Patents by Inventor John P. Drummond
John P. Drummond has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20090065683Abstract: A vehicle rearview mirror system includes an electro-optic reflective element, an ambient light sensor that is operable to sense ambient light, a glare light sensor that is operable to sense glare light and a circuit that is responsive to the ambient glare light sensors which establishes a reflectance level of the reflective element. The circuit produces an output that is a function of light sensed by glare and ambient light sensors. The circuit compares an output of a charge accumulation device with a reference, and the circuit selectively connects the glare sensor and the ambient light sensor with the charge accumulation device. The mirror system may include a display operable to project light through the reflective element and may control the intensity of the display as a function of the glare light and ambient light.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 10, 2008Publication date: March 12, 2009Applicant: DONNELLY CORPORATIONInventors: John P. Drummond, Kenneth Schofield
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Patent number: 7453057Abstract: A vehicle rearview mirror system includes an electro-optic reflective element, an ambient light sensor that is operable to sense ambient light, a glare light sensor that is operable to sense glare light and a circuit that is responsive to the ambient glare light sensors which establishes a reflectance level of the reflective element. The circuit includes a sensor-responsive device and a controller. The sensor-responsive device produces an output that is a function of light sensed by glare and ambient light sensors. The controller connects one of the glare and ambient light sensors at a time with the sensor-responsive device to establish glare and ambient light levels and thereby the reflectance level of the reflective element. The mirror system may include a display operable to project light through the reflective element and may control the intensity of the display as a function of the glare light and ambient light.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2008Date of Patent: November 18, 2008Assignee: Donnelly CorporationInventors: John P. Drummond, Kenneth Schofield
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Publication number: 20080128589Abstract: A vehicle rearview mirror system includes an electro-optic reflective element, an ambient light sensor that is operable to sense ambient light, a glare light sensor that is operable to sense glare light and a circuit that is responsive to the ambient glare light sensors which establishes a reflectance level of the reflective element. The circuit includes a sensor-responsive device and a controller. The sensor-responsive device produces an output that is a function of light sensed by glare and ambient light sensors. The controller connects one of the glare and ambient light sensors at a time with the sensor-responsive device to establish glare and ambient light levels and thereby the reflectance level of the reflective element. The mirror system may include a display operable to project light through the reflective element and may control the intensity of the display as a function of the glare light and ambient light.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 11, 2008Publication date: June 5, 2008Applicant: DONNELLY CORPORATIONInventors: John P. Drummond, Kenneth Schofield
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Patent number: 7329850Abstract: A vehicle rearview mirror system includes an electro-optic reflective element, an ambient light sensor that is operable to sense ambient light, a glare light sensor that is operable to sense glare light and a circuit that is responsive to the ambient glare light sensors which establishes a reflectance level of the reflective element. The circuit includes a sensor-responsive device and a controller. The sensor-responsive device produces an output that is a function of light sensed by glare and ambient light sensors. The controller connects one of the glare and ambient light sensors at a time with the sensor-responsive device to establish glare and ambient light levels and thereby the reflectance level of the reflective element. The mirror system may include a display operable to project light through the reflective element and may control the intensity of the display as a function of the glare light and ambient light.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2007Date of Patent: February 12, 2008Assignee: Donnelly CorporationInventors: John P. Drummond, Kenneth Schofield
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Patent number: 7233230Abstract: A vehicular rearview mirror system includes an interior rearview mirror system that has an interior reflective element, a drive circuit, a tire pressure monitoring system and a microcontroller. The drive circuit supplies a drive signal to the interior mirror reflective element, which assumes a partial reflectance level in response thereto. The tire pressure monitoring system includes a receiver for receiving signals indicative of vehicle tire pressure. The microcontroller controls at least in part the drive circuit and the tire pressure monitoring system, and may control at least one other vehicle function. The vehicular rearview mirror system may include a sound-processing system and the microcontroller may control at least in part the sound-processing system. The drive circuit may have one or more components in common with the tire pressure monitoring system, and the drive circuit and tire pressure monitoring system may be at least partially on a circuit board.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2005Date of Patent: June 19, 2007Assignee: Donnelly CorporationInventors: John P Drummond, Niall R Lynam
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Patent number: 7205524Abstract: A vehicle rearview mirror system includes an electro-optic reflective element, an ambient light sensor that is operable to sense ambient light, a glare light sensor that is operable to sense glare light and a circuit that is responsive to the ambient glare light sensors which establishes a reflectance level of the reflective element. The circuit includes a sensor-responsive device and a controller. The sensor-responsive device produces an output that is a function of light sensed by glare and ambient light sensors. The controller connects one of the glare and ambient light sensors at a time with the sensor-responsive device to establish glare and ambient light levels and thereby the reflectance level of the reflective element. The mirror system may include a display operable to project light through the reflective element and may control the intensity of the display as a function of the glare light and ambient light.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2004Date of Patent: April 17, 2007Assignee: Donnelly CorporationInventors: John P Drummond, Kenneth Schofield
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Patent number: 6970073Abstract: A vehicular rearview mirror system includes an interior rearview mirror system having an electrochromic reflective element, a digital electrochromic drive circuit supplying a drive signal to the reflective element and a garage door opener. The garage door opener includes a transmitter and logic circuit. The logic circuit supplies signals to the transmitter for transmitting garage door opening signals. A microcontroller is provided which defines, at least in part, the digital drive circuit and logic circuit. In this manner, the digital electrochromic mirror system and the garage door opener have at least some components in common. The microcontroller communicates over a vehicle network with at least one module performing at least one other vehicle function. The vehicle network may have at least wired interconnections and may further have wireless interconnections.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2003Date of Patent: November 29, 2005Assignee: Donnelly CorporationInventors: John P. Drummond, Niall R. Lynam
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Patent number: 6918674Abstract: A vehicle rearview mirror system includes an electro-optic reflective element, an ambient light sensor that is operable to sense ambient light, a glare light sensor that is operable to sense glare light and a circuit that is responsive to the ambient glare light sensors which establishes a reflectance level of the reflective element. The circuit includes a sensor-responsive device and a controller. The sensor-responsive device produces an output that is a function of light sensed by glare and ambient light sensors. The controller connects one of the glare and ambient light sensors at a time with the sensor-responsive device to establish glare and ambient light levels and thereby the reflectance level of the reflective element. The mirror system may include a display operable to project light through the reflective element and may control the intensity of the display as a function of the glare light and ambient light.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2003Date of Patent: July 19, 2005Assignee: Donnelly CorporationInventors: John P. Drummond, Kenneth Schofield
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Patent number: 6904348Abstract: A vehicular control system comprises a rearview mirror assembly and a microcontroller. The rearview mirror assembly comprises a housing and a variable reflectivity electro-optic mirror element. The microcontroller is operable to control the reflectivity of the variable reflectivity electro-optic mirror element. The microcontroller may be operable to control a plurality of accessories of the vehicle via a node of a vehicle control network. The microcontroller may be operable to receive signals from and/or transmit signals to at least one of the accessories via the node of the vehicle control network. The microcontroller may be in communication with a second microcontroller located in the mirror housing or exterior to the mirror housing. The microcontroller and the second microcontroller may be cooperatively operable. The microcontroller and the second microcontroller may be in master/slave relationship.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2003Date of Patent: June 7, 2005Assignee: Donnelly CorporationInventors: John P. Drummond, Hassel J. Savard, Kenneth Schofield, Sean J. Fletcher, Kenneth L. Schierbeek
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Publication number: 20040085221Abstract: A vehicular rearview mirror system includes an interior rearview mirror system having an electrochromic reflective element, a digital electrochromic drive circuit supplying a drive signal to the reflective element and a garage door opener. The garage door opener includes a transmitter and logic circuit. The logic circuit supplies signals to the transmitter for transmitting garage door opening signals. A microcontroller is provided which defines, at least in part, the digital drive circuit and logic circuit. In this manner, the digital electrochromic mirror system and the garage door opener have at least some components in common. The microcontroller communicates over a vehicle network with at least one module performing at least one other vehicle function. The vehicle network may have at least wired interconnections and may further have wireless interconnections.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 27, 2003Publication date: May 6, 2004Applicant: Donnelly CorporationInventors: John P. Drummond, Niall R. Lynam
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Publication number: 20040032676Abstract: A vehicle rearview mirror system includes an electro-optic reflective element, an ambient light sensor that is operable to sense ambient light, a glare light sensor that is operable to sense glare light and a circuit that is responsive to the ambient glare light sensors which establishes a reflectance level of the reflective element. The circuit includes a sensor-responsive device and a controller. The sensor-responsive device produces an output that is a function of light sensed by glare and ambient light sensors. The controller connects one of the glare and ambient light sensors at a time with the sensor-responsive device to establish glare and ambient light levels and thereby the reflectance level of the reflective element. The mirror system may include a display operable to project light through the reflective element and may control the intensity of the display as a function of the glare light and ambient light.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 30, 2003Publication date: February 19, 2004Inventors: John P. Drummond, Kenneth Schofield
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Patent number: 6639519Abstract: A vehicular rearview mirror system comprises an interior rearview mirror system that includes an interior electrochromic reflective element that assumes an interior mirror electrochromic reflective element partial reflectance level in response to an interior mirror electrochromic reflective element drive signal. A housing is provided for the interior mirror electrochromic reflective element. The vehicular rearview mirror system includes a circuit board and a digital electrochromic drive circuit, the drive circuit supplying a drive signal to the interior mirror electrochromic reflective element. The vehicular rearview mirror system includes a garage door opener; the garage door opener including a transmitter and a logic circuit for transmitting garage door opening signals. The circuit board includes a microcontroller shared, at least in part, by the electrochromic drive circuit and the logic circuit.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2002Date of Patent: October 28, 2003Assignee: Donnelly CorporationInventors: John P. Drummond, Niall R. Lynam
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Publication number: 20030144783Abstract: A vehicle control system comprises an industry standard CAN network with a number of nodes distributed around the vehicle for controlling corresponding parts of the vehicle. One such node is located in the housing of the vehicle interior rearview mirror and directly controls the reflectivity of an electro-optic mirror unit, in accordance with the state of at least one ambient light sensor and a remote keyless entry device. The node also communicates via an ISO9141 interface with a number of slave controllers such as a sun-roof control module mounted adjacent a sun-roof and a roof control module mounted in a roof housing. By this means the UCM exercises indirect control of the sun-roof in accordance with the state of a switch, and exercises indirect control of various lamps GEN1, GEN2, FLL and FRL in the roof housing in accordance with the state of switches Gen, FL and FR mounted in the roof housing or, in the case of the lamps GEN1 and GEN2, when a vehicle door is opened.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 3, 2003Publication date: July 31, 2003Applicant: Donnelly Mirrors Limited, a Corporation of the State of IrelandInventors: John P. Drummond, Hassel J. Savard, Kenneth Schofield, Sean J. Fletcher, Kenneth L. Schierbeek
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Patent number: 6515378Abstract: A vehicle rearview mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle comprises an interior rearview mirror assembly, at least one control and, preferably, at least one exterior rearview mirror assembly. The interior rearview mirror assembly includes an interior electro-optic reflective element having an electrically variable reflectivity. The exterior rearview mirror assembly includes an exterior electro-optic reflective element having an electrically variable reflectivity. The at least one control at least controls a reflectivity level of the interior electro-optic reflective element, preferably in accordance with a duty cycle of a pulse width modulated signal. The at least one control may further control a reflectivity level of the exterior electro-optic reflective element via a bus system of the vehicle. The control or controls may communicate and/or control an accessory of the vehicle via the bus system of the vehicle. The controls may comprise a control node of a vehicle control network.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2001Date of Patent: February 4, 2003Assignee: Donnelly Mirrors LimitedInventors: John P. Drummond, Hassel J. Savard, Kenneth Schofield, Sean J. Fletcher, Kenneth L. Schierbeek
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Publication number: 20020135465Abstract: A vehicular rearview mirror system comprises an interior rearview mirror system that includes an interior electrochromic reflective element that assumes an interior mirror electrochromic reflective element partial reflectance level in response to an interior mirror electrochromic reflective element drive signal. A housing is provided for the interior mirror electrochromic reflective element. The vehicular rearview mirror system includes a circuit board and a digital electrochromic drive circuit, the drive circuit supplying a drive signal to the interior mirror electrochromic reflective element. The vehicular rearview mirror system includes a garage door opener; the garage door opener including a transmitter and a logic circuit for transmitting garage door opening signals. The circuit board includes a microcontroller shared, at least in part, by the electrochromic drive circuit and the logic circuit.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 29, 2002Publication date: September 26, 2002Applicant: Donnelly CorporationInventors: John P. Drummond, Niall R. Lynam
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Patent number: 6396408Abstract: A vehicular rearview mirror system includes an interior rearview mirror system having an electrochromic reflective element, a digital electrochromic drive circuit supplying a drive signal to the reflective element and a garage door opener. The garage door opener includes a transmitter and logic circuit. The logic circuit supplies signals to the transmitter for transmitting garage door opening signals. A microcontroller is provided which defines, at least in part, the digital drive circuit and logic circuit. In this manner, the digital electrochromic mirror system and the garage door opener have at least some components in common. The microcontroller communicates over a vehicle network with at least one module performing at least one other vehicle function. The vehicle network may have at least wired interconnections and may further have wireless interconnections.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2001Date of Patent: May 28, 2002Assignee: Donnelly CorporationInventors: John P. Drummond, Niall R. Lynam
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Publication number: 20020024259Abstract: A vehicle control system comprises an industry standard CAN network with a number of nodes distributed around the vehicle for controlling corresponding parts of the vehicle. One such node is located in the housing of the vehicle interior rearview mirror and directly controls the reflectivity of an electro-optic mirror unit, in accordance with the state of at least one ambient light sensor and a remote keyless entry device. The node also communicates via an ISO9141 interface with a number of slave controllers such as a sun-roof control module mounted adjacent a sun-roof and a roof control module mounted in a roof housing. By this means the UCM exercises indirect control of the sun-roof in accordance with the state of a switch, and exercises indirect control of various lamps GEN1, GEN2, FLL and FRL in the roof housing in accordance with the state of switches Gen, FL and FR mounted in the roof housing or, in the case of the lamps GEN1 and GEN2, when a vehicle door is opened.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 28, 2001Publication date: February 28, 2002Applicant: Donnelly Mirrors Limited, a corporation of the State of IrelandInventors: John P. Drummond, Hassel J. Savard, Kenneth Schofield, Sean J. Fletcher, Kenneth L. Schierbeek
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Publication number: 20020014973Abstract: A vehicular rearview mirror system includes an interior rearview mirror system having an electrochromic reflective element, a digital electrochromic drive circuit supplying a drive signal to the reflective element and a garage door opener. The garage door opener includes a transmitter and logic circuit. The logic circuit supplies signals to the transmitter for transmitting garage door opening signals. A microcontroller is provided which defines, at least in part, the digital drive circuit and logic circuit. In this manner, the digital electrochromic mirror system and the garage door opener have at least some components in common. The microcontroller communicates over a vehicle network with at least one module performing at least one other vehicle function. The vehicle network may have at least wired interconnections and may further have wireless interconnections.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 28, 2001Publication date: February 7, 2002Inventors: John P. Drummond, Niall R. Lynam
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Patent number: 6291905Abstract: A vehicle control system comprises an industry standard CAN network with a number of nodes distributed around the vehicle for controlling corresponding parts of the vehicle. One such node is located in the housing of the vehicle interior rearview mirror and directly controls the reflectivity of an electro-optic mirror unit, in accordance with the state of at least one ambient light sensor and a remote keyless entry device. The node also communicates via an ISO9141 interface with a number of slave controllers such as a sun-roof control module mounted adjacent a sun-roof and a roof control module mounted in a roof housing. By this means the UCM exercises indirect control of the sun-roof in accordance with the state of a switch, and exercises indirect control of various lamps GEN1, GEN2, FLL and FRL in the roof housing in accordance with the state of switches Gen, FL and FR mounted in the roof housing or, in the case of the lamps GEN1 and GEN2, when a vehicle door is opened.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 1999Date of Patent: September 18, 2001Assignee: Donnelly Mirrors LimitedInventors: John P. Drummond, Hassel J. Savard, Kenneth Schofield, Sean J. Fletcher, Kenneth L. Schierbeek