INTERIOR REARVIEW MIRROR ASSEMBLY WITH INTEGRATED INDICATOR SYMBOL

• US 20140146551A1
• Filed: 01/31/2014
• Published: 05/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Douglas C. Campbell, Rodger William Eich
• Original Assignee: Douglas C. Campbell, Rodger William Eich
• Inventors: Campbell, Douglas C., Eich, Rodger William
• Granted Patent: US 9,841,173 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/464
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/258 Rear-view mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47
• 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: F21V 23/0485 the sensor sensing the physical interaction between a user and certain areas located on the lighting device, e.g. a touch sensor

Abstract

This invention relates to mirror assemblies for vehicles and in particular to interior rearview mirror assemblies having touch screen inputs corresponding to elements representing a symbol. The symbols are located behind a reflective element and not visible until activated by selection of the corresponding input or other means.

Claims

1. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

a reflective element configured to accept an input;

a mirror housing to support the reflective element, wherein

the reflective element is operative to sense a touch or proximity of the input so as to determine a point on the reflective element corresponding to the sensed input,

the point on the reflective element corresponds to at least one symbol disposed behind said reflective element,

the symbol is illuminated upon sensing a proximity to the point on the reflective element corresponding to the symbol,

the reflective element is transflective such that the at least one symbol is visible when illuminated and hidden when not illuminated.

2. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the symbol remains illuminated for a predetermined time period.

3. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the symbol remains illuminated for a user-selectable time period.

4. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the symbol is illuminated for a predetermined time period following one of the following conditions:

ignition of the vehicle and opening of a vehicle door.

5. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the symbol remains illuminated but changes in appearance upon sensing a touch of the point on the reflective element corresponding to the symbol.

6. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein the reflective element is configured as an optical image sensor having at least one image sensor that when the input is sensed, the image sensor is triangulated to locate the point on the reflective element corresponding to the sensed input.

7. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the reflective element configured to accept inputs at a plurality of points thereon;

the reflective element is operative to sense a touch or proximity of the inputs so as to determine one of the plurality of points on the reflective element corresponding to a sensed input,

the points on the reflective element corresponds to a plurality of symbols disposed behind said reflective element,

the symbols are illuminated upon sensing a proximity to any one of the plurality of points on the reflective element,

the reflective element is transflective such that the symbols are visible when illuminated and hidden when not illuminated.

8. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 7, wherein the symbols remain illuminated for a predetermined time period.

9. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 7, wherein the symbols remain illuminated for a user-selectable time period.

10. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 7, wherein the symbols are illuminated for a predetermined time period following one of the following conditions:

ignition of the vehicle and opening of a vehicle door.

11. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 7, wherein, upon sensing a touch of a point on the reflective element corresponding to a selected one of the symbols, the selected symbol remains illuminated but changes in appearance.

12. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

a reflective element configured to accept an input;

a mirror housing to support the reflective element, wherein

the reflective element is operative to sense a touch or proximity of the input so as to determine a point on the reflective element corresponding to the sensed input,

the point on the reflective element corresponds to at least one symbol disposed behind said reflective element,

the symbol is illuminated for a predetermined time period following one of the following conditions;

ignition of the vehicle, opening of a vehicle door, sensing a proximity to the point on the reflective element corresponding to the symbol, and sensing touch of the point on the reflective element corresponding to the symbol,

the reflective element is transflective such that the at least one symbol is visible when illuminated and hidden when not illuminated.

13. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 12, wherein the predetermined time period is a user-selectable time period.

14. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 12, wherein the reflective element is configured as an optical image sensor having at least one image sensor that when the input is sensed, the image sensor is triangulated to locate the point on the reflective element corresponding to the sensed input.

15. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

a reflective element configured to accept an input; and

a mirror housing to support the reflective element, wherein;

the reflective element is operative to sense a touch or proximity of the input so as to determine a point on the reflective element corresponding to the sensed input, and

the reflective element is configured as an optical image sensor having at least one image sensor that when the input is sensed, the image sensor is triangulated to locate the point on the reflective element corresponding to the sensed input.

16. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 15, wherein:

the reflective element configured to accept inputs at a plurality of points thereon;

the reflective element is operative to sense a touch or proximity of the inputs so as to determine one of the plurality of points on the reflective element corresponding to a sensed input,

the points on the reflective element corresponds to a plurality of symbols disposed behind said reflective element,

the symbols are illuminated upon sensing a proximity to any one of the plurality of points on the reflective element,

the reflective element is transflective such that the symbols are visible when illuminated and hidden when not illuminated.

17. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 16, wherein the symbols remain illuminated for a predetermined time period.

18. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 16, wherein the symbols remain illuminated for a user-selectable time period.

19. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 16, wherein the symbols are illuminated for a predetermined time period following one of the following conditions:

ignition of the vehicle and opening of a vehicle door.

20. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 16, wherein, upon sensing a touch of a point on the reflective element corresponding to a selected one of the symbols, the selected symbol remains illuminated but changes in appearance.