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US5691848A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Electrical control system for vehicle options

Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Co
•
Filing: 1995-01-31
•
Granted: 1997-11-25
•
Expires: 2015-01-31
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Abstract

Abstract A vehicle structural accessory includes one or more electronic accessories. One electrical accessory which may be provided is an electronically trainable transmitter which is trainable to generate a control signal which will actuate a garage door opening mechanism. Another electronic accessory which may be included is an electronic compass. Yet another device is an electronically adjustable mirror having parameters set for each driver of a vehicle. The electronically adjustable rearview mirror and the electronically trainable garage door opener may be advantageously provided with a keyless entry system.

Inventors

  • 👤 Paul S. Van Lente
  • 👤 Michael J. Suman
  • 👤 Mark L. Zeinstra
  • 👤 William S. DeVree

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-02 15:20
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07C; G07C9/00; G07C9/00174; G07C9/00817; B; B60; B60R; B60R1/00; B60R1/02; B60R1/04; B60R1/08; B60R1/083; B60R1/088; B60R1/12; G07C9/00182; B60R1/1207; B60R2001/1215; B60R2001/1223; B60R2001/123; B60R2001/1284; G07C2009/00261; G07C2009/00753; G07C2009/00769; G07C2009/00793; G07C9/00896; G07C2009/00928; G08; G08C; G08C2201/00; G08C2201/20

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim 157 words
A control system and trainable electrically adjustable mirror for adjustment for different users of a vehicle comprising: an electrically adjustable mirror having a variable reflectivity level that is electronically adjustable in response to a reflectivity control signal; a memory for storing sets of reflectivity parameter data, each set of reflectivity parameter data corresponding to one of a plurality of users of a vehicle; input means for providing an indication of which one of the plurality of users is using said electrically adjustable mirror; and a control circuit coupled to said electrically adjustable mirror, said memory, and said input means, said control circuit reads the set of stored reflectivity parameter data from said memory for the user identified by said input means and generates and supplies a reflectivity control signal to said electronically adjustable mirror to adjust the reflectivity level of said electrically adjustable mirror according to the read reflectivity parameter data without requiring movement of said mirror.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 157 words
A control system and trainable electrically adjustable mirror for adjustment for different users of a vehicle comprising: an electrically adjustable mirror having a variable reflectivity level that is electronically adjustable in response to a reflectivity control signal; a memory for storing sets of reflectivity parameter data, each set of reflectivity parameter data corresponding to one of a plurality of users of a vehicle; input means for providing an indication of which one of the plurality of users is using said electrically adjustable mirror; and a control circuit coupled to said electrically adjustable mirror, said memory, and said input means, said control circuit reads the set of stored reflectivity parameter data from said memory for the user identified by said input means and generates and supplies a reflectivity control signal to said electronically adjustable mirror to adjust the reflectivity level of said electrically adjustable mirror according to the read reflectivity parameter data without requiring movement of said mirror.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 56 words
The system as defined in claim 1, wherein each user has an identification code, and said memory stores each identification code and parameter data corresponding to each identification code, and said control circuit accesses said memory according to a received identification code to retrieve and use the respective parameter data to control said electrically adjustable mirror.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 57 words
The system as defined in claim 1, and further including a switch which a user can activate when said mirror has a desired degree of reflectivity, and wherein said control circuit stores reflectivity control information indicated by the user at the time of actuation of said switch as parameter data for subsequently adjusting said electrically adjustable mirror.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 41 words
The system as defined in claim 1, and further including an ambient light level detector coupled to said control circuit, wherein said control circuit controls the reflectivity of said electrically adjustable mirror as a function of the detected ambient light level.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 50 words
The system as defined in claim 4, wherein a plurality of different ambient light regions are set for said electrically adjustable mirror, said system further includes means for allowing a reflectivity level for each ambient light region to be set according to each user's preference for each ambient light region.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 17 words
The system as defined in claim 5, wherein default levels are preset for each ambient light region.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 26 words
The system as defined in claim 1, and further including a display, wherein said control circuit controls said display to display temperature and vehicle heading information.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 57 words
The system as defined in claim 1, and further including: a housing; and a display supported by said housing for displaying information to a vehicle operator, said display including a display source and a reflector supported by said housing for reflecting information presented by said display source such that said information is visible to the vehicle operator.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 51 words
The system as defined in claim 8, and further including a parameter sensor coupled to said control circuit, wherein said control circuit receives parameter information signals from said parameter sensor and applies said parameter information signals to said display source for displaying the parameter information signals sensed by said parameter sensor.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 21 words
The system as defined in claim 9, wherein said parameter sensor is a magnetic field sensor for sensing a vehicle heading.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 16 words
The system as defined in claim 8, wherein said display source is a vacuum fluorescent display.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 72 words
The system as defined in claim 4, and further including: a magnetic field sensor; and a temperature sensor coupled to said control circuit, wherein said control circuit receives compass bearing information from said magnetic field sensor and temperature information from said temperature sensor and provides the compass bearing and temperature information to said display source in order to display the compass bearing and temperature information to the vehicle operator on said display.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 14 words
The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said mirror is a rearview mirror.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 40 words
The system as defined in claim 4, wherein said ambient light level detector includes a from photocell and a rear photocell and said ambient light level is an average light level detected by each of said front and rear photocells.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 85 words
The system as defined in claim 14, and further including a switch which a vehicle operator can activate when said mirror has a desired degree of reflectivity, and wherein said control circuit computes a glare tolerance threshold by determining a difference between the average light levels detected by said front and rear photocells at a time when the vehicle operator actuates said switch, said control circuit subsequently adjusts the reflectivity of said mirror to prevent a computed glare level from exceeding the glare tolerance threshold.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 45 words
The control system as defined in claim 1, wherein said control circuit adjusts the reflectivity of said mirror by adjusting the percentage of incident light representing an image that is reflected to a driver's eyes without changing the image that is viewed by the driver.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 15 words
The control system as defined in claim 1, wherein said mirror is an electrochromic mirror.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 212 words
A control system and trainable electrochromic mirror for adjustment for different operators of a vehicle comprising: a housing; an electrochromic mirror mounted in said housing and having a variable reflectivity level that is electronically adjustable in response to a reflectivity control signal; a memory for storing sets of reflectivity parameter data, each set of reflectivity parameter data corresponding to one of a plurality of identification codes assigned to each one of a plurality of vehicle operators; input means for receiving an indication of which one of the plurality of vehicle operators is using said electrically adjustable mirror and for transmitting the identification code assigned to the indicated vehicle operator; an ambient light sensor for detecting a level of ambient light; and a control circuit coupled to said electrically adjustable mirror, said memory, said ambient light sensor, and said input means, said control circuit reads the set of stored reflectivity parameter data from said memory that corresponds to the identification code provided by said input means, said control circuit then generates and supplies a reflectivity control signal to said electrochromic mirror to adjust the reflectivity level of said electrochromic mirror as a function of the read reflectivity parameter data and the detected level of ambient light without requiring movement of said electrochromic mirror.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 212 words
A control system and trainable electrochromic mirror for adjustment for different operators of a vehicle comprising: a housing; an electrochromic mirror mounted in said housing and having a variable reflectivity level that is electronically adjustable in response to a reflectivity control signal; a memory for storing sets of reflectivity parameter data, each set of reflectivity parameter data corresponding to one of a plurality of identification codes assigned to each one of a plurality of vehicle operators; input means for receiving an indication of which one of the plurality of vehicle operators is using said electrically adjustable mirror and for transmitting the identification code assigned to the indicated vehicle operator; an ambient light sensor for detecting a level of ambient light; and a control circuit coupled to said electrically adjustable mirror, said memory, said ambient light sensor, and said input means, said control circuit reads the set of stored reflectivity parameter data from said memory that corresponds to the identification code provided by said input means, said control circuit then generates and supplies a reflectivity control signal to said electrochromic mirror to adjust the reflectivity level of said electrochromic mirror as a function of the read reflectivity parameter data and the detected level of ambient light without requiring movement of said electrochromic mirror.

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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2000-11-24 2001-05-26 2001-11-25 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2004-11-24 2005-05-26 2005-11-25 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2008-11-24 2009-05-26 2009-11-25 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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