1. A rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said rearview mirror system comprising:
an interior rearview mirror assembly having a transflective electrochromic reflective element, said reflective element having a front surface and a rear surface, said front surface being closer to the driver of a vehicle than said rear surface when said mirror assembly is mounted in a vehicle equipped with said rearview mirror system;
wherein said transflective reflective element comprises a mirror reflector that partially reflects light incident thereon and that partially transmits light incident thereon and wherein said transflective reflective element is at least about 20 percent transmitting to visible light incident from rearward of said rear surface of said reflective element;
an ambient light sensor operable to sense ambient light;
a glare light sensor operable to sense light incident at or near said reflective element;
wherein said ambient light sensor comprises a silicon photo-diode and associated circuitry commonly formed as an integrated circuit and wherein said glare light sensor comprises a silicon photo-diode and associated circuitry commonly formed as an integrated circuit;
wherein said glare light sensor converts incident light to a signal processed by a microprocessor;
wherein said ambient light sensor converts incident light to a signal processed by a microprocessor;
a control circuit operable to establish a reflectance level of said reflective element, wherein said control circuit is responsive to light detection by at least one of said ambient light sensor and said glare light sensor;
a display element disposed behind said transflective electrochromic reflective element and operable to display information through said mirror reflector of said transflective electrochromic reflective element and viewable through said mirror reflector of said transflective electrochromic reflective element by a driver of the vehicle when said display element is displaying information, and substantially non-viewable by the driver of the vehicle when said display element is not displaying information;
wherein said display element comprises at least one of (a) a video display, (b) a backlit liquid crystal display video screen, (c) a backlit TFT liquid crystal display video screen, (d) a liquid crystal display video screen backlit by at least one high-intensity power light emitting diode, and (e) a liquid crystal display video screen backlit by at least one white light light emitting diode; and
a display intensity control for adjusting display intensity of said display element, said display intensity control adjusting display intensity responsive to a light detection by at least one of said glare light sensor and said ambient light sensor, wherein display intensity is adjusted responsive to at least one of (a) an ambient light level detected by at least one of said ambient light sensor and said glare light sensor and (b) a glare light level detected by at least one of said ambient light sensor and said glare light sensor, said glare light level representative of light impinging a rearward facing surface of said reflective element.
2. The rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said display intensity control establishes an appropriate display intensity regardless of the darkness of a background field.
3. The rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said control circuit establishes a reflectance level of said reflective element responsive to a ratio of a glare light value to an ambient light value.
4. The rearview mirror system of claim 3, wherein said ratio of glare light value to ambient light value is from about 0.01 lux to at least about 100 lux.
5. The rearview mirror system of claim 3, wherein said control circuit establishes said reflectance level within a relatively linear value of said ratio of glare light value to ambient light value.
6. The rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein at least one of (a) said control circuit comprises a charge accumulation device, a comparison function and a controller, said comparison function comparing an output of said charge accumulation device with a reference, said controller selectively connecting said glare sensor and said ambient light sensor with said charge accumulation device, (b) said control circuit at least one of (i) alternates connecting said glare light sensor and said ambient light sensor with a charge accumulation device, and (ii) comprises compensation to adapt said control circuit to changes in light levels sensed by said glare and ambient light sensors, and wherein said control circuit comprises a charge accumulation device and a controller, said controller selectively connecting said glare light sensor and said ambient light sensor with said charge accumulation device, wherein said compensation comprises a plurality of voltage reference levels and said control circuit selectively compares an output of said charge accumulation device with one of said voltage reference levels, and (c) said control circuit comprises a drive function that produces a drive signal that is applied to said reflective element, said drive function comprising a switching device, said circuit operating said switching device at a particular duty cycle to establish the reflectance level of said reflective element.
7. The rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said associated circuitry of said ambient light sensor comprises a current-to-frequency converter and wherein said associated circuitry of said glare light sensor comprises a current-to-frequency converter.
8. The rearview mirror system of claim 1 further comprising temperature compensation for compensating for temperature variation of at least one of said glare light sensor and said ambient light sensor, and wherein said temperature compensation is responsive to at least one of (a) a reference sensor that is not exposed to light and (b) a temperature sensor.
9. The rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said display intensity control controls display intensity in accordance with the equation:
I=Fn((ME*GV)(AV)
where I is the display intensity, ME is a modulating effect, GV is a glare light value, and AV is an ambient light value, and wherein display intensity as calculated by said equation has a value of one when the value of (ME*GV)AV is less than one.
10. The rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said ambient light sensor comprises a silicon photo-diode and associated circuitry commonly formed as a monolithic CMOS integrated circuit and wherein said glare light sensor comprises a silicon photo-diode and associated circuitry commonly formed as a monolithic CMOS integrated circuit.
11. The rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said transflective reflective element is at least about 60 percent reflective to visible light incident from its front.
12. A rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said rearview mirror system comprising:
an interior rearview mirror assembly having a transflective electrochromic reflective element, said reflective element having a front surface and a rear surface, said front surface being closer to the driver of a vehicle than said rear surface when said mirror assembly is mounted in a vehicle equipped with said rearview mirror system;
wherein said transflective reflective element comprises a mirror reflector that partially reflects light incident thereon and that partially transmits light incident thereon and wherein said transflective reflective element is at least about 20 percent transmitting to visible light incident from rearward of said rear surface of said reflective element;
an ambient light sensor operable to sense ambient light;
a glare light sensor operable to sense light incident at or near said reflective element;
wherein said ambient light sensor comprises a silicon photo-diode and associated circuitry commonly formed as a CMOS integrated circuit and wherein said glare light sensor comprises a silicon photo-diode and associated circuitry commonly formed as a CMOS integrated circuit;
wherein said glare light sensor converts incident light to a signal processed by a microprocessor;
wherein said ambient light sensor converts incident light to a signal processed by a microprocessor;
a control circuit operable to establish a reflectance level of said reflective element, wherein said control circuit is responsive to light detection by at least one of said ambient light sensor and said glare light sensor;
a display element disposed behind said transflective electrochromic reflective element and operable to display information through said mirror reflector of said transflective electrochromic reflective element and viewable through said mirror reflector of said transflective electrochromic reflective element by a driver of the vehicle when said display element is displaying information, and substantially non-viewable by the driver of the vehicle when said display element is not displaying information;
wherein said display element comprises a liquid crystal display video screen backlit by at least one white light light emitting diode; and
a display intensity control for adjusting display intensity of said display element, said display intensity control adjusting display intensity responsive to a light detection by at least one of said glare light sensor and said ambient light sensor, wherein display intensity is adjusted responsive to at least one of (a) an ambient light level detected by at least one of said ambient light sensor and said glare light sensor and (b) a glare light level detected by at least one of said ambient light sensor and said glare light sensor, said glare light level representative of light impinging a rearward facing surface of said reflective element.
13. The rearview mirror system of claim 12, wherein said associated circuitry of said ambient light sensor comprises a current-to-frequency converter and wherein said associated circuitry of said glare light sensor comprises a current-to-frequency converter.
14. The rearview mirror system of claim 12 further comprising temperature compensation for compensating for temperature variation of at least one of said glare light sensor and said ambient light sensor, and wherein said temperature compensation is responsive to at least one of (a) a reference sensor that is not exposed to light and (b) a temperature sensor.
15. A rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said rearview mirror system comprising:
an interior rearview mirror assembly having a transflective electrochromic reflective element, said reflective element having a front surface and a rear surface, said front surface being closer to the driver of a vehicle than said rear surface when said mirror assembly is mounted in a vehicle equipped with said rearview mirror system;
wherein said transflective reflective element comprises a mirror reflector that partially reflects light incident thereon and that partially transmits light incident thereon;
wherein said transflective reflective element is at least about 20 percent transmitting to visible light incident from rearward of said rear surface of said reflective element and wherein said transflective reflective element is at least about 60 percent reflective to visible light incident from its front;
an ambient light sensor operable to sense ambient light;
a glare light sensor operable to sense light incident at or near said reflective element;
wherein said ambient light sensor comprises a silicon photo-diode and associated circuitry commonly formed as an integrated circuit and wherein said glare light sensor comprises a silicon photo-diode and associated circuitry commonly formed as an integrated circuit;
wherein said glare light sensor converts incident light to a signal processed by a microprocessor;
wherein said ambient light sensor converts incident light to a signal processed by a microprocessor;
a control circuit operable to establish a reflectance level of said reflective element, wherein said control circuit is responsive to light detection by at least one of said ambient light sensor and said glare light sensor;
a display element disposed behind said transflective electrochromic reflective element and operable to display information through said mirror reflector of said transflective electrochromic reflective element and viewable through said mirror reflector of said transflective electrochromic reflective element by a driver of the vehicle when said display element is displaying information, and substantially non-viewable by the driver of the vehicle when said display element is not displaying information;
wherein said display element comprises at least one of (a) a video display, (b) a backlit liquid crystal display video screen, (c) a backlit TFT liquid crystal display video screen, (d) a liquid crystal display video screen backlit by at least one high-intensity power light emitting diode, and (e) a liquid crystal display video screen backlit by at least one white light light emitting diode;
a display intensity control for adjusting display intensity of said display element, said display intensity control adjusting display intensity responsive to a light detection by at least one of said glare light sensor and said ambient light sensor, wherein display intensity is adjusted responsive to at least one of (a) an ambient light level detected by at least one of said ambient light sensor and said glare light sensor and (b) a glare light level detected by at least one of said ambient light sensor and said glare light sensor, said glare light level representative of light impinging a rearward facing surface of said reflective element; and
wherein at least one of (a) said associated circuitry of said ambient light sensor comprises a current-to-frequency converter and wherein said associated circuitry of said glare light sensor comprises a current-to-frequency converter, (b) said rearview mirror system further comprises temperature compensation for compensating for temperature variation of at least one of said glare light sensor and said ambient light sensor, and wherein said temperature compensation is responsive to at least one of (i) a reference sensor that is not exposed to light and (ii) a temperature sensor, and (c) said ambient light sensor comprises a silicon photo-diode and associated circuitry commonly formed as a monolithic CMOS integrated circuit and wherein said glare light sensor comprises a silicon photo-diode and associated circuitry commonly formed as a monolithic CMOS integrated circuit.
16. The rearview mirror system of claim 15, wherein said control circuit comprises a charge accumulation device, a comparison function and a controller, said comparison function comparing an output of said charge accumulation device with a reference, said controller selectively connecting said glare sensor and said ambient light sensor with said charge accumulation device.
17. The rearview mirror system of claim 16, wherein said control circuit at least one of (i) alternates connecting said glare light sensor and said ambient light sensor with said charge accumulation device, and (ii) comprises compensation to adapt said control circuit to changes in light levels sensed by said glare and ambient light sensors and wherein said compensation comprises a plurality of voltage reference levels and said control circuit selectively compares an output of said charge accumulation device with one of said voltage reference levels.
18. The rearview mirror system of claim 16, wherein said control circuit comprises a drive function that produces a drive signal that is applied to said reflective element, said drive function comprising a switching device, said circuit operating said switching device at a particular duty cycle to establish the reflectance level of said reflective element.
19. The rearview mirror system of claim 15, wherein said control circuit establishes a reflectance level of said reflective element responsive to a ratio of a glare light value to an ambient light value.
20. The rearview mirror system of claim 19, wherein said ratio of glare light value to ambient light value is from about 0.01 lux to at least about 100 lux.
21. The rearview mirror system of claim 15, wherein said display element comprises a liquid crystal display video screen backlit by at least one white light light emitting diode, and wherein at least one of (a) said transflective reflective element is at least about 60 percent reflective to visible light incident from its front and (b) said display intensity control establishes an appropriate display intensity regardless of the darkness of a background field.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An image processor for performing image processing in parallel using a plurality of processors, wherein when an individual scanning line is divided into a plurality of partial areas, at least one of said plurality of processors is allocated to each of said partial areas for at least one scanning line constituting an image, and image processing is performed in parallel.
2. The image processor according to claim 1, wherein said image processing is image compression processing or image decompression processing.
3. The image processor according to claim 1, comprising memory areas for the number of scanning lines, less than the number of said plurality of processors, as memory areas for storing an image processing result.
4. The image processor according to claim 1, further comprising means of transferring the corresponding image processing result to a processor in the subsequent stage in the sequence of the lineup of the partial areas in the scanning line.
5. The image processor according to claim 1, further comprising means of transferring the image processing result to a processor in the subsequent stage when the image processing result for one scanning line is collected.
6. A printer control unit comprising a function to perform image processing in parallel using a plurality of processors, wherein when an individual scanning line is divided into a plurality of partial areas, at least one of said plurality of processors is allocated to each of said partial areas for at least one scanning line constituting an image, and image compression processing is performed in parallel, and compressed data corresponding to each partial area is transmitted to a printer.
7. A printer comprising a function to perform image processing in parallel using a plurality of processors, wherein when an individual scanning line is divided into a plurality of partial areas, compressed partial data corresponding to each of said partial area is received from the host device for at least one scanning line constituting an image, and at least one of said plurality of processors is allocated to said compressed partial data, and image decompression processing is performed in parallel.
8. A printer system comprising a host device and a printer that can communicate with said host device, in which the host device and printer have a function to perform image processing in parallel using a plurality of processors respectively, wherein when an individual scanning line is divided into a plurality of partial areas, the host device allocates at least one of said plurality of processors to each of said partial areas for at least one scanning line constituting an image, performs image compression processing in parallel, and transmits the compressed data, corresponding to each partial area (hereafter called \u201ccompressed partial data\u201d), to the printer, and when individual scanning line is divided into a plurality of partial areas, the printer receives the compressed partial data corresponding to each of said partial area from the host device, and allocates at least one of the plurality of processors to the compressed partial data for at least one scanning line constituting the image, and performs image decompression processing in parallel.
9. An image processing method for performing image processing in parallel using a plurality of processors, wherein when an individual scanning line is divided into a plurality of partial areas, at least one of said plurality of processors is allocated to each of said partial areas for at least one scanning line constituting an image, and image processing is performed in parallel.
10. A program for executing the image processing method according to claim 9 by a computer.
11. An image processor, wherein when the bit length of each pixel of a scanning line constituting an image is L1-LN respectively, image processing for at least one of said scanning lines is performed targeting at least the (L1+- – – +LN) length data string in which the data of said each pixel is lined up.
12. An image processor for performing image processing in parallel using a plurality of processors, comprising control means by which when an individual scanning line is divided into a plurality of partial areas, at least one of said plurality of processors is allocated to each of said partial areas for at least one scanning line constituting an image, and image processing is performed in parallel, wherein when the bit length of each pixel of a partial area corresponding to a processor is L1-LN respectively, said control means controls said processor to perform image processing of said partial area targeting at least the (L1+- – – +LN) length data string in which the data of said each pixel is lined up.
13. The image processor according to claim 12, wherein the lineup of the bit length of each pixel in said image has a periodic pattern, and the boundary of said partial area matches at least one of the boundaries of said periodic pattern.
14. The image processor according to claim 13, further comprising storage means for storing said periodic pattern, wherein said control means acquires the bit length of each pixel by applying said periodic pattern to said (L1+- – – +LN) length data string, and extracts information for each pixel.
15. The image processor according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the bit lengths L1-LN of said each pixel is different from the other bit lengths.
16. The image processor according to claim 11, wherein said image processing is image compression processing or image decompression processing.
17. A printer control unit having a function for performing image processing in parallel using plurality of processors, comprising control means by which when an individual scanning line is divided into a plurality of areas, at least one of said plurality of processors is allocated to each of said partial areas for at least one scanning line constituting an image, and image compression processing is performed in parallel, and compressed data corresponding to each partial area is transmitted to a printer, wherein
when the bit length of each pixel of a partial area corresponding to a processor is L1-LN respectively, said control means controls said processor to perform image compression processing of said partial area targeting at least the (L1+- – – +LN) length data string in which data of said each pixel is lined up.
18. A printer having a function for performing image processing in parallel using a plurality of processors, comprising:
storage means for storing a periodic pattern for specifying the lineup of a bit length of each pixel; and
control means by which an individual scanning line is divided into a plurality of partial areas, compressed partial data corresponding to each of said partial areas is received from a host device, and at least one of said plurality of processors is allocated to the compressed partial data for at least one scanning line constituting an image, and image decompression processing is performed in parallel,
wherein when the bit length of each pixel of a partial area corresponding to a processor is L1-LN respectively, said control means acquires the bit length of each pixel by applying said periodic pattern, and extracts information for each pixel targeting at least the (L1+- – – +LN) length data string in which data of said each pixel, that said processor output as the result of image decompression processing, is lined up.
19. A printer system comprising a host device and a printer that can communicate with said host device, in which the host device and printer have a function to perform image processing in parallel using a plurality of processors respectively; wherein
the host device comprises first control means for allocating, when an individual scanning line is divided into a plurality of partial areas, at least one of said plurality of processors is allocated to each of said partial areas for at least one scanning line constituting an image, performing image compression processing in parallel, and transmitting the compressed data, corresponding to each partial area (hereafter called \u201ccompressed partial data\u201d), to the printer,
when the bit length of each pixel of a partial area corresponding to a processor is L1-LN respectively, said first control means controls said processor to perform image compression processing of said partial area targeting at least the (L1+- – – +LN) length data string in which data of said each pixel is lined up,
said printer comprises storage means for storing a periodic pattern for specifying the lineup of the bit length of each pixel, and second control means by which when an individual scanning line is divided into a plurality of partial areas, compressed partial data corresponding to each of said partial area is received from the host device, and at least one of the plurality of processors is allocated to the compressed partial data for at least one scanning line constituting an image, and image decompression processing is performed in parallel, and
when the bit length of each pixel of a partial area corresponding to a processor is L1-LN respectively, said second control means acquires the bit length of each pixel by applying said periodic pattern and extracts information for each pixel targeting at least the (L1+- – – +LN) length data string in which the data of each pixel, that said processor output as a result of image decompression processing, is lined up.
20. An image processing method, wherein when the bit length of each pixel of a scanning line constituting an image is L1-LN respectively, image processing for said scanning line is performed for at least one scanning line, targeting at least the (L1+- – – +LN) length data string in which the data of said each pixel is lined up.
21. A program for executing the image processing method according to claim 20 by a computer.
22. An image processor for decompressing data in parallel targeting data compressed for each partial area when scanning lines (or bands) constituting an image are divided into a plurality of said partial areas perpendicular to the direction of the scanning line, comprising:
means of reading compressed data of each partial area from a first memory for storing burst-transferred data in data set units including compressed data of which capacity is the same for each partial area so as to maintain the lineup sequence of the scanning lines (or bands), and transferring the compressed data to an FIFO type second memory;
means of allocating at least one of a plurality of processors to said partial areas respectively; and
a parallel processor unit in which each processor reads compressed data in the partial area where said processor itself is allocated from the second memory and executes decompression processing in parallel synchronizing in scanning line (or band) units.
23. A printer comprising the image processor according to claim 22.
24. An image processing system comprising an image compression unit and an image decompression unit, each of which has a function to perform image processing in parallel using a plurality of processors, wherein
the image compression unit allocates at least one of the plurality of processors to each of partial areas when scanning lines (or bands) constituting an image are divided into a plurality of said partial areas perpendicular to the direction of the scanning line, and performs image compression processing in parallel, and burst-transmits the data to the image decompression unit in data set units including compression data of which capacity is the same for each partial area, and
the image decompression unit receives the burst-transferred data from the image compression unit and stores it in a first memory, reads the compressed data of each partial area from said first memory so as to maintain the lineup sequence of the scanning lines (or bands), and transfers it to an FIFO type second memory, and allocates at least one of the plurality of processors to each of said partial areas, and controls each processor to read the compressed data of the partial area where the processor itself is allocated, and to perform image decompression processing in parallel synchronizing in scanning line (or band) units.
25. An image processing method for decompressing the data in parallel targeting data compressed for each partial area when scanning lines (or bands) constituting an image are divided into a plurality of said partial areas perpendicular to the direction of the scanning lines, comprising steps of:
receiving burst-transferred data in data set units including compressed data of which capacity is the same for each partial area and storing it in a first memory;
reading the compressed data of each partial area from said first memory so as to maintain the lineup sequence of the scanning lines (or bands), and storing it in an FIFO type second memory; and
allocating at least one of the plurality of processors to each of said partial areas, and controlling each processor to read compressed data in the partial area where said processor itself is allocated from a second memory and to perform image decompression processing in parallel synchronizing in scanning line (or band) units.
26. A program for executing the image processing method according to claim 25 by a computer.
27. An image processor for decompressing the data in parallel targeting data compressed for each partial area when scanning lines (or bands) constituting an image are divided into a plurality of said partial areas perpendicular to the direction of the scanning lines, comprising:
a plurality of FIFO type memories installed corresponding to each partial area respectively;
storage means for distributing burst-transferred data in data set units including the compressed data of which capacity is the same for each partial area, to the compressed data of said each partial area and storing the distributed data in the corresponding memories; and
a parallel processor unit in which each processor reads the compressed data of said each partial area from a memory corresponding to the allocated partial area respectively, and executes decompression processing in parallel synchronizing in scanning line (or band) units.
28. A printer comprising the image processor according to claim 27.
29. An image processing system comprising an image compression unit and an image decompression unit, each of which has a function to perform image processing in parallel using a plurality of processors, wherein
the image compression unit allocates at least one of the plurality of processors to each of the partial areas when scanning lines (or bands) constituting an image are divided into a plurality of said partial areas perpendicular to the direction of the scanning lines, and performs image compressing in parallel, and burst-transmits the data to the image decompression unit in data set units including compressed data of which capacity is the same for each partial area, and
the image decompression unit receives the burst-transferred data from the image compression unit and distributes this received data to the compressed data for each partial area, stores it in an FIFO type memory installed corresponding to each partial area respectively, and controls each processor to read the compressed data of the partial area from each memory allocated respectively, and to perform image decompression processing in parallel synchronizing in scanning line (or band) units.
30. An image processing method for decompressing the data in parallel targeting data compressed for each partial area using a plurality of processors when scanning lines (or bands) constituting an image are divided into a plurality of said partial areas perpendicular to the direction of the scanning lines, comprising steps of:
receiving burst-transferred data in data set units including compressed data of which capacity is the same for each partial area and distributing this received data to the compressed data for each partial area, and storing the distributed data in an FIFO memory installed corresponding to each partial area; and
controlling each processor to read the compressed data of the partial data from a memory allocated to each processor and to perform image decompression processing in parallel synchronizing in scanning line (or band) units.
31. A program for executing the image processing method according to claim 30 by a computer.