Electrochromic mirror for vehicles with illumination and heating control
First Claim
1. A rearview mirror system for a vehicle comprising:
- an electrochromic reflective element comprising a reflective surface having a continuously variable reflectance level;
drive circuit means for supplying a signal to said reflective element in order to establish the reflectance level of said reflective element;
a heater;
wherein said heater includes first and second portions at least partially insulated from each other and terminal means for connecting a source of current selectively to said first portion alone and to said first and said second portion together, wherein said first and second portions have an electrical resistance together that is greater than either said first or second portion has alone;
control means for selectively connecting said source of current to said first and said second portions together for selectively heating said first and said second portions together at a first rate for a first period of time in order to promote uniform coloration of said reflectance element to a given reflectance level for a given level of said signal and for selectively connecting said source of current to said first portion alone for selectively heating said first portion alone at a second rate that is higher than said first rate for a second period of time.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A rearview mirror system for a vehicle having an electrochromic reflective element and heating means for uniformly heating substantially the entire reflectance surface in order to promote uniform coloration of the reflectance surface to a desired reflectance level. The reflective element is illustrated as an all solid-state electrochromic element having a large area reflectance surface for use as the exterior mirrors of a truck or other large vehicle. The application of energy to the heater can be controlled on the basis of a low ambient light condition and an ambient temperature that is low but not necessarily freezing, such as between 5° C. and 20° C. The heater can be resistance film that is evenly covering a surface of the reflective element and divided into first and second regions by an insulating break in the resistance film. Energy may be applied to one region in order to heat the reflectance element at a high rate to remove frost and dew. Energy may be applied to both regions in order to apply heat at a lower rate for even coloration of the mirror.
376 Citations
87 Claims
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1. A rearview mirror system for a vehicle comprising:
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an electrochromic reflective element comprising a reflective surface having a continuously variable reflectance level; drive circuit means for supplying a signal to said reflective element in order to establish the reflectance level of said reflective element; a heater; wherein said heater includes first and second portions at least partially insulated from each other and terminal means for connecting a source of current selectively to said first portion alone and to said first and said second portion together, wherein said first and second portions have an electrical resistance together that is greater than either said first or second portion has alone; control means for selectively connecting said source of current to said first and said second portions together for selectively heating said first and said second portions together at a first rate for a first period of time in order to promote uniform coloration of said reflectance element to a given reflectance level for a given level of said signal and for selectively connecting said source of current to said first portion alone for selectively heating said first portion alone at a second rate that is higher than said first rate for a second period of time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A rearview mirror system for a vehicle comprising:
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an electrochromic reflective element having a continuously variable reflectance level; drive circuit means for supplying a signal to said reflective element in order to establish the reflectance level of said reflective element; a heater in heat transfer association with said reflective element and adapted to supplying heat to said reflective element when energy is applied to said heater in order to promote uniform coloration of said reflective element; control means for selectively applying energy to said heater in order to heat said reflective element, said control means including ambient light responsive means which responds to ambient light conditions below a predetermined level, said ambient light responsive means including at least one of a manually operated switch adapted to activating said drive circuit means, a headlight-activating switch, and a light sensor; said control means further including ambient temperature responsive means which responds to ambient temperature being below a predetermined level; and wherein said control means responds to at least said ambient light responsive means and said ambient temperature responsive means in order to apply energy to said heater during low ambient light, low ambient temperature conditions. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A rearview mirror system for a vehicle comprising:
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an electrochromic reflective element having a continuously variable reflectance level; heating means for supplying heat to said reflectance element defined by a resistance film evenly covering a surface of said reflective element and having first and second regions at least partially insulated from each other by insulation breaks in said resistance film between said first and second regions, said first and second regions configured to have a higher electrical resistance value together than either said first region or said second region alone; said heating means including first means for applying electrical energy to both said first and second regions and thereby applying heat evenly distributed across substantially the entire said reflectance element and second means for applying electrical energy to one of said first and second regions alone and thereby applying heat to said reflectance element at a higher rate than said first means, said insulation breaks being sufficiently narrow to avoid significant non-heated portions of said surface between said first and second regions when said first means is applying electrical energy to both said first and second regions; and control means for selectively actuating one of said first and second means. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A rearview mirror system for a vehicle comprising:
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an electrochromic reflective element having a large area reflectance surface adapted for use as an exterior mirror on a truck; drive circuit means for supplying a signal to said reflective element in order to establish a reflectance level of said reflective element, including a user input device for activating said drive circuit to provide said signal to said reflective element; defrost initiate means for initiating defrosting of said reflective element; a heater in heat transfer association with said reflective element and adapted to supplying heat uniformly to substantially all portions of said reflectance surface when energy is applied to said heater; and control means independently responsive to said user input device and said defrost initiate means for applying energy to said heater when said user input device is activating said drive circuit or when frost or dew is present on said reflective element. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A rearview mirror system for a vehicle comprising:
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an electrochromic reflective element having a continuously variable reflectance level; drive circuit means for supplying a signal to said reflective element in order to establish a reflectance level of said reflective element; a heater in heat transfer association with said reflective element and adapted to supplying heat to said reflective element when energy is applied to said heater; and control means for selectively applying energy to said heater; said control means including an ambient temperature responsive means which responds to ambient temperature below a predetermined level so as to apply energy to said heater; and said control means further including a defrost initiate means that is adapted to applying energy to said heater independent of ambient temperature. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A rearview mirror system for a vehicle comprising:
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a plurality of mirrors including at least two of an interior mirror, a driver-side exterior mirror and a passenger-side exterior mirror; said plurality of mirrors being electrochromic reflective elements having continuously variable reflectance levels; at least two heating means, each for uniformly heating substantially an entire surface of one of said plurality of mirrors; and a single control means responsive to ambient temperature for actuating both said heating means when said ambient temperature is below 15°
C. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55)
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56. A rearview mirror system for a vehicle comprising:
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an electrochromic reflective element having a continuously variable reflectance level; heating means for uniformly heating substantially an entire surface of said reflective element; control means for selectively applying energy to said heating means in order to heat said surface; said control means being responsive to an ambient temperature sensor sensing ambient temperature; said control means further being responsive to a defrost initiate means that is actuated when frost or dew is present on the reflective element; and wherein said control means applies energy to said heating means when ambient temperature is below 15°
C. or when said defrost initiate means is actuated. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
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65. A rearview mirror system for a vehicle comprising:
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an electrochromic reflective element having a continuously variable reflectance level; drive circuit means for supplying a signal to said reflective element in order to establish a reflectance level of said reflective element; a heater in heat transfer association with said reflective element and adapted to supplying heat to said reflective element when energy is applied to said heater; control means including ambient temperature responsive means for applying energy to said heater when said ambient temperature is below a first predetermined level; and said control means including an over temperature protection means including a temperature sensor so as to cease applying energy to said heater if the temperature of said reflective element exceeds a second predetermined level that is higher than said first predetermined level. - View Dependent Claims (66, 67, 68, 69)
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70. A rearview mirror system for a vehicle comprising:
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an electrochromic reflective element having a continuously variable reflectance level; drive circuit means for supplying a signal to said reflective element in order to establish the reflectance level of said reflective element; and heating means for uniformly heating substantially an entire surface of said reflectance element wherein said heating means includes a positive temperature coefficient heater and heat distribution means for distributing heat across said surface. - View Dependent Claims (71)
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72. A rearview mirror for a vehicle comprising:
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an electrochromic reflective element having a large area reflectance surface adapted for use as an exterior mirror on a truck; drive circuit means for supplying a signal to said reflective element in order to establish a reflectance level of said reflective element, including a user input device for activating said drive circuit to provide said signal to said reflective element; a heater in heat transfer association with said reflective element and adapted to supplying heat uniformly to substantially all portions of said reflectance surface when energy is applied to said heater; and control means for applying energy to said heater when said user input device is activating said drive circuit. - View Dependent Claims (73)
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74. An exterior rearview mirror for a vehicle comprising:
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an electrochromic reflective element having a continuously variable reflectance level, said electrochromic reflective element including a first glass plate having a front and rear surface, a second glass plate having a front and rear surface, and an electrochromic medium disposed between the rear surface of said first glass plate and the front surface of said second glass plate; drive circuit means for supplying a signal to said reflective element in order to establish the reflectance level of said reflective element; said front surface of said first glass plate being exposed to the outdoor environment; heating means behind said rear surface of said second glass plate for uniformly heating the rear surface of said second glass plate in order to promote uniform coloration of said electrochromic reflective element to a given reflectance level for a given level of said signal, wherein said heating means includes a positive temperature coefficient heater and heat distribution means for distributing heat across said rear surface of said second glass plate, said heat distribution means being disposed between said second glass plate and said positive temperature coefficient heater. - View Dependent Claims (75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87)
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Specification