Vehicle rearview mirror system
First Claim
1. A rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said rearview mirror system comprising:
- a variable reflectance transflective electro-optic reflective element, said transflective reflective element comprising a mirror reflector that partially reflects light incident thereon and that partially transmits light incident thereon;
an ambient light sensor operable to sense ambient light;
a glare light sensor operable to sense glare-producing light incident at or near said reflective element;
wherein said ambient light sensor comprises a silicon photo sensor and wherein said glare light sensor comprises a silicon photo sensor;
a first integrated circuit comprising said ambient light sensor and associated circuitry;
a second integrated circuit comprising said glare light sensor and associated circuitry;
a control circuit operable to establish a reflectance level of said reflective element, wherein said control circuit is responsive to light detection by at least one of said ambient light sensor and said glare light sensor;
a video display screen disposed behind said transflective electro-optic reflective element and operable to display video information through said reflective element and viewable through said mirror reflector of said transflective electro-optic reflective element by a driver of the vehicle when said video display screen is activated, and substantially non-viewable by the driver of the vehicle when said video display screen is not activated; and
a display intensity control for adjusting a display intensity of said video display screen, said display intensity control adjusting the display intensity responsive to a brightness level of the scene sensed by at least one of said glare light sensor and said ambient light sensor, said video display screen having an operating range comprising a display intensity, as viewed by the driver of the vehicle when viewing said reflective element assembly as normally mounted in the vehicle, between zero candelas/square meter when said video display screen is not activated, and at least 400 candelas/square meter when said video display screen is activated.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle rearview mirror system includes a variable reflectance reflective element, an ambient light sensor that is operable to sense ambient light, and a glare light sensor that is operable to sense glare light. A control circuit is responsive to light detection by at least one of the ambient and glare light sensors and establishes a reflectance level of the reflective element. A video display screen is disposed behind the reflective element operable to display video information through the reflective element and viewable through the mirror reflector of the reflective element by a driver of the vehicle when the video display screen is activated, and substantially non-viewable by the driver of the vehicle when the video display screen is not activated.
149 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said rearview mirror system comprising:
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a variable reflectance transflective electro-optic reflective element, said transflective reflective element comprising a mirror reflector that partially reflects light incident thereon and that partially transmits light incident thereon; an ambient light sensor operable to sense ambient light; a glare light sensor operable to sense glare-producing light incident at or near said reflective element; wherein said ambient light sensor comprises a silicon photo sensor and wherein said glare light sensor comprises a silicon photo sensor; a first integrated circuit comprising said ambient light sensor and associated circuitry; a second integrated circuit comprising said glare light sensor and associated circuitry; a control circuit operable to establish a reflectance level of said reflective element, wherein said control circuit is responsive to light detection by at least one of said ambient light sensor and said glare light sensor; a video display screen disposed behind said transflective electro-optic reflective element and operable to display video information through said reflective element and viewable through said mirror reflector of said transflective electro-optic reflective element by a driver of the vehicle when said video display screen is activated, and substantially non-viewable by the driver of the vehicle when said video display screen is not activated; and a display intensity control for adjusting a display intensity of said video display screen, said display intensity control adjusting the display intensity responsive to a brightness level of the scene sensed by at least one of said glare light sensor and said ambient light sensor, said video display screen having an operating range comprising a display intensity, as viewed by the driver of the vehicle when viewing said reflective element assembly as normally mounted in the vehicle, between zero candelas/square meter when said video display screen is not activated, and at least 400 candelas/square meter when said video display screen is activated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said rearview mirror system comprising:
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a variable reflectance transflective electro-optic reflective element, said transflective reflective element comprising a mirror reflector that partially reflects light incident thereon and that partially transmits light incident thereon; an ambient light sensor operable to sense ambient light; a glare light sensor operable to sense glare-producing light incident at or near said reflective element; a first monolithic integrated CMOS circuit comprising said ambient light sensor and associated circuitry; a second monolithic integrated CMOS circuit comprising said glare light sensor and associated circuitry; wherein said glare light sensor comprises one of a photo-transistor and a photo-diode and said ambient light sensor comprises one of a photo-transistor and a photo-diode; a control circuit operable to establish a reflectance level of said reflective element, wherein said control circuit is responsive to light detection by at least one of said ambient light sensor and said glare light sensor; a video display screen disposed behind said transflective electro-optic reflective element and operable to display video information through said reflective element and viewable through said mirror reflector of said transflective electro-optic reflective element by a driver of the vehicle when said video display screen is activated, and substantially non-viewable by the driver of the vehicle when said video display screen is not activated; a display intensity control for adjusting a display intensity of said video display screen, said display intensity control adjusting the display intensity responsive to a brightness level of the scene sensed by at least one of said glare light sensor and said ambient light sensor, said video display screen having an operating range comprising a display intensity, as viewed by the driver of the vehicle when viewing said reflective element assembly as normally mounted in the vehicle, between zero candelas/square meter when said video display screen is not activated, and at least 400 candelas/square meter when said video display screen is activated. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said rearview mirror system comprising:
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a variable reflectance transflective electrochromic reflective element, said transflective reflective element comprising a mirror reflector that partially reflects light incident thereon and that partially transmits light incident thereon; an ambient light sensor operable to sense ambient light; a glare light sensor operable to sense glare-producing light incident at or near said reflective element; wherein said ambient light sensor comprises a silicon photo sensor and wherein said glare light sensor comprises a silicon photo sensor; a first integrated CMOS circuit comprising said ambient light sensor and associated circuitry; a second integrated CMOS circuit comprising said glare light sensor and associated circuitry; wherein said glare light sensor comprises a photo-diode and said ambient light sensor comprises a photo-diode; a control circuit operable to establish a reflectance level of said reflective element, wherein said control circuit is responsive to light detection by at least one of said ambient light sensor and said glare light sensor, and wherein said control circuit comprises a microprocessor; a video display screen disposed behind said transflective electrochromic reflective element and operable to display video information through said reflective element and viewable though said mirror reflector of said transflective electrochromic reflective element by a driver of the vehicle when said video display screen is activated, and substantially non-viewable by the driver of the vehicle when said video display screen is not activated; and a display intensity control for adjusting a display intensity of said video display screen, said display intensity control adjusting the display intensity responsive to a brightness level of the scene sensed by at least one of said glare light sensor and said ambient light sensor, said video display screen haying an operating range comprising a display intensity, as viewed by the driver of the vehicle when viewing said reflective element assembly as normally mounted in the vehicle, between zero candelas/square meter when said video display screen is not activated, and at least 400 candelas/square meter when said video display screen is activated. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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Specification