Power supply for electrochromic mirrors in high voltage automotive power systems

• US 6,262,831 B1
• Filed: 10/22/1999
• Issued: 07/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Tonar, William L., Anderson, John S., Bauer, Frederick T., Forgette, Jeffrey A., Turnbull, Robert R., Stam, Joseph S., Bechtel, Jon H., Carter, John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia
• Assistant Examiner(s): THOMPSON, TIMOTHY J
• Application Number:
  US09/426,794
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 359/265, 359/264, 359/266, 359/267, 359/603, 359/604, 359/884, 359/601, 359/602
• US Class Current: 359/265
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors

Abstract

A rearview mirror assembly is disclosed including a housing adapted to be mounted to the vehicle, a mirror disposed in the housing, at least one electrically powered device disposed in the housing, and a power supply for receiving power from a vehicle power source having a voltage in excess of about 24 V and for supplying power at a voltage of about 5 V or less to the electrically powered device. The electrically powered device and the power supply exhibit an electromagnetic interference level of less than about 41 dBμV/m for emissions in the frequency range from about 0.4 MHz to about 20 MHz. The mirror is preferably an electrochromic mirror, and the electrically powered device may be a control circuit for the electrochromic mirror.

Claims

1. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a housing adapted to be mounted to the vehicle;

an electrochromic mirror disposed in said housing;

a control circuit for controlling the electrochromic mirror; and

a power supply for receiving power from a vehicle power source having a voltage in excess of about 24 V and supplying power at a voltage of about 5 V or less to said control circuit, said control circuit and said power supply exhibiting an electromagnetic interference level less than about 41 dBμ

V/m for emissions in the frequency range from about 0.4 MHz to about 20 MHz.

2. The mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic interference level exhibited by said control circuit and said power supply is less than about 28 dBμ

V/m for narrowband emissions in the frequency range from about 0.4 MHz to about 20 MHz.

3. The mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said power supply receives power from a vehicle power source having a voltage in excess of about 30 volts.

4. The mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said power supply receives power from a vehicle power source having a voltage in excess of about 40 volts.

5. The mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said power supply is a switched power supply.

6. The mirror assembly of claim 1 and further including circuitry for dithering the pulse width or the switching frequency of said power supply.

7. The mirror assembly of claim 1 and further including a linear pre-regulator circuit coupled between the vehicle power source and said power supply for reducing transients in the power received from the vehicle power source.

8. The mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said power supply is mounted in said housing.

9. The mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said control circuit is mounted in said housing.

10. The mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said housing is adapted to be mounted to the interior of the vehicle such that said mirror assembly functions as an inside rearview mirror assembly.

11. The mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said housing is adapted to be mounted to the exterior of the vehicle such that said mirror assembly functions as an outside rearview mirror assembly.

12. A method for providing power to an electrochromic rearview mirror assembly from a vehicle power source having a voltage in excess of about 24 volts while producing an electromagnetic interference level less than about 41 dBμ

V/m for emissions in the frequency range from about 0.4 MHz to about 20 MHz, the method comprising;

(a) providing a switched power supply to convert the voltage of the power received from the vehicle power source to about 5 volts or less;

(b) dithering of the frequency of the power supplied from the power supply; and

(c) supplying the power to the electrochromic rearview mirror assembly.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the electromagnetic interference level is less than about 28 dBμ

V/m for narrowband emissions in the frequency range from about 0.4 MHz to about 20 MHz.

14. An electrical control system for an electrochromic mirror of a vehicle comprising:

a linear pre-regulator circuit coupled to a vehicle power source for reducing transients in the power received from the vehicle power source;

a switched power supply coupled to an output of said linear pre-regulator circuit for reducing the voltage of the power supplied from the vehicle power source; and

a control circuit coupled to said switched power supply to receive the reduced voltage power output from said switched power supply, said control circuit controls the reflectance of the electrochromic mirror by varying the voltage applied to the electrochromic mirror; and

circuitry for dithering the pulse width or the switching frequency of said power supply.

15. The electrical control system of claim 14, wherein the vehicle power source has a voltage in excess of about 24 volts and said switched power supply reduces this voltage to supply power at a voltage of about 5 volts or less to said control circuit.

16. The electrical control system of claim 14, wherein the vehicle power source has a voltage in excess of about 30 volts and said switched power supply reduces this voltage to supply power at a voltage of about 5 volts or less to said control circuit.

17. The electrical control system of claim 14, wherein the vehicle power source has a voltage in excess of about 40 volts and said switched power supply reduces this voltage to supply power at a voltage of about 5 volts or less to said control circuit.

18. An electrical control system for an electrochromic mirror of a vehicle comprising:

a linear pre-regulator circuit coupled to a vehicle power source for reducing transients in the power received from the vehicle power source;

a switched power supply coupled to an output of said linear pre-regulator circuit for reducing the voltage of the power supplied from the vehicle power source; and

a control circuit coupled to said switched power supply to receive the reduced voltage power output from said switched power supply, said control circuit controls the reflectance of the electrochromic mirror by varying the voltage applied to the electrochromic mirror,

wherein said control circuit and said switched power supply exhibit an electromagnetic interference level less than about 41 dBμ

V/m for emissions in the frequency range from about 0.4 MHz to about 20 MHz.

19. The electrical control system of claim 18, wherein the electromagnetic interference level exhibited by said control circuit and said power supply is less than about 28 dBμ

V/m for narrowband emissions in the frequency range from about 0.4 MHz to about 20 MHz.

20. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a housing adapted to be mounted to the vehicle;

a mirror disposed in said housing;

at least one electrically powered device disposed in said housing; and

a power supply for receiving power from a vehicle power source having a voltage in excess of about 24 volts and supplying power at a voltage of about 5 volts or less to said electrically powered device, said electrically powered device and said power supply exhibiting an electromagnetic interference level less than about 41 dBμ

V/m for emissions in the frequency range from about 0.4 MHz to about 20 MHz.

21. The mirror assembly of claim 20, wherein the electromagnetic interference level exhibited by said electrically powered device and said power supply is less than about 28 dBμ

V/m for narrowband emissions in the frequency range from about 0.4 MHz to about 20 MHz.

22. The mirror assembly of claim 20, wherein said mirror is an electrochromic mirror.

23. The mirror assembly of claim 22, wherein said electrically powered device is a control circuit for said electrochromic mirror.

24. The mirror assembly of claim 23, wherein said at least one electrically powered device includes a display device disposed in said housing.

25. The mirror assembly of claim 24, wherein said at least one electrically powered device includes map lights disposed in said housing.

26. The mirror assembly of claim 25, wherein said at least one electrically powered device includes outside electrochromic rearview mirrors.

27. The mirror assembly of claim 23, wherein said at least one electrically powered device includes outside electrochromic rearview mirrors.

28. The mirror assembly of claim 20, wherein said at least one electrically powered device includes a display device disposed in said housing.

29. The mirror assembly of claim 20, wherein said at least one electrically powered device includes map lights disposed in said housing.

30. The mirror assembly of claim 20, wherein said at least one electrically powered device includes an electronic compass circuit disposed in said housing.

31. The mirror assembly of claim 20, wherein said at least one electrically powered device includes a GPS receiver disposed in said housing.

32. The mirror assembly of claim 20, wherein said at least one electrically powered device includes a trainable transmitter disposed in said housing.

33. The mirror assembly of claim 20, wherein said at least one electrically powered device includes a microphone disposed on said housing.

34. An electrically powered vehicle component comprising:

at least one electrically powered device; and

a power supply for receiving power from a vehicle power source having a voltage in excess of about 24 volts and supplying power at a voltage of about 5 volts or less to said electrically powered device, said electrically powered device and said power supply exhibiting an electromagnetic interference level less than about 41 dBμ

V/m for emissions in the frequency range from about 0.4 MHz to about 20 MHz.

35. The electrically powered vehicle component of claim 34, wherein said at least one electrically powered device includes at least one light-emitting diode.

36. The electrically powered vehicle component of claim 34, wherein said at least one electrically powered device includes a center high-mounted stop lamp.

37. The electrically powered vehicle component of claim 34, wherein said at least one electrically powered device includes a cargo light.

38. The electrically powered vehicle component of claim 34, wherein said at least one electrically powered device includes a turn signal indicator assembly.

39. The electrically powered vehicle component of claim 34 and further including a snubber circuit coupled to said power supply.

40. A lighting fixture for a vehicle comprising:

at least one light-emitting diode;

a switching current source for receiving power from a vehicle power source having a voltage in excess of about 24 volts and supplying power at a voltage of about 5 volts or less to said light emitting diode; and

a circuit for dithering the pulse width or the switching frequency of said switching current source.

41. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a housing adapted to be mounted to the vehicle;

a mirror disposed in said housing;

at least one electrically powered device disposed in said housing; and

a power supply for receiving power from a vehicle power source having a voltage in excess of about 24 V and supplying power at a voltage of about 5 V or less to said electrically powered device, wherein said electrically powered device and said power supply exhibit an electromagnetic interference level less than about 41 dBμ

V/m for emissions in the frequency range from about 0.4 MHz to about 20 MHz.

42. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 41, wherein said mirror is an electrochromic mirror and said at least one electrically powered device includes a control circuit for controlling said electrochromic mirror.

43. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 42, wherein said at least one electrically powered device includes a light source.

44. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 41, wherein said at least one electrically powered device includes a light source.

45. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 44, wherein said light source includes at least one light emitting diode.

46. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 41, wherein said at least one electrically powered device includes a display device.

47. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 41, wherein said at least one electrically powered device includes an electronic compass circuit disposed in said housing.

49. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 41, wherein said at least one electrically powered device includes a trainable transmitter disposed in said housing.

50. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 41, wherein said at least one electrically powered device includes a microphone disposed on said housing.

48. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a housing adapted to be mounted to the vehicle;

a mirror disposed in said housing;

at least one electrically powered device disposed in said housing; and

a power supply for receiving power from a vehicle power source having a voltage in excess of about 24 V and supplying power at a voltage of about 5 V or less to said electrically powered device;

wherein said at least one electrically powered device includes a GPS receiver disposed in said housing.