Vehicle mirror system with light conduiting member
First Claim
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1. A vehicle rearview mirror system, comprising:
- an interior rearview mirror assembly comprising an electro-optic reflective element, a housing for said reflective element and a control establishing a reflectance level of said reflective element;
said control receiving inputs from two photo-sensors, said two photo-sensors both facing generally in a common first direction;
light conduiting element adapted to expose one of said two photo-sensors to a first light environment that is different from a second light environment to which the other of said two photo-sensors is exposed;
said first light environment being principally characteristic of one (a) glaring light incident at said interior mirror assembly from headlights of another vehicle approaching from the rear of the vehicle and (b) ambient light;
said second light environment being principally characteristic of the other of (a) glaring light incident at said interior mirror assembly from headlights of another vehicle approaching from the rear of the vehicle and (b) ambient light;
said light conduiting member comprising a light conduit having a first terminal end at said one of said two photo-sensors and a second terminal end exposed to said first light environment, said second terminal end facing in a direction generally opposed to said first direction;
wherein light emanating from said first light environment is incident at said second terminal end; and
whereby light incident at said second terminal end is conduited to be incident at said one of said two photo-sensors by said light conduiting member.
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Abstract
A vehicle rearview mirror system includes a rearview mirror assembly having an electro-optic reflective element, a housing for the reflective element and a control establishing a reflectance level of the reflective element. The control includes a circuit board having opposite sides and at least two photo-sensors on one of the sides. The system further includes at least one light conduiting element adapted to expose one of the at least two photo-sensors to a light environment that is different from the light environment to which the other of the at least two photo-sensors is exposed.
107 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A vehicle rearview mirror system, comprising:
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an interior rearview mirror assembly comprising an electro-optic reflective element, a housing for said reflective element and a control establishing a reflectance level of said reflective element;
said control receiving inputs from two photo-sensors, said two photo-sensors both facing generally in a common first direction;
light conduiting element adapted to expose one of said two photo-sensors to a first light environment that is different from a second light environment to which the other of said two photo-sensors is exposed;
said first light environment being principally characteristic of one (a) glaring light incident at said interior mirror assembly from headlights of another vehicle approaching from the rear of the vehicle and (b) ambient light;
said second light environment being principally characteristic of the other of (a) glaring light incident at said interior mirror assembly from headlights of another vehicle approaching from the rear of the vehicle and (b) ambient light;
said light conduiting member comprising a light conduit having a first terminal end at said one of said two photo-sensors and a second terminal end exposed to said first light environment, said second terminal end facing in a direction generally opposed to said first direction;
wherein light emanating from said first light environment is incident at said second terminal end; and
whereby light incident at said second terminal end is conduited to be incident at said one of said two photo-sensors by said light conduiting member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification
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Current AssigneeDonnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
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Original AssigneeDonnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
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InventorsBlank, Rodney K.
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Primary Examiner(s)O'Shea, Sandra
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Assistant Examiner(s)Lee, Guiyoung
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Application NumberUS10/229,573Publication NumberTime in Patent Office1,287 DaysField of Search362/494, 362/551, 362/276, 362/552, 362/26, 359/604US Class Current362/494CPC Class CodesB60Q 1/2665 on rear-view mirrors lighti...B60R 1/088 using a cell of electricall...B60R 2001/1223 with sensors or transducers
