INTERIOR REARVIEW MIRROR SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE
First Claim
1. An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising:
- an interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a reflective element having at least one transparent glass substrate, said transparent glass substrate having a transflective reflector established at a surface thereof;
wherein said transflective reflector comprises at least three thin film layers, said three thin film layers comprising at least one metallic layer, and wherein the physical thicknesses and materials of said three thin film layers are selected to limit at least one of (a) a tinting effect and (b) a color interference effect so as to provide a substantially spectrally neutral reflectant characteristic as viewed during daytime by a driver operating a vehicle equipped with said interior rearview mirror assembly;
a backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen disposed behind said transflective reflector, wherein said backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen is backlit by a plurality of light emitting diodes;
wherein said backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen is operable to emit display information and wherein said emitted display information passes through said glass substrate and passes through said transflective reflector for viewing by a driver operating the equipped vehicle;
at least one photo sensor configured to detect ambient light at the vehicle, wherein said at least one photo sensor comprises a silicon photo sensor, and wherein a display intensity of said backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen is adjustable responsive to a sensing of ambient light by said at least one photo sensor;
wherein said transflective reflector is at least about 15 percent transmissive of said emitted display information passing therethrough; and
wherein said reflective element provides greater than about 55 percent photopic reflectance of light incident thereon as viewed by the driver operating the equipped vehicle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly including a reflective element having a transparent glass substrate with a transflective reflector established at a surface thereof. The transflective reflector includes at least three thin film layers, which include at least one metallic layer. The transflective reflector exhibits a substantially spectrally neutral reflectant characteristic as viewed by a driver operating a vehicle equipped with the mirror assembly. A backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen is disposed behind the transflective reflector. Display information passes through the glass substrate and the transflective reflector for viewing by a driver operating the equipped vehicle. At least one silicon photo sensor is configured to detect ambient light at the vehicle, and the display intensity is adjustable responsive to a sensing of ambient light by the least one silicon photo sensor.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising:
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an interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a reflective element having at least one transparent glass substrate, said transparent glass substrate having a transflective reflector established at a surface thereof; wherein said transflective reflector comprises at least three thin film layers, said three thin film layers comprising at least one metallic layer, and wherein the physical thicknesses and materials of said three thin film layers are selected to limit at least one of (a) a tinting effect and (b) a color interference effect so as to provide a substantially spectrally neutral reflectant characteristic as viewed during daytime by a driver operating a vehicle equipped with said interior rearview mirror assembly; a backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen disposed behind said transflective reflector, wherein said backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen is backlit by a plurality of light emitting diodes; wherein said backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen is operable to emit display information and wherein said emitted display information passes through said glass substrate and passes through said transflective reflector for viewing by a driver operating the equipped vehicle; at least one photo sensor configured to detect ambient light at the vehicle, wherein said at least one photo sensor comprises a silicon photo sensor, and wherein a display intensity of said backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen is adjustable responsive to a sensing of ambient light by said at least one photo sensor; wherein said transflective reflector is at least about 15 percent transmissive of said emitted display information passing therethrough; and wherein said reflective element provides greater than about 55 percent photopic reflectance of light incident thereon as viewed by the driver operating the equipped vehicle. - 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)
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25. An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising:
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an electrochromic interior rearview mirror assembly comprising an electrochromic reflective element having a first substrate having first and second surfaces and a second substrate having third and fourth surfaces, said first and second substrates being arranged so that said second surface opposes said third surface with an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween and bounded by a perimeter seal, said perimeter seal having a width dimension; wherein a transflective reflector is established at said third surface of said second substrate, and wherein said transflective reflector comprises at least three thin film layers, and wherein the physical thicknesses and materials of said three thin film layers are selected to limit at least one of (a) a tinting effect and (b) a color interference effect so as to provide a substantially spectrally neutral reflectant characteristic as viewed during daytime by a driver operating a vehicle equipped with said interior rearview mirror assembly; wherein one of said three thin film layers comprising a metallic layer, wherein said metallic layer is selected from the group consisting of a silver metallic layer and a silver alloy metallic layer, and wherein the other two of said three thin film layers comprise non-metallic thin film layers, and wherein one of said non-metallic thin film layers comprises a metal oxide thin film layer; a backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen disposed behind said transflective reflector, wherein said backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen is backlit by a plurality of light emitting diodes; wherein said backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen is operable to emit display information and wherein said emitted display information passes through said second substrate, passes through said transflective reflector, passes through said electrochromic medium, and passes through said first substrate for viewing by a driver operating the equipped vehicle; at least one photo sensor configured to detect ambient light at the vehicle, wherein said at least one photo sensor comprises a silicon photo sensor, and wherein a display intensity of said backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen is adjustable responsive to a sensing of ambient light by said at least one photo sensor; wherein said transflective reflector is at least about 15 percent transmissive of said emitted display information passing therethrough; and wherein said electrochromic reflective element provides greater than about 55 percent photopic reflectance of light incident thereon as viewed by the driver operating the equipped vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising:
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an electrochromic interior rearview mirror assembly comprising an electrochromic reflective element having a first substrate having first and second surfaces and a second substrate having third and fourth surfaces, said first and second substrates being arranged so that said second surface opposes said third surface with an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween and bounded by a perimeter seal, said perimeter seal having a width dimension; wherein a transflective reflector is established at said third surface of said second substrate, and wherein said transflective reflector comprises at least three thin film layers, said three thin film layers comprising at least one metallic layer, and wherein the physical thicknesses and materials of said three thin film layers are selected to limit at least one of (a) a tinting effect and (b) a color interference effect so as to provide a substantially spectrally neutral reflectant characteristic as viewed during daytime by a driver operating a vehicle equipped with said interior rearview mirror assembly; wherein said metallic layer is disposed at an inboard portion of said third surface of said second substrate with a perimeter border region of said third surface of said second substrate being substantially devoid of said metallic layer, and wherein said perimeter seal encompasses a perimeter portion of said metallic layer and at least partially encompasses said perimeter border region of said of said second substrate; wherein an electrically conductive tab is provided, said tab establishing electrical continuity with said metallic layer, and wherein at least a portion of said tab is disposed outboard of said perimeter seal; a backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen disposed behind said transflective reflector, wherein said backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen is backlit by a plurality of light emitting diodes; wherein said backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen is operable to emit display information and wherein said emitted display information passes through said second substrate, passes through said transflective reflector, passes through said electrochromic medium, and passes through said first substrate for viewing by a driver operating the equipped vehicle; at least one photo sensor configured to detect ambient light at the vehicle, wherein said at least one photo sensor comprises a silicon photo sensor, and wherein a display intensity of said backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen is adjustable responsive to a sensing of ambient light by said at least one photo sensor; wherein said transflective reflector is at least about 15 percent transmissive of said emitted display information passing therethrough; and wherein said electrochromic reflective element provides greater than about 55 percent photopic reflectance of light incident thereon as viewed by the driver operating the equipped vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising:
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an interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a reflective element having at least one transparent glass substrate, said transparent glass substrate having a transflective reflector established at a surface thereof; wherein said transflective reflector comprises at least three thin film layers, said three thin film layers comprising a metallic layer, a transparent semi-conductive layer and a metal oxide layer; wherein said reflective element exhibits a substantially spectrally neutral reflectant characteristic as viewed during daytime by a driver operating a vehicle equipped with said interior rearview mirror assembly; a backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen disposed behind said transflective reflector, wherein said backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen is backlit by a plurality of light emitting diodes; wherein said backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen is operable to emit display information and wherein said emitted display information passes through said glass substrate and passes through said transflective reflector for viewing by a driver operating the equipped vehicle; at least one photo sensor configured to detect ambient light at the vehicle, wherein said at least one photo sensor comprises a silicon photo sensor, and wherein a display intensity of said backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen is adjustable responsive to a sensing of ambient light by said at least one photo sensor; wherein said transflective reflector is at least about 15 percent transmissive of said emitted display information passing therethrough; and wherein said reflective element provides greater than about 55 percent photopic reflectance of light incident thereon as viewed by the driver operating the equipped vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44)
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45. An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising:
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an electrochromic interior rearview mirror assembly comprising an electrochromic reflective element having a first substrate having first and second surfaces and a second substrate having third and fourth surfaces, said first and second substrates being arranged so that said second surface opposes said third surface with an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween and bounded by a perimeter seal, said perimeter seal having a width dimension; wherein a transflective reflector is established at said third surface of said second substrate; wherein said transflective reflector comprises at least three thin film layers, said three thin film layers comprising a metallic layer, a transparent semi-conductive layer and a metal oxide layer; wherein said reflective element exhibits a substantially spectrally neutral reflectant characteristic as viewed during daytime by a driver operating a vehicle equipped with said interior rearview mirror assembly; wherein said metallic layer is disposed at an inboard portion of said third surface of said second substrate with a perimeter border region of said third surface of said second substrate being substantially devoid of said metallic layer, and wherein said perimeter seal encompasses a perimeter portion of said metallic layer and at least partially encompasses said perimeter border region of said of said second substrate; wherein an electrically conductive tab is provided, said tab establishing electrical continuity with said metallic layer, and wherein at least a portion of said tab is disposed outboard of said perimeter seal; a backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen disposed behind said transflective reflector, wherein said backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen is backlit by a plurality of light emitting diodes; wherein said backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen is operable to emit display information and wherein said emitted display information passes through said second substrate, passes through said transflective reflector, passes through said electrochromic medium, and passes through said first substrate for viewing by a driver operating the equipped vehicle; at least one photo sensor configured to detect ambient light at the vehicle, wherein said at least one photo sensor comprises a silicon photo sensor, and wherein a display intensity of said backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen is adjustable responsive to a sensing of ambient light by said at least one photo sensor; wherein said transflective reflector is at least about 15 percent transmissive of said emitted display information passing therethrough; and wherein said electrochromic reflective element provides greater than about 55 percent photopic reflectance of light incident thereon as viewed by the driver operating the equipped vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48)
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Specification