Patent ID: 7760111

Claim:
An exterior rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said exterior rearview mirror system comprising: an exterior mirror assembly having a mirror casing, said mirror casing comprising a mirror portion including a reflective element and an attachment portion for attaching said mirror assembly at an exterior side of a vehicle equipped with said exterior rearview mirror system, said reflective element being adjustably supported by an actuator within said mirror portion of said mirror casing, said mirror casing having an inboard portion that faces generally toward the exterior side of the equipped vehicle, said inboard portion of said mirror casing being viewable by a driver of the vehicle when said exterior mirror assembly is attached at the exterior side of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said inboard portion of said mirror casing is substantially not directly viewable by drivers of other vehicles overtaking the equipped vehicle at a side lane adjacent to the side of the equipped vehicle at which said exterior mirror assembly is mounted when the equipped vehicle is operated on a road; a blind spot indicator at said inboard portion of said mirror casing, wherein said blind spot indicator comprises an illumination source comprising at least one light emitting diode, said illumination source disposed behind an at least partially light transmitting element, and wherein light emitted by said illumination source passes through said at least partially light transmitting element for viewing by a driver of the vehicle; and wherein said blind spot indicator is disposed at said inboard portion of said mirror casing so that said light emitted by said illumination source passing through said at least partially light transmitting element is readily viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle and wherein said light emitted by said illumination source is generally not viewed by other road users when said exterior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the side of the equipped vehicle and when the equipped vehicle is operated on a road.