US 11,833,971 B2
Interior rearview mirror assembly with full mirror video display
Mark L. Larson, Grand Haven, MI (US); Christopher R. Koetje, Zeeland, MI (US); Anthony J. LaCross, Hastings, MI (US); and Eric Peterson, West Olive, MI (US)
Assigned to MAGNA MIRRORS OF AMERICA, INC., Holland, MI (US)
Filed by MAGNA MIRRORS OF AMERICA, INC., Holland, MI (US)
Filed on Mar. 18, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/655,382.
Application 17/655,382 is a continuation of application No. 16/949,177, filed on Oct. 19, 2020, granted, now 11,279,288.
Application 16/949,177 is a continuation of application No. 16/578,685, filed on Sep. 23, 2019, granted, now 10,807,536, issued on Oct. 20, 2020.
Application 16/578,685 is a continuation of application No. 15/635,627, filed on Jun. 28, 2017, granted, now 10,421,404, issued on Sep. 24, 2019.
Application 15/635,627 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/192,302, filed on Jun. 24, 2016, granted, now 10,046,706, issued on Aug. 14, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/355,460, filed on Jun. 28, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/237,716, filed on Oct. 6, 2015.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/185,206, filed on Jun. 26, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2022/0203899 A1, Jun. 30, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04N 7/18 (2006.01); B60R 1/12 (2006.01); B60R 1/00 (2022.01); B60R 1/08 (2006.01); B60R 1/04 (2006.01)
CPC B60R 1/12 (2013.01) [B60R 1/00 (2013.01); B60R 1/04 (2013.01); B60R 1/088 (2013.01); B60R 2001/1223 (2013.01); B60R 2001/1253 (2013.01); B60R 2300/806 (2013.01); B60R 2300/8066 (2013.01); H04N 7/18 (2013.01)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly, the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
a mirror head adjustable about a mirror support;
wherein the mirror support is configured to attach at an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly;
wherein the mirror head comprises an electrochromic 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 the electrochromic mirror reflective element has a front side and a rear side, and wherein, with the mirror support attached at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle, the front side is closer to a driver of the equipped vehicle than the rear side;
wherein the electrochromic mirror reflective element comprises a front glass substrate and a rear glass substrate with an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween, and wherein the front glass substrate has a first glass surface and an opposing second glass surface that is separated from the first glass surface by a thickness dimension of the front glass substrate, and wherein the rear glass substrate has a third glass surface and an opposing fourth glass surface that is separated from the third glass surface by a thickness dimension of the rear glass substrate, and wherein the second glass surface and the third glass surface oppose the electrochromic medium, and wherein the transflective mirror reflector is disposed at the third glass surface of the rear glass substrate;
wherein the front side of the electrochromic mirror reflective element comprises the first glass surface of the front glass substrate;
wherein the electrochromic mirror reflective element is at least partially nested within a mirror casing of the mirror head, and wherein no part of the mirror casing overlaps onto the first glass surface of the front side of the electrochromic mirror reflective element;
a video display device disposed rearward of the electrochromic mirror reflective element;
wherein the video display device comprises a display screen;
wherein circuitry associated with the display screen is disposed on a flexible printed circuit that is electrically connected at the display screen;
wherein a touch sensor is disposed at the electrochromic mirror reflective element, and wherein the touch sensor is associated with circuitry at the flexible printed circuit;
wherein the display screen of the video display device occupies at least 85 percent of a reflective region of the transflective mirror reflector that, with the mirror support attached at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle, is viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle when viewing the electrochromic mirror reflective element;
wherein, with the mirror support attached at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle, the video display device is operable to display video images captured by a rearward viewing camera of the equipped vehicle;
wherein, with the mirror support attached at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle, and 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 electrochromic mirror reflective element for viewing of displayed video images by the driver of the equipped vehicle viewing the electrochromic mirror reflective element;
wherein a polymer reflector layer is disposed between the front side of the electrochromic mirror reflective element and the video display device, and wherein the polymer reflector layer converts linearly polarized light emitted by the video display device to circularly polarized light as the light emitted by the video display device passes through the polymer reflector layer; and
wherein, with the mirror support attached at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle, the electrochromic mirror reflective element, at the reflective region of the transflective mirror reflector that is viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle when viewing the electrochromic mirror reflective element, reflects at least 40 percent of visible light incident at the front side of the electrochromic mirror reflective element that is viewable by and touchable by the driver of the equipped vehicle.