VEHICULAR VIDEO MIRROR SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A video mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle, said video mirror system comprising:
- an interior rearview mirror assembly mountable at an interior portion of a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a reflective element, said reflective element having a front portion that faces generally towards the driver of the vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle, and having a rear portion that is generally opposite said front portion;
a video display screen module;
said video display screen module comprising a metallic enclosure and at least one of (a) a polarizer film and (b) a brightness enhancing film;
said video display screen module comprising a thin film transistor liquid crystal display panel;
wherein said thin film transistor liquid crystal display panel is back lit by a plurality of white light emitting light emitting diodes;
wherein said video display screen module is one of (i) fixedly disposed to the rear of said reflective element, (ii) fixedly disposed near said reflective element and (iii) extendable from a position at the rear of said reflective element to a position near said reflective element; and
wherein said video display screen module, when activated, displays video images viewable by the driver when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted and is viewed in the vehicle, said video display screen module operable to display video images that are viewable by the driver during daytime viewing that have a driver-viewable display luminance of at least about 700 candelas per square meter.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A video mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having a reflective element and a video display screen module. The video display screen module may have a metallic enclosure and at least one of (a) a polarizer film and (b) a brightness enhancing film, and includes a liquid crystal display panel that is back lit by a plurality of white light emitting light emitting diodes. The video display screen module is fixedly disposed to the rear of the reflective element or near the reflective element or is extendable from a position at the rear of the reflective element to a position near the reflective element. The video display screen module, when activated, displays video images viewable by the driver and having a driver-viewable display luminance of at least about 700 candelas per square meter when viewable by the driver during daytime viewing.
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Citations
103 Claims
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1. A video mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle, said video mirror system comprising:
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an interior rearview mirror assembly mountable at an interior portion of a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a reflective element, said reflective element having a front portion that faces generally towards the driver of the vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle, and having a rear portion that is generally opposite said front portion; a video display screen module; said video display screen module comprising a metallic enclosure and at least one of (a) a polarizer film and (b) a brightness enhancing film; said video display screen module comprising a thin film transistor liquid crystal display panel; wherein said thin film transistor liquid crystal display panel is back lit by a plurality of white light emitting light emitting diodes; wherein said video display screen module is one of (i) fixedly disposed to the rear of said reflective element, (ii) fixedly disposed near said reflective element and (iii) extendable from a position at the rear of said reflective element to a position near said reflective element; and wherein said video display screen module, when activated, displays video images viewable by the driver when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted and is viewed in the vehicle, said video display screen module operable to display video images that are viewable by the driver during daytime viewing that have a driver-viewable display luminance of at least about 700 candelas per square meter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A video mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle, said video mirror system comprising:
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an interior rearview mirror assembly mountable at an interior portion of a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a reflective element, said reflective element having a front portion that faces generally towards the driver of the vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle, and having a rear portion that is generally opposite said front portion; wherein said reflective element comprises an electrochromic reflective element; a video display screen module; said video display screen module comprising a liquid crystal display panel; wherein said liquid crystal display panel is back lit by a plurality of white light emitting light emitting diodes; wherein said video display screen module is disposed to the rear of said rear portion of said reflective element and wherein said reflective element comprises a transflective reflector and wherein the presence of said video display screen module to the rear of said rear portion of said reflective element is substantially non-discernible when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted and is viewed in the vehicle by the driver with the video display screen module not activated to display; wherein said video display screen module, when activated, displays video images viewable through said transflective reflector by the driver when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted and is viewed in the vehicle; wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a control; and wherein said video display screen module is operable to display video images that are viewable through said transflective reflector by the driver during daytime viewing that have a driver-viewable display luminance of at least about 700 candelas per square meter responsive to an output from said control. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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69. A video mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle, said video mirror system comprising:
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an interior rearview mirror assembly mountable at an interior portion of a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a reflective element, said reflective element having a front portion that faces generally towards the driver of the vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle, and having a rear portion that is generally opposite said front portion; wherein said reflective element comprises an electrochromic reflective element; a video display screen module; said video display screen module comprising a video display selected from the group consisting of a liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor liquid crystal display, an organic electroluminescent display, an organic light emitting diode display, an inorganic light emitting diode display, an electroluminescent display and a vacuum fluorescent display; wherein said video display screen module is disposed to the rear of said rear portion of said reflective element and wherein said reflective element comprises a transflective reflector and wherein the presence of said video display screen module to the rear of said rear portion of said reflective element is substantially non-discernible when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted and is viewed in the vehicle by the driver with the video display screen module not activated to display; wherein said video display screen module, when activated, displays video images viewable through said transflective reflector by the driver when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted and is viewed in the vehicle; wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a control; wherein said video display screen module is operable to display video images that are viewable through said transflective reflector by the driver during daytime viewing that have a driver-viewable display luminance of at least about 700 candelas per square meter responsive to an output from said control; wherein said video display screen module displays video images captured by a rear backup camera mounted at the rear of the equipped vehicle responsive to engagement by the driver of the reverse gear of the vehicle; and wherein said control overlays a graphical overlay on said video images captured by said rear camera mounted at the rear of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89)
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90. A video mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle, said video mirror system comprising:
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an interior rearview mirror assembly mountable at an interior portion of a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a reflective element, said reflective element having a front portion that faces generally towards the driver of the vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle, and having a rear portion that is generally opposite said front portion; a video display screen module; wherein said video display screen module comprises a liquid crystal display panel and wherein said liquid crystal display panel is back lit by a plurality of white light emitting light emitting diodes; wherein said video display screen module is disposed to the rear of said rear portion of said reflective element and wherein said reflective element comprises a transflective reflector and wherein the presence of said video display screen module to the rear of said rear portion of said reflective element is substantially non-discernible when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted and is viewed in the vehicle by the driver with the video display screen module not activated to display; wherein said video display screen module, when activated, displays video images viewable through said transflective reflector by the driver when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted and is viewed in the vehicle; wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a control; wherein said video display screen module is operable to display video images that are viewable through said transflective reflector by the driver during daytime viewing that have a driver-viewable display luminance of at least about 700 candelas per square meter responsive to an output from said control; wherein said video display screen module displays video images captured by a rear backup camera mounted at the rear of the equipped vehicle responsive to engagement by the driver of the reverse gear of the vehicle; wherein said video display screen module comprises a polarizer film and a brightness enhancing film; and wherein said video display screen module comprises a metallic enclosure and wherein said metallic enclosure is electrically grounded when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103)
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Specification