Automatic vehicle exterior light control system assemblies

Abstract

The present invention relates to various improvements relating to automatic vehicle equipment control systems.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An automatic vehicle exterior light control system, comprising: 
 an attachment member and carrier/baffle configured to secure an imager board within approximately 5 degrees and approximately −5 degrees of a desired image sensor optical axis.    
     
     
         2 . An automatic vehicle exterior light control system as in  claim 1  wherein the control system is configured to self calibrate an image area of an image sensor to compensate for minor image sensor misalignment.  
     
     
         3 . An automatic vehicle exterior light control system as in  claim 1  wherein said imager board is vertically aligned within approximately 5 degrees and approximately −5 degrees of a desired image sensor optical axis.  
     
     
         4 . An automatic vehicle exterior light control system as in  claim 1  wherein said imager board is horizontally aligned within approximately 5 degrees and approximately −5 degrees of a desired image sensor optic axis.  
     
     
         5 . An automatic vehicle exterior light control system as in  claim 1 , said attachment member further comprising a ball for attachment of a rearview mirror assembly.  
     
     
         6 . An automatic vehicle exterior light control system as in  claim 1  wherein the image sensor and at least one other device selected from the group comprising; an image sensor control logic; an A/D converter; a low voltage differential signal line driver; a temperature sensor; control output; a voltage regulator; a second image sensor; a microprocessor; a moisture sensor and a compass are integrated in a common application specific integrated chip.  
     
     
         7 . An automatic vehicle exterior light control system as in  claim 6  wherein said image sensor and said at least one other device are integrated on a common silicon wafer.  
     
     
         8 . An automatic vehicle exterior light control system, comprising: 
 an attachment member and a carrier that cooperate to define an image sensor optical axis.    
     
     
         9 . An automatic vehicle exterior light control system as in  claim 8  further comprising at least one shim positioned at least partially between said attachment member and said carrier to define a second image sensor optical axis.  
     
     
         10 . An automatic vehicle exterior light control system as in  claim 8 , said image sensor comprising peripheral pixels that surround pixels associated with a nominal field of view.  
     
     
         11 . An automatic vehicle exterior light control system as in  claim 10  further comprising automatic alignment means to compensate for minor image sensor optical axis misalignment.  
     
     
         12 . An automatic vehicle exterior light control system as in  claim 8 , said attachment member further comprising a ball for attachment of a rearview mirror assembly.  
     
     
         13 . An automatic vehicle exterior light control system as in  claim 8  wherein the image sensor and at least one other device selected from the group comprising; an image sensor control logic; an A/D converter; a low voltage differential signal line driver; a temperature sensor; control output; a voltage regulator; a second image sensor; a microprocessor; a moisture sensor and a compass are integrated in a common application specific integrated chip.  
     
     
         14 . An automatic vehicle exterior light control system as in  claim 13  further comprising at least one shim positioned at least partially between said attachment member and said carrier to define a second image sensor optical axis.  
     
     
         15 . An automatic vehicle exterior light control system, comprising: 
 a mechanical image sensor repositioning means that allows automatic and, or, manual image sensor alignment.    
     
     
         16 . An automatic vehicle exterior light control system as in  claim 15  an automatic image sensor repositioning means further comprises at least one input selected from the group comprising: a pitch sensor, a yaw sensor, a turning sensor, a breaking sensor, an acceleration sensor and a load sensor.  
     
     
         17 . An automatic vehicle exterior light control system, comprising: 
 an attachment member and carrier configured to secure an imager board within approximately 5 degrees and approximately −5 degrees of a desired image sensor optical axis, said attachment member and said carrier cooperate to define an image sensor optical axis; and    a mechanical image sensor repositioning means that allows automatic and, or, manual image sensor alignment.    
     
     
         18 . An automatic vehicle exterior light control system as in  claim 17  wherein the image sensor and at least one other device selected from the group comprising; an image sensor control logic; an A/D converter; a low voltage differential signal line driver; a temperature sensor; control output; a voltage regulator; a second image sensor; a microprocessor; a moisture sensor and a compass are integrated in a common application specific integrated chip.  
     
     
         19 . An automatic vehicle exterior light control system as in  claim 18  further comprising at least one shim positioned at least partially between said attachment member and said carrier to define a second image sensor optical axis.  
     
     
         20 . An automatic vehicle equipment control system, comprising: 
 an attachment member and carrier configured to secure an imager board within approximately 5 degrees and approximately −5 degrees of a desired image sensor optical axis, said attachment member and said carrier cooperate to define an image sensor optical axis.    
     
     
         21 . An automatic vehicle equipment control system as in  claim 20  wherein the image sensor and at least one other device selected from the group comprising; an image sensor control logic; an A/D converter; a low voltage differential signal line driver; a temperature sensor; control output; a voltage regulator; a second image sensor; a microprocessor; a moisture sensor and a compass are integrated in a common application specific integrated chip.  
     
     
         22 . An automatic vehicle equipment control system as in  claim 21  further comprising at least one shim positioned at least partially between said attachment member and said carrier to define a second image sensor optical axis.  
     
     
         23 . An automatic vehicle equipment control system as in  claim 20  further comprising at least one device selected from the group comprising: an electro-optic mirror element; an ambient light sensor; a glare light sensor; an information display; an indicator; a microphone; a compass; an operator interface; a temperature indicator; a Bluetooth interface; a wireless transceiver; a vehicle bus interface; a passenger side restraint status display and an electro-optic mirror element control.