Rearview mirror assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9346403-B2
Application number	US-201214357025-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2012
Priority date	Oct 7, 2009
Publication date	May 24, 2016
Grant date	May 24, 2016

Abstract

A vehicular rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror reflective element and a touch sensor device disposed behind a portion of the reflective element and operable to sense the presence of a person's finger at a touch zone of the reflective element proximate to the touch sensor device. A backlighting device is disposed behind the touch sensor device and is operable to backlight a portion of the touch sensor device. The touch sensor device includes a touch sensor substrate having a conductive trace established at a patterned conductive zone of the touch sensor substrate. When the backlighting device is activated, light emanating from the backlighting device passes through the patterned conductive zone of the touch sensor substrate and illuminates an icon so that the icon is viewable through the reflective element by a driver of the vehicle when the rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted at the vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said rearview mirror assembly comprising:
a mirror reflective element comprising at least one glass substrate and a mirror reflector established at a surface of said at least one glass substrate;
a touch sensor device disposed behind at least a portion of said mirror reflective element and operable to sense the presence of a person's finger at a touch zone of said mirror reflective element proximate to said touch sensor device;
a backlighting device disposed behind said touch sensor device and operable to backlight at least a portion of said touch sensor device;
wherein said touch sensor device comprises a generally light transmissive touch sensor substrate having a patterned electrically conductive trace established at said touch sensor substrate, and wherein said patterned electrically conductive trace is established at said touch sensor substrate in a pattern that allows light emanating from said backlighting device to pass through said patterned electrically conductive zone of said touch sensor substrate;
an icon disposed generally at said patterned electrically conductive trace at said touch sensor substrate; and
wherein, when said backlighting device is activated, light emanating from said backlighting device passes through said patterned electrically conductive trace said touch sensor substrate and illuminates said icon so that said icon is viewable through said mirror reflective element by a driver of the vehicle when said rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted at the vehicle.

2. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein said icon is established by said patterned electrically conductive trace.

3. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein said patterned electrically conductive trace comprises multiple spaced apart light absorbing and electrically conductive traces and wherein light emanating from said backlighting device passes through light transmitting gaps between said spaced apart electrically conductive traces to illuminate said icon.

4. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein said mirror reflective element comprises a perimeter hiding layer or band disposed around or along a perimeter region of said mirror reflective element, and wherein said perimeter hiding layer comprises a wider or waisted region at said touch zone and wherein an aperture is established through said wider region of said perimeter hiding layer and wherein said touch sensor device is disposed behind and senses through said aperture.

5. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein said mirror reflective element comprises an electro-optic reflective element, and wherein said at least one glass substrate comprises a rear substrate and said electro-optic reflective element comprises a front substrate spaced from said rear substrate and with an electro-optic medium disposed therebetween.

6. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 5 , wherein said rear substrate is cut away at said touch sensor device so that said touch sensor device is disposed to the rear of said front substrate.

7. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein said mirror reflective element comprises a front surface and a rear surface and a perimeter edge about a periphery of said mirror reflective element and extending between said front and rear surfaces, said front surface generally facing a driver of a vehicle when said mirror assembly is normally mounted in a vehicle equipped with said mirror assembly, and wherein said perimeter edge of said mirror reflective element is exposed and viewable by the driver of the vehicle when said mirror assembly is normally mounted in the equipped vehicle.

8. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein said mirror reflective element comprises a transflective mirror reflector established at a surface thereof, and wherein at least one other icon near said touch zone is backlit at said transflective mirror reflector for viewing by the driver of the vehicle through said transflective mirror reflector of said mirror reflective element and near said touch zone of said mirror reflective element.

9. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein said rearview mirror assembly comprises an interior rearview mirror assembly configured for mounting at an interior portion of a vehicle.

10. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 9 , wherein said mirror reflective element comprises a prismatic mirror reflective element, and wherein said mirror reflector is disposed at a rear surface of said glass substrate.

11. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 10 , wherein said touch sensor device is disposed behind said prismatic mirror reflective element at a region of said glass substrate that is devoid of said mirror reflector.

12. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein said rearview mirror assembly comprises an exterior rearview mirror assembly configured for mounting at an exterior portion of a vehicle.

13. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 1 , comprising a compass display operable to display the vehicle directional heading for at least sixteen directional heading regions utilizing only two alphanumeric characters, wherein said compass display is operable to display different characters at different intensities to provide the sixteen directional headings.

14. A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said rearview mirror assembly comprising:
a mirror mount configured to attach said rearview mirror assembly at an interior portion of a vehicle;
a mirror casing;
a mirror reflective element disposed at said mirror casing and pivotally mounted at said mirror mount, said mirror reflective element comprising at least one glass substrate and a mirror reflector established at a surface of said at least one glass substrate;
a touch sensor device disposed behind at least a portion of said mirror reflective element and operable to sense the presence of a person's finger at a touch zone of said mirror reflective element proximate to said touch sensor device;
a backlighting device disposed behind said touch sensor device and operable to backlight at least a portion of said touch sensor device;
wherein said touch sensor device comprises a generally light transmissive touch sensor substrate having a patterned electrically conductive trace established at said touch sensor substrate, and wherein said patterned electrically conductive trace is established at said touch sensor substrate in a pattern that allows light emanating from said backlighting device to pass through said touch sensor substrate;
wherein said patterned electrically conductive trace comprises multiple spaced apart light absorbing and electrically conductive traces;
wherein said patterned electrically conductive trace comprises a non-light-transmitting icon disposed generally at said touch sensor substrate; and
wherein, when said backlighting device is activated, light emanating from said backlighting device passes through light transmitting gaps between said spaced apart electrically conductive traces at said touch sensor substrate and illuminates said icon so that said icon is viewable through said mirror reflective element by a driver of the vehicle when said rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted at the vehicle.

15. The rearview mirror assembly of claim 14 , wherein said mirror reflective element comprises a perimeter hiding layer or band disposed around or along a perimeter region of said mirror reflective element, and wherein said perimeter hiding layer comprises a wider or waisted region at said touch zone and wherein an aperture is established through said wide

Assignees

• Magna Mirrors Of America Inc

Inventors

• Uken John T
• De Wind Darryl P
• Foote Keith D
• Mambourg Joseph M
• Blank Rodney K
• Larson Mark L
• Lynam Niall R

Classifications

• B60R2001/1253

  with cameras, video cameras or video screens · CPC title

• G06F3/0414

  using force sensing means to determine a position · CPC title

• G06F3/0412

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title

• B60R2001/1215

  with information displays · CPC title

• B60R1/12 Primary

  Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks · CPC title