VEHICULAR INTERIOR REARVIEW MIRROR SYSTEM
First Claim
1. An interior rearview mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle, said interior rearview 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;
wherein said electro-optic reflective element comprises a transflective mirror reflector and 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 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, and wherein said information display is operable to display video images;
wherein said information display is disposed in said mirror housing rearward of said transflective minor reflector of said reflective element;
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;
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;
wherein said 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; and
wherein, during a reversing maneuver of the equipped vehicle, a signal indicative of the vehicle transmission being in reverse is communicated via a network bus of the equipped vehicle to a control of said interior rearview mirror assembly.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly and an information display operable to display information for viewing by the driver of the vehicle through a transflective mirror reflector of a reflective element of the interior rearview mirror assembly. Information display intensity of the information display is adjustable responsive to determination of a light level at the interior rearview mirror assembly by at least one photosensor. The information display is operable to display video images captured by a rearward facing video camera of the vehicle and the information display displays video images captured by the rearward facing video camera during a reversing maneuver of the vehicle. During a reversing maneuver of the vehicle, a signal indicative of the vehicle transmission being in reverse is communicated via a network bus of the vehicle to a control of the interior rearview mirror assembly.
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Citations
56 Claims
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1. An interior rearview mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising:
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an interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror housing and a reflective element; wherein said reflective element comprises an electro-optic reflective element; wherein said electro-optic reflective element comprises a transflective mirror reflector and 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 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, and wherein said information display is operable to display video images; wherein said information display is disposed in said mirror housing rearward of said transflective minor reflector of said reflective element; 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; 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; wherein said 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; and wherein, during a reversing maneuver of the equipped vehicle, a signal indicative of the vehicle transmission being in reverse is communicated via a network bus of the equipped vehicle to a control of said interior rearview mirror assembly. - 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 system suitable for use in a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising:
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an interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror housing and a reflective element; wherein said reflective element comprises an electro-optic reflective element; wherein said electro-optic reflective element comprises a transflective mirror reflector and 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 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, and wherein said information display is operable to display video images; wherein said information display is disposed in said mirror housing rearward of said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element; 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; 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, and wherein said at least one photosensor comprises at least one silicon photosensor; wherein said 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; wherein, during a reversing maneuver of the equipped vehicle, a signal indicative of the vehicle transmission being in reverse is communicated via a network bus of the equipped vehicle to a control of said interior rearview mirror assembly; 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; and wherein circuitry of said interior rearview mirror assembly is connected to said network bus of the equipped vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. An interior rearview mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising:
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an interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror housing and a reflective element; wherein said reflective element comprises an electrochromic reflective element; wherein said electrochromic reflective element comprises a transflective mirror reflector and 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, and wherein said information display is operable to display video images; wherein said information display is disposed in said mirror housing rearward of said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element; 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; 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 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; wherein, during a reversing maneuver of the equipped vehicle, a signal indicative of the vehicle transmission being in reverse is communicated via a network bus of the equipped vehicle to a control of said interior rearview mirror assembly; 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; and wherein, responsive to said receipt of said signal by said control, dimming of said electrochromic reflective element is disabled. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. An interior rearview mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising:
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an interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror housing and a reflective element; wherein said reflective element comprises an electro-optic reflective element; wherein said electro-optic reflective element comprises a transflective mirror reflector and wherein said transflective mirror reflector comprises a metal thin film layer; wherein at least one of (a) said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element is at least 15 percent transmissive of visible light, (b) said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element has a reflectance of at least about 60 percent to visible light incident thereon, and (c) said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element is at least 15 percent transmissive of visible light and said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element has a reflectance of at least about 60 percent to visible light incident thereon; 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, and wherein said information display is operable to display video images; wherein said information display is disposed in said mirror housing rearward of said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element; 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; 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; wherein said 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; wherein, during a reversing maneuver of the equipped vehicle, a signal indicative of the vehicle transmission being in reverse is communicated via a network bus of the equipped vehicle to a control of said interior rearview mirror assembly; and wherein said information display is operable to illuminate particular pixels of said plurality of pixels of said reconfigurable liquid crystal display to form a desired character in order to display said desired character to the driver of the equipped vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. An interior rearview mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising:
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an interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror housing and a reflective element; wherein said reflective element comprises an electrochromic reflective element; wherein said electrochromic reflective element comprises a transflective mirror reflector and 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, and wherein said information display is operable to display video images; wherein said information display is disposed in said mirror housing rearward of said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element; 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; 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; wherein said 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; wherein, during a reversing maneuver of the equipped vehicle, a signal indicative of the vehicle transmission being in reverse is communicated via a network bus of the equipped vehicle to a control of said interior rearview mirror assembly; wherein circuitry of said interior rearview mirror assembly is connected to said network bus of the equipped vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle; and wherein said circuitry is associated with control of an accessory of said interior rearview mirror assembly. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56)
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Specification