Abstract: An electronic accessory system for a vehicle includes an accessory module housing electronics, which includes a CMOS camera and a vehicle bus node and a digital signal processor. When the accessory module is mounted at a vehicle windshield, the vehicle bus node is connected to a vehicle bus of the vehicle. At least one of (a) data generated by the electronics is conveyed to the vehicle bus via the vehicle bus node and (b) the vehicle bus conveys data to the electronics via the vehicle bus node. The digital signal processor is operable at a computational speed of at least 75 million instructions per second, and may include at least one of (a) at least 40 kilobytes of on-chip memory, (b) at least one serial port, (c) at least one DMA port, (d) at least one timer and (e) at least one interrupt capability.

Abstract: An accessory system of a vehicle includes a rearward viewing camera, a forward viewing camera and a video display screen disposed in the interior cabin of the vehicle at a location separate from the location of an interior rearview mirror assembly. When the vehicle is executing a reversing maneuver, the video display screen displays images captured by the rearward viewing camera to assist the driver in reversing the vehicle. The video display screen is operable to display other information. During forward travel of the vehicle and responsive to information pertaining to the location of the vehicle and a route to a destination, the video display screen displays forward video images captured by the forward viewing camera and the video display screen displays a graphic overlay on the displayed forward video images that highlights a highway on/off ramp to follow the route to the destination and/or a building of the destination.

Abstract: A variable reflectance mirror reflective element for a vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a front substrate and a rear substrate, with an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween. A mirror reflector is disposed at a third surface of the rear substrate and includes a stack of thin films and has a sheet resistance of less than about 5 ohms per square. Light that reflects off of the mirror reflector and passes through the electrochromic medium and the front substrate exhibits a substantially non-spectrally selective reflectance characteristic to a person viewing the exterior mirror reflective element when no voltage is applied to the electrochromic medium. At least a portion of the mirror reflector extends out under the seal towards a perimeter edge of the rear substrate. An electrical connection, which may include a conductive epoxy, is made to the portion of the mirror reflector outboard of the perimeter seal.

Abstract: An extended field of view exterior mirror element suitable for use in a driver-side exterior sideview mirror assembly includes a reflective single glass element having a substantially flat inboard reflective glass portion and a curved outboard reflective glass portion. The substantially flat inboard reflective glass portion has a radius of curvature greater than at least approximately 12,000 millimeters and provides a first primary field of view rearward of the vehicle that subtends an angle that is not greater than approximately 20 degrees with respect to the driver-side of the vehicle. The curved outboard reflective glass portion provides a second auxiliary field of view rearward of the vehicle that encompasses a blind spot of the substantially flat inboard reflective glass portion. The reflective single glass element includes a demarcation that generally demarcates the substantially flat inboard reflective glass portion from the curved outboard reflective glass portion.

Abstract: A method of forming a mirror reflector sub-assembly suitable for use in an exterior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle includes providing a glass substrate having a first surface and a second surface. Glass is physically removed from a portion of the second surface of the glass substrate to form a curved recess locally thereat. The second surface of the glass substrate is coated with a mirror reflector via a vacuum deposition process. When used in an automotive exterior rearview mirror assembly, the mirror reflective element provides a principal reflector portion and an auxiliary reflector portion to a driver of the vehicle who views the mirror reflective element when normally operating the vehicle. A mirror back plate is formed in a plastic molding operation and a heater pad is disposed between the coated second surface of the glass substrate and a first side of the mirror back plate.

Abstract: A vehicular exterior rearview mirror system includes an exterior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror casing portion and a mirror reflective element sub-assembly having a mirror reflective element. The mirror reflective element sub-assembly includes a mirror back plate. A heater pad is disposed between a side of the mirror back plate and the mirror reflective element. The mirror reflective element is fixedly attached to the mirror back plate with the heater pad disposed therebetween. The mirror reflective element sub-assembly includes a display indicator having a light source that is activatable to emit light. When activated, the light source emits light that transmits through a light-transmitting passageway of the display indicator and through a light-transmitting portion of the heater pad and through the mirror reflective element to be viewable by the driver of the vehicle. The display indicator is associated with a blind spot detection system of the vehicle.

Abstract: An interior rearview mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror head and a reflective element. The mirror head includes a first microphone operable to generate a first analog signal and a second microphone operable to generate a second analog signal. The first analog signal is converted to a first digital signal by at least one analog to digital converter and the second analog signal is converted to a second digital signal by the at least one analog to digital converter. A digital sound processor is operable to process the first and second digital signals. Responsive to the processing of the first and second digital signals, the digital sound processor generates a digital output, and the digital output, at least in part, distinguishes a human voice present in the vehicle from noise present in the vehicle.

Abstract: A mirror reflector sub-assembly for a vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror reflective element having a glass substrate. A principal reflector portion has a first radius of curvature and an auxiliary reflector portion includes a curved recess having a second radius of curvature smaller than the first radius of curvature. The curved recess is established at the second surface of the glass substrate by physical removal of glass from a portion of the substrate. The mirror reflective element is supported at a side of a mirror back plate and an opposing side of the mirror back plate is adapted for attaching the mirror back plate to a mirror actuator of an exterior rearview mirror assembly equipped with the mirror reflector sub-assembly. A heater pad is disposed at the second surface of the glass substrate between the mirror reflective element and the mirror back plate.

Abstract: An exterior door handle assembly includes an illumination device and a handle portion movable to open a vehicle door. The illumination device includes at least one illumination source that, when actuated, emits light. The illumination device includes a lighting strip that is disposed at the handle portion, and the lighting strip extends at least partially along a length dimension of the handle portion. When the illumination source is actuated, the lighting strip is illuminated and the illumination is viewable at least partially along the length dimension of the handle portion by a person viewing the handle portion of the exterior door handle assembly from outside of the vehicle door. When the illumination source is not actuated, the lighting strip may not be readily viewable by and discernible to a person viewing the handle portion of the exterior door handle assembly from outside of the vehicle door.

Abstract: A variable reflectance mirror reflective element for a vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a front substrate and a rear substrate, with an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween. A mirror reflector is disposed at a third surface of the rear substrate and includes a stack of thin films and has a sheet resistance of less than about 5 ohms per square. Light that reflects off of the mirror reflector and passes through the electrochromic medium and the front substrate exhibits a substantially non-spectrally selective reflectance characteristic to a person viewing the exterior mirror reflective element when no voltage is applied to the electrochromic medium. At least a portion of the mirror reflector extends out under the seal towards a perimeter edge of the rear substrate. An electrical connection, which may include a conductive epoxy, is made to the portion of the mirror reflector outboard of the perimeter seal.

Abstract: An exterior rearview mirror assembly suitable for a vehicle includes an attachment portion and a casing portion having a variable reflectance mirror reflective element. A mirror reflector is disposed at at least a portion of a surface of a rear substrate of the reflective element. The mirror reflector includes a stack of thin films having at least a first metal thin film and a second metal thin film. The first metal thin film is formed of a metal material that has a specific resistivity of less than about 1×10?3 ohm·cm and the second metal thin film is formed of a metal material that has a specific resistivity of less than about 1×10?3 ohm·cm. No part of the rear substrate extends beyond any part of a front substrate of the reflective element. An indicator is disposed rearward of the reflective element and, when actuated, illuminates through the reflective element.

Abstract: An interior rearview mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror casing and a transflective reflective element. The transflective reflective element has an electrochromic active region, and a plurality of user input elements is disposed outside of the electrochromic active region and below the electrochromic active region. Each of the individual user input elements is a touch or proximity sensor. A plurality of display elements is disposed behind the transflective reflective element at the electrochromic active region, and each display element is selectively activated by activation of a respective user input element. Each of the individual display elements and its associated respective one of the individual user input elements are located local to one another such that a cognitive relationship between actuation by a user of a respective user input element and activation of its associated display element is established.

Abstract: A voice acquisition system for a vehicle includes a microphone having a first microphone element and a second microphone element. The system includes circuitry for processing signals output by the first and second microphone elements. The first microphone element is disposed at a first acoustic port and the second microphone element is disposed at a second acoustic port. The first acoustic port is at least partially isolated from the second acoustic port. When the microphone is normally mounted in an interior cabin of a vehicle, vocal signals emanating from an occupant of the vehicle pressurize the first microphone element at the first acoustic port ahead of pressurization by the vocal signals of the second microphone element at the second acoustic port. The voice acquisition system may include at least one of (i) discrimination of vocal signals from non-vocal signals, (ii) noise cancellation and (iii) filtering of noise.

Abstract: A mirror reflective element sub-assembly for an exterior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle includes a mirror reflective element having a transparent substrate. A mirror reflector is disposed at a surface of the transparent substrate and a heater pad is disposed at a rear surface of the transparent substrate. A mirror back plate is disposed at the heater pad and has a first structure formed at a rear plate surface and configured to attach at an actuator of an exterior rearview mirror assembly. A blind spot indicator element is disposed at a second structure formed at the rear plate surface and includes a light source that is activatable to emit light. The blind spot indicator element and the second structure are configured so that light emitted by the blind spot indicator illuminates an icon so that the illuminated icon is principally viewed by a driver of the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicular exterior rearview mirror system includes an exterior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror reflective element that is fixedly attached at a mirror back plate. The mirror back plate includes an indicator structure that has a passageway that extends from the back plate at an angle relative to the portion of the back plate. At least one baffle is disposed within the passageway and is angled at the angle relative to the portion of the back plate. An indicator is mounted at an end portion of the passageway, and light emitted by the indicator passes through the passageway and through the mirror reflective element via an opening in the back plate. When the indicator is activated, light passing through the passageway and emanating from the mirror reflective element is at least partially shielded from direct view by the driver of the vehicle by the at least one baffle.

Abstract: An interior rearview mirror system includes a rearward facing camera, an interior rearview mirror assembly and a video display screen disposed behind a mirror reflective element of the interior rearview mirror assembly. The video display screen is viewable by a driver of the vehicle when the driver is normally operating the vehicle, and the video display screen is operable to display information for viewing by a driver of the vehicle through the mirror reflective element when the mirror assembly is normally mounted in the vehicle and when the video display screen is operated to display information. When the vehicle is executing a reversing maneuver, the video display screen displays images captured by the rearward facing camera to assist the driver in reversing the vehicle, and the video display screen is operable to display other information.

Abstract: A camera module for a vision system of a vehicle includes a housing having a base portion and a lens portion and a circuit element. The circuit element includes an imaging sensor and associated circuitry. The circuit element may include an electrical connector having a plurality of terminals. A lens may be disposed at least partially in the lens portion of the housing and the circuit element may be disposed at least partially in the base portion of the housing. The base portion and the lens portion may be welded or sealed together to substantially limit water intrusion into the camera module. The imaging sensor may have a dynamic range of greater than approximately 100 dB, and the dynamic range of the imaging sensor may follow, at least in part, a linear response curve up to approximately 62 dB and a non-linear response curve above approximately 62 dB.

Abstract: A driver assistance system for a vehicle includes an imager disposed in the vehicle and viewing forward of the vehicle through the vehicle windshield. The imager has a field of view exterior the vehicle and is operable to capture image data. The imager includes (i) a lens, (ii) a spectral filter and (iii) a CMOS photosensor array of photosensor elements. The system includes a control that may be operable to process captured image data for at least a first application and a second application, with the first application including lane departure warning and the second application selected from the group consisting of (i) headlamp control, (ii) vehicle detection and (iii) rain sensing. The control may be operable to adjust a parameter or setting of the imager.

Abstract: A mirror reflector sub-assembly for a vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror reflective element having a glass substrate. A principal reflector portion has a first radius of curvature and an auxiliary reflector portion includes a curved recess having a second radius of curvature smaller than the first radius of curvature. The curved recess is established at the second surface of the glass substrate by physical removal of glass from a portion of the substrate. The mirror reflective element is supported at a side of a mirror back plate and an opposing side of the mirror back plate is adapted for attaching the mirror back plate to a mirror actuator of an exterior rearview mirror assembly equipped with the mirror reflector sub-assembly. A heater pad is disposed at the second surface of the glass substrate between the mirror reflective element and the mirror back plate.

Abstract: A video mirror system suitable for use in a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly mountable at an interior portion of a vehicle and includes a mirror case and a reflective element. A video display device may be one of (i) fixedly disposed in the mirror case and (ii) extendable and retractable relative to the mirror case. The video display device is operable to display video images that are viewable by the driver of the vehicle when the interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the interior portion of the vehicle. The interior rearview mirror assembly includes an on-screen display controller operable to receive a video signal from a camera and, responsive to receipt of the video signal, the on-screen display controller is operable to generate a video feed to the video display device.