Rear view mirror for a motor vehicle

• US 20070146481A1
• Filed: 12/12/2005
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Bennett, Ian, Stoschek, Arne, Chen, Pao, Rosario, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US11/299,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20070146481A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1215 with information displays

Abstract

A rearview mirror for a motor vehicle, in particular for a convertible, has a display that displays information by emitting light. A reflective-type linear polarization layer is disposed in front of the display layer, with reference to a defined viewing direction. There is no absorption-type polarization layer disposed in front of the reflective-type linear polarization layer, with reference to a defined viewing direction.

Claims

1. A rearview mirror for a motor vehicle, the rearview mirror comprising:

a display layer for displaying information by emitting light; and

a reflective-type linear polarization layer disposed in front of said display layer with reference to a defined viewing direction, wherein no absorption-type polarization layer is disposed in front of said reflective-type linear polarization layer with reference to the defined viewing direction.

2. The rearview mirror according to claim 1, wherein said reflective-type linear polarization layer is a passive layer.

3. The rearview mirror according to claim 1, wherein said display layer is an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) layer.

4. The rearview mirror according to claim 1, wherein said display layer is a liquid crystal display (LCD) layer.

5. The rearview mirror according to claim 1, wherein at least 40% of light that can be emitted counter to the viewing direction by way of said display layer exits from the rearview mirror counter to the viewing direction.

6. The rearview mirror according to claim 1, wherein at least 45% of light that can be emitted counter to the viewing direction by way of said display layer exits from the rearview mirror counter to the viewing direction.

7. The rearview mirror according to claim 1, further comprising a glass layer disposed upstream of said reflective-type linear polarization layer with reference to the defined viewing direction.

8. The rearview mirror according to claim 7, wherein said reflective-type linear polarization layer is permanently connected to said glass layer.

9. The rearview mirror according to claim 7, wherein said reflective-type linear polarization layer is bonded to said glass layer.

10. The rearview mirror according to claim 1, wherein light that can be emitted by way of said display layer is substantially polarized in a direction for which said reflective-type linear polarization layer is transparent.

11. The rearview mirror according to claim 1 configured for integration in a convertible automobile.

12. In a motor vehicle with a rearview mirror, the improvement which comprises, the rearview mirror including:

a display layer for displaying information by emission of light; and

a reflective-type polarization layer disposed in front of said display layer with reference to a defined viewing direction, and wherein no absorption-type polarization layer is disposed in front of said reflective-type polarization layer with reference to the defined viewing direction.

13. The improved motor vehicle according to claim 12, wherein said reflective-type polarization layer is a linear polarization layer.

14. The improved motor vehicle according to claim 12, wherein said display layer is configured to emit light substantially polarized in a direction for which said reflective-type linear polarization layer is transparent.

15. The improved motor vehicle according to claim 12, which further comprises a reversing camera.

16. The improved motor vehicle according to claim 12, which further comprises a camera disposed to recording an image of a surroundings of the motor vehicle.

17. The improved motor vehicle according to claim 16, which further comprises a display controller connected to said camera and to said display layer, for driving said display layer to display the image of the surroundings of the motor vehicle.

18. In a motor vehicle with a rearview mirror, the improvement which comprises, the rearview mirror including:

a display layer for displaying information by emission of light; and

a reflective-type polarization layer disposed in front of said display layer with reference to a defined viewing direction, and no mirror layer disposed in front of said reflective-type polarization layer with reference to the defined viewing direction.

19. In a motor vehicle with a rearview mirror, the improvement which comprises, the rearview mirror including:

a display layer for displaying information by emission of light; and

a reflective-type polarization layer disposed in front of said display layer with reference to a defined viewing direction, said reflective-type polarization layer forming a mirror layer for producing a mirror image with reference to the defined viewing direction.

20. A convertible with a rearview mirror, the rearview mirror comprising:

a display layer for displaying information by emission of light; and

a reflective-type polarization layer disposed in front of said display layer with reference to a defined viewing direction.