Interior rearview mirror assembly with full mirror video display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11279288-B2
Application number	US-202016949177-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2020
Priority date	Jun 26, 2015
Publication date	Mar 22, 2022
Grant date	Mar 22, 2022

Abstract

A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head having a mirror reflective element with a transflective mirror reflector. A video display device is disposed rearward of the mirror reflective element and has a display screen that occupies at least 85 percent of a reflective region of the transflective mirror reflector that is visible to a driver of the vehicle when viewing the mirror reflective element. The video display device is operable to display video images captured by a rearward viewing camera of the vehicle. When the video display device is operated to display video images, light emitted by the video display device passes through the transflective mirror reflector of the mirror reflective element for viewing of displayed video images by the driver of the vehicle viewing the mirror reflective element. Light emitted by the video display device may exit the mirror reflective element as circularly polarized light.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly, said vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
a mirror head pivotally mounted at a mirror support;
wherein said mirror support is configured to attach at an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with said vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly;
wherein said mirror head comprises a mirror reflective element having a transflective mirror reflector that at least partially reflects light incident thereon and at least partially transmits incident light therethrough;
a video display device disposed rearward of said mirror reflective element;
wherein said video display device comprises a display screen;
wherein circuitry associated with said display screen is disposed on a flexible printed circuit that is electrically connected at said display screen;
wherein a touch sensor is disposed at said mirror reflective element, and wherein said touch sensor is associated with circuitry at said flexible printed circuit;
wherein said display screen of said video display device occupies at least 85 percent of a reflective region of said transflective mirror reflector that, with said mirror support attached at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle, is visible to a driver of the equipped vehicle when viewing said mirror reflective element;
wherein, with said mirror support attached at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle, said video display device is operable to display video images captured by a rearward viewing camera of the equipped vehicle;
wherein, with said mirror support attached at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle, and when said video display device is operated to display video images, light emitted by said video display device passes through said transflective mirror reflector of said mirror reflective element for viewing of displayed video images by the driver of the equipped vehicle viewing said mirror reflective element;
wherein light emitted by said video display device exits said mirror reflective element as circularly polarized light; and
wherein, with said mirror support attached at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle, said mirror reflective element, at the reflective region of said transflective mirror reflector that is visible to the driver of the equipped vehicle when viewing said mirror reflective element, transmits at least 35 percent of visible light emitted by said video display device and reflects at least 35 percent of visible light incident at a front surface of said mirror reflective element that is viewable by and contactable by the driver of the equipped vehicle.

2. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein said display screen comprises a liquid crystal display screen.

3. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 2 , wherein said display screen is backlit by at least one light emitting diode.

4. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 3 , wherein said at least one light emitting diode for backlighting said display screen comprises a backlighting array of light emitting diodes for backlighting said display screen.

5. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein, with said mirror support of said vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly attached at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle, said flexible printed circuit extends from said display screen, said circuitry being electrical connectable to a power source of the equipped vehicle.

6. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein said mirror support is configured to attach at a mirror mounting button attached at an in-cabin side of a windshield of the equipped vehicle.

7. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein said display screen is optically coupled with a polymer reflector layer via an optical adhesive, and wherein said polymer reflector layer is optically coupled with said transflective mirror reflector via an optical adhesive.

8. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 7 , wherein linearly polarized light emitted by said video display device is circularly polarized as it passes through said polymer reflector layer.

9. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein said mirror reflective element comprises a single glass substrate having a first surface and an opposing second surface that is separated from the first surface by a thickness dimension of said single glass substrate, and wherein said transflective mirror reflector is disposed at the second surface of said single glass substrate, and wherein said front surface of said mirror reflective element comprises the first surface of said single glass substrate.

10. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 9 , wherein said mirror reflective element comprises a prismatic mirror reflective element, and wherein said single glass substrate comprises a prismatic glass substrate.

11. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein said mirror reflective element comprises an electrochromic mirror reflective element having a front glass substrate and a rear glass substrate with an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween, and wherein said front glass substrate has a first surface and an opposing second surface that is separated from the first surface by a thickness dimension of said front glass substrate, and wherein said rear glass substrate has a third surface and an opposing fourth surface that is separated from the third surface by a thickness dimension of said rear glass substrate, and wherein the second surface and the third surface opposes said electrochromic medium, and wherein said transflective mirror reflector is disposed at the third surface of said rear glass substrate, and wherein said front surface of said mirror reflective element comprises the first surface of said front glass substrate.

12. The vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein said video display device comprises a heatsink configured to draw heat away from said display screen.

13. A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly, said vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
a mirror head pivotally mounted at a mirror support;
wherein said mirror support is configured to attach at an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with said vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly;
wherein said mirror head comprises a mirror reflective element having a transflective mirror reflector that at least partially reflects light incident thereon and at least partially transmits incident light therethrough;
wherein said mirror reflective element comprises an electrochromic mirror reflective element having a front glass substrate and a rear glass substrate with an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween, and wherein said front glass substrate has a first surface and an opposing second surface that is separated from the first surface by a thickness dimension of said front glass substrate, and wherein said rear glass substrate has a third surface and an opposing fourth surface that is separated from the third surface by a thickness dimension of said rear glass substrate, and wherein the second surface and the third surface opposes said electrochromic medium, and wherein said transflective mirror reflector is disposed at the third surface of said rear glass substrate;
a video display device disposed rearward of said mirror reflective element;
wherein said video display device comprises a display screen;
wherein circuitry associated with said display screen is disposed on a flexible printed circuit t

Assignees

• Magna Mirrors Of America Inc

Inventors

• Larson Mark L
• Koetje Christopher R
• Lacross Anthony J
• Peterson Eric

Classifications

• B60R2001/1253

  with cameras, video cameras or video screens · CPC title

• B60R2300/806

  for aiding parking · CPC title

• B60R1/088

  using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or electrochromic mirrors · CPC title

• B60R2300/8066

  for monitoring rearward traffic · CPC title

• B60R1/04

  mounted inside vehicle {(B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence)} · CPC title