Vehicular interior rearview mirror with infrared filtering via light sensor and processing

A vehicular interior rearview mirror system, the vehicular interior rearview mirror system comprising:

• an interior rearview mirror assembly comprising (i) a mounting base configured for attachment at an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular interior rearview mirror system and (ii) a mirror head adjustable relative to the mounting base;
• wherein the mirror head comprises a variable reflectance electro-optic mirror reflective element;
• an imaging sensor disposed at the mirror head, wherein the imaging sensor captures image data for a driver monitoring system of the vehicle;
• wherein the imaging sensor captures image data representative of (i) visible light passing through the variable reflectance electro-optic mirror reflective element and (ii) near infrared light passing through the variable reflectance electro-optic mirror reflective element;
• wherein the imaging sensor comprises (i) at least one first photosensing element that captures image data representative of visible light, and (ii) at least one second photosensing element that captures image data representative of near infrared light;
• an electronic control unit (ECU), wherein the ECU comprises electronic circuitry and associated software, and wherein the electronic circuitry comprises an image processor for processing image data captured by the imaging sensor;
• wherein the vehicular interior rearview mirror system, based on processing at the ECU of the captured image data, determines a near infrared light component of the captured image data;
• wherein the vehicular interior rearview mirror system, based on processing at the ECU of the captured image data, determines glare light emanating from rearward of the vehicle and controls dimming of the variable reflectance electro-optic mirror reflective element based on the determined glare light;
• wherein the vehicular interior rearview mirror system does not rely on the determined near infrared light component of the captured image data when determining the glare light and controlling dimming of the variable reflectance electro-optic mirror reflective element;
• wherein the captured image data representative of visible light passing through the variable reflectance electro-optic mirror reflective element and the captured image data representative of near infrared light passing through the variable reflectance electro-optic mirror reflective element are processed at the ECU for the driver monitoring system of the vehicle;
• wherein, based on the determined near infrared light component of the captured image data being above a threshold level of near infrared light, (i) reliance on processing of the captured image data representative of visible light passing through the variable reflectance electro-optic mirror reflective element for the driver monitoring system of the vehicle is reduced and (ii) reliance on processing of the captured image data representative of near infrared light passing through the variable reflectance electro-optic mirror reflective element for the driver monitoring system of the vehicle is increased;
• and
• wherein, based on the determined near infrared light component of the captured image data being less than the threshold level of near infrared light, (i) reliance on processing of the captured image data representative of visible light passing through the variable reflectance electro-optic mirror reflective element for the driver monitoring system of the vehicle is increased and (il) reliance on processing of the captured image data representative of near infrared light passing through the variable reflectance electro-optic mirror reflective element for the driver monitoring system of the vehicle is reduced.

A vehicular interior rearview mirror system, the vehicular interior rearview mirror system comprising:

• an interior rearview mirror assembly comprising (i) a mounting base configured for attachment at an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular interior rearview mirror system and (ii) a mirror head adjustable relative to the mounting base;
• wherein the mirror head comprises a variable reflectance electro-optic mirror reflective element;
• a glare light sensor disposed at the mirror head, wherein the glare light sensor captures sensor data representative of (i) visible light passing through the variable reflectance electro-optic mirror reflective element and (ii) near infrared light passing through the variable reflectance electro-optic mirror reflective element;
• wherein the glare light sensor comprises an imaging sensor that captures image data for a driver monitoring system of the vehicle;
• an electronic control unit (ECU), wherein the ECU comprises electronic circuitry and associated software, and wherein the electronic circuitry comprises a data processor for processing sensor data captured by the glare light sensor:
• wherein the vehicular interior rearview mirror system, based on processing at the ECU of the captured sensor data, determines a near infrared light component of the captured sensor data;
• wherein the vehicular interior rearview mirror system, based on processing at the ECU of the captured sensor data, controls dimming of the variable reflectance electro-optic mirror reflective element;
• wherein the vehicular interior rearview mirror system does not rely on the determined near infrared light component of the captured sensor data when controlling dimming of the variable reflectance electro-optic mirror reflective element;
• and
• wherein, based on the determined near infrared light component of the captured sensor data being less than a threshold level of near infrared light, the captured sensor data representative of visible light passing through the variable reflectance electro-optic mirror reflective element is processed at the ECU for the driver monitoring system of the vehicle and the captured sensor data representative of near infrared light passing through the variable reflectance electro-optic mirror reflective element is not processed at the ECU for the driver monitoring system of the vehicle, and wherein, based on the determined near infrared light component of the captured sensor data being greater than or equal to the threshold level of near infrared light, the captured sensor data representative of near infrared light passing through the variable reflectance electro- optic mirror reflective element is processed at the ECU for the driver monitoring system of the vehicle and the captured sensor data representative of visible light passing through the variable reflectance electro-optic mirror reflective element is not processed at the ECU for the driver monitoring system of the vehicle.