Mirror assembly

• US 8,138,903 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2010
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Donnelly Corporation (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lindahl, John O., Whitehead, Peter J., Lynam, Niall R., Uken, John T., Karner, Lee, Hook, Richard R.
• Primary Examiner(s): CROSLAND, DONNIE L
• Application Number:
  US12/693,740
• Publication Number:
  US 20100195229A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 340/438
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/08 involving special optical features, e.g. avoiding blind spots , e.g. convex mirrors; Side-by-side associations of rear-view and other mirrors B60R1/025, B60R1/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0033 Rear-view mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/157 Structural association of cells with optical devices, e.g. reflectors or illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof

Abstract

An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a mirror casing having a human machine interface thereat. The mirror assembly includes a display device disposed behind the transflective mirror reflector of the interior rearview mirror assembly and visible through the transflective mirror reflector to the driver when displaying information. The display device may include a video screen. The user actuatable input may be actuatable by a user to operate at least one element of circuitry disposed in the mirror casing. The human machine interface may be at least partially at a bezel portion of the casing, or may be at least partially at a rear casing portion of the mirror casing.

Claims

1. An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

a mirror casing and a transflective reflective element;

wherein said mirror casing has a human machine interface thereat;

wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises an electrochromic interior rearview mirror assembly and wherein said transflective reflective element comprises an electrochromic transflective reflective element having a transflective mirror reflector that is partially transmissive of light and partially reflective of light incident thereon;

wherein said human machine interface comprises at least one user actuatable input accessible at a bezel portion of said mirror casing;

wherein said at least one user actuatable input comprises at least one of a user actuatable button, a touch sensor and a proximity sensor;

wherein said mirror casing is adjustably mounted at an in-cabin surface of a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said interior rearview mirror assembly via a pivot mounting arrangement;

wherein adjustment of said mirror casing via said pivot mounting arrangement adjusts a rearward field of view of said transflective reflective element when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle;

circuitry disposed in said mirror casing;

wherein said at least one user actuatable input provides user input to at least one element of said circuitry;

wherein said circuitry is associated with a display device disposed behind said transflective mirror reflector of said interior rearview mirror assembly and visible through said transflective mirror reflector to the driver when displaying information, and wherein said display device comprises a video screen; and

wherein said circuitry comprises, at least in part, a part of a humidity control system of the equipped vehicle.

2. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, further comprising a sensor that senses a condition at the in-cabin surface of the windshield of the equipped vehicle.

3. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 2, wherein said condition comprises the presence of moisture at the in-cabin surface of the windshield of the equipped vehicle.

4. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 3, wherein, responsive to said sensing by said sensor, a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system of the equipped vehicle is activated.

5. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 4, wherein said activation of said heating, ventilation and air conditioning system is responsive to a detection of a threshold level at said in-cabin surface of the windshield of the equipped vehicle.

6. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 5, wherein said threshold level comprises a threshold level of moisture at the in-cabin surface of the windshield of the equipped vehicle.

7. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 6, wherein said sensor comprises a capacitive moisture sensor.

8. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said display device comprises a back-projected microdisplay.

9. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one user actuatable input is illuminated by backlighting.

10. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one element of said at least one user actuatable input is integrally formed at said bezel portion of said mirror casing during a molding operation that forms said bezel portion of said mirror casing.

11. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 10, wherein said at least one user actuatable input includes at least one actuating portion that is insert molded with said bezel portion of said mirror casing.

12. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said circuitry is disposed on a printed circuit board and comprises a switch element that is actuated consequent on a user actuation of said at least one user actuatable input.

13. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1, wherein said circuitry is associated with a moisture sensor for detecting moisture on the in-cabin surface of the vehicle windshield and wherein said moisture sensor comprises a capacitive moisture sensor.

14. An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

a mirror casing and a transflective reflective element;

wherein said mirror casing has a human machine interface thereat;

wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises an electrochromic interior rearview mirror assembly and wherein said transflective reflective element comprises an electrochromic transflective reflective element having a transflective mirror reflector that is partially transmissive of light and partially reflective of light incident thereon;

wherein said human machine interface comprises at least one user actuatable input accessible at a bezel portion of said mirror casing;

wherein said at least one user actuatable input comprises at least one of a user actuatable button disposed generally at a bezel portion of said mirror casing;

wherein said mirror casing is adjustably mounted at an in-cabin surface of a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said interior rearview mirror assembly via a pivot mounting arrangement;

wherein adjustment of said mirror casing via said pivot mounting arrangement adjusts a rearward field of view of said transflective reflective element when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle;

wherein a display device is disposed behind said transflective mirror reflector of said interior rearview mirror assembly and visible through said transflective mirror reflector to the driver when displaying information, and wherein said display device comprises a video screen; and

a sensor that senses a condition at the in-cabin surface of the windshield of the equipped vehicle.

15. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 14, wherein said at least one user actuatable input provides user input to at least one element of circuitry disposed in said mirror casing.

16. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 14, wherein said condition comprises the presence of moisture at the in-cabin surface of the windshield of the equipped vehicle.

17. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 16, wherein, responsive to said sensing by said sensor, a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system of the equipped vehicle is activated, and wherein said activation of said heating, ventilation and air conditioning system is responsive to a detection of a threshold level of moisture at said in-cabin surface of the windshield of the equipped vehicle.

18. An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

a mirror casing and a transflective reflective element;

wherein said mirror casing has a human machine interface thereat;

wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises an electrochromic interior rearview mirror assembly and wherein said transflective reflective element comprises an electrochromic transflective reflective element having a transflective mirror reflector that is partially transmissive of light and partially reflective of light incident thereon;

wherein said human machine interface comprises at least one user actuatable input accessible at a bezel portion of said mirror casing;

wherein said at least one user actuatable input comprises at least one of a user actuatable button disposed generally at a bezel portion of said mirror casing;

wherein said mirror casing is adjustably mounted at an in-cabin surface of a windshield of a vehicle equipped with said interior rearview mirror assembly via a pivot mounting arrangement;

wherein adjustment of said mirror casing via said pivot mounting arrangement adjusts a rearward field of view of said transflective reflective element when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle;

wherein a display device is disposed behind said transflective mirror reflector of said interior rearview mirror assembly and visible through said transflective mirror reflector to the driver when displaying information, and wherein said display device comprises a video screen; and

a sensor that senses a condition at the in-cabin surface of the windshield of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said condition comprises the presence of moisture at the in-cabin surface of the windshield of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said sensor comprises a capacitive moisture sensor.

19. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 18, further comprising circuitry disposed in said mirror casing, and wherein said circuitry comprises, at least in part, a part of a humidity control system of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said circuitry comprises a switch element that is actuated consequent on a user actuation of said at least one user actuatable input.

20. The interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 18, wherein a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system of the equipped vehicle is activated in response to said sensor sensing a threshold level of moisture at the in-cabin surface of the windshield of the equipped vehicle.