INTERIOR REARVIEW MIRROR ASSEMBLY
First Claim
1. An interior rearview mirror assembly suitable for use in a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
- an electro-optic reflective element comprising a front substrate and a rear substrate and an electro-optic medium disposed therebetween;
wherein said front substrate has a first surface and a second surface, said second surface having a transparent second surface electrically conductive coating disposed thereon;
wherein said rear substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface, said third surface having a third surface transflective metallic reflector disposed thereon;
a photo sensor disposed behind said fourth surface of said rear substrate and operable to detect light passing through said third surface transflective metallic reflector and said electro-optic reflective element; and
a light concentrator disposed between said photo sensor and said fourth surface of said rear substrate, wherein said light concentrator receives light passing through said third surface transflective metallic reflector of said electro-optic reflective element and concentrates light onto a light sensing surface of said photo sensor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes an electro-optic reflective element, a photo sensor and a light concentrator. The electro-optic reflective element has a front substrate with a first surface and a transparent second surface electrically conductive coating disposed on a second surface, and the electro-optic reflective element has a rear substrate with a third surface transflective metallic reflector disposed at a third surface thereof. The photo sensor is disposed behind a fourth surface of the rear substrate and operable to detect light passing through the transflective metallic reflector and the electro-optic reflective medium disposed between the second and third surfaces. The light concentrator is disposed between the photo sensor and the fourth surface of the rear substrate, and the light concentrator receives light passing through the transflective metallic reflector of the electro-optic reflective element and concentrates light onto a light sensing surface of the photo sensor.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. An interior rearview mirror assembly suitable for use in a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
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an electro-optic reflective element comprising a front substrate and a rear substrate and an electro-optic medium disposed therebetween; wherein said front substrate has a first surface and a second surface, said second surface having a transparent second surface electrically conductive coating disposed thereon; wherein said rear substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface, said third surface having a third surface transflective metallic reflector disposed thereon; a photo sensor disposed behind said fourth surface of said rear substrate and operable to detect light passing through said third surface transflective metallic reflector and said electro-optic reflective element; and a light concentrator disposed between said photo sensor and said fourth surface of said rear substrate, wherein said light concentrator receives light passing through said third surface transflective metallic reflector of said electro-optic reflective element and concentrates light onto a light sensing surface of said photo sensor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An interior rearview mirror assembly suitable for use in a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
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an electrochromic reflective element comprising a front substrate and a rear substrate and an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween; wherein said front substrate has a first surface and a second surface, said second surface having a transparent second surface electrically conductive coating disposed thereon; wherein said rear substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface, said third surface having a third surface transflective metallic reflector disposed thereon; a photo sensor disposed behind said fourth surface of said rear substrate and operable to detect light passing through said third surface transflective metallic reflector and said electrochromic reflective element; a light concentrator disposed between said photo sensor and said fourth surface of said rear substrate, wherein said light concentrator receives light passing through said third surface transflective metallic reflector of said electrochromic reflective element and concentrates light onto a light sensing surface of said photo sensor; wherein said light concentrator receives light at a light receiving region of said light concentrator and concentrates received light at said light sensing surface of said photo sensor, wherein said light sensing surface of said photo sensor has a smaller area than the area of said light receiving region of said light concentrator; and wherein said light receiving region of said light concentrator has a cross dimension of at least about 5 mm and wherein said light sensing surface of said photo sensor has a cross dimension of less than about 3 mm. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An interior rearview mirror assembly suitable for use in a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
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an electrochromic reflective element comprising a front substrate and a rear substrate and an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween; wherein said front substrate has a first surface and a second surface, said second surface having a transparent second surface electrically conductive coating disposed thereon; wherein said rear substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface, said third surface having a third surface transflective metallic reflector disposed thereon; a photo sensor disposed behind said fourth surface of said rear substrate and operable to detect light passing through said third surface transflective metallic reflector and said electrochromic reflective element; a light concentrator disposed between said photo sensor and said fourth surface of said rear substrate, wherein said light concentrator receives light passing through said third surface transflective metallic reflector of said electrochromic reflective element and concentrates light onto a light sensing surface of said photo sensor; wherein said light concentrator receives light at a light receiving region of said light concentrator and concentrates received light at said light sensing surface of said photo sensor, wherein said light sensing surface of said photo sensor has a smaller area than the area of said light receiving region of said light concentrator; and wherein said light concentrator comprises at least one of a lens, a combination of lenses, an optical element, a combination of optical elements, a funnel-shaped element, a light channel, a compound parabolic collector and a light. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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Specification