Anti-glare rearview mirror assembly and reflectance control method of same

• US 20040099786A1
• Filed: 01/23/2003
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exon Science, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Exon Science, Inc.
• Inventors: Hsiao, Shun-Hsiang, Chen, Kuei-Hung, Su, Wen-Wei
• Granted Patent: US 6,974,940 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/201.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/26 adapted for automatic variation of the measured or reference value regulation of light intensity G05D25/00

Abstract

An anti-glare rearview mirror assembly and a reflectance control method thereof are disclosed. The assembly includes an electrochromic rearview mirrors, two rearward light sensors, and a comparative controller. The sensors receiving a first rearward light from a first specified region and a second rearward light from a second specified region at the same time point, respectively, wherein the first and second specified regions partially overlap with each other. The intensities of the first and second rearview mirror light are compared to obtain a light difference. The reflectance of the anti-glare rearview mirror is adjusted according to the light difference.

Claims

1. A monitoring assembly for use in a vehicle, comprising:

a monitor device changing the reflectance thereof in response to a control signal;

a first light sensor for receiving a first light from a first specified range, and outputting a first signal in response to the intensity of said first light;

a second light sensor for receiving a second light from a second specified range partially overlapping with said first specified range, and outputting a second signal in response to the intensity of said second light; and

a comparative controller in communication with said first and said second light sensors, receiving and operating said first and said second signals to obtain a first result, and asserting said control signal to adjust the reflectance of said monitor device according to said first result.

2. The monitoring assembly according to claim 1 wherein said monitor device is an electrochromic rearview mirror.

3. The monitoring assembly according to claim 2 wherein said first and said second light sensors are both mounted on said electrochromic rearview mirror facing inside the vehicle.

4. The monitoring assembly according to claim 2 wherein said comparative controller includes:

a comparator receiving and comparing said first and said second signals in an operation mode to obtain a light difference; and

a base discriminating circuit in communication with said comparator, comparing said light difference with a first threshold value to obtain said first result.

5. The monitoring assembly according to claim 4 wherein said comparator further compares said first signals at a first and a second time points, respectively, to obtain a first light variation, and compares said second signals at said first and second time points, respectively, to obtain a second light variation, and further compares said first signal and said second signal at said second time point on a condition that said first or said second light variation exceeds a second threshold value.

6. The monitoring assembly according to claim 5 wherein said comparative controller further includes:

a balance device receiving and comparing said first and said second signals in an initial mode to obtain a photoelectric response error; and

a multi-level driving circuit in communication with said base discriminating circuit and said balance device, differentially adjusting the reflectance of said electrochromic mirror according to said first result and said photoelectric response error.

7. The monitoring assembly according to claim 6 wherein said multi-level driving circuit adjusts the reflectance of said electrochromic mirror when said light difference is substantially unequal to said photoelectric response error, and said first result indicates the light difference is greater than said first threshold value.

8. The monitoring assembly according to claim 2 wherein said first and second light sensors are arranged on two corners of said electrochromic rearview mirror.

9. The monitoring assembly according to claim 2 wherein said electrochromic rearview mirror is selected from an interior rearview mirror, an exterior rearview mirror, and a combined interior and exterior mirror set.

10. The monitoring assembly according to claim 1 wherein said monitor device is a display.

11. The monitoring assembly according to claim 10 wherein said monitor device is a liquid crystal display.

12. An anti-glare rearview mirror assembly for use in a vehicle, comprising:

a first electrochromic rearview mirror changing the reflectance thereof in response to a first control signal;

a second electrochromic rearview mirror changing the reflectance thereof in response to a second control signal;

a first rearward light sensor disposed on said first electrochromic rearview mirror for receiving a first light, and outputting a first signal in response to the intensity of said first light;

a second light sensor disposed on said second electrochromic rearview mirror for receiving a second light, and outputting a second signal in response to the intensity of said second light; and

a comparative controller in communication with said first and said second light sensors, receiving and operating said first and said second signals to obtain a first result, and asserting either of said first and said second control signals to adjust the reflectance of said first and said second electrochromic rearview mirrors according to said first result.

13. The anti-glare rearview mirror assembly according to claim 12 wherein said first and said second electrochromic rearview mirrors are an interior and an exterior rearview mirrors changing colors thereof in response to said first and said second control signals, respectively.

14. The anti-glare rearview mirror assembly according to claim 12 wherein said first and second electrochromic rearview mirrors are two exterior rearview mirrors changing colors thereof in response to said first and said second control signals, respectively.

15. The anti-glare rearview mirror assembly according to claim 12 wherein said comparative controller includes:

a comparator receiving and comparing said first and said second signals in an operation mode to obtain a light difference; and

a base discriminating circuit in communication with said comparator, comparing said light difference with a first threshold value to obtain said first result.

16. The anti-glare rearview mirror assembly according to claim 15 wherein said comparator further compares said first signals at a first and a second time points, respectively, to obtain a first light variation, and compares said second signals at said first and second time points, respectively, to obtain a second light variation, and further compares said first signal and said second signal at said second time point on a condition that said first or said second light variation exceeds a second threshold value.

17. The anti-glare rearview mirror assembly according to claim 16 wherein said comparative controller further includes:

a balance device receiving and comparing said first and said second signals in an initial mode to obtain a photoelectric response error; and

a multi-level driving circuit in communication with said base discriminating circuit and said balance device, differentially adjusting the reflectance of said electrochromic mirror according to said first result and said photoelectric response error.

18. The anti-glare rearview mirror assembly according to claim 17 wherein said multi-level driving circuit adjusts the reflectance of said electrochromic mirror when said light difference is substantially unequal to said photoelectric response error, and said first result indicates the light difference is greater than said first threshold value.

19. The anti-glare rearview mirror assembly according to claim 12 further comprising a third sensor disposed on said first electrochromic rearview mirror for receiving a third light, and outputting a third signal in response to the intensity of said third light.

20. The anti-glare rearview mirror assembly according to claim 19 further comprising:

a third electrochromic rearview mirror changing the reflectance thereof in response to a third control signal; and

a fourth sensor disposed on said third electrochromic rearview mirror of said vehicle for receiving a fourth light, and outputting a fourth signal in response to the intensity of said fourth light.

21. The anti-glare rearview mirror assembly according to claim 12 further comprising:

a third electrochromic rearview mirror changing the reflectance thereof in response to a third control signal; and

a third sensor disposed on said third electrochromic rearview mirror of said vehicle for receiving a third light, and outputting a third signal in response to the intensity of said third light.

22. A reflectance control method of a monitoring assembly, comprising steps of:

receiving a first;

rearward light from a first specified region and a second rearward light from a second specified region at a first time point;

comparing intensities of said first and second rearward lights to obtain a light difference therebetween; and

adjusting the reflectance of a monitor device according to said light difference.

23. The method according to claim 22 further comprising a step of comparing said light difference with a photoelectric response error, and disabling to adjust the reflectance of said monitor device when a difference of said light difference and said photoelectric response error is within a predetermined range.

24. The method according to claim 22 further comprising a step of comparing said intensities of said first and second rearward lights with a threshold value, and disabling to adjust the reflectance of said anti-glare rearview mirror when both of said intensities of said first and second rearward lights are greater than said threshold value.

25. The method according to claim 22 further comprising steps of:

receiving a third rearward light from said first specified region and a fourth rearward light from said second specified region at a second time point preceding said first time point;

comparing intensities of said first and third light to obtain a first light variation;

comparing intensities of said second and fourth light to obtain a second light variation;

comparing said first and said second light variations with a first threshold value; and

disabling to adjust the reflectance of said monitor device when neither of said light variations exceeds said first threshold value.

26. The method according to claim 22 wherein said step of adjusting the reflectance of said monitor device is performed on a condition that said light difference exceeds a second threshold value.

27. The method according to claim 22 wherein said monitor device is a liquid crystal display.

28. The method according to claim 22 wherein said monitor device is an anti-glare rearview mirror.

29. The method according to claim 28 wherein said vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror arranged inside said vehicle and two exterior rearview mirrors respectively arranged by two sides of said vehicle, and said anti-glare rearview mirror is said interior rearview mirror.

30. The method according to claim 29 further comprising a step of determining which one of said first and said second rearward lights is larger, and further adjusting the reflectance of one of said exterior rearview mirrors, which is closer to said rearward light with larger intensity than to said rearward light with smaller intensity.

31. A reflectance control method of an anti-glare rearview mirror assembly, said anti-glare rearview mirror assembly comprising of a first, a second and a third rearview mirrors, and said step comprising steps of:

mounting a first, a second and a third light sensors on said first, said second and said third rearview mirrors, respectively;

receiving a first rearward light, a second rearward light, and a third rearward light at a first time point;

receiving a fourth rearward light, a fifth rearward light, and a sixth rearward light at a second time point following said first time point;

comparing intensities of said first, said second and said third rearward lights with said fourth, said fifth and said sixth rearward lights to obtain a first, a second and a third light differences, respectively;

comparing said first, said second and said third light differences with a threshold value; and

adjusting the reflectance of any of said first, second and third rearview mirrors having said light difference thereof greater than said threshold value.

32. The method according to claim 31 wherein said step of adjusting reflectance is performed according to levels of said light differences.

33. A control module for automatically adjusting the reflectance of a monitor device, being in communication with two rearward sensors and a vehicular digital bus, wherein a first and a second signals outputted by said two rearward light sensors, respectively, are operated to obtain a first result, and a digital encoded control signal is asserted to said vehicular digital bus to adjust the reflectance of said monitor device according to said first result.

34. The control module according to claim 33 wherein said vehicular digital bus is a controller area network (CAN) bus or a vehicle area network (VAN) bus.

35. The control module according to claim 33 being in communication with said vehicular digital bus via connecting cable.

36. The control module according to claim 33 being in communication with said vehicular digital bus via wireless transmission.

37. A vehicular control system, comprising:

a vehicular digital bus;

a first control module in communication with said vehicular digital bus and a first rearward light sensor for receiving a first signal from said first rearward light sensor and transmitting a first digital encoded signal associated with said first signal onto said vehicular digital bus;

a second control module in communication with said vehicular digital bus and a second rearward light sensor for receiving a second signal from said second rearward light sensor and transmitting a second digital encoded signal associated with said second signal onto said vehicular digital bus; and

a comparative controller receiving and operating said first and said second vehicular digital signals outputted by said first and said second rearward light sensors, respectively, to obtain a first result, and asserting a control signal to adjust the reflectance of a monitor device according to said first result.

38. The vehicular control system according to claim 37 wherein said vehicular digital bus is a controller area network (CAN) bus or a vehicle area network (VAN) bus.

39. The vehicular control system according to claim 37 wherein said first and/or said second control modules are in communication with said vehicular digital bus via connecting cables.

40. The vehicular control system according to claim 37 wherein said first and/or said second control modules are in communication with said vehicular digital bus via wireless transmission.

41. The vehicular control system according to claim 37 wherein said monitor device is a liquid crystal display.

42. The vehicular control system according to claim 37 wherein said monitor device is a rearview mirror.

43. The vehicular control system according to claim 42 wherein said first control module is connected thereto said rearview mirror, and said comparative controller is included in said first control module.

44. The vehicular control system according to claim 42 wherein said second control module is connected thereto said rearview mirror, and said comparative controller is included in said second control module.