Abstract:
A method of making a mirror substrate for an interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes providing a glass substrate having a generally planar front surface, a generally planar rear surface and a circumferential perimeter edge about a periphery of said glass substrate and extending between the front and rear surfaces. A grinding wheel is moved around the periphery of a front perimeter portion of the glass substrate while rotating the grinding wheel to establish a ground generally rounded surface about and around the glass substrate periphery. A polishing wheel is moved around the glass substrate periphery while rotating the polishing wheel to establish a polished generally rounded surface about and around the glass substrate periphery. The polished generally rounded surface provides a smooth transition between the generally planar front surface of the glass substrate and a rear portion of the circumferential perimeter edge of the glass substrate.
Abstract:
An interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror casing and a prismatic reflective element. The mirror casing is a unitarily molded mirror casing having at least one attachment surface. The prismatic reflective element includes a glass substrate having a front surface and a rear surface and a perimeter edge about a periphery of the glass substrate. A mirror reflector is established at the rear surface of the glass substrate. The perimeter edge of said glass substrate has a generally rounded surface disposed between the front surface and the mirror casing. The prismatic reflective element is attached at the attachment surface of the mirror casing. The perimeter edge of the glass substrate is exposed to and is viewable by the driver of the vehicle when the interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the vehicle.
Abstract:
A mirror reflective element assembly for an exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror casing, a reflective element, an auxiliary wide angle element and a back plate. The auxiliary wide angle element is disposed at the rear surface of a mirror substrate. A back plate mounting structure may establish a space at the mirror actuator that is sufficient for a portion of the auxiliary wide angle element to be disposed between a rear surface of the reflective element and the mirror actuator. The back plate may have at least one sealing element at least partially around a perimeter region of a wide angle element receiving portion of the back plate, and the sealing element may engage the rear surface of the mirror substrate when the back plate is attached to the reflective element and may limit intrusion of adhesive between the back plate and the mirror substrate.
Abstract:
An accessory system for a vehicle includes an electronics module disposed at an interior surface of a windshield of the vehicle and a mirror head having an electro-optic reflective element. The mirror head is pivotally attached at the electronics module. Control circuitry is disposed in the electronics module. When the mirror head is pivotally attached at the electronics module, the control circuitry is electrically connected to the electro-optic reflective element of the mirror head. The control circuitry is at least operable to control the dimming of the electro-optic reflective element responsive to at least one photosensor. The control circuitry may be associated with at least one other function or system of the vehicle.
Abstract:
A vehicular driver monitoring system includes a driver monitoring camera disposed at an interior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle. The driver monitoring camera views a driver of the vehicle when the driver is driving the vehicle. The driver monitoring camera captures image data. An image processor is operable to process image data captured by the driver monitoring camera. The vehicular driver monitoring system determines driver performance based at least in part on (i) image processing by the image processor of image data captured by the driver monitoring camera, (ii) a vehicle characteristic and (iii) a condition exterior of the equipped vehicle. The vehicle characteristic includes at least one selected from the group consisting of (a) vehicle speed, (b) vehicle acceleration and (c) vehicle orientation.
Abstract:
A vehicular driver monitoring system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror head accommodating a mirror reflective element and adjustable about a mounting structure. The mirror head is adjustable relative to the mounting structure to adjust a rearward view provided by the mirror reflective element. A driver monitoring camera is accommodated by the mirror head behind the mirror reflective element. With the mirror head adjusted to provide the rearward view, a normal vector extending perpendicular to the mirror reflective element is directed toward a driver side of the cabin of the vehicle and, responsive to determination that a passenger is present at a passenger side of the cabin of the vehicle, a principal viewing axis of the driver monitoring camera is angled more toward a centerline axis of the vehicle than the normal vector of the mirror reflective element.
Abstract:
A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mounting structure and a mirror head adjustable about the mounting structure. The mirror head accommodates a mirror reflective element comprising a glass substrate. With the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at an interior portion of a vehicle, the mirror head is adjustable about the mounting structure by a driver of the vehicle to adjust the driver's rearward view. The glass substrate includes a periphery surface extending between a planar first surface and a planar second surface and spanning the thickness dimension of the glass substrate. The planar first surface faces the driver of the vehicle. No part of the mirror casing encroaches onto the planar first surface of the glass substrate. The mirror head accommodates a video device for internal cabin surveillance, and wherein the internal cabin surveillance includes detection of drowsiness of the driver of the vehicle.
Abstract:
A vehicular cabin monitoring system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror head adjustable relative to a mounting structure. A camera is accommodated by and moves with the mirror head when the mirror head is adjusted. A first subset of image data captured by the camera is processed for monitoring the driver of the vehicle. A spectrally reflecting mirror element is disposed within the interior cabin and spaced from the rearview mirror. The mirror element spectrally reflects light toward the camera that is representative of an obstructed region within the interior cabin not directly viewable by the camera. The mirror element is disposed at an accessory module of the vehicle. A second subset of image data is representative of light reflected from the mirror element. The cabin monitoring system determines presence of an object within the obstructed region based on processing of the second subset of image data.
Abstract:
A plurality of vehicular electrochromic mirror reflective elements includes first and second vehicular electrochromic mirror reflective elements, each having a respective planar rear glass shaped substrate and a respective planar front glass substrate. The planar front glass shaped substrates are cut out from a planar glass sheet. Each planar rear glass shaped substrate is joined with a respective planar front glass substrate portion of the planar glass sheet via a respective perimeter seal. With the planar rear glass shaped substrate joined with the planar front glass shaped substrate, the circumferential perimeter cut edge of the planar front glass shaped substrate and the circumferential perimeter cut edge of the planar rear glass shaped substrate are processed to provide a circumferential rounded perimeter edge of the respective vehicular electrochromic mirror reflective element having a radius of curvature of at least 2.5 mm.
Abstract:
A vehicular electrochromic rearview mirror assembly includes a mounting structure and a mirror head. The mirror head accommodates an electrochromic mirror reflective element including front and rear glass substrates and an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween. The medium conductively contacts a transparent conductive coating at a second side of the front substrate and a conductive coating at a third side of the rear substrate. A conductive connector is disposed at a fourth side of the rear substrate and conductively connects to a conductive material along a perimeter region of the second side and the conductive coating at the third side. The perimeter region extends beyond an outer peripheral edge of the rear substrate. The conductive material is established in a zigzag pattern along the perimeter region so portions of the zigzag pattern are inboard and other portions are outboard of the edge of the rear substrate.