Anti-glare rearview mirror system

Claim 2

An anti-glare mirror system for an automobile having an interior and an exterior, the system comprising: an interior rearview mirror adapted to be arranged in the interior of the automobile; an exterior rearview mirror adapted to be arranged in the exterior of the automobile, said interior rearview mirror and said exterior rearview mirror having different reflectivities of light; an electro-optical device applied to said interior rearview mirror and having means for varying said reflectivity of said interior rearview mirror; an electro-optical device applied to said exterior rearview mirror and having means for varying said reflectivity of said exterior rearview mirror; electrical drive circuit means connected to said electro-optical devices to control said reflectivities of said exterior rearview mirror and said interior rearview mirror so that said reflectivities are adjustable to different reflectivity values; sensing circuit means for detecting ambient and backward light and for comparing levels of said ambient and backward light with standard values to determine whether said levels of said ambient and said backward light warrant a change in said reflectivities of said interior and exterior rearview mirrors; coloring/bleaching switching gate circuit means for determining if a time period during which said levels of said ambient and said backward light are at values which warrant a change in said reflectivities exceeds a predetermined time interval thus indicating that said values are not transient, said coloring/bleaching switching gate circuit means being connected with said electric drive circuit means and said sensing circuit means; and transforming circuit means for applying one drive voltage to said interior rearview mirror and another drive voltage to said exterior rearview mirror so that said one drive voltage applied to said interior rearview mirror is greater than said other drive voltage applied to said exterior rearview mirror so that said reflectivity of said interior rearview mirror is less than said reflectivity of said exterior rearview mirror.

Claim 3

An anti-glare mirror system as defined in claim 1, wherein said electro-optical devices include at least two members selected from the group consisting of electrochromic devices, liquid crystal devices and PLZT.

Claim 4

An anti-glare mirror system for an automobile having an interior and an exterior, the system comprising: an interior rearview mirror adapted to be arranged in the interior of the automobile; an exterior rearview mirror adapted to be arranged in the exterior of the automobile, said interior rearview mirror and said exterior rearview mirror having different reflectivities of light; an electro-optical device applied to said interior rearview mirror and having means for varying said reflectivity of said interior rearview mirror; an electro-optical device applied to said exterior rearview mirror and having means for varying said reflectivity of said exterior rearview mirror; electrical drive circuit means connected to said electro-optical devices to control said reflectivities of said exterior rearview mirror and said interior rearview mirror so that said reflectivities are adjustable to different reflectivity values; sensing circuit means for detecting ambient and backward light and for comparing levels of said ambient and backward light with standard values to determine whether said levels of said ambient and said backward light warrant a change in said reflectivities of said interior and exterior rearview mirrors; coloring/bleaching switching gate circuit means for determining if a time period during which said levels of said ambient and said backward light are at values which warrant a change in said reflectivities exceeds a predetermined time interval thus indicating that said values are not transient, said coloring/bleaching switching gate circuit means being connected with said electric drive circuit means and said sensing circuit means, said electro-optical device applied to the interior rearview mirror being a liquid-phase electrochromic device, said electro-optical device applied to the exterior rearview mirror being a solid-state electrochromic device and said drive circuit means applying one drive voltage to said liquid-phase electrochromic device and another drive voltage to said solid-state electrochromic device so that said reflectivity of said interior rearview mirror is less than said reflectivity of said exterior rearview mirror, and said one drive voltage being equal to said other drive voltage.

Claim 5

An anti-glare mirror system for an automobile having an interior and an exterior, the system comprising: an interior rearview mirror adapted to be arranged in the interior of the automobile; an exterior rearview mirror adapted to be arranged in the exterior of the automobile, said interior rearview mirror and said exterior rearview mirror having different reflectivities of light; an electro-optical device applied to said interior rearview mirror and having means for varying said reflectivity of said interior rearview mirror; an electro-optical device applied to said exterior rearview mirror and having means for varying said reflectivity of said exterior rearview mirror; electrical drive circuit means connected to said electro-optical devices to control said reflectivities of said exterior rearview mirror and said interior rearview mirror so that said reflectivities are adjustable to different reflectivity values; sensing circuit means for detecting ambient and backward light and for comparing levels of said ambient and backward light with standard values to determine whether said levels of said ambient and said backward light warrant a change in said reflectivities of said interior and exterior rearview mirrors; coloring/bleaching switching gate circuit means for determining if a time period during which said levels of said ambient and said backward light are at values which warrant a change in said reflectivities exceeds a predetermined time interval thus indicating that said values are not transient, said coloring/bleaching switching gate circuit means being connected with said electric drive circuit means and said sensing circuit means, said electro-optical device applied to the interior rearview mirror being a liquid-phase electrochromic device, said electro-optical device applied to the exterior rearview mirror being a solid-state electrochromic device and said drive circuit means applying one drive voltage to said liquid-phase electrochromic device and another drive voltage to said solid-state electrochromic device so that said reflectivity of said interior rearview mirror is less than said reflectivity of said exterior rearview mirror, and said one drive voltage being equal to said other drive voltage.

Claim 6

An anti-glare mirror system for an automobile having an interior and an exterior, the system comprising an interior rearview mirror adapted to be arranged in the interior of the automobile; an exterior rearview mirror adapted to be arranged in the exterior of the automobile, said interior rearview mirror and said exterior rearview mirror having different reflectivities of light; an electro-optical device applied to said interior rearview mirror and having means for varying said reflectivity of said interior rearview mirror; an electro-optical device applied to said exterior rearview mirror and having means for varying said reflectivity of said exterior rearview mirror; electrical drive circuit means connected to said electro-optical devices and applying one drive voltage to said interior rearview mirror and another drive voltage to said exterior rearview mirror to control said reflectivities of said exterior rearview mirror and said interior rearview mirror so that said reflectivities are adjustable to different reflectivity values; sensing circuit means for detecting ambient and backward light and for comparing levels of said ambient and backward light with standard values to determine whether said levels of said ambient and said backward light warrant a change in said reflectivities of said interior and exterior rearview mirrors; coloring/bleaching switching gate circuit means for determining if a time period during which said levels of said ambient and said backward light are at values which warrant a change in said reflectivities exceeds a predetermined time interval thus indicating that said values are not transient, said coloring/bleaching switching gate circuit means being connected with said electric drive circuit means and said sensing circuit means, said drive circuit means being provided with timer circuit means to starts said one drive voltage fed to said interior rearview mirror prior to said other drive voltage fed to said exterior rearview mirror and to terminate said one drive voltage supplied to said interior rearview mirror later than said other drive voltage fed to said exterior rearview mirror.

Claim 7

An anti-glare mirror system for an automobile having an interior and an exterior, the system comprising an interior rearview mirror adapted to be arranged in the interior of the automobile; an exterior rearview mirror adapted to be arranged in the exterior of the automobile, said interior rearview mirror and said exterior rearview mirror having different reflectivities of light; an electro-optical device applied to said interior rearview mirror and having means for varying said reflectivity of said interior rearview mirror; an electro-optical device applied to said exterior rearview mirror and having means for varying said reflectivity of said exterior rearview mirror; electrical drive circuit means connected to said electro-optical devices and applying one drive voltage to said interior rearview mirror and another drive voltage to said exterior rearview mirror to control said reflectivities of said exterior rearview mirror and said interior rearview mirror so that said reflectivities are adjustable to different reflectivity values; sensing circuit means for detecting ambient and backward light and for comparing levels of said ambient and backward light with standard values to determine whether said levels of said ambient and said backward light warrant a change in said reflectivities of said interior and exterior rearview mirrors; coloring/bleaching switching gate circuit means for determining if a time period during which said levels of said ambient and said backward light are at values which warrant a change in said reflectivities exceeds a predetermined time interval thus indicating that said values are not transient, said coloring/bleaching switching gate circuit means being connected with said electric drive circuit means and said sensing circuit means, said drive circuit means being provided with timer circuit means to starts said one drive voltage fed to said interior rearview mirror prior to said other drive voltage fed to said exterior rearview mirror and to terminate said one drive voltage supplied to said interior rearview mirror later than said other drive voltage fed to said exterior rearview mirror.

Claim 8

An anti-glare mirror system for an automobile having an interior and an exterior, the system comprising an interior rearview mirror adapted to be arranged in the interior of the automobile; an exterior rearview mirror adapted to be arranged in the exterior of the automobile, said interior rearview mirror and said exterior rearview mirror having different reflectivities of light; an electro-optical device applied to said interior rearview mirror and having means for varying said reflectivity of said interior rearview mirror; an electro-optical device applied to said exterior rearview mirror and having means for varying said reflectivity of said exterior rearview mirror; electrical drive circuit means connected to said electro-optical devices and applying one drive voltage to said interior rearview mirror and another drive voltage to said exterior rearview mirror to control said reflectivities of said exterior rearview mirror and said interior rearview mirror so that said reflectivities are adjustable to different reflectivity values; sensing circuit means for detecting ambient and backward light and for comparing levels of said ambient and backward light with standard values to determine whether said levels of said ambient and said backward light warrant a change in said reflectivities of said interior and exterior rearview mirrors; coloring/bleaching switching gate circuit means for determining if a time period during which said levels of said ambient and said backward light are at values which warrant a change in said reflectivities exceeds a predetermined time interval thus indicating that said values are not transient, said coloring/bleaching switching gate circuit means being connected with said electric drive circuit means and said sensing circuit means, said interior and exterior rearview mirrors having terminals at which a terminal voltage is present, and said drive circuit means including terminal voltage sensing and controlling circuit means for detecting said terminal voltages, for comparing said terminal voltages with standard terminal voltage values and means for providing fixed values of said drive voltages at said interior and exterior rearview mirrors.

Claim 9

An anti-glare mirror system for an automobile having an interior and an exterior, the system comprising an interior rearview mirror adapted to be arranged in the interior of the automobile; an exterior rearview mirror adapted to be arranged in the exterior of the automobile, said interior rearview mirror and said exterior rearview mirror having different reflectivities of light; an electro-optical device applied to said interior rearview mirror and having means for varying said reflectivity of said interior rearview mirror; an electro-optical device applied to said exterior rearview mirror and having means for varying said reflectivity of said exterior rearview mirror; electrical drive circuit means connected to said electro-optical devices and applying one drive voltage to said interior rearview mirror and another drive voltage to said exterior rearview mirror to control said reflectivities of said exterior rearview mirror and said interior rearview mirror so that said reflectivities are adjustable to different reflectivity values; sensing circuit means for detecting ambient and backward light and for comparing levels of said ambient and backward light with standard values to determine whether said levels of said ambient and said backward light warrant a change in said reflectivities of said interior and exterior rearview mirrors; coloring/bleaching switching gate circuit means for determining if a time period during which said levels of said ambient and said backward light are at values which warrant a change in said reflectivities exceeds a predetermined time interval thus indicating that said values are not transient, said coloring/bleaching switching gate circuit means being connected with said electric drive circuit means and said sensing circuit means, said interior and exterior rearview mirrors having terminals at which a terminal voltage is present, and said drive circuit means including terminal voltage sensing and controlling circuit means for detecting said terminal voltages, for comparing said terminal voltages with standard terminal voltage values and means for providing fixed values of said drive voltages at said interior and exterior rearview mirrors.