Abstract: A vehicular exterior component, such as a handle assembly for a closure of a vehicle, includes a force-based sensor disposed behind an outer wall and responsive to forces applied thereto. The vehicular exterior component may include a force-sensitive printed circuit board (PCB) configured to detect touch forces at either of an inner surface or an outer surface of the outer wall of the vehicular exterior component and to distinguish between those different touch forces in order to provide corresponding unlock or lock signals. A short-range RADAR antenna may be disposed within the vehicular exterior component and adjacent to the outer wall. A passive keyless entry (PKE) antenna may also disposed within the vehicular exterior component and adjacent to the outer wall.

Abstract: A multifunctional rear camera system includes a rear camera and a processor. Responsive to processing of captured image data, the processor generates respective outputs for (i) a rear backup assist function, (ii) a mirror dimming control for at least an electro-optic interior rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle and (iii) ambient light detection. The processor processes a mirror zone of captured image data for mirror dimming control and processes upper corner regions of captured image data for ambient light detection. The processor processes at least lower regions of captured image data for the rear backup assist function. The generated output for the mirror dimming control is provided to the electro-optic interior rearview mirror assembly to control dimming of the electro-optic reflective element. The generated output for the rear backup assist function provides (i) object detection and/or (ii) video display of video images derived from captured image data.

Abstract: A method for extending and retracting a handle of a door handle assembly for a door of a vehicle includes providing a door handle assembly having a base portion, a handle portion that is movably attached at the base portion, and an electrically operable actuator that operates to move the handle portion relative to the base portion. A control controls operation of the actuator to move the handle portion between a recessed position and a partially extended position. Responsive to detecting presence of an authorized user, a sensing system determines a motion vector of the user that is indicative of a direction that the user is moving relative to the vehicle. Responsive to determining that the determined motion vector is indicative of the user approaching the door of the vehicle, the control controls operation of the actuator to move the handle portion to the partially extended position.

Abstract: A method for assembling an electro-optic mirror reflective element for a vehicular rearview mirror assembly includes providing a container having a plurality of holes for dispensing spacer beads, supporting the container over a dispensing area via an electrically powered shaking device, positioning a glass substrate at the dispensing area, and automatically shaking the container so that spacer beads fall through the holes in the container and onto the glass substrate. The shaking of the container is controlled so that the shaking device is deactivated after an appropriate amount of spacer beads are dispensed onto the glass substrate. The glass substrate is mated with another glass substrate with the dispensed spacer beads between the glass substrates and bounded by a perimeter seal. The cavity between the glass substrates is filled with an electro-optic medium, and the cavity is sealed with the electro-optic medium and spacer beads disposed therein.

Abstract: An exterior rearview mirror system for a vehicle includes an exterior mirror assembly having a skull-cap mirror shell that includes an inboard wall that faces generally toward an exterior side of the vehicle and that is viewable by a driver of the vehicle. A multi-stage blind spot indicator is disposed at an aperture established at the inboard wall of the skull-cap mirror shell. An illumination source of the blind spot indicator is activated to illuminate the multi-stage blind spot indicator responsive to an electronic blind spot monitoring system of the vehicle detecting another vehicle that is approaching or overtaking the equipped vehicle. Illumination of the multi-stage blind spot indicator by activation of the illumination source is readily viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle and is generally not viewable by a driver of another vehicle traveling in front of or approaching from in front of the equipped vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a mounting arm and a mirror head at one end of the mounting arm distal from an attachment portion of the mounting arm that is configured for attachment at a vehicle. A mirror reflective element is fixedly attached at the mirror head. An innermost side of the mirror reflective element is attached at a front side of an attachment plate. The mirror reflective element moves in tandem with movement of the mirror head relative to the mounting arm when the driver of the vehicle operates an electrically-operable actuator. The attachment plate includes wall structure that extends from the front side of the attachment plate and circumscribes and spans the perimeter circumferential edge of the glass substrate and does not encroach onto and does not overlap the front surface of the glass substrate of the exterior mirror reflective element.

Abstract: A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head adjustably disposed at a mounting structure. An electro-optic reflective element is attached at an attachment element that attaches at an electrically powered actuator disposed in the mirror head. The attachment element includes a protruding portion that is at least partially received at a notched region of the rear glass substrate when the reflective element is disposed at the attachment element. An outer surface of the protruding portion of the attachment element corresponds with the second perimeter edge of the rear glass substrate at the notched region of the rear glass substrate. With the electro-optic reflective element disposed at the mirror head, the outer surface of the protruding portion provides a curved transition from an outer surface of the mirror head toward the first surface of the front glass substrate.

Abstract: An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a mirror head and a mounting structure attached at a central region of the mirror back plate. A circuit board is disposed at the mirror back plate to one side of the central region, and first and second electrical connectors are disposed at the rear of the reflective element to the other side of the central region, with the first and second electrical connectors being in electrically conductive continuity with electrically conductive coatings at respective surfaces of the front and rear glass substrates. The electrical conductors are electrically connected between the respective electrical connector and reflectance control circuitry at the circuit board. A wire harness is electrically connected to the circuit board, and a portion of the wire harness passes through the mounting structure and has a connector end for electrically connecting to a vehicle wire harness.

Abstract: A method of making a mirror substrate for a vehicular rearview mirror assembly includes providing a glass substrate having a planar front surface, a planar rear surface and a circumferential perimeter edge. The glass substrate is positioned at a fixture and the front perimeter edge portion of the glass substrate is ground by moving a grinding wheel around the periphery of the glass substrate to establish a rounded surface about and around the periphery of the glass substrate and between the planar front surface and a rear portion of the perimeter edge of the glass substrate. The rounded surface has a radius of curvature of at least 2.5 mm. The rounded surface provides a curved transition between the planar front surface of the glass substrate and the rear portion of the perimeter edge of the glass substrate. The planar rear surface of the glass substrate is coated with a coating.

Abstract: A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head adjustably attached at a mounting base configured to attach at an interior portion of a vehicle. A driver monitoring camera is accommodated by the mirror head so as to move in tandem with the mirror head when the mirror head is adjusted relative to the mounting base to adjust a driver's rearward view. A forward viewing camera is accommodated by the mounting base so as to have a forward field of view through the vehicle windshield. A processor is operable to process image data captured by the driver monitoring camera to determine (i) driver attentiveness, (ii) driver drowsiness and/or (iii) driver gaze direction. The processor adjusts processing of the image data captured by the driver monitoring camera to accommodate adjustment of the mirror head when the driver adjusts the mirror head to adjust his or her rearward view.

Abstract: A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a base portion configured for attachment at an exterior portion of a vehicle, a mirror head having a mirror casing and a mirror reflective element, and an actuator at an end of the base portion. An adapter plate of the actuator is attached at a head mounting plate attached at the mirror casing. The mirror back plate is attached at the head mounting plate. A service recess is at and between the mirror back plate and the head mounting plate and is configured to receive a separating element that imparts a separating force at and between the mirror back plate and the head mounting plate to detach at least a portion of the mirror back plate from the head mounting plate. With at least the portion of the mirror back plate detached, the mirror back plate is detachable from the head mounting plate.

Abstract: A vehicular dual-state interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head including an electrochromic mirror reflective element having a transflective mirror reflector. A video display device is disposed rearward of the viewable reflective region and occupies at least 85 percent of the viewable reflective region of the mirror reflective element. With the mirror assembly operating in a first state, the video display device does not display video images and the driver views rearward via reflection at the viewable reflective region and, with the mirror assembly operating in a second state, the video display device displays video images for viewing at the viewable reflective region by the driver. Video images displayed by the display screen at a center zone of the viewable reflective region are at unit magnification, and video images displayed at driver-side and passenger-side zones are not displayed at unit magnification.

Abstract: A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head having a mirror casing and an electro-optic mirror reflective element. A printed circuit board is disposed in the mirror head and includes (i) a light sensor, (ii) an indicator LED and (iii) an electronic switch. A multi-function light pipe is disposed at the mirror head with (i) a first end at the light sensor, the indicator LED and the electronic switch, and (ii) a second end at a perimeter region of the mirror head so as to be viewable and accessible by the driver of the vehicle. The light sensor senses light from rearward of the vehicle via the light pipe. Light emitted by the indicator LED, when energized, is viewable by the driver via the light pipe. The light pipe actuates the electronic switch responsive to a user actuation at the second end of the light pipe.

Abstract: A door handle assembly includes a handle portion disposed at a pocket region of the door handle region. The door handle assembly includes a plurality of touch sensors disposed at the handle portion that are linearly arranged along the handle portion. Each touch sensor has a respective touch sensitivity and generates sensor data based on the respective touch sensitivity and detection of a touch. The plurality of touch sensors includes at least two touch sensors having different respective touch sensitivities. A processor is operable to process the sensor data generated by the plurality of touch sensors. A controller, responsive to processing at the processor of the sensor data generated by the plurality of touch sensors, determines a touch event at the door handle assembly. The determined touch event includes a user touching the handle portion. The controller, responsive to detecting the touch event, locks or unlocks the vehicle door.

Abstract: A method for forming a vehicular window assembly includes providing a plurality of window panels and arranging the window panels relative to one another with adjacent edge portions of adjacent window panels being non-coplanar. Adjacent edge portions of the adjacent window panels are fixedly joined via a joining element at the adjacent edge portions of the adjacent window panels. The joining element may be at least partially overmolded and fixedly joined at the adjacent edge portions of the adjacent window panels. The vehicular window assembly may comprise a vehicular side window assembly configured to mount at a side portion of a vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicular exterior door handle assembly includes a handle portion, a light transmitting cover element disposed at least partially along a length dimension of the handle portion, and an illumination module having an illumination source. When the illumination source is electrically powered, light emitted by the illumination source passes at least partially along the length dimension of the handle portion. With the exterior door handle assembly mounted at a door handle region of a vehicle door and when the illumination source is electrically powered, light that passes at least partially along the length dimension of the handle portion is viewable by a person viewing the handle portion of the exterior door handle assembly. When the illumination source is not electrically powered, the illumination source is covert to the person viewing the handle portion of the exterior door handle assembly.

Abstract: A vehicular exterior door handle assembly includes a base portion configured to mount at an exterior door handle region of a vehicular door of a vehicle, a handle portion, and a sensing module that includes at least one light emitter and at least one light sensor. With the base portion of the vehicular exterior door handle assembly mounted at the exterior door handle region of the vehicular door, the light emitter, when energized, emits light. With the base portion mounted at the exterior door handle region of the vehicular door, and with the light emitter energized, the light sensor senses light emitted by the light emitter. Responsive to light sensed by the light sensor with the light emitter energized being below a threshold level, the sensing module determines a presence of a person's hand at the handle portion.

Abstract: A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a reflective element assembly portion that includes a mirror reflective element and at least one pivot element, which provides adjustability of the mirror reflective element when the reflective element assembly portion is mounted within an interior cabin of a vehicle. A cap portion is adapted to attach to the reflective element assembly portion. The cap portion includes at least one accessory. The at least one accessory includes an accessory module insertable at least partially into the cap portion. Insertion of the accessory module into the cap portion connects the accessory module to the cap portion both mechanically and electrically. The cap portion may encase a rear portion of the reflective element assembly portion, and a mounting member may extend from the pivot element and through an aperture of the cap portion for mounting the mirror assembly within the interior cabin of the vehicle.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a variable reflectance mirror reflective element suitable for use in a vehicular rearview mirror assembly includes providing a front glass sheet and a plurality of rear glass substrates, and joining and spacing the rear glass substrates at the front glass sheet via perimeter seals. After the rear glass substrates are joined with the front glass sheet, the front glass sheet is cut to form a plurality of front glass substrates. A back plate is attached at the rear side of each of the rear glass substrates. After cutting the front glass sheet, the back plate of the respective rear glass substrate and cut front glass substrate portion is fixtured at a finishing tool, which processes the cut edges of at least the respective front glass substrate to provide a finished perimeter edge of the front glass substrate to form a variable reflectance mirror reflective element.

Abstract: A method for generating an output for controlling a vehicular function of a vehicle includes providing (i) a vehicular sensing device having at least one illumination source operable to backlight a plurality of icons, each icon representative of a respective vehicle function, and (ii) a plurality of sensors, each sensor having a respective field of sensing associated with a respective icon of the plurality of icons. With the vehicular sensing device disposed at a vehicle, and with the at least one illumination source activated to backlight the plurality of icons, the backlit icons are viewable at an exterior portion of the vehicle, and the sensors sense movement of a person's hand or foot in a field of sensing of one of the sensors, and a controller generates an output to control the vehicular function that is represented by the respective backlit icon associated with that sensor.