Patent ID: 7728276
Filing Date: 2010-06-01
Classification: B60R,G01J,G02B

Abstract:
1. A rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said rearview mirror system comprising: an interior rearview mirror assembly having a transflective electrochromic reflective element, said reflective element having a front surface and a rear surface, said front surface being closer to the driver of a vehicle than said rear surface when said mirror assembly is mounted in a vehicle equipped with said rearview mirror system; wherein said transflective reflective element comprises a mirror reflector that partially reflects light incident thereon and that partially transmits light incident thereon and wherein said transflective reflective element is at least about 20 percent transmitting to visible light incident from rearward of said rear surface of said reflective element; an ambient light sensor operable to sense ambient light; a glare light sensor operable to sense light incident at or near said reflective element; wherein said ambient light sensor comprises a silicon photo-diode and associated circuitry commonly formed as an integrated circuit and wherein said glare light sensor comprises a silicon photo-diode and associated circuitry commonly formed as an integrated circuit; wherein said glare light sensor converts incident light to a signal processed by a microprocessor; wherein said ambient light sensor converts incident light to a signal processed by a microprocessor; 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 display element disposed behind said transflective electrochromic reflective element and operable to display information through said mirror reflector of said transflective electrochromic reflective element and viewable through said mirror reflector of said transflective electrochromic reflective element by a driver of the vehicle when said display element is displaying information, and substantially non-viewable by the driver of the vehicle when said display element is not displaying information; wherein said display element comprises at least one of (a) a video display, (b) a backlit liquid crystal display video screen, (c) a backlit TFT liquid crystal display video screen, (d) a liquid crystal display video screen backlit by at least one high-intensity power light emitting diode, and (e) a liquid crystal display video screen backlit by at least one white light light emitting diode; and a display intensity control for adjusting display intensity of said display element, said display intensity control adjusting display intensity responsive to a light detection by at least one of said glare light sensor and said ambient light sensor, wherein display intensity is adjusted responsive to at least one of (a) an ambient light level detected by at least one of said ambient light sensor and said glare light sensor and (b) a glare light level detected by at least one of said ambient light sensor and said glare light sensor, said glare light level representative of light impinging a rearward facing surface of said reflective element.