US 7,320,525 B2
Rear-view mirror for vehicles
Rolf Thiel, Stuttgart (Germany); and Volker Zipf, Plochingen (Germany)
Assigned to Schefenacker Vision Systems Germany GmbH, Schwaikheim (Germany)
Appl. No. 10/569,004
PCT Filed Aug. 05, 2004, PCT No. PCT/DE2004/001761
§ 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Feb. 21, 2006,
PCT Pub. No. WO2005/021331, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 10, 2005.
Claims priority of application No. 103 38 398 (DE), filed on Aug. 21, 2003.
Prior Publication US 2006/0256441 A1, Nov. 16, 2006
Int. Cl. G02B 17/00 (2006.01); G02B 27/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 359—604  [359/603; 359/601] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A rearview mirror for reflecting ambient light, said rearview mirror comprising:
a housing including a frame defining an opening;
an electrochromic mirror glass fixedly secured to said frame within said opening of said housing;
a sensor fixedly secured to said housing for sensing ambient light and glare light directed toward said rearview mirror;
a light guide disposed between said housing and said sensor for directing the ambient light and glare light outside said housing toward said sensor; and
a switching device for periodically disrupting the transmission of the light to identify a presence of the glare light, such that said sensor creates a dimming signal upon the identification of the presence of the glare light to dim said electrochromic mirror.