Patent ID: 8836888

Claim:
An automotive rearview assembly having a front, the assembly comprising: a housing; a transflective electrochromic (EC) mirror element disposed within the housing; and a light source disposed within the housing behind the mirror element with respect to the front, the light source including: a first light emitter adapted to emit light along a first axis; a lightguide having an extent, a planar portion, and first and second light-guiding surfaces, the lightguide being in optical communication with the first light emitter and configured to outcouple light channeled by the lightguide through the first light-guiding surface, the first and second light-guiding surfaces forming a curve configured to communicate light along a second axis; a second light emitter operable to transmit light through the first and second light guiding surfaces of the planar portion of the lightguide; and a liquid-crystal display (LCD) disposed between the first light-guiding surface and the EC mirror element, the LCD having a liquid-crystal (LC) layer oriented to be substantially parallel to the first light-guiding surface, wherein the light source further includes a segmented LC-cell in optical communication with the LCD, the segmented LC-cell being disposed between the LCD and the EC mirror element.