Interior rearview mirror assembly with indicator

An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

• a mirror casing;
• a mirror reflective element disposed at said mirror casing;
• a mounting structure configured to adjustably mount said mirror reflective element and said mirror casing at an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with said interior rearview mirror assembly;
• an indicator disposed behind said mirror reflective element;
• wherein said indicator comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes, and wherein each light emitting diode of said plurality of light emitting diodes is individually operated to emit light;
• wherein said indicator comprises a ring-shaped indicator with said plurality of light emitting diodes arranged in a circular shape;
• wherein at least one light emitting diode of said plurality of light emitting diodes is at each of (i) an upper left region of said indicator, (ii) an upper right region of said indicator, (iii) a middle left region of said indicator, (iv) a middle right region of said indicator, (v) a lower left region of said indicator and (vi) a lower right region of said indicator;
• wherein, with said mirror reflective element and said mirror casing adjustably mounted at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle via said mounting structure, and responsive to one of a plurality of triggers, said indicator electrically powers a particular one or particular ones of said plurality of light emitting diodes for that trigger, and wherein said indicator electrically powers the particular one or particular ones of said plurality of light emitting diodes to emit light of one or more colors to convey colored information associated with that trigger to a driver of the equipped vehicle;
• wherein each light emitting diode of said plurality of light emitting diodes is operable to emit red light, green light, yellow light, blue light or white light, and wherein a particular one or particular ones of said plurality of light emitting diodes is operable to emit a particular color of light or particular colors of light associated with a respective trigger of the plurality of triggers;
• wherein, when said indicator electrically powers said plurality of light emitting diodes, light emitted by the powered light emitting diodes passes through said mirror reflective element so as to be viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle;
• wherein the plurality of triggers comprises triggers selected from the group consisting of (i) a signal indicative of locking or unlocking a vehicle door, (ii) a signal indicative of an incoming phone call or message, (iii) a signal indicative of navigation instructions from a navigation system of the equipped vehicle, (iv) a signal indicative of a speed of the equipped vehicle and (v) an output of a blind zone detection system of the equipped vehicle;
• wherein one of the plurality of triggers comprises the output of the blind zone detection system of the equipped vehicle, and wherein, with said mirror reflective element and said mirror casing adjustably mounted at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle via said mounting structure, said indicator provides a blind zone indication by powering at least one light emitting diode of said plurality of light emitting diodes responsive to the output of the blind zone detection system of the equipped vehicle;
• and
• wherein said indicator provides the blind zone indication by (i) powering the at least one light emitting diode at the upper left region of said indicator to emit red light responsive to detection of another vehicle sideward of the equipped vehicle and in a left side lane to the left of the equipped vehicle, (ii) powering the at least one light emitting diode at the upper right region of said indicator to emit red light responsive to detection of another vehicle sideward of the equipped vehicle and in a right side lane to the right of the equipped vehicle, (iii) powering the at least one light emitting diode at the middle left region of said indicator to emit yellow light responsive to detection of another vehicle in the left side lane at a left-side driver's blind zone region when the driver views sideward and rearward of the equipped vehicle using a left-side exterior rearview mirror, (iv) powering the at least one light emitting diode at the middle right region of said indicator to emit yellow light responsive to detection of another vehicle in the right side lane at a right-side driver's blind zone region when the driver views sideward and rearward of the equipped vehicle using a right-side exterior rearview mirror, (v) powering the at least one light emitting diode at the lower left region of said indicator to emit green light responsive to detection of another vehicle in the left side lane rearward of the equipped vehicle and (vi) powering the at least one light emitting diode at the lower right region of said indicator to emit green light responsive to detection of another vehicle in the right side lane rearward of the equipped vehicle.

An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising:

• a mirror casing;
• a mirror reflective element disposed at said mirror casing;
• a mounting structure configured to adjustably mount said mirror reflective element and said mirror casing at an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with said interior rearview mirror assembly;
• an indicator disposed behind said mirror reflective element;
• wherein said indicator comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes, and wherein each light emitting diode of said plurality of light emitting diodes is individually operated to emit light;
• wherein said indicator comprises a ring-shaped indicator with said plurality of light emitting diodes arranged in a circular shape;
• wherein at least one light emitting diode of said plurality of light emitting diodes is at each of (i) an upper left region of said indicator, (ii) an upper right region of said indicator, (iii) a middle left region of said indicator, (iv) a middle right region of said indicator, (v) a lower left region of said indicator and (vi) a lower right region of said indicator;
• wherein, with said mirror reflective element and said mirror casing adjustably mounted at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle via said mounting structure, and responsive to one of a plurality of triggers, said indicator electrically powers a particular one or particular ones of said plurality of light emitting diodes for that trigger, and wherein said indicator electrically powers the particular one or particular ones of said plurality of light emitting diodes to emit light of one or more particular colors to convey colored information associated with that trigger to a driver of the equipped vehicle;
• wherein, when said indicator electrically powers said plurality of light emitting diodes, light emitted by the powered light emitting diodes passes through said mirror reflective element so as to be viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle;
• wherein one of the plurality of triggers comprises actuation of a turn signal of the equipped vehicle, and wherein, with said mirror reflective element and said mirror casing adjustably mounted at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle via said mounting structure, said indicator provides, responsive to actuation of the turn signal of the equipped vehicle, a turn signal indication by powering two or more of said plurality of light emitting diodes at at least the middle left region or the middle right region of said ring-shaped indicator;
• wherein another one of the plurality of triggers comprises a blind zone detection system of the equipped vehicle, and wherein, with said mirror reflective element and said mirror casing adjustably mounted at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle via said mounting structure, said indicator provides a blind zone indication by powering at least one light emitting diode of said plurality of light emitting diodes responsive to a blind zone detection system of the equipped vehicle;
• and
• wherein said indicator provides the blind zone indication by (i) powering the at least one light emitting diode at the upper left region of said indicator responsive to detection of another vehicle sideward of the equipped vehicle and in a left side lane to the left of the equipped vehicle, (ii) powering the at least one light emitting diode at the upper right region of said indicator responsive to detection of another vehicle sideward of the equipped vehicle and in a right side lane to the right of the equipped vehicle, (iii) powering the at least one light emitting diode at the middle left region of said indicator responsive to detection of another vehicle in the left side lane at a left-side driver's blind zone region when the driver views sideward and rearward of the equipped vehicle using a left-side exterior rearview mirror, (iv) powering the at least one light emitting diode at the middle right region of said indicator responsive to detection of another vehicle in the right side lane at a right-side driver's blind zone region when the driver views sideward and rearward of the equipped vehicle using a right-side exterior rearview mirror, (v) powering the at least one light emitting diode at the lower left region of said indicator responsive to detection of another vehicle in the left side lane rearward of the equipped vehicle and (vi) powering the at least one light emitting diode at the lower right region of said indicator responsive to detection of another vehicle in the right side lane rearward of the equipped vehicle.