Interior rearview mirror system

[0001] The present application claims benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. Nos. 61/040,902, filed Mar. 31, 2008; Ser. No. 61/048,687, filed Apr. 29, 2008; Ser. No. 61/050,810, filed May 6, 2008; Ser. No. 61/098,431, filed Sep. 19, 2008; and Ser. No. 61/112,436, filed Nov. 7, 2008, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0002] The present invention relates to interior rearview mirror systems of vehicles.

[0003] It is known to provide a video display at an interior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle. Examples of such mirror assemblies and displays are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,690,268; 7,184,190; 7,274,501; 7,370,983; and/or 7,446,650, which are all hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0004] The present invention provides an interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle. The mirror system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly and (a) a video display for displaying video images in response to an output of a rearward facing camera, (b) an indicator responsive to a detection of an object rearward of the vehicle and responsive to a distance and/or location of the detected object, and (c) a microphone. Optionally, the display module or device may be disposed at the rear of a prismatic substrate or at the rear of a front substrate of an electro-optic reflective element.

[0005] According to an aspect of the present invention, a mirror system of a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having a reflective element and an information input display or keypad display (such as an alphanumeric keypad display) providing a display representative of a plurality of input characters. The information input display or keypad display is disposed behind the reflective element and viewable through the reflective element when the keypad display is backlit by a backlighting device. The reflective element comprises a transflective reflective element having a transflective mirror reflector that is partially reflecting of light incident thereon and partially transmitting of light therethrough. The keypad display is substantially not viewable or discernible to a person viewing the mirror assembly when the mirror assembly is normally mounted in a vehicle and when the keypad display is not backlit by the backlighting device. The reflective element comprises a touch screen function at the keypad display, and a control of the mirror system is operable to determine a location of a touch or proximity of an object at the reflective element and correlate the determined location to an input character of the keypad display.

[0006] The mirror system may include a video display for displaying video images, such as in response to an output of a rearward facing camera or other image capturing device of the vehicle. The keypad display is disposed at a main viewing region of the reflective element so as to provide a keypad display that is larger than the video display.

[0007] These and other objects, advantages, purposes and features of the present invention will become apparent upon review of the following specification in conjunction with the drawings.

[0046] Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative embodiments depicted therein, an interior rearview mirror system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having a video display and/or an LED display or indicator and/or a microphone (FIGS. 1-7). The video display may provide a video image of a scene rearward of the vehicle, such as captured by a rearward facing camera of the vehicle. The microphone may receive a vocal input and the system may record the vocal input, such as for recording memos or the like. The mirror system may play back the memos in response to a user input. The indicator may comprise an LED display and may an alert responsive to a distance and location of an object detected rearward of the vehicle.

[0047] For example, and with reference to FIGS. 1-3, an interior rearview mirror assembly 10 may include a reflective element 12, a video display 14 and an LED display or indicator 16 and a microphone 18. The video display 14 and LED display and indicators 16 may be disposed behind the reflective element 12 and may be viewable through the reflective element when activated (and may be viewable through the mirror reflector when activated and substantially not viewable through the mirror reflector when deactivated). The mirror assembly 10 may include one or more user inputs or buttons 20. For example, a video button may toggle through various camera views provided by a rearward facing camera 21 and/or other cameras of the vehicle or associated with the mirror system. Optionally, a user input may be actuated to activate or control a recording device at or in or associated with the mirror assembly. The microphone 18 may be disposed at an upper portion of the mirror assembly (and optionally, for a mirror with a single microphone at an upper portion of the mirror casing at or towards a side of the mirror assembly, a non-functional microphone grill or cover element 19 may be provided at an upper portion of the mirror casing at or towards the other side of the mirror assembly to provide a uniform appearance to the mirror assembly). The mirror assembly may include a speaker 22, which may be disposed in the housing of the mirror assembly.

[0048] The mirror system or assembly may provide a recording device or system for recording memos or messages or the like in response to the driver or operator activating a user input. For example, the operator may actuate a button to activate a recording device (that receives signals captured by the microphone) to record a message. Optionally, the system may have a “one button—one memo” function that is operable as follows:

[0049] To record a memo (Option 1):

• • [0050] Press and hold “Memo” button until beep is heard (approximately 1 second).
  • [0051] Speak the memo to be recorded while holding the “Memo” button.
  • [0052] Release “Memo” button. Mirror will beep twice to confirm recording.

[0053] To record a memo (Option 2):

• • [0054] Press and hold “Memo” button until beep is heard (approximately 1 second).
  • [0055] Release the “Memo” button and speak memo to be recorded.
  • [0056] Press “Memo” button again. Mirror will beep twice to confirm recording.

[0057] To play back the memo:

• • [0058] Press “Memo” and release within 1 second.
  • [0059] Mirror will play back memo.
  • [0060] Mirror will beep once to indicate end of memo.
  • [0061] To stop the playback of a memo, press the “Memo” button and release.

[0062] To erase the memo (Option 1):

• • [0063] Press and hold “Memo” button until beep is heard (approx 1 second).
  • [0064] Immediately release “Memo” button without speaking.
  • [0065] Mirror will beep twice to confirm erase.

[0066] Optionally, a mirror assembly 10′ (FIG. 4) may include a two button record and play function (with a first user input or button 20a′ for activating a record feature and a second user input or button 20b′ for activating a playback feature). For example, such a system may be operable as follows:

[0067] To select memo to be recorded:

• • [0068] Press “Rec” button and release within one second.
  • [0069] Mirror will beep once for Memo #1, twice for Memo #2, and three times for Memo #3 (of more or less times for any number of memos).
  • [0070] Keep pressing and releasing “Rec” button until desired Memo is selected.

[0071] To record selected memo:

• • [0072] Press and hold “Rec” button until a beep is heard.
  • [0073] Speak the memo to be recorded while holding the “Rec” button.
  • [0074] Release “Rec” button. Two beeps will be heard to confirm recording.

[0075] To select memo to be played back:

• • [0076] Press “Play” button and release within one second.
  • [0077] Mirror will beep once for Memo #1, twice for Memo #2, and three times for Memo #3.
  • [0078] Keep pressing and releasing “Rec” button until desired Memo is selected.

[0079] To play back a memo:

• • [0080] Press and hold “Play” button until beep is heard, then release.
  • [0081] Mirror will play back memo.
  • [0082] Mirror will beep once to indicate end of memo.

[0083] To stop the playback of a memo, press the “Play” button and release.

[0084] Optionally, and with reference to FIG. 5, a mirror assembly 10″ may have an overlay or indicator 16″ in the video display area 14″ of the mirror. Thus, the driver may only have to look in one area of the mirror for reverse information. The overlay graphics may be generated in the LCM display or the image can be supplied by the camera. The overlay graphics may be any size and/or configuration depending on the particular application of the mirror assembly. Optionally, and with reference to FIG. 6, a mirror assembly 10′″ may include an overlay or indicator 16′″ that may provide colored bands (such as red, yellow and green bands at the side and center regions of the video display 14′″) that may light up individually depending on the distance to and location of an object or obstacle detected rearward of the vehicle.

[0085] With reference to FIG. 7, a mirror assembly 20 may include a video display 22 and an indicator 24, such as similar to those described above, and the video display may provide different views of the scene rearward of the vehicle. Optionally, the user or driver may select which view he or she wants to see at the mirror via a user input or button at the mirror assembly.

[0086] As shown in FIGS. 8-11, a mirror system may include three displays at an interior rearview mirror assembly 110, with a left display 114a for displaying images of an area generally to the left side of the equipped vehicle, a right display 114b for displaying images of an area generally to the right side of the equipped vehicle, and a center display 114c for displaying images of an area generally to the rear of the equipped vehicle. The displays may display video images as captured by respective cameras of the vehicle. Optionally, and desirably, the center display 114c may be activated to display the rearward images (captured by a rearward facing camera 116c) in response to the gear actuator or shifter of the vehicle being placed into a reverse gear position. Optionally, the left and right video displays 114a, 114b may be activated to display the respective sideward and rearward images (such as captured by respective sidewardly and rearwardly facing cameras 116a, 116b) in response to activation of the appropriate or respective left or right turn signal of the vehicle. The mirror assembly and/or displays may display other information, such as distances, temperature and/or compass and/or trip data or information or the like.

[0087] The mirror reflector may comprise a transflective mirror reflector so that the display or displays is/are viewable by the driver of the vehicle when activated and the display or displays is/are not readily viewable or discernible when not activated.

[0088] Referring now to FIG. 12, an interior prismatic mirror reflective element 210 includes a prismatic or wedge shaped substrate 212 having a transflective mirror reflector 214 disposed at the rear surface 212a of substrate 212. A light absorbing or masking element or opacifying element 216 is adhered or otherwise disposed to the rear of the minor reflector 214, with a window or aperture 216a formed or established through the masking element 216. A display element or device 218 is disposed to the rear of the masking element 216 and generally at the window 216a so that information displayed by the display device 218 is viewable through the substrate 212 and mirror reflector 214. Optionally, and desirably, the display device is spaced affirmatively rearward from the reflective element substrate, in order to limit or reduce the viewability or discernibility of the display device when the display device is not activated and enhance its covertness, such that the mirror assembly provides a high transmission of the light or information emitted by the display device while providing enhanced covertness of the display device when it is not activated. In the illustrated embodiment, a transparent spacing element 220 is disposed between the mirror reflector 214 and the masking element 216 to space the masking element and display device slightly rearward from the mirror reflector 214 and substrate 212. Optionally, the spacing element may be transparent or may be tinted (such as a grey color or the like) to enhance the appearance of the minor reflector. Optionally, the film or layer or element may have a refractive index close to that of glass, such as soda-lime glass or the like (such as a refractive index of between about 1.45 and about 1.75 or thereabouts at the sodium D line, or of between about 1.5 and about 1.65 or thereabouts at the sodium D line). The transparent spacing element is useful in assisting in rendering the presence of the un-illuminated display device or video screen substantially non-noticeable behind the transflective minor element to a driver viewing such an interior transflective display-on-demand mirror assembly when it is normally mounted and viewed in the vehicle, such as in a similar manner as the metal shim described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/912,576, filed Oct. 25, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,626,749 and PCT Application No. PCT/US2006/018567, filed May 15, 2006, and published Nov. 23, 2006 as International Publication No. WO 2006/124682, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0089] In the illustrated embodiment, the transparent spacing element 220 and masking element 216 are provided as a transparent plastic sheet or film 222 that is adherable to the rear of the substrate 212, such as to the rear of the mirror reflector 214 disposed at the rear surface 212a of substrate 212. Alternately, a thin glass sheet may be used. The sheet or film 222 may include a layer of clear adhesive 222a (preferably index-matched to the refractive index of soda-lime glass that is around 1.52 at the sodium D line) at a forward facing surface of the transparent spacing element 220 and another layer of adhesive 222b between the transparent spacing element 220 and the masking element 216. A third layer of adhesive 222c may be disposed at the rear of the masking element 216 for adhering the display device and/or other elements at the rear of the reflective element. As can be seen in FIG. 12, the adhesive layers 222b and 222c may also have a window or aperture formed therethrough that corresponds with the window or aperture 216a of masking element 216. As indicated, such adhesive layers preferably are substantially index-matched to glass.

[0090] Optionally, and as shown in FIGS. 13-14D, the sheet or film 222 may be provided as a roll 224 or strip of sheets or films that are adhered to a peel away backing strip 226a, whereby the individual sheet or film 222 (including the transparent spacing element and masking element and adhesive layers) may be removed from the backing strip 226a and applied to the rear of the reflective element. The backing strip 226a may be provided as a roll whereby the strip may be unrolled to expose or access the individual sheets or films 222. Optionally, a die cut release liner 226b may be provided at the adhesive layer of the sheet or film 222 opposite the backing strip or rolled release liner 226a, such that the individual film or sheet may be removed from the rolled release liner 226a and adhered to or applied to the rear of the reflective element, and the rear adhesive layer 222c may remain unexposed (by its being covered with the die cut release liner 226b) until it is desired or appropriate to expose the adhesive layer 222c, such as when the display device is disposed at the rear of the sheet or film 222.

[0091] The liners and adhesives and layers may comprise any suitable materials, depending on the particular application of the sheets or films. For example, the rolled release liner may comprise clear colored PET material, such as a 3 Mil PET with a medium/light release from the adhesive layer 222a, while the die-cut release liner may comprise a paper material (such as a white paper material) that may be silicone coated on one side to ease removal from the adhesive layer 222c. Optionally, the 3 Mil PET liner may have an easy release silicone coating on one side and a slip coating on the other side. Optionally, the 3 Mil Facestock may be chemically treated on one side to promote ink adhesion, while the adhesive layer may comprise a water clear permanent acrylic adhesive or the like. Optionally, a water clear polyester overlaminating film with a print receptive coating may be disposed on one side for enhanced ink adhesion. The selected adhesive may provide enhanced clarity and enhanced balance of shear and peel strength, thus providing performance characteristics. The sheets or films thus may be highly suitable in applications requiring a high degree of durability and dimensional stability.

[0092] The display element or device may comprise any suitable display element, such as a video display screen or the like, and/or may comprise a touch screen or touch display. For example, the touch display may comprise a surface capacitive or projected capacitive touch panel display or the like. Thus, the touch screen may be disposed behind the mirror substrate, such that the mirror reflective element has a continuous front surface to enhance the appearance and the cleaning/wiping of the mirror reflective element.

[0093] Optionally, and with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16, a reflective element assembly 310 for an interior rearview mirror assembly 311 (that is mountable to an interior portion of a vehicle by a mounting arm or structure 311a that may attach or adhere to a mounting element at the interior surface of the vehicle windshield or at an overhead console or headliner of the vehicle) includes a display element or device 318 that is operable to display information for viewing by the driver of the vehicle through at least a portion of the reflective element assembly 310. As shown in FIG. 16, reflective element assembly 310 comprises a variable reflectance reflective element having an electro-optic medium 317 (such as, for example, an electrochromic medium) disposed between a front substrate 312 and a rear substrate 313. The front substrate 312 has a transparent conductor or conductive layer or coating 314 (such as a thin-film or layer or coating of indium tin oxide (ITO) or the like) disposed or deposited on the rear surface 312a of front substrate 312, while the rear substrate 313 has a reflector coating or layer 315 (such as a metallic coating or layer or the like) disposed or deposited on the front surface 313a of rear substrate 313 (so as to provide a “third surface reflector” at the front surface of the rear substrate and behind the electro-optic medium 317). The reflective element assembly 310 includes a perimeter seal 320 disposed around the electro-optic medium and between front substrate 312 and rear substrate 313 to space the substrates apart and to seal the electro-optic medium between the substrates.

[0094] As can be seen in FIG. 16, the front substrate 312 has a larger cross dimension than the rear substrate 313 and extends beyond a side edge of the rear substrate to provide a display region 319 at one side (such as the driver's side) of the mirror reflective element 310 (such as in a similar manner as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/187,725, filed Aug. 7, 2008, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety). Display device 318 (such as a backlit LCD video screen or other suitable display element, such as an organic light emitting diode OLED screen or a low-cost monochrome multipixel vacuum fluorescent screen or the like) is operable to emit or project illumination or display information through the transparent conductor 314 and front substrate 312 so as to be viewable by the driver of the vehicle when the display device is activated. The transparent conductor 314 extends across the rear surface 312a of front substrate 312, and the portion 314a of the transparent conductor 314 at the display region 319 may be electrically isolated or insulated from the portion 314b of the transparent conductor at the principal reflecting region or main viewing region of the mirror (and at the electro-optic medium), such as via an electrically insulating demarcation line 314c formed or established through the transparent conductor 314 (such as a laser scribed break or gap in the transparent conductor) at an inboard region of the display region. Note that optionally, the portion 314a of the transparent conductor 314 at the display region may be dispensed with so that the display region is devoid of the transparent conductor (such as, for example, by masking the display region when the transparent electrical conductor coating of portion 314b is being deposited).

[0095] Thus, the principal reflecting region or main viewing region of the mirror reflective element may be variably reflectant responsive to dimming of the electro-optic medium via powering of the transparent conductor and the third surface reflector, while the display region 319 allows for viewing of the display information through the front substrate. Thus, the front surface 312b of the front substrate 312 is continuous across the reflective element to provide an unbroken front surface of the reflective element, which facilitates the likes of ease of wiping/cleaning and that presents to the driver in an attractive, utilitarian manner. Optionally, a user input display (such as a keypad display or the like, such as discussed below) may be disposed behind the front substrate at the display region, whereby a user may view and select and activate or control an accessory or feature of the mirror system or mirror assembly, such as in a similar manner as discussed below. Optionally, one or more light absorbing, substantially opaque hiding layers or coatings may be disposed at the rear of the front substrate and between the front substrate and the perimeter seal so as to effectively hide or conceal the perimeter seal from being readily viewable by a person viewing the reflective element. Such a light absorbing or substantially opaque hiding layer or coating may comprise any suitable material, such as a metallic material, such as a chromium metallic reflective layer or the like, and may utilize aspects of the metallic reflective perimeter bands described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,274,501; 7,255,451; and/or 7,184,190; and/or U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/226,628, filed Sep. 14, 2005, and published Mar. 23, 2006 as U.S. Publication No. US 2006/0061008; and/or Ser. No. 11/912,576, filed Oct. 25, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,626,749, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0096] Such a cross border or border band or separating or demarcating or hiding or bordering or framing or outlining layer or element or coating or strip or band (that may be an opaque or partially opaque or reflective coating or light absorbing coating or element) thus may be established at the perimeter edge regions of the front substrate and along the perimeter seal (and thus around the electro-optic active region) so as to outline or demarcate or border the perimeter of the display element or display region. The hiding layer thus may mask or hide from direct view of the driver the seal and/or other components or elements of the mirror reflector assembly construction that are to the rear of the front substrate and in the area of the bordering or hiding layer or element. The hiding layer thus serves as a demarcation element and a hiding or occluding element for the display element disposed behind the glass substrate at the display region of the mirror reflector assembly. Optionally, the hiding layer or demarcating or bordering layer may be implemented to demarcate or border other accessories or devices, such as other display devices or elements or a wide angle reflector element or the like (such as by utilizing aspects of the mirror assemblies described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/187,725, filed Aug. 7, 2008, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety).

[0097] Optionally, and with reference to FIG. 17, a front substrate 312′ of a minor reflective element assembly 310′ may have an aperture or window 319′ cut or formed or otherwise established therethrough to provide a window at which the display element or device may be disposed. The edges 319a′ of window 319′ may be chamfered or seamed to provide an aesthetically pleasing window frame around the window to provide an enhanced appearance to the mirror reflective element and mirror assembly. The display element or device may be disposed behind the substrate with its viewing area at the window so that a person viewing the reflective element may readily view the information being displayed by the display element or device through the window or aperture in the front substrate. The mirror reflective element assembly 310′ may otherwise be similar to mirror reflective element 310 discussed above, such that a detailed discussion of the mirror reflective elements need not be included herein.

[0098] Optionally, and with reference to FIG. 18, an interior rearview mirror assembly 411 includes a video display module or element or device 418, such as in a similar manner as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,690,268; 7,184,190; 7,274,501; and/or 7,370,983, and/or U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/091,525, filed Apr. 25, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,855,755; Ser. No. 10/538,724, filed Jun. 13, 2005, and published on Mar. 9, 2006 as U.S. Publication No. US 2006/0050018; and/or Ser. No. 10/755,915, filed Jan. 13, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,446,650, which are all hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. As can be seen in FIG. 18, mirror assembly 411 includes a reflective element 410 that is disposed at a front casing portion or back plate 430, with the back plate 430 including a display receiving portion 430a for supporting the display element at a side region proximate the driver side or end of the reflective element. The display element 418 may be received at the display receiving portion 430a and circuitry or a circuit board 432 may be disposed at the display element for electrically connecting the display element or module to power and/or control. The mirror assembly 411 may include a mounting structure 434 (such as a double ball mounting arm or the like) that may attach to the back plate 430 and that may extend from the back plate 430 and through a rear casing 436 of mirror assembly 411 and mount or attach to a mounting element or button at an interior portion of the vehicle, such as at an interior surface of the vehicle windshield or the like.

[0099] As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the display element or module 418 may be responsive to a global positioning system (GPS) antenna and/or module 438 and a navigation module or device 439 to display navigation information to the driver of the vehicle or the display element or module 418 may be responsive to a rearward facing camera or imaging sensor 440 to display video images of the area rearward of the vehicle so as to enhance the rearward viewing to the driver of the vehicle, such as when the driver is making a reversing maneuver and has shifted the gear selector device to a reverse gear position. The display module may be connected to the GPS module and/or navigation module and/or camera via any suitable connecting means, such as a serial/UART connection and/or an analog RGB or CVBS (NTSC) video connection or the like. The display module may be compatible with any suitable navigation module that supports analog video and remote control from a touch screen or the like at or of the display module. Optionally, and as shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, other connections and configurations may be implemented while remaining within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0100] Optionally, and as shown in FIGS. 23A-J, the mirror assembly may comprise various configurations. For example, the display module or screen may be at a separate display region that is separate from the reflective element (such as shown in FIGS. 23A-D and 23G-J), or the display screen may be disposed behind the front substrate of the reflective element (such as shown in FIGS. 23E and 23F), and optionally with a window or aperture formed in the substrate and with the edges of the window being chamfered or seamed to provide an enhanced appearance to the mirror reflective element (such as shown in FIG. 23F and such as discussed above with respect to FIG. 17). Thus, the likes of a standard “off-the-shelf” touch activated unit, such as a Garmin or Tom-Tom navigational GPS unit or the like, may be disposed immediately to the rear of the reflective element and the driver of the vehicle can reach up to and touch-activate the touch screen of the unit by passing his or her finger through the window or aperture formed in the substrate of the refractive element. Other configurations, both electro-optic and non-electro-optic (such as prismatic) may be implemented while remaining within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0101] The display module or display element or display screen may comprise any suitable display element or device. For example, the display element may comprise a high intensity VF display, a high intensity VF monochrome multiplexed display, a high intensity LED display, an OLED display, a HUD display, an LED display, or a thin film transistor (TFT) display or the like.

[0102] Optionally, the display module and/or the reflective element may comprise a “touch screen” or “individual reconfigurable buttons” or inputs to provide enhanced user selection and/or control of the display module and other accessories associated with the mirror assembly. For example, a touch screen could be established by utilizing a coating on the reflective element and adding additional switch options around the touch screen that may be used to control the camera and/or other features. When the vehicle is in a reverse gear, a dedicated or vehicle LIN/CAN communication bus can control the camera features directly from the mirror. The camera control may be accomplished via buttons in a mask area around the touch screen so that none of the active screen area is used to simulate the buttons while the vehicle is in its reverse gear. This would allow the camera and other feature buttons to be controlled by the mirror microprocessor and the touch screen could be controlled by the navigation microprocessor or microprocessors (such as at a remote navigation module) if requested. Optionally, the video mirror may have a glass substrate that covers the display and that may include an anti-smudge and anti-static coating to minimize fingerprints on the front glass substrate.

[0103] Such reconfigurable inputs may allow vehicle or mirror manufacturers to provide inputs that the customer may activate to control and change some of the system features, such as digital zoom, multiple overlay options, top view as well as other features. The video mirror advantage gives the vehicle manufacturers the option to readily add a reverse aid feature without having an on-board screen (such as a navigation screen) and minimal vehicle architecture changes at a very competitive price. In order to utilize the camera features, the mirror supplier may utilize the CAN or LIN bus of the vehicle in order to accomplish the human-machine interface.

[0104] Optionally, and with reference to FIG. 24, the mirror system may include a video display and optical touch screen 450 that is operable to detect the presence of a user's finger at or near the touch screen and to detect the touch of the user's finger at the touch screen. In the illustrated embodiment, optical touch screen 450 includes a microcontroller 452, an ASIC or ASIC chip or element 454, an optical sensor 456 and one or more illumination sources 458, such as a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) or the like. Optionally, a light pipe or light directing element 460 may be disposed at or near the sensor 456 (such as at or near the edge of the mirror bezel or elsewhere at the mirror assembly depending on the particular application of the display/touch screen) to gather and direct light toward the optical sensor 456. The display screen may be disposed at the mirror assembly and behind the reflective element (such as behind a transflective display on demand reflective element), and the sensor may be disposed at the display screen or touch screen or elsewhere at the mirror assembly, such as at the bezel of the mirror assembly, with the light pipe directing light toward the optical sensor to enhance the sensing performance of the optical sensor. Optionally, such a light pipe may not be necessary if the sensor is disposed behind a transflective reflective element and the sensor or system is capable of amplifying and conditioning the signal enough to provide a sufficient output signal indicative of the sensed light at the mirror glass.

[0105] In the illustrated embodiment, the light sources 458 comprise one or more of the backlighting LEDs of the backlit video display screen, such as a backlit thin film transistor (TFT) video display screen. The system thus may include support circuitry to temporarily electrically isolate the selected LEDs (such as four LEDs at the corner regions of the video display screen) from the rest of the backlighting string of LEDs and put the selected LEDs at least temporarily or episodically under the control of the ASIC. The system may also include software algorithms that run on the host microcontroller to interpret the data gathered from the ASIC.

[0106] The touch screen 450 may detect the presence or approach of the user's finger (such as in response to a change in the light sensed by the optical sensor) and may actuate portions of the touch screen that correspond to the detected presence or detected location of the user's finger. For example, four LEDs 458 may be selectively or sequentially individually and episodically actuated or energized to provide controlled illumination at particular respective locations of the display screen/touch screen, and the light sensor 456 may detect a change in the level of light at or near the screen. For example, an LED at each corner of the display screen may be selected for episodic energization and the optical sensor 456 may detect the light levels at each time of energization of each LED, whereby the control or microcontroller 452 may determine the general location of the user's finger by detecting a change in the light level corresponding to actuation or energization of one of the LEDs as compared to the others, with such a detected change in detected light levels being indicative of the user's finger (or other object) approaching that LED and reflecting the light emanating from the respective LED toward the sensor or light pipe. By processing the output of the light sensor in conjunction with the timing of the activation of the respective LEDs, the system can determine at which area (such as a quadrant of the screen corresponding to a respective corner LED of the display screen) the user's finger is located and activate the touch screen elements at or near that location.

[0107] The optical touch screen of the present invention is built around a high sensitivity and ambient light immune optical sensor system, such as the type, developed by Mechaless, a subsidiary of Elmos Semiconductor. The touch screen concept utilizes, for example, the backlighting LEDs of a TFT video module in a transflective, display on demand video mirror system as the light stimulus. By briefly and sequentially taking the four corner LEDs (or other advantageously positioned LEDs) out of their backlighting role and putting them in the control of the touch screen ASIC, the timing of the stimulus is known by the system. While each of the LEDs is under the control of the ASIC, the ASIC simultaneously reads the output of the optical sensor, whose input is the light received by the sensor, such as the light gathered by the light pipe. A detected increase in light level compared to the ambient level is indicative that a user's finger (or other object) has approached the screen, while a detected increase in light level when one of the LEDs is activated compared to when the other LEDs are individually activated is indicative that a user's finger (or other object) is at a particular area or region at or near the one LED. An algorithm running on the microcontroller utilizes the data returned by the sensor for all four LEDs, in their respective time slots, to determine the position of the user's finger and thereby can activate the touch screen controls or elements, if one exists, at or near or under the finger position. Optionally, with advanced algorithms, the system may utilize 3-axis data so as to enhance detection of the user's finger and to detect the approach of the user's finger or to “see” the user's finger approaching the touch screen.

[0108] Thus, the display screen/touch screen of the present invention provides the ability to detect the presence or approach of a user's finger or other object at the screen so as to actuate the touch screen aspects of the screen before the user's finer contacts the touch screen. The present invention thus provides enhanced performance and can operate under reduced power because the touch screen aspects or circuitry of the screen or module are only activated when it is appropriate to have them activated, such as when a user's finger or other object is approaching a particular area of the touch screen. The use of the LEDs of the backlit display screen provides a common light source for both the video display screen and the sensing system and thus does not require a separate light source at the mirror assembly for detecting the presence of the user's finger.

[0109] One of the challenges of having a navigation feature (such as a navigation display and associated user inputs) in the interior rearview mirror is difficulties a user may encounter when entering text (such as, for example, addresses for target destinations or the like). Because the size of the LCM is typically about 3.5 inches, the characters on any keypad provided at the touch screen video display may be limited in size (or may require that the user scroll through the characters to arrive at the desired character). Optionally, a rearview mirror system or rearview mirror assembly in accordance with the present invention may provide an enhanced or larger touch screen or optical touch screen or sensor at a substantial portion of the mirror reflective element to provide a larger and more user friendly keypad or supplemental keypad that may be readily viewed and used by a user of the mirror system.

[0110] For example, and with reference to FIGS. 25 and 26, a mirror assembly 411′ includes a reflective element 410′ and a display device or element 418′ at a display viewing region or video display viewing region 461a′ (such as toward or at a side region proximate a driver side or end of the reflective element). The mirror assembly 411′ includes a keypad mask or element 460′ that may be disposed behind the reflective element 410′ at a main viewing region or area 461b′, such as at or behind a touch screen portion 410a′ of the reflective element 410′. The mirror assembly 411′ may include a back light device 462′ (such as an array of light emitting diodes or the like) that is operable to backlight the keypad mask 460′ so that the keypad mask (such as alphanumeric characters arranged like a typical keyboard, such as for a computer, or such as any suitable input display or array of inputs or characters that a user may discern and understand for controlling one or more features of the video display and/or other accessory of the mirror system and/or the vehicle) is readily viewable through the transflective reflective element when the back light device 462′ is activated (but the partially transmissive and partially reflective transflective reflective element limits viewability or discernibility of the keypad when the back light device is deactivated). The back light device may comprise a plurality of illumination sources or LEDs disposed at a circuit element, such as a printed circuit board or the like, and the circuit element may include or support or be connected to circuitry associated with the back light device and/or the display module and/or the reflective element dimming control and/or any other accessory or system associated with the mirror assembly.

[0111] In the illustrated embodiment, the transflective reflective element comprises the main viewing region 461b′ and the video display viewing region 461a′, with the main viewing region being larger than the video display viewing region and encompassing a substantial portion of the mirror reflector of the reflective element. For example, and with reference to FIG. 25, the mirror assembly may have a length dimension L of about eight to twelve inches or thereabouts and a width or height dimension W of about two to four inches or thereabouts. The video display may have a display screen that has a diagonal dimension D of less than about five inches, such as less than about four inches, and greater than about two and a half inches. Thus, and as can be seen in FIG. 25, the mirror assembly may provide a user input or touch screen at main viewing region 461b′ that is larger than the video display viewable at video display viewing region 461a′.

[0112] The information input display or keyboard display may comprise a display representative of a plurality of user inputs, wherein the information input display is backlit by the backlighting device 462′ and wherein the information input display is disposed behind the reflective element and viewable through the transflective mirror reflector at the main viewing region when the information input display is backlit by the backlighting device. The information input display may be substantially not viewable or discernible to a person viewing the mirror assembly when the mirror assembly is normally mounted in a vehicle and when the backlighting device is deactivated. The reflective element provides a touch screen function at the information input display, and a control of the mirror system or mirror assembly may be operable to determine a location of a touch or proximity of an object at the reflective element and correlate the determined location to an input character of the information input display.

[0113] Optionally, the control may activate the backlighting device and enable operation of the touch screen in response to a user input, such as in response to a user pressing a button or otherwise actuating a user input at the mirror assembly, such as at a bezel portion of the mirror assembly or the like. Optionally, the control may deactivate the backlighting device and disable operation of the touch screen in response to a period of time elapsing following the activation of the backlighting device and/or following a detection of a touch or proximity of an object at the touch screen. Optionally, the backlighting device may be activated and the touch screen may be enabled in response to the vehicle ignition being on (such as when the vehicle ignition is on and the vehicle engine is running) with the vehicle not in motion and/or in response to the vehicle ignition being on with the vehicle engine not running (such as when the ignition key is first turned to the on position but before the engine is started).

[0114] The touch screen portion 410a′ of reflective element 410′ allows a user's finger (either by touching or approaching the glass reflective element) to be detected, such as by an optical touch screen or sensor as described above of by other suitable touch screen technology at the reflective element. For example, an optical touch screen may be operable to detect the presence of a user's finger or stylus at or near areas or regions that correspond to respective characters or numbers or letters of an alphanumeric keypad mask, and the processor may determine which character the user's finger or stylus is at and generate an appropriate output signal indicative of the “touched” character. For example, the system may detect the user's finger at the letter “D” of the key pad and may provide a corresponding input to the navigation system or the like of the vehicle. Optionally, and desirably, the front surface of the reflective element (the surface generally facing the driver of the vehicle when the mirror assembly is normally mounted in a vehicle) may have an anti-bacterial coating or layer disposed thereon.

[0115] The mirror assembly 411′ includes a housing 414′ and an attachment plate and mounting bracket (such as a double ball or double pivot joint mounting assembly or configuration) for adjustably mounting the reflective element 410′ to an interior portion of a vehicle, such as the interior surface of the vehicle windshield or the like. The circuit element 464′ (FIG. 27), such as a printed circuit board or the like, may have a connector and harness extending therefrom for attaching to or electrically connecting to a vehicle harness or the like, with the back light device 462′ disposed at or in front of the circuit element or circuit board 464′ and operable to backlight the keypad so that it the keypad 460′ is viewable through the reflective element when the illumination sources are activated. The reflective element 410′ may be supported at the housing 414′ and/or a bezel portion, and a mask element (such as an opaque layer or element to limit light passage therethrough) may be disposed at or behind the rear surface of the reflective element to provide an opaque layer at the rear of the reflective element with a window established for the video display screen to be viewable through the reflective element when the video display module is activated (and may include a plurality of smaller windows or a single large window at the keypad so that light from the illumination sources passes through the window/windows of the mask element and through the keypad so that the keypad is viewable through the reflective element when the illumination sources are activated). The reflective element 410′ (such as an electro-optic reflective element subassembly, such as an electrochromic reflective element subassembly) includes a touch screen function and the circuit element or circuit board 464′ includes touch controller circuitry (and may include other circuitry or sensors or accessories depending on the particular application and desired electrical content of the mirror assembly).

[0116] Optionally, and with reference to FIGS. 27 and 27A, the touch screen of the reflective element 410′ may comprise a surface capacitive touch screen or touch screen system incorporated at the mirror glass, and may determine the location of a touch at the front surface 410b′ of the reflective element by sensing the current flow at a plurality (such as, for example, four) discrete locations or connections or nodes 466′ around the perimeter of the reflective element. For example, the front surface 410b′ of the reflective element 410′ may be coated with a transparent conductive coating or layer, such as a coating of indium tin oxide (ITO) or the like, which is electrically conductively connected to the corner connections or nodes 466′. The system may generate an electrical current and provide the current to the nodes 466′ and thus to the transparent conductive coating at the front surface of the reflective element. Optionally, a conductive trace 468′ may be disposed around the perimeter edge of the reflective element and conductively connected to the nodes 466′. The conductive trace may be disposed in a pattern that facilitates linearization of the response the system receives when a person touches the front surface of the reflective element.

[0117] Thus, when the mirror is activated (such as when the vehicle ignition is on or when the video display module is activated or in response to a user input or the like), and when the touch screen system is activated and the current is communicated to the nodes 466′ and surface coating, the touch screen may determine the location of a touch at the front surface of the reflective element. For example, when a finger 472′ (or other object, such as a stylus or the like) touches the front surface 410b′ of the reflective element 410′ (such as shown in FIG. 27A), the finger conducts or draws current away from the glass. The amount of current that then flows through each node varies depending on the proximity of the touch to that node (due to the difference in resistance to the current flow from the respective nodes and across the front surface of the reflective element to the touched location). The amount of current that flows through each of the nodes 466′ can be measured and compared (such as by a controller or microcontroller or processor 470′) to the current flowing through the other nodes. The sensed current or relative current draw at the nodes 466′ is processed by the controller or microcontroller or processor 470′ to determine the position or location of the touch at the front surface of the reflective element. The controller 470′ may then determine which character or letter or number of the keypad the determined location corresponds to and may generate an appropriate signal to the appropriate circuitry of the mirror system.

[0118] Optionally, and with reference to FIGS. 28 and 28A, the touch screen of a mirror reflective element 410″ may comprise a projective capacity touch screen or touch screen system incorporated at the mirror glass and may determine the location of a touch at the front surface 410b″ of the reflective element 410″ by sensing a change in frequency of an oscillator 465″ and determining the location of the touch responsive to the sensed or detected or determined change in frequency. As shown in FIG. 28, the oscillator 465″ may be disposed at or on a circuit element 464″ (such as a printed circuit board or the like), which may include or support a controller 470″, a counter 468″ and a multiplexer 469″. The multiplexer 469″ is in electrical communication with a plurality of sensing wires or pads 466″ at the mirror reflective element 410″ (such as behind the mirror glass). The system detects a capacitance that is formed between a user's finger (or other object) and a projected capacitance of the sensing pads 466″, whereby the controller 470″ can determine the location of the touch (or proximity) of the finger or object 472″ responsive to the detected capacitance and corresponding change in frequency of the oscillator 465″.

[0119] Thus, when the mirror is activated (such as when the vehicle ignition is on or when the video display module is activated or in response to a user input or the like), and when the touch screen system is activated, the touch screen may determine the location of a touch at the front surface of the reflective element. For example, when a finger 472″ (or other object, such as a stylus or the like) touches or approaches the front surface 410b″ of the reflective element 410″ (such as shown in FIG. 28A), the capacitance formed between the user's finger and the sensing pads 466″ varies depending on the proximity of the touch to the pads. The detected increase in capacitance at a proximate pad or pads is detected, which results in a decrease in the frequency of the oscillator 465″. The change in frequency is processed by the controller or microcontroller or processor 470″ to determine the position or location of the touch at the front surface of the reflective element. The controller 470″ may then determine which character or letter or number of the keypad the determined location corresponds to and may generate an appropriate signal to the appropriate circuitry of the mirror system.

[0120] The pads may be arranged in a grid pattern or array (such as shown in FIG. 28), or may be arranged at discrete points or may be otherwise arranged depending on the particular application of the touch screen system and mirror reflective element assembly. The pads may be arranged at the rear of a rear substrate of an electro-optic reflective element assembly and thus function to detect the proximity of the finger or object as it approaches and/or touches the front surface of a front substrate of the electro-optic reflective element assembly.

[0121] The touch pads may be in the form of transparent conductive areas or pads at the back or front of the mirror reflective element glass substrate or substrates. The grid or array of pads may be established using multiple conductive layers. Optionally, for example, the touch pads may be disposed behind the mirror reflector or reflective surface (such as at the third or fourth surface of the reflective element assembly) or in front of the mirror reflector (such as at the second or first surface of the reflective element assembly). Optionally, and desirably, the touch pads may be disposed at the first surface (the front surface of the front substrate) to avoid any shielding of the pads by the conductive coatings at the second, third and/or fourth surfaces of the reflective element assembly, and may have a thin protective coating on top or over the first or front surface of the reflective element and the touch pads (such as a protective coating of the types described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,201,642; 6,454,449; 5,179,471; 5,751,489; 5,073,012; and/or 5,523,877, and/or U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/218,374, filed Sep. 2, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,507,438, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties). Optionally, the touch pads may be disposed at the rear or back surface of a third glass substrate (such as an ultrathin glass substrate of the types described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,338,177 and/or 7,420,756, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties) that may be disposed at the front of the reflective element (and may be adhered to the front surface of the front substrate, such as via an optical adhesive or the like, such as by utilizing aspects of the mirror assemblies described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,073,012; 5,115,346; 5,355,245; and 5,523,877, and/or U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/603,518, filed Jun. 25, 2003, and published Jan. 8, 2004 as U.S. Patent Publication No. US 2004/0004605, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,345,680; and/or Ser. No. 12/187,725, filed Aug. 7, 2008, and published Feb. 12, 2009 as U.S. Patent Publication No. US 2009/0040306, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties).

[0122] The mirror reflective element of the present invention thus may display various indicia or characters or icons (such as a keypad as described above) and may detect the location of a user's touch to determine what indicia or character the user touched the front surface of the reflective element. Although shown and described as determining a touch location relative to a keypad display, clearly the mirror assembly may have other forms of displays at or behind the reflective element and may determine the location of the touch and corresponding input for the video display or other accessory associated with the mirror system and/or the vehicle. Also, other touch screen systems are contemplated, such as resistive touch screens, surface acoustic wave touch screens, capacitive touch screens, infrared touch screens, strain gauge touch screens, optical imaging touch screens, dispersive signal touch screens, acoustic pulse recognition touch screens and/or the like, for use with the keypad or other touch sensing functions at a mirror reflective element assembly in accordance with the present invention. The touch screen system or systems may utilize aspects of the mirror and/or touch screen systems described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,490,227; 4,650,557; 4,655,811; 5,725,957; 6,001,486; 6,087,012; 6,970,160; 6,440,491; 6,620,454; 6,627,918; 6,706,552; 6,787,240; 6,488,981; 6,549,193; 6,727,895; 6,842,171; and/or 7,165,323; and/or U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/946,228, filed Sep. 5, 2001 by Ippel et al. for PLASTIC SUBSTRATE FOR INFORMATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MAKING SAME; Ser. No. 09/974,209, filed Oct. 10, 2001; Ser. No. 10/744,522, filed Dec. 23, 2003 by Halsey et al. for METHOD FOR MAKING AN INTERACTIVE INFORMATION DEVICE; Ser. No. 10/798,171, filed Mar. 11, 2004 by Getz for LASER DELETION FOR TOUCH SCREEN; Ser. No. 11/218,374, filed Sep. 2, 2005 by Cherif et al. for DISPLAY SUBSTRATE WITH DIFFUSER COATING, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,507,438; and/or Ser. No. 11/440,855, filed May 25, 2006, and/or PCT Application No. PCT/US2008/68987, filed Jul. 2, 2008, and published on Jan. 8, 2009 as International Publication No. WO 2009006512, and/or International Application No. PCT/US2008/071034, filed Jul. 28, 2008, and published Feb. 5, 2009 as International Publication No. WO 2009/018094, which are all hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0123] Thus, the entire surface of the mirror (or a substantial portion or surface of the mirror reflective element) may be used to provide a larger touch screen than that previously provided at the video display screen. Because the area of the LCM video display may be much less than the remaining area of the reflective element assembly, it can be advantageous to implement a supplemental keypad at the reflective element. In the illustrated embodiment, such a supplemental keypad is provided by using an alphanumeric mask and a backlight device disposed behind the transflective reflective element. The backlight device generates enough light so that the keypad is visible through the reflective surface when the backlight device is activated, and when the backlight is not activated, the keypad is substantially not viewable or discernible by a person viewing the reflective element.

[0124] Although shown as having a backlit keypad display or user input display that is provided as a mask element at the rear of the reflective element, it is envisioned that the user input display may comprise a backlit mask element or may comprise a backlit reconfigurable display (such as a TFT LCD display or the like). Optionally, the mirror assembly may comprise two separate displays or display elements, such as a video display and a separate backlit user input display such as described above, or the mirror assembly may comprise a single display element or device or module disposed behind and substantially encompassing the mirror reflective element. For example, a portion of a larger single display element or device or module may be used to display video images (such as at a video display viewing region such as at or toward a driver side of the mirror assembly) and another portion of the display element or device or module may be used to display user input characters, such as for a keypad or the like.

[0125] Optionally, and desirably, the keypad may function cooperatively with the automotive OEM navigation system and/or with a navigation system of the mirror assembly or system. In typical automotive navigation systems, the ability to enter text may be limited to operation when the vehicle is in a static condition (when the vehicle is not moving). Because rear vision (such as by viewing through the rear window of the vehicle by viewing the reflected images at the interior rearview mirror) is not needed when the vehicle is static, the supplement keypad can be viewable at the principal reflecting region or main viewing region of the reflective element and may be used during such static or non-moving conditions without effecting driver safety.

[0126] The final display luminance (and especially for a TFT LCD display element showing video or full color video or still images), when measured through the reflective element and mirror reflector is preferably greater than about 300 candelas per meters squared (cd/m²), more preferably greater than about 500 cd/m², and more preferably greater than about 1,000 cd/m² and more preferably greater than about 2,000 cd/m². Optionally, the information input display or keyboard display may be displayed or backlit so as to have a display luminance (when measured through the reflective element and mirror reflector) is preferably greater than about 300 cd/m², more preferably greater than about 500 cd/m², and more preferably greater than about 1,000 cd/m² and more preferably greater than about 2,000 cd/m². This is to help ensure that the driver can discern any video image and/or user input character or indicia being displayed or backlit against the sunlight streaming in through the rear window and incident at the display area or main viewing area of the interior mirror reflective element that will tend to wash-out the video image and/or information input display unless the video image and/or information input display is sufficiently bright. For such display elements (such as a TFT LCD video display or the like) or other display types, the desired degree of luminance may be achieved by, but is not limited to, cold cathode fluorescent tubes, white light emitting light emitting diodes (LEDs), such as an array of white light emitting LEDs arranged behind the keypad display, or white light generated through color mixing of red, green, and blue LEDs, or other suitable illumination sources or elements, located at the vide display element and/or keypad display or user input display and rearward of the reflective element.

[0127] Optionally, the mirror assembly may include one or more user inputs at the bezel portion of the mirror assembly, and the user inputs may comprise touch or proximity sensors disposed behind the bezel portion. For example, and with reference to FIG. 29, an interior rearview mirror assembly 510 may include a reflective element 512, a video display 514 and one or more user inputs or buttons 516, which may comprise touch sensors or proximity sensors or plates disposed behind the bezel portion with indicia or button shapes or the like established at the viewable surface of the bezel portion. Interior rearview mirror assembly 510 includes a housing 518 and an attachment plate and mounting bracket (such as a double ball or double pivot joint mounting assembly or configuration) for adjustably mounting the reflective element 512 to an interior portion of a vehicle, such as the interior surface of the vehicle windshield or the like. The user inputs 516 are disposed along or established at or behind a bezel portion 520 of the mirror assembly 510, such as at a region of the bezel portion at or near or below the video display 514. The user inputs 516 are electrically connected or linked to a controller or microcontroller or processor or microprocessor 522, whereby the controller determines when a person's finger (or other object) approaches and/or touches the bezel portion at the user inputs and determines the appropriate input associated with the location of the touch or proximity of the finger or object.

[0128] The user inputs or capacitive touch sensors 516 are thus disposed at the bezel portion of the mirror rather than in or on a glass substrate of the reflective element. A user may touch the bezel at the appropriate location to activate a function. With reference to FIG. 29, the user inputs 516 may be associated with a video display 514, whereby actuation of the user inputs may control the video display. Optionally, the touch sensors or user inputs may function to control or actuate other accessories. For example, and with reference to FIG. 30, user inputs 516′ at bezel portion 520′ of mirror assembly 510′ may be operable to control a radio, with power, tuning and volume “buttons” molded into the bezel portion. A display device 514′ may be disposed at or behind (and viewable through) the reflective element 512′, and may be operable to display the radio information, such as the station to which the radio is tuned, the volume of the radio, the selected band, and/or the like. As shown in FIG. 30, the display device 514′ may be located at or near the user inputs 516′, with the tuning buttons or inputs 516a′ located below the tuning display 514a′ and the volume buttons or inputs 516b′ located below the volume display 514b′, so as to ease a user's understanding and cognitive awareness of the function of the molded user inputs at the bezel portion of the mirror assembly.

[0129] On the back of or molded into the bezel would be a touch sensitive plate 524 (FIG. 31), such as for each function of the user inputs. The controller 522 may include an algorithm for measuring capacitance by evaluating the step response in the time domain (or may measure a change in frequency). When the sensitive area (proximate the plate or plates) is touched (or approached), the increase in capacitance increases the time it takes for the capacitor to charge to a threshold charge level, such as the logic high threshold in FIG. 31. This change or time delay may be measured by the controller, such as by using a timer in the controller. For example, and with reference to FIG. 31, the controller may include an input/output pin 526 for each plate 524, and the input/output pin may be set to a low output (where the controller may drive the pin to a zero or low voltage to discharge the associated or respective capacitor). The input/output pin may then be set to input (whereby the controller releases the driving voltage and no longer drives the pin toward a zero voltage such that the capacitor may begin to accumulate a charge), and the controller may reset the timer or set the timer to zero. The controller may then record the time elapsed from when the pin is set to input and the pin signal thus begins to increase (indicative of the charge or increase in voltage at the capacitor as the capacitor charges) to when the signal reaches the predetermined or selected threshold level (such as a voltage of about ½ of the applied voltage). When the controller registers that the charge has reached the threshold level, the controller determines the elapsed time ΔT (FIG. 31), such as by reading the timer or timing device or counter, and if the measured elapsed time is greater than an average elapsed time or threshold elapsed time, then the controller determines that a “touch” is being made at that location. The controller may then control the appropriate function, and may update the average elapsed time, and return to the beginning and repeat the process.

[0130] Optionally, the user inputs may utilize aspects of the touch or proximity switches described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,001,486; 6,310,611; 6,320,282; 6,627,918; 6,690,268; 7,224,324; 7,249,860; 7,253,723; 7,255,451; 7,360,932; and/or 7,446,924, and/or U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/538,724, filed Jun. 13, 2005, and published on Mar. 9, 2006 as U.S. Publication No. US 2006/0050018, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties, or the inputs may comprise other types of buttons or switches, such as fabric-made position detectors, such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,504,531; 6,501,465; 6,492,980; 6,452,479; 6,437,258; and 6,369,804, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. For example, the inputs may comprise a touch or proximity sensor of the types commercially available from TouchSensor Technologies, LLC of Wheaton, Ill. The touch or proximity sensor may be operable to generate an electric field and to detect the presence of a conductive mass entering the field. When a voltage is applied to the sensor, the sensor generates the electric field, which emanates through any dielectric material, such as plastic or the like (such as through the plastic bezel portion), at the sensor. When a conductive mass (such as a person's finger or the like, or metal or the like) enters the electric field, the sensor may detect a change in the field and may indicate such a detection. Optionally, other types of switches or buttons or inputs or sensors may be incorporated into the user inputs to provide the desired function or functions, while remaining within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0131] Optionally, the video display module may provide a graphic overlay to enhance the driver's cognitive awareness of the distances to objects to the rear of the vehicle (such as by utilizing aspects of the systems described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,670,935; 5,949,331; 6,222,447; and 6,611,202; and/or PCT Application No, PCT/US08/76022, filed Sep. 11, 2008 and published Mar. 19, 2009 as International Publication No. WO 2009/036176, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. Such graphic overlays may be generated at or by the camera circuitry or the mirror or display circuitry. Optionally, the display module may comprise a high luminance 3.5 inch (or larger or smaller) video display with basic overlay capability designed into the mirror assembly.

[0132] Optionally, and with reference to FIGS. 32-36, an interior rearview mirror assembly 610 may include a display device 612 that is operable to emit or project display information toward and onto the windshield 611 in an area proximate the interior rearview mirror assembly, such as at an area generally above the mirror assembly and at or near the driver side of the mirror assembly. Interior rearview mirror assembly 610 is mounted to a mounting button or element adhered to or affixed to an interior surface of the vehicle windshield 611, with a tinted area 611a of the windshield at an area proximate the mirror assembly, such as a tinted area that has a darkened frit (such as a black ceramic frit layer or the like) disposed thereat or established thereat, and with the mounting button or element mounting the mirror assembly generally at the tinted area (such an area is sometimes termed a shade band area at the upper windshield area and may be executed by locally tinting/coloring the PVB laminating interlayer used in laminated windshield constructions and/or by adding a coating or layer locally to the innermost glass surface of the windshield).

[0133] As can be seen with reference to FIGS. 33 and 34, display device 612 is disposed at the rear casing of the mirror assembly and is operable to project a mirror image of the display information toward the windshield so that the display information is viewable in its proper orientation and format by the driver of the vehicle when viewing generally forwardly and toward the mirror assembly. As shown in FIGS. 33 and 34, the display device may display temperature data or information 613 or compass heading data or information, such as automatically or in response to a user input. Optionally, and as shown in FIG. 35, the display device 612 may project or emit other information, such as, for example, video images 613a, such as video images captured by a video camera of the vehicle, such as video images captured by a rearward viewing reverse aid camera to assist the driver in maneuvering the vehicle in reverse (and which may be activated in response to the driver selecting the reverse gear of the vehicle). Optionally, and as shown in FIG. 36, the display device 612 may project or emit navigational information 613b, such as direction heading information or a selected route information or the like, such as in response to a navigation system of the mirror assembly or vehicle or the like. Optionally, the display device may display other information, depending on the particular application of the mirror and display system and the desired or appropriate information being displayed to the driver of the vehicle by the display device.

[0134] Optionally, the windshield display mirror may incorporate an LCD element, a LED element or a VFD display element or the like situated on the forward side of the mirror (toward the windshield). The display is thus situated so as to allow the driver to see a reflection of the display on the windshield and generally at the tinted area of the windshield. To improve the contrast of the display, a dark tint can be added to the windshield in the area where the reflection of the display is to be viewed. Such a configuration is readily accommodated, since many vehicles already have a dark tint or shade-band or the like in the area above and about the mirror assembly. Optionally, the tint may be a smoke-colored tint similar to that used for the privacy windows in limousines, rather than blue tint or dots painted on the surface of the glass, but other tinting configurations may be implemented while remaining within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0135] Optionally, the interior mirror assembly may comprise an electro-optic or electrochromic mirror assembly and may include an electro-optic or electrochromic reflective element. The electrochromic mirror element of the electrochromic mirror assembly may utilize the principles disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,274,501; 7,255,451; 7,195,381; 7,184,190; 6,690,268; 5,140,455; 5,151,816; 6,178,034; 6,154,306; 6,002,544; 5,567,360; 5,525,264; 5,610,756; 5,406,414; 5,253,109; 5,076,673; 5,073,012; 5,117,346; 5,724,187; 5,668,663; 5,910,854; 5,142,407 and/or 4,712,879, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties, and/or as disclosed in the following publications: N. R. Lynam, “Electrochromic Automotive Day/Night Mirrors”, SAE Technical Paper Series 870636 (1987); N. R. Lynam, “Smart Windows for Automobiles”, SAE Technical Paper Series 900419 (1990); N. R. Lynam and A. Agrawal, “Automotive Applications of Chromogenic Materials”, Large Area Chromogenics: Materials and Devices for Transmittance Control, C. M. Lampert and C. G. Granquist, EDS., Optical Engineering Press, Wash. (1990), which are all hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. Optionally, the electrochromic circuitry and/or a glare sensor (such as a rearward facing glare sensor that receives light from rearward of the mirror assembly and vehicle through a port or opening along the casing and/or bezel portion and/or reflective element of the mirror assembly) and circuitry and/or an ambient light sensor and circuitry may be provided on one or more circuit boards of the mirror assembly.

[0136] Optionally, the mirror assembly may include one or more displays, such as the types disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,530,240 and/or 6,329,925, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties, and/or display-on-demand transflective type displays, such as the types disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,338,177; 7,274,501; 7,255,451; 7,195,381; 7,184,190; 5,668,663; 5,724,187 and/or 6,690,268, and/or in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/520,193, filed Sep. 13, 2006, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,581,859; Ser. No. 12/091,525, filed Apr. 25, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,855,755; 11/226,628, filed Sep. 14, 2005, and published Mar. 23, 2006 as U.S. Publication No. US 2006/0061008; Ser. No. 10/538,724, filed Jun. 13, 2005, and published Mar. 9, 2006 as U.S. Publication No. US 2006/0050018; and/or Ser. No. 11/912,576, filed Oct. 25, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,626,749, which are all hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties, so that the displays are viewable through the reflective element, while the display area still functions to substantially reflect light, in order to provide a generally uniform prismatic reflective element even in the areas that have display elements positioned behind the reflective element. The thicknesses and materials of the coatings on the substrates, such as on the third surface of the reflective element assembly, may be selected to provide a desired color or tint to the mirror reflective element, such as a blue colored reflector, such as is known in the art and such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,910,854; 6,420,036; and/or 7,274,501, which are all hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0137] Optionally, the interior rearview mirror assembly may comprise a prismatic mirror assembly or a non-electro-optic mirror assembly or an electro-optic or electrochromic mirror assembly. For example, the interior rearview mirror assembly may comprise a prismatic mirror assembly, such as the types described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,289,037; 7,249,860; 6,318,870; 6,598,980; 5,327,288; 4,948,242; 4,826,289; 4,436,371; and 4,435,042, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. Optionally, the prismatic reflective element may comprise a conventional prismatic reflective element or prism or may comprise a prismatic reflective element of the types described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,420,756; 7,274,501; 7,249,860; 7,289,037; 7,338,177; and/or 7,255,451, which are all hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties, without affecting the scope of the present invention. A variety of mirror accessories and constructions are known in the art, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,555,136; 5,582,383; 5,680,263; 5,984,482; 6,227,675; 6,229,319; and 6,315,421 (the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein), that can benefit from the present invention.

[0138] Optionally, the display and any associated user inputs may be associated with various accessories or systems, such as, for example, a tire pressure monitoring system or a passenger air bag status or a garage door opening system or a telematics system or any other accessory or system of the mirror assembly or of the vehicle or of an accessory module or console of the vehicle, such as an accessory module or console of the types described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,289,037; 6,877,888; 6,824,281; 6,690,268; 6,672,744; 6,386,742; and 6,124,886, and/or U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/538,724, filed Jun. 13, 2005 and published Mar. 9, 2006 as U.S. Publication No. US-2006-0050018, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0139] The video display may be operable to display images captured by one or more imaging sensors or cameras at the vehicle. The imaging device and control and image processor and any associated illumination source, if applicable, may comprise any suitable components, and may utilize aspects of the cameras and vision systems described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,550,677; 5,877,897; 6,498,620; 5,670,935; 5,796,094; 6,396,397; 6,806,452; 6,690,268; 7,005,974; 7,123,168; 7,004,606; 6,946,978; 7,038,577; 6,353,392; 6,320,176; 6,313,454; and 6,824,281, which are all hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. The camera or camera module may comprise any suitable camera or imaging sensor, and may utilize aspects of the cameras or sensors described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/091,359, filed Apr. 24, 2008; and/or Ser. No. 10/534,632, filed May 11, 2005 and published Aug. 3, 2006 as U.S. Patent Publication No. US-2006-0171704A1, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,965,336; and/or U.S. Pat. No. 7,480,149, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. The imaging array sensor may comprise any suitable sensor, and may utilize various imaging sensors or imaging array sensors or cameras or the like, such as a CMOS imaging array sensor, a CCD sensor or other sensors or the like, such as the types described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,550,677; 5,670,935; 5,760,962; 5,715,093; 5,877,897; 6,922,292; 6,757,109; 6,717,610; 6,590,719; 6,201,642; 6,498,620; 5,796,094; 6,097,023; 6,320,176; 6,559,435; 6,831,261; 6,806,452; 6,396,397; 6,822,563; 6,946,978; 7,339,149; 7,038,577; and 7,004,606; and/or U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/315,675, filed Dec. 22, 2005 and published Aug. 17, 2006 as U.S. Patent Publication No. US-2006-0184297A1, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,720,580; and/or Ser. No. 10/534,632, filed May 11, 2005 and published Aug. 3, 2006 as U.S. Patent Publication No. US-2006-0171704A1, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,965,336, and/or PCT Application No. PCT/US2008/076022, filed Sep. 11, 2008, published Mar. 19, 2009 as International Publication No. WO 2009/036176, and/or PCT Application No. PCT/US2008/078700, filed Oct. 3, 2008, published on Apr. 9, 2009 as International Publication No. WO 2009/046268, which are all hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0140] The camera module and circuit chip or board and imaging sensor of the present invention may be implemented and operated in connection with various vehicular vision-based systems, and/or may be operable utilizing the principles of such other vehicular systems, such as a vehicle headlamp control system, such as the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,796,094; 6,097,023; 6,320,176; 6,559,435; 6,831,261; 7,004,606; and 7,339,149, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/105,757, filed Apr. 14, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,526,103, which are all hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties, a rain sensor, such as the types disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,353,392; 6,313,454; 6,320,176; and/or 7,480,149, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties, a vehicle vision system, such as a forwardly, sidewardly or rearwardly directed vehicle vision system utilizing principles disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,550,677; 5,670,935; 5,760,962; 5,877,897; 5,949,331; 6,222,447; 6,302,545; 6,396,397; 6,498,620; 6,523,964; 6,611,202; 6,201,642; 6,690,268; 6,717,610; 6,757,109; 6,802,617; 6,806,452; 6,822,563; 6,891,563; and 6,946,978, and/or in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/643,602, filed Aug. 19, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,859,565, which are all hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties, a trailer hitching aid or tow check system, such as the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,005,974, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, a reverse or sideward imaging system, such as for a lane change assistance system or lane departure warning system or for a blind spot or object detection system, such as imaging or detection systems of the types disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,038,577; 5,929,786 and/or 5,786,772, and/or U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/239,980, filed Sep. 30, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,881,496; and/or Ser. No. 11/315,675, filed Dec. 22, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,720,580, and/or U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/618,686, filed Oct. 14, 2004, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties, a video device for internal cabin surveillance and/or video telephone function, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,760,962; 5,877,897; 6,690,268; and/or 7,370,983, and/or U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/538,724, filed Jun. 13, 2005 and published Mar. 9, 2006 as U.S. Publication No. US-2006-0050018, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties, a traffic sign recognition system, a system for determining a distance to a leading or trailing vehicle or object, such as a system utilizing the principles disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,396,397 and/or 7,123,168, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties, and/or the like.

[0141] Optionally, the circuit board or chip may include circuitry for the imaging array sensor and or other electronic accessories or features, such as by utilizing compass-on-a-chip or EC driver-on-a-chip technology and aspects such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,255,451 and/or U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 11/201,661, filed Aug. 11, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,480,149; and/or Ser. No. 11/226,628, filed Sep. 14, 2005, and published on Mar. 23, 2006 as U.S. Publication No. US 2006/0061008, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0142] Changes and modifications to the specifically described embodiments may be carried out without departing from the principles of the present invention, which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims as interpreted according to the principles of patent law.