VEHICULAR INTERIOR REARVIEW INFORMATION MIRROR SYSTEM

• US 20110058040A1
• Filed: 11/15/2010
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Weller, Andrew D., Cooprider, Troy O., Blank, Rodney K., Schierbeek, Kenneth L., Schofield, Kenneth, Lynam, Niall R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,918,570 B2
• 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

An interior rearview information mirror system for a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror housing and a reflective element, and includes an information display operable to display information for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle. The information display is disposed in the mirror housing rearward of the reflective element, and information displayed by the information display is viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle viewing through the reflective element when the information display is displaying information. The interior rearview mirror assembly includes a forward facing camera having a forward field of view in the direction of forward travel of the equipped vehicle, and the forward facing camera views through the windshield of the equipped vehicle when the interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle.

Claims

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

an interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror housing and a reflective element;

wherein said reflective element comprises an electro-optic reflective element having a mirror reflector;

wherein said mirror housing is adjustable relative to an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with said interior rearview mirror assembly when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle;

wherein adjustment of said mirror housing by a driver of the equipped vehicle adjusts a rearward field of view of said electro-optic reflective element when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle;

an information display operable to display information for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle;

wherein said information display comprises a reconfigurable liquid crystal display comprising a plurality of pixels;

wherein said information display is disposed in said mirror housing rearward of said mirror reflector of said reflective element, and wherein information displayed by said information display is viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle viewing through said reflective element when said information display is displaying information;

wherein information display intensity of said information display is adjustable responsive to determination of a light level at said interior rearview mirror assembly by at least one photosensor of said interior rearview mirror assembly;

wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a forward facing camera having a forward field of view in the direction of forward travel of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said forward facing camera views through the windshield of the equipped vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle; and

wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly accommodates circuitry that, at least in part, is part of a lane departure warning system.

2. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 1, wherein said forward facing camera is associated with said lane departure warning system.

3. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 2, wherein said camera is associated with a headlamp controller that, responsive to image processing of images captured by said forward facing camera, is operable to control the headlamps of the equipped vehicle.

4. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 3, wherein circuitry of said headlamp controller is, at least in part, disposed in said interior rearview mirror assembly.

5. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 4, wherein circuitry of said interior rearview mirror assembly is electrically connected to a network bus of the equipped vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle.

6. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 1, wherein circuitry of said interior rearview mirror assembly is operable to control dimming of said electro-optic reflective element at least responsive to a determination of a light level by said at least one photosensor.

7. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 1 further comprising a global positioning system that is operable to determine a geographical location of the equipped vehicle, wherein at least one of (a) said global positioning system provides altitude data and wherein altitude information is displayed to the driver of the equipped vehicle by said information display, and (b) said global positioning system provides time data and wherein time information is displayed to the driver of the equipped vehicle by said information display.

8. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 1, wherein particular pixels of said reconfigurable liquid crystal display are illuminated to form a desired character to display information to the driver of the equipped vehicle.

9. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 1, wherein said information display is operable to display text information.

10. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 1, wherein said information display is operable to display iconistic information.

11. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 1, wherein said information display comprises a video information display and wherein said video information display is operable to display video images captured by a video camera of the equipped vehicle.

12. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 1, wherein said information display comprises a video information display and wherein said video information display is operable to display video images captured by a rearward facing video camera of the equipped vehicle and wherein said information display displays video images captured by said rearward facing video camera during a reversing maneuver of the equipped vehicle.

13. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 1, wherein said mirror reflector comprises a transflective mirror reflector, and wherein said transflective mirror reflector comprises a metal thin film layer, and wherein information displayed by said information display is viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle viewing through said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element when said information display is displaying information, and wherein, when said information display is not displaying information, the presence of said information display behind said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element is substantially not discerned by the driver of the equipped vehicle normally viewing said reflective element when operating the equipped vehicle.

14. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 13, wherein at least one of (a) said reflective element is at least 15 percent transmissive of visible light incident at a rear of said reflective element, (b) said reflective element has a reflectance of at least about 60 percent to visible light incident from its front, and (c) said reflective element is at least 15 percent transmissive of visible light incident at a rear of said reflective element and said reflective element has a reflectance of at least about 60 percent to visible light incident from its front.

15. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 1, wherein information displayed by said information display is viewable through a portion of said reflective element that is devoid of said mirror reflector.

16. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 1, wherein said information display is operable to display a directional heading to the driver of the equipped vehicle.

17. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 16 further comprising a compass sensor disposed in said mirror housing rearward of said reflective element and compass circuitry responsive to said compass sensor for determining the directional heading of the equipped vehicle, wherein said compass sensor adjusts in tandem with said reflective element when the driver of the equipped vehicle adjusts said mirror housing to adjust a rearward field of view of the driver when viewing said reflective element when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle.

18. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 16, wherein said directional heading is at least partially established by a global positioning system of the equipped vehicle.

19. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 16, wherein at least one of (a) said compass circuitry automatically at least partially compensates for a deviating magnetic field of the equipped vehicle and generates a compensated signal indicative of said directional heading of the equipped vehicle, and (b) said compass sensor comprises at least first and second magnetoresponsive sensing elements and wherein a physical mount supports said compass sensor at said reflective element and is configured to orient said first magnetoresponsive sensing element to be substantially parallel to a direction of travel of the equipped vehicle and said second magnetoresponsive sensing element to be substantially orthogonal to the direction of travel of the equipped vehicle when said reflective element is at a selected angled.

20. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 16, wherein said compass circuitry at least partially compensates for movement of said compass sensor caused by adjustment of said mirror housing via an algorithm processed by a control.

21. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 1, wherein the interior portion of the equipped vehicle comprises a mirror mounting button attached to an in-cabin surface of the windshield of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said mirror housing is adjustable relative to said mirror mounting button via a double pivot mounting arrangement.

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

an interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror housing and a reflective element;

wherein said reflective element comprises an electrochromic reflective element having a mirror reflector;

wherein said mirror housing is adjustable relative to an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with said interior rearview mirror assembly when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle;

wherein adjustment of said mirror housing by a driver of the equipped vehicle adjusts a rearward field of view of said electrochromic reflective element when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle;

an information display operable to display information for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle;

wherein said information display comprises a reconfigurable liquid crystal display comprising a plurality of pixels;

wherein said information display is disposed in said mirror housing rearward of said mirror reflector of said electrochromic reflective element, and wherein information displayed by said information display is viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle viewing through said electrochromic reflective element when said information display is displaying information;

wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a forward facing camera having a forward field of view in the direction of forward travel of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said forward facing camera views through the windshield of the equipped vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle;

wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly accommodates circuitry that, at least in part, is part of a lane departure warning system, and wherein said forward facing camera is associated with said lane departure warning system; and

wherein said camera is associated with a headlamp controller that, responsive to image processing of images captured by said forward facing camera, is operable to control the headlamps of the equipped vehicle, and wherein circuitry of said headlamp controller is, at least in part, disposed in said interior rearview mirror assembly.

23. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 22, wherein circuitry of said interior rearview mirror assembly is electrically connected to a network bus of the equipped vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle.

24. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 22, wherein said mirror reflector comprises a transflective mirror reflector, and wherein information displayed by said information display is viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle viewing through said transflective mirror reflector of said electrochromic reflective element when said information display is displaying information, and wherein, when said information display is not displaying information, the presence of said information display behind said transflective mirror reflector of said electrochromic reflective element is substantially not discerned by the driver of the equipped vehicle normally viewing said electrochromic reflective element when operating the equipped vehicle.

25. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 22, wherein information display intensity of said information display is adjustable responsive to determination of a light level at said interior rearview mirror assembly by at least one photosensor of said interior rearview mirror assembly.

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

an interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror housing and a reflective element;

wherein said reflective element comprises an electrochromic reflective element having a mirror reflector;

wherein said mirror housing is adjustable relative to an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with said interior rearview mirror assembly when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle;

wherein adjustment of said mirror housing by a driver of the equipped vehicle adjusts a rearward field of view of said electrochromic reflective element when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle;

an information display operable to display information for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle;

wherein said information display comprises a reconfigurable liquid crystal display comprising a plurality of pixels;

wherein said information display is disposed in said mirror housing rearward of said mirror reflector of said electrochromic reflective element, and wherein information displayed by said information display is viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle viewing through said electrochromic reflective element when said information display is displaying information;

wherein information display intensity of said information display is adjustable responsive to determination of a light level at said interior rearview mirror assembly by at least one photosensor of said interior rearview mirror assembly;

wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a forward facing camera having a forward field of view in the direction of forward travel of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said forward facing camera views through the windshield of the equipped vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle; and

wherein said camera is associated with a headlamp controller that, responsive to image processing of images captured by said forward facing camera, is operable to control the headlamps of the equipped vehicle.

27. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 26, wherein circuitry of said headlamp controller is, at least in part, disposed in said interior rearview mirror assembly.

28. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 27, wherein said forward facing camera is associated with a lane departure warning system.

29. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 28, wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly accommodates circuitry that, at least in part, is part of said lane departure warning system.

30. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 29, wherein circuitry of said interior rearview mirror assembly is electrically connected to a network bus of the equipped vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle.

31. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 26, wherein said mirror reflector comprises a transflective mirror reflector, and wherein said transflective mirror reflector comprises a metal thin film layer, and wherein information displayed by said information display is viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle viewing through said transflective mirror reflector of said electrochromic reflective element when said information display is displaying information, and wherein, when said information display is not displaying information, the presence of said information display behind said transflective mirror reflector of said electrochromic reflective element is substantially not discerned by the driver of the equipped vehicle normally viewing said electrochromic reflective element when operating the equipped vehicle.

32. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 31, wherein at least one of (a) said electrochromic reflective element is at least 15 percent transmissive of visible light incident at a rear of said electrochromic reflective element, (b) said electrochromic reflective element has a reflectance of at least about 60 percent to visible light incident from its front, and (c) said electrochromic reflective element is at least 15 percent transmissive of visible light incident at a rear of said reflective element and said reflective element has a reflectance of at least about 60 percent to visible light incident from its front.

33. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 26, wherein said information display comprises a video information display and wherein said video information display is operable to display video images captured by a video camera of the equipped vehicle.

34. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 26, wherein said information display comprises a video information display and wherein said video information display is operable to display video images captured by a rearward facing video camera of the equipped vehicle and wherein said information display displays video images captured by said rearward facing video camera during a reversing maneuver of the equipped vehicle.

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

an interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror housing and a reflective element;

wherein said reflective element comprises an electrochromic reflective element having a transflective mirror reflector;

wherein said transflective mirror reflector comprises a metal thin film layer;

wherein said mirror housing is adjustable relative to an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with said interior rearview mirror assembly when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle;

wherein adjustment of said mirror housing by a driver of the equipped vehicle adjusts a rearward field of view of said electrochromic reflective element when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle;

an information display operable to display information for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle;

wherein said information display comprises a reconfigurable liquid crystal display comprising a plurality of pixels;

wherein said information display is disposed in said mirror housing rearward of said transflective mirror reflector of said electrochromic reflective element, and wherein information displayed by said information display is viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle viewing through said transflective mirror reflector of said electrochromic reflective element when said information display is displaying information, and wherein, when said information display is not displaying information, the presence of said information display behind said transflective mirror reflector of said electrochromic reflective element is substantially not discerned by the driver of the equipped vehicle normally viewing said electrochromic reflective element when operating the equipped vehicle;

wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a forward facing camera having a forward field of view in the direction of forward travel of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said forward facing camera views through the windshield of the equipped vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle; and

wherein said camera is associated with a headlamp controller that, responsive to image processing of images captured by said forward facing camera, is operable to control the headlamps of the equipped vehicle; and

wherein said information display comprises a video information display and wherein said video information display is operable to display video images captured by a rearward facing video camera of the equipped vehicle and wherein said information display displays video images captured by said rearward facing video camera during a reversing maneuver of the equipped vehicle.

36. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 35, wherein circuitry of said headlamp controller is, at least in part, disposed in said interior rearview mirror assembly.

37. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 36, wherein said forward facing camera is associated with a lane departure warning system.

38. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 37, wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly accommodates circuitry that, at least in part, is part of said lane departure warning system.

39. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 38, wherein circuitry of said interior rearview mirror assembly is electrically connected to a network bus of the equipped vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle.

40. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 35, wherein at least one of (a) said electrochromic reflective element is at least 15 percent transmissive of visible light incident at a rear of said electrochromic reflective element, (b) said electrochromic reflective element has a reflectance of at least about 60 percent to visible light incident from its front, and (c) said electrochromic reflective element is at least 15 percent transmissive of visible light incident at a rear of said reflective element and said reflective element has a reflectance of at least about 60 percent to visible light incident from its front.

41. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 35, wherein information display intensity of said information display is adjustable responsive to determination of a light level at said interior rearview mirror assembly by at least one photosensor of said interior rearview mirror assembly.

42. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 35, wherein said mirror housing is adjustable relative to a mounting button attached at an interior surface of the windshield of the equipped vehicle.

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

an interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror housing and a reflective element;

wherein said reflective element comprises an electro-optic reflective element having a mirror reflector;

an information display disposed at said interior rearview mirror assembly to display information for viewing by a driver of the equipped vehicle;

wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a forward facing camera having a forward field of view in the direction of forward travel of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said forward facing camera views through the windshield of the equipped vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle;

wherein said camera is associated with a headlamp controller that, responsive to image processing of images captured by said forward facing camera, is operable to control the headlamps of the equipped vehicle;

wherein circuitry of said headlamp controller is, at least in part, disposed in said interior rearview mirror assembly;

wherein said forward facing camera is associated with a lane departure warning system;

wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly accommodates circuitry that, at least in part, is part of said lane departure warning system; and

wherein circuitry of said interior rearview mirror assembly is electrically connected to a network bus of the equipped vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle.

44. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 43, wherein said mirror housing is adjustable relative to an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with said interior rearview mirror assembly when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle, and wherein adjustment of said mirror housing by the driver of the equipped vehicle adjusts a rearward field of view of said electro-optic reflective element when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle.

45. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 44, wherein said information display is disposed in said mirror housing rearward of said mirror reflector of said electro-optic reflective element, and wherein information displayed by said information display is viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle viewing through said electro-optic reflective element when said information display is displaying information.

46. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 45, wherein information display intensity of said information display is adjustable responsive to determination of a light level at said interior rearview mirror assembly by at least one photosensor of said interior rearview mirror assembly.

47. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 46, wherein said mirror reflector comprises a transflective mirror reflector, and wherein information displayed by said information display is viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle viewing through said transflective mirror reflector of said electro-optic reflective element when said information display is displaying information, and wherein, when said information display is not displaying information, the presence of said information display behind said transflective mirror reflector of said electro-optic reflective element is substantially not discerned by the driver of the equipped vehicle normally viewing said electro-optic reflective element when operating the equipped vehicle.

48. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 47, wherein said information display comprises a reconfigurable liquid crystal display comprising a plurality of pixels.

49. The interior rearview information mirror system of claim 48, wherein said information display comprises a video information display and wherein said video information display is operable to display video images captured by a rearward facing video camera of the equipped vehicle and wherein said information display displays video images captured by said rearward facing video camera during a reversing maneuver of the equipped vehicle.