Patent ID: 7898398
Filing Date: 2011-03-01
Classification: B60K,B60R

Abstract:
1. An interior mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle, said interior mirror system comprising: an interior rearview mirror assembly, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a mirror support, said mirror support comprising a mirror mount configured for attachment at an interior portion of a vehicle equipped with said interior rearview mirror assembly; wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a housing and a reflective element, said reflective element comprising a glass substrate having at least a metallic reflector coating established at a surface thereof; wherein said mirror support comprises a pivot element and wherein the rearward field of view of said reflective element is pivotally adjustable via adjustment of said housing about said pivot element when said interior rearview mirror assembly is attached by said mirror support at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle; wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises an imaging sensor, and wherein said imaging sensor comprises one of a CMOS sensor and a CCD sensor, and wherein said imaging sensor is disposed at a portion of said interior rearview mirror assembly that is not adjusted when the driver of the equipped vehicle adjusts the rearward field of view of said reflective element of said interior rearview mirror assembly; a reconfigurable display disposed within said housing and behind said reflective element, wherein said reconfigurable display comprises backlighting provided by a plurality of white light light emitting diodes; wherein information displayed by said reconfigurable display, when said reconfigurable display is backlit by said plurality of white light light emitting diodes, is viewable through said reflective element by a driver of the equipped vehicle viewing said reflective element of said interior rearview mirror assembly when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle; wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises at least one photo sensor; wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a control and wherein said control is responsive to said photo sensor and operable to distinguish between daytime and nighttime lighting conditions; wherein said control is operable to vary the intensity of information displayed by said reconfigurable display as viewed through said reflective element by the driver of the equipped vehicle; wherein, when said reconfigurable display is backlit by said plurality of white light light emitting diodes during daytime lighting conditions, said control is operable to adjust the intensity of displayed information to at least about 1000 cd/m wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a headlamp controller and wherein, responsive to sensing of at least one of an oncoming headlight of another vehicle and a taillight of another vehicle by said imaging sensor, said control at least partially controls a headlight of the equipped vehicle.