Magna Mirrors of America, Inc.

Eric Peterson

Gregory A Huizen

Anthony J LaCross

Christopher R Koetje

Mark L Larson

Rodney K Blank

Darryl P De Wind

Kenneth C Peterson

Michael T McNally

Nathan Z Hellwig

Traian Miu

Gabriele Wayne Sabatini

Kurt Matthew Schatz

James Joseph Ferri

Kevin M Wright

Eric P Bergstrom

A vehicular dual mode illumination module includes mounting structure configured for mounting at a vehicle, a first light emitting diode (LED) operable to emit visible white light when electrically powered, and a second near-infrared (near-IR) LED operable to emit non-visible near-IR light when electrically powered. When the vehicle is parked and the first LED is electrically powered, the first LED emits visible white light to provide visible illumination at a first region exterior the vehicle. Electrical powering of the first LED is locked-out during movement of the vehicle. When the second near-IR LED is electrically powered, the second near-IR LED emits non-visible near-IR light to illuminate a second region exterior the vehicle and to provide non-visible illumination for a camera viewing the second region. Electrical powering of the second near-IR LED is not locked-out during movement of the vehicle.

Vehicular dual mode illumination module

A radar sensor assembly includes a sensor printed circuit board (PCB) having a first side and a second side opposite the first side. A radar transceiver is disposed at the first side of the sensor PCB and includes a plurality of antennas configured for transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) radiation. A heat sink is disposed adjacent to the radar transceiver and is configured to dissipate heat from the radar transceiver. The radar transceiver is sandwiched between the heat sink and the sensor PCB. The heat sink is configured to allow the RF radiation to pass therethrough without guiding the RF radiation.

Vehicular exterior door handle assembly with radar module and enhanced thermal management

A vehicular vision system includes a plurality of vehicle cameras disposed at a vehicle, a trailer camera disposed at a trailer, and a video display screen disposed at the vehicle and viewable by a driver of the vehicle. When the trailer is hitched to the vehicle, the trailer camera captures image data and provides captured image data to an electronic control unit (ECU). The plurality of vehicle cameras capture image data and provide captured image data to the ECU. An auxiliary camera is detachably attached at an exterior side portion of the trailer. With the auxiliary camera detachably attached at the exterior side portion of the trailer and during a reversing maneuver of the vehicle with the trailer hitched to the vehicle, and responsive to a user input, video images derived from the image data captured by the auxiliary camera are displayed for viewing by the driver of the vehicle.

Vehicular trailering assist system with auxiliary side trailer cameras

A vehicular display assembly includes a pixelated display having a plurality of micro-LEDs disposed at a substrate. Packing density of micro-LEDs of the plurality of micro-LEDs at the substrate is at least 10 micro-LEDs per square centimeter. Each individual micro-LED of the plurality of micro-LEDs, when the vehicular display assembly is operated to emit light, may pass less than 4 mA electrical current. The vehicular display assembly is configured to be disposed at a portion of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular display assembly. With the vehicular display assembly disposed at the portion of the equipped vehicle, light emitted by the plurality of micro-LEDs, when the vehicular display assembly is operated to emit light, is viewable at the portion of the equipped vehicle.

Vehicular display assembly with micro-LED display

A vehicular sensing system includes a sensing device disposed at a vehicle door of a vehicle. The sensing device includes a sensor element and at least one light emitting diode (LED) disposed at a circuit board. The sensing device is disposed behind a panel of the vehicle door of the vehicle, with the sensor element and the at least one LED being disposed at a light transmitting portion of the panel of the vehicle. The vehicular sensing system, responsive to processing at the controller of captured sensor data when the sensor element and the at least one LED are powered, determines a user input corresponding to a particular location and movement of a user's hand at or near the sensing device. The vehicular sensing system, responsive to determining a particular user input of a plurality of user inputs, provides an output.

Vehicle door handle with multi-function sensing system

A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a dual mode illumination module having a first light emitting diode (LED) operable to emit visible white light when electrically powered and a second LED operable to emit non-visible light when electrically powered. The first LED, when the vehicle is parked and the first LED is electrically powered, emits visible white light to provide visible ground illumination at a ground region at least partially along the side portion of the vehicle. Visible ground illumination by the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly at the ground region is locked-out during movement of the vehicle. The second LED, when the second LED is electrically powered, emits non-visible light to provide non-visible illumination for a camera viewing exterior and at least sideward of the vehicle. Non-visible light emission by the second LED is not locked-out during movement of the vehicle.

Vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly with dual mode illumination module

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 lighting assembly includes an plurality of micro-LEDs disposed at a substrate. Width dimension of each individual micro-LED of the plurality of micro-LEDs is less than 500 microns, and length dimension of each individual micro-LED of the plurality of micro-LEDs is less than 500 microns. Packing density of micro-LEDs of the plurality of micro-LEDs at the substrate is at least 10 micro-LEDs per square centimeter. Each individual micro-LED of the plurality of micro-LEDs, when the vehicular lighting assembly is operated to emit light, passes less than 4 mA electrical current. The vehicular lighting assembly is configured to be disposed at a portion of a vehicle equipped with the vehicular lighting assembly, With the vehicular lighting assembly disposed at the portion of the vehicle, light emitted by the plurality of micro-LEDs, when the vehicular lighting assembly is operated to emit light, is viewable at the portion of the vehicle.

Vehicular lighting assembly with micro-LED lighting device

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 exterior door system includes a door handle assembly configured for mounting at a door handle region of a vehicle door of a vehicle. The door handle assembly includes a pocket lighting module comprising at least one light emitting diode operable to emit light to illuminate a pocket region of the door handle region. The door handle assembly includes a plurality of touch sensors linearly arranged along a handle portion and generating sensor data based on detection of touch at the respective touch sensor. The vehicular exterior door system, with the door handle assembly mounted at the door handle region, and responsive to processing at the processor of the sensor data generated by individual touch sensors of the plurality of touch sensors, determines a touch event at the door handle assembly and, responsive to the determined touch event, unlocks the vehicle door.

Vehicular exterior door system with touch sensors at door handle

A vehicular exterior lighting assembly includes a plurality of lighting devices. The plurality of lighting devices includes a first lighting device operable to emit light for a first lighting function and a second lighting device operable to emit light for a second lighting function. A plurality of micro-LEDs of the lighting devices are disposed at electrically conductive traces of at least one flexible circuit element. Packing density of the micro-LEDs at the at least one flexible circuit element is at least 10 micro-LEDs per square centimeter. Each individual micro-LED of the plurality of micro-LEDs when operated to emit light passes less than 4 mA electrical current. With the vehicular exterior lighting assembly attached at an exterior portion of a vehicle, light emitted by the first lighting device and light emitted by the second lighting device, when operated to emit light, is viewable exterior the equipped vehicle.

Vehicular exterior lighting assembly with micro-LED lighting devices

A door handle assembly includes a handle portion disposed at a pocket region of the door handle region. The door handle assembly includes a plurality of touch sensors disposed at the handle portion that are linearly arranged along the handle portion. Each touch sensor has a respective touch sensitivity and generates sensor data based on the respective touch sensitivity and detection of a touch. The plurality of touch sensors includes at least two touch sensors having different respective touch sensitivities. A processor is operable to process the sensor data generated by the plurality of touch sensors. A controller, responsive to processing at the processor of the sensor data generated by the plurality of touch sensors, determines a touch event at the door handle assembly. The determined touch event includes a user touching the handle portion. The controller, responsive to detecting the touch event, locks or unlocks the vehicle door.

Vehicle door handle with enhanced lighting and touch sensors

A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head pivotable about a mirror support, which is configured to attach at an interior portion of a vehicle. The mirror head includes a mirror casing and a mirror reflective element having a transflective mirror reflector that at least partially reflects light incident thereon and at least partially transmits incident light therethrough. A video display device is disposed behind a reflective region of the mirror reflective element and includes a display screen backlit by a backlighting device, which includes a plurality of micro-LEDs disposed at electrically conductive traces of a flexible circuit element. With the mirror support attached at the interior portion of the vehicle, the video display device is operable to display video images captured by a camera of the vehicle, whereby light emitted by the video display device passes through the mirror reflective element for viewing displayed video images.

Interior rearview mirror assembly with full screen video display

A vehicular electrochromic rearview mirror assembly includes a base for attaching at a vehicle, a mirror casing at the base, and a mirror reflective element sub-assembly at the mirror casing and including an electrochromic (EC) cell and an EC driving circuit. The EC driving circuit includes a fixed voltage switching regulator for providing voltage to a power input of the EC cell, a drive transistor connected to an output of the fixed voltage switching regulator for switching the provided voltage on and off, a protection diode connected to the drive transistor and the EC cell, a bleach transistor connected to the power input of the EC cell and to ground, and a controller connected to the fixed voltage switching regulator, the drive transistor, and the bleach transistor. The controller controls the fixed voltage switching regulator, the drive transistor, and the bleach transistor to control the voltage provided to the EC cell.

Electro-optic drive system for vehicular mirror

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.

Growing community of inventors

West Olive, MI, United States of America

Eric Peterson