Vehicle mirror assembly with wide angle element

A mirror reflective element assembly for an exterior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle, said mirror reflective element assembly comprising:

• a principal mirror element, said principal mirror element comprising a glass substrate and a first reflector coating disposed at a surface of said glass substrate to establish a principal reflector portion of said mirror reflective element assembly;
• a wide angle mirror element, said wide angle mirror element comprising a glass element having a second reflector coating disposed at a surface of said glass element to establish an auxiliary reflector portion of said mirror reflective element assembly;
• an illumination element comprising an illumination source, wherein said illumination element at least partially circumscribes said glass element of said wide angle mirror element;
• wherein said illumination element, when said illumination source is activated, emits illumination at least partially around said glass element that is viewable by a person viewing an exterior rearview mirror assembly equipped with said mirror reflective element assembly when the equipped exterior rearview mirror assembly is disposed at a side of a vehicle equipped with the exterior rearview mirror assembly;
• wherein said wide angle mirror element is disposed at an upper outboard portion of said mirror reflective element assembly when the equipped exterior rearview mirror assembly is disposed at the side of the equipped vehicle;
• wherein at least one of (i) said illumination element, responsive to determination that an ambient light level is below a threshold level, is operable to provide a light level that is less than about 100 candelas per square meter, and (ii) said illumination element, responsive to determination that an ambient light level is above a threshold level, is operable to provide a light level that is greater than about 200 candelas per square meter;
• and
• wherein said wide angle mirror element is disposed to the rear of a portion of said glass substrate of said principal mirror element, and wherein said illumination element is disposed to the rear of said glass substrate, and wherein, when said illumination source is activated, said illumination element emits illumination at least partially around said glass element that is viewable through said glass substrate by a person viewing the equipped exterior rearview mirror assembly when the equipped exterior rearview mirror assembly is disposed at the side of the equipped vehicle.

A mirror reflective element assembly for an exterior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle, said mirror reflective element assembly comprising:

• a principal mirror element, said principal mirror element comprising a glass substrate and a first reflector coating disposed at a surface of said glass substrate to establish a principal reflector portion of said mirror reflective element assembly;
• a wide angle mirror element, said wide angle mirror element comprising a glass element having a second reflector coating disposed at a surface of said glass element to establish an auxiliary reflector portion of said mirror reflective element assembly;
• an illumination element comprising an illumination source, wherein said illumination element at least partially circumscribes said glass element of said wide angle mirror element;
• wherein said illumination source comprises at least one light emitting diode;
• wherein said illumination element, when said illumination source is activated, emits illumination at least partially around said glass element that is viewable by a person viewing an exterior rearview mirror assembly equipped with said mirror reflective element assembly when the equipped exterior rearview mirror assembly is disposed at a side of a vehicle equipped with the exterior rearview mirror assembly;
• wherein said wide angle mirror element is disposed at an upper outboard portion of said mirror reflective element assembly when the equipped exterior rearview mirror assembly is disposed at the side of the equipped vehicle;
• wherein at least one of (i) said illumination element, responsive to determination that an ambient light level is below a threshold level, is operable to provide a light level that is less than about 100 candelas per square meter, and (ii) said illumination element, responsive to determination that an ambient light level is above a threshold level, is operable to provide a light level that is greater than about 200 candelas per square meter;
• wherein at least one of (a) said illumination source of said illumination element is activated responsive to an object detection system of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said illumination element is activated responsive, at least in part, to said object detection system detecting an object present at or near the side of the equipped vehicle at which the equipped exterior rearview mirror assembly is mounted, and (b) said illumination element is activated responsive to a turn signal indicator of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said illumination element is activated responsive, at least in part, to activation of a turn signal indicator at the side of the equipped vehicle at which the equipped exterior rearview mirror assembly is mounted;
• and
• wherein said wide angle mirror element is disposed to the rear of a portion of said glass substrate of said principal mirror element, and wherein said illumination element is disposed to the rear of said glass substrate, and wherein, when said illumination source is activated, said illumination element emits illumination at least partially around said glass element that is viewable through said glass substrate by the person viewing the equipped exterior rearview mirror assembly when the equipped exterior rearview mirror assembly is disposed at the side of the equipped vehicle.

A mirror reflective element assembly for an exterior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle, said mirror reflective element assembly comprising:

• a principal mirror element, said principal mirror element comprising a glass substrate and a first reflector coating disposed at a surface of said glass substrate to establish a principal reflector portion of said mirror reflective element assembly;
• a wide angle mirror element, said wide angle mirror element comprising a glass element having a second reflector coating disposed at a surface of said glass element to establish an auxiliary reflector portion of said mirror reflective element assembly;
• a back plate, wherein said principal mirror element and said wide angle mirror element are disposed at said back plate;
• an illumination element comprising an illumination source, wherein said illumination element at least partially circumscribes said glass element of said wide angle mirror element;
• wherein said illumination element, when said illumination source is activated, emits illumination at least partially around said glass element that is viewable by a person viewing an exterior rearview mirror assembly equipped with said mirror reflective element assembly when the equipped exterior rearview mirror assembly is disposed at a side of a vehicle equipped with the exterior rearview mirror assembly;
• wherein said wide angle mirror element is disposed at an upper outboard portion of said mirror reflective element assembly when the equipped exterior rearview mirror assembly is disposed at the side of the equipped vehicle;
• wherein (i) said illumination element, responsive to determination that an ambient light level is below a threshold level, is operable to provide a light level that is less than about 100 candelas per square meter, and (ii) said illumination element, responsive to determination that an ambient light level is above a threshold level, is operable to provide a light level that is greater than about 200 candelas per square meter;
• and
• wherein said wide angle mirror element is disposed to the rear of a portion of said glass substrate of said principal mirror element, and wherein said illumination element is disposed to the rear of said glass substrate, and wherein, when said illumination source is activated, said illumination element emits illumination at least partially around said glass element that is viewable through said glass substrate by the person viewing the equipped exterior rearview mirror assembly when the equipped exterior rearview mirror assembly is disposed at the side of the equipped vehicle.