Vehicle exterior system with light module

A lighted exterior mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle, said lighted exterior mirror system comprising:

• a lighted exterior rearview mirror assembly configured for mounting at a side of a vehicle equipped with said lighted exterior mirror system;
• wherein said lighted exterior rearview mirror assembly comprises a light module;
• wherein said light module comprises a planar circuit board and a light guiding element;
• wherein said planar circuit board has an upper planar side and a lower planar side separated by a thickness of said planar circuit board, and wherein, with said lighted exterior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the side of the equipped vehicle and with the equipped vehicle on a road surface, said upper and lower planar sides of said planar circuit board of said light module are parallel to the road surface;
• wherein said light module comprises a plurality of illumination sources operable to emit light, and wherein said plurality of illumination sources comprises at least three linearly arranged illumination sources disposed at a mounting side of said planar circuit board, and wherein said mounting side comprises one selected from the group consisting of (i) said upper planar side of said planar circuit board and (ii) said lower planar side of said planar circuit board;
• wherein said plurality of illumination sources comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes, and wherein said light emitting diodes of said plurality of light emitting diodes are individually electrically controllable to provide a desired pattern of illumination;
• wherein, when said illumination sources are actuated, light emitted by each of said illumination sources is emitted in a direction normal to said mounting side of said planar circuit board;
• and
• wherein said light guiding element of said light module is disposed at and along at least said mounting side of said planar circuit board, and wherein said light guiding element is configured so that light emitted by said illumination sources in the direction normal to said mounting side of said planar circuit board is redirected by said light guiding element so that, with said lighted exterior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the side of the equipped vehicle and with the equipped vehicle on the road surface, light emanates from said light guiding element at least in (i) a forward direction with respect to the equipped vehicle and (ii) a sideward direction with respect to the equipped vehicle.