Abstract: An exterior accessory assembly or module for a vehicle door assembly comprises an exterior rearview mirror and/or door cap assembly, which may further include a cover member, a door handle, window frame, window seal and/or an exterior rearview mirror assembly. The vehicle door assembly includes a door frame, which includes a cap and/or mirror mounting region, a lock and/or latch mechanism, trim pieces, and/or the like, and is mountable to a vehicle at the vehicle assembly plant as a single unit. The exterior rearview mirror and/or the cap assembly may mount to the modular door and provide an exterior rearview mirror, a window frame and/or door handle. The cap assembly and door frame may include corresponding electrical connectors for connecting electrical accessories of the cap assembly to a door wiring or harness. The cap assembly may include a window seal for slidably engaging a movable window panel of the cap assembly or door assembly.

Abstract: An electro-optic reflective element assembly includes a pair of substrates and an electro-optic medium sandwiched therebetween. Each of the pair of substrates includes at least one conductive or semi-conductive layer disposed thereon. The electrical connections may electrically connect to a respective layer and may be electrically isolated from the other layer, such as via non-conductive regions of the substrates and/or deletion lines along one of the conductive layers. The pair of substrates may be positioned relative to one another such that overhang portions of the front substrate extend beyond the corresponding edges of the rear substrate. The overlapping relationship may provide clearance for electrical connection to the conductive layers of the front and rear substrates such that the electrical connections are substantially not viewable through the front substrate.

Abstract: An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a mirror casing, a reflective element and a self-contained light module. The light module includes an illumination source, a user actuatable input for activating and deactivating the illumination source, and a first electrical connector. The light module is disposed at least partially within the mirror casing so that the first electrical connector is substantially aligned with an opening in the mirror casing. The casing includes a receiving structure at the opening that is configured to guide and/or at least partially receive a second electrical connector of a wire harness of the vehicle when the second electrical connector is being connected to the first electrical connector. The user actuatable input is operable by an occupant of the vehicle to apply an electrical power signal to the illumination source when the wire harness is connected to the interior mirror assembly.

Abstract: A tire pressure alert system suitable for use in a vehicle includes a vehicular tire pressure monitoring system and a telematic system of the vehicle. The telematic system of the vehicle is operable to wirelessly communicate between the vehicle and an external service provider external to the vehicle. The tire pressure monitoring system is operable to detect or determine or estimate a tire pressure in a tire mounted on a wheel of the vehicle and to communicate an output signal indicative of the tire pressure to the external service provider. The external service provider receives the output signal from the tire pressure monitoring system and processes the output signal and communicates an alert to the subject vehicle to alert the driver or occupant of the vehicle of a tire pressure condition in one or more of the vehicle's tires.

Abstract: A method of making a mounting assembly of an interior rearview mirror assembly includes providing a mounting arm having at least one ball member at at least one end thereof and having at least one electrical conductor element passing the mounting arm and extending therefrom, and molding at least one of a mounting base portion and a mirror mounting portion over the ball member. The ball member is pivotally received in the mounting base portion and/or mirror mounting portion after the mounting base portion and/or mirror mounting portion is molded and cured. The pivot joints defined by the ball members and overmolded portions may provide different frictional resistance to provide different threshold torques for pivoting the mirror assembly or mounting arm about the respective pivot joints.

Abstract: A mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a mirror element having at least one substrate that has a forward surface and a rearward surface. The mirror element comprises at least one substantially reflective metallic layer sandwiched between a respective pair of substantially transparent non-metallic layers. Each of the substantially transparent non-metallic layers and the substantially reflective metallic layer have a selected refractive index and a selected physical thickness such that the reflective element is selectively spectrally tuned to substantially transmit at least one preselected spectral band of radiant energy therethrough while substantially reflecting other radiant energy. A radiant energy emitting element is disposed at or near the rearward surface of the at least one substrate. The radiant energy emitting element is configured to emit radiant energy with a peak intensity within the at least one preselected spectral band.

Abstract: An accessory system for a vehicle includes an interior rearview mirror assembly and a display screen that is extendable and retractable relative to a casing. The display screen is slidably mounted at the casing and slidable in a direction generally parallel to a length axis of the reflective element between a non-use position, where the video display screen is positioned substantially within the casing, and a use position, where the video display screen is substantially extended from a side of the casing for viewing. The display screen may be automatically extended in response to an activating event. The accessory system may include an accessory module, which may comprise multiple sub-modules that may be selected to provide the desired accessory content to the accessory module.

Abstract: An accessory module is mountable to an interior surface of a vehicle windshield and includes a mounting element securable to an interior surface of a windshield of a vehicle, and an accessory support having a base portion attachable to the mounting element. The accessory support includes an accessory holding element configured to hold an accessory, at least one circuitry holding element configured to hold a printed circuit board at the accessory support, and an electrical connector for electrically connecting the printed circuit board and the accessory to an electrical source of the vehicle. The base portion, the accessory holding element and the circuitry holding element are integrally molded together so that the accessory support comprises a unitarily molded accessory support. The accessory module includes a cover portion attachable to the accessory support to substantially encompass the accessory and the printed circuit board within the accessory module.

Abstract: An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a housing having a mirror casing and a support for mounting said mirror casing to a vehicle. The rearview mirror assembly further includes a retractable cord for use by an occupant of the vehicle for coupling to an accessory and which is adapted to couple the accessory to a vehicle system via the housing to provide a link between the accessory and the vehicle system.

Abstract: An interior rearview mirror assembly includes a reflective element having a front surface that is viewable by and directed generally toward a driver of a vehicle when the mirror assembly is installed in the vehicle. An overlay element applied to the front surface of the reflective element includes at least one user input for controlling at least one accessory or display of the mirror assembly or vehicle. An electrical connector connects the overlay element to circuitry at or within or associated with the mirror assembly. The overlay element may be applied to the reflective element at a desired location on the surface of the reflective element to provide a user input and/or a display at the front of the reflective element where it is readily viewable and accessible by a driver or occupant of the vehicle.

Abstract: An imaging system for a vehicle includes an imaging device having a field of view exteriorly and forward of the vehicle in its direction of travel, and an image processor operable to process the captured images in accordance with an algorithm. The algorithm comprises a sign recognition routine and a character recognition routine. The image processor processes the image data captured by the imaging device to detect signs in the field of view of the imaging device and applies the sign recognition routine to determine a sign type of the detected sign. The image processor is operable to apply the character recognition routine to the image data to determine information on the detected sign. The image processor applies the character recognition routine to the captured images in response to an output of the sign recognition routine being indicative of the detected sign being a sign type of interest.

Abstract: An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a casing having a human machine interface thereat. The human machine interface includes at least one user actuatable input integrally formed at a portion of the casing during the molding operation that forms the casing. The mirror assembly includes circuitry. The user actuatable input may be actuatable by a user to operate at least one element of the circuitry. The human machine interface may be at least partially at a bezel portion of the casing, or may be at least partially at a rear casing portion of the mirror casing.

Abstract: A digital sound processing system suitable for use in a vehicle comprises an interior rearview mirror assembly that includes at least a first microphone and a second microphone. The first microphone generates a first signal indicative of a vocal input with vehicle cabin noise included therewith and the second microphone generates a second signal indicative of a vocal input with vehicle cabin noise included therewith. A digital signal processor is provided that processes the first signal and the second signal and that provides an output signal with reduced vehicle cabin noise. The digital signal processor preferably comprises a microprocessor executing at least one million instructions per second.

Abstract: A vehicular communication system comprises a wireless communication link from the vehicle to an external provider of information or service. Data pertaining to at least one of the location and the direction heading of the vehicle is communicated to the external provider from the vehicle via the communication link. This data is derived at least in part from a global positioning system that determines the geographic location and/or the direction heading of the vehicle. The external provider wirelessly provides information or service back to the vehicle via the communication link that is at least in part customized to the geographic location and/or direction heading of the vehicle.

Abstract: An interior rearview mirror system for a vehicle comprises an interior rearview mirror assembly having a reflective mirror element. The reflective element may be a variable reflectance reflective element having a reflectivity which is variable in accordance with a voltage applied thereto or a prismatic reflective element. The reflective element has a field of view rearward of the vehicle when the interior mirror assembly is attached at a portion of the interior of the vehicle. The interior mirror assembly includes at least one pivot element enabling a driver of the vehicle to adjust the rearward field of view of the reflective element to that driver's desired setting, and the interior mirror assembly has a mirror support having a mounting portion for attaching the mirror assembly to a portion of the interior of the vehicle and the mirror support includes at least one pivot element.

Abstract: An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a prismatic mirror element and a display element. The prismatic mirror element includes a wedge-shaped prism element having a front surface and a rear surface and a second element having a transflective reflector on a first surface thereof. The front surface of the prism element generally faces a driver of the vehicle when the mirror assembly is installed in the vehicle, and the rear surface is opposite the front surface. The transflective reflector coated first surface of the second element is attached to the rear surface of the prism element via an optically matching medium. The display element is positioned to the rear of the prismatic mirror element and operates to display information through the prismatic mirror element so as to be viewable by a driver of the vehicle when the display element is operated to emit visible light.

Abstract: An exterior accessory assembly or module for a vehicle door assembly comprises an exterior rearview mirror and/or door cap assembly, which may further include a cover member, a door handle, window frame, window seal and/or an exterior rearview mirror assembly. The vehicle door assembly includes a door frame, which includes a cap and/or mirror mounting region, a lock and/or latch mechanism, a mirror connector, electronic controls, regulators, trim pieces, and/or the like, and is mountable to a vehicle at the vehicle assembly plant as a single unit. The exterior rearview mirror and/or the cap assembly may mount to the modular door and provide an exterior rearview mirror, a window frame and/or door handle. The exterior mirror and/or cap assembly and door frame may include corresponding electrical connectors for connecting electrical accessories of the accessory module to a door wiring or harness.

Abstract: The present invention relates to electrochromic mirrors and devices whose electrochromic element is composed of an electrochromic solid film and an electrolyte comprising redox reaction promoters and alkali ions and/or protons.

Abstract: An electrochromic mirror device suitable for use in a vehicle comprises a first transparent substrate having a transparent conductive layer on a surface thereof and a second substrate having a conductive layer on a surface thereof. The conductive layer of the first substrate opposes the second conductive layer of the second substrate in a spaced-apart relationship thereby forming an interpane distance between the substrates. A boundary seal is interposed between the first and second substrates spacing apart the substrates and forming a cavity wherein the interpane distance is at least about 10 microns. An electrochromic cross-linked polymeric solid film is disposed within the cavity. The electrochromic cross-linked solid polymeric film is formed from an electrochromic monomer composition that includes at least one cathodic electrochromic compound. The second conductive layer comprises a metallic reflective layer.

Abstract: An accessory system of a vehicle comprises an accessory module assembly having a mounting portion, a head portion and a rearview mirror assembly. The mounting portion extends generally upward when mounted to an attachment member at a vehicle windshield. The head portion may extend generally horizontally and rearwardly with respect to the vehicle from an upper portion of the mounting portion. The head portion comprises electronic circuitry for at least one accessory. The mirror assembly is mountable to the mounting portion, with the head portion of the accessory module assembly extending generally above the mirror casing. The head portion may be viewable and/or user accessible above the mirror casing when the mirror assembly is mounted to the mounting portion. The head portion may be pivotable or articulatable relative to the base portion of the accessory module assembly.