Mirror for personal use with user position dependent illumination

• US 8,288,964 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2008
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Philips Lighting BV (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Hente, Dirk, Christoph, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Daniel D
• Application Number:
  US12/747,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20100270953A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: 315/309, 315/294, 315/295, 315/297, 315/307, 315/313, 362/97.1, 362/97.4, 362/135, 362140-142, 362/800
• US Class Current: 315/309
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 42/10 illuminated
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/02 Mirrors used as equipment hand, pocket, or shaving mirrors A45D42/00; optical viewing means for vehicles B60R1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2200/08 Illumination
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0471 the sensor detecting the proximity, the presence or the movement of an object or a person
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/302 for mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/15 Organic light-emitting diodes [OLED]

Abstract

The invention relates to a mirror for personal use, with a lighting system for illuminating at least part of a person (9) being situated in front of the mirror. According to the invention, a position detector for detecting the position of the person (9) in front of the mirror is provided. Further, the lighting system comprises multiple lighting elements which can be actuated independently from each other in dependence of the signal of the position detector. It is especially preferred that the mirror is comprised of an array (8) of OLEDs (1) which can be selectively actuated to function as a mirror element or as a lighting element, respectively, in dependence of the position of the person (9) in front of the mirror. Further, it is preferred that these OLEDs (1) also act as capacitive proximity sensors for the position detector. Thus, a versatile mirror with a good mirror image without blinding is provided.

Claims

1. Mirror for personal use comprising:

a lighting system for illuminating at least part of a person situated in front of the mirror, and

a position detector for detecting the position of the person and transmitting a signal associated with the detected position to the lighting system, wherein the lighting system comprises multiple lighting elements including one or more OLEDs and configured to be actuated independently from each other in dependence of the signal of the position detector, at least one lighting element being configured to perform as a mirror element when not activated.

2. Mirror according to claim 1, wherein the brightness of the lighting elements is controlled independently from each other and in dependence of the signal of the position detector.

3. Mirror according to claim 1, wherein the position detector comprises at least one capacitive proximity sensor.

4. Mirror according to claim 3, wherein at least two lighting elements are configured as capacitive proximity sensors.

5. Mirror according to claim 1, wherein the position detector comprises a video camera.