Patent ID: 8095310

Claim:
A video mirror system for a vehicle, said video mirror system comprising: an interior rearview mirror assembly mountable at an interior portion of a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a reflective element, said reflective element having a front portion that faces generally towards the driver of the vehicle when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in the vehicle, and having a rear portion that is generally opposite said front portion; wherein said reflective element comprises a transflective mirror reflector, said reflective element being at least about 15 percent transmitting to visible light incident at said rear portion of said reflective element; a video display disposed to the rear of said rear portion of said reflective element, said video display emitting light when actuated that passes through said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element to be visible to a driver of the vehicle viewing said front portion of said reflective element; wherein said video display is back lit by at least one of (i) a cold cathode vacuum fluorescent light source and (ii) at least one light emitting diode; and wherein said video display is operable to exhibit a display intensity as viewed by the driver of at least about 400 candelas per square meter when said interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted and is viewed in the vehicle.