Mirror assembly with multi-color illumination

• US 6,958,495 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2003
• Issued: 10/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Nishijima, Kazuhiko, Van Klompenberg, Kenton, Roberts, John K., Bonardi, Timothy A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coleman, W. David
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHIEM D
• Application Number:
  US10/393,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20040184282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 257/88, 257/98, 257/99, 340/461, 340/462, 362/516
• US Class Current: 257/88
• 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

Abstract

Rearview mirror assemblies are provided that incorporate a plurality of added features. In at least one embodiment, at least two devices are incorporated into a rearview mirror selected from a group comprising an interior illumination assembly, an illuminated operator interface and an information display. In at least one embodiment, the light rays emitted by the selected at least two devices comprise substantially the same spectral characteristics. In at least one embodiment, the spectral characteristics are operator selectable from a plurality of predetermined spectral characteristics.

Claims

1. A mirror assembly, comprising:

at least one information display;

at least one interior illuminator; and

at least one illuminated operator Interface, wherein light rays emitted from said at least one information display, light rays emitted from said at least one interior illuminator, and light rays emitted from said at least one illuminated operator interface comprise substantially the same spectral characteristics.

2. A mirror assembly as in claim 1 wherein said substantially the same spectral characteristics are operator selectable.

3. A mirror assembly as in claim 1 wherein said substantially the same spectral characteristics are operator selectable from at least two predetermined spectral characteristics.

4. A mirror assembly as in claim 3 wherein a first one of said at least two predetermined spectral characteristics is between approximately 470 nm and approximately 520 nm.

5. A mirror assembly as in claim 3 wherein a first one of said at least two predetermined spectral characteristics is between approximately 570 nm and approximately 615 nm.

6. A mirror assembly as in claim 5 wherein a second one of said at least two predetermined spectral characteristics is between approximately 470 nm and approximately 520 nm.

7. A mirror assembly as in claim 3 wherein a first one of said at least two predetermined spectral characteristics falls substantially on a black body curve.

8. A mirror assembly as in claim 7 wherein said first one of said two predetermined spectral characteristics has a correlated color temperature between approximately 2000 Kelvins and approximately 20,000 Kelvins.

9. A mirror assembly as in claim 3 wherein a first one of said at least two predetermined spectral characteristics falls substantially on a black body curve.

10. A mirror assembly as in claim 9 wherein said first one of said et least two predetermined spectral characteristics has a correlated color temperature between approximately 2000 Kelvins and approximately 20,000 Kelvins.

11. A mirror assembly as in claim 3 wherein said substantially the same spectral characteristics are operator selectable from at least three predetermined spectral characteristics.

12. A mirror assembly as in claim 11 wherein a first one of said at least three predetermined spectral characteristics is between approximately 615 nm and approximately 670 nm.

13. A mirror assembly as in claim 11 wherein a first one of said at least three predetermined spectral characteristics is between approximately 500 nm and approximately 520 nm.

14. A mirror assembly as in claim 11 wherein a first one of said at least three predetermined spectral characteristics is between approximately 460 nm and approximately 480 nm.

15. A mirror assembly as in claim 11 wherein a first one of said at least three predetermined spectral characteristics falls substantially on a black body curve.

16. A mirror assembly as in claim 15 wherein said third one of said three predetermined spectral characteristics has a correlated color temperature between approximately 2000 Kelvins and approximately 20,000 Kelvins.

17. A mirror assembly as in claim 11 wherein a first one of said at least three predetermined spectral characteristics falls substantially on a black body curve.

18. A mirror assembly as in claim 17 wherein said first one of said at least three predetermined spectral characteristics has a correlated color temperature between approximately 2000 Kelvins and approximately 20,000 Kelvins.

19. A mirror assembly as in claim 1 wherein said at least one illuminated operator interface is selected from the group comprising a pushbutton, a momentary pushbutton, a slide bar switch, a toggle switch, a “

thumb-wheel”

switch (such as a variable potentiometer), a rotary switch, a “

rocker”

switch and a “

latching”

pushbutton.

20. A mirror assembly as in claim 1 further comprising at least one device selected from the group comprising a voice activated system, a trainable transceiver, a microphone, a compass sensor, a compass system, a telephone system, a highway toll booth interface, a telemetry system, an exterior light controller, a moisture sensor, a loran system, a global positioning system, a variable reflectance reflector, a vehicle vision system, an accessory module, a remote keyless entry system, a wireless communication interface, a CAN bus interface, a serial bus interface, a parallel bus interface, a light sensor, a camera, a climate control system, a power supply, a controller, a transflective reflector, a tire pressure monitoring system, a navigation system, a lane departure warning system, and an adaptive cruise control system.

21. A mirror assembly as in claim 1 where said information display is selected from the group comprising a vacuum florescent display, a segmented light emitting diode display, a matrix light emitting diode display, an organic light emitting diode display, a liquid crystal display, a back lit liquid crystal display, a negative mode liquid crystal display, a positive mode liquid crystal display, a backlit indicia display, a plasma display, and a gas discharge display.

22. A mirror assembly, comprising:

at least one interior illuminator; and

at least one illuminated operator interface, wherein light rays emitted from said at least one interior illuminator and light rays emitted from said at least one illuminated operator interface comprise substantially the same spectral characteristics.

23. A mirror assembly as in claim 22 wherein said substantially the same spectral characteristics are operator selectable.

24. A mirror assembly as in claim 22 wherein said substantially the same spectral characteristics are operator selectable from at least two predetermined spectral characteristics.

25. A mirror assembly as in claim 24 wherein a first one of said at least two predetermined spectral characteristics is between approximately 470 nm and approximately 520 nm.

26. A mirror assembly as in claim 24 wherein a first one of said at least two predetermined spectral characteristics is between approximately 570 nm and approximately 615 nm.

27. A mirror assembly as in claim 26 wherein a second one of said at least two predetermined spectral characteristics is between approximately 470 nm and approximately 520 nm.

28. A mirror assembly as in claim 22 wherein a first one of said at least two predetermined spectral characteristics fails substantially on a black body curve.

29. A mirror assembly as in claim 28 wherein said first one of said two predetermined spectral characteristics has a correlated color temperature between approximately 2000 Kelvins and approximately 20,000 Kelvins.

30. A mirror assembly as in claim 24 wherein a second one of said at least two predetermined spectral characteristics fails substantially on a black body curve.

31. A mirror assembly as in claim 30 wherein said second one of said at least two predetermined spectral characteristics has a correlated color temperature between approximately 2000 Kelvins and approximately 20,000 Kelvins.

32. A mirror assembly as in claim 22 wherein said substantially the same spectral characteristics are operator selectable from at least three predetermined spectral characteristics.

33. A mirror assembly as in claim 32 wherein a first one of said at feast three predetermined spectral characteristics is between approximately 615 nm and approximately 670 nm.

34. A mirror assembly as in claim 32 wherein a first one of said at least three predetermined spectral characteristics is between approximately 500 nm and approximately 520 nm.

35. A mirror assembly as in claim 32 wherein a first one of said at least three predetermined spectral characteristics is between approximately 460 nm and approximately 480 nm.

36. A mirror assembly as in claim 33 wherein a second one of said at least three predetermined spectral characteristics is between approximately 500 nm and approximately 520 nm.

37. A mirror assembly as in claim 33 wherein a second one of said at least three predetermined spectral characteristics is between approximately 460 nm and approximately 480 nm.

38. A mirror assembly as in claim 36 wherein a third one of said at least three predetermined spectral characteristics is between approximately 460 nm and approximately 480 nm.

39. A mirror assembly as in claim 32 wherein a first one of said at least three predetermined spectral characteristics falls substantially on a black body curve.

40. A mirror assembly as in claim 39 wherein said first one of said three predetermined spectral characteristics has a correlated color temperature between approximately 2000 Kelvins and approximately 20,000 Kelvins.

41. A mirror assembly as in claim 33 wherein a second one of said at least three predetermined spectral characteristics falls substantially on a black body curve.

42. A mirror assembly as in claim 41 wherein said second one of said at least three predetermined spectral characteristics has a correlated color temperature between approximately 2000 Kelvins and approximately 20,000 Kelvins.

43. A mirror assembly as in claim 34 wherein a second one of said at least three predetermined spectral characteristics falls substantially on a black body curve.

44. A mirror assembly as in claim 43 wherein said second one of said at least three predetermined spectral characteristics has a correlated color temperature between approximately 2000 Kelvins and approximately 20,000 Kelvins.

45. A mirror assembly as in claim 35 wherein a second one of said at least three predetermined spectral characteristics fails substantially on a black body curve.

46. A mirror assembly as in claim 45 wherein said second one of said at least three predetermined spectral characteristics has a correlated color temperature between approximately 2000 Kelvins and approximately 20,000 Kelvins.

47. A mirror assembly as in claim 22 wherein said at least one illuminated operator interface is selected from the group comprising a pushbutton, a momentary pushbutton, a slide bar switch, a toggle switch, a “

thumb-wheel”

switch (such as a variable potentiometer), a rotary switch, a “

rocker”

switch and a “

latching”

pushbutton.

48. A mirror assembly as in claim 22 further comprising at least one device selected from the group comprising a voice activated system, a trainable transceiver, a microphone, a compass sensor, a compass system, a telephone system, a highway toll booth interface, a telemetry system, an exterior light controller, a moisture sensor, a loran system, a global positioning system, a variable reflectance reflector, a vehicle vision system, an accessory module, a remote keyless entry system, a wireless communication interface, a CAN bus interface, a serial bus interface, a parallel bus interface, a light sensor, a camera, a climate control system, a power supply, a controller, a transflective reflector, a tire pressure monitoring system, a navigation system, a lane departure warning system, and an adaptive cruise control system.

49. A mirror assembly, comprising:

at least one interior illuminator;

at least one illuminated operator interface, wherein light rays emitted from said at least one interior illuminator and light rays emitted from said at least one illuminated operator interface comprise substantially the same spectral characteristics; and

at least one device selected from the group comprising a voice activated system, a trainable transceiver, a microphone, a compass sensor, a compass system, a telephone system, a highway toll booth interface, a telemetry system, an exterior light controller, a moisture sensor, a loran system, a global positioning system, a variable reflectance reflector, a vehicle vision system, an accessory module, a remote keyless entry system, a wireless communication interface, a CAN bus interface, a serial bus interface, a parallel bus interface, a light sensor, a camera, a climate control system, a power supply, a controller, a transflective reflector, a tire pressure monitoring system, a navigation system, a lane departure warning system, and an adaptive cruise control system.

50. A mirror assembly as in claim 49 further comprising at least one information display.

51. A mirror assembly as in claim 50 wherein said at least one information display is selected from the group comprising a vacuum florescent display, a segmented light emitting diode display, a matrix light emitting diode display, an organic light emitting diode display, a back lit liquid crystal display, a negative mode liquid crystal display, a positive mode liquid crystal display, a liquid crystal display, a backlit indicia display, a plasma display, and a gas discharge display.

52. A vehicle system comprising:

a mirror assembly, said mirror assembly comprising at least one interior illuminator and at least one illuminated operator interface, wherein light rays emitted from said at least one interior illuminator and light rays emitted from said at least one illuminated operator interface comprise substantially the same spectral characteristics.

53. A vehicle system as in claim 52 further comprising at least one information display.

54. A vehicle system as in claim 53 wherein said information display emits light rays comprising substantially the same spectral characteristics as said illuminated operator interface and said interior illumination assembly.

55. A vehicle system as in claim 52 further comprising at least one additional device selected from the group comprising an illuminated operator interface, an illumination assembly and an information display.

56. A vehicle system as in claim 55 wherein said at least one additional device comprising spectral characteristics substantially the same as said at least one illuminated operator interface and said at least one interior illumination assembly in said mirror assembly.

57. A vehicle system as in claim 55 wherein said at least one additional device is positioned in a location selected from the group comprising a vehicle console, an exterior rearview mirror, a headliner, a visor, a door panel, an A-pillar, a B-pillar, a C-pillar, a center console, a dash board, an instrument panel, a steering wheel, a radio, a glove compartment, a seat, a heater control, an air conditioning control, a defroster control, a vent control, a defogger Control and upon the exterior of a vehicle.

58. A vehicle system as in claim 52 further comprising at least one device selected from the group comprising a voice activated system, a trainable transceiver, a microphone, a compass sensor, a compass system, a telephone system, a highway toll booth interface, a telemetry system, an exterior light controller, a moisture sensor, a loran system, a global positioning system, a variable reflectance reflector, a vehicle vision system, an accessory module, a remote keyless entry system, a wireless communication interface, a CAN bus interface, a serial bus interface, a parallel bus interface, a light sensor, a camera, a climate control system, a power supply, a controller, a transflective reflector, a tire pressure monitoring system, a navigation system, a lane departure warning system, and an adaptive cruise control system.