Patent ID: 7541570
Filing Date: 2009-06-02
Classification: B60R,G01J,G02B

Abstract:
1. A rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said rearview mirror system comprising: a variable reflectance transflective electro-optic reflective element, said transflective reflective element comprising a mirror reflector that partially reflects light incident thereon and that partially transmits light incident thereon; an ambient light sensor operable to sense ambient light; a glare light sensor operable to sense glare-producing light incident at or near said reflective element; wherein said ambient light sensor comprises a silicon photo sensor and wherein said glare light sensor comprises a silicon photo sensor; a first integrated circuit comprising said ambient light sensor and associated circuitry; a second integrated circuit comprising said glare light sensor and associated circuitry; a control circuit operable to establish a reflectance level of said reflective element, wherein said control circuit is responsive to light detection by at least one of said ambient light sensor and said glare light sensor; a video display screen disposed behind said transflective electro-optic reflective element and operable to display video information through said reflective element and viewable through said mirror reflector of said transflective electro-optic reflective element by a driver of the vehicle when said video display screen is activated, and substantially non-viewable by the driver of the vehicle when said video display screen is not activated; and a display intensity control for adjusting a display intensity of said video display screen, said display intensity control adjusting the display intensity responsive to a brightness level of the scene sensed by at least one of said glare light sensor and said ambient light sensor, said video display screen having an operating range comprising a display intensity, as viewed by the driver of the vehicle when viewing said reflective element assembly as normally mounted in the vehicle, between zero candelas/square meter when said video display screen is not activated, and at least 400 candelas/square meter when said video display screen is activated.