REARVIEW MIRROR ASSEMBLY FOR A VEHICLE
First Claim
1. An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
- an electro-optic mirror unit whose reflectivity is variable in response to an electrical voltage applied thereto, said electro-optic mirror unit comprising a front substrate and a rear substrate with an electro-optic medium sandwiched therebetween;
said mirror unit providing a rearward field of view to a driver of a vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle;
said first substrate being closer to the driver of the vehicle than said second substrate when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle;
said first substrate having a first surface and a second surface, said first surface being closer to the driver of the vehicle than said second surface when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle, said first substrate having a transparent electrical conductor disposed at said second surface of said first substrate, said first substrate having a first perimeter edge about a periphery of said first substrate and between said first and second surfaces;
a bezel disposed at least partially in front of said mirror unit and encompassing said first perimeter edge, an overlapping portion of said bezel overlapping a perimeter region of said first surface;
said second substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface, said third surface being closer to the driver of the vehicle than said fourth surface when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle, said second substrate having a mirror reflector disposed at said third surface of said second substrate, said second substrate having a second perimeter edge about a periphery of said second substrate and between said third and fourth surfaces;
said second perimeter edge comprising a recess that is recessed relative to a corresponding region of said first perimeter edge when said first and second substrates are assembled together to sandwich said electro-optic medium therebetween, a front surface portion of said corresponding region of said first perimeter edge being at least partially overlapped by said overlapping portion of said bezel; and
at least one sensor disposed behind said first substrate and operable to receive light through at least one aperture in said overlapping portion of said bezel and through said first substrate and unobstructed by said second substrate.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle comprises an electro-optic mirror unit whose reflectivity is variable in response to an electrical voltage applied thereto. The mirror unit includes a first substrate and a second substrate with an electro-optic medium sandwiched therebetween. The second substrate includes a recess at a perimeter region thereof. The mirror assembly includes at least one light sensor disposed behind the first substrate of the mirror unit and generally at the recessed perimeter region of the second substrate. The at least one light sensor is operable to receive light through the first substrate and unobstructed by the second substrate of the mirror unit. The light may be received through a bezel of the mirror assembly and through the first substrate and unobstructed by the second substrate.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
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an electro-optic mirror unit whose reflectivity is variable in response to an electrical voltage applied thereto, said electro-optic mirror unit comprising a front substrate and a rear substrate with an electro-optic medium sandwiched therebetween;
said mirror unit providing a rearward field of view to a driver of a vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle;
said first substrate being closer to the driver of the vehicle than said second substrate when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle;
said first substrate having a first surface and a second surface, said first surface being closer to the driver of the vehicle than said second surface when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle, said first substrate having a transparent electrical conductor disposed at said second surface of said first substrate, said first substrate having a first perimeter edge about a periphery of said first substrate and between said first and second surfaces;
a bezel disposed at least partially in front of said mirror unit and encompassing said first perimeter edge, an overlapping portion of said bezel overlapping a perimeter region of said first surface;
said second substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface, said third surface being closer to the driver of the vehicle than said fourth surface when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle, said second substrate having a mirror reflector disposed at said third surface of said second substrate, said second substrate having a second perimeter edge about a periphery of said second substrate and between said third and fourth surfaces;
said second perimeter edge comprising a recess that is recessed relative to a corresponding region of said first perimeter edge when said first and second substrates are assembled together to sandwich said electro-optic medium therebetween, a front surface portion of said corresponding region of said first perimeter edge being at least partially overlapped by said overlapping portion of said bezel; and
at least one sensor disposed behind said first substrate and operable to receive light through at least one aperture in said overlapping portion of said bezel and through said first substrate and unobstructed by said second substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
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an electro-optic mirror unit whose reflectivity is variable in response to an electrical voltage applied thereto, said electro-optic mirror unit comprising a front substrate and a rear substrate with an electro-optic medium sandwiched therebetween;
said mirror unit providing a rearward field of view to a driver of a vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle;
said first substrate being closer to the driver of the vehicle than said second substrate when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle;
said first substrate having a first surface and a second surface, said first surface being closer to the driver of the vehicle than said second surface when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle, said first substrate having a transparent electrical conductor disposed at said second surface of said first substrate, said first substrate having a first perimeter edge about a periphery of said first substrate and between said first and second surfaces;
said second substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface, said third surface being closer to the driver of the vehicle than said fourth surface when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle, said second substrate having a mirror reflector disposed at said third surface of said second substrate, said second substrate having a second perimeter edge about a periphery of said second substrate and between said third and fourth surfaces;
said second perimeter edge comprising a recessed edge portion that is recessed relative to a corresponding edge portion of said first perimeter edge when said first and second substrates are assembled together to sandwich said electro-optic medium therebetween; and
at least one sensor disposed behind said first substrate and generally at said recessed edge portion, said at least one sensor being operable to receive light through said first substrate and unobstructed by said second substrate. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
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an electrochromic mirror unit whose reflectivity is variable in response to an electrical voltage applied thereto, said electrochromic mirror unit comprising a front substrate and a rear substrate with an electrochromic medium sandwiched therebetween;
said mirror unit providing a rearward field of view to a driver of a vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle;
said first substrate being closer to the driver of the vehicle than said second substrate when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle;
said first substrate having a first surface and a second surface, said first surface being closer to the driver of the vehicle than said second surface when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle, said first substrate having a transparent electrical conductor disposed at said second surface of said first substrate, said first substrate having a first perimeter edge about a periphery of said first substrate and between said first and second surfaces;
said second substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface, said third surface being closer to the driver of the vehicle than said fourth surface when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle, said second substrate having a mirror reflector disposed at said third surface of said second substrate, said second substrate having a second perimeter edge about a periphery of said second substrate and between said third and fourth surfaces;
said second perimeter edge comprising a recessed edge portion that is recessed relative to a corresponding edge portion of said first perimeter edge when said first and second substrates are assembled together to sandwich said electrochromic medium therebetween; and
at least one sensor disposed behind said first substrate and generally at said recessed edge portion, said at least one sensor being operable to receive light through said first substrate and unobstructed by said second substrate. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification