Abstract: An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a minor head pivotable about a minor support, which is configured to attach at an interior portion of the vehicle. The mirror head includes a mirror reflective element having a transflective mirror reflector that at least partially reflects light incident thereon and at least partially transmits incident light therethrough. A video display device is disposed behind the minor reflective element and includes a display screen backlit by a backlighting device, with the backlighting device including a plurality of micro-LEDs. With the minor support attached at the interior portion of the vehicle, the video display device is operable to display video images captured by a camera of the vehicle, whereby light emitted by the video display device passes through the mirror reflective element for viewing displayed video images.

Abstract: A method for determining presence of a person's hand at an exterior door handle assembly for a vehicular door includes providing an exterior door handle assembly having a base portion, a handle portion and a pocket lighting and sensing module, with the pocket lighting and sensing module including at least one light emitting diode and at least one light sensor. With the base portion mounted at the exterior door handle region of the vehicular door, the light emitting diode is energized to emit light to illuminate a pocket surface at the base portion, and the light sensor light senses light emitted by the light emitting diode that is reflected off the pocket surface at the base portion. Responsive to light sensed by the light sensor being below a threshold level, the pocket lighting and sensing module determines a presence of a person's hand at the handle portion.

Abstract: A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror reflective element sub-assembly having a mirror reflective element, a mirror reflector, a mirror back plate, a heater pad and a blind spot indicator module. The heater pad is disposed between the mirror reflective element and the mirror back plate and has a light transmitting portion that is aligned with an aperture of the mirror back plate. The blind spot indicator module includes a body portion and a connector portion extending from the body portion. Light emitted by at least one light emitting diode of the blind spot indicator module passes through the light transmitting portion of the heater pad and through a light-transmitting portion of the mirror reflector and exits the mirror reflective element to provide a visual icon visible to a driver of the vehicle who is driving the vehicle and who is viewing said mirror reflective element.

Abstract: A vehicular window assembly includes a laminated glass window panel comprising an inner glass sheet and an outer glass sheet that are laminated together. A sensing device is disposed between the inner and outer glass sheets and includes a plurality of sensors and a plurality of illumination sources. With the laminated glass window panel disposed at a vehicle and when one or more of said illumination sources are activated, a person viewing the laminated glass window panel from exterior of the vehicle views one or more of a plurality of icons or alphanumeric characters illuminated by light emitted by the activated respective one or more of the illumination sources. With the laminated glass window panel disposed at the vehicle and when the illumination sources are not activated, the sensing device is not readily visible to the person viewing the laminated glass window panel from exterior of the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror reflective element sub-assembly having a mirror reflective element, a mirror back plate and a heater pad disposed between the mirror reflective element and the mirror back plate. The heater pad is adhered via a pressure sensitive adhesive to the glass substrate of the mirror reflective element, and the mirror back plate is adhered via a pressure sensitive adhesive to the heater pad. The mirror back plate includes first structure that is configured to attach at an actuator. A blind spot indicator element is disposed second structure of the mirror back plate. When the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly is attached at the vehicle and when a light source of the indicator element is activated, an icon present at an outboard region of said electrochromic mirror reflective element is illuminated and is viewable by the driver of the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror casing and a reflective element, with the mirror casing adjustably supported at a mirror mount at an interior surface of the vehicle. The mirror casing includes a principal mirror casing portion and a pivotable mirror casing portion that is pivotable relative to the principal mirror casing portion. The reflective element is accommodated at the principal mirror casing portion. An upper portion of the pivotable mirror casing portion is integrally joined with the principal mirror casing portion at an upper region of the principal mirror casing portion. A spring element is coupled to the pivotable mirror casing portion and to a lower region of the principal mirror casing portion. The spring element flexes to adjust an angle of the principal mirror casing portion and the reflective element relative to the pivotable mirror casing portion of the mirror casing.

Abstract: A system for retaining a vehicular component for painting includes a magnetic fixturing element configured to detachably attach at the vehicular component that is to be painted. The magnetic fixturing element comprises a magnetic element. A fixture includes metallic structure that is configured to engage the magnetic fixturing element. With the fixture engaged with the magnetic fixturing element, the component is magnetically retained at the fixture for painting. With the fixture engaged with the magnetic fixturing element, the component is painted by a painting device of the system. After the component that is magnetically retained at the fixture is painted, the magnetic fixturing element is removable from the component and reusable on other components to be magnetically retained at the fixture and painted.

Abstract: A vehicular lighted exterior rearview mirror system includes a lighted exterior rearview mirror assembly and a light module disposed thereat. The light module includes at least three illumination sources that, with the lighted exterior rearview mirror assembly attached at the side of the vehicle, are arranged spaced apart at the lighted exterior rearview mirror assembly. With the lighted exterior rearview mirror assembly attached at the side of the equipped vehicle, the at least three illumination sources, when powered, emit light at least in a forward direction with respect to the vehicle. Responsive to activation by the driver of the user input of the equipped vehicle, any one or more of said illumination sources is electrically powered. Responsive to adjustment of the user input by the driver of the equipped vehicle, an intensity of illumination forward of the equipped vehicle provided by said light module is adjusted.

Abstract: An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a mirror head, a mirror mounting structure configured to adjustably mount the mirror head at an interior portion of the vehicle, and a receiving portion for receiving a portable self-contained garage door opening module. The portable module includes a user input and a housing, and is operable to wirelessly transmit a radio frequency signal responsive to actuation of the user input of the portable module. With the portable module received at the receiving portion of the interior rearview mirror assembly, the user input is accessible by a driver of the vehicle. A retaining element is configured to attach to the mirror casing at the receiving portion to releasably secure the portable module at the receiving portion.

Abstract: A vehicular vision system includes at least a sideward-viewing side camera at a side of a vehicle, a rearward-viewing rear backup camera, and a ground illumination light module disposed at the side of the vehicle and including at least one light emitting diode and a freeform optic. The vehicular ground illumination light module, when the light emitting diode is electrically powered so as to emit light through the freeform optic, illuminates a ground region at that side of the vehicle. The illuminated ground region includes an illuminated side ground region at least partially along the side of the vehicle and an illuminated rearward ground region rearward of a rear portion of the vehicle. The illuminated ground region is at least in part viewed by the sideward-viewing side camera and the rearward-viewing rear backup camera. A portion of the illuminated side ground region is illuminated with a luminance of at least 10 lux.

Abstract: An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly and a self-contained battery powered module releasably disposable at the mirror head of the mirror assembly. The self-contained battery powered module includes a toll transponder that communicates with an automated toll system. The mirror head has a receiving portion for receiving the self-contained battery powered module thereat. The receiving portion includes an opening established through a wall of the mirror casing. The self-contained battery powered module may be releasably retained at least partially in the receiving portion via a push-to-release mechanism. The self-contained battery powered module may be removable from the receiving portion via pushing at the self-contained battery powered module to release the self-contained battery powered module from the push-to-release mechanism.

Abstract: A vehicular vision system includes a camera disposed at an exterior portion of a body side of the equipped vehicle and viewing sideward and rearward of the equipped vehicle. A video display screen is disposed in an interior cabin of the equipped vehicle and operable to display video images. When no other vehicle is detected in another traffic lane, the video display screen displays video images representative of a first portion of the exterior scene viewed by the camera. Responsive to determination that another vehicle is in the other traffic lane and approaching from rearward of the equipped vehicle, the video display screen displays video images representative of a second portion of the exterior scene that includes the determined other vehicle. Responsive to detection of the other vehicle, the video display screen displays a graphic overlay overlaying the displayed video images representative of the second portion of the exterior scene.

Abstract: A vehicular interior rearview mirror system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having a casing and an electrochromic reflective element, with a video display screen disposed in the casing behind the electrochromic reflective element. With the interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the interior cabin portion of the vehicle, the video display screen is operable to display video images that are viewable through a transflective mirror reflector of the electrochromic reflective element by a driver of the vehicle. A rearward-viewing video camera is disposed at a rear portion of the vehicle and control circuitry is disposed at the interior rearview mirror assembly. Image data captured by the rearward-viewing video camera is provided via a coaxial cable to the control circuitry, which is operable to control the video display screen to display video images that are derived, at least in part, from the captured image data.

Abstract: A vehicular illumination system includes an illumination module disposed at an exterior portion of a vehicle. The illumination module includes a reconfigurable display element and a light source operable to emit light. When the light source is operated, light emitted by the light source passes through the reconfigurable display element and the illumination module projects an icon established by the reconfigurable display element. The reconfigurable display element is reconfigurable to form the icon responsive to one of (i) a user selection of an icon and (ii) programming of the reconfigurable display element for an icon. When the light source is operated, light emitted by the light source passes through the reconfigurable display element and the illumination module projects the icon of the reconfigurable display element onto a surface exterior of the equipped vehicle.

Abstract: A method of assembling a mirror head for an interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes providing a mirror casing, a prismatic reflective element at the mirror casing, and a toggle mechanism. A pivot mount of the toggle mechanism is inserted into an upper or lower receiving portion of the mirror casing, and a body portion of the toggle mechanism is separated from a toggle lever of the toggle mechanism via breaking a frangible portion of the toggle mechanism. After breaking the frangible portion of the toggle mechanism, a second pivot mount of the toggle mechanism is inserted into the lower or upper receiving portion of the mirror casing, whereby corresponding engaging surfaces of the body portion and the toggle lever engage one another such that, when the toggle lever pivots relative to the lower receiving portion of the mirror casing, the mirror casing pivots relative to the body portion.

Abstract: A method for assembling a vehicular interior prismatic rearview mirror assembly includes providing a glass mirror substrate. The rear surface of the glass mirror substrate is coated with a reflector coating, and a protective coating is disposed over the reflector coating. A rear perimeter edge region of the glass mirror substrate is chamfered so that an angled surface is disposed between the rear surface and the perimeter edge. The reflector coating and the protective coating are disposed at the rear surface where the angled surface meets the rear surface. An encapsulant is disposed about a perimeter region of the rear surface so as to encompass and overlay the reflector coating and the protective coating at the rear surface and so as to encompass and overlay a portion of the angled surface, with no part of the encapsulant being disposed at the forward rounded perimeter region.

Abstract: A dual-state interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head including an electro-optic mirror reflective element having a transflective mirror reflector. A video display device is disposed rearward of the viewable reflective region and occupies at least 75 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 at the display screen 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: An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a mirror mount configured to attach at an interior portion of the vehicle. A mirror head includes a mirror casing and a mirror reflective element. The mirror mount includes a ball element and the mirror head includes a socket element, which pivotally attaches at the ball element forming a ball and socket joint to pivotally mount the mirror head at the mirror mount. The mirror head has a thickness dimension spanning between a front planar surface of said mirror reflective element and a rear surface of a laterally sideward region of the mirror casing, with the thickness dimension being less than 20 mm. A central region of the mirror casing has a thickness dimension greater than 20 mm to accommodate the socket element. The socket element is disposed at an aperture through the central region of the mirror casing.

Abstract: A vision system for a vehicle includes a forward viewing camera disposed at a vehicle and viewing forward of the vehicle through the windshield. A control is disposed at the vehicle and includes an image processor operable to process image data captured by the forward viewing camera. An aerial platform is detachably disposed at the vehicle and is operable to detach from and fly at least above the vehicle. The aerial platform includes a drone camera that captures image data and the image data captured by the drone camera is wirelessly communicated to the control. A video display is disposed in the vehicle and is viewable by a driver of the vehicle. The video display, with the aerial platform detached from the vehicle and flying at least above the vehicle, displays video images derived from image data captured by the drone camera for viewing by the driver of the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicular rearview vision system includes a driver-side display device disposed at an interior driver side region of a vehicle and viewable by a driver of the vehicle, a first camera disposed at the vehicle so as to have at least a rearward and sideward field of view, and a second camera disposed at a driver side of the vehicle so as to have at least a sideward and forward field of view that at least partially views an A-pillar blind spot region forward and sideward of a driver-side A-pillar of the vehicle. The driver-side display device displays video images derived from image data captured by the first camera, and the driver-side display device displays driver-side A-pillar blind spot video images derived from image data captured by the second camera. The displayed rearview video images may be at least partially surrounded by the displayed driver-side A-pillar blind spot video images.