Display mirror assembly suitable for use in a vehicle
First Claim
1. A display mirror assembly suitable for use in a vehicle, said assembly comprising:
- a prismatic reflective mirror element having a front side and a rear side, and wherein said prismatic reflective mirror element comprises a vehicular interior rearview reflective mirror element;
said prismatic reflective mirror element comprising a semitransparent mirror reflector coated onto a light-transmitting glass substrate;
wherein visible light transmission through said prismatic reflective mirror element is greater than about 3 percent visible light transmission and less than about 30 percent visible light transmission;
wherein visible light reflectance by said prismatic reflective mirror element is at least 40 percent visible light reflectance for visible light incident upon the front side of said prismatic reflective mirror element;
wherein said prismatic reflective mirror element does not exhibit substantial spectral selectivity in its reflectance of visible light incident upon the front side of said prismatic reflective mirror element;
said semitransparent mirror reflector comprising a metal thin film layer;
a display device;
said display device disposed to the rear of the rear side of a sub-region of said prismatic reflective mirror element and configured so that light emitted by said display device passes through said metal thin film layer of said semitransparent mirror reflector to be viewed by a viewer viewing from the front of said prismatic reflective mirror element so as to be viewable by a driver of a vehicle equipped with said display mirror assembly, said metal thin film layer being present and uninterrupted at said sub-region of said substrate where said display device is disposed therebehind; and
wherein said display device is operable to exhibit, when electrically powered and when operated in the equipped vehicle during day time driving conditions, a display luminance of at least about 60 foot lamberts to the driver of the equipped vehicle who is viewing said reflective mirror element, as measured with said display device placed behind, and emitting light through, said uninterrupted metal thin film layer of said semitransparent mirror reflector of said prismatic reflective mirror element.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A display mirror assembly includes a reflective mirror element having a semitransparent mirror reflector coated onto a light-transmitting substrate. Visible light transmission through the reflective mirror element is at least 3 percent and visible light reflectance by the reflective mirror element is at least 40 percent for visible light incident upon the front side of the reflective mirror element. The reflective mirror element does not exhibit substantial spectral selectivity in its reflectance of visible light incident upon its front side. A display device is disposed to the rear of the reflective mirror element and configured so that light emitted by the display device passes through the semitransparent mirror reflector to be viewed by a viewer viewing from the front. When electrically powered, a display luminance of at least about 60 foot lamberts as measured with said display device placed behind, and emitting light through, the reflective element is achieved.
756 Citations
72 Claims
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1. A display mirror assembly suitable for use in a vehicle, said assembly comprising:
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a prismatic reflective mirror element having a front side and a rear side, and wherein said prismatic reflective mirror element comprises a vehicular interior rearview reflective mirror element; said prismatic reflective mirror element comprising a semitransparent mirror reflector coated onto a light-transmitting glass substrate; wherein visible light transmission through said prismatic reflective mirror element is greater than about 3 percent visible light transmission and less than about 30 percent visible light transmission; wherein visible light reflectance by said prismatic reflective mirror element is at least 40 percent visible light reflectance for visible light incident upon the front side of said prismatic reflective mirror element; wherein said prismatic reflective mirror element does not exhibit substantial spectral selectivity in its reflectance of visible light incident upon the front side of said prismatic reflective mirror element; said semitransparent mirror reflector comprising a metal thin film layer; a display device; said display device disposed to the rear of the rear side of a sub-region of said prismatic reflective mirror element and configured so that light emitted by said display device passes through said metal thin film layer of said semitransparent mirror reflector to be viewed by a viewer viewing from the front of said prismatic reflective mirror element so as to be viewable by a driver of a vehicle equipped with said display mirror assembly, said metal thin film layer being present and uninterrupted at said sub-region of said substrate where said display device is disposed therebehind; and wherein said display device is operable to exhibit, when electrically powered and when operated in the equipped vehicle during day time driving conditions, a display luminance of at least about 60 foot lamberts to the driver of the equipped vehicle who is viewing said reflective mirror element, as measured with said display device placed behind, and emitting light through, said uninterrupted metal thin film layer of said semitransparent mirror reflector of said prismatic reflective mirror element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A display mirror assembly suitable for use in a vehicle, said assembly comprising:
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a reflective mirror element having a front side and a rear side, and wherein said reflective mirror element comprises a vehicular interior rearview reflective mirror element; said reflective mirror element comprising a semitransparent mirror reflector coated onto a light-transmitting glass substrate; wherein visible light transmission through said reflective mirror element is greater than about 3 percent visible light transmission and less than about 30 percent visible light transmission; wherein visible light reflectance by said reflective mirror element is at least 40 percent visible light reflectance for visible light incident upon the front side of said reflective mirror element; wherein said reflective mirror element does not exhibit substantial spectral selectivity in its reflectance of visible light incident upon the front side of said reflective mirror element; said semitransparent mirror reflector comprising a metal thin film layer; a display device; wherein said display device comprises at least one light emitting diode; said display device disposed to the rear of the rear side of a sub-region of said reflective mirror element and configured so that light emitted by said display device passes through said metal thin film layer of said semitransparent mirror reflector to be viewed by a viewer viewing from the front of said reflective mirror element so as to be viewable by a driver of a vehicle equipped with said display mirror assembly, said metal thin film layer being present and uninterrupted at said sub-region of said substrate where said display device is disposed therebehind; wherein said display device is operable to exhibit, when electrically powered and when operated in the equipped vehicle during day time driving conditions, a display luminance of at least about 60 foot lamberts to the driver of the equipped vehicle who is viewing said reflective mirror element, as measured with said display device placed behind, and emitting light through, said uninterrupted metal thin film layer of said semitransparent mirror reflector of said reflective mirror element; and wherein, when not operated to emit light, the disposition of said display device to the rear of said uninterrupted metal thin film layer of said semitransparent mirror reflector of said reflective mirror element is not substantially distinguishable to the driver of the equipped vehicle when viewing said reflective mirror element. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A display mirror assembly suitable for use in a vehicle, said assembly comprising:
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a reflective mirror element having a front side and a rear side, and wherein said reflective mirror element comprises a vehicular interior rearview reflective mirror element; said reflective mirror element comprising a semitransparent mirror reflector coated onto a light-transmitting glass substrate; wherein visible light transmission through said reflective mirror element is greater than about 15 percent visible light transmission and less than about 30 percent visible light transmission; wherein visible light reflectance by said reflective mirror element is at least 40 percent visible light reflectance for visible light incident upon the front side of said reflective mirror element; wherein said reflective mirror element does not exhibit substantial spectral selectivity in its reflectance of visible light incident upon the front side of said reflective mirror element; said semitransparent mirror reflector comprising a metal thin film layer; a display device; wherein said display device comprises at least one light emitting diode; said display device disposed to the rear of the rear side of a sub-region of said reflective mirror element and configured so that light emitted by said display device passes through said metal thin film layer of said semitransparent mirror reflector to be viewed by a viewer viewing from the front of said reflective mirror element so as to be viewable by a driver of a vehicle equipped with said display mirror assembly, said metal thin film layer being present and uninterrupted at said sub-region of said substrate where said display device is disposed therebehind; and wherein said display device is operable to exhibit, when electrically powered and when operated in the equipped vehicle during day time driving conditions, a display luminance of at least about 80 foot lamberts to the driver of the equipped vehicle who is viewing said reflective mirror element, as measured with said display device placed behind, and emitting light through, said uninterrupted metal thin film layer of said semitransparent mirror reflector of said reflective mirror element. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A display mirror assembly suitable for use in a vehicle, said assembly comprising:
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an interior rearview prismatic reflective mirror element having a front side and a rear side; said prismatic reflective mirror element comprising a semitransparent mirror reflector coated onto a light-transmitting glass substrate, and wherein said semitransparent mirror reflector comprises an elemental semiconductor thin film layer; wherein visible light transmission through said prismatic reflective mirror element is greater than about 3 percent visible light transmission and less than about 30 percent visible light transmission; wherein visible light reflectance by said prismatic reflective mirror element is at least about 40 percent visible light reflectance for visible light incident upon the front side of said prismatic reflective mirror element; wherein said prismatic reflective mirror element does not exhibit substantial spectral selectivity in its reflectance of visible light incident upon the front side of said prismatic reflective mirror element; a display device; said display device disposed to the rear of the rear side of a sub-region of said prismatic reflective mirror element and configured so that light emitted by said display device passes through said elemental semiconductor thin film layer of said semitransparent mirror reflector to be viewed by a viewer viewing from the front of said prismatic reflective mirror element so as to be viewable by a driver of a vehicle equipped with said display mirror assembly, said elemental semiconductor thin film layer being present and uninterrupted at said sub-region of said substrate where said display device is disposed therebehind; and wherein said display device is operable to exhibit, when electrically powered and when operated in the equipped vehicle during day time driving conditions, a display luminance of at least about 60 foot lamberts to the driver of the equipped vehicle who is viewing said reflective mirror element, as measured with said display device placed behind, and emitting light through, said uninterrupted elemental semiconductor thin film layer of said semitransparent mirror reflector of said prismatic reflective mirror element. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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56. A display mirror assembly suitable for use in a vehicle, said assembly comprising:
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a prismatic reflective mirror element having a front side and a rear side, and wherein said prismatic reflective mirror element comprises a vehicular interior rearview reflective mirror element; said prismatic reflective mirror element comprising a semitransparent mirror reflector coated onto a light-transmitting glass substrate; wherein visible light transmission through said prismatic reflective mirror element is greater than about 15 percent visible light transmission and less than about 30 percent visible light transmission; wherein visible light reflectance by said prismatic reflective mirror element is at least 40 percent visible light reflectance for visible light incident upon the front side of said prismatic reflective mirror element; wherein said prismatic reflective mirror element does not exhibit substantial spectral selectivity in its reflectance of visible light incident upon the front side of said prismatic reflective mirror element; a display device; said display device disposed to the rear of the rear side of a sub-region of said prismatic reflective mirror element and configured so that light emitted by said display device passes through said semitransparent mirror reflector to be viewed by a viewer viewing from the front of said prismatic reflective mirror element so as to be viewable by a driver of a vehicle equipped with said display mirror assembly, said semitransparent mirror reflector being present and uninterrupted at said sub-region of said substrate where said display device is disposed therebehind; wherein said display device is operable to exhibit, when electrically powered and when operated in the equipped vehicle during day time driving conditions, a display luminance of at least about 60 foot lamberts to the driver of the equipped vehicle who is viewing said reflective mirror element, as measured with said display device placed behind, and emitting light through, said uninterrupted semitransparent mirror reflector of said prismatic reflective mirror element; and wherein to the rear of said light-transmitting substrate is rendered light absorbing by a light absorbing element at least adjacent to said sub-region of said substrate where, and except at where, said display device is disposed therebehind. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
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65. A display mirror assembly suitable for use in a vehicle, said assembly comprising:
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a reflective mirror element having a front side and a rear side, and wherein said reflective mirror element comprises a vehicular interior rearview reflective mirror element; said reflective mirror element comprising a semitransparent mirror reflector coated onto a light-transmitting glass substrate; wherein visible light transmission through said reflective mirror element is greater than about 15 percent visible light transmission and less than about 30 percent visible light transmission; wherein visible light reflectance by said reflective mirror element is at least 55 percent visible light reflectance for visible light incident upon the front side of said reflective mirror element; wherein said reflective mirror element does not exhibit substantial spectral selectivity in its reflectance of visible light incident upon the front side of reflective mirror element; a display device; said display device disposed to the rear of the rear side of a sub-region of said reflective mirror element and configured so that light emitted by said display device passes through said semitransparent mirror reflector to be viewed by a viewer viewing from the front of said reflective mirror element so as to be viewable by a driver of a vehicle equipped with said display mirror assembly, said semitransparent mirror reflector being present and uninterrupted at said sub-region of said substrate where said display device is disposed therebehind; wherein said display device is operable to exhibit, when electrically powered and when operated in the equipped vehicle during day time driving conditions, a display luminance of at least about 60 foot lamberts to the driver of the equipped vehicle who is viewing said reflective mirror element, as measured with said display device placed behind, and emitting light through, said uninterrupted semitransparent mirror reflector of said reflective mirror element; wherein to the rear of said light-transmitting substrate is rendered light absorbing by a light absorbing element at least adjacent to said sub-region of said substrate where, and except at where, said display device is disposed therebehind; and wherein said mirror assembly includes a control that reduces the luminance of said display device during night time driving conditions to less than about 20 percent of the luminance of said display device during day time driving conditions. - View Dependent Claims (66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
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Specification