Headlight control system utilizing information from a microwave receiver

• US 6,465,963 B1
• Filed: 06/28/2000
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Walstra, Eric J., Turnbull, Robert R., Knapp, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, DAVID HUNG
• Application Number:
  US09/605,102
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 315/82, 315/83, 315/149, 315/157, 315/158, 315/159, 307/10.8
• US Class Current: 315/82
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/061 by monitoring wheel speed measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/1423 Automatic dimming circuits, i.e. switching between high beam and low beam due to change of ambient light or light level in road traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/052 Switching delay, i.e. the beam is not switched or changed instantaneously upon occurrence of a condition change
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/112 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/312 Adverse weather
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/314 Ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/3321 Detection of streetlights
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/337 Tunnels or bridges
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/43 following vehicle
• 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 2001/1215 with information displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1246 with clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1261 with antennae
• 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: G01C 17/38 Testing, calibrating, or compensating of compasses
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/26 specially adapted for navigation in a road network
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/36 relating to the receiver frond end
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/3266 : using the mirror of the vehicle

Abstract

An inventive rearview mirror assembly is disclosed in which a microwave antenna is mounted so as to receive transmissions from one or more satellites through the front windshield of the vehicle. The microwave antenna may be tuned to receive satellite transmissions from a position identification system constellation of satellites, such as GPS or GLONASS. Additionally, the microwave antenna may be tuned to alternatively or additionally receive transmissions from at least one communication satellite, such as a CD radio satellite. In addition to the inventive rearview mirror assembly, an inventive electrical control system is disclosed that may be used as a navigation system, an electrochromic rearview mirror control system, a head lamp control system, a tire pressure monitoring and display system, a temperature sensing and display system, a vehicle compass system, a vehicle data recorder system, and/or a vehicle odometer verification system. In each of the above systems, new parameters are made available by the microwave antenna to perform control operations not previously performed.

Claims

1. A headlight control system for automatically turning on headlights of a vehicle, said system comprising:

an ambient light sensor for sensing ambient light levels outside of the vehicle; and

a control circuit adapted to be coupled to said ambient light sensor, a source of a clock signal that identifies the time of day, and to an electrical system of the vehicle so as to be capable of causing said headlights to turn on, said control circuit causing the vehicle headlights to be turned on in response to ambient light levels sensed by said ambient light sensor and in response to the time of day identified in the clock signal.

2. The headlight control system as defined in claim 1, wherein said control circuit filters the sensed ambient light level based upon the time of day and compares the filtered ambient light level to a first threshold level and causes the vehicle headlights to be turned on when the filtered ambient light level falls below the first threshold, level.

3. The headlight control system as defined in claim 2, wherein said control circuit filters the sensed ambient light level based upon the time of day by decreasing a response time to the falling of the sensed ambient light level below the first threshold when the time of day indicates that it is nighttime.

4. The headlight control system as defined in claim 2, wherein said control circuit filters the sensed ambient light level based upon the time of day and compares the filtered ambient light level to a second threshold level and causes the vehicle headlights to be turned off when the filtered ambient light level rises above the second threshold level.

5. The headlight control system as defined in claim 4, wherein said control circuit filters the sensed ambient light level based upon the time of day by decreasing a response time to the falling of the sensed ambient light level below the first threshold and by increasing a response time to the rising of the sensed ambient light level above the second threshold when the time of day indicates that it is nighttime.

6. The headlight control system as defined in claim 1, wherein said control circuit filters the sensed ambient light level based upon the time of day and compares the filtered ambient light level to a first threshold level and causes the vehicle headlights to be turned off when the filtered ambient light level rises above the first threshold level.

7. The headlight control system as defined in claim 6, wherein said control circuit filters the sensed ambient light level based upon the time of day by increasing a response time to the rising of the sensed ambient light level above the first threshold when the time of day indicates that it is nighttime.

8. A headlight control system for automatically turning on headlights of a vehicle, said system comprising:

an ambient light sensor for sensing ambient light levels outside of the vehicle;

a microwave receiver for receiving signals from satellites in the sky over the vehicle and thereby tracking the location of the satellites relative to the vehicle and monitoring the presence or absence of a signal received from each of the satellites; and

a control circuit adapted to be coupled to said ambient light sensor, said microwave receiver, and to an electrical system of the vehicle so as to be capable of causing said headlights to turn on, said control circuit configured to determine what portions of the microwave receiver'"'"'s view of the sky over the vehicle are blocked by a potentially light blocking/filtering obstruction based upon a determination of whether a signal is or is not being received from one or more of the satellites, said control circuit being responsive to ambient light levels sensed by said ambient light sensor for causing the vehicle headlights to be turned on, wherein the responsiveness of the control circuit to changes in ambient light levels is changed as a function of the portions of the sky above the vehicle that are potentially obstructed by a light blocking/filtering structure.

9. A headlight control system for automatically, turning on headlights of a vehicle, said system comprising:

an ambient light sensor for sensing ambient light levels outside of the vehicle; and

a control circuit adapted to be coupled to said ambient light sensor, a source of vehicle velocity data, and to an electrical system of the vehicle so as to be capable of causing said headlights to turn on, said control circuit causing the vehicle headlights to be turned on in response to ambient light levels sensed by said ambient light sensor and in response to the vehicle velocity.

10. The headlight control system as defined in claim 9, wherein said control circuit filters the sensed ambient light level based upon the velocity of the vehicle and compares the filtered ambient light level to a first threshold level and causes the vehicle headlights to be turned on when the filtered ambient light level falls below the first threshold level.

11. The headlight control system as defined in claim 10, wherein said control circuit filters the sensed ambient light level based upon the velocity of the vehicle by decreasing a response time to the falling of the sensed ambient light level below the first threshold, with increasing vehicle velocity.

12. The headlight control system as defined in claim 10, wherein said control circuit filters the sensed ambient light level based upon velocity of the vehicle and compares the filtered ambient light level to a second threshold level and causes the vehicle headlights to be turned off when the filtered ambient light level rises above the second threshold level.

13. The headlight control system as defined in claim 12, wherein said control circuit filters the sensed ambient light level based upon the velocity of the vehicle by decreasing a response time to the falling of the sensed ambient light level below the first threshold or rising above the second threshold, with increasing vehicle velocity.

14. The headlight control system as defined in claim 9, wherein said control circuit filters the sensed ambient light level based upon the velocity of the vehicle and compares the filtered ambient light level to a first threshold level and causes the vehicle headlights to be turned off when the filtered ambient light level rises above the first threshold level.

15. The headlight control system as defined in claim 14, wherein said control circuit filters the sensed ambient light level based upon the velocity of the vehicle by increasing a response time to the rising of the sensed ambient light level above the first threshold, with decreasing vehicle velocity.

16. A headlight control system for a vehicle, said system comprising:

a sensor for sensing light levels outside of the vehicle; and

a control circuit adapted to be coupled to said sensor, a source of a clock signal that identifies the time of day, and to an electrical system of the vehicle so as to be capable of controlling the headlights, said control circuit controlling the vehicle headlights in response to light levels sensed by said sensor and in response to the time of day identified in the clock signal.

17. The headlight control system as defined in claim 16, wherein said sensor is an ambient light sensor for sensing ambient light levels outside the vehicle.

18. The headlight control system as defined in claim 16, wherein said sensor is mounted to a rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle.

19. The headlight control system as defined in claim 16, wherein said source of said clock signal is a microwave receiver.

20. The headlight control system as defined in claim 19, wherein said microwave receiver is a GPS receiver.

21. The headlight control system as defined in claim 16, wherein said control circuit controls the headlights by turning the headlights on and off.

22. The headlight control system as defined in claim 21, wherein the headlights turned on and off are the low beam headlamps of the vehicle.

23. A headlight control system for a vehicle, said system comprising:

a sensor for sensing light levels outside of the vehicle;

a microwave receiver for receiving signals from satellites in the sky over the vehicle and thereby tracking the location of the satellites relative to the vehicle and monitoring the presence or absence of a signal received from each of the satellites; and

a control circuit adapted to be coupled to said sensor, said microwave receiver, and to an electrical system of the vehicle so as to be capable of controlling the headlights, said control circuit configured to determine what portions of the microwave receiver'"'"'s view of the sky over the vehicle are blocked by a potentially light blocking/filtering obstruction based upon a determination of whether a signal is or is not being received from one or more of the satellites, said control circuit being responsive to light levels sensed by said sensor for controlling the vehicle headlights, wherein the responsiveness of the control circuit to changes in light levels is changed as a function of the portions of the sky above the vehicle that are potentially obstructed by a light blocking/filtering structure.

24. The headlight control system as defined in claim 23, wherein said sensor is an ambient light sensor for sensing ambient light levels outside the vehicle.

25. The headlight control system as defined in claim 23, wherein said sensor is mounted to a rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle.

26. The headlight control system as defined in claim 23, wherein said microwave receiver is mounted to a rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle.

27. The headlight control system as defined in claim 23, wherein said microwave receiver is a GPS receiver.

28. The headlight control system as defined in claim 23, wherein said control circuit controls the headlights by turning the headlights on and off.

29. The headlight control system as defined in claim 28, wherein the headlights turned on and off are the low beam headlamps of the vehicle.

30. A headlight control system for a vehicle, said system comprising:

a sensor for sensing light levels outside of the vehicle; and

a control circuit adapted to be coupled to said sensor, a microwave receiver, and to an electrical system of the vehicle so as to be capable of controlling the headlights, said control circuit controlling the vehicle headlights in response to light levels sensed by said sensor and in response to vehicle velocity provided by the microwave receiver.

31. The headlight control system as defined in claim 30, wherein said sensor is an ambient light sensor for sensing ambient light levels outside the vehicle.

32. The headlight control system as defined in claim 30, wherein said sensor is mounted to a rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle.

33. The headlight control system as defined in claim 30, wherein said microwave receiver is a GPS receiver.

34. The headlight control system as defined in claim 30, wherein said control circuit controls the headlights by turning the headlights on and off.

35. The headlight control system as defined in claim 34, wherein the headlights turned on and off are the low beam headlamps of the vehicle.

36. A headlight control system for a vehicle, said system comprising:

a sensor for sensing light levels outside of the vehicle;

a microwave receiver for receiving signals from satellites in the sky over the vehicle; and

a control circuit adapted to be coupled to said sensor, said microwave receiver, and to an electrical system of the vehicle so as to be capable of controlling the headlights, said control circuit being responsive to light levels sensed by said sensor and to information provided by said microwave receiver for controlling the vehicle headlights.

37. The headlight control system as defined in claim 36, wherein said information provided by said microwave receiver is the time of day.

38. The headlight control system as defined in claim 36, wherein said information provided by said microwave receiver is the velocity of the vehicle.

39. The headlight control system as defined in claim 36, wherein said microwave receiver tracks the location of the satellites relative to the vehicle and monitors the presence or absence of a signal received from each of the satellites, and wherein said control circuit is configured to determine what portions of the microwave receiver'"'"'s view of the sky over the vehicle are blocked by a potentially light blocking/filtering obstruction based upon a determination of whether a signal is or is not being received from one or more of the satellites, wherein the responsiveness of the control circuit to changes in light levels is changed as a function of the portions of the sky above the vehicle that are potentially obstructed by a light blocking/filtering structure.