will actuate a garage door opening mechanism. Another electronic accessory which may be included is an electronic compass. Yet another device is an electronically adjustable mirror having parameters set for each driver of a vehicle. The electronically adjustable rearview mirror and the electronically trainable garage door opener may be advantageously provided with a keyless entry system.

Claims

1. A control system and trainable electrically adjustable mirror for adjustment for different users of a vehicle comprising:

an electrically adjustable mirror having a variable reflectivity level that is electronically adjustable in response to a reflectivity control signal;

a memory for storing sets of reflectivity parameter data, each set of reflectivity parameter data corresponding to one of a plurality of users of a vehicle;

input means for providing an indication of which one of the plurality of users is using said electrically adjustable mirror; and

a control circuit coupled to said electrically adjustable mirror, said memory, and said input means, said control circuit reads the set of stored reflectivity parameter data from said memory for the user identified by said input means and generates and supplies a reflectivity control signal to said electronically adjustable mirror to adjust the reflectivity level of said electrically adjustable mirror according to the read reflectivity parameter data without requiring movement of said mirror.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein each user has an identification code, and said memory stores each identification code and parameter data corresponding to each identification code, and said control circuit accesses said memory according to a received identification code to retrieve and use the respective parameter data to control said electrically adjustable mirror.

3. The system as defined in claim 1, and further including a switch which a user can activate when said mirror has a desired degree of reflectivity, and wherein said control circuit stores reflectivity control information indicated by the user at the time of actuation of said switch as parameter data for subsequently adjusting said electrically adjustable mirror.

4. The system as defined in claim 1, and further including an ambient light level detector coupled to said control circuit, wherein said control circuit controls the reflectivity of said electrically adjustable mirror as a function of the detected ambient light level.

5. The system as defined in claim 4, wherein a plurality of different ambient light regions are set for said electrically adjustable mirror, said system further includes means for allowing a reflectivity level for each ambient light region to be set according to each user'"'"'s preference for each ambient light region.

6. The system as defined in claim 5, wherein default levels are preset for each ambient light region.

7. The system as defined in claim 1, and further including a display, wherein said control circuit controls said display to display temperature and vehicle heading information.

8. The system as defined in claim 1, and further including:

a housing; and

a display supported by said housing for displaying information to a vehicle operator, said display including a display source and a reflector supported by said housing for reflecting information presented by said display source such that said information is visible to the vehicle operator.

9. The system as defined in claim 8, and further including a parameter sensor coupled to said control circuit, wherein said control circuit receives parameter information signals from said parameter sensor and applies said parameter information signals to said display source for displaying the parameter information signals sensed by said parameter sensor.

10. The system as defined in claim 9, wherein said parameter sensor is a magnetic field sensor for sensing a vehicle heading.

11. The system as defined in claim 8, wherein said display source is a vacuum fluorescent display.

12. The system as defined in claim 4, and further including:

a magnetic field sensor; and

a temperature sensor coupled to said control circuit, wherein said control circuit receives compass bearing information from said magnetic field sensor and temperature information from said temperature sensor and provides the compass bearing and temperature information to said display source in order to display the compass bearing and temperature information to the vehicle operator on said display.

13. The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said mirror is a rearview mirror.

14. The system as defined in claim 4, wherein said ambient light level detector includes a from photocell and a rear photocell and said ambient light level is an average light level detected by each of said front and rear photocells.

15. The system as defined in claim 14, and further including a switch which a vehicle operator can activate when said mirror has a desired degree of reflectivity, and wherein said control circuit computes a glare tolerance threshold by determining a difference between the average light levels detected by said front and rear photocells at a time when the vehicle operator actuates said switch, said control circuit subsequently adjusts the reflectivity of said mirror to prevent a computed glare level from exceeding the glare tolerance threshold.

16. The control system as defined in claim 1, wherein said control circuit adjusts the reflectivity of said mirror by adjusting the percentage of incident light representing an image that is reflected to a driver'"'"'s eyes without changing the image that is viewed by the driver.

17. The control system as defined in claim 1, wherein said mirror is an electrochromic mirror.

18. A control system and trainable electrochromic mirror for adjustment for different operators of a vehicle comprising:

a housing;

an electrochromic mirror mounted in said housing and having a variable reflectivity level that is electronically adjustable in response to a reflectivity control signal;

a memory for storing sets of reflectivity parameter data, each set of reflectivity parameter data corresponding to one of a plurality of identification codes assigned to each one of a plurality of vehicle operators;

input means for receiving an indication of which one of the plurality of vehicle operators is using said electrically adjustable mirror and for transmitting the identification code assigned to the indicated vehicle operator;

an ambient light sensor for detecting a level of ambient light; and

a control circuit coupled to said electrically adjustable mirror, said memory, said ambient light sensor, and said input means, said control circuit reads the set of stored reflectivity parameter data from said memory that corresponds to the identification code provided by said input means, said control circuit then generates and supplies a reflectivity control signal to said electrochromic mirror to adjust the reflectivity level of said electrochromic mirror as a function of the read reflectivity parameter data and the detected level of ambient light without requiring movement of said electrochromic mirror.