Patent ID: 8287141

Claim:
An automobile side mirror, comprising: a reflective portion having: a front mirror incompletely silvered so as to reflect images to a driver of the automobile during daylight hours; a rear mirror fixedly attached to said front mirror in an angularly offset configuration; a bracket hingedly coupled to a first pivot point adjacent a lower edge of said reflective portion; a solenoid hingedly coupled to a second pivot point adjacent an upper edge of said reflective portion to selectively tilt said reflective portion from a first configuration at which said front mirror is in a generally vertical configuration with respect to said bracket to a second configuration at which said front mirror is generally inclined with respect to said bracket when actuated; a lead screw extending upwardly from said bracket, said solenoid being hingedly coupled to said lead screw such that said solenoid is positioned rearwardly of said reflective portion rear mirror; wherein: said rear mirror is angularly offset relative to said front mirror at both said first and second configurations; a return element to return said reflective portion from said second configuration to said first configuration; a light sensor positioned to detect an amount of light directed toward said reflective portion; a processor in communication with said light sensor and in communication with said solenoid; an ambient light sensor in communication with said processor, and wherein said amount of light is a relative value that represents a difference between said amount of ambient light detected by said ambient light sensor and said amount of light detected by said light sensor; programming in said processor to actuate said solenoid if said amount of light is greater than a predetermined amount of light; and programming in said processor for deactivating said solenoid when said predetermined amount of light is no longer detected such that said return element returns said reflective portion from said second configuration to said first configuration immediately when said predetermined amount of light is no longer detected; a housing enclosing said reflective portion, said bracket, said solenoid, and said return element; wherein: said housing is configured to attach to a side door of the automobile; said housing defines a conical depression adjacent said reflective portion that faces rearwardly; said light sensor is inset into said conical depression and faces rearwardly; said housing defines another conical depression that faces upwardly; and said ambient light sensor is inset into said another conical depression.