Patent ID: 8228588

Claim:
An interior rearview mirror information display system for a vehicle, said interior rearview mirror information display system comprising: an interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a reflective element; wherein said reflective element comprises an electrochromic reflective element comprising a front substrate and a rear substrate, said front substrate having first and second surfaces and said rear substrate having third and fourth surfaces, and wherein said front substrate and said rear substrate are arranged so that said second surface of said front substrate opposes said third surface of said rear substrate with an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween; wherein a mirror reflector is established at a surface of said rear substrate and wherein said mirror reflector comprises a transflective mirror reflector and wherein said transflective mirror reflector is at least partially transmissive to visible light and partially reflective of visible light incident thereat; a display device disposed behind said transflective mirror reflector of said reflective element, wherein said display device comprises a display screen backlit by a plurality of light emitting diodes; a circuit board for mounting electrical components, wherein said circuit board is disposed rearward of said fourth surface of said rear substrate, and wherein said circuit board supports said plurality of light emitting diodes; wherein said circuit board supports, at least in part, circuitry that is operable to vary the reflectivity of said electrochromic reflective element responsive to a light condition detected by a photosensor during nighttime driving of a vehicle equipped with said interior rearview mirror information display system; wherein said plurality of light emitting diodes of said circuit board is disposed to the rear of said display screen to provide backlighting of said display screen when said plurality of light emitting diodes is activated; wherein information displayed by said display device when said plurality of light emitting diodes is activated is viewable by a driver of the equipped vehicle when the driver is normally operating the equipped vehicle; and wherein, when said plurality of light emitting diodes is activated and said display device is displaying information, light emitted by said plurality of light emitting diodes passes through said display screen and through said transflective mirror reflector for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle.