Proximity switch and vehicle rearview mirror assembly incorporating the same and having a transparent housing

• US 6,614,579 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2001
• Issued: 09/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Fogg, Jeremy A., Roberts, John K., Bauer, Frederick T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ben, Loha
• Application Number:
  US09/900,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20020024713A1
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 359/265, 359/267, 359/272, 359/275, 359/838, 359/839, 359/841, 359/842, 359/872, 362/494, 362/545, 362/140, 362/460, 362/486, 348/148, 348/438, 340/815.4, 340/525, 340/602, 340/375, 250/208.1, 250/214
• US Class Current: 359/267
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2665 on rear-view mirrors lighting devices for vehicle interior on or for rear-view mirrors B60Q3/258
• 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 2001/1223 with sensors or transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/08 Mouthpieces; Microphones; Attachments therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a proximity switch comprises a radiation emitter for emitting radiation, at least one photosensor for detecting light levels near the radiation emitter, and an electronic circuit for energizing the radiation emitter and for receiving and processing signals from the photosensor so as to perform a specified function upon detecting an object that causes the radiation emitted from the radiation emitter to be reflected back to the photosensor. According to another embodiment, a rearview assembly for a vehicle comprises a transparent housing.

Claims

1. A proximity switch comprising:

a radiation emitter for emitting radiation;

at least one photosensor for detecting light levels near said radiation emitter; and

an electronic circuit for energizing said radiation emitter and for receiving and processing signals from said photosensor so as to perform a specified function upon detecting an object that causes the radiation emitted from said radiation emitter to be reflected back to said photosensor.

2. The proximity switch of claim 1, wherein said electronic circuit is coupled to an illuminator assembly and wherein said specified function is to activate said illumination assembly.

3. The proximity switch of claim 1, wherein said radiation emitter emits non-visible radiation.

4. The proximity switch of claim 1, wherein said radiation emitter emits visible light.

5. The proximity switch of claim 1, wherein said radiation emitter emits visible light and is part of an illuminator.

6. A vehicle illuminator system comprising:

a lamp module for emitting light and configured for mounting to a vehicle;

a radiation emitter for emitting radiation;

at least one photosensor for detecting light levels near said radiation emitter; and

an electronic circuit for energizing said radiation emitter and for receiving and processing signals from said photosensor so as to cause said lamp module to emit light upon detecting an object that causes the radiation emitted from the radiation emitter to be reflected back to said photosensor.

7. The vehicle illuminator system of claim 6, wherein said radiation emitter is disposed in said lamp module.

8. The vehicle illuminator system of claim 6, wherein said photosensor is disposed in said lamp module.

9. The vehicle illuminator system of claim 6, wherein said radiation emitter emits visible light.

10. The vehicle illuminator system of claim 6, wherein the brightness of said radiation emitter changes when lamp module emits light.

11. The vehicle illuminator system of claim 6, wherein said lamp module emits light of two different levels of brightness.

12. The vehicle illuminator system of claim 6, wherein said radiation emitter includes an LED.

13. The vehicle illuminator system of claim 6, wherein said radiation emitter includes two LEDs that selectively emit binary complementary white light.

14. A rearview assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a mounting structure adapted to be mounted to a vehicle and including a housing;

rearward viewing means for providing a rearward view to a vehicle occupant;

a light module disposed in said housing;

a radiation emitter for emitting radiation;

at least one photosensor for detecting light levels near said radiation emitter; and

an electronic circuit for energizing said radiation emitter and for receiving and processing signals from said photosensor so as to cause said light module to emit light upon detecting an object that causes the radiation emitted from the radiation emitter to be reflected back to said photosensor.

15. The rearview assembly of claim 14, wherein said rearward viewing means is a mirror.

16. The rearview assembly of claim 15, wherein said mirror is an electrochromic mirror.

17. The rearview assembly of claim 15, wherein said rearward viewing means further includes a display.

18. The rearview assembly of claim 14, wherein said rearward viewing means includes a display.

19. The rearview assembly of claim 14, wherein said radiation emitter is mounted in said housing.

20. The rearview assembly of claim 14, wherein said photosensor is mounted in said housing.

21. The rearview assembly of claim 14, wherein said housing is transparent.

22. An interior rearview assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a mounting structure configured to be secured to the vehicle in proximity to an upper portion of a windshield of the vehicle;

a transparent housing supported on said mounting structure, said transparent housing being transparent to visible light; and

rearward viewing means for providing a rearward view to the driver of the vehicle, said rearward viewing means being supported by said transparent housing.

23. The interior rearview assembly of claim 22, wherein said rearward viewing means comprises a mirror.

24. The interior rearview assembly of claim 23, wherein said mirror is an electrochromic mirror.

25. The interior rearview assembly of claim 22, wherein said housing includes a transparent bezel surrounding said rearward viewing means.

26. The interior rearview assembly of claim 22 and further comprising at least one illuminator light disposed within said transparent housing.

27. The interior rearview assembly of claim 26, wherein said at least one illuminator light is a map light.

28. The interior rearview assembly of claim 26, wherein said at least one illuminator light is disposed to illuminate a central floor console.

29. The interior rearview assembly of claim 26, wherein said at least one illuminator light is configured to provide contour/mood lighting.

30. The interior rearview assembly of claim 22 and further comprising at least one indicator light disposed within said transparent housing.

31. The interior rearview assembly of claim 22 and further comprising a display disposed within said transparent housing.

32. The interior rearview assembly of claim 31, wherein said display is an alphanumeric display.

33. The interior rearview assembly of claim 22 and further comprising an ambient visible light sensor disposed within said transparent housing.

34. The interior rearview assembly of claim 22 and further comprising an image sensor disposed within said transparent housing.

35. The interior rearview assembly of claim 34, wherein said image sensor is configured to sense images of the vehicle windshield so as to enable moisture to be detected on the vehicle windshield.

36. The interior rearview assembly of claim 34, wherein said image sensor is configured to sense images forward of the vehicle so as to enable detection of headlamps of oncoming vehicles and tail lights of leading vehicles to thereby control the vehicle headlamps.

37. A rearview assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a mounting structure configured to be secured to the vehicle;

a transparent housing supported on said mounting structure, said transparent housing being transparent to infrared light;

rearward viewing means for providing a rearward view to the driver of the vehicle, said rearward viewing means being supported by said transparent housing; and

an infrared data interface disposed in said transparent housing for enabling wireless communication with an electronic device within the vehicle.

38. The rearview assembly of claim 37, wherein the electronic device is one of a personal digital assistant and a portable computer.

39. The rearview assembly of claim 37, wherein said infrared data interface is configured to transmit diagnostic data to the electronic device.

40. The rearview assembly of claim 37, wherein said infrared data interface is configured to receive firmware upgrades from the electronic device.

41. The rearview assembly of claim 37, wherein said infrared data interface is configured to receive navigation map data from the electronic device.

42. The rearview assembly of claim 37, wherein said infrared data interface is configured to transmit trip computer data to the electronic device.

43. The rearview assembly of claim 37, wherein said rearview assembly is an interior rearview assembly and said mounting structure is configured to mount to the vehicle proximate the front windshield.

44. The rearview assembly of claim 37, wherein said rearward viewing means includes a mirror.

45. A rearview assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a mounting structure configured to be secured to the vehicle;

an optically transparent housing supported on said mounting structure;

rearward viewing means for providing a rearward view to the driver of the vehicle, said rearward viewing means being supported by said transparent housing; and

an image sensor disposed in said transparent housing, wherein said transparent housing is transparent to the radiation to which said image sensor is sensitive.

46. The rearview assembly of claim 45, wherein said image sensor and said transparent housing are arranged such that said image sensor images a scene through said transparent housing.

47. The rearview assembly of claim 46, wherein said transparent housing includes an integrally formed lens disposed in front of said image sensor.

48. The rearview assembly of claim 45, wherein said transparent housing includes an integrally formed baffle disposed around said image sensor.

49. The rearview assembly of claim 45, wherein said image sensor is coupled to a headlamp control circuit that controls the headlamps of a vehicle in response to images obtained by said image sensor.

50. The rearview assembly of claim 45, wherein said image sensor is coupled to a windshield wiper control circuit that controls the windshield wipers of a vehicle in response to images obtained by said image sensor.

51. A rearview assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a mounting structure configured to be secured to the vehicle;

an optically transparent housing supported on said mounting structure;

rearward viewing means for providing a rearward view to the driver of the vehicle, said rearward viewing means being supported by said transparent housing; and

information provided within said transparent housing that is readable by one or both of a machine reading device and a human from outside said transparent housing.

52. The rearview assembly of claim 51, wherein said transparent housing is transparent to visible light.

53. The rearview assembly of claim 51, wherein said information is at least partially encoded in a bar code.

54. The rearview assembly of claim 51, wherein said information is at least partially encoded in machine-readable symbology.

55. The rearview assembly of claim 51, wherein said information includes a part identification code.

56. A rearview assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a mounting structure configured to be secured to the vehicle;

an optically transparent housing supported on said mounting structure;

rearward viewing means for providing a rearward view to the driver of the vehicle, said rearward viewing means being supported by said transparent housing;

an optical element disposed within said transparent housing and having an optical axis; and

a lens integrally formed in said transparent housing, wherein said optical element is disposed with its optical axis passing through said lens.

57. The rearview assembly of claim 56, wherein said optical element is an optical sensor.

58. The rearview assembly of claim 56, wherein said optical element is a light source.

59. The rearview assembly of claim 56, wherein said optical element is an image sensor.

60. The rearview assembly of claim 56, wherein said transparent housing includes a substantially opaque coating on an inside surface except for the region in which said lens is defined.

61. A rearview assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a mounting structure configured to be secured to the vehicle;

an optically transparent housing supported on said mounting structure, said transparent housing including a plurality of integrally molded strengthening ribs;

rearward viewing means for providing a rearward view to the driver of the vehicle, said rearward viewing means being supported by said transparent housing; and

an optical element disposed within said transparent housing and having an optical axis.

62. The rearview assembly of claim 61, wherein said rearview assembly is an interior rearview assembly and said mounting structure is configured to mount to the vehicle proximate the front windshield.

63. The rearview assembly of claim 61, wherein said rearward viewing means includes a mirror.

64. A rearview assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a mounting structure configured to be secured to the vehicle;

a housing supported on said mounting structure;

rearward viewing means for providing a rearward view to the driver of the vehicle, said rearward viewing means being supported by said housing; and

a laser radar detector provided in said housing,

wherein at least one of said housing and said rearward viewing means is at least partially transparent to wavelengths of light to which said laser radar detector is sensitive.

65. The rearview assembly of claim 64, wherein said rearward viewing means is a mirror.

66. The rearview assembly of claim 65, wherein said mirror is a partially transmissive mirror.

67. The rearview assembly of claim 65, wherein said mirror is an electrochromic mirror that is partially transmissive.

68. The rearview assembly of claim 65, wherein said housing is at least partially transparent.

69. The rearview assembly of claim 68, wherein both said housing and said mirror are at least partially transparent.

70. The rearview assembly of claim 64, wherein said housing is at least partially transparent.

71. The rearview assembly of claim 64, wherein said rearview assembly is an interior rearview assembly and said mounting structure is configured to mount to the vehicle proximate the front windshield.