Back lit mirror with media display device

• US 8,099,247 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2006
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electric Mirror LLC
• Original Assignee: Electric Mirror LLC
• Inventors: Mischel, James V. Jr., Mischel, James V. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): TSAI, CAROL S W
• Application Number:
  US11/563,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20070159316A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,880 Days
• Field of Search: 359/839, 359/871, 359/460, 359/485, 359/609, 359/849, 359/443, 362/492, 362/611, 362/2, 362/141, 362/308, 362/25, 362/135, 362/129, 348/795, 348/744, 348/791, 348/E9.027
• US Class Current: 702/44
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/02 Mirrors used as equipment hand, pocket, or shaving mirrors A45D42/00; optical viewing means for vehicles B60R1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B24C 1/00 Methods for use of abrasive blasting for producing particular effects; Use of auxiliary equipment in connection with such methods
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 17/00 Surface treatment of glass, not in the form of fibres or filaments, by coating optical coatings of optical elements G02B1/10
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 1/30 for etching other metallic material
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0169 Supporting or connecting means other than the external walls
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0149 characterised by mechanical features G02B27/0176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1073 characterized by manufacturing or alignment methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/12 using a transparent mirror or other light reflecting surface transparent to transmitted light whereby a sign, symbol, picture or other is visible only when illuminated
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/14 displaying different signs depending upon the view-point of the observer
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/00 Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements in which the variable information is permanently attached to a movable support G09F11/00; abacus G06C1/00; slide-rules G06G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49963 Threaded fastener

Abstract

A combination mirror and media display device assembly is provided. The combination mirror and media display device includes a mirror platform having a media display device viewing area and a media display device coupled to the mirror platform. The media display device is positioned to display images through the media display device viewing area.

Claims

1. A combination mirror and media display device assembly, comprising:

(a) a mirror platform having a media display device viewing area and a reflective area, wherein a reflectivity of the media display device viewing area is less than a reflectivity of the reflective area; and

(b) a media display device coupled to the mirror platform and positioned to display images through the media display device viewing area, wherein the media display device modifies a reflectivity of the media display device viewing area such that a reflectivity of the reflective area is substantially the same as a reflectivity of the media display device viewing area when the media display device is in an off state, which causes the media display device viewing area to blend into the reflective area without any polarizing layer within the media display device viewing area.

2. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a chassis for receiving the media display device, the chassis having a back surface and an edge portion.

3. The assembly of claim 2, further comprising a light source received within the chassis, wherein light from the light source is emitted through at least one aperture extending through the edge portion of the chassis.

4. The assembly of claim 2, further comprising a light source received within the chassis, wherein the mirror platform further includes at least one translucent portion that allows at least a portion of the light from the light source to pass through the mirror platform and a reflectivity of the translucent portion is less than a reflectivity of the media display device viewing area.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the mirror platform includes a glass layer having a glass layer front surface and a glass layer rear surface.

6. The assembly of claim 5, further comprising a first layer applied to one of the glass layer front surface and a glass layer rear surface, wherein the first layer is both reflective and transmissive.

7. The assembly of claim 6, further comprising a second layer applied to the reflective area of the glass area rear surface, wherein the second layer increases the reflectivity of the first layer.

8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the media display device has a brightness in the range of about 500 to 2000 nits.

9. The assembly of claim 7, wherein a portion of the second layer is removed from the mirror platform to define a translucent portion that allows at least a portion of light from a light source to pass through the mirror platform.

10. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the first layer is removed from the translucent portion to increase the amount of light passing through the mirror platform.

11. The assembly of claim 5, further comprising a reflective layer applied to the reflective area of one of the glass layer front surface and the glass layer rear surface.

12. A mirror platform, comprising:

(a) a glass layer, comprising;

(i) a glass layer front surface and a glass layer rear surface;

(ii) a media display device viewing area;

(iii) a reflective area;

(b) a first layer applied to the reflective area of at least one of the glass layer front surface and the glass layer rear surface, wherein the first layer is both reflective and transmissive, wherein a media display device modifies a reflectivity of the media display device viewing area such that a reflectivity of the reflective area is substantially the same as a reflectivity of the media display device viewing area when the media display device is placed behind the media display device viewing area and the media display device is in the off state and no polarizing layer is in the media display device viewing area.

13. The assembly of claim 12, wherein the first layer is applied to the media display device viewing area.

14. The assembly of claim 13, further comprising a second layer applied to the reflective area of the glass area rear surface, wherein the second layer increases the reflectivity of the first layer.

15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein a portion of the second layer is removed from the mirror platform to define a translucent portion that allows at least a portion of light from a light source to pass through the mirror platform.

16. A method to cause a media display device to blend into a mirror platform, comprising:

selecting a reflectivity of a reflective area, the reflective area is part of a mirror platform; and

selecting a reflectivity of a media display device viewing area, the media display device viewing area is another part of the mirror platform;

such that when a media display device is placed behind the media display device viewing area and the media display device is in an off state, a reflectivity of the media display device viewing area is substantially the same as the reflectivity of the reflective area and there is no polarizing layer placed in the media display device viewing area.