Abstract: A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes an electrochromic reflective element having a specularly reflective perimeter layer established at least partially around a perimeter border region of a second surface of a front substrate. The perimeter layer is, at least in part, visible through the front substrate to a viewer when viewing the first surface of the front substrate of the reflective element. The perimeter layer conceals at least a portion of the seal from direct view by the driver of the vehicle. At least one of (a) at least one light source is disposed behind the perimeter layer and emits light that is visible to a viewer viewing the first surface of the front substrate of the reflective element at the perimeter layer, and (b) a light sensor is disposed behind the perimeter layer and senses light that passes through the front substrate at the perimeter layer.

Abstract: A reflective element assembly for a vehicular rearview mirror assembly includes front and rear substrates with an electro-optic medium disposed therebetween. An electrical connector has an attachment portion and a wire receiving portion for receiving an electrical wire therein. A flange of the attachment portion is configured to be disposed at a fourth surface of the rear substrate and a tab is configured to extend at least partially across a perimeter edge of the rear substrate. An electrically conductive material is disposed in an uncured state and uncured electrically conductive material flows at least partially through the aperture and is cured to secure the electrical connector at the rear substrate. The wire receiving portion of the electrical connector is configured to receive the electrical wire therein and includes at least one tang that engages the electrical wire when the electrical wire is inserted into the wire receiving portion.

Abstract: A variable reflectance mirror reflective element assembly for an exterior mirror assembly includes a heater pad disposed at the fourth surface of the rear substrate. The heater pad includes a first connector that electrically connects with the transparent electrically conductive coating disposed at the second surface of the front substrate, and a second connector that electrically connects with the metallic electrically conductive coating disposed at the third surface of the rear substrate. The heater pad includes third and fourth connectors that provide, at least in part, electrical conductive connection with a heating element. The connectors are part of a unitary multi-pin connector that is configured to connect with a corresponding wire harness connector to provide electrical power to the heating element and to the transparent electrically conductive coating and the metallic electrically conductive coating of the reflective element when the exterior minor assembly is mounted at the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicular blind spot indicator mirror includes a transparent glass substrate having a mirror reflector coated onto the substrate. Visible light reflectance by the mirror reflector coated substrate is at least about 40 percent visible light reflectance for visible light incident upon a front side of the mirror reflector coated substrate. A blind spot indicator light display is disposed to the rear of the mirror reflector coated substrate and emits visible light upon a detection by a blind spot detector. Light emitted by the display passes through the transparent glass substrate to be viewed by a viewer viewing from the front side of the substrate. The display is operable, when electrically powered and when operated in the vehicle during day time driving conditions, to exhibit a display luminance of at least about 60 foot lamberts as measured with the display placed behind, and emitting light through, the transparent glass substrate.

Abstract: A variable reflectance mirror reflective element includes a front substrate and a rear substrate and an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween, with no part of the rear substrate extending beyond any part of the front substrate. A mirror reflector is disposed at a third surface of the rear substrate and includes a stack of thin films having at least one metal thin film. A perimeter layer is disposed at a second surface of the front substrate proximate a perimeter edge of the front substrate and generally conceals the perimeter seal from view by a person viewing through the front substrate. Light that reflects off of the mirror reflector and passes through the electrochromic medium and the front substrate has a substantially untinted reflectant characteristic to a person viewing the mirror reflective element when no voltage is applied to the electrochromic medium.

Abstract: A rearview mirror element assembly includes an electrochromic reflective element having a primary viewing region operable to exhibit electrically variable reflectivity, with a specularly reflective mirror reflector established at a third surface of a rear substrate at the primary viewing region. An auxiliary viewing region provides an auxiliary wide angle view of a blind spot to the side of a vehicle when the electrochromic reflective element is used in an exterior rearview mirror assembly mounted at a side of a vehicle. A specularly reflective demarcating layer is established at a second surface of a front substrate of the electrochromic reflective element and, at least in part, is visible through the front substrate to a viewer when viewing the first surface of the front substrate of the electrochromic reflective element. The demarcating layer at least partially traverses the reflective element adjacent the auxiliary viewing region.

Abstract: A reflective element assembly for a vehicular mirror assembly includes a front substrate, a rear substrate, an electro-optic medium disposed between the front and rear substrates and a transmission-reducing thin film coating established at the fourth surface of the rear substrate. A window is established through the transmission-reducing thin film coating and is substantially devoid of the thin film coating at a location where a sensor is disposed behind the reflective element and having a field of view through the reflective element and through the window. A portion of the transmission-reducing thin film coating at and around the window locally varies in physical thickness, with a minimum physical thickness of the thin film coating being closest to the window and with the physical thickness of the thin film coating generally increasing to a generally maximum physical thickness of the thin film coating at a distance from the window.

Abstract: An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly including an electrochromic reflective element. A transflective mirror reflector is established at a third surface of a rear substrate of the mirror assembly. The mirror reflector has at least three layers, including a metallic layer, a transparent conductive metal oxide layer and a transparent dielectric metal oxide layer. The metallic layer is closer to the electrochromic medium than the transparent conductive metal oxide layer and the transparent dielectric metal oxide layer, and the transparent conductive metal oxide layer and the transparent dielectric metal oxide layer are disposed between the metallic layer and the third surface of the rear substrate. The at least three layers of the mirror reflector are established at the third surface of the rear substrate by a vacuum deposition process that includes sputtering from multiple sputtering targets in a single vacuum deposition chamber.

Abstract: A variable reflectance mirror reflective element assembly for an exterior mirror assembly includes a heater pad disposed at the fourth surface of the rear substrate. The heater pad includes a first connector that electrically connects with the transparent electrically conductive coating disposed at the second surface of the front substrate, and a second connector that electrically connects with the metallic electrically conductive coating disposed at the third surface of the rear substrate. The heater pad includes third and fourth connectors that provide, at least in part, electrical conductive connection with a heating element. The connectors are part of a unitary multi-pin connector that is configured to connect with a corresponding wire harness connector to provide electrical power to the heating element and to the transparent electrically conductive coating and the metallic electrically conductive coating of the reflective element when the exterior minor assembly is mounted at the vehicle.

Abstract: A rearview mirror element assembly includes an electrochromic reflective element having a primary viewing region operable to exhibit electrically variable reflectivity, with a specularly reflective mirror reflector established at a third surface of a rear substrate at the primary viewing region. An auxiliary viewing region provides an auxiliary wide angle view of a blind spot to the side of a vehicle when the electrochromic reflective element is used in an exterior rearview mirror assembly mounted at a side of a vehicle. A specularly reflective demarcating layer is established at a second surface of a front substrate of the electrochromic reflective element and, at least in part, is visible through the front substrate to a viewer when viewing the first surface of the front substrate of the electrochromic reflective element. The demarcating layer at least partially traverses the reflective element adjacent the auxiliary viewing region.

Abstract: An interior rearview mirror reflective element includes a front substrate connected with a rear substrate via a perimeter seal, whereby, when so connected, at least a portion of a circumferential outer edge of the rear substrate is inward of a circumferential outer edge of the front substrate and no portion of the rear substrate protrudes beyond the front substrate. A first electrical connection establishes electrical connection at the front substrate and a second electrical connection may establish electrical connection at the rear substrate. An electrically conductive perimeter hiding band is disposed around a border region of the front substrate and substantially hides the seal and the electrical connections from view by a driver normally operating the vehicle and viewing the reflective element when the interior rearview mirror assembly is normally mounted in the vehicle.

Abstract: A variable reflectance vehicular electro-optic rearview mirror reflective element assembly includes a front substrate and a rear substrate and a perimeter seal disposed therebetween. The front substrate has a first surface and a second surface that has a transparent electrically conductive coating disposed thereat. The rear substrate has a third surface and a fourth surface, with the third surface having a conductive coating disposed thereat. The perimeter seal spaces the front and rear substrates apart and forms an interpane cavity therebetween. The third surface conductive coating includes a plurality of layers, which includes a first layer of nickel chromium. The first layer of nickel chromium is overcoated with a silver or silver alloy layer, and the silver or silver alloy layer is overcoated with a second layer of nickel chromium, and the second layer of nickel chromium is overcoated with a reflective layer.

Abstract: An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly including an electrochromic reflective element. A transflective mirror reflector is established at a third surface of a rear substrate of the mirror assembly. The mirror reflector has at least three layers, including a metallic layer, a transparent conductive metal oxide layer and a transparent dielectric metal oxide layer. The metallic layer is closer to the electrochromic medium than the transparent conductive metal oxide layer and the transparent dielectric metal oxide layer, and the transparent conductive metal oxide layer and the transparent dielectric metal oxide layer are disposed between the metallic layer and the third surface of the rear substrate. The at least three layers of the mirror reflector are established at the third surface of the rear substrate by a vacuum deposition process that includes sputtering from multiple sputtering targets in a single vacuum deposition chamber.

Abstract: A vehicular electrochromic interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror casing and an electrochromic mirror reflective element. At least a portion of a front substrate of the reflective element extends beyond a corresponding portion of a rear substrate of the reflective element to establish a ledge at least partially along the periphery of the reflective element, with no part of the rear substrate extending beyond any part of the front substrate. Electrical connections are made to conductive coatings or layers at the front and rear substrates. The electrochromic interior rearview mirror reflective element includes a concealing layer disposed along a perimeter border region to conceal the presence of the perimeter seal and the electrical connections from view by a driver of the equipped vehicle. The mirror casing provides a bezel-less mirror casing where no portion of the mirror casing overlaps the first surface of the front substrate.

Abstract: A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes an electro-optic reflective element, a photo sensor and a light concentrator. The electro-optic reflective element has a front substrate with a first surface and a transparent second surface electrically conductive coating disposed on a second surface, and the electro-optic reflective element has a rear substrate with a third surface transflective metallic reflector disposed at a third surface thereof. The photo sensor is disposed behind a fourth surface of the rear substrate and operable to detect light passing through the transflective metallic reflector and the electro-optic reflective medium disposed between the second and third surfaces. The light concentrator is disposed between the photo sensor and the fourth surface of the rear substrate, and the light concentrator receives light passing through the transflective metallic reflector of the electro-optic reflective element and concentrates light onto a light sensing surface of the photo sensor.

Abstract: A driver attitude detection system for a vehicle includes a forward facing imaging sensor for capturing image data of a scene occurring forwardly of and in the direction of forward travel of an equipped vehicle. An image processor is operable to process image data captured by the forward facing imaging sensor. A control, responsive at least in part to image processing by the image processor of the captured image data, is operable to determine driver performance and generate a control output indicative of driver performance. The driver attitude detection system may include at least one monitoring device for monitoring a vehicle characteristic of the equipped vehicle, and the control may, responsive at least in part to the at least one monitoring device, be operable to determine driver performance and generate the control output.

Abstract: An interior rearview mirror information display system for a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly including an electrochromic reflective element. A display device is disposed behind a transflective mirror reflector of the reflective element and includes a display screen backlit by a plurality of light emitting diodes supported by a circuit board disposed rearward of the fourth surface of the rear substrate. The light emitting diodes of the circuit board are disposed to the rear of the display screen to provide backlighting of the display screen when activated. Information displayed by the display device is viewable by a driver of the equipped vehicle. When the plurality of light emitting diodes is activated and the display device is displaying information, light emitted by the plurality of light emitting diodes passes through the display screen and through the transflective mirror reflector for viewing by the driver of the equipped vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicular video mirror system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly having a transflective reflective element. The mirror system includes a video display device at a casing of the mirror assembly rearward of the transflective reflective element, with the video display device having a video screen and a plurality of individual white light emitting light sources operable for backlighting the video screen. The intensity of light emitted by the white light emitting light sources is variable responsive to detection of light by at least one photosensor. The video screen may be operable to display video images captured by a rear back-up camera of the equipped vehicle during a reversing maneuver of the equipped vehicle. Light emanating from the white light emitting light emitting diodes may pass through a brightness enhancement film and a light diffuser to be incident at a transflective reflector of a second substrate of the mirror assembly.

Abstract: A reflective element assembly for a vehicular mirror assembly includes a front substrate, a rear substrate, an electro-optic medium disposed between the front and rear substrates and a transmission-reducing thin film coating established at the fourth surface of the rear substrate. A window is established through the transmission-reducing thin film coating and is substantially devoid of the thin film coating at a location where a sensor is disposed behind the reflective element and having a field of view through the reflective element and through the window. A portion of the transmission-reducing thin film coating at and around the window locally varies in physical thickness, with a minimum physical thickness of the thin film coating being closest to the window and with the physical thickness of the thin film coating generally increasing to a generally maximum physical thickness of the thin film coating at a distance from the window.

Abstract: A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes an electro-optic reflective element, a photo sensor and a light concentrator. The electro-optic reflective element has a front substrate with a first surface and a transparent second surface electrically conductive coating disposed on a second surface, and the electro-optic reflective element has a rear substrate with a third surface transflective metallic reflector disposed at a third surface thereof. The photo sensor is disposed behind a fourth surface of the rear substrate and operable to detect light passing through the transflective metallic reflector and the electro-optic reflective medium disposed between the second and third surfaces. The light concentrator is disposed between the photo sensor and the fourth surface of the rear substrate, and the light concentrator receives light passing through the transflective metallic reflector of the electro-optic reflective element and concentrates light onto a light sensing surface of the photo sensor.