Patents by Inventor John T. Uken
John T. Uken has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11970110Abstract: A vehicular frameless interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head and a mounting portion. The mirror head includes a mirror reflective element and a mirror casing. The mirror reflective element includes a glass substrate having a planar front side and a planar rear side. No portion of the mirror casing overlaps the planar front side of the glass substrate of the mirror reflective element. A camera is disposed within the mirror casing. With the mounting portion of the mirror assembly mounted at an in-cabin side of a windshield of a vehicle, the camera views a driver of the vehicle, and when the mirror head is moved by the driver of the vehicle to adjust the rearward view provided by the mirror reflective element to the driver, the camera moves in tandem with movement of the mirror head. The camera is part of a driver monitoring system of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2023Date of Patent: April 30, 2024Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America, Inc.Inventors: Darryl P. De Wind, Donald S. Rawlings, John T. Uken
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Patent number: 11970111Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: July 5, 2023Date of Patent: April 30, 2024Assignee: MAGNA MIRRORS OF AMERICA, INC.Inventors: John T. Uken, Darryl P. De Wind, Keith D. Foote, Joseph M. Mambourg, Rodney K. Blank, Mark L. Larson, Niall R. Lynam
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Patent number: 11970113Abstract: A vehicular vision system includes a forward-viewing camera located behind and viewing through a vehicle windshield, a rearward-viewing camera located at a rear of the vehicle, and a common image processor operable for processing captured image data. A video display screen is located within the interior cabin of the vehicle viewable by a driver of the vehicle. The common image processor processes first image data captured by the forward-viewing camera to detect at least one vehicle present exterior the equipped vehicle. Responsive to the vehicle being shifted into a reverse gear and while the driver is executing a reversing maneuver, video images derived from image data captured by at least the rearward-viewing camera are displayed by the video display screen.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2021Date of Patent: April 30, 2024Assignee: Magna Electronics Inc.Inventors: Andrew D. Weller, Mark L. Larson, Ian A. McCabe, Niall R. Lynam, Rodney K. Blank, Joseph P. McCaw, John T. Uken
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Publication number: 20240123903Abstract: A vehicular dual-state interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head that accommodates an electrochromic mirror reflective element. A video display device is disposed behind a 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 at the display screen and the driver of the vehicle views rearward via reflection at the viewable reflective region. With the mirror assembly operating in a second state, the video display device displays video images at the display screen for viewing by the driver. A touch sensor is disposed at an overhang region of the reflective element behind the front substrate and below the video display device. The video display device is operated responsive at least in part to a touch event at the first surface of the front substrate of the electrochromic mirror reflective element.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2023Publication date: April 18, 2024Inventors: Mark L. Larson, John T. Uken, Christopher R. Koetje
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Publication number: 20240106986Abstract: A cabin monitoring system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly including a mirror head having a mirror reflective element that includes (i) a planar glass substrate, (ii) a transflective mirror reflector at the glass substrate and (iii) a light absorption film including a polarizer film. A camera accommodated by the mirror head views through the reflective element. A light emitter accommodated by the mirror head emits near infrared (NIR) light through the reflective element. The light absorption film attenuates greater than 60 percent of visible light and less than 30 percent of NIR light incident on the light absorption film and transmits less than 40 percent of visible light and greater than 70 percent of NIR light through the light absorption film. The camera captures image data representative of NIR light emitted through the reflective element and reflected from the interior cabin of the vehicle back through the reflective element.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 22, 2023Publication date: March 28, 2024Inventors: Mark L. Larson, John T. Uken
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Patent number: 11932169Abstract: A vehicular exterior rearview mirror control system is configured to attach at a side of a vehicle and includes a mirror assembly having a variable reflectance mirror reflective element. The vehicular rearview mirror control system processes image data captured by a rear backup camera of the vehicle. The rearview mirror control system, via processing a first subset of image data captured by the rear backup camera, determines ambient light rearward of the vehicle. The rearview mirror control system, via processing a second subset of received image data captured by the rear backup camera, determines glare light emanating from a headlight of another vehicle following the equipped vehicle. The first subset of captured image data is different than the second subset of captured image data. A door module unit of the vehicle controls dimming of the variable reflectance mirror reflective element based at least in part on the determined glare light.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2023Date of Patent: March 19, 2024Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America, Inc.Inventors: John T. Uken, Darryl P. De Wind, Gregory A. Huizen, Rodney K. Blank
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Publication number: 20240064274Abstract: A vehicular vision system includes an electronic control unit (ECU), a plurality of exterior viewing vehicle cameras that capture image data and provide captured image data to the ECU. When the vehicle is towing a trailer, a rearward-viewing trailer camera captures image data and provides captured image data to the ECU. A video mirror display screen is disposed at an interior rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle and is operable to display video images derived from video image data provided from the ECU. The mirror assembly is adjustable between a mirror mode and a display mode. The mirror assembly, when in the display mode, is operable by the driver of the vehicle to display at the video mirror display screen (i) a single image display of video images, (ii) a dual image display of video images or (iii) a three image display of video images.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 6, 2022Publication date: February 22, 2024Inventors: Rodney K. Blank, Christopher R. Koetje, Mark L. Larson, John T. Uken, Kurtis M. Larson, Christopher L. Long, Jeffrey D. Heinz
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Publication number: 20240042931Abstract: A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head adjustable about a mounting base configured to attach at an interior portion of a vehicle. The mirror head includes a mirror reflective element. The mounting base is configured to attach at the interior portion of the vehicle via a threaded fastener. The threaded fastener includes a head end and a threaded end that threadedly engages the interior portion of the vehicle. A compressible component is disposed between the head end of the threaded fastener and the mounting base. With the mounting base attached at the interior portion of the vehicle, and responsive to movement of the mounting base relative to the threaded fastener and the interior portion of the vehicle, the compressible component at least partially compresses to accommodate movement of the mounting base.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 28, 2023Publication date: February 8, 2024Inventor: John T. Uken
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Patent number: 11858423Abstract: 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 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 for viewing at the viewable reflective region by the driver. When operating in a daytime mode, the display screen utilizes red pixels, green pixels, blue pixels and clear pixels of the display screen, and when operating in a nighttime mode, the display screen utilizes red pixels, green pixels and blue pixels and does not utilize clear pixels.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2022Date of Patent: January 2, 2024Assignee: MAGNA MIRRORS OF AMERICA, INC.Inventors: Mark L Larson, John T. Uken, Christopher R. Koetje
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Publication number: 20230398933Abstract: A vehicular frameless interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head and a mounting portion. The mirror head includes a mirror reflective element and a mirror casing. The mirror reflective element includes a glass substrate having a planar front side and a planar rear side. No portion of the mirror casing overlaps the planar front side of the glass substrate of the mirror reflective element. A camera is disposed within the mirror casing. With the mounting portion of the mirror assembly mounted at an in-cabin side of a windshield of a vehicle, the camera views a driver of the vehicle, and when the mirror head is moved by the driver of the vehicle to adjust the rearward view provided by the mirror reflective element to the driver, the camera moves in tandem with movement of the mirror head. The camera is part of a driver monitoring system of the vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 28, 2023Publication date: December 14, 2023Inventors: Darryl P. De Wind, Donald S. Rawlings, John T. Uken
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Publication number: 20230398934Abstract: A vehicular frameless interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head and a mounting portion. The mirror head includes a mirror reflective element and a mirror casing. The mirror reflective element includes a glass substrate having a planar front side and a planar rear side. No portion of the mirror casing overlaps the planar front side of the glass substrate of the mirror reflective element. A camera is disposed within the mirror casing. With the mounting portion of the mirror assembly mounted at an in-cabin side of a windshield of a vehicle, the camera views a driver of the vehicle, and when the mirror head is moved by the driver of the vehicle to adjust the rearward view provided by the mirror reflective element to the driver, the camera moves in tandem with movement of the mirror head. The camera is part of a driver monitoring system of the vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 28, 2023Publication date: December 14, 2023Inventors: Darryl P. De Wind, Donald S. Rawlings, John T. Uken
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Publication number: 20230347823Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 5, 2023Publication date: November 2, 2023Inventors: John T. Uken, Darryl P. De Wind, Keith D. Foote, Joseph M. Mambourg, Rodney K. Blank, Mark L. Larson, Niall R. Lynam
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Publication number: 20230284386Abstract: A vehicular overhead console module includes a base portion configured to attach at an interior portion of a vehicle, a primary printed circuit board (primary PCB) accommodated by the base portion, and a secondary printed circuit board (secondary PCB) accommodated by the base portion and spaced from the primary PCB. The secondary PCB is electrically connected to an electronic component accommodated by the base portion and includes electronic circuitry associated with the electronic component. Electronic circuitry of the primary PCB includes a processor for processing electronic signals received from the secondary PCB. The primary PCB and the secondary PCB are secured at the base portion via one or more press-fit pins of the base portion. A flexible electrical connection electrically connects the primary PCB and the secondary PCB and flexes to conform to an inner surface of the base portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2023Publication date: September 7, 2023Inventors: Michael T. McNally, Kevin M. Wright, Mark L. Larson, John T. Uken
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Patent number: 11738686Abstract: A vehicular frameless interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head and a mounting portion. The mirror head includes a mirror reflective element and a mirror casing. The mirror reflective element includes a glass substrate having a planar front side and a planar rear side. No portion of the mirror casing overlaps the planar front side of the glass substrate of the mirror reflective element. A camera is disposed within the mirror casing. With the mounting portion of the mirror assembly mounted at an in-cabin side of a windshield of a vehicle, the camera views a driver of the vehicle, and when the mirror head is moved by the driver of the vehicle to adjust the rearward view provided by the mirror reflective element to the driver, the camera moves in tandem with movement of the mirror head. The camera is part of a driver monitoring system of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2023Date of Patent: August 29, 2023Assignee: MAGNA MIRRORS OF AMERICA, INC.Inventors: Darryl P. De Wind, Donald S. Rawlings, John T. Uken
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Publication number: 20230264631Abstract: A vehicular exterior rearview mirror control system is configured to attach at a side of a vehicle and includes a mirror assembly having a variable reflectance mirror reflective element. The vehicular rearview mirror control system processes image data captured by a rear backup camera of the vehicle. The rearview mirror control system, via processing a first subset of image data captured by the rear backup camera, determines ambient light rearward of the vehicle. The rearview mirror control system, via processing a second subset of received image data captured by the rear backup camera, determines glare light emanating from a headlight of another vehicle following the equipped vehicle. The first subset of captured image data is different than the second subset of captured image data. A door module unit of the vehicle controls dimming of the variable reflectance mirror reflective element based at least in part on the determined glare light.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 24, 2023Publication date: August 24, 2023Inventors: John T. Uken, Darryl P. De Wind, Gregory A. Huizen, Rodney K. Blank
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Patent number: 11697373Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2022Date of Patent: July 11, 2023Inventors: John T. Uken, Darryl P. De Wind, Keith D. Foote, Joseph M. Mambourg, Rodney K. Blank, Mark L. Larson, Niall R. Lynam
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Publication number: 20230211730Abstract: A vehicular frameless interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head and a mounting portion. The mirror head includes a mirror reflective element and a mirror casing. The mirror reflective element includes a glass substrate having a planar front side and a planar rear side. No portion of the mirror casing overlaps the planar front side of the glass substrate of the mirror reflective element. A camera is disposed within the mirror casing. With the mounting portion of the mirror assembly mounted at an in-cabin side of a windshield of a vehicle, the camera views a driver of the vehicle, and when the mirror head is moved by the driver of the vehicle to adjust the rearward view provided by the mirror reflective element to the driver, the camera moves in tandem with movement of the mirror head. The camera is part of a driver monitoring system of the vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 13, 2023Publication date: July 6, 2023Inventors: Darryl P. De Wind, Donald S. Rawlings, John T. Uken
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Patent number: 11634078Abstract: A vehicular rearview mirror control system includes a plurality of rearview mirror assemblies having variable reflectance mirror reflective elements. An electronic control unit receives image data captured by a rear backup camera of the vehicle. The rearview mirror control system, responsive to processing a first subset of received image data captured by the rear backup camera, determines ambient light rearward of the vehicle. The rearview mirror control system, responsive to processing a second subset of received image data captured by the rear backup camera, determines glare light emanating from a headlight of another vehicle following the equipped vehicle. The first subset of received image data is different than the second subset of received image data. The rearview mirror control system generates an output to control dimming of respective ones of the mirror reflective elements of the plurality of rearview mirror assemblies based on location of the determined glare light.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2022Date of Patent: April 25, 2023Assignee: MAGNA MIRRORS OF AMERICA, INC.Inventors: John T. Uken, Darryl P. De Wind, Gregory A. Huizen, Rodney K. Blank
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Patent number: 11613212Abstract: 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 accessory module. A retaining element is configured to attach at the mirror casing at the receiving portion to releasably secure the portable accessory module at the receiving portion. With the retaining element at least partially detached from the mirror casing, the portable accessory module is insertable into and removable from the receiving portion. With the portable accessory module inserted into and received at the receiving portion and with the retaining element attached at the mirror casing, the retaining element overlaps a lower portion of the portable accessory module to secure the portable accessory module at the receiving portion.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2021Date of Patent: March 28, 2023Assignee: MAGNA MIRRORS OF AMERICA, INC.Inventors: Darryl P. De Wind, John T. Uken, Christopher R. Koetje
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Publication number: 20230076687Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 14, 2022Publication date: March 9, 2023Inventors: John T. Uken, Darryl P. De Wind, Keith D. Foote, Joseph M. Mambourg, Rodney K. Blank, Mark L. Larson, Niall R. Lynam