Method for the control of a rearview mirror and rearview-mirror system for implementing the method

• US 7,967,455 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Flabeg Deutschland GmbH
• Original Assignee: Flabeg GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Lange, Klaus, Hiemer, Stefan, Schiller, Matthias, Martensson, Bengt, Hoegerl, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Pritchett; Joshua L
• Application Number:
  US11/537,042
• Publication Number:
  US 20070081251A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,733 Days
• Field of Search: 359/603, 359/604, 359/843
• US Class Current: 359/604
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors

Abstract

A method for controlling a rearview mirror, in particular for motor vehicles, provided with a reflection part with variable reflectance, includes supplying a control unit assigned to the reflection part with a nominal value for the reflectance. To provide a nominal value which is particularly favorable for the respective driving situation, the nominal value is specified by taking into consideration a first characteristic value characteristic of the sensitivity which adjusts in the viewer'"'"'s eye due to the light situation, and/or a second characteristic value characteristic of the kind of ambient light.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a rearview mirror having a reflection part with a variable reflectance, the method comprising:

detecting a first measured value that is characteristic of a luminous intensity of ambient light in a viewer'"'"'s eye;

detecting a second measured value that is characteristic of luminous intensity of glaring light in the viewer'"'"'s eye;

determining a light situation by evaluating a sum of;

the second measured value multiplied by a current reflectance, and

the first measured value;

determining a first characteristic value that is characteristic of an eye sensitivity of the viewer'"'"'s eye based on the light situation;

specifying a nominal value for the reflectance based on the first characteristic value; and

supplying a control unit assigned to the reflection part with the nominal value.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the rearview mirror is a motor vehicle rearview mirror.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

cyclically determining anew a further first characteristic value by modifying the first characteristic value using a correction value, wherein the correction value is determined as a function of a deviation of the sensitivity of the viewer'"'"'s eye as a consequence of the current light situation from the given first characteristic value;

and specifying anew the nominal value using the further first characteristic value.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising weighting the correction value using a quotient of a cycle time and a time constant.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising choosing the time constant as a function of the sensitivity of the viewer'"'"'s eye as a consequence of the current light situation.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, further comprising,

assigning a first value to the time constant if a glare of the eye is detected;

assigning a second value to the time constant if a mesopic vision state is detected; and

assigning a third value to the time constant if a state scotopic vision is detected.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the first value is smaller than the second value and the second value is smaller than the third value.

8. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the cyclically determining anew of the first characteristic value is performed according to the following equation:

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining a second characteristic value using a variance parameter characterizing fluctuations around a predetermined mean value for a luminous intensity of the ambient light, wherein the specifying the nominal value is performed based on the first characteristic value and the second characteristic value.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising cyclically determining anew a further variance parameter by modifying the first variance parameter by a variance correction value, the variance correction value being a function of a deviation of a difference between the luminous intensity of the ambient light and a mean value of the luminous intensity of the ambient light from the variance parameter.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the cyclically determining anew of the further variance parameter is performed according to at least one of the following equations:

12. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising specifying a minimum and a maximum value for the second characteristic value.

13. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising determining the second characteristic value using a monotonously ascending curve.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the curve is asymptotically limited.

15. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising specifying a minimum and a maximum value for the nominal value.

16. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the specifying of the nominal value is performed based on the first characteristic value and a second characteristic value that is characteristic of a kind of ambient light based on traffic complexity.

17. A method for controlling a rearview mirror having a reflection part with a variable reflectance, the method comprising:

determining a second characteristic value that is characteristic of a kind of ambient light based on traffic complexity using a variance parameter characterizing fluctuations around a pre-determined mean value for a luminous intensity of the ambient light and using a monotonously ascending curve according to the following equation;

18. A method for controlling a rearview mirror having a reflection part with a variable reflectance, the method comprising:

detecting a first measured value that is characteristic of a luminous intensity of ambient light in a viewer'"'"'s eye;

detecting a second measured value that is characteristic of luminous intensity of glaring light in the viewer'"'"'s eye;

determining a first characteristic value that is characteristic of an eye sensitivity of the viewer'"'"'s eye and being determined using the first and second measured values;

specifying a predetermined mean value for a luminous intensity of the ambient light;

determining a variance parameter based on an amount of deviation of the luminous intensity of the ambient light around the predetermined mean value;

determining a second characteristic value that is characteristic of a kind of ambient light based on traffic complexity using the variance parameter; and

specifying a nominal value for the reflectance based on the first characteristic value and the second characteristic value; and

supplying a control unit assigned to the reflection part with the nominal value for the reflectance.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, further comprising cyclically determining anew a further variance parameter by modifying the first variance parameter by a variance correction value, the variance correction value being a function of a deviation of a difference between the luminous intensity of the ambient light and a mean value of the luminous intensity of the ambient light from the variance parameter.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the cyclically determining anew of the further variance parameter is performed according to at least one of the following equations:

21. The method as recited in claim 18, further comprising specifying a minimum and a maximum value for the second characteristic value.

22. The method as recited in claim 18, further comprising determining the second characteristic value using a monotonously ascending curve.

23. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the curve is asymptotically limited.

24. The method as recited in claim 18, further comprising specifying a minimum and a maximum value for the nominal value.