Vehicle Mirror Assembly With Indicia At Reflective Element

• US 20080212189A1
• Filed: 05/15/2006
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Baur, Michael J., Habibi, Hamid, McCabe, Ian A., Lynam, Niall R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,626,749 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/604
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10174 Coatings of a metallic or dielectric material on a constituent layer of glass or polymer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/1022 Metallic coatings
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10513 Electrochromic layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10541 comprising a light source or a light guide
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10733 containing epoxy
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10761 containing vinyl acetal
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10798 containing silicone
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/416 Reflective
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2551/08 Mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2605/08 Cars
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/14 applied in spaced arrangements, e.g. in stripes
• 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 1/1207 with lamps; with turn indicators
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1215 with information displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/157 Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. reflectors or illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2001/1536 additional, e.g. protective, layer inside the cell

Abstract

A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a reflective element having at least one substrate with a reflective coating thereon. A specularly reflective indicia reflector is established to form indicia or information at the reflective element. The indicia reflector provides a visible contrast to the main mirror reflector so that the indicia or information is subtly viewable by a person viewing the mirror assembly. The reflective element reflects light incident thereon over the surface coated by the reflective coating of the main mirror reflector, including the area at which the indicia reflector is established.

Claims

1. A rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said rearview mirror system comprising:

a rearview mirror assembly comprising an electrochromic mirror reflective element having electrically variable reflectivity between a high reflectance state and a dimmed reflectance state;

said electrochromic mirror reflective element comprising a front substrate having a first surface and a second surface;

said electrochromic mirror reflective element comprising a rear substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface;

said second surface of said front substrate and said third surface of said rear substrate opposing each other in said electrochromic mirror reflective element and with an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween;

a specularly reflecting mirror reflector established at a surface of said rear substrate;

a specularly reflecting indicia reflector locally established at said second surface of said front substrate to form indicia at said reflective element; and

wherein said indicia is significantly more discernible by a person viewing said reflective element when said electrochromic mirror reflective element is at a dimmed reflectance state than when said electrochromic mirror reflective element is at said high reflectance state.

2. The rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said indicia is at most subtly discernible by a person viewing said reflective element of said mirror assembly when said electrochromic mirror reflective element is at said high reflectance state.

3. The rearview mirror system of claim 2, wherein said specularly reflecting indicia reflector has a reflectance value of light that passes through said front substrate to be incident thereon that is at least about 5 percent less than that of said specularly reflecting mirror reflector.

4. The rearview mirror system of claim 3, wherein said reflectance value of said specularly reflecting mirror reflector comprises a reflectance value of at least about 70 percent of light incident thereon.

5. The rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said rearview mirror assembly comprises an interior rearview mirror assembly.

6. The rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said indicia reflector comprises a reflective metal coating, and wherein said indicia reflector is overcoated by a transparent electrically conductive coating at said second surface so as to be disposed between said second surface and said overcoating transparent electrically conductive coating.

8. The rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein the indicia is discernible due to at least one of (a) a contrast in color between said indicia reflector and said mirror reflector, (b) a contrast in reflectance between said indicia reflector and said mirror reflector, and (c) an interference effect of said indicia reflector with an undercoating transparent conductor layer.

9. The rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said mirror reflector comprises a ruthenium coating, and wherein said indicia reflector comprises a chromium coating.

10. The rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said mirror reflector is established at said third surface of said reflective element.

14. The rearview mirror system of claim 1 including a transparent electrically conductive coating disposed at said second surface of said front substrate, and wherein said indicia reflector is established one of (a) behind said transparent electrically conductive coating and between said electrochromic medium and said transparent electrically conductive coating, and (b) in front of said transparent electrically conductive coating and between said transparent electrically conductive coating and said second surface.

18. The rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said indicia reflector comprises a reflective coating or stack of coatings having a lower reflectivity than that of a reflective coating or stack of coatings of said mirror reflector.

19. The rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said indicia reflector is configured to provide one of (a) an icon, (b) a logo, and (c) an information message at said reflective element.

20. The rearview mirror system of claim 19, wherein the indicia is discernible due to at least one of (a) a contrast in color between said indicia reflector and said mirror reflector, (b) a contrast in reflectance between said indicia reflector and said mirror reflector, and (c) an interference effect of said indicia reflector with an undercoating transparent conductor layer.

21. The rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said indicia reflector has a reflectance value of light that passes through said front substrate to be incident thereon that is one of (a) higher than, (b) the same as, and (e) lower than that of said mirror reflector.

33. The rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein at least one light source is disposed at an angle to the rear of said fourth surface and is operable to emit light when powered through said mirror reflective element with a principal beam axis that is substantially non-perpendicular to the horizontal plane of said fourth surface of said rear substrate, and wherein a light control film is disposed to the rear of said rear substrate, said light control film comprising embedded micro louvers and said light control film having a higher light transmission for light incident thereon along an axis generally parallel to the axis of alignment of said micro louvers than for light incident thereon along an axis generally different from the axis of alignment of said micro louvers.

7. (canceled)

11-13. -13. (canceled)

15-17. -17. (canceled)

22-32. -32. (canceled)

34-43. -43. (canceled)

44. An exterior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said exterior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

an electrochromic reflective element having a rear surface and a front surface;

an indicating device at and to the rear of said reflective element, said indicating device comprising at least one of (a) a turn signal indicator, wherein said turn signal indicator is operable to indicate, by display through said reflective element when actuated, activation of a turn signal of the vehicle by a driver of the vehicle, and (b) a blind spot system alert indicator, wherein said blind spot system alert indicator is operable to indicate, by display through said reflective element when actuated, detection of another vehicle in a side lane by an object detection device of the vehicle; and

wherein said indicating device comprises a transparent block to the rear of said reflective element, said block having light-transmitting pipeways formed at least partially therethrough for passage of light therethrough, and wherein said pipeways are angled relative to the rear surface of said reflective element.

45. An exterior rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said exterior rearview mirror system comprising:

a driver-side exterior rearview mirror assembly, said driver-side exterior rearview mirror assembly comprising a driver-side electrochromic reflective element having electrically variable reflectivity between a high reflectance state and a dimmed reflectance state;

said driver-side electrochromic reflective element comprising a front substrate having a first surface and a second surface;

said driver-side electrochromic reflective element comprising a rear substrate having a third surface and a fourth surface;

said second surface of said front substrate and said third surface of said rear substrate opposing each other in said driver-side electrochromic reflective element and with an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween;

a driver-side specularly reflecting mirror reflector established at a surface of said rear substrate;

a reflective driver-side perimeter band established around a perimeter border region of said driver-side electrochromic reflective element and visible through said front substrate to a viewer when viewing said driver-side electrochromic reflective element;

a passenger-side exterior rearview mirror assembly, said passenger-side exterior rearview mirror assembly comprising a passenger-side non-electrochromic reflective element comprising a mirror substrate;

a passenger-side specularly reflecting mirror reflector established at a surface of said mirror substrate of said passenger-side non-electrochromic reflective element;

a reflective passenger-side perimeter band established around a perimeter border region of said mirror substrate of said passenger-side non-electrochromic reflective element and visible to a viewer when viewing said passenger-side non-electrochromic reflective element; and

said passenger-side non-electrochromic reflective element exhibiting an appearance of said passenger-side perimeter band that generally matches the appearance of said driver-side perimeter band of said driver-side electrochromic reflective element when both are mounted on the vehicle and viewed by a person viewing the respective reflective elements of said passenger-side exterior rearview mirror assembly and said driver-side exterior rearview mirror assembly.

46. The exterior rearview mirror system of claim 45, wherein said passenger-side non-electrochromic reflective element comprises a silicon-based mirror reflector coated at a surface of said mirror substrate, and wherein said mirror substrate comprises a bent glass mirror substrate.

47. The exterior rearview mirror system of claim 45, wherein said passenger-side specularly reflecting mirror reflector and said reflective passenger-side perimeter band comprise the same thin film coating layer or stack of thin film coating layers, and wherein said reflective passenger-side perimeter band is demarcated by laser ablating a demarcation line along and through said thin film coating layer of stack of thin film coating layers and inboard of a peripheral edge of said mirror substrate, said demarcation line being inboard of said peripheral edge by a dimension that substantially matches a width dimension of said driver-side perimeter band of said driver-side electrochromic reflective element.

48. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said rearview mirror assembly comprising:

a transflective mirror element having a front surface and a rear surface;

a video display screen disposed behind said transflective mirror element, wherein said video display screen is operable to emit light when actuated and wherein the light emitted by said video display screen is visible through said transflective mirror element when said rearview mirror assembly is viewed by a person viewing said rearview mirror assembly; and

contrast enhancement means for enhancing the viewability of said video display screen when said rearview mirror assembly is operated in high ambient lighting conditions.

49. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 48, wherein said contrast enhancement means is disposed in front of said video display screen and between said video display screen and said rear surface of said transflective mirror element.

50. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 48, wherein said rearview mirror assembly comprises an interior rearview mirror assembly, and wherein said transflective mirror element comprises a wedge-shaped prismatic mirror element, and wherein said video display screen is mounted at an angle relative to said rear surface so as to reduce potential ghosting due to the angle of said front surface of said wedge-shaped prismatic mirror element relative to said rear surface of said wedge-shaped prismatic mirror element.

51. A driver attitude detection system for a vehicle, said driver attitude detection system comprising:

a sensing device for sensing at least one driver characteristic;

a vehicle monitoring device for monitoring at least one vehicle characteristic, said at least one vehicle characteristic, said vehicle characteristic comprising at least one of (a) vehicle speed, (b) a vehicle acceleration, (c) a vehicle orientation and (c) a vehicle maneuver;

a control responsive to said sensing device and said vehicle monitoring device, said control determining a driver performance in response to said sensing device and said vehicle monitoring device, said control generating an output indicative of said driver performance; and

a display at or near an interior rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle, said display being responsive to said control output to display information indicative of said driver performance.

52. The driver attitude detection system of claim 51 further comprising a forward facing imaging sensor for capturing images of the scene occurring forwardly of the vehicle, said driver attitude detection system processing captured images to determine at least one of (i) a driving condition, (ii) a road condition and (iii) a weather condition, said control further responsive to said image processing.

53. The driver attitude detection system of claim 51, wherein an alert device is operable in response to said output, said alert device comprising at least one of (a) a display device for displaying said driver performance, (b) a communication signal indicative of said driver performance being communicated to a device remote from the vehicle, and (c) a report generator for generating a report indicative of said driver performance.