AUTOMATIC REARVIEW MIRROR AND VEHICLE INTERIOR MONITORING SYSTEM USING A PHOTOSENSOR ARRAY

摘要

A system apparatus, means and method for controlling variable reflectance mirrors in response to drive voltages applied thereto, and for monitoring a vehicle interior. The system includes a light sensing device and a control circuit (26). The light sensing device comprises a photosensor array (32) having a field of view encompassing a vehicle interior. The logic and control circuit (34) determines a background light signal indicative of light levels incident on the photosensor elements and determines a peak light signal in three different zones or sub-arrays of the photosensor array. The peak light signals and a common background light signal are used to determine control signals for independently controlling the reflectance level of a plurality of mirrors (4, 5), or alternativeley the segments of a mirror. The logic and control circuit (34) also determines a vehicle intrusion condition and stores image data in memory in the compartment image data storage mode of the vehicle interior monitoring system.