Interior rearview mirror system

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

• an interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a mirror casing and a reflective element;
• wherein said reflective element provides a field of view rearward of the vehicle to a driver of the vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the vehicle and is adjusted to a viewing orientation;
• wherein a mounting structure mounts said interior rearview mirror assembly to an interior portion of the vehicle, and wherein said mirror casing is adjustable by the driver of the vehicle relative to the interior portion of the vehicle via at least one pivot element of said mounting structure to adjust the rearward field of view of said reflective element when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the vehicle;
• wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises an application specific integrated compass chip;
• said application specific integrated compass chip comprising at least two magnetoresponsive sensing elements established on a semiconductor substrate, wherein said semiconductor substrate comprises a silicon substrate;
• said application specific integrated compass chip further comprising associated circuitry commonly established with said magnetoresponsive sensing elements on said semiconductor substrate;
• wherein said magnetoresponsive sensing elements and said associated circuitry are commonly established on said semiconductor substrate using CMOS technology;
• wherein processing of an algorithm by a microprocessor of said interior rearview mirror system determines a directional heading of the vehicle responsive to a sensing of a magnetic field by said magnetoresponsive sensing elements and automatically compensates for a deviating magnetic field;
• and
• wherein an information display of said interior rearview mirror assembly displays the directional heading of the vehicle.

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

• an interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a mirror casing and a reflective element;
• wherein said reflective element provides a field of view rearward of the vehicle to a driver of the vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the vehicle and is adjusted to a viewing orientation;
• wherein a mounting structure mounts said interior rearview mirror assembly to an interior portion of the vehicle, and wherein said mirror casing is adjustable by the driver of the vehicle relative to the interior portion of the vehicle via at least one pivot element of said mounting structure to adjust the rearward field of view of said reflective element when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the vehicle;
• wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises an application specific integrated compass chip;
• wherein said application specific integrated compass chip is disposed in said mirror casing and moves in tandem with said mirror casing and said reflective element when said mirror casing is adjusted by the driver of the vehicle relative to the interior portion of the vehicle;
• said application specific integrated compass chip comprising at least two magnetoresponsive sensing elements established on a semiconductor substrate, wherein said semiconductor substrate comprises a silicon substrate;
• said application specific integrated compass chip further comprising associated circuitry commonly established with said magnetoresponsive sensing elements on said semiconductor substrate, and wherein said associated circuitry comprises a microprocessor;
• wherein said magnetoresponsive sensing elements and said associated circuitry are commonly established on said semiconductor substrate using CMOS technology;
• wherein said application specific integrated compass chip has an area of less than approximately two square centimeters;
• wherein said reflective element comprises a variable reflectance electro-optic reflective element and wherein said application specific integrated compass chip controls, at least in part, the reflectance of said electro-optic reflective element;
• wherein processing of an algorithm by said microprocessor determines a directional heading of the vehicle responsive to a sensing of a magnetic field by said magnetoresponsive sensing elements and automatically compensates for a deviating magnetic field;
• and
• wherein an information display of said interior rearview mirror assembly displays the directional heading of the vehicle.