VEHICULAR INTERIOR REARVIEW MIRROR SYSTEM

• US 20120038771A1
• Filed: 10/28/2011
• Published: 02/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Weller, Andrew D., Blank, Rodney K., Schierbeek, Kenneth L., Schofield, Kenneth, Lynam, Niall R., Cooprider, Troy O.
• Granted Patent: US 8,177,376 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1215 with information displays

Abstract

An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror housing, an electro-optic reflective element and an information display. The information display is disposed in the mirror housing rearward of the transflective mirror reflector of the reflective element and is operable to display information for viewing by the driver of the vehicle, with the information including video images captured by a camera of the vehicle. Information displayed by the information display is viewable by the driver of the vehicle viewing through the transflective mirror reflector of the reflective element when the information display is displaying information, and, when the information display is not displaying information, the presence of the information display behind the transflective mirror reflector of the reflective element is substantially not discerned by the driver of the vehicle normally viewing the reflective element in the vehicle.

Claims

1. An interior rearview mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising:

an interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror housing and a reflective element;

wherein said reflective element comprises an electro-optic reflective element;

wherein said electro-optic reflective element comprises a transflective mirror reflector and wherein said transflective mirror reflector comprises a metal thin film layer;

wherein at least one of (a) said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element is at least 15 percent transmissive of visible light, (b) said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element has a reflectance of at least about 60 percent to visible light incident thereon, and (c) said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element is at least 15 percent transmissive of visible light and said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element has a reflectance of at least about 60 percent to visible light incident thereon;

wherein said mirror housing is adjustable relative to an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with said interior rearview mirror assembly when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle;

wherein adjustment of said mirror housing by a driver of the equipped vehicle adjusts a rearward field of view of said electro-optic reflective element when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle;

wherein the interior portion of the equipped vehicle comprises an in-cabin surface of the windshield of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said interior rearview mirror system comprises a mirror mounting button attached at the in-cabin surface of the windshield of the equipped vehicle;

wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly includes a pivot joint enabling the driver of the equipped vehicle to pivotally adjust said mirror housing to set the rearward field of view of said reflective element to the driver'"'"'s desired setting with said interior rearview mirror assembly mounted to said mirror mounting button attached at the in-cabin surface of the windshield of the equipped vehicle;

an information display, said information display comprising a reconfigurable display element comprising a plurality of pixels;

wherein said information display is disposed in said mirror housing rearward of said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element;

wherein information displayed by said information display is viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle viewing through said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element when said information display is displaying information, and wherein, when said information display is not displaying information, the presence of said information display behind said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element is substantially not discerned by the driver of the equipped vehicle normally viewing said reflective element when operating the equipped vehicle;

wherein information display intensity of said information display is adjustable responsive to determination of a light level at said interior rearview mirror assembly by at least one photosensor;

wherein said information display is operable to display information for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said information at least comprises video images captured by a camera of the equipped vehicle; and

wherein said information display is operable to illuminate particular pixels of said plurality of pixels of said reconfigurable display element to form characters for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle, wherein said characters provide, for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle, at least one of (i) text information and (ii) iconistic information.

2. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein circuitry of said interior rearview mirror assembly is operable to control a reflectance level of said electro-optic reflective element, and wherein, responsive to receipt of a signal by said control that is indicative of the vehicle transmission of the equipped vehicle being in reverse, said control of said reflectance level of said electro-optic reflective element is disabled.

3. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 2, wherein said signal is communicated via at least one of a CAN bus and a LIN bus.

4. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said circuitry is operable to control a reflectance level of said electro-optic reflective element at least responsive to a determination of a light level by said at least one photosensor, and wherein said at least one photosensor comprises at least one silicon photosensor of said interior rearview mirror assembly.

5. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein a control of said interior rearview mirror assembly is connected to a network bus of the equipped vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle.

6. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 1 further comprising a global positioning system that is operable to determine a geographical location of the equipped vehicle, wherein at least one of (a) said global positioning system provides altitude data and wherein altitude information is displayed by said information display for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle, and (b) said global positioning system provides time data and wherein time information is displayed by said information display for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle.

7. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said electro-optic reflective element comprises an electrochromic reflective element.

8. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said information display is operable to illuminate particular pixels of said plurality of pixels of said reconfigurable display element to form a desired character in order to display said desired character for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle.

9. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 8, wherein said information display, responsive to compass circuitry, is operable to form a desired character to display compass heading information to the driver of the equipped vehicle.

10. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said information display is operable to illuminate particular pixels of said plurality of pixels of said reconfigurable display element to form a desired icon in order to display said desired icon for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle.

11. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said information display is operable to display directional heading information and wherein said directional heading information is at least partially established by a global positioning system of the equipped vehicle.

12. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a compass sensor and compass circuitry disposed at a circuit board attached at a rear surface of said reflective element, wherein said compass circuitry is responsive to said compass sensor for determining the directional heading of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said compass sensor adjusts in tandem with said reflective element when the driver of the equipped vehicle adjusts said mirror housing to adjust a rearward field of view of the driver when viewing said reflective element when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle.

13. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 12, wherein said information display, responsive to said compass circuitry, is operable to display compass heading information for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle.

14. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 13, wherein at least one of (a) said compass circuitry automatically at least partially compensates for a deviating magnetic field of the equipped vehicle and generates a compensated signal indicative of said directional heading of the equipped vehicle, and (b) said compass sensor comprises at least first and second magnetoresponsive sensing elements and wherein a physical mount supports said compass sensor at said reflective element and is configured to orient said first magnetoresponsive sensing element to be substantially parallel to a direction of travel of the equipped vehicle and said second magnetoresponsive sensing element to be substantially orthogonal to the direction of travel of the equipped vehicle when said reflective element is at a selected angled.

15. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 13, wherein movement of said compass sensor caused by adjustment of said mirror housing is compensated for via an algorithm processed by a microprocessor.

16. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said mirror housing is adjustable relative to said mirror mounting button via a double pivot mounting arrangement.

17. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 1, wherein said reconfigurable display element comprises a reconfigurable liquid crystal display element.

18. An interior rearview mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising:

an interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror housing and a reflective element;

wherein said reflective element comprises an electrochromic reflective element;

wherein said electrochromic reflective element comprises a transflective mirror reflector and wherein said transflective mirror reflector comprises a metal thin film layer;

wherein said mirror housing is adjustable relative to an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with said interior rearview mirror assembly when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle;

wherein adjustment of said mirror housing by a driver of the equipped vehicle adjusts a rearward field of view of said electrochromic reflective element when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle;

wherein the interior portion of the equipped vehicle comprises an in-cabin surface of the windshield of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said interior rearview mirror system comprises a mirror mounting button attached at the in-cabin surface of the windshield of the equipped vehicle;

wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly includes a pivot joint enabling the driver of the equipped vehicle to pivotally adjust said mirror housing to set the rearward field of view of said reflective element to the driver'"'"'s desired setting with said interior rearview mirror assembly mounted to said mirror mounting button attached at the in-cabin surface of the windshield of the equipped vehicle;

an information display, said information display comprising a reconfigurable display element comprising a plurality of pixels;

wherein said information display is disposed in said mirror housing rearward of said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element;

wherein information displayed by said information display is viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle viewing through said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element when said information display is displaying information, and wherein, when said information display is not displaying information, the presence of said information display behind said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element is substantially not discerned by the driver of the equipped vehicle normally viewing said reflective element when operating the equipped vehicle;

wherein said information display is operable to display information for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said information at least comprises video images captured by a camera of the equipped vehicle; and

wherein at least one of (a) said information display is operable to illuminate particular pixels of said plurality of pixels of said reconfigurable display element to form a desired character in order to display said desired character for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle, and (b) said information display is operable to illuminate particular pixels of said plurality of pixels of said reconfigurable display element to form a desired icon in order to display said desired icon for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle.

19. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 18, wherein at least one of (a) said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element is at least 15 percent transmissive of visible light, (b) said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element has a reflectance of at least about 60 percent to visible light incident thereon, and (c) said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element is at least 15 percent transmissive of visible light and said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element has a reflectance of at least about 60 percent to visible light incident thereon.

20. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 18, wherein a control of said interior rearview mirror assembly is connected to a network bus of the equipped vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle.

21. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 18, wherein said information display is operable to illuminate particular pixels of said plurality of pixels of said reconfigurable display element to form a desired character in order to display said desired character for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle.

22. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 21, wherein said information display, responsive to compass circuitry, is operable to form a desired character to display compass heading information to the driver of the equipped vehicle.

23. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 18, wherein said information display is operable to illuminate particular pixels of said plurality of pixels of said reconfigurable display element to form a desired icon in order to display said desired icon for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle.

24. An interior rearview mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising:

an interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror housing and a reflective element;

wherein said reflective element comprises an electrochromic reflective element;

wherein said electrochromic reflective element comprises a transflective mirror reflector and wherein said transflective mirror reflector comprises a metal thin film layer;

wherein said mirror housing is adjustable relative to an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with said interior rearview mirror assembly when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle;

wherein adjustment of said mirror housing by a driver of the equipped vehicle adjusts a rearward field of view of said electrochromic reflective element when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle;

wherein the interior portion of the equipped vehicle comprises an in-cabin surface of the windshield of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said interior rearview mirror system comprises a mirror mounting button attached at the in-cabin surface of the windshield of the equipped vehicle;

wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly includes a pivot joint enabling the driver of the equipped vehicle to pivotally adjust said mirror housing to set the rearward field of view of said reflective element to the driver'"'"'s desired setting with said interior rearview mirror assembly mounted to said mirror mounting button attached at the in-cabin surface of the windshield of the equipped vehicle;

an information display, said information display comprising a reconfigurable display element comprising a plurality of pixels;

wherein said information display is disposed in said mirror housing rearward of said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element;

wherein information displayed by said information display is viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle viewing through said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element when said information display is displaying information, and wherein, when said information display is not displaying information, the presence of said information display behind said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element is substantially not discerned by the driver of the equipped vehicle normally viewing said reflective element when operating the equipped vehicle;

wherein information display intensity of said information display is adjustable responsive to determination of a light level at said interior rearview mirror assembly by at least one photosensor;

wherein circuitry of said interior rearview mirror assembly is operable to control a reflectance level of said electrochromic reflective element at least responsive to a determination of a light level by said at least one photosensor;

wherein said information display is operable to display information for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said information at least comprises video images captured by a camera of the equipped vehicle; and

wherein said information display is operable to illuminate particular pixels of said plurality of pixels of said reconfigurable display element.

25. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 24, wherein said information display is operable to illuminate said particular pixels of said plurality of pixels of said reconfigurable display element to form a desired character in order to display said desired character for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle.

26. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 24, wherein said information display is operable to illuminate said particular pixels of said plurality of pixels of said reconfigurable display element to form a desired icon in order to display said desired icon for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle.

27. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 24, wherein a control of said interior rearview mirror assembly is connected to a network bus of the equipped vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle.

28. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 27, wherein said network bus comprises at least one of a CAN bus and a LIN bus.

29. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 24, wherein, responsive to receipt of a signal that is indicative of the vehicle transmission of the equipped vehicle being in reverse, said control of said reflectance level of said electrochromic reflective element is disabled.

30. An interior rearview mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising:

an interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror housing and a reflective element;

wherein said reflective element comprises an electrochromic reflective element;

wherein said electrochromic reflective element comprises a transflective mirror reflector and wherein said transflective mirror reflector comprises a metal thin film layer;

wherein at least one of (a) said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element is at least 15 percent transmissive of visible light, (b) said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element has a reflectance of at least about 60 percent to visible light incident thereon, and (c) said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element is at least 15 percent transmissive of visible light and said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element has a reflectance of at least about 60 percent to visible light incident thereon;

wherein said mirror housing is adjustable relative to an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with said interior rearview mirror assembly when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle;

wherein adjustment of said mirror housing by a driver of the equipped vehicle adjusts a rearward field of view of said electrochromic reflective element when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle;

wherein the interior portion of the equipped vehicle comprises an in-cabin surface of the windshield of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said interior rearview mirror system comprises a mirror mounting button attached at the in-cabin surface of the windshield of the equipped vehicle;

wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly includes a pivot joint enabling the driver of the equipped vehicle to pivotally adjust said mirror housing to set the rearward field of view of said reflective element to the driver'"'"'s desired setting with said interior rearview mirror assembly mounted to said mirror mounting button attached at the in-cabin surface of the windshield of the equipped vehicle;

an information display, said information display comprising a reconfigurable display element comprising a plurality of pixels;

wherein said information display is disposed in said mirror housing rearward of said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element;

wherein information displayed by said information display is viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle viewing through said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element when said information display is displaying information, and wherein, when said information display is not displaying information, the presence of said information display behind said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element is substantially not discerned by the driver of the equipped vehicle normally viewing said reflective element when operating the equipped vehicle;

wherein said information display is operable to display information for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said information at least comprises video images captured by a camera of the equipped vehicle; and

wherein said information display is operable to illuminate particular pixels of said plurality of pixels of said reconfigurable display element to form a desired character in order to display said desired character for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle.

31. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 30, wherein said information display, responsive to compass circuitry, is operable to form a desired character to display compass heading information to the driver of the equipped vehicle.

32. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 31, wherein movement of said compass sensor caused by adjustment of said mirror housing is compensated for via an algorithm processed by a microprocessor.

33. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 30, wherein said information display is operable to illuminate particular pixels of said plurality of pixels of said reconfigurable display element to form a desired icon in order to display said desired icon for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle.

34. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 30, wherein circuitry is operable to control a reflectance level of said electrochromic reflective element at least responsive to a determination of a light level by at least one photosensor, and wherein said at least one photosensor comprises at least one silicon photosensor of said interior rearview mirror assembly.

35. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 34, wherein, responsive to receipt, via a network bus of the vehicle, of a signal by said control that is indicative of the vehicle transmission of the equipped vehicle being in reverse, said control of said reflectance level of said electrochromic reflective element is disabled.

36. The interior rearview mirror system of claim 35, wherein said signal is communicated via at least one of a CAN bus and a LIN bus.