Vehicle rearview mirror system
First Claim
1. An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising:
- an interior rearview mirror assembly having an electrochromic reflective element, said electrochromic reflective element comprising a front substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite said first surface, and said electrochromic reflective element comprising a rear substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface opposite said third surface, wherein, when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in a vehicle equipped with said interior rearview mirror system, said third surface of said rear substrate is closer to the driver of the equipped vehicle than said fourth surface of said rear substrate;
wherein said electrochromic reflective element comprises a mirror reflector disposed at said third surface of said rear substrate and a transparent electrically conductive layer disposed at said second surface of said front substrate;
wherein said electrochromic reflective element comprises an electrochromic medium disposed between said second surface of said front substrate and said third surface of said rear substrate;
wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises (i) an ambient light sensor operable to sense ambient light and (ii) a glare light sensor operable to sense glare light;
wherein said ambient light sensor comprises an ambient photodiode light sensor and wherein said glare light sensor comprises a glare photodiode light sensor;
a control circuit operable to establish a reflectance level of said electrochromic 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 at least one of (a) said interior rearview mirror system includes a charge accumulation device selectively connected with one of said ambient light sensor and said glare light sensor and wherein said control circuit establishes the ambient and glare light levels as a function of time for an output of said charge accumulation device to reach a reference level when connected to a respective one of said ambient light sensor and said glare light sensor, (b) a common element is used to measure outputs of said ambient light sensor and said glare light sensor sequentially to correspond errors due to component variations, and (c) said interior rearview mirror system comprises temperature compensation of at least one of said ambient light sensor and said glare light sensor and wherein said temperature compensation is responsive to a reference light sensor that is substantially not exposed to light.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle interior rearview mirror system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having a reflective element and ambient and glare light sensors. A control circuit is operable to establish a reflectance level of the reflective element. At least one of (a) the mirror system includes a charge accumulation device selectively connected with the ambient or glare light sensor and the control circuit establishes the ambient and glare light levels as a function of time for an output of the charge accumulation device to reach a reference level when connected to the respective light sensor, (b) a common element is used to measure outputs of the light sensors sequentially to correspond errors due to component variations, and (c) the mirror system includes temperature compensation of the glare and/or ambient light sensor and the temperature compensation is responsive to a reference light sensor that is substantially not exposed to light.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising:
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an interior rearview mirror assembly having an electrochromic reflective element, said electrochromic reflective element comprising a front substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite said first surface, and said electrochromic reflective element comprising a rear substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface opposite said third surface, wherein, when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in a vehicle equipped with said interior rearview mirror system, said third surface of said rear substrate is closer to the driver of the equipped vehicle than said fourth surface of said rear substrate; wherein said electrochromic reflective element comprises a mirror reflector disposed at said third surface of said rear substrate and a transparent electrically conductive layer disposed at said second surface of said front substrate; wherein said electrochromic reflective element comprises an electrochromic medium disposed between said second surface of said front substrate and said third surface of said rear substrate; wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises (i) an ambient light sensor operable to sense ambient light and (ii) a glare light sensor operable to sense glare light; wherein said ambient light sensor comprises an ambient photodiode light sensor and wherein said glare light sensor comprises a glare photodiode light sensor; a control circuit operable to establish a reflectance level of said electrochromic 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 at least one of (a) said interior rearview mirror system includes a charge accumulation device selectively connected with one of said ambient light sensor and said glare light sensor and wherein said control circuit establishes the ambient and glare light levels as a function of time for an output of said charge accumulation device to reach a reference level when connected to a respective one of said ambient light sensor and said glare light sensor, (b) a common element is used to measure outputs of said ambient light sensor and said glare light sensor sequentially to correspond errors due to component variations, and (c) said interior rearview mirror system comprises temperature compensation of at least one of said ambient light sensor and said glare light sensor and wherein said temperature compensation is responsive to a reference light sensor that is substantially not exposed to light. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising:
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an interior rearview mirror assembly having an electrochromic reflective element, said electrochromic reflective element comprising a front substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite said first surface, and said electrochromic reflective element comprising a rear substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface opposite said third surface, wherein, when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in a vehicle equipped with said interior rearview mirror system, said third surface of said rear substrate is closer to the driver of the equipped vehicle than said fourth surface of said rear substrate; wherein said electrochromic reflective element comprises a mirror reflector disposed at said third surface of said rear substrate and a transparent electrically conductive layer disposed at said second surface of said front substrate; wherein said electrochromic reflective element comprises an electrochromic medium disposed between said second surface of said front substrate and said third surface of said rear substrate; wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises (i) an ambient light sensor operable to sense ambient light and (ii) a glare light sensor operable to sense glare light; wherein said ambient light sensor comprises an ambient photodiode light sensor and wherein said glare light sensor comprises a glare photodiode light sensor; wherein said ambient light sensor comprises a silicon photo-sensor and associated circuitry commonly formed as an integrated circuit and wherein said glare light sensor comprises a silicon photo-sensor and associated circuitry commonly formed as an integrated circuit; a control circuit operable to establish a reflectance level of said electrochromic 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 interior rearview mirror system comprises temperature compensation of at least one of said ambient light sensor and said glare light sensor and wherein said temperature compensation is responsive to a reference light sensor that is substantially not exposed to light, and wherein said control circuit compensates said ambient light sensor and said glare light sensor for dark current responsive to an output of said charge accumulation device when said reference light sensor is connected to said charge accumulation device. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising:
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an interior rearview mirror assembly having an electrochromic reflective element, said electrochromic reflective element comprising a front substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite said first surface, and said electrochromic reflective element comprising a rear substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface opposite said third surface, wherein, when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in a vehicle equipped with said interior rearview mirror system, said third surface of said rear substrate is closer to the driver of the equipped vehicle than said fourth surface of said rear substrate; wherein said electrochromic reflective element comprises a mirror reflector disposed at said third surface of said rear substrate and a transparent electrically conductive layer disposed at said second surface of said front substrate; wherein said electrochromic reflective element comprises an electrochromic medium disposed between said second surface of said front substrate and said third surface of said rear substrate; wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises (i) an ambient light sensor operable to sense ambient light and (ii) a glare light sensor operable to sense glare light; wherein said ambient light sensor comprises an ambient photodiode light sensor and wherein said glare light sensor comprises a glare photodiode light sensor; a control circuit operable to establish a reflectance level of said electrochromic 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 (a) a common element is used to measure outputs of said ambient light sensor and said glare light sensor sequentially to correspond errors due to component variations, and (b) said interior rearview mirror system comprises temperature compensation of at least one of said ambient light sensor and said glare light sensor and wherein said temperature compensation is responsive to a reference light sensor that is substantially not exposed to light. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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Specification