Abstract: A vehicular exterior door handle assembly includes a base portion configured to mount at a door of a vehicle, and a handle portion. The base portion has a longitudinal axis that extends along a length dimension of the base portion and a lateral axis that extends laterally across the vehicle. The handle portion is movable along the lateral axis relative to the base portion between a recessed position and a deployed position. An actuator, when operated, imparts translational movement of a sliding element along the longitudinal axis relative to the base portion. As the sliding element moves along the longitudinal axis relative to the base portion, the sliding element imparts movement of the handle portion along the lateral axis between the recessed position and the deployed position according to movement of the sliding element along the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a mounting arm and a mirror head having a mirror reflective element, with a biasing element disposed within the mirror head. An electrically operable actuator is disposed at a distal end of the mounting arm within the mirror head. With the mounting arm attached at the exterior portion of the vehicle, the mirror head is movable relative to the mounting arm and the mirror head is pivotable about a pivot tube of the actuator. The actuator is operable to adjust the mirror head and the reflective element relative to the mounting arm to adjust the rearward view provided to the driver. The biasing element engages the pivot tube and imparts a biasing force between the mirror head and the pivot tube and at least partially attenuates vibrations from transferring through the pivot tube to the mirror head and the reflective element.

Abstract: A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head and a reflective element accommodated by the mirror head. The reflective element includes a bi-directional aspheric curved glass substrate and a mirror reflector coated at a surface of the bi-directional aspheric curved glass substrate. The size of the reflective element has a width dimension of less than 15 cm and a height dimension of less than 9 cm. The reflective element, as viewed when the equipped vehicle is normally operated, provides a rearward view of at least 15 degrees horizontally relative to the side of the equipped vehicle. Curvature of the reflective element is established, at least in part, by coordinates of a driver's eye viewpoint location and coordinates of an image plane that will provide a desired view from the driver's eye viewpoint location based at least in part on the size of the reflective element.

Abstract: A vehicular exterior door handle assembly includes a bracket configured to mount at a vehicular door, a handle portion mounted at the bracket, and a switch mechanism disposed at the handle portion that includes a trigger element movably disposed within a housing. The housing includes an inner portion and an outer portion. When a force is applied at the outer portion, the outer portion moves toward the inner portion. The outer portion of the housing is configured to engage the trigger element as the outer portion moves toward the inner portion. As the outer portion moves toward the inner portion and the outer portion engages the trigger element, the trigger element moves within the housing in a second direction at an angle relative to the first direction and engages a microswitch disposed within the housing to actuate the switch mechanism to operate to release a latch mechanism of the door.

Abstract: A vehicular exterior door handle assembly includes a base portion configured to mount at an exterior door handle region of a vehicular door, a handle portion, and a sensing device operable to sense presence of a person's fingers in a pocket region behind the lower portion of the handle. The handle portion is pivotable between a non-deployed orientation, where an outer surface of the handle portion is coplanar with an outer surface of the vehicular door at the exterior door handle region, and a deployed orientation, where the handle portion is pivoted inward into a door handle pocket within the vehicular door. With the handle in the deployed orientation and when a person's fingers are in the pocket region, the sensing device senses presence of the person's fingers at the pocket region and triggers an actuator of the vehicular exterior door handle assembly to unlatch the vehicular door.

Abstract: A vehicular exterior door handle assembly includes a base portion disposed at a handle region of a vehicle door, a handle, and an actuator. The actuator includes an electrically-operable motor, an output element mechanically coupled to the handle, and a variable drive element coupled to the output element. When the motor is operated, the actuator causes the drive element to move the output element and move the handle from a recessed position to a deployed position. When moving the handle from the recessed position, the drive element moves the output element at a first speed to move the handle. When the motor is operated to further move the handle, the drive element moves the output element at a second speed to more rapidly move the handle from a partially deployed position toward a deployed position.

Abstract: A vehicular exterior door handle assembly includes a base portion, a handle portion and an actuator. The actuator is electrically operable to move the handle portion relative to the base portion between a recessed position and a deployed position. The actuator includes a housing, an electrically operable motor disposed within the housing and a plunger disposed partially within the housing. The plunger extends from within the housing along a passageway of the housing and partially exterior the housing. The actuator, when operated, drives the plunger axially along the passageway of the housing to move the handle portion between the recessed position and the deployed position. The plunger extends through a sleeve within the housing, and the sleeve engages the plunger and an inner surface of the housing at or near the passageway to preclude moisture from entering the housing.

Abstract: A vehicular cabin monitoring system includes an interior-viewing camera disposed at an interior rearview mirror assembly within an interior cabin of a vehicle. A light emitter is disposed at the interior rearview mirror assembly and, when electrically operated, emits near infrared light to illuminate at least a portion of the interior cabin that is viewed by the interior-viewing camera. Image data captured by the camera is transferred to and is processed at an electronic control unit (ECU). The vehicular cabin monitoring system, via processing at the ECU of image data captured by the interior-viewing camera, (i) detects presence of an occupant occupying a seat within the vehicle and (ii) determines posture of the occupant relative to the occupied seat. Based at least in part on the determined posture of the occupant relative to the occupied seat, improper posture of the occupant relative to the occupied seat is determined.

Abstract: A vehicular driver monitoring system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly including a mirror head that accommodates a mirror reflective element, a video display screen, and a driver monitoring camera that views at least a driver's head region of the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicular driver monitoring system, based at least in part on processing of image data captured by the driver monitoring camera, determines a gaze direction of the driver. Based at least in part on determination that the gaze direction of the driver is directed is toward the mirror assembly, the video display screen is electrically operated to display video images at a first brightness, and responsive to determination that the gaze direction of the driver is not directed toward the mirror assembly, the video display screen is electrically operated to display video images at a second brightness that is less than the first brightness.

Abstract: A vehicular driver monitoring system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly that includes a mirror head accommodating a mirror reflective element. A megapixel camera is accommodated by the mirror head and includes a backside Illumination (BSI) imaging sensor having an at least 2.3 megapixel imaging array of photosensors. The BSI imaging sensor has a quantum efficiency of at least 22% for near-infrared light having a wavelength of 940 nm. A near-infrared illumination source is accommodated by the mirror head. The mirror reflective element and the megapixel camera and the near-infrared illumination source move in tandem with the mirror head when the mirror head is adjusted by a driver of a vehicle. The megapixel camera views at least the eyes of the driver of the vehicle. The near-infrared illumination source, when powered to emit near-infrared light, illuminates at least the eyes of the driver of the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head accommodating a mirror reflective element and an illumination module, which includes a light source, a first mask, and a second mask. When the light source is powered, emitted light that passes through the first mask is a first color and emitted light that passes through the second mask is a second color. With the mirror assembly mounted at a vehicle, and when the light source is powered to emit light, light emitted by the light source passes through the first mask to project a first projected image onto a ground region and passes through the second mask to project a second projected image onto the ground region. The first projected image includes a first logo portion having the first color, and the second projected image includes a second logo portion having the second color.

Abstract: A vehicular exterior rearview mirror system includes an exterior rearview mirror assembly configured for attachment at a vehicle. The mirror assembly includes a mirror head adjustable about a mounting base, which has a mounting end for mounting at the vehicle and a distal end that is distal from the mounting end. The distal end accommodates an actuator. The mirror head is movable relative to the mounting base and the exterior portion of the vehicle via electrical operation of the actuator to set a rearward view for a driver of the vehicle. With the mirror assembly mounted at the exterior portion of the vehicle, an attachment plate and the mirror reflective element move in tandem with movement of the mirror head relative to the exterior portion of the vehicle when the driver of the vehicle operates the actuator to adjust the rearward view for the driver of the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicular cabin monitoring system includes a vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly configured for mounting at an interior portion of an equipped vehicle and having a mirror head accommodating an electrochromic mirror reflective element, a driver monitoring camera that is operable to capture image data, and a near infrared light emitter that, when electrically operated to emit near infrared light, illuminates at least the head of the driver. With the vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the interior portion of the equipped vehicle, and as the equipped vehicle travels along a road, image data captured by the driver monitoring camera is processed at an electronic control unit to detect light emanating from at least one headlamp of at least one trailing vehicle traveling along the road behind the equipped vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicular driver monitoring system includes a vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly having a mirror head that accommodates a variable reflectance mirror reflective element, a driver monitoring camera and a near infrared light emitter. When the near infrared light emitter is electrically operated to emit near infrared, the near infrared light emitter emits near infrared light that illuminates at least a driver head region. While the variable reflectance mirror reflective element is operating in a first mode, and responsive to determination that visible light reflecting off glasses worn by the driver is obscuring the camera's view of the eyes of the driver, the vehicular driver monitoring system controls the variable reflectance mirror reflective element to reduce visible light transmissivity through the variable reflectance mirror reflective element to reduce visible light reflections at the glasses worn by the driver as captured in the image data captured by the driver monitoring camera.

Abstract: A vehicular driver monitoring system includes a camera disposed at an interior rearview mirror assembly within a cabin of a vehicle and viewing a driver operating of the vehicle. Image data captured by the camera is transferred to and is processed at an electronic control unit (ECU). The vehicular driver monitoring system, via processing at the ECU of image data captured by the camera, determines posture of the driver operating the vehicle. The vehicular driver monitoring system, based at least in part on a comparison between the determined posture of the driver and a proper posture stored in memory, determines improper posture of the driver. The proper posture stored in memory is determined based at least in part on a determined head position of the driver relative to the interior rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head adjustably attached at a mounting base. The mirror head includes a mirror reflective element having a reflector-coated glass substrate having a front side and a rear side separated by a thickness of the glass substrate. A driver monitoring camera is accommodated by the mirror head and views through a camera region of the glass substrate of the mirror reflective element. A refraction-compensating element is disposed between a lens of the driver monitoring camera and the camera region of the glass substrate of the mirror reflective element. The refraction-compensating element has a first side and a second side that is not parallel to the first side. The refraction-compensating element offsets refraction of light that passes through the camera region of the glass substrate of the mirror reflective element.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a vehicular illumination module includes disposing an illumination source at a housing and forming a mask by applying a layer of spectrally-selective light absorbing material at a substrate. A photoresistant layer is applied onto the light absorbing material. A template is positioned at the photoresistant layer and includes a transmissive portion that allows UV light to pass through and a non-transmissive portion that blocks UV light. Exposing the mask to UV light removes a first portion of the photoresistant layer aligned with the transmissive portion to dissipate. A first portion of the light absorbing material is not covered. A second portion of the light absorbing material is covered by a second portion of the photoresistant layer. The first portion of the light absorbing material and the second portion of the photoresistant layer are removed. The second portion of the light absorbing material remains at the substrate.

Abstract: A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head accommodating an interior rearview mirror reflective element. The mirror reflective element has a mirror transflector that transmits near infrared light incident thereon, transmits visible light incident thereon and reflects visible light incident thereon. The mirror transflector includes repeating alternating layers of a higher refractive index layer and a lower refractive index layer. A megapixel camera is disposed within the mirror head behind the mirror reflective element and views through the mirror transflector. A near infrared illumination source is disposed within the mirror head and operable to emit near infrared light that passes through the mirror transflector. Responsive at least in part to the data processor processing captured image data, at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) driver attentiveness is monitored, (ii) driver drowsiness is monitored and (iii) driver gaze direction is monitored.

Abstract: A vehicular exterior rearview mirror system includes an exterior rearview mirror assembly configured for attachment at a vehicle and an electrically-operable actuator. An exterior mirror head is movable relative to an exterior portion of the vehicle via operation of the actuator. The exterior mirror head accommodates an exterior mirror reflective element attached at an attachment plate. A heater pad is disposed between the exterior mirror reflective element and the attachment plate. An outermost side of the exterior mirror reflective element is exposed to and is viewable by a driver of the vehicle and is contactable. The attachment plate includes wall structure that spans a perimeter circumferential edge of the exterior mirror reflective element. No part of the exterior mirror head encroaches onto the outermost side of the exterior mirror reflective element. No part of the exterior mirror head overlaps the outermost side of the exterior mirror reflective element.

Abstract: A vehicular closure system includes a cover panel disposed at a charge port of a vehicle and movable between a closed position, where the cover panel conceals the charge port, and an opened position. An actuator is operable to move the cover panel between the closed and opened positions. A motor of the actuator rotates an output gear about an axis of rotation. An output element is connected to the cover panel and rotates about the axis of rotation as the cover panel moves. When the motor of the actuator is operated to move the cover panel, the output element rotates in tandem with the output gear. When the cover panel is manually moved, the output element rotates about the axis of rotation relative to the output gear.