Rearview mirror with display

• US 6,870,655 B1
• Filed: 06/05/2000
• Issued: 03/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Bauer, Frederick T., Carter, John W., Northman, Bradley L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer, Ricky D.
• Application Number:
  US09/586,813
• Time in Patent Office: 1,751 Days
• Field of Search: 340/815.45, 340/815.53, 340/815.56, 340/815.65, 362/23, 362/29, 362/30, 362/800, 362/140, 362/494, 362/545, 359/608, 359/603, 359/839, 359/265, 359/267, 402/19, 404/47, 404/52, 405/81
• US Class Current: 359/265
• 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, a mirror subassembly including a reflector layer with a portion defining an opening, and an indicia panel covering the opening and configured to form a visual display. 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 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;

a mirror subassembly including a reflector layer with a portion defining an opening;

panel covering the opening, said panel configured to form a visual display of indicia, the indicia having a characteristic color; and

at least one light source positioned in the housing to emit light through the indicia on the panel and through the opening of the mirror subassembly to selectively illuminate the indicia, the at least one light source emitting a light matched in color to the characteristic color of the indicia.

2. The mirror defined in claim 1, wherein the mirror subassembly includes an electrochromic mirror subassembly, the electrochromic mirror subassembly including front and rear transparent elements, and a layer of electrochromic material associated with the front and rear transparent elements, the reflector layer being associated with the rear transparent element.

3. The mirror defined in claim 1, wherein the indicia on the panel includes alphanumeric characters.

4. The mirror defined in claim 1, wherein the color of the at least one light source is non-white.

5. The mirror defined in claim 4, wherein the color is amber.

6. The mirror as defined in claim 1, wherein she indicia on the panel includes symbols defining a supplemental inflatable restraint status display.

7. The mirror defined in claim 1, wherein the panel comprises a translucent diffuser layer having the characteristic color of the indicia, and an opaque layer selectively applied over the diffuser layer so as to define an outline of the indicia and thereby absorb light from that otherwise not emitted through the indicia.

8. The mirror defined in claim 1, wherein the panel comprises a light absorbing background having a color that is visually distinguishable over the characteristic color of the indicia such that the indicia is viewable in its characteristic color even when no light from the at least one light source is emitted therethrough.

9. A mirror comprising:

a housing;

a mirror subassembly including a reflector layer with a portion defining an opening;

an indicia panel covering the opening and configured to form a visual display having a characteristic color; and

at least one light source 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 at least one light source emitting a light matched in color to the characteristic color of the visual display of the indicia panel, wherein the color of the at least one light source is non-white, wherein the panel includes a diffuser layer having a color matching the at least one light source.

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 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 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 nor-opaque regions defining a plurality of indicia symbols, said plurality of indicia symbols including a first indicia symbol, a second indicia symbol, and a third indicia symbol, wherein at least one of said substantially non-opaque regions define said first indicia symbol and has an amber color, and wherein said indicia symbols include alphanumeric letters; and

a plurality of light sources positioned in said housing to transmit amber colored light through said substantially non-opaque regions of said indicia panel and through said mirror subassembly to selectively display the illuminated indicia symbols, wherein said plurality of light sources includes at least a first light source associated with said first indicia symbol, a second light source associated with said second indicia symbol, and a third light source associated with said third indicia symbol, said first, second, and third light sources are independently activated from one another so as to independently illuminate said first, second, and third indicia symbols; and

a baffle subassembly disposed relative to said light sources and said indicia panel such that light from said first light source does not illuminate said second and third indicia symbols, light from said second light source does not illuminate said first and third indicia symbols, and light from said third light source does not illuminate said first and second indicia symbols.

11. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly of claim 10, wherein said first indicia symbol includes a plurality of alphanumeric letters spelling the words “

PASSENGER AIR BAG.”

12. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly of claim 11, wherein said second indicia symbol includes a plurality of alphanumeric letters spelling the word “

OFF.”

13. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly of claim 12, wherein said third indicia symbol includes a plurality of alphanumeric letters spelling the word “

ON.”

14. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly of claim 13, wherein said first light source includes a plurality of LEDs.

15. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly of claim 14, wherein said indicia panel includes at least one registration hole and wherein said housing includes at least one registration protrusion for engaging said registration hole.

16. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly of claim 14, wherein said indicia panel includes two registration holes and wherein said housing includes two registration protrusions for respectively engaging said registration holes.

17. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly of claim 16, wherein said housing includes a bezel and wherein said two registration protrusions protrude from said bezel.

18. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly of claim 17 and further comprising a printed circuit board disposed in said housing substantially parallel to a rear surface of said mirror subassembly, wherein said light sources include LEDs that are surface mounted to said printed circuit board.

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

20. The vehicle rearview mirror assembly of claim 10, wherein said indicia panel includes at least one registration hole and wherein said housing includes at least one registration protrusion for engaging said registration hole.

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

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

a housing;

a mirror subassembly including a reflector layer with a portion defining an opening;

a panel covering the opening the panel configured to form a visual display of indicia, the indicia having a characteristic color;

a printed circuit board disposed in said housing substantially parallel to a rear surface of said mirror subassembly; and

a plurality of LEDs positioned in the housing that are mounted to said printed circuit board to emit light through the indicia on the panel and through the opening of the mirror subassembly to selectively illuminate the indicia, said plurality of LEDs emitting light matched in color to the characteristic color of the indicia.