Interior rearview mirror assembly with full mirror video display

• US 10,807,536 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2019
• Issued: 10/20/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Larson, Mark L., Koetje, Christopher R., LaCross, Anthony J., Peterson, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael
• Application Number:
  US16/578,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20200031286A1
• Time in Patent Office: 393 Days
• Field of Search: 348148
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/00 Optical viewing arrangements; Real-time viewing arrangements for drivers or passengers using optical image capturing systems, e.g. cameras or video systems specially adapted for use in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• 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 1/26 to the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1223 with sensors or transducers
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1253 with cameras, video cameras or video screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/806 for aiding parking
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8066 for monitoring rearward traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head having a mirror reflective element with a transflective mirror reflector. A video display device is disposed rearward of the mirror reflective element and has a display screen that occupies at least 75 percent of the reflective region of the mirror reflective element. The video display device is operable to display video images captured by a rearward viewing camera of the vehicle. When the video display device is operated to display video images, light emitted by the video display device passes through the transflective mirror reflector of the mirror reflective element for viewing of displayed video images by a driver of the vehicle viewing the mirror reflective element. Light emitted by the video display device may exit the mirror reflective element as circularly polarized light.

Claims

1. A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly, said vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

a mirror head pivotally mounted at a mirror support;

wherein said mirror support is configured to attach at an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with said vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly;

wherein said mirror head comprises a mirror reflective element having a transflective mirror reflector that at least partially reflects light incident thereon and at least partially transmits incident light therethrough;

wherein said mirror reflective element comprises a reflective region defined by said transflective mirror reflector;

a video display device disposed rearward of said mirror reflective element;

wherein said video display device comprises a display screen and at least one light emitting diode for backlighting said display screen;

wherein said display screen of said video display device occupies at least 75 percent of said reflective region of said mirror reflective element;

wherein, with said mirror support attached at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle, said video display device is operable to display video images captured by a rearward viewing camera of the equipped vehicle;

wherein, with said mirror support attached at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle, and when said video display device is operated to display video images, light emitted by said video display device passes through said transflective mirror reflector of said mirror reflective element for viewing of displayed video images by a driver of the equipped vehicle viewing said mirror reflective element;

wherein light emitted by said video display device exits said mirror reflective element as circularly polarized light;

wherein said mirror reflective element at the reflective region defined by said transflective mirror reflector transmits at least 35 percent of visible light emitted by said video display device and reflects at least 35 percent of visible light incident at a front surface of said mirror reflective element; and

wherein said display screen of said video display device comprises a front display substrate and a rear display substrate, and wherein a portion of said rear display substrate extends beyond a perimeter of said front display substrate, and wherein a corresponding portion of a glass substrate of said mirror reflective element extends over and in front of the portion of said rear display substrate that extends beyond the perimeter of said front display substrate.

2. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one light emitting diode for backlighting said display screen comprises a backlighting array of light emitting diodes for backlighting said display screen.

3. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein circuitry associated with said display screen is disposed on a flexible printed circuit that is electrically connected at the portion of said rear display substrate of said display screen.

4. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 3, wherein, with said mirror support of said vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly attached at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle, said flexible printed circuit extends rearward from the portion of said rear display substrate for electrical connection to a power source of the equipped vehicle for electrically powering said video display device.

5. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 3, wherein a touch sensor is disposed at the corresponding portion of said glass substrate and associated with circuitry at said flexible printed circuit.

6. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 5, wherein said flexible printed circuit extends rearward from the portion of said rear display substrate, and wherein circuitry is disposed at a rearward extending portion of said flexible printed circuit.

7. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said display screen is optically coupled with a polymer reflector layer via an optical adhesive, and wherein said polymer reflector layer is optically coupled with said transflective mirror reflector via an optical adhesive.

8. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 7, wherein linearly polarized light emitted by said video display device is circularly polarized as it passes through said polymer reflector layer.

9. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said mirror reflective element comprises a single glass substrate having the front surface and an opposing rear surface that is separated from the front surface by a thickness dimension of said single glass substrate, and wherein said transflective mirror reflector is disposed at the rear surface of said single glass substrate.

10. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 9, wherein said mirror reflective element comprises a prismatic mirror reflective element, and wherein said single glass substrate comprises a prismatic glass substrate.

11. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said mirror reflective element comprises an electro-optic mirror reflective element having a front substrate and a rear substrate with an electro-optic medium disposed therebetween, and wherein said front substrate has the front surface and a second surface and said rear substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface, the second surface and the third surface opposing said electro-optic medium, and wherein said transflective mirror reflector is disposed at the third surface of said rear substrate.

12. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said video display device comprises a heatsink configured to draw heat away from said display screen.

13. A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly, said vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

a mirror head pivotally mounted at a mirror support;

wherein said mirror support is configured to attach at an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with said vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly;

wherein said mirror head comprises a mirror reflective element having a transflective mirror reflector that at least partially reflects light incident thereon and at least partially transmits incident light therethrough;

wherein said mirror reflective element comprises a prismatic mirror reflective element having a single glass substrate having a front surface and an opposing rear surface that is separated from the front surface by a thickness dimension of said single glass substrate, and wherein said transflective mirror reflector is disposed at the rear surface of said single glass substrate;

wherein said mirror reflective element comprises a reflective region defined by said transflective mirror reflector;

a video display device disposed rearward of the rear surface of said single glass substrate of said mirror reflective element;

wherein said video display device comprises a display screen and at least one light emitting diode for backlighting said display screen;

wherein said display screen of said video display device occupies at least 75 percent of said reflective region of said mirror reflective element;

wherein circuitry associated with said display screen is disposed on a flexible printed circuit that is electrically connected at said display screen;

wherein, with said mirror support of said vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly attached at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle, said flexible printed circuit is electrically connected to a power source of the equipped vehicle for electrically powering said video display device;

wherein, with said mirror support attached at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle, said video display device is operable to display video images captured by a rearward viewing camera of the equipped vehicle;

wherein, with said mirror support attached at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle, and when said video display device is operated to display video images, light emitted by said video display device passes through said transflective mirror reflector of said mirror reflective element for viewing of displayed video images by a driver of the equipped vehicle viewing said mirror reflective element;

wherein said mirror reflective element at the reflective region defined by said transflective mirror reflector transmits at least 35 percent of visible light emitted by said video display device and reflects at least 35 percent of visible light incident at the front surface of said single glass substrate of said mirror reflective element; and

wherein said display screen of said video display device comprises a front display substrate and a rear display substrate, and wherein a portion of said rear display substrate extends beyond a perimeter of said front display substrate, and wherein a corresponding portion of said single glass substrate of said mirror reflective element extends over and in front of the portion of said rear display substrate that extends beyond the perimeter of said front display substrate.

14. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 13, wherein said at least one light emitting diode for backlighting said display screen comprises a backlighting array of light emitting diodes for backlighting said display screen.

15. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 13, wherein said flexible printed circuit is electrically connected at the portion of said rear display substrate of said display screen.

16. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 15, wherein said flexible printed circuit extends rearward from the portion of said rear display substrate for electrical connection to the power source of the equipped vehicle.

17. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 15, wherein a touch sensor is disposed at the corresponding portion of said single glass substrate and associated with circuitry at said flexible printed circuit.

18. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 17, wherein said flexible printed circuit extends rearward from the portion of said rear display substrate, and wherein circuitry is disposed at a rearward extending portion of said flexible printed circuit.

19. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 13, wherein said video display device comprises a heatsink configured to draw heat away from said display screen.

20. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 13, wherein light emitted by said video display device exits said mirror reflective element as circularly polarized light.

21. A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly, said vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

a mirror head pivotally mounted at a mirror support;

wherein said mirror support is configured to attach at an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with said vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly;

wherein said mirror head comprises a mirror reflective element having a transflective mirror reflector that at least partially reflects light incident thereon and at least partially transmits incident light therethrough;

wherein said mirror reflective element comprises an electro-optic mirror reflective element having a front glass substrate and a rear glass substrate with an electro-optic medium disposed therebetween, and wherein said front glass substrate has a first surface and a second surface and said rear glass substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface, the second surface and the third surface opposing said electro-optic medium, and wherein said transflective mirror reflector is disposed at the third surface of said rear glass substrate;

wherein said mirror reflective element comprises a reflective region defined by said transflective mirror reflector;

a video display device disposed rearward of the fourth surface of said rear glass substrate of said mirror reflective element;

wherein said video display device comprises a display screen and at least one light emitting diode for backlighting said display screen;

wherein said display screen of said video display device occupies at least 75 percent of said reflective region of said mirror reflective element;

wherein circuitry associated with said display screen is disposed on a flexible printed circuit that is electrically connected at said display screen;

wherein, with said mirror support of said vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly attached at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle, said flexible printed circuit is electrically connected to a power source of the equipped vehicle for electrically powering said video display device;

wherein, with said mirror support attached at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle, said video display device is operable to display video images captured by a rearward viewing camera of the equipped vehicle;

wherein, with said mirror support attached at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle, and when said video display device is operated to display video images, light emitted by said video display device passes through said transflective mirror reflector of said mirror reflective element for viewing of displayed video images by a driver of the equipped vehicle viewing said mirror reflective element;

wherein said mirror reflective element at the reflective region defined by said transflective mirror reflector transmits at least 35 percent of visible light emitted by said video display device and reflects at least 35 percent of visible light incident at the first surface of said front glass substrate of said mirror reflective element; and

wherein said display screen of said video display device comprises a front display substrate and a rear display substrate, and wherein a portion of said rear display substrate extends beyond a perimeter of said front display substrate, and wherein a corresponding portion of said front glass substrate of said mirror reflective element extends over and in front of the portion of said rear display substrate that extends beyond the perimeter of said front display substrate.

22. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 21, wherein said at least one light emitting diode for backlighting said display screen comprises a backlighting array of light emitting diodes for backlighting said display screen.

23. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 21, wherein said flexible printed circuit is electrically connected at the portion of said rear display substrate of said display screen.

24. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 23, wherein said flexible printed circuit extends rearward from the portion of said rear display substrate for electrical connection to the power source of the equipped vehicle.

25. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 23, wherein a touch sensor is disposed at the corresponding portion of said front glass substrate and is associated with circuitry of said flexible printed circuit.

26. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 25, wherein said flexible printed circuit extends rearward from the portion of said rear display substrate, and wherein circuitry is disposed at a rearward extending portion of said flexible printed circuit.

27. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 21, wherein said video display device comprises a heatsink configured to draw heat away from said display screen.

28. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 21, wherein light emitted by said video display device exits said mirror reflective element as circularly polarized light.