Magna Mirrors of America, Inc.

Other

Anthony J LaCross

Eric Peterson

Mark L Larson

Christopher R Koetje

Rodney K Blank

Darryl P De Wind

Gregory A Huizen

Kenneth C Peterson

Mitchell J Wesley

Austen C Peterson

Robert L Esser

Timothy W Condron

Jason A Durfee

Joel W Stiverson

A vehicular camera assembly includes a mounting base configured to mount at a vehicle, an arm pivotally mounted at the mounting base, a camera disposed at an outer end region of the arm, and an actuator that is operable to pivot the arm between a drive position and a folded position. The actuator includes a primary detent interface that is engaged to maintain the arm at the drive position when the arm is pivoted to the drive position. When the arm is manually pivoted between the folded position and the drive position, a secondary detent interface is disengaged and the primary detent interface is disengaged. With the vehicular camera assembly mounted at the vehicle, video image data captured by the camera is processed for (i) display of video images derived from video image data captured by the camera or (ii) detection of an object viewed by the camera.

Vehicular extendable camera assembly

A vehicular driver monitoring system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly. A PCB is accommodated by a mirror head and a heat generating electronic component is disposed at the PCB. A heat sink is thermally coupled with the PCB and, when the heat generating electronic component generates heat, the heat sink draws heat away from the PCB. A first plurality of vents are formed through a lower portion of the mirror casing and a second plurality of vents are formed through an upper portion of the mirror casing so that cooling airflow is drawn into the mirror head via the first plurality of vents formed through the lower portion and exits out of the mirror head via the second plurality of vents formed through the upper portion to draw heat away from the PCB and out of the mirror head.

Vehicular driver monitoring system with driver monitoring camera and near IR light emitter at interior rearview mirror assembly

A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head that accommodates an electronic component and a heatsink assembly. The heatsink assembly includes (i) a first portion that is thermally coupled to the electronic component and draws heat from the electronic component, (ii) a second portion that extends from the first portion, (iii) a chamber extending between the first and second portions and (iv) a phase-changing refrigerant within the chamber. With the refrigerant in a liquid phase and responsive to heating of the first portion, the refrigerant draws heat from the first portion and changes to a gaseous phase. With the refrigerant in the gaseous phase, the refrigerant flows within the chamber and along the second portion and condenses at an inner surface of the second portion to transfer heat to the second portion. The heat is dissipated from the second portion to exterior the mirror head.

Vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly with heatsink

A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head and a mirror mount that attaches at the interior surface of the vehicle. The mirror head includes an actuator having a body portion attached at a back plate at the rear of the reflective element and an adapter plate attached at the mirror mount and pivotable relative to the body portion. The actuator includes a pair of arcuate gear elements that attach at one end to the adapter plate and that are movably received at the body portion. The actuator includes a pair of motors operable to rotatably drive respective gears that engage the respective arcuate gear elements. When the gears are rotably driven, the gears impart pivotal movement of the body portion and mirror head in tandem relative to the mirror mount to adjust the mirror head relative to provide a rearward view for a driver of the vehicle.

Interior rearview mirror assembly with actuator

A vehicular imaging system includes a camera device disposed at an exterior portion of a vehicle. The camera device includes a pivotable arm that accommodates a camera. The pivotable arm is pivotally mounted at a mounting base at the vehicle and is pivotable between at least a drive position and a folded position. An actuator includes a pivot post structure attached to the mounting base and an output gear disposed at the pivot post structure, the actuator operable to pivot the pivotable arm about the output gear. The actuator includes a primary detent that is engaged to maintain the pivotable arm at the drive position when the pivotable arm is pivoted to the drive position. The actuator includes a secondary detent that is disengaged when the pivotable arm is manually pivoted between the folded position and the drive position.

Low-profile actuator for extendable camera

A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head pivotally adjustable about a mirror support. The mirror head includes a mirror reflective element having a transflective mirror reflector. A video display device is disposed rearward of the mirror reflective element. A touch sensor is disposed at the mirror reflective element and is associated with circuitry at a flexible printed circuit of the video display device. The video display device is operable to display video images captured by a rearward viewing camera of the vehicle. Light emitted by the video display device passes through the transflective mirror reflector for viewing of displayed video images by the driver of the vehicle viewing the mirror reflective element. The mirror reflective element, at the reflective region of the transflective mirror reflector, reflects at least 40 percent of visible light incident at the front side of the mirror reflective element.

Interior rearview mirror assembly with full mirror video display

A vehicular imaging system includes an electronic control unit (ECU) and a camera device disposed at a body portion of the vehicle. The camera device includes structure that supports a camera and that is movable between a stowed position, where the structure and camera are within the body portion, and an extended position, where the structure and camera are extended outward from the body portion so that the camera is positioned with a field of view exterior of the vehicle. The structure includes a plurality of individually movable elements that are disposed adjacent one another and that cooperate to form the outer surface. The individually movable elements, when moved relative to the body portion of the vehicle, cooperate to extend and retract the camera. The camera, when the structure is in the extended position, captures image data and provides captured image data to the ECU.

Vehicular imaging system with extendable camera

A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head and a display device disposed in the mirror head and behind a reflective element. An actuator is operable to adjust the mirror head between a mirror mode orientation and a display mode orientation. Operation of the actuator moves a cam follower to cause a pin at the mirror head to travel along the groove to adjust orientation of the mirror head. With the mirror head in the mirror mode orientation, a first voltage is applied to adjust the mirror head out of the mirror mode orientation. A second voltage that is lower than the first voltage is then applied to adjust the mirror head toward the display mode orientation. A third voltage that is higher than the second voltage is then applied to adjust the mirror head into the display mode orientation.

Interior rearview mirror assembly with display and tilt mechanism

A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head that is pivotally attached via a pivot joint at a mounting structure and that accommodates a reflective element. A display device is disposed within the mirror head. An actuator is disposed within the mirror head and includes an actuator base attached at a rear portion of the reflective element, an actuator body that is pivotally attached at the actuator base, and an electrically operable motor. When the motor is electrically operated, the actuator body pivots relative to the actuator base to pivot the mirror head relative to a socket element of the pivot joint. Pivotal movement of the mirror head relative to the socket element adjusts the reflective element between a mirror mode orientation and a display mode orientation. When the reflective element is in the display mode orientation, the display device is actuated to display video images.

Vehicular in interior rearview mirror assembly with display and tilt mechanism

A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head having a mirror reflective element with a transflective mirror reflector. A video display device is disposed rearward of the mirror reflective element and has a display screen that occupies at least 85 percent of a reflective region of the transflective mirror reflector that is visible to a driver of the vehicle when viewing the mirror reflective element. The video display device is operable to display video images captured by a rearward viewing camera of the vehicle. When the video display device is operated to display video images, light emitted by the video display device passes through the transflective mirror reflector of the mirror reflective element for viewing of displayed video images by the driver of the vehicle viewing the mirror reflective element. Light emitted by the video display device may exit the mirror reflective element as circularly polarized light.

An interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head pivotally mounted at a mirror mount, and a display device disposed in the mirror head and behind the reflective element. An actuator is disposed at the mirror head and, when actuated, pivots the mirror head upward or downward to pivot the mirror head between a mirror mode orientation and a display mode orientation. The actuator includes at least one cam follower that is pivotable and that has an arcuate groove that receives a pin at the mirror head. Actuation of the actuator pivots the cam follower to move the pin along the groove and to pivot the mirror head relative to the mirror mount. The arcuate groove of the cam follower has a spiral form having a non-uniform radius of curvature at a middle region and a constant radius of curvature about the pivot axis at each end region.

A vehicular camera module configured for mounting at an exterior portion of a vehicle includes a housing, a camera disposed in the housing, and a transparent cover rotatably mounted at the housing. The camera views through the transparent cover. With the vehicular camera module mounted at the exterior portion of the vehicle, the camera views through the transparent cover in order to capture image data of a scene exterior of the vehicle. With the vehicular camera module mounted at the exterior portion of the vehicle, the transparent cover rotates relative to the camera and the housing at a rotational speed of at least 1,000 rotations per minute to at least partially remove water and/or debris from an outer surface of the transparent cover.

Vehicular camera with lens/cover cleaning feature

An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a mirror head accommodating a reflective element. A display device is accommodated in the mirror head and behind the reflective element. The reflective element is tiltable between a mirror mode orientation, where the vehicle driver views rearward of the vehicle via the reflective element, and a display mode orientation, where the display device is actuated and the vehicle driver views images displayed by the display device through the transflective mirror reflector of the reflective element. An actuator has an actuator body that is pivotally mounted at the reflective element and that has a pivot element of a pivot joint that pivotally mounts the mirror head at an interior portion of the vehicle. The actuator pivots the reflective element relative to the actuator body to tilt the reflective element between the mirror mode orientation and the display mode orientation.

A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head having a mirror reflective element with a transflective mirror reflector. A video display device is disposed rearward of the mirror reflective element and has a display screen that occupies at least 75 percent of the reflective region of the mirror reflective element. The video display device is operable to display video images captured by a rearward viewing camera of the vehicle. When the video display device is operated to display video images, light emitted by the video display device passes through the transflective mirror reflector of the mirror reflective element for viewing of displayed video images by a driver of the vehicle viewing the mirror reflective element. Light emitted by the video display device may exit the mirror reflective element as circularly polarized light.

An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a mirror head having a reflective element. A display device is disposed in the mirror head and behind the reflective element. The display device, when actuated, is viewable through the reflective element. The mirror head is adjustable between a mirror mode orientation, where the driver of the vehicle views rearward of the vehicle via the reflective element, and a display mode orientation, where the driver of the vehicle views images displayed by the display device through the reflective element. When in the display mode orientation, the reflective element is angled upward or downward relative to the orientation of the reflective element when in the mirror mode orientation. An actuator is pivotally mounted at the mirror head and includes a pivot element that adjustably mounts the mirror head at a mirror mount that attaches at the interior surface of the vehicle.

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Hastings, MI, United States of America

Anthony J LaCross