Information display system for a vehicle

An information display mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle, said information display mirror system comprising:

• an interior rearview mirror assembly configured for mounting at an interior portion of a vehicle;
• said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a casing, a mirror support arm and a reflective element, said reflective element providing a rearward field of view to a driver of a vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at an interior portion of the vehicle, wherein said reflective element comprises one of (a) a prismatic reflective element having a reflector disposed on a rear surface thereof that provides a rearward field of view to a driver of a vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle and when the driver views said reflector, and (b) an electrochromic reflective element comprising an electrochromic medium disposed between a first substrate and a second substrate and comprising a reflector that provides a rearward field of view to a driver of a vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle and when the driver views said reflector;
• said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising an information display screen, said information display screen disposed at said mirror assembly separate from and independent of and lateral of said reflective element, and wherein a driver of the vehicle views information displayed by said information display screen separate from and independent of and lateral of said reflector, said information display screen located at a portion of said casing closer to a seating location of the vehicle driver when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle, said information display screen having a viewing surface that generally faces the driver of the vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle;
• wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly is adjustably mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle via said mirror support arm that projects from one of the rear and the top of said casing at a first location, and wherein a distance from said first location to a first end of said casing is greater than a distance from said first location to a second end of said casing, and wherein said information display screen is disposed at a portion of said casing toward said first end of said casing, and wherein said first end is at the driver side of the vehicle and said second end is at the passenger side of the vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle;
• and
• wherein said information display screen comprises a touch-sensitive information display screen that displays information responsive to the driver of the vehicle at least one of (a) touching said viewing surface of said information display screen and (b) positioning a finger proximate said viewing surface of said information display screen.

An information display mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle, said information display mirror system comprising:

• an interior rearview mirror assembly configured for mounting at an interior portion of a vehicle;
• said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a casing, a mirror support arm and a reflective element, wherein said reflective element comprises a reflector that provides a rearward field of view to a driver of a vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at an interior portion of the vehicle and when the driver views said reflector;
• said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising an information display screen, said information display screen disposed at said mirror assembly separate from and independent of and lateral of said reflective element, and wherein a driver of the vehicle views information displayed by said information display screen separate from and independent of and lateral of said reflector, said information display screen located at a portion of said casing closer to a seating location of the vehicle driver when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle, said information display screen having a viewing surface that generally faces the driver of the vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle;
• wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly is adjustably mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle via said mirror support arm that projects from one of the rear and the top of said casing at a first location, and wherein a distance from said first location to a first end of said casing is greater than a distance from said first location to a second end of said casing, and wherein said information display screen is disposed at a portion of said casing toward said first end of said casing, and wherein said first end is at the driver side of the vehicle and said second end is at the passenger side of the vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle;
• wherein said information display screen comprises a touch-sensitive information display screen that displays information responsive to the driver of the vehicle at least one of (a) touching said viewing surface of said information display screen and (b) positioning a finger proximate said viewing surface of said information display screen;
• and
• wherein said information display screen comprises a video display screen that displays a video image captured by a rearward facing camera mounted at the rear of the vehicle for providing a rearward field of view to the driver of the vehicle.

An information display mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle, said information display mirror system comprising:

• an interior rearview mirror assembly configured for mounting at an interior portion of a vehicle;
• said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a casing, a mirror support arm and a reflective element, wherein said reflective element comprises a reflector that provides a rearward field of view to a driver of a vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at an interior portion of the vehicle and when the driver views said reflector;
• wherein said reflective element comprises one of (a) a prismatic reflective element and (b) an electrochromic reflective element comprising an electrochromic medium disposed between a first substrate and a second substrate;
• said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising an information display screen, said information display screen disposed at said mirror assembly separate from and independent of and lateral of said reflective element, and wherein a driver of the vehicle views information displayed by said information display screen separate from and independent of and lateral of said reflector, said information display screen located at one of (a) a portion of said casing closer to a seating location of the vehicle driver when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle and (b) a portion of said casing further from a seating location of the vehicle driver when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle, said information display screen having a viewing surface that generally faces the driver of the vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle;
• and
• wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly is adjustably mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle via said mirror support arm that projects from one of the rear and the top of said casing at a first location, and wherein a distance from said first location to a first end of said casing is greater than a distance from said first location to a second end of said casing, and wherein said information display screen is disposed at a portion of said casing toward said first end of said casing.

An information display mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle, said information display mirror system comprising:

• an interior rearview mirror assembly configured for mounting at an interior portion of a vehicle;
• said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a casing, a mirror support arm and a reflective element, wherein said reflective element comprises a reflector that provides a rearward field of view to a driver of a vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at an interior portion of the vehicle and when the driver views said reflector;
• wherein said reflective element comprises one of (a) a prismatic reflective element and (b) an electrochromic reflective element comprising an electrochromic medium disposed between a first substrate and a second substrate;
• said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising an information display screen, said information display screen disposed at said mirror assembly separate from and independent of and lateral of said reflective element, and wherein a driver of the vehicle views information displayed by said information display screen separate from and independent of and lateral of said reflector, said information display screen located at one of (a) a portion of said casing closer to a seating location of the vehicle driver when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle and (b) a portion of said casing further from a seating location of the vehicle driver when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle, said information display screen having a viewing surface that generally faces the driver of the vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle;
• said information display screen displaying information responsive to a navigation system;
• and
• wherein said information display screen comprises a touch-sensitive information display screen that displays information responsive to the driver of the vehicle at least one of (a) touching said viewing surface of said information display screen and (b) positioning a finger proximate said viewing surface of said information display screen.

An information display mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle, said information display mirror system comprising:

• an interior rearview mirror assembly configured for mounting at an interior portion of a vehicle;
• said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a casing, a mirror support arm and a reflective element, wherein said reflective element comprises a reflector that provides a rearward field of view to a driver of a vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at an interior portion of the vehicle and when the driver views said reflector;
• said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising an information display screen, said information display screen disposed at said mirror assembly separate from and independent of and lateral of said reflective element, and wherein a driver of the vehicle views information displayed by said information display screen separate from and independent of and lateral of said reflector, said information display screen located at a portion of said casing closer to a seating location of the vehicle driver when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle, said information display screen having a viewing surface that generally faces the driver of the vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle;
• said information display screen displaying information responsive to a navigation system, wherein said navigation system is operable to generate navigation instructions and said information display screen is operable to display said navigation instructions;
• and
• wherein said information display screen serves as a video screen for a vehicular camera, and wherein said vehicular camera comprises a rearward facing camera mounted at the rear of the vehicle for providing a rearward field of view to the driver of the vehicle, and wherein said information display screen displays a video image captured by said rearward facing camera when the driver of the vehicle selects a reverse gear of the vehicle.

An information display mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle, said information display mirror system comprising:

• an interior rearview mirror assembly configured for mounting at an interior portion of a vehicle;
• said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a casing, a mirror support arm and a reflective element, wherein said reflective element comprises a reflector that provides a rearward field of view to a driver of a vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at an interior portion of the vehicle and when the driver views said reflector;
• said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a information display screen, said information display screen disposed at said mirror assembly separate from and independent of and lateral of said reflective element, and wherein a driver of the vehicle views information displayed by said information display screen separate from and independent of and lateral of said reflector, said information display screen located at a portion of said casing closer to a seating location of the vehicle driver when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle, said information display screen having a viewing surface that generally faces the driver of the vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle;
• wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly is adjustably mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle via said mirror support arm that projects from one of the rear and the top of said casing at a first location, and wherein a distance from said first location to a first end of said casing is greater than a distance from said first location to a second end of said casing, and wherein said information display screen is disposed at a portion of said casing toward said first end of said casing, and wherein said first end is at the driver side of the vehicle and said second end is at the passenger side of the vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle;
• wherein said information display screen comprises a touch-sensitive information display screen that displays information responsive to the driver of the vehicle at least one of (a) touching said viewing surface of said information display screen and (b) positioning a finger proximate said viewing surface of said information display screen;
• wherein said information display screen comprises a video display screen that displays a video image captured by a rearward facing camera mounted at the rear of the vehicle for providing a rearward field of view to the driver of the vehicle;
• wherein said distance from said first location to said first end of said casing is greater than said distance from said first location to said second end of said casing by a distance dimension in the range of from about 0.72 inches to about 5.5 inches;
• and
• wherein said first location generally corresponds with a centerline of said reflective element.

An information display mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle, said information display mirror system comprising:

• an interior rearview mirror assembly configured for mounting at an interior portion of a vehicle;
• said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a casing and a reflective element, wherein said reflective element comprises a mirror reflector that provides a rearward field of view to a driver of a vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at an interior portion of the vehicle and when the driver views said mirror reflector, and wherein said casing of said interior rearview mirror assembly is adjustable via at least one pivot joint of said interior rearview mirror assembly;
• said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising an information display screen, said information display screen located at a portion of said casing that is closer to a seating location of the vehicle driver than is the location of said at least one pivot joint when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle, said information display screen having a viewing surface tat generally faces the driver of the vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle;
• wherein said reflective element comprises an electrochromic reflective element, said electrochromic reflective element comprising an electrochromic medium disposed between a first substrate and a second substrate;
• wherein said information display screen serves as a video screen for a rearward facing camera mounted at the rear of the vehicle for providing a rearward field of view to the driver of the vehicle while the driver of the vehicle is executing a reversing maneuver;
• wherein said video screen comprises a flat-panel matrix-addressable backlit liquid crystal display screen;
• said mirror reflector comprising a transflective mirror reflector, wherein said transflective mirror reflector comprises a metal layer, and wherein the presence of said video screen disposed to a rear surface of said second substrate is substantially unobservable to a driver of the vehicle until said video screen is actuated to emit light that passes through said electrochromic reflective element to be viewed by the driver of the vehicle;
• and
• wherein said video screen is housed in a video display housing along with electronic circuitry and wherein said video display housing comprises a metal emitted radiation shield that reduces electromagnetic radiation from said electronic circuitry and/or said video screen.

An information display mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle, said information display mirror system comprising:

• an interior rearview mirror assembly configured for mounting at an interior portion of a vehicle;
• said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a casing and a reflective element, wherein said reflective element comprises a mirror reflector that provides a rearward field of view to a driver of a vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at an interior portion of the vehicle and when the driver views said mirror reflector, and wherein said casing of said interior rearview mirror assembly is adjustable via at least one pivot joint of said interior rearview mirror assembly;
• said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising an information display screen, said information display screen having a viewing surface that generally faces the driver of the vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle;
• wherein said reflective element comprises an electrochromic reflective element, said electrochromic reflective element comprising an electrochromic medium disposed between a first substrate and a second substrate;
• wherein said information display screen serves as a video screen for a rearward facing camera mounted at the rear of the vehicle for providing a rearward field of view to the driver of the vehicle while the driver of the vehicle is executing a reversing maneuver;
• wherein said video screen comprises a flat-panel matrix-addressable backlit liquid crystal display screen;
• said mirror reflector comprising a transflective mirror reflector, wherein said transflective mirror reflector comprises a metal layer, and wherein said metal layer comprises at least one of (i) silver, (ii) aluminum, (iii) an alloy of silver, and (iv) an alloy of aluminum;
• wherein the presence of said video screen disposed to a rear surface of said second substrate is substantially unobservable to a driver of the vehicle until said video screen is actuated to emit light that passes through said electrochromic reflective element to be viewed by the driver of the vehicle;
• and
• wherein a contrast enhancement element is provided for said video screen to increase the contrast ratio between a video image displayed by said video screen and ambient light and wherein said contrast enhancement element encompasses substantially the entire video screen dimension.

An information display mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle, said information display mirror system comprising:

• an interior rearview mirror assembly configured for mounting at an interior portion of a vehicle;
• said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a casing and a reflective element, wherein said reflective element comprises a mirror reflector that provides a rearward field of view to a driver of a vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at an interior portion of the vehicle and when the driver views said mirror reflector, and wherein said casing of said interior rearview mirror assembly is adjustable via at least one pivot joint of said interior rearview mirror assembly;
• said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising an information display screen, said information display screen located at a portion of said casing that is closer to a seating location of the vehicle driver than is the location of said at least one pivot joint when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle, said information display screen having a viewing surface that generally faces the driver of the vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle;
• wherein said reflective element comprises an electrochromic reflective element, said electrochromic reflective element comprising an electrochromic medium disposed between a first substrate and a second substrate;
• wherein said information display screen serves as a video screen for a rearward facing camera mounted at the rear of the vehicle for providing a rearward field of view to the driver of the vehicle while the driver of the vehicle is executing a reversing maneuver;
• wherein said video imaging device comprises a CMOS camera;
• wherein said video screen comprises a flat-panel matrix-addressable backlit liquid crystal display screen;
• said mirror reflector comprising a transflective mirror reflector, wherein said transflective mirror reflector comprises a metal layer, and wherein the presence of said video screen disposed to a rear surface of said second substrate is substantially unobservable to a driver of the vehicle until said video screen is actuated to emit light that passes through said electrochromic reflective element to be viewed by the driver of the vehicle;
• and
• wherein said mirror assembly comprises control circuitry, and wherein said control circuitry comprises at least one of (i) electronic components that commonly control dimming of said electrochromic medium and said information display screen and (ii) sub-circuitry that commonly controls dimming of said electrochromic medium and said information display screen.

An information display mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle, said information display mirror system comprising:

• an interior rearview mirror assembly configured for mounting at an interior portion of a vehicle;
• said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a casing and a reflective element, wherein said reflective element comprises a mirror reflector that provides a rearward field of view to a driver of a vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at an interior portion of the vehicle and when the driver views said mirror reflector, and wherein said casing of said interior rearview mirror assembly is adjustable via at least one pivot joint of said interior rearview mirror assembly;
• said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising an information display screen, said information display screen located at a portion of said casing that is closer to a seating location of the vehicle driver than is the location of said at least one pivot joint when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle, said information display screen having a viewing surface that generally faces the driver of the vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle;
• wherein said reflective element comprises an electrochromic reflective element, said electrochromic reflective element comprising an electrochromic medium disposed between a first substrate and a second substrate;
• wherein said information display screen serves as a video screen for a rearward facing camera mounted at the rear of the vehicle for providing a rearward field of view to the driver of the vehicle while the driver of the vehicle is executing a reversing maneuver;
• wherein said video screen comprises a flat-panel matrix-addressable backlit liquid crystal display screen;
• wherein a graphic overlay overlays the display of the captured image during the reversing maneuver of the vehicle;
• and
• said mirror reflector comprising a transflective mirror reflector, wherein said transflective mirror reflector comprises a metal layer, and wherein the presence of said video screen disposed to a rear surface of said second substrate is substantially unobservable to a driver of the vehicle until said video screen is actuated to emit light that passes through said electrochromic reflective element to be viewed by the driver of the vehicle.

An information display mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle, said information display mirror system comprising:

• an interior rearview mirror assembly configured for mounting at an interior portion of a vehicle;
• said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a casing and a reflective element, wherein said reflective element comprises a mirror reflector that provides a rearward field of view to a driver of a vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at an interior portion of the vehicle and when the driver views said mirror reflector, and wherein said casing of said interior rearview mirror assembly is adjustable via at least one pivot joint of said interior rearview mirror assembly;
• said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising an information display screen, said information display screen having a viewing surface that generally faces the driver of the vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle;
• wherein said reflective element comprises an electrochromic reflective element, said electrochromic reflective element comprising an electrochromic medium disposed between a first substrate and a second substrate;
• wherein said mirror assembly comprises control circuitry, and wherein said control circuitry comprises at least one of (i) electronic components that commonly control dimming of said electrochromic medium and said information display screen and (ii) sub-circuitry that commonly controls dimming of said electrochromic medium and said information display screen;
• wherein wiring for operation of said information display screen passes through said at least one pivot joint of said interior rearview mirror assembly;
• wherein said information display screen serves as a video screen for a rearward facing camera mounted at the rear of the vehicle for providing a rearward field of view to the driver of the vehicle while the driver of the vehicle is executing a reversing maneuver;
• wherein said video imaging device comprises a CMOS camera;
• wherein said video screen comprises a flat-panel matrix-addressable backlit liquid crystal display screen;
• said mirror reflector comprising a transflective mirror reflector, wherein said transflective mirror reflector comprises a metal layer, and wherein said metal layer comprises at least one of (i) silver, (ii) aluminum, (iii) an alloy of silver, and (iv) an alloy of aluminum;
• wherein the presence of said video screen disposed to a rear surface of said second substrate is substantially unobservable to a driver of the vehicle until said video screen is actuated to emit light that passes through said electrochromic reflective element to be viewed by the driver of the vehicle;
• wherein contrast enhancement is provided for said video screen to increase the contrast ratio between a video image displayed by said video screen and ambient light;
• wherein a graphic overlay overlays the display of the captured image during the reversing maneuver of the vehicle;
• wherein said graphic overlay comprises an electronically generated graphic overlay overlaying the video images captured by said video imaging device as seen on said video screen, and wherein said graphic overlay provides an indication of a distance to an object;
• wherein said interior mirror assembly comprises a metal emitted radiation shield that reduces electromagnetic radiation therefrom;
• and
• wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly includes at least one accessory selected from the group consisting of (i) a trainable garage door opener, (ii) a compass sensor, (iii) a compass direction display, (iv) a headlamp controller, (v) a microphone, and (vi) a user input for a telematic system of the vehicle.