Patent ID: 7586666

Claim:
An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror system comprising: an interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a reflective element having at least one transparent glass substrate, said transparent glass substrate having a transflective reflector established at a surface thereof; wherein said transflective reflector comprises at least three thin film layers, said three thin film layers comprising at least one metallic layer, and wherein the physical thicknesses and materials of said three thin film layers are selected to limit at least one of (a) a tinting effect and (b) a color interference effect so as to provide a substantially spectrally neutral reflectant characteristic as viewed during daytime by a driver operating a vehicle equipped with said interior rearview mirror assembly; a backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen disposed behind said transflective reflector, wherein said backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen is backlit by a plurality of light emitting diodes; wherein said backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen is operable to emit display information and wherein said emitted display information passes through said glass substrate and passes through said transflective reflector for viewing by a driver operating the equipped vehicle; at least one photo sensor configured to detect ambient light at the vehicle, wherein said at least one photo sensor comprises a silicon photo sensor, and wherein a display intensity of said backlit active matrix liquid crystal video display screen is adjustable responsive to a sensing of ambient light by said at least one photo sensor; wherein said transflective reflector is at least about 15 percent transmissive of said emitted display information passing therethrough; and wherein said reflective element provides greater than about 55 percent photopic reflectance of light incident thereon as viewed by the driver operating the equipped vehicle.