Patent ID: 7420159

Claim:
An accessory mounting system suitable for mounting a plurality of accessories at a windshield portion within the interior cabin of a vehicle, said accessory mounting system comprising: an assembly adapted for releasable mounting to a receiving structure on the interior surface at a portion of the windshield of the vehicle; a light absorbing layer on said interior surface at said portion of the windshield of the vehicle, said light absorbing layer on said interior surface of the windshield at least partially hiding said assembly from view by a viewer external the vehicle, said viewer viewing through the windshield when said assembly is normally mounted to said receiving structure; said light absorbing layer including a light transmitting portion; at least two accessories housed by said assembly; one of said at least two accessories comprising a forwardly-viewing camera; another of said at least two accessories comprising a rain sensor; at least one of said forwardly-viewing camera and said rain sensor viewing through said light transmitting portion of said light absorbing layer on said interior surface at said portion of the windshield of the vehicle when said assembly is mounted to said receiving structure; and wherein at least one accessory housed by said assembly electrically couples via an electrical bus connection with an accessory located in the vehicle external to said assembly.