Light-responsive vehicle control such as an electro-optic rearview mirror system that is adaptive to vehicle configuration

• US 6,590,193 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2002
• Issued: 07/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schofield, Kenneth, Schierbeek, Kenneth L.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, QUE TAN
• Application Number:
  US10/095,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20020092966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 250/205, 250/206, 250/214.AL, 250/214.R, 250/201.1, 359/602, 359/601, 359/603, 359/605, 359/604
• US Class Current: 250/205
• 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 2300/21 Manual control
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/314 Ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/30 Daytime running lights [DRL], e.g. circuits or arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors

Abstract

A vehicular rearview mirror system and method of controlling the vehicle rearview mirror system including establishing a most-dimmed reflectance level of the interior mirror reflective element that is higher than a most-dimmed reflectance level of the exterior mirror reflectance level, the establishment being a function of the rear window light transmission value. The establishment may be a function of sampling of light sensed by at least one light sensor in the passenger compartment that is directed toward the rear-viewing rear window to receive light passing through the rearward-viewing rear window.

Claims

1. A vehicular electro-optic rearview mirror system comprising:

a vehicle including a passenger compartment having at least a forward-viewing forward window, a side-viewing window having a side window light transmission value and a rearward-viewing rear window having a rear window light transmission value;

an interior rearview mirror assembly in said passenger compartment, said vehicle further including headlights operable in a plurality of activation states;

said interior rearview mirror assembly having an interior electro-optic mirror reflective element;

said interior reflective element intercepting passed light that passes through said rearward-viewing rear window, said light passing through said rearward-viewing rear window being attenuated as a function of said rear window light transmission value, said interior reflective clement reflecting at least a portion of said passed light directly to the driver;

at least one exterior rearview mirror assembly outside of said passenger compartment;

said exterior rearview mirror assembly having an exterior electro-optic mirror reflective element;

said exterior reflective clement reflecting at least a portion of light incident thereon to the driver via transmission through said side-viewing window;

at least one light sensor in said passenger compartment and directed toward said rearward-viewing rear window to receive said light passing through said rearward-viewing rear window;

a control receiving an input from said at least one light sensor and producing an interior mirror reflectance level signal that establishes a partial reflectance level of said interior mirror reflective element, said control further producing an exterior mirror reflectance level signal that establishes a partial reflectance level of said exterior mirror reflective element;

said interior mirror reflectance level signal and said exterior mirror reflectance level signal being a function at least of light sensed by said at least one light sensor;

wherein said control establishes said partial reflectance level of said interior mirror reflectance element that is higher than said partial reflectance level of said exterior mirror reflectance element said establishment being a function of said rear window light transmission value; and

said control further producing a headlight activation signal that establishes an activation state of said headlights.

2. The mirror system in claim 1 wherein said control establishes said activation state of said headlights as a function of light sensed by said at least one light sensor.

3. The mirror system in claim 1 wherein said control establishes said activation state of said headlights as a function of a sensitivity value.

4. The mirror system in claim 3 wherein said sensitivity value is a function of a sampling of light sensed by said at least one light sensor.

5. The mirror system in claim 1 wherein said interior and exterior reflectance level signals are drive signals establishing respective reflectance levels of said interior and exterior electro-optic reflective elements.

6. The mirror system in claim 1 wherein said at least one light sensor is facing generally rearwardly of the vehicle.

7. The mirror system in claim 6 including another light sensor sensing light in a different direction than said at least one light sensor wherein said reflectance levels of said interior and exterior reflective elements are functions of light sensed by said at least one of said light sensors and said another light sensor.

8. The mirror system in claim 7 wherein said another light sensor is directed generally forwardly of the vehicle toward said forward-viewing forward window.

9. The mirror system in claim 1 wherein said control establishes at least one of said partial reflectance levels in response to long duration sampling of said at least one light sensor.

10. The mirror system in claim 9 wherein said long duration sampling is on an order of at least one hour of vehicle operation.

11. The mirror system in claim 9 wherein said long duration sampling is on an order of at least ten hours of vehicle operation.

12. The mirror system in claim 9 wherein said long duration sampling occurs when light sensed by said at least one light sensor is greater than a particular light level indicative of daylight operating conditions.

13. The mirror system in claim 12 wherein said particular light level is on an order of 1,000 lux.

14. The mirror system in claim 9 wherein said long duration sampling occurs when the vehicle is initially operated.

15. The mirror system in claim 1 wherein said control comprises digital logic including memory and said establishment is stored in said memory.

16. The mirror system in claim 1 including a manually adjustable input device for entering said establishment.

17. The mirror system in claim 16 wherein said input device is operable by a technician to enter said establishment, said input device not being operable by a driver of the vehicle.

18. The mirror system in claim 1 wherein said control further establishes that the reflectance level of said interior electro-optic mirror reflective element will not extend below a particular value or said partial reflectance level of said interior mirror reflectance element.

19. The mirror system in claim 1 wherein said at least one exterior mirror assembly includes first and second exterior mirror assemblies having respective first and second exterior electro-optic mirror reflective elements and wherein said control establishes partial reflectance levels of said first and second electro-optic exterior mirror reflective elements.

20. The mirror system in claim 19 wherein said control further establishes that said interior electro-optic mirror reflective element will not extend below a particular value of said partial reflectance level of said interior mirror reflectance element.

21. The mirror system in claim 1 wherein said interior electro-optic mirror reflective element comprises an electrochromic mirror reflective element.

22. The mirror system in claim 1 wherein said exterior electro-optic mirror reflective element comprises an electrochromic mirror reflective element.

23. An adaptive vehicle automatic rearview mirror system, comprising:

a vehicle including a passenger compartment having at least a forward-viewing forward window, a side-viewing window having a side window light transmission value and a rearward-viewing window having a rear window light transmission value, said vehicle including headlights operable in a plurality of activation states;

an interior rearview mirror assembly and at least one exterior rearview mirror assembly;

said interior rearview mirror assembly including an interior electro-optic mirror reflective element in said passenger compartment;

said at least one exterior rearview mirror assembly including an exterior electro-optic mirror reflective element outside of said passenger compartment;

at least two light sensors within the passenger compartment, at least one of said at least two light sensors facing generally rearwardly of the vehicle to receive light passing through the rear window of the vehicle; and

a control receiving an input from said at least two light sensors and producing an interior mirror reflectance signal establishing a partial reflectance level of said interior electro-optic mirror reflective element, said control further producing exterior mirror reflectance signal establishing a partial reflectance level of said exterior electro-optic mirror reflective element;

wherein said control establishes said partial reflectance level of said interior mirror reflectance element that is higher than said partial reflectance level of said exterior mirror reflectance element said establishment being a function of said rear window light transmission value;

said establishment being a function of sampling of light sensed by said at least one of said at least two light sensors; and

wherein said control establishes an activation state of said headlights.

24. The mirror system in claim 23 wherein said control establishes said activation state of said headlights as a function of a sensitivity value.

25. The mirror system in claim 24 wherein said sensitivity value is a function of light sensed by said at least one of said at least two light sensors.

26. The mirror system in claim 23 wherein said at least one exterior mirror assembly includes a first exterior mirror assembly positioned outside a driver side of the vehicle passenger compartment and a second exterior mirror assembly positioned outside a passenger side of the vehicle passenger compartment.

27. The mirror system in claim 23 wherein said rear window comprises a tinted window.

28. The mirror system in claim 23 wherein said sampling comprises long duration sampling.

29. The mirror system in claim 28 wherein said long duration sampling is carried out on the order of at least one hour of vehicle operation.

30. The mirror system in claim 28 wherein said long duration sampling is carried out on the order of at least tens of hours of vehicle operation.

31. The mirror system in claim 23 wherein said sampling is carried out when light sensed by one of said light sensors is greater than a particular light level indicative of daylight operating conditions.

32. The mirror system in claim 31 wherein said particular light level is on the order of 1,000 lux.

33. The mirror system in claim 28 wherein said long duration sampling occurs when the vehicle is initially operated.

34. The mirror system in claim 23 wherein said control comprises digital logic, and wherein said at least one of said most-dimmed reflectance levels is stored in memory.

35. The mirror system in claim 23 wherein said control further determines that said partial reflectance level of said interior mirror reflective element will not extend below a particular value of said partial reflectance level of said interior electro-optic reflectance element.

36. The mirror system in claim 23 wherein said interior electro-optic mirror reflective element comprises an electrochromic mirror reflective element.

37. The mirror system in claim 23 wherein said exterior electro-optic mirror reflective element comprises an electrochromic mirror reflective element.

38. A method of controlling a vehicle rearview mirror system, comprising:

providing a vehicle having a passenger compartment including at least a forward-viewing forward window, a side-viewing window having a side window light transmission value and a rearward-viewing rear window having a rear window transmission value, said vehicle rearview mirror system having an interior rearview mirror assembly in said passenger compartment and at least one exterior rearview mirror assembly outside of said passenger compartment, said interior rearview mirror assembly having an interior electro-optic mirror reflective element, said at least one exterior rearview mirror assembly having an exterior electro-optic mirror reflective element, wherein said interior electro-optic mirror reflective element reflects at least a portion of light that passes through the rear window to the driver and wherein said exterior electro-optic mirror reflects at least a portion of light incident thereon to the driver via transmission through said side-viewing window, said vehicle further including headlights operable in a plurality of activation states;

providing at least one light sensor receiving light passing through said rearward-viewing rear window;

sampling said at least one light sensor;

establishing a partial reflectance level of said interior electro-optic mirror reflectance element that is higher than a partial reflectance level of said exterior electro-optic reflective element, at least one of said partial reflectance levels being established by said sampling;

said establishing a partial reflectance level of said interior electro-optic mirror reflective element and said establishing a partial reflectance level of said exterior electro-optic mirror reflective element at least as a function of light sensed by said at least one light sensor; and

establishing an activation state of said headlights as a function of light sensed by said at least one light sensor.

39. The method of claim 38 including establishing said activation state of said headlights as a function of a sensitivity value.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein said sensitivity value is established by said sampling.

41. The method of claim 38 wherein said sampling includes monitoring said at least one light sensor for an order of an hour of vehicle operation.

42. The method of claim 38 wherein said sampling includes monitoring said at least one light sensor for an order of tens of hours of vehicle operation.

43. The method of claim 38 wherein said sampling includes monitoring said at least one light sensor when sensed light level is above a particular level.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein said particular level is indicative of daylight condition.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein said particular level is approximately 1,000 lux.

46. The method of claim 38 including at least one additional light sensor receiving light not substantially passing through the vehicle rear window.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein said at least one additional light sensor receives light passing through the vehicle windshield.

48. The method of claim 38 wherein said at least one exterior mirror assembly comprises at least two exterior mirror assemblies.

49. The method of claim 39 wherein said method further includes establishing partial reflectance levels of said interior and exterior electro-optic mirror reflective elements as a function of said sensitivity value.

50. The method of claim 38 wherein said interior electro-optic mirror reflective element comprises an electrochromic mirror reflective element.

51. The method of claim 38 wherein said exterior electro-optic mirror reflective element comprises an electrochromic mirror reflective element.

52. A vehicular rearview mirror system, comprising;

a vehicle having a passenger compartment, a side-viewing window having a side window light transmission value and a rearward-viewing rear window having a rear window light transmission value, wherein said side window light transmission value is greater than or equal to said rear window light transmission value, said vehicle further including headlights having a plurality of activation states;

an interior rearview electro-optic mirror inside the vehicle passenger compartment and at least one exterior electro-optic mirror outside the vehicle passenger compartment and visible to the driver through said side-viewing window;

a forward light sensor responsible to ambient light forward of the vehicle and a rearward light sensor responsive to light that passes through said rearward-viewing rear window;

a control receiving an input from at least one of said light sensors and producing an interior mirror reflectance level signal that establishes a partial reflectance level of said interior mirror reflective element, said control further producing an exterior mirror reflectance level signal that establishes a partial reflectance level of said exterior mirror reflective element, said control further establishing a headlight activation signal; and

wherein said control establishes said partial reflectance level of said interior mirror reflectance element that is higher than said partial reflectance level of said exterior mirror reflectance element, said establishment being a function of said rear window light transmission value.

53. The vehicular rearview mirror system in claim 52 wherein said control establishes said headlight activation signal as a function of a sensitivity value.

54. The vehicular rearview mirror system in claim 52 wherein said sensitivity value is a function of the tint condition of the vehicle rear window.

55. The vehicular rearview mirror system in claim 52 wherein said control responds to relative light levels sensed by said forward and rearward light sensors to determine a tint condition of the vehicle rear window.

56. The vehicular rearview mirror system in claim 55 wherein said control drives said at least one exterior mirror to said partial reflectance level that is related to the reflectance level of said interior mirror as a function level of a ratio of light transmissivity of the vehicle'"'"'s rear window to that of the side window lateral of the drive.

57. The light-responsive control in claim 52 including a manually adjustable input device for entering a parameter related to tint condition of the vehicle rear window in said control.

58. The light-responsive control in claim 53 wherein said input device is operable by a technician to enter said parameter, but not operable by the driver of the vehicle.

59. The vehicle rearview mirror system in claim 52 wherein said control establishes a ratio of the partial reflectance level of said exterior mirror to said interior mirror.

60. The vehicle rearview mirror system in claim 52 wherein said tint condition of the rear window is determined by sampling said rearward light sensor.

61. The vehicle rearview mirror system in claim 52 wherein said interior electro-optic mirror reflective element comprises an electrochromic mirror reflective element.

62. The mirror system in claim 52 wherein said exterior electro-optic mirror reflective element comprises an electrochromic mirror reflective element.