Patent ID: 6355920
Filing Date: 2002-03-12
Classification: B60Q,B60R

Abstract:
A vehicular electro-optic rearview mirror system, comprising:a vehicle including a passenger compartment having at least a forward viewing forward window, a side viewing window having a side window light transmission value and a rearward viewing rear window having a rear window light transmission value; an interior rearview mirror assembly in said passenger compartment; said interior rearview mirror assembly having an interior electro-optic mirror reflective element; said interior reflective element intercepting passed light that passes through said rearward viewing rear window, said light passing through said rearward viewing rear window being attenuated as a function of said rear window light transmission value, said interior reflective element reflecting at least a portion of said passed light directly to the driver; at least one exterior rearview mirror assembly outside of said passenger compartment; said exterior rearview mirror assembly having an exterior electro-optic mirror reflective element; said exterior reflective element reflecting at least a portion of light incident thereon to the driver via transmission through said side viewing window; at least one light sensor in said passenger compartment and directed toward said rearward viewing rear window to receive said light passing through said rearward viewing rear window; a control receiving an input from said at least one light sensor and producing an interior mirror reflectance level signal that establishes a reflectance level of said interior mirror reflective element, said control further producing an exterior mirror reflectance level signal that establishes a reflectance level of said exterior mirror reflective element; said interior mirror reflectance level signal and said exterior mirror reflectance level signal being a function at least of light sensed by said light sensor and a ratio value; and wherein said ratio value is established as a function of said rear window light transmission value and said side window light transmission value, said control operating to maintain said interior mirror reflectance level greater than or equal to said exterior mirror reflectance level and wherein said side window light transmission value is greater than said rear window light transmission value.