Abstract:
An exterior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a mirror head portion and a reflective element accommodated by the mirror head portion. The reflective element includes a glass substrate and a mirror reflector coated at a surface of the glass substrate. The reflective element is configured to provide a field of view of at least about 15 degrees at the side of the vehicle and provides a substantially undistorted reflected image as viewed by the driver of the vehicle. The reflective element may have a width dimension of less than about 15 cm and a height dimension of less than about 9 cm. The mirror substrate is curved or formed via a hydro-bending process utilizing at least one bending element, which may be CNC formed in accordance with a free form pattern of curvatures.
Abstract:
A mirror reflective element sub-assembly includes a mirror reflective element, a mirror back plate and a blind spot indicator. The mirror back plate has a generally planar portion and an indicator mounting portion. The indicator mounting portion of the mirror back plate is angled relative to the generally planar portion, and an aperture is established through the mirror back plate generally at the indicator mounting portion. A heater pad is disposed at the rear of the mirror reflective element, and a light transmitting portion of the heater pad is generally aligned with the aperture of the mirror back plate. With the light source of the blind spot indicator activated, light emitted by the light source transmits through an indicia element, the aperture and the light transmitting portion and exits the mirror reflective element at an angle relative to the generally planar portion of the mirror back plate.
Abstract:
A cabin monitoring system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly including a mirror head having a mirror reflective element that includes (i) a planar glass substrate, (ii) a transflective mirror reflector at the glass substrate and (iii) a light absorption film including a polarizer film. A camera accommodated by the mirror head views through the reflective element. A light emitter accommodated by the mirror head emits near infrared (NIR) light through the reflective element. The light absorption film attenuates greater than 60 percent of visible light and less than 30 percent of NIR light incident on the light absorption film and transmits less than 40 percent of visible light and greater than 70 percent of NIR light through the light absorption film. The camera captures image data representative of NIR light emitted through the reflective element and reflected from the interior cabin of the vehicle back through the reflective element.
Abstract:
A vehicular rearview mirror control system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly and a rearward-viewing camera disposed at a vehicle. The system, via processing of a first subset of image data captured by the rearward-viewing camera, is operable to detect ambient light rearward of the equipped vehicle. The system, via processing of a second subset of the image data captured by the rearward-viewing camera, is operable to detect light emanating from a headlight of another vehicle following the equipped vehicle. The first subset of the image data captured by the rearward-viewing camera is different than the second subset of the image data captured by the rearward-viewing camera. Responsive to determining that the detected light emanating from the headlight of the other vehicle glares a driver of the equipped vehicle, the ECU controls dimming of the electro-optic mirror reflective element of the interior rearview mirror assembly.
Abstract:
A vehicular exterior door handle assembly includes a base portion that mounts at a door and a handle portion. The handle portion is movable relative to the base portion between a recessed position and an extended position. A light module is disposed between the base portion and an outer panel of the door at or near a cutout region of the outer panel of the door. With the handle portion in the recessed position, a light emitting element of the light module at least partially circumscribes the handle portion. With the handle portion in the extended position, the handle portion extends at least partially through the cutout region. With the handle portion in the extended position, the light emitting element emits light that passes through the cutout region of the outer panel of the door to illuminate the handle portion.
Abstract:
A vehicular exterior door handle assembly includes a base portion, a handle portion and an actuator. The actuator is electrically operable to move the handle portion relative to the base portion between a recessed position and a deployed position. The actuator includes a housing, an electrically operable motor disposed within the housing and a plunger disposed partially within the housing. The plunger extends from within the housing along a passageway of the housing and partially exterior the housing. The actuator, when operated, drives the plunger axially along the passageway of the housing to move the handle portion between the recessed position and the deployed position. The plunger extends through a sleeve within the housing, and the sleeve engages the plunger and an inner surface of the housing at or near the passageway to preclude moisture from entering the housing.
Abstract:
A vehicular frameless interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head and a mounting portion. The mirror head includes a mirror reflective element and a mirror casing. The mirror reflective element includes a glass substrate having a planar front side and a planar rear side. No portion of the mirror casing overlaps the planar front side of the glass substrate of the mirror reflective element. A camera is disposed within the mirror casing. With the mounting portion of the mirror assembly mounted at an in-cabin side of a windshield of a vehicle, the camera views a driver of the vehicle, and when the mirror head is moved by the driver of the vehicle to adjust the rearward view provided by the mirror reflective element to the driver, the camera moves in tandem with movement of the mirror head. The camera is part of a driver monitoring system of the vehicle.
Abstract:
A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head movably mounted at a mounting arm via a pivot link. A locking mechanism includes a driving link, a receiver attached to the driving link, and a locking arm. The receiver receives a portion of the pivot link therein and includes a biasing element disposed at each end of the receiver and engaging respective sides of the portion of the pivot link. When the mirror head is moved relative to the mounting arm, the receiver moves to pivot the pivot link and swing the mirror head between retracted and extended positions. When the mirror head is moved to either position, the driving link is pivoted and causes a portion of the locking mechanism to engage the locking arm to move the locking arm into engagement with the mirror head to retain the mirror head in the respective position.
Abstract:
A vehicular dual-state interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head that accommodates an electrochromic mirror reflective element. A video display device is disposed behind a viewable reflective region of the mirror reflective element. With the 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 vehicle views rearward via reflection at the viewable reflective region. With the mirror assembly operating in a second state, the video display device displays video images at the display screen for viewing by the driver. A touch sensor is disposed at an overhang region of the reflective element behind the front substrate and below the video display device. The video display device is operated responsive at least in part to a touch event at the first surface of the front substrate of the electrochromic mirror reflective element.
Abstract:
A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head accommodating a mirror reflective element and an illumination module, which includes a light source, a first mask, and a second mask. When the light source is powered, emitted light that passes through the first mask is a first color and emitted light that passes through the second mask is a second color. With the mirror assembly mounted at a vehicle, and when the light source is powered to emit light, light emitted by the light source passes through the first mask to project a first projected image onto a ground region and passes through the second mask to project a second projected image onto the ground region. The first projected image includes a first logo portion having the first color, and the second projected image includes a second logo portion having the second color.