Rearview mirror element having a circuit mounted to the rear surface of the element
First Claim
1. A rearview mirror element for use in a vehicle, the mirror element comprising:
- a first substrate having a front surface and a rear surface;
a reflective coating disposed on at least one of said surfaces of said first substrate;
a component first light sensor secured to the rear surface of said first substrate, wherein said light sensor is configured and is secured to said first substrate to sense light passing through said first substrate; and
a second light sensor secured to the rear surface of said first substrate,wherein said first and second light sensors are configured and secured to said first substrate to sense light from generally opposite directions, andwherein at least a portion of said rear surface of said first substrate functions as a circuit board.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
According to the present invention, a rearview mirror comprises a first substrate having a front surface and a rear surface, a reflective coating disposed on a surface of the first substrate, and an electronic circuit component secured to the rear surface of the first substrate. The mirror element may be an electrochromic mirror element comprising a transparent second substrate positioned in front of the first substrate. The electronic component secured to the rear surface may be a component of a drive circuit for the electrochromic mirror element. The rearview mirror element may further comprise electrically conductive tracings provided on the rear surface of the first substrate electrically coupled to the electrical component. The tracings may be used to electrically couple the drive circuit to the electrodes of the electrochromic mirror element. The tracings may be deposited on the rear surface using numerous methods including inkjet printing techniques.
350 Citations
57 Claims
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1. A rearview mirror element for use in a vehicle, the mirror element comprising:
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a first substrate having a front surface and a rear surface; a reflective coating disposed on at least one of said surfaces of said first substrate; a component first light sensor secured to the rear surface of said first substrate, wherein said light sensor is configured and is secured to said first substrate to sense light passing through said first substrate; and a second light sensor secured to the rear surface of said first substrate, wherein said first and second light sensors are configured and secured to said first substrate to sense light from generally opposite directions, and wherein at least a portion of said rear surface of said first substrate functions as a circuit board. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An electrochromic rearview mirror element for use in a vehicle, the electrochromic mirror element comprising:
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a first substrate having a front surface and a rear surface; a transparent second substrate positioned in front of said first substrate; an electrochromic medium disposed between said first and second substrates; first and second electrically conductive layers disposed between said first and second substrates and electrically coupled to said electrochromic medium; and electrically conductive tracings disposed on said rear surface of said first substrate and electrically coupled to said first and second electrically conductive layers. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A review mirror element for use in a vehicle, the rearview mirror element comprising:
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a first substrate having a front surface and a rear surface; a reflective coating disposed on at least one of said surface of said first substrate; and a switch comprising a first electrical contact disposed on one of said front and rear surfaces of said first substrate, wherein said switch is a membrane switch comprising a switch membrane with a movable electrical contact for selectively contacting said first electrical contact on said first substrate when said switch membrane is pressed.
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28. A rearview mirror element for use in a vehicle, the rearview mirror element comprising:
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a first substrate having a front surface and a rear surface; a reflective coating disposed on at least one of said surfaces of said first substrate; and a switch comprising a first electrical contact disposed on one of said front and rear surfaces of said first substrate, wherein said switch is a touch sensitive switch that generates a signal when touched by a person. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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31. A rearview mirror element for use in a vehicle, the rearview mirror element comprising:
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a first substrate having a front surface and a rear surface; a reflective coating disposed on at least one of said surfaces of said first substrate; and an LED secured to the rear surface of said first substrate, wherein at least a portion of said rear surface of said first substrate functions as a circuit board. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A rearview mirror element for use in a vehicle, the rearview mirror element comprising:
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a first substrate having a front surface and a rear surface; a reflective coating disposed on at least one of said surfaces of said first substrate; and a light sensor secured to the rear surface of said first substrate, wherein at least a portion of said rear surface of said first substrate functions as a circuit board. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A method of making a rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, the method comprising:
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providing a mirror element having a rear surface and a front surface; inkjet printing conductive ink comprising a metal on one of the front and rear surfaces of the mirror element; providing a mirror housing having a bracket for attachment to a vehicle; and mounting the mirror element in the mirror housing. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. A rearview mirror element for use in a vehicle, the rearview mirror element comprising:
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a first substrate having a front surface and a rear surface; a reflective coating disposed on at least one of said surfaces of said first substrate; and a heat sink mounted to said first substrate, wherein at least a portion of said rear surface of said first substrate functions as a circuit board. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57)
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Specification