US 6,366,213 B2Granted

Rearview mirror assembly incorporating electrical accessories

AssigneeDonnelly Corporation

InventorsJonathan E. DeLine, Niall R. Lynam

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Abstract

An interior rearview mirror assembly for use in a vehicle includes a mirror stay assembly and an interior mirror. The mirror stay assembly includes a rigid mirror stay for attachment to an interior portion of the vehicle, a support member for the interior mirror, and at least one electronic accessory. The interior mirror has a reflective mirror element housed in a mirror housing and also includes at least one electronic accessory. The electronic accessory of the mirror stay preferably shares components with the electronic accessory of the interior mirror, and/or provides circuitry for the electronic accessory of the interior mirror. The electronic accessories can be an information display, light, antenna, video device, microphone, photosensor, detector, computer, printer, circuitry of various types, or other items.

Claims153

Dependent claims

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

a mirror stay assembly, said mirror stay assembly including a rigid mirror stay adapted for attachment to an interior portion of the vehicle and at least one electronic accessory housed within said mirror stay assembly;
said mirror stay assembly including a support member for an interior mirror;
said interior mirror comprising a reflective mirror element housed in a mirror housing, said interior mirror further including at least one electronic accessory;
wherein at least one of said at least one electronic accessory of said mirror stay assembly and said at least one electronic accessory of said interior mirror is selected from the group consisting of an information display, a light, automatic dimming circuitry, an antenna, a vehicle tracking unit, a video device, rain sensor control circuitry, remote keyless entry circuitry, a microphone, a voice actuated element, a photosensor, an occupancy detector, a trip computer, a compass sensor, an intrusion detector, toll booth transaction circuitry, a printer, INTERNET interface circuitry, a loudspeaker, a phone device, a headlamp controller, a garage door opener, a pager, and a digital recorder device;
and
wherein said at least one electronic accessory of said mirror stay assembly at least one of:
a) shares components with said at least one electronic accessory of said interior mirror, and b) provides circuitry for said at least one electronic accessory of said interior mirror.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/734,440Filed 11 Dec 2000 · continuation
Priority: 18 Feb 1998
Published: US 2001/0003439 A114 Jun 2001
Granted: 2 Apr 2002
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

B60R 1/088
Anti-glare mirrors, e.g. "day-night" mirrors: using a cell of electrically changeable optical characteristic, e.g. liquid-crystal or…
B60K 35/22
Using visual output, e.g. blinking lights or matrix displays: display screens
B60K 35/40
Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles: instruments specially adapted for improving the…
B60K 35/60
Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles: instruments characterised by their location or relative…

Family

Application09/025,712Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 18 Feb 1998
Application09/244,726Parent of this continuation · filed 5 Feb 1999
US 6,172,613 B2Parent of this continuation
Application09/244,726Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 6,087,953 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 2001/0003439 A1Published application
US 6,366,213 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.