US 12,240,384 B2
Interior rearview mirror assembly with full screen video display
Mark L. Larson, Grand Haven, MI (US); John T. Uken, Jenison, MI (US); and Christopher R. Koetje, Zeeland, MI (US)
Assigned to Magna Mirrors of America, Inc., Holland, MI (US)
Filed by MAGNA MIRRORS OF AMERICA, INC., Holland, MI (US)
Filed on Dec. 21, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/391,951.
Application 18/391,951 is a continuation of application No. 17/935,969, filed on Sep. 28, 2022, granted, now 11,858,423.
Application 17/935,969 is a continuation of application No. 17/301,901, filed on Apr. 19, 2021, granted, now 11,458,897, issued on Oct. 4, 2022.
Application 17/301,901 is a continuation of application No. 16/729,776, filed on Dec. 30, 2019, granted, now 10,981,510, issued on Apr. 20, 2021.
Application 16/729,776 is a continuation of application No. 16/059,519, filed on Aug. 9, 2018, granted, now 10,518,704, issued on Dec. 31, 2019.
Application 16/059,519 is a continuation 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 62/237,716, filed on Oct. 6, 2015.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/185,206, filed on Jun. 26, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2024/0123903 A1, Apr. 18, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B60R 1/12 (2006.01); B60R 1/04 (2006.01); H04N 7/18 (2006.01)
CPC B60R 1/12 (2013.01) [B60R 1/04 (2013.01); B60R 2001/1223 (2013.01); B60R 2001/1253 (2013.01); H04N 7/181 (2013.01)] 44 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicular dual-state interior rearview mirror assembly, the vehicular dual-state interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:
a mirror head pivotable about a mirror support, wherein the mirror support is configured to attach at an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular dual-state interior rearview mirror assembly;
wherein the mirror head accommodates an electrochromic mirror reflective element;
wherein the electrochromic mirror reflective element has a front substrate and a rear substrate with an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween, and wherein the front substrate has a first surface and a second surface and the rear substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface, the second surface and the third surface opposing the electrochromic medium;
wherein a transflective mirror reflector is disposed at the third surface, and wherein the transflective mirror reflector at least partially reflects light incident thereon and at least partially transmits incident light therethrough;
wherein the electrochromic mirror reflective element comprises a viewable reflective region viewable by a driver of the equipped vehicle with the mirror support attached at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle;
a video display device disposed behind the viewable reflective region of the electrochromic mirror reflective element;
wherein the video display device comprises a display screen that occupies at least 75 percent of the viewable reflective region of the electrochromic mirror reflective element;
wherein the video display device comprises at least one light emitting diode for backlighting the display screen;
wherein, with the mirror support attached at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle, the video display device is operable to display video images derived from image data captured by at least one rearward-viewing camera of the equipped vehicle for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle;
wherein, with the vehicular dual-state interior rearview mirror assembly operating in a first state, the video display device does not display video images at the display screen and the driver of the equipped vehicle views rearward via reflection at the viewable reflective region, and wherein, with the vehicular dual-state interior rearview mirror assembly operating in a second state, the video display device displays video images at the display screen for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle;
a toggle mechanism, wherein, with the mirror support attached at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle, the toggle mechanism is operable by the driver of the equipped vehicle to toggle the vehicular dual-state interior rearview mirror assembly between operation in the first state and operation in the second state;
wherein the electrochromic mirror reflective element comprises an overhang region where a cross dimension of the front substrate is greater than a corresponding cross dimension of the rear substrate;
wherein a touch sensor is disposed at the overhang region behind the front substrate and below the video display device; and
wherein the video display device is operated responsive at least in part to a sensed touch event at the first surface of the front substrate of the electrochromic mirror reflective element.