Interior rearview mirror system

• US 8,154,418 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2009
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Peterson, Kenneth C., Foote, Keith D., Hook, Richard R., Deuel, Eric S., Lynam, Niall R.
• Primary Examiner(s): CROSLAND, DONNIE L
• Application Number:
  US12/414,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20090243824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,107 Days
• Field of Search: 340/815.4
• US Class Current: 340/815.4
• 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 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/101 using cameras with adjustable capturing direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/207 using multi-purpose displays, e.g. camera image and navigation or video on same display
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/70 characterised by an event-triggered choice to display a specific image among a selection of captured images
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/806 for aiding parking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/157 Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. reflectors or illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/09 transflective
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A mirror system of a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having a reflective element and an information input display providing a display representative of a plurality of input characters. The information input display is disposed behind the reflective element and viewable through the reflective element and a transflective mirror reflector of the reflective element when the information input display is backlit by a backlighting device. A control is operable to determine a location of a touch or proximity of an object at the reflective element and correlate the determined location to an input character of the information input display. The mirror system may include a video display for displaying video images and the information input display may be disposed at a main viewing region of the reflective element so as to provide an information input display that is larger than the video display.

Claims

1. A mirror system of a vehicle, said mirror system comprising:

an interior rearview mirror assembly having a transflective reflective element, wherein said transflective reflective element has a transflective mirror reflector that is partially reflective of light incident thereon and partially transmissive of light therethrough;

wherein said transflective reflective element comprises a main viewing region and a video display viewing region, and wherein said main viewing region is larger than said video display viewing region and encompasses a substantial portion of said mirror reflector of said reflective element;

a video display for displaying video images, wherein said displayed video images are viewable through said transflective mirror reflector at said video display viewing region of said reflective element;

an information input display comprising a display representative of a plurality of individual alphanumeric input characters, wherein said plurality of individual alphanumeric input characters of said information input display is backlit by a backlighting device;

wherein said information input display is disposed behind said reflective element and viewable through said transflective mirror reflector at said main viewing region when said information input display is backlit by said backlighting device, and wherein said information input display is substantially not viewable or discernible to a person viewing said mirror assembly when said mirror assembly is normally mounted in a vehicle and when said information input display is not backlit by said backlighting device;

wherein said information input display is disposed at said main viewing region of said reflective element so as to provide an information input display that is larger than said video display; and

wherein said information input display is backlit by said backlighting device responsive to at least one of (i) a user input, (ii) a signal indicative of an initial ignition-on condition, (iii) the vehicle ignition on and the vehicle not in motion, and (iv) the vehicle ignition on and the vehicle engine not running, and wherein said backlighting device is deactivated in response to at least one of (i) a period of time elapsing following the activation of said backlighting device, (ii) a period of time elapsing following detection of a touch or proximity of an object at said reflective element, and (iii) movement of the vehicle;

a control operable to determine a location of a touch or proximity of an object at said reflective element and wherein said control is operable to determine a respective individual alphanumeric input character that is at and behind and corresponds to correlate the determined location of the touch or proximity of the object, and wherein said control generates an output signal indicative of the determined respective individual alphanumeric input character of said information input display.

2. The mirror system of claim 1, wherein said control activates said backlighting device in response to a user input.

3. The mirror system of claim 2, wherein said control deactivates said backlighting device in response to a period of time elapsing following one of (a) activation of said backlighting device and (b) a detected touch or proximity of an object at said reflective element.

4. The mirror system of claim 1, wherein said backlighting device is activated in response to at least one of (a) the vehicle ignition on and the vehicle not in motion and (b) the vehicle ignition on and the vehicle engine not running.

5. The mirror system of claim 1, wherein said information input display comprises a backlit alphanumeric keypad display and whereby said control determines a location of a touch or proximity of an object at said reflective element and correlates the determined location to an individual alphanumeric input character of said keypad display.

6. The mirror system of claim 1, wherein said information input display comprises at least one of (a) a plurality of individual alphabetic input characters, (b) a plurality of individual numeric input characters, and (c) a plurality of individual iconic input characters.

7. The mirror system of claim 1, wherein said video display viewing region is located toward a side of said mirror assembly that is closer to the driver of the vehicle when said mirror assembly is normally mounted in a vehicle.

8. The mirror system of claim 1, wherein said backlighting device comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes arranged in an array behind said information input display.

9. The mirror system of claim 1, wherein said control determines the location of the touch or proximity of an object at said reflective element responsive to a light sensor that detects light levels when each of a plurality of illumination sources are activated at said reflective element.

10. The mirror system of claim 9, wherein said control determines the location of the touch or proximity of an object by detecting a change in a light level corresponding to actuation or energization of one of said light sources as compared to the others of said light sources.

11. The mirror system of claim 10, wherein said control processes an output of said light sensor in conjunction with a timing of the activation of the respective light sources.

12. The mirror system of claim 1, wherein said reflective element comprises a surface capacitive touch screen at said main viewing region and wherein said control is operable to determine a location of a touch or proximity of an object at said touch screen and correlate the determined location to an input character of said information input display.

13. The mirror system of claim 12, wherein a front surface of said reflective element is coated with a transparent conductive coating and an electrical current is established at a plurality of nodes that are conductively connected to said transparent conductive coating, and wherein said control is operable to determine a location of a touch or proximity of an object at said front surface of said reflective element by determining a current draw at each of said plurality of nodes.

14. The mirror system of claim 1, wherein said reflective element comprises a projected capacitive touch screen at said main viewing region and wherein said control is operable to determine a location of a touch or proximity of an object at said touch screen and correlate the determined location to an input character of said information input display.

15. The mirror system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of conductive pads are established at least one of (a) a rear surface of said reflective element, (b) a front surface of said reflective element and (c) a surface of a glass sheet that is attached to a front surface of said reflective element, and wherein a proximity or touch is detected responsive to a change in capacitance at one or more of said pads.

16. The mirror system of claim 1, wherein said reflective element comprises an electro-optic reflective element having a front substrate and a rear substrate and an electro-optic medium disposed between said front and rear substrates, and wherein said front substrate has first and second surfaces and said rear substrate has third and fourth surfaces, said second and third surfaces opposing one another with said electro-optic medium disposed therebetween, said second surface having a transparent conductive coating disposed thereon.

17. The mirror system of claim 1, wherein said reflective element comprises a prismatic reflective element comprising a substrate having said transflective mirror reflector disposed on a rear surface thereof.

18. The mirror system of claim 17, wherein said reflective element has an opaque element disposed to the rear of said substrate, and wherein said video display is disposed generally at a window formed through said opaque element so that information displayed by said video display is viewable through said substrate and said transflective mirror reflector.

19. The mirror system of claim 18, wherein said video display is spaced rearward from said rear of said substrate by a transparent spacing element that is disposed between said mirror reflector and said opaque element to space said opaque element and said video display rearward from said mirror reflector and said substrate.

20. The mirror system of claim 18, wherein said opaque element comprises a flexible element that is peeled from a backing element that has multiple opaque elements applied thereto prior to adhering said opaque element to said rear of said substrate.

21. The mirror system of claim 1, wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly includes an indicator responsive to a detection of an object rearward of the vehicle and responsive to at least one of a distance to the detected object and a location of the detected object, and wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly includes a microphone.

22. The mirror system of claim 21, wherein said mirror system provides a recording function at said mirror assembly and wherein an operator can selectively activate and control a record and playback device of said mirror assembly.

23. The mirror system of claim 1, wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a left video display for displaying video images in response to an output of a camera having a generally sideward and rearward field of view at a left side of the vehicle, a center video display for displaying video images in response to an output of a rearward facing camera, and a right video display for displaying video images in response to an output of a camera having a generally sideward and rearward field of view at a right side of the vehicle.

24. The mirror system of claim 23, wherein said left video display is activated in response to actuation of a left turn signal of the vehicle and said right video display is activated in response to actuation of a right turn signal of the vehicle and said center video display is activated in response to the driver of the vehicle moving a gear actuator of the vehicle to a reverse gear position.

25. The mirror system of claim 1 further comprising a display device operable to project display information toward and onto a windshield of the vehicle equipped with said mirror system and in an area proximate said interior rearview mirror assembly.

26. A mirror system of a vehicle, said mirror system comprising:

an interior rearview mirror assembly having a reflective element, wherein said reflective element comprises a transflective reflective element having a transflective mirror reflector that is partially reflecting of light incident thereon and partially transmitting of light therethrough;

a keypad display comprising a display representative of a plurality of individual input characters;

wherein said keypad display is disposed behind said reflective element and viewable through said reflective element and said transflective mirror reflector when said keypad display is backlit by a backlighting device, said keypad display being substantially not viewable or discernible to a person viewing said mirror assembly when said mirror assembly is normally mounted in a vehicle and when said keypad display is not backlit by said backlighting device; and

wherein said plurality of individual input characters of said information input display is backlit by said backlighting device responsive to at least one of (i) a user input, (ii) a signal indicative of an initial ignition-on condition, (iii) the vehicle ignition on and the vehicle not in motion, and (iv) the vehicle ignition on and the vehicle engine not running, and wherein said backlighting device is deactivated in response to at least one of (i) a period of time elapsing following the activation of said backlighting device, (ii) a period of time elapsing following detection of a touch or proximity of an object at said reflective element, and (iii) movement of the vehicle;

a control operable to determine a location of a touch or proximity of an object at said reflective element and wherein said control is operable to determine a respective individual input character that is at and behind and corresponds to the determined location of the touch or proximity of the object, and wherein said control generates an output signal indicative of the determined respective individual input character of said keypad display.

27. The mirror system of claim 26, wherein said control activates said backlighting device in response to a user input.

28. The mirror system of claim 27, wherein said control deactivates said backlighting device in response to a period of time elapsing following one of (a) activation of said backlighting device and (b) a detected touch or proximity of an object at said reflective element.

29. The mirror system of claim 26, wherein said keypad display comprises a backlit alphanumeric keypad display and whereby said control determines a location of a touch or proximity of an object at said reflective element and correlates the determined location to a corresponding individual alphanumeric input character of said keypad display.

30. The mirror system of claim 26 further comprising a video display for displaying video images.

31. The mirror system of claim 30, wherein said video display is operable to display video images that are viewable through said transflective mirror reflector by a person viewing said rearview mirror assembly when said rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in a vehicle, and wherein said transflective reflective element comprises a main viewing region and a video display viewing region, and wherein said video display is at said video display viewing region and said keypad display is at said main viewing region, and wherein said main viewing region is larger than said video display viewing region and encompasses a substantial portion of said mirror reflector of said reflective element.

32. The mirror system of claim 30, wherein said reflective element comprises an electro-optic reflective element having a front substrate and a rear substrate and an electro-optic medium disposed between said front and rear substrates, and wherein said front substrate has first and second surfaces and said rear substrate has third and fourth surfaces, said second and third surfaces opposing one another with said electro-optic medium disposed therebetween, said second surface having a transparent conductive coating disposed thereon.

33. The mirror system of claim 32, wherein said front substrate extends beyond an edge region of said rear substrate to establish a video display viewing region outboard from a main viewing region of said reflective element, wherein said video images are viewed through said front substrate, and wherein light incident on said reflective element at said main viewing region is reflected by said transflective mirror reflector established at one of said third surface and fourth surface.

34. The mirror system of claim 33, wherein said transparent conductive coating at said display region is electrically isolated from said transparent conductive coating at said main viewing region.

35. The mirror system of claim 26, wherein said reflective element comprises a prismatic reflective element comprising a substrate having said transflective mirror reflector disposed on a rear surface thereof.

36. A mirror system of a vehicle, said mirror system comprising:

an interior rearview mirror assembly having a transflective reflective element, wherein said transflective reflective element has a transflective mirror reflector that is partially reflective of light incident thereon and partially transmissive of light therethrough;

wherein said transflective reflective element comprises a main viewing region and a video display viewing region, and wherein said main viewing region is larger than said video display viewing region and encompasses a substantial portion of said mirror reflector of said reflective element;

a video display for displaying video images, wherein said displayed video images are viewable through said transflective mirror reflector at said video display viewing region of said reflective element;

an alphanumeric keyboard display comprising a display representative of a plurality of individual alphanumeric input characters, wherein said plurality of individual alphanumeric input characters of said alphanumeric keyboard display is backlit by a backlighting device and wherein said backlighting device comprises an array of a plurality of white light emitting light emitting diodes;

wherein said alphanumeric keyboard display is disposed behind said reflective element and viewable through said transflective mirror reflector at said main viewing region when said alphanumeric keyboard display is backlit by said backlighting device, and wherein said alphanumeric keyboard display is substantially not viewable or discernible to a person viewing said mirror assembly when said mirror assembly is normally mounted in a vehicle and when said alphanumeric keyboard display is not backlit by said backlighting device;

wherein said alphanumeric keyboard display is backlit by said backlighting device responsive to at least one of (i) a user input, (ii) a signal indicative of an initial ignition-on condition, (iii) the vehicle ignition on and the vehicle not in motion, and (iv) the vehicle ignition on and the vehicle engine not miming, and wherein said backlighting device is deactivated in response to at least one of (i) a period of time elapsing following the activation of said backlighting device, (ii) a period of time elapsing following detection of a touch or proximity of an object at said reflective element, and (iii) movement of the vehicle;

wherein said alphanumeric keyboard display is disposed at said main viewing region of said reflective element so as to provide an alphanumeric keyboard display that is larger than said video display; and

a control operable to determine a location of a touch or proximity of an object at said reflective element and wherein said control is operable to determine a respective individual alphanumeric input character that is at and behind and corresponds to the determined location of the touch or proximity of the object, and wherein said control generates an output signal indicative of the determined respective individual alphanumeric to an input character of said alphanumeric keyboard display.

37. The mirror system of claim 36, wherein said control activates said backlighting device in response to at least one of (a) a user input, (b) the vehicle ignition being on and the vehicle not in motion and (c) the vehicle ignition being on and the vehicle engine not running.

38. The mirror system of claim 37, wherein said control deactivates said backlighting device in response to a period of time elapsing following one of (a) activation of said backlighting device and (b) a detected touch or proximity of an object at said reflective element.