Vehicular video camera display system

A vehicular video camera display system, the vehicular video camera display system comprising:

• an interior rearview mirror assembly disposed at an in-cabin side of a windshield of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular video camera display system;
• wherein the interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a mirror head accommodating an electrochromic reflective element;
• wherein the electrochromic reflective element comprises a front glass substrate and a rear glass substrate with an electrochromic medium sandwiched therebetween;
• wherein the front glass substrate comprises a planar first side and a planar second side separated by a thickness of the front glass substrate, and wherein a transparent electrically conductive coating is disposed at the planar second side of the front glass substrate;
• wherein the rear glass substrate comprises a planar third side and a planar fourth side separated by a thickness of the rear glass substrate, and wherein a mirror reflector is disposed at the planar third side of the rear glass substrate;
• wherein no part of the rear glass substrate extends beyond any part of the front glass substrate;
• wherein the electrochromic medium is disposed in a cavity between the planar second side of the front glass substrate and the planar third side of the rear glass substrate;
• wherein the cavity is established by a seal that spaces the planar second side of the front glass substrate from the planar third side of the rear glass substrate;
• wherein the electrochromic medium contacts the transparent electrically conductive coating disposed at the planar second side of the front glass substrate and contacts the mirror reflector disposed at the planar third side of the rear glass substrate;
• wherein the mirror reflector disposed at the planar third side of the electrochromic reflective element comprises a transflective mirror reflector that at least partially reflects light incident thereon and that at least partially transmits incident light therethrough;
• wherein a video display device is disposed in the mirror head behind the electrochromic reflective element;
• wherein, with the interior rearview mirror assembly disposed at the in-cabin side of the windshield of the equipped vehicle, a video display screen of the video display device is operable to display video images that are viewable through the electrochromic reflective element by a driver of the equipped vehicle who is viewing the interior rearview mirror assembly disposed at the in-cabin side of the windshield of the equipped vehicle;
• a rearward-viewing video camera disposed at the equipped vehicle;
• the rearward-viewing video camera viewing at least rearward of the equipped vehicle;
• the rearward-viewing video camera comprising a CMOS imaging array sensor operable to capture image data;
• wherein image data captured by the rearward-viewing video camera is provided to and processed at control circuitry;
• wherein the control circuitry links to a vehicular bus network system of the equipped vehicle;
• wherein the control circuitry comprises circuitry operable to control dimming of the electrochromic reflective element;
• wherein image data captured by the rearward-viewing video camera is communicated as a digital signal from the rearward-viewing video camera via a cable to the control circuitry;
• wherein the cable comprises a coaxial cable;
• wherein the interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a video device operable for surveillance of an internal cabin of the equipped vehicle;
• wherein the video display device displays video images that are derived, at least in part, from image data communicated via the cable from the rearward-viewing video camera to the control circuitry;
• and
• wherein the control circuitry controls display at the video display device of the video images derived, at least in part, from image data communicated via the cable from the rearward-viewing video camera to the control circuitry.

A vehicular video camera display system, the vehicular video camera display system comprising:

• an interior rearview mirror assembly disposed at an in-cabin side of a windshield of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular video camera display system;
• wherein the interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a mirror head accommodating an electrochromic reflective element;
• wherein the electrochromic reflective element comprises a front glass substrate and a rear glass substrate with an electrochromic medium sandwiched therebetween;
• wherein the front glass substrate comprises a planar first side and a planar second side separated by a thickness of the front glass substrate, and wherein a transparent electrically conductive coating is disposed at the planar second side of the front glass substrate;
• wherein the rear glass substrate comprises a planar third side and a planar fourth side separated by a thickness of the rear glass substrate, and wherein a mirror reflector is disposed at the planar third side of the rear glass substrate;
• wherein the electrochromic medium is disposed in a cavity between the planar second side of the front glass substrate and the planar third side of the rear glass substrate;
• wherein the cavity is established by a seal that spaces the planar second side of the front glass substrate from the planar third side of the rear glass substrate;
• wherein the electrochromic medium contacts the transparent electrically conductive coating disposed at the planar second side of the front glass substrate and contacts the mirror reflector disposed at the planar third side of the rear glass substrate;
• wherein the mirror reflector disposed at the planar third side of the electrochromic reflective element comprises a transflective mirror reflector that at least partially reflects light incident thereon and that at least partially transmits incident light therethrough;
• wherein a video display device is disposed in the mirror head behind the electrochromic reflective element;
• wherein, with the interior rearview mirror assembly disposed at the in-cabin side of the windshield of the equipped vehicle, a video display screen of the video display device is operable to display video images that are viewable through the electrochromic reflective element by a driver of the equipped vehicle who is viewing the interior rearview mirror assembly disposed at the in-cabin side of the windshield of the equipped vehicle;
• a rearward-viewing video camera disposed at the equipped vehicle;
• the rearward-viewing video camera viewing at least rearward of the equipped vehicle;
• the rearward-viewing video camera comprising a CMOS imaging array sensor operable to capture image data;
• wherein image data captured by the rearward-viewing video camera is provided to and processed at control circuitry;
• wherein the control circuitry links to a vehicular bus network system of the equipped vehicle;
• wherein image data captured by the rearward-viewing video camera is communicated as a digital signal from the rearward-viewing video camera via a cable to the control circuitry;
• wherein the cable comprises a coaxial cable;
• wherein the control circuitry comprises a decoder that decodes the digital signal communicated from the rearward-viewing video camera via the cable;
• wherein the video display screen comprises a liquid crystal video display screen, and wherein the control circuitry controls at least one light emitting diode to provide backlighting of the liquid crystal video display screen;
• wherein the interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a video device operable for surveillance of an internal cabin of the equipped vehicle;
• wherein the video display device displays video images that are derived, at least in part, from image data communicated via the cable from the rearward-viewing video camera to the control circuitry;
• and
• wherein the control circuitry controls display at the video display device of the video images derived, at least in part, from image data communicated via the cable from the rearward-viewing video camera to the control circuitry.