Rearview mirror with display

• US 6,572,233 B1
• Filed: 09/18/2000
• Issued: 06/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Carter, John W., Northman, Bradley L., Bauer, Frederick T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Mark A.
• Application Number:
  US09/664,151
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 359/603, 359/608, 359/630, 359/636, 359/838, 359/839, 359/879, 340/815.4
• US Class Current: 359/839
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2665 on rear-view mirrors lighting devices for vehicle interior on or for rear-view mirrors B60Q3/258
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/088 using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors
• 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: B60R 21/01566 Devices for warning or indicating mode of inhibition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

A mirror includes a housing, an electrochromic mirror subassembly in the housing including front and rear transparent elements, a layer of electrochromic material associated with the front and rear transparent elements, a reflector layer associated with the rear transparent element, with a portion of the reflector layer defining an opening, and an indicia panel covering the opening and configured to form a visual display. The visual display includes a panel with a discrete number of pre-formed letters and symbols. At least one light source is positioned in the housing to pass light through the indicia panel and the opening of the mirror subassembly to selectively illuminate the visual display. The plurality of light-emitting devices being a number that is equal to or less than the discrete number. The at least one light source emits a light matched in color to the indicia panel so that a maximum of light from the at least one light source passes through the indicia panel and is visible to a vehicle driver. Optimally, the light sources emit an amber colored light, and the indicia panel includes a diffusing layer also having an amber color.

Claims

1. A mirror comprising:

a housing;

an electrochromic mirror subassembly in the housing including front and rear transparent elements, a layer of electrochromic material associated with the front and rear transparent elements, and a reflector layer associated with the rear transparent element, a portion of the reflector layer defining an opening;

an indicia panel covering the opening, an alphanumeric visual display formed on the indicia panel including a discrete number of permanent pre-formed symbols; and

a plurality of light-emitting devices positioned in the housing to pass light through the indicia panel and the opening of the electrochromic mirror subassembly to selectively illuminate the alphanumeric visual display, the plurality of light-emitting devices being a number that is equal to or less than the discrete number.

2. The mirror defined in claim 1, wherein each one of the light-emitting devices creates a pattern of light that illuminates at least an entire one of the pre-formed symbols, and characteristically individual ones of the light emitting devices are not positioned to illuminate only a portion of an entire one of the pre-formed symbols.

3. The mirror defined in claim 1, including a translucent element adjacent the preformed symbols that is configured to diffuse light from the light emitting devices.

4. The mirror defined in claim 1, wherein the light-emitting devices include light-emitting diodes.

5. The mirror defined in claim 1, wherein said pre-formed symbols on said indicia panel define a passenger supplemental inflatable restraint status display.

6. The mirror defined in claim 1, wherein said symbols include letters.

7. A mirror comprising:

a housing;

a mirror subassembly in the housing including at least one transparent element and a reflector layer associated with the at least one transparent element, a portion of the reflector layer defining an opening;

an indicia panel covering the opening and including an alphanumeric visual display defining a first discrete number of non-changing pre-formed symbols; and

at least one light source positioned to pass light through the indicia panel and the opening of the mirror subassembly to selectively illuminate the visual display, the at least one light source being a second discrete number that is less than or equal to the first discrete number.

8. The mirror defined in claim 7, wherein the indicia panel includes a carrier film and further includes a layer of symbol-forming material that is applied to the carrier film to form the pre-formed symbols on the indicia panel, and wherein the light source characteristically does not, by itself, generate symbols.

9. The mirror defined in claim 7, wherein said pre-formed symbols on said indicia panel define a passenger supplemental inflatable restraint status display.

10. A vehicle rearview mirror assembly comprising:

a housing;

a mirror subassembly disposed in said housing and including at least one transparent element and a reflector layer associated with the at least one transparent element;

an indicia panel disposed in said housing behind said mirror subassembly so as to be non-coplanar with said reflector layer of said mirror subassembly, said indicia panel including an opaque region and a plurality of substantially non-opaque regions defining a plurality of non-changing indicia symbols; and

at least one light source positioned in said housing to transmit light through the substantially non-opaque regions of said indicia panel and through said mirror subassembly to selectively display the indicia symbols, a number of said at least one light source being provided that is equal to or less than the number of indicia symbols in said indicia panel.

11. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly of claim 10, wherein said indicia symbols include alphanumeric letters.

12. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly of claim 10, wherein said mirror subassembly is an electrochromic mirror subassembly.

13. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly of claim 10, wherein said reflector of said mirror subassembly includes an opening defining a transparent window through said mirror subassembly, and wherein said indicia panel is disposed behind said window.

14. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly of claim 10, wherein said at least one light source includes a plurality of light sources and wherein the vehicle rearview mirror assembly further comprises a baffle positioned between said light sources and said indicia panel.

15. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly of claim 10, wherein said at least one light source includes a first light source associated with a first one of said indicia symbols and a second light source associated with a second one of said indicia symbols, said second light source is independently activated from said first light source so as to separately illuminate the first and second indicia symbols.

16. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly of claim 15, wherein the vehicle rearview mirror assembly further comprises a baffle positioned between said light sources and said indicia panel such that light from said first light source does not illuminate said second indicia symbol and light from said second light source does not illuminate said first indicia symbol.

17. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly of claim 16, wherein said indicia symbols define a passenger supplemental inflatable restraint status display.

18. A vehicle rearview mirror assembly comprising:

a housing;

a mirror subassembly disposed in said housing and including at least one transparent element and a reflector layer associated with said at least one transparent element, a portion of said reflector layer defining an opening; and

a passenger supplemental inflatable restraint display for displaying the enablement status of a passenger supplemental inflatable restraint, said display comprising;

an indicia panel disposed in said housing behind said mirror subassembly so as to cover the opening in said reflector layer, said indicia panel including an opaque region and a plurality of substantially non-opaque regions defining a plurality of nonchanging indicia symbols; and

a plurality of light sources positioned in said housing to transmit light through said substantially non-opaque regions of said indicia panel and through said mirror subassembly to selectively display the indicia symbols.

19. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly of claim 18, wherein said indicia symbols include alphanumeric letters.

20. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly of claim 18, wherein said indicia symbols include a first indicia symbol having a plurality of alphanumeric letters spelling the words “

PASSENGER AIR BAG.”

21. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly of claim 20, wherein said indicia symbols include a second indicia symbol having a plurality of alphanumeric letters spelling the word “

OFF.”

22. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly of claim 21, wherein said indicia symbols include a third indicia symbol having a plurality of alphanumeric letters spelling the word “

ON.”

23. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly of claim 18, wherein said mirror subassembly is an electrochromic mirror subassembly.

24. A vehicle rearview mirror assembly comprising:

a housing;

a mirror subassembly disposed in said housing and including at least one transparent element and a reflector layer associated with said at least one transparent element;

an indicia panel disposed in said housing behind said mirror subassembly, said indicia panel defining a plurality of indicia symbols;

a plurality of light sources positioned in said housing to transmit light through portions of said indicia panel and through said mirror subassembly, wherein said at least one light source includes a first light source associated with a first one of said indicia symbols and a second light source associated with a second one of said indicia symbols, said second light source is independently activated from said first light source so that the first and second indicia symbols may be separately illuminated; and

a baffle subassembly disposed between said light sources and said indicia panel such that light from said first light source does not illuminate said second indicia symbol and light from said second light source does not illuminate said first indicia symbol.

25. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly of claim 24, wherein said indicia symbols include alphanumeric letters.

26. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly of claim 24, wherein said mirror subassembly is an electrochronic mirror subassembly.

27. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly of claim 24, wherein said indicia symbols define a passenger supplemental inflatable restraint status display.

28. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly of claim 24, wherein said first light source includes a plurality of LEDs.