Donnelly Corporation

Magna Mirrors of America, Inc.

Magna Electronics Inc.

Donnelly Corportion

Ian A McCabe

Niall R Lynam

Hamid R Habibi

Desaraju V Varaprasad

Michael J Baur

John T Uken

Rodney K Blank

Donald L Bareman

Mark L Larson

Andrew D Weller

Mingtang Zhao

Craig Allen Dornan

Joseph P McCaw

Donald C Byers

Gregory A Huizen

Justin E Sobecki

Austen C Peterson

Kenneth L Schierbeek

Desaraju Varaprasad

Jeffrey D Harlow

A vehicular driver monitoring system includes a driver monitoring camera disposed at an interior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle. The driver monitoring camera views a driver of the vehicle when the driver is driving the vehicle. The driver monitoring camera captures image data. An image processor is operable to process image data captured by the driver monitoring camera. The vehicular driver monitoring system determines driver performance based at least in part on (i) image processing by the image processor of image data captured by the driver monitoring camera, (ii) a vehicle characteristic and (iii) a condition exterior of the equipped vehicle. The vehicle characteristic includes at least one selected from the group consisting of (a) vehicle speed, (b) vehicle acceleration and (c) vehicle orientation.

Vehicular driver monitoring system

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.

Vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly

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.

Vehicular vision system

A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head accommodating an interior 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. A camera is disposed within the mirror head and views through the mirror transflector. The camera includes an imaging sensor having a quantum efficiency (QE) of at least 15% for near infrared light having a wavelength of 940 nm. First, second and third near infrared illumination sources are disposed within the mirror head and operable to emit near infrared light that passes through the mirror transflector. The near infrared illumination sources are at respective locations at the mirror reflective element and, when powered, illuminate respective seat regions for a driver-monitoring function or an occupant-detection function.

Interior rearview mirror assembly with driver monitoring system

A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head having an interior mirror reflective element. The mirror reflective element has a mirror transflector that transmits near-IR light incident thereon, transmits visible light incident thereon and reflects visible light incident thereon. The mirror assembly includes a camera disposed within the mirror head and viewing through the mirror transflector. The camera includes an imaging sensor having a quantum efficiency (QE) of at least 15% for near-infrared (near-IR) light having a wavelength of 940 nm. The mirror assembly further includes first, second and third near-IR illumination sources disposed within the mirror head and operable to emit near-IR light that passes through the mirror transflector. The near-IR illumination sources are at respective angles relative to a planar front surface of the mirror reflective element and, when powered, illuminate respective in-cabin regions for a driver monitoring function or an occupant detection function.

A vehicular rearview mirror assembly includes an electrochromic reflective element having front and rear glass substrates with an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween. The front glass substrate includes a specularly reflective perimeter layer at least partially around a perimeter border region of the rear side of the front glass substrate. At least one light source is disposed behind the perimeter layer. With the vehicular rearview mirror assembly mounted at the vehicle and when the at least one light source is electrically powered, the at least one light source emits light that passes through the perimeter border region of the second side of the front glass substrate and that is visible to a viewer viewing the first side of the front glass substrate of the electrochromic reflective element at the perimeter layer.

Vehicular rearview mirror assembly

An electrochromic mirror reflective element for a vehicular rearview mirror assembly includes front and rear glass substrates with an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween and with a fourth surface reflector coated at the fourth surface of the rear substrate. Light incident at the first surface of the front substrate passes (i) through the front substrate, (ii) through a transparent electrically conductive coating at the second surface of the front substrate and (iii) through the electrochromic medium, whereby light passing through the electrochromic medium is partially reflected at a third surface reflector and is partially transmitted through the third surface reflector, and wherein light passing through the electrochromic medium that is partially transmitted through the third surface reflector passes through the rear substrate and is at least partially reflected off the fourth surface reflector at the fourth surface of the rear substrate to provide enhanced reflectivity of said electrochromic mirror reflective element.

Electrochromic mirror reflective element for vehicular rearview mirror assembly

A vision system for a vehicle 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 utilizes object detection software at least during processing of 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 on the video display screen.

An electro-optic mirror reflective element for a rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a front substrate and a rear substrate. A surface of the front substrate and a surface of the rear substrate oppose one another and are spaced apart by a perimeter seal, with an electro-optic medium disposed between the surfaces and bounded by the perimeter seal. A transparent electrically conductive coating is established at the surface of the front substrate, and a specularly reflective mirror reflector is established at the surface of the rear substrate. The specularly reflective mirror reflector includes a stack of thin film layers having (i) an environmentally stable electrically conductive metallic reflecting thin film layer including chromium, (ii) an environmentally vulnerable electrically conductive metallic reflecting thin film layer and (iii) a transparent electrically conductive thin film layer including aluminum doped zinc oxide.

Rearview mirror assembly for vehicle

An electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element includes front and rear glass substrates with an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween and bounded by a perimeter seal. A perimeter layer is disposed at a second surface of the front substrate proximate a perimeter edge of the front substrate. The perimeter layer conceals the perimeter seal from view by a driver of a vehicle. No part of the rear substrate extends beyond any part of the front substrate. At least a portion of the mirror reflector disposed at at least a portion of the third surface of the rear substrate extends from under the perimeter seal outward towards at least a portion of the perimeter edge of the rear substrate. The mirror reflector includes a stack of thin films that includes at least a first metal thin film and a second metal thin film.

Vehicular exterior electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element assembly

A method of making a mirror reflective element suitable for use in a vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes providing front and rear substrates, and disposing an electrically conductive layer and a metallic reflector at respective surfaces thereof. With the substrates joined and with an electrochromic medium disposed in an interpane cavity, light that reflects off of the mirror reflector and passes through the electrochromic medium and the front substrate is non-spectrally selective when no voltage is applied to the electrochromic medium. At least a portion of the mirror reflector extends under the perimeter seal and towards a perimeter edge of the rear substrate. A display is disposed to the rear of the rear substrate of the mirror reflective element at a light-transmitting window. The display is operable responsive to a blind spot detector of a vehicle equipped with an exterior rearview mirror assembly that incorporates the mirror reflective element.

Method of manufacturing variable reflectance mirror reflective element for exterior mirror assembly

A mirror reflective element assembly for a vehicle includes an electrically variable reflectance mirror reflective element that includes front and rear substrates with an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween and bounded by a perimeter seal. A perimeter layer is disposed at a second surface of the front substrate proximate a perimeter edge of the front substrate that conceals the perimeter seal from view by a driver of a vehicle. No part of the rear substrate extends beyond any part of the front substrate. At least a portion of the mirror reflector disposed at at least a portion of the third surface of the rear substrate extends from under the perimeter seal outward towards at least a portion of the perimeter edge of the rear substrate. The mirror reflector includes a stack of thin films that includes at least a first metal thin film and a second metal thin film.

A vision system for a vehicle includes a forward-viewing camera located behind and viewing through a vehicle windshield, a rear 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 utilizes object detection software at least during processing of 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 rear camera are displayed on the video display screen.

A method for making electrical connection to a mirror reflective element for a vehicular rearview mirror assembly includes providing a mirror reflective element having a front substrate and a rear substrate with an electro-optic medium disposed therebetween and in contact with a transparent conductive coating and a third surface reflector. A metallic electrical connector is provided that includes an attachment portion and a wire receiving portion. An electrical wire is inserted in the wire receiving portion such that at least one tang of the wire receiving portion engages the electrical wire to secure the electrical wire in the wire receiving portion and to make electrically-conductive connection with the electrical wire. The attachment portion is attached at the front or rear substrate to attach the electrical connector at the mirror reflective element such that the attachment portion electrically conductively connects to the transparent conductive coating or the third surface reflector.

Method of making electrical connection for an electro-optic rearview mirror assembly for vehicle

An electro-optic mirror reflective element for a rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a front substrate and a rear substrate. A surface of the front substrate and a surface of the rear substrate oppose each other and are spaced apart by a perimeter seal, with an electro-optic medium disposed between the surfaces and bounded by the perimeter seal. A transparent electrically conductive coating is established at the surface of the front substrate, and a specularly reflective mirror reflector is established at the surface of the rear substrate. The specularly reflective mirror reflector includes a stack of thin film layers having (i) an environmentally stable electrically conductive metallic reflecting thin film layer, (ii) an environmentally vulnerable electrically conductive metallic reflecting thin film layer and (iii) a transparent electrically conductive thin film layer. The transparent electrically conductive thin film layer includes aluminum doped zinc oxide.

Growing community of inventors

Holland, MI, United States of America

Ian A McCabe