Illuminated mirror device and method for controlling illumination thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9664374-B2
Application number	US-201214404945-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2012
Priority date	Jun 1, 2012
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

Provided is an illuminated mirror device including: a mirror; a light-emitting part for illumination disposed near the mirror; and driving means for driving the light-emitting part, and detection means for detecting a direction of a face of a person in front of the mirror with respect to the mirror, wherein the driving means controls an emission luminance distribution on a light-emitting surface of the light-emitting part on the basis of the face direction detected by the detection means. Also provided is a method for controlling illumination thereof.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An illuminated mirror device comprising:
a mirror;
a light-emitting part for illumination disposed near the mirror; and
means for driving the light-emitting part, and
means for detecting a face direction of a person in front of the mirror with respect to the mirror, wherein
the means for driving controls an emission luminance distribution on a light-emitting surface of the light-emitting part based on the face direction detected by the means for detecting, wherein the means for driving sets a luminance of a region of the light-emitting surface opposite to the face direction with respect to a center line of the mirror so as to be greater than a luminance of a region of the light-emitting surface corresponding to the face direction when the face direction detected by the means for detecting is shifted from a direction directly facing the mirror.

2. The mirror device according to claim 1 , wherein when the face direction detected by the means for detecting directly faces the mirror, the means for driving drives the light-emitting part so that the entire light-emitting surface of the light-emitting part emits light with an even luminance; when the means for detecting has detected that the turning of the face is directed in a leftward direction from the direction directly facing the mirror, the means for driving drives the light-emitting part so that an emission luminance in a right region with respect to the center line of the light-emitting surface is greater than an emission luminance in a left region with respect to the center line of the light-emitting surface; and when the means for detecting has detected that the face direction is directed in a rightward direction from the direction directly facing the mirror, the means for driving drives the light-emitting part so that an emission luminance in the left region is greater than an emission luminance in the right region.

3. The mirror device according to claim 2 , wherein the light-emitting part has a frame-shaped light-emitting surface disposed on an outer periphery of the mirror; and
the means for driving individually drives a light source corresponding to the right region of the light-emitting surface and a light source corresponding to the left region according to the face direction detected by the means for detecting.

4. The mirror device according to claim 2 , wherein the light-emitting part includes the left region and the right region interposing the mirror therebetween, and
the means for driving individually drives a light source corresponding to the right region of the light-emitting surface and a light source corresponding to the left region according to the face direction detected by the means for detecting.

5. The mirror device according to claim 1 , wherein
the mirror is a half mirror, and
the light-emitting part includes a light source part and a light diffusion plate with the half mirror being adhered thereto at a surface opposite to a mirror surface thereof, and the light diffusion plate diffuses light emitted from the light source part.

6. The mirror device according to claim 5 , wherein the light source part includes a left light source disposed on a left side surface of the light diffusion plate and a right light source disposed on a right side surface of the light diffusion plate.

7. The mirror device according to claim 6 , wherein the light source part comprises a surface light source disposed on a surface of the light diffusion plate opposite to a surface to which the half mirror is adhered.

8. The mirror device according to claim 1 , comprising:
a flap for covering the mirror in an openable manner; and
a flap-linked switch to be turned on when the flap is in an opened state to supply a power-supply voltage to the means for driving and to be turned off when the flap is in a closed state in order to stop the supply of the power-supply voltage to the means for driving.

9. The mirror device according to claim 1 , comprising an infrared sensor for detecting presence of a person in front of the mirror, wherein
the means for driving drives the light-emitting part when presence of a person in front of the mirror is detected by the infrared sensor.

10. The mirror device according to claim 1 wherein
the means for detection includes:
an image sensor for image-capturing the face of the person in front of the mirror and generating an image signal; and
a determination part for detecting a contour of the face of the person from the image signal and determining a direction of the face of the person with respect to the mirror on the basis of an area density of a region of a face part within the contour.

11. A method for controlling illumination of an illuminated mirror device, the illuminated mirror device including: a mirror; a light-emitting part for illumination disposed near the mirror; and means for driving the light-emitting part, the method comprising:
detecting a direction of a face of a person in front of the mirror with respect to the mirror; and
controlling an emission luminance distribution on a light-emitting surface of the light-emitting part by the means for driving based on the face direction detected by the detecting, wherein when the face direction detected by the detecting is shifted from a direction directly facing the mirror, the controlling sets a luminance of a region of the light-emitting surface opposite to the face direction with respect to a center line of the mirror so as to be greater than a luminance of a region of the light-emitting surface corresponding to the face direction.

12. An illuminated reflective device including a plurality of light emitting portions attached to a reflective surface, the illuminated reflective device comprising:
one or more sensors configured to detect a difference between a first position and a second position of an object; and
a circuit configured to set a luminance of a first region of the light-emitting portions of the illuminated reflective device that corresponds to a face direction of the object to be smaller than a luminance of a second region of the light-emitting portions that corresponds to a direction different from the face direction of the object, in response to the one or more sensors detecting the first position and the second position of the object.

13. The illuminated reflective device of claim 12 , wherein the circuit further comprises:
detection circuitry configured to detect a motion of the object with respect to the reflective surface; and
driving circuitry configured to drive the plurality of light-emitting portions based on the detected motion of the object.

14. The illuminated reflective device according to claim 13 , wherein the driving circuitry determines a luminance distribution of the plurality of light-emitting portions continuously according to detection of an angle of the object, the objecting comprising a face of a person with respect to the reflective surface.

15. The illuminated reflective device according to claim 13 , wherein the detection circuitry detects the object comprising a face part of the person.

16. The illuminated reflective device according to claim 12 , wherein the one or more sensors comprises at least one of an image sensor and an infrared sensor.

17. A device, comprising:
one or more sensors configured to detect at least one of (a) motion of a target object and output a first signal indicative of a detected motion of the target object, and (b) the target object positioned with respect to a reflective surface and output a second signal indicative of a detected

Assignees

• Kuroda Kazuo
• Pioneer Corp

Inventors

• Kuroda Kazuo

Classifications

• F21W2131/302

  for mirrors · CPC title

• F21Y2115/15

  Organic light-emitting diodes [OLED] · CPC title

• B60Q3/252

  Sun visors · CPC title

• A47G1/02

  Mirrors used as equipment (hand, pocket, or shaving mirrors A45D42/00; {optical viewing means for vehicles B60R1/00}) · CPC title

• F21V23/0471

  the sensor detecting the proximity, the presence or the movement of an object or a person · CPC title