Method for actuating a dimmable mirror

• US 7,237,912 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2004
• Issued: 07/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Company KG Coburg
• Original Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Company KG Coburg
• Inventors: Semineth, Marco
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Thong Q
• Application Number:
  US10/913,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20050052763A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 359601-614, 359265-274
• US Class Current: 359/604
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors

Abstract

A method for actuating an electrically dimmable mirror in which a predefined degree of dimming of the mirror is set by charging or discharging the mirror to a predefined setpoint voltage. The method provides for actuating an electrically dimmable mirror in which particularly fast switching over the degree of dimming of the mirror is achieved. In the method, in order to switch over the degree of dimming, a charge voltage is applied to the mirror which exceeds in absolute terms the setpoint voltage which is necessary for the desired degree of dimming, and the setpoint voltage is applied to the mirror after the desired degree of dimming has been attained.

Claims

1. A control device of an electrically dimmable motor vehicle mirror for setting a predefined degree of dimming of the mirror, wherein the control device at least one of charges and discharges the mirror to a setpoint voltage which is assigned to a predefined degree of dimming, and for setting the degree of dimming, a charge voltage is applied to the mirror which exceeds in absolute terms the setpoint voltage which is necessary for the predefined degree of dimming, and wherein the control device sets a predefined degree of dimming of the mirror by one of charging and discharging the mirror to the setpoint voltage, wherein the control device monitors a charge state of the mirror by electrically disconnecting the mirror from the charge voltage, and measures with high impedance an actual voltage which is present at the mirror.

2. The control device of claim 1, wherein the control device sets the predefinable degree of dimming of the mirror by one of charging and discharging the mirror to the setpoint voltage which is predefined for the respectively predefined degree of dimming, and wherein in order to increase the degree of dimming of the mirror, the control device applies to the mirror a charge voltage which exceeds in absolute terms the setpoint voltage which is necessary for the predefined degree of dimming, and wherein the control device applies the respective setpoint voltage to the mirror after the predefined degree of dimming has been reached.

3. The control device as claimed in one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the control device comprises a full bridge circuit.

4. The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control device is connected to a sensor which measures light which is incident on the mirror, and the control device predefines the degree of dimming of the mirror at least as a function of the incident light power.

5. The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control device is connected to at least one of an external mirror and to an internal mirror of a motor vehicle and actuates the at least one of an external mirror and internal mirror.

6. The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in order to switch the mirror to a high impedance state, the control device further comprises at least one device selected from the group consisting of at least one switch and a linear amplifier.

7. A method for actuating an electrically dimmable motor vehicle mirror comprising:

setting a predefined degree of dimming of the mirror by one of charging and discharging the mirror to a predefined setpoint voltage, wherein for the purpose of increasing the degree of dimming, a charge voltage which exceeds in absolute terms the setpoint voltage necessary for the predefined degree of dimming is applied to the mirror, and wherein the setpoint voltage is applied to the mirror after the predefined degree of dimming has been attained,

wherein in order to discharge the mirror, the polarity of the charge voltage is reversed, and wherein a voltage which corresponds in absolute terms to the difference in voltage between a maximum permitted voltage of the mirror and a respective actual voltage of the mirror is applied to the mirror.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the respective maximum permitted charge voltage for the mirror is applied during the increasing of the degree of dimming.

9. The method as claimed in one of claims 7 or 8, wherein, during the charging of the mirror, a charge voltage which corresponds to the maximum permitted voltage for the mirror is applied to the mirror.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the charge voltage is switched over from the maximum voltage to the setpoint voltage as soon as the actual voltage of the mirror at least one of corresponds to the setpoint voltage and lies within a tolerance band which is predefined for the setpoint voltage.

11. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein, during the discharging of the mirror, the charge voltage is simultaneously adapted so that the voltage which is present at the mirror during discharge, corresponds in absolute terms to the difference in voltage between the maximum permitted voltage of the mirror and the actual voltage of the mirror.

12. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein at least light which is incident on the mirror is measured and the degree of dimming of the mirror is predefined at least as a function of the incident light power.

13. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein, during the discharging of the mirror, the charge voltage is simultaneously adapted so that the voltage which is present at the mirror during the entire discharge process corresponds in absolute terms to the difference in voltage between the maximum permitted voltage of the mirror and the actual voltage of the mirror.

14. A method for actuating an electrically dimmable motor vehicle mirror comprising:

setting a predefined degree of dimming of the mirror by the mirror being one of charged and discharged to a predefined setpoint voltage, wherein, for the purpose of increasing the degree of dimming, a charge voltage which exceeds in absolute terms the setpoint voltage necessary for the predefined degree of dimming is applied to the mirror, and wherein the setpoint voltage is applied to the mirror after the predefined degree of dimming has been attained,

wherein the predefined degree of dimming of the mirror is set by the mirror being one of charged and discharged to a predefined setpoint voltage, wherein a charge state of the mirror being monitored at least during one of the charging and discharging of the mirror by being electrically disconnected from the charge voltage and an actual voltage which is present at the mirror is measured with high impedance.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the electrical charge state of the mirror is monitored at least one of cyclically and continuously.

16. The method as claimed in one of claims 14 to 15, wherein the charge state of the mirror is also monitored by sensing at least one of the charge current and discharge current flowing through the mirror and evaluating the at least one charge current and discharge current.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the at least one charge current and discharge current flowing through the mirror is integrated, and wherein the resulting integration result is used to determine the charge.