INTERIOR REARVIEW MIRROR SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE

• US 20100046059A1
• Filed: 09/08/2009
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Habibi, Hamid, Varaprasad, Desaraju V., McCabe, Ian A., Lynam, Niall R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,859,737 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/267
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1215 with information displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0858 the reflecting layers comprising a single metallic layer with one or more dielectric layers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/157 Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. reflectors or illuminating devices

Abstract

An interior rearview mirror system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly including a reflective element having a transparent substrate and a multi-zone mirror reflector established at a surface thereof. The mirror reflector includes at least a first zone and a second zone, and wherein at least one metallic reflective layer is commonly established at the surface and across the first and second zones of the mirror reflector. A display device is disposed behind the second zone of the mirror reflector and, when the display device is operating to emit display information, emitted display information passes through the second zone of the mirror reflector for viewing by a driver operating the equipped vehicle. The second zone has a degree of transmissivity of light therethrough that is greater than a degree of transmissivity of light through the first zone of the mirror reflector.

Claims

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 a transparent substrate;

a multi-zone mirror reflector established at a surface of said transparent substrate;

wherein said multi-zone mirror reflector comprises at least a first zone and a second zone, and wherein at least one metallic reflective layer is commonly established at said surface and across said first and second zones of said multi-zone mirror reflector;

wherein at least said second zone is partially transmissive to light passing therethrough;

a display device disposed behind said second zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector;

wherein said display device is operable to emit display information and wherein, when said display device is operating to emit display information, emitted display information passes through said second zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector for viewing by a driver operating the equipped vehicle; and

wherein said second zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector has a degree of transmissivity of light therethrough that is greater than a degree of transmissivity of light through said first zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector.

2. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said reflective element comprises an electro-optic reflective element comprising a first substrate and said transparent substrate, said first substrate having first and second surfaces and said transparent substrate having third and fourth surfaces, and wherein said first substrate and said transparent substrate are arranged so that said second surface opposes said third surface with an electro-optic medium disposed therebetween.

3. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 2, wherein said multi-zone mirror reflector is established at said third surface of said transparent substrate.

4. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said first zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector is at least generally centrally located at said transparent substrate, and wherein said second zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector is adjacent to said first zone and is located towards an end portion of said transparent substrate.

5. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 4, wherein said multi-zone mirror reflector comprises a third zone, and wherein said third zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector is partially transmissive to light passing therethrough, and wherein a second display device is disposed behind said third zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector, and wherein, when said second display device is operating to emit display information, emitted display information passes through said third zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector for viewing by a driver operating the equipped vehicle.

6. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said multi-zone mirror reflector comprises a multi-layer stack of thin film layers that includes said metallic reflective layer.

7. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 6, wherein said multi-layer stack of thin film layers includes at least one transparent electrically conductive layer.

8. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 6, wherein said thin film layers comprise said metallic layer and two metal oxide layers.

9. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 8, wherein said metallic layer is selected from the group consisting of a silver metallic layer and a silver alloy metallic layer.

10. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 8, wherein one of said two metal oxide layers comprises a transparent electrically conductive thin film layer.

11. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 10, wherein said transparent electrically conductive thin film layer comprises a layer of indium tin oxide.

12. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 11, wherein the other of said two metal oxide layers comprises a transparent electrically conductive layer.

13. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 11, wherein the other of said two metal oxide layers comprises a layer of titanium dioxide.

14. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 8, wherein each of said two metal oxide layers comprises a layer of indium tin oxide.

15. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said multi-zone mirror reflector includes a gradient between said first and second zones of said multi-zone mirror reflector, and, wherein said at least one metallic reflective layer has a varying thickness across said gradient.

16. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said first zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector is partially transmissive to light passing therethrough.

17. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 16, wherein said multi-zone mirror reflector is established at said surface so that the transmissivity at said second zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector is greater than the transmissivity at said first zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector.

18. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 17, wherein said at least one metallic reflective layer of said multi-zone mirror reflector is established during vacuum deposition thereof at said second zone utilizing a mask.

19. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said multi-zone mirror reflector is established at said surface so that the reflectivity at said first zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector is greater than the reflectivity at said second zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector.

20. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein the transmissivity at said second zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector is at least about 10 percent, and wherein the transmissivity at said first zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector is less than about 10 percent.

21. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 20, wherein said first zone of said mirror reflector is substantially opaque.

22. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein the reflectivity at said first zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector is at least about 55 percent, and wherein the reflectivity at said second zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector is less than about 55 percent.

23. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said display device comprises a backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen, and wherein said backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen is backlit by a plurality of light emitting diodes;

24. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said first zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector is substantially non transmissive of light therethrough.

25. An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising:

an interior rearview mirror assembly comprising an electro-optic reflective element;

wherein said electro-optic reflective element has 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 electro-optic medium disposed therebetween;

a multi-zone mirror reflector established at said third surface of said second substrate;

wherein said multi-zone mirror reflector comprises at least a first zone and a second zone, and wherein at least one metallic thin film layer and at least one metal oxide thin film layer are commonly established at said third surface and across said first and second zones of said multi-zone mirror reflector;

wherein at least said second zone is partially transmissive to light passing therethrough;

a display device disposed behind said second zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector;

wherein said display device is operable to emit display information and wherein, when said display device is operating to emit display information, emitted display information passes through said second zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector for viewing by a driver operating the equipped vehicle; and

wherein said second zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector has a degree of transmissivity of light therethrough that is greater than a degree of transmissivity of light through said first zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector.

26. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 25, wherein said metallic thin film layer is selected from the group consisting of a silver metallic layer and a silver alloy metallic layer.

27. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 25, wherein said second zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector is at least about 15 percent transmissive of said emitted display information passing therethrough, and wherein said second zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector provides greater than about 55 percent reflectance of light incident thereon as viewed by the driver operating the equipped vehicle.

28. An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising:

an interior rearview mirror assembly comprising an electrochromic reflective element;

wherein said electrochromic reflective element has 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;

a multi-zone mirror reflector established at said third surface of said second substrate;

wherein said multi-zone mirror reflector comprises at least a first zone and a second zone, and wherein at least one metallic thin film layer is commonly established at said third surface and across said first and second zones of said multi-zone mirror reflector;

wherein at least said second zone is partially transmissive to light passing therethrough;

a backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen disposed behind said second zone of said multi-zone mirror 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, when said backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen is operating to emit display information, emitted display information passes through said second zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector for viewing by a driver operating the equipped vehicle;

wherein said second zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector has a degree of transmissivity of light therethrough that is greater than a degree of transmissivity of light through said first zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector; and

wherein said second zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector is at least about 15 percent transmissive of said emitted display information passing therethrough, and wherein said second zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector provides greater than about 55 percent reflectance of light incident thereon as viewed by the driver operating the equipped vehicle.

29. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 28, wherein said multi-zone mirror reflector is established at said surface so that the transmissivity at said second zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector is greater than the transmissivity at said first zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector.

30. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 28, wherein said multi-zone mirror reflector is established at said surface so that the reflectivity at said first zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector is greater than the reflectivity at said second zone of said multi-zone mirror reflector.