Patent ID: 8179437

Claim:
An accessory module system for a vehicle, said accessory module system comprising: an interior rearview mirror assembly; an accessory module; at least one accessory housed at least partially in said accessory module, said at least one accessory comprising a camera, said camera having a lens; an attachment member adhesively attached at an interior surface of a vehicle windshield; said accessory module being configured to mount to said attachment member; said accessory module comprising a windshield facing portion that opposes the interior surface of the vehicle windshield when said accessory module is mounted to said attachment member adhesively attached at the interior surface of the vehicle windshield; said camera being disposed in said accessory module, said accessory module comprising structure to angle said camera with respect to said windshield facing portion of said accessory module, said camera having a forward field of view through the vehicle windshield when said accessory module is mounted to said attachment member; wherein said lens of said camera is spaced from the interior surface of the vehicle windshield when said accessory module is mounted to said attachment member adhesively attached at the interior surface of the vehicle windshield; wherein said camera is angled by said structure of said accessory module and with respect to said windshield facing portion to at least partially compensate for the angle of the windshield itself, and wherein a principal axis of the forward field of view of said camera is directed generally at or below horizontal when said accessory module is mounted to said attachment member; wherein said windshield facing portion of said accessory module comprises a resilient element disposed at the interior surface of the vehicle windshield to at least one of cushion and seal said accessory module relative to the interior surface of the vehicle windshield when said accessory module is mounted to said attachment member adhesively attached at the interior surface of the vehicle windshield; wherein said accessory module is detachably mounted to said attachment member adhesively attached at the interior surface of the vehicle windshield; and wherein said interior rearview mirror assembly detachably mounts to at least one (a) said accessory module, (b) a second attachment member at the interior surface of the vehicle windshield, and (c) a header portion of the vehicle.