Patent ID: 7658521
Filing Date: 2010-02-09
Classification: B60K,B60Q,B60R,H04N,Y02T

Abstract:
1. An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising: an interior rearview mirror assembly, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a reflective mirror element; said reflective element comprising one of (a) a variable reflectance reflective element having a reflectivity which is variable in accordance with a voltage applied thereto and (b) a prismatic reflective element; said reflective element disposed in a mirror housing; said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a mounting portion for attaching said interior rearview mirror assembly to a portion of an interior of the vehicle; said reflective element having a field of view rearward of the vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is attached at the portion of the interior of the vehicle; said interior rearview mirror assembly including at least one pivot joint enabling a driver of the vehicle to adjust the rearward field of view of said reflective element to that driver's desired setting; wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises an information display disposed behind and viewable through said reflective element; wherein said information display comprises one of a liquid crystal display, a vacuum fluorescent display, a light emitting diode display and an electro luminescent display; wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a video camera, said video camera having, when said interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the vehicle, a field of view that encompasses one of (i) the windshield of the vehicle and (ii) the driver of the vehicle; and wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly comprises at least one electrical accessory, and wherein said at least one electrical accessory is selected from the group consisting of a garage door opener, a rain sensor, a trip computer, an intrusion detector, a phone, a light, a phone attachment, a headlamp controller, a transmitter/receiver, a console light, a solar panel, an antenna, a loudspeaker, a microphone, a digital message recorder, a magnetic tape message recorder, a phone control panel and a digital storage device.