Method of controlling button symbol of inside mirror

• US 9,663,029 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2014
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Kim, Won Gil
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Adnan, Muhammad
• Application Number:
  US14/563,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20150336506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/258 Rear-view mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/76 for spotlighting, e.g. reading lamps spotlighting on or for specific fittings B60Q3/20; spotlighting in mass transit vehicles B60Q3/44
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1215 with information displays

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of controlling lights of symbols for a frameless inside mirror that includes operation buttons, symbols and lighting means. The method controls the lights according to a selected symbol light mode. The method may include turning on all of the lights for the symbols in a symbol light on mode when an operation of pushing a symbol light button is recognized in a symbol light off mode, turning off all of the lights for the symbols in the symbol light off mode when an operation of pushing the symbol light button is recognized in the symbol light on mode, and turning on all of the lights for the symbols for a predetermined time period in a symbol light temporary on mode when an operation of pushing any other operation symbol or symbols except those for the symbol light button and the SOS button is recognized in the symbol light off mode.

Claims

1. A method of controlling lights of symbols for a frameless inside mirror, wherein the frameless inside mirror includes operation buttons for operating predetermined functions, mirror glass symbols for denoting locations of the operation buttons and lighting devices for individually lighting the symbols, the operation buttons include a symbol light button and an SOS button for requesting emergency relief, and the lighting devices are controlled according to a selected symbol light mode, the method comprising:

turning on all of the lighting devices for the symbols in a symbol light on mode when an operation of pushing a symbol light button is recognized in a symbol light off mode;

turning off all of the lighting devices for the symbols in the symbol light off mode when an operation of pushing the symbol light button is recognized in the symbol light on mode; and

turning on all of the lighting devices for the symbols for a predetermined time period in a symbol light temporary on mode when an operation of pushing any other operation symbol or symbols except those for the symbol light button and the SOS button is recognized in the symbol light off mode, wherein, when a pushing manipulation of another operation button except those for the symbol light button and the SOS button is recognized in the symbol light temporary on mode, performing the pushing manipulation of the another operation button and maintaining the symbol light temporary on mode for the predetermined time period, and wherein, after the lighting devices of all the symbols are turned on for the predetermined time period in the symbol light temporary on mode, switching the symbol light temporary on mode into the symbol light off mode wherein priorities of the operation buttons of the frameless inside mirror are preset, and when adjacent operation buttons having mutually different priorities are simultaneously pushed, only a push manipulation of a button having a highest priority is recognized.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein when the operation of pushing any other operation symbol or symbols except those for the symbol light button and the SOS button is recognized in the symbol light on mode, the method further comprising:

performing the operation of pushing the any other operation symbol or symbols except those for the symbol light button and the SOS button; and

maintaining the symbol light on mode.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

performing a high light operation so that a symbol of an operation button being pushed is lighted brighter than symbols of other operation buttons that are not pushed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, when a push manipulation of the SOS button is recognized in the symbol light mode, the method further comprising:

performing requesting emergency relief, and performing a high light operation so that a symbol of the SOS button is high-lighted and is lighten brighter than other symbols while the symbol light mode is maintained and the SOS button is pushed.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a symbol of an operation button pushed is highlighted such that the symbol of the operation button pushed is lighted brighter than other symbols.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, when a pushing manipulation of the symbol light button is recognized in the symbol light temporary on mode, the method further comprising:

switching the symbol light temporary on mode into the symbol light off mode.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the SOS button has the highest priority and priorities of other operation buttons is set into an order of the symbol light button, an electronic toll collection system power button and remaining operation buttons.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, when simultaneous push manipulations of plural operation buttons of the remaining operation buttons are recognized, the simultaneous push manipulations are ignored.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, when the simultaneous push manipulations of the plural operation buttons of the remaining operation buttons are recognized, the lighting devices of all symbols are turned off after the lighting devices of all symbols are turned on for the predetermined time period.