Mirror with media display device

• US 8,880,360 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2011
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• 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:
  US13/374,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20120293723A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: 702/44, 359/460.839, 359/871, 359/609, 359/849, 359/443, 362/611, 362/2, 362/141, 362/308, 362/245, 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 method comprising:

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

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 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; and

defining a back lit portion of the mirror platform, wherein a reflectivity of a portion of the mirror platform is reduced to obtain the back lit portion;

such that light from a light source located behind the mirror platform passes through the backlight area when the light source is on.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the back lit portion and the media display device viewing area are separated by reflective area of the mirror platform.

3. An apparatus comprising:

a mirror platform having a back lit area, 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

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.

4. A mirror platform, comprising;

a glass layer, the glass layer further comprising;

a glass layer front surface and a glass layer rear surface;

a media display device viewing area;

a reflective area;

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; and

a backlit portion, the back lit portion is created by removing a portion of the first layer from the reflective area.

5. The mirror platform of claim 4, wherein the first layer is applied to the media display device viewing area.

6. The mirror platform of claim 5, further comprising:

a second layer applied to the reflective area of the glass layer rear surface, wherein the second layer increases a reflectivity of the first layer.

7. The mirror platform of claim 4, further comprising:

a light source, the light source is located proximate to the glass layer rear surface, and creates two operating states, in the first operating state when the light source is “

on”

a portion of light from the light source illuminates the back lit portion;

in the second state when the light source is “

off”

the back lit portion has the reflectivity of the reflective area.

8. The mirror platform of claim 4, further comprising:

a backing layer, the backing layer is applied a rear side of the mirror platform to provide a safety mirror while still allowing light pass through the glass layer.

9. The mirror platform of claim 4, wherein removing a portion is accomplished by a process selected from the group consisting of sand blasting, chemical etching, dipping in a chemical bath, acid etch, acid dip, and a process that decreases the reflectivity of the back lit portion relative to the reflective area.

10. A method comprising:

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

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 deice 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 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; and

creating a back lit portion of the mirror platform, wherein a reflectivity of the back lit portion is reduced relative to a reflectivity of the reflective area;

such that light from a light source located behind the mirror platform passes through the back lit portion when the light source is on.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the back lit portion and the media display device viewing area are separated by reflective area of the mirror platform.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the creating a back lit portion is accomplished by a process selected from the group consisting of sand blasting, chemical etching, dipping in a chemical bath, acid etch, acid dip, and a process that decreases the reflectivity of the back lit portion relative to the reflective area.