Vehicle driver monitoring system having driver monitoring camera and near-infrared light emitter at interior mirror assembly

Abstract

A vehicle driver monitoring system includes a vehicle interior mirror assembly having a lens portion that houses a mirror reflective element. A video display is disposed behind the mirror reflective element and is operable to display a video image captured by a rear view camera of the vehicle. The driver monitoring camera and the near-infrared light emitter are housed by and move in cooperation with the lens portion. The near-infrared light emitter is accommodated within the lens portion such that a near-infrared light beam emitted by the near-infrared light emitter is directed toward a vehicle driver area in a case where the lens portion is adjusted relative to the mounting base to set a rear view field of a vehicle driver. The driver monitoring camera is disposed adjacent to the video display screen so as not to observe through the video display screen.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 63 / 491,097 filed on March 20, 2023 and U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 63 / 364,637 filed on May 13, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention generally relates to the field of rearview mirror assemblies for interior vehicles. Background Art

[0004] It is known to provide a mirror assembly that is adjustably mounted to a vehicle interior, such as via a double ball pivot or joint mounting arrangement, wherein the mirror housing and reflective element are adjustable relative to the vehicle interior by pivoting movement about a double ball pivot arrangement. The mirror housing and reflective element can be pivoted about one or both of the ball pivot joints by a user adjusting the rear view field of view of the reflective element. Summary of the invention

[0005] The interior rearview mirror assembly has a driver monitoring camera and a near infrared light emitter disposed at the lens head so that when the lens head is adjusted to adjust the driver's rear view field relative to the interior of the vehicle, the near infrared light emitter moves in conjunction with the lens head. The lens head includes a video display screen disposed behind the mirror reflective element. The video display screen displays a video image that the vehicle driver can watch through the mirror reflective element when operated. The camera can observe the interior compartment of the vehicle through the mirror reflective element, and the near infrared light emitter can emit near infrared light through the mirror reflective element to illuminate the driver's area and / or passenger area of ​​the interior compartment of the vehicle. The camera is positioned at the lens head outside the video display screen, and the camera is shielded by a portion of the mirror reflective element or a separate cover panel at the mirror reflective element.

[0006] These and other objects, advantages, purposes and features of the present invention will become more apparent from a reading of the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 is a view of an interior rearview mirror assembly having a driver monitoring camera and a near infrared emitter;

[0008] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 a view of a camera and a light emitter of an interior rearview mirror assembly, and a cone of light emitted by the light emitter;

[0009] Figure 3A yes Figure 1a view of a mirror reflective element of an interior rearview mirror assembly showing an EC active area with a camera and light emitter located outside the EC active area;

[0010] Figure 3B yes Figure 1 a view of a mirror reflective element of an interior rearview mirror assembly with a front glass substrate removed;

[0011] Figure 4 Shows Figure 1 a view of a reflective element of an interior rearview mirror assembly;

[0012] Figure 5 is a view of another interior rearview mirror assembly having a driver monitoring camera and a near infrared emitter;

[0013] Figure 6 Shows Figure 5 a view of a camera and a light emitter of an interior rearview mirror assembly, and a cone of light emitted by the light emitter;

[0014] Fig. 7A yes Figure 5 a view of a mirror reflective element of an interior rearview mirror assembly showing an EC active area with a camera and light emitter located outside the EC active area;

[0015] Figure 7B yes Figure 5 a view of a mirror reflective element of an interior rearview mirror assembly with a front glass substrate removed;

[0016] Figure 8 Shows Figure 5 a view of a reflective element of an interior rearview mirror assembly;

[0017] Fig. 9 is a view of another interior rearview mirror assembly having a driver monitoring camera and a near infrared emitter;

[0018] Fig.10 Shows Fig. 9 a view of a camera and a light emitter of an interior rearview mirror assembly, and a cone of light emitted by the light emitter;

[0019] Fig.11A yes Fig. 9 a view of a mirror reflective element of an interior rearview mirror assembly showing an EC active area with a camera and light emitter located outside the EC active area;

[0020] Fig. 11B yes Fig. 9 a view of a mirror reflective element of an interior rearview mirror assembly with a front glass substrate removed;

[0021] Fig.12Shows Fig. 9 a view of a reflective element of an interior rearview mirror assembly;

[0022] Fig.13 Shows Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Fig. 9 Comparison of mirror assemblies;

[0023] Fig.14 is a view of another interior rearview mirror assembly having a driver monitoring camera and a near infrared emitter;

[0024] Fig.15 is a view of a mirror reflective element showing possible dimensions to accommodate a camera rear glass substrate and a video display screen;

[0025] Figure 16-Figure 19 Different mirror reflective elements of a mirror assembly housing a camera and a light emitter are shown;

[0026] Fig. 20 Different fields of view of a camera are shown, illustrating the change in field of view as the angle of the cover panel relative to the mirror reflective element and the camera is changed;

[0027] Fig.21 and Fig. 22 Different angles of the cover panel relative to the mirror reflective element and the camera are shown;

[0028] Fig.23 and Fig.24 Another mirror reflective element is shown to house the camera at the sagging area;

[0029] Fig.25 shows the camera's field of view through the front glass substrate of the mirror reflective element;

[0030] Figure 26-Figure 28 Different dip sizes and shapes for mirror reflective elements are shown;

[0031] Figure 29-Figure 31 showing the camera and cover panel angled relative to the mirror reflective element;

[0032] Fig.32 is a view of another interior rearview mirror assembly having a driver monitoring camera and a near infrared emitter;

[0033] Fig.33 is a view of another interior rearview mirror assembly having a driver monitoring camera and a near infrared emitter;

[0034] Fig.34 is a view of another interior rearview mirror assembly having a driver monitoring camera and a near infrared emitter;

[0035] Fig.35 is a view of another interior rearview mirror assembly having a driver monitoring camera and a near infrared emitter;

[0036] Fig.36 is a view of another interior rearview mirror assembly having a driver monitoring camera and a near infrared emitter;

[0037] Figure 37-Figure 39 is a view of another interior rearview mirror assembly having a driver monitoring camera and a near infrared emitter;

[0038] Fig.40 and Fig.41 is a view of another interior rearview mirror assembly having a driver monitoring camera and a near infrared emitter;

[0039] Figure 42-Figure 44 is a view of another interior rearview mirror assembly having a driver monitoring camera and a near infrared emitter;

[0040] Fig.45 and Fig.46 is a view of another interior rearview mirror assembly having a driver monitoring camera and a near infrared emitter;

[0041] Fig.47 and Fig.48 is a view of another interior rearview mirror assembly having a driver monitoring camera and a near infrared emitter;

[0042] Fig.49 and Fig.50 is a view of another interior rearview mirror assembly having a driver monitoring camera and a near infrared emitter;

[0043] Fig.51 and Fig.52 Shows Figure 37-Figure 50 Comparison of mirror reflective elements;

[0044] Figure 53-Figure 57 is a view of another interior rearview mirror assembly having a driver monitoring camera and a near infrared emitter;

[0045] Figure 58-Figure 63 is a view of another interior rearview mirror assembly having a driver monitoring camera and a near infrared emitter;

[0046] Fig.64 Different cameras suitable for use as driver monitoring or occupant monitoring cameras are shown;

[0047] Figure 65-Figure 71 is a view of another interior rearview mirror assembly having a miniature DMS camera and a near infrared emitter; and

[0048] Fig.72 It is the driver's eye map. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative embodiment shown therein, a rearview mirror assembly 10 for an interior vehicle includes a mirror head 12 having a housing 14 and a reflective element 16 ( Figure 1 ). In the illustrated embodiment, the mirror assembly is configured to be adjustably mounted to a vehicle interior (e.g., to an interior or interior cabin surface of a vehicle windshield or headliner, etc.) via a mounting structure or mounting arrangement or assembly. The mirror reflective element 16 may include a variable reflectivity mirror reflective element that changes its reflectivity in response to an electrical current applied to a conductive coating or conductive layer of the reflective element.

[0050] The mirror assembly includes or is associated with a driver monitoring system (DMS), the mirror assembly including a driver / passenger monitoring camera 18, the camera is arranged at the back plate behind the reflective element 16 (and observed through the hole of the back plate), and observes at least the head area of ​​the driver of the vehicle through the reflective element 16. The DMS includes a near infrared emitter 20, which is arranged at the back plate and emits light through another hole of the back plate and through the reflective element 16. Optionally, the mirror assembly includes multiple infrared emitters and / or multiple cameras, and observes and captures image data representing different views of the interior of the vehicle through the mirror reflective element 16, such as for monitoring the front passenger seat position and / or for monitoring one or more rear seat positions of the vehicle. That is, the mirror assembly may include multiple cameras, each of which may be arranged at a corresponding hole formed by the back plate and observed through the mirror reflective element, and the mirror assembly may include multiple emitters, each of which may be arranged at a corresponding hole formed by the back plate and emit light through the mirror reflective element. The one or more cameras and the one or more near infrared light emitters move in conjunction with the mirror head when the mirror head is adjusted relative to the mounting base to set a rear view field of view for the driver provided by the mirror reflective element.

[0051] The driver monitoring system (including the camera and the processor) may utilize U.S. Patent Nos. 11,518,401, 10,958,830, 10,065,574, 10,017,114, 9,405,120, and / or 7,914,187 and / or U.S. Publication Nos. US-2022-0377219, US-2022-0254132, US-2022-0242 438. US-2022-0111857, US-2021-0323473, US-2021-0291739, US-2020-0202151, US-2 020-0143560, US-2020-0320320, US-2019-0210615, US-2018-0231976, US-2018-02224 14. US-2017-0274906, US-2017-0217367, US-2016-0209647, US-2016-0137126, US-20 15-0352953、US-2015-0296135、US-2015-0294169、US-2015-0232030、US-2015-00920 42. Aspects of the systems described in US-2015-0022664, US-2015-0015710, US-2015-0009010 and / or US-2014-0336876 and / or International Publication Nos. WO2022 / 241423, WO2022 / 187805 and / or WO2023 / 034956, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

[0052] The interior rearview mirror assembly includes a dual-mode interior rearview video mirror that can switch from a traditional reflective mode to a real-time video display mode, for example by utilizing aspects of the mirror assemblies and systems described in U.S. Patent Nos. 11,242,008, 11,214,199, 10,442,360, 10,421,404, 10,166,924, 10,046,706 and / or 10,029,614 and / or U.S. Publication Nos. US-2021-0162926, US-2021-0155167, US-2020-0377022, US-2019-0258131, US-2019-0146297, US-2019-0118717 and / or US-2017-0355312, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. In other words, the mirror head includes a video display screen 22 and a video display screen 22 of the video mirror. When the mirror is in the display mode, a video image can be displayed, the video image being derived from video image data captured by a rear-view camera (such as a rear-view camera located at a center high-mounted stop light (CHMSL) position) and / or video image data captured by one or more other cameras at the vehicle (such as a side-mounted rear-view camera, etc.), such as by utilizing aspects of the display system described in U.S. Patent No. 11,242,008, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. When the video display screen 22 is operated to display the video image captured by the rear-view camera, light emitted by the video display device passes through the mirror reflective element for viewing by the vehicle driver.

[0053] The operating mode of the mirror and video display screen can be selected by flipping the mirror head up or down (e.g., via a toggle located at the mirror head) or in response to another user input. When the mirror is operated in the mirror mode, the video display screen is disabled and hidden by the mirror reflective element, and the driver views the rear via reflection of light incident at the mirror reflective element. When the mirror is operated in the display mode, the video display screen is operated to display a video image that the vehicle driver can view through the mirror reflective element.

[0054] Full-display mirrors provided by Gentex Corp. of Zeeland, Michigan, and ClearView mirrors provided by Magna Mirrors of America, Inc. of Grand Rapids, Michigan. TMProducts such as interior rearview mirrors are becoming increasingly popular in vehicles. In such interior rearview video mirrors, a video source captured by a rearview camera (optionally or additionally, by an exterior driver-side rearview camera and an exterior passenger-side rearview camera) is displayed at the interior video mirror (e.g., by utilizing aspects of the systems described in U.S. Patent Nos. 11,242,008, 11,214,199, 10,442,360, 10,421,404, 10,166,924, 10,046,706, and / or 10,029,614, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference). Such full-display video mirrors typically utilize a liquid crystal (LC) thin film transistor (TFT) video screen or an organic light emitting diode (OLED) video screen that is concealedly disposed behind the mirror reflector of the interior rearview mirror assembly. The screen area of ​​the video screen substantially matches and fills the area of ​​the mirror reflective element viewed by the vehicle driver. For example, the video display screen length dimension (the lateral dimension across the vehicle when the mirror assembly is installed in the vehicle) can span at least 75% of the length of the reflective element, and the video display screen width dimension (the vertical dimension when the mirror assembly is installed in the vehicle) can span at least 75% of the width dimension of the reflective element. Optionally, the video display screen length dimension can span at least 95% of the length of the reflective element, and the video display screen width dimension can span at least 95% of the width dimension of the reflective element.

[0055] In other words, the mirror reflective element includes a mirror reflector, such as a semi-transmissive mirror reflector, which defines a reflection area of ​​the mirror reflective element. The video display screen is arranged behind the mirror reflective element. The semi-transmissive mirror reflector allows at least some light to pass through the mirror reflective element (e.g., at least a portion of the visible light emitted from the mirror head so that the vehicle driver can watch the light emitted by the video display screen), while blocking at least some light from passing through the mirror reflective element (e.g., at least a portion of the visible light incident on the outer surface of the mirror reflective element to provide the reflection quality of the mirror reflective element). For example, the semi-transmissive mirror reflector can transmit at least a portion of the near-infrared (near IR) light incident thereon, transmit at least a portion of the visible light incident thereon and reflect at least a portion of the visible light incident thereon.

[0056] As discussed further below, the video display screen 22 includes a full display video screen 22, and the inside rearview mirror assembly 10 includes the one or more DMS / OMS cameras 18. The DMS camera 18 is disposed within the lens portion 12 such that the DMS camera 18 does not observe through the video display screen 22 itself, such that the camera 18 is not obscured by the video screen 22. In other words, the video display screen 22 does not extend in front of the DMS camera 18 or cover the DMS camera 18. In addition, the DMS camera 18 and the driver lighting auxiliary near infrared emitter 20 are discretely or hiddenly housed in the inside rearview mirror assembly such that their presence is not easily noticed by a driver, etc., who is operating the vehicle while sitting in the driver's seat. For example, Figure 1-Figure 14 As shown, the rear glass substrate of the mirror reflective element can be grooved to provide space for the camera 18 (and the LC display is also grooved) to form an overhang formed by the front glass substrate (not grooved). That is, the rear glass substrate and the video screen include corresponding grooved intervals or grooved areas that are aligned or overlapped or correspond to each other, and the camera is arranged at the back plate of the mirror assembly, located at a position corresponding to the grooved area, and observes through the front glass substrate of the mirror reflective element.

[0057] An infrared (IR) or near infrared (near IR) transmissive tape or coating 25 may be disposed at the front glass substrate 24 (e.g., at an outer surface of the front glass substrate), and the IR transmissive tape 25 may allow IR and / or near IR light to pass through the tape 25 while blocking or substantially blocking visible light from passing through the tape 25. Thus, the IR transmissive tape 25 may be disposed at the front glass substrate 24, covering or disposed along the light emitter 20 and / or camera 18 (e.g., in a peripheral area or peripheral area of ​​a mirror reflective element) to conceal the light emitter 20 and / or camera 18 from the vehicle driver while allowing IR and / or near IR light to pass through the tape 25 to IR illuminate the vehicle cabin and capture image data representative of the reflected IR light to implement DMS and / or OMS functionality. Optionally, as Figure 15-Figure 30 As shown, the front glass substrate (or a separate cover element) can extend downward to conceal or hide the camera disposed at the lower peripheral area of ​​the grooved or non-grooved rear glass substrate.

[0058] Optionally, the video display screen may include an OLED that may be at least partially transparent. With such a display screen, the camera 18 (and optional near infrared emitter 20) may be disposed at and behind the OLED display screen, so that when the system performs a driver monitoring function (or an occupant monitoring function), the OLED display screen may be operated to partially make the display screen in front of the camera 18 (and optional near infrared emitter 20) transparent. That is, an area or portion of the OLED display screen that is in front of or corresponds to the position of the camera 18 and / or emitter 20 may be at least partially transparent to allow at least a portion of visible light and / or near infrared light to pass through that portion of the display. The display screen 22 may be transparent to visible light or only to near infrared light (such as to allow near infrared light emitted by the near infrared emitter to pass through the display screen) depending on the particular application (e.g., whether the camera is capturing a color image or a near infrared image).

[0059] In the case where the DMS camera 18 is disposed in the lens head 12, the camera 18 moves with the lens head 12 (including the mirror housing and the mirror reflective element, which pivot at the pivot joint, the pivot joint pivotally connects the lens head to the mounting structure of the interior rearview mirror assembly, and the interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted at the windshield or roof lining of the equipped vehicle), so that when the driver points the mirror to the rear to observe, the camera 18 is aligned with the driver's line of sight. The position of the DMS camera 18 and the IRLED 20 at the lens head 12 provides the driver with an unobstructed field of view. The DMS is preferably independent in the interior rearview mirror assembly, so it can be easily implemented in various vehicles, including existing vehicles and different models of the same vehicle brand (for example, in BMW-3 series models and BMW X3 models and BMW 5-series models and BMW X5 models and BMW 7-series models, etc.). The driver monitoring camera can also provide the captured image data for the occupant monitoring system (OMS), or another separate camera can be set at the mirror assembly to realize the OMS function.

[0060] The mirror assembly includes a printed circuit board (PCB) having a control unit or a control unit (arranged at a circuit board or substrate in the mirror housing) including electronic circuitry including a drive circuit for controlling dimming of the mirror reflective element. The circuit board (or a separate DMS circuit board) includes a processor that processes image data captured by a camera to monitor the driver and determine, for example, driver attention, driver drowsiness, and / or driver gaze direction. The driver monitoring system includes a driver monitoring camera 18, and may also include an occupant monitoring camera (or the driver monitoring camera may have a sufficiently wide field of view to observe the occupant or passenger seat of the vehicle and the driver area), and may provide occupant detection and / or monitoring functionality as part of an occupant monitoring system (OMS).

[0061] The mirror assembly may also include one or more infrared (IR) or near-infrared light emitters 20 (such as IR or near-IR light emitting diodes (LEDs) or vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs), etc.), which are arranged at the back plate behind the reflective element 16 and emit near-infrared light to the head area of ​​the vehicle driver through the hole of the back plate and through the reflective element. The IR emitter device includes an IR emitter or LED printed circuit board, a first group of near-infrared light emitting diodes (e.g., a group of wide beam LEDs) are located at a portion of the LED PCB, and a second group of near-infrared light emitting diodes (e.g., a group of narrow beam LEDs) are located at another portion of the LED PCB. One portion of the LED PCB is angled relative to the other portion to emit light in a desired direction according to the direction of the mirror head. For example, the first group of near-infrared light emitting diodes 20a can be angled relative to the mirror reflective element 16 so that when the mirror assembly is installed at the central area of ​​the vehicle interior, the first group of near-IR LEDs 20a emit light directed to the left side of the vehicle. The second group of near-IR LEDs 20b can be angled relative to the mirror reflective element to emit light directed to the right side of the vehicle. In addition, one or more third groups of near IR LEDs 20c can be positioned and / or angled relative to the mirror reflective element 16 to emit light directed toward a central area of ​​the vehicle or for a wide illumination field of view. Thus, the first group of near infrared LEDs 20a can be angled toward the left side of the vehicle so as to be directed toward the driver of a left-hand drive vehicle (if the mirror assembly is installed in a left-hand drive vehicle and the first group of near infrared LEDs is activated for a driver monitoring function), while the second group of near infrared LEDs 20b can be angled toward the right side of the vehicle so as to be directed toward the driver of a right-hand drive vehicle (if the mirror assembly is installed in a right-hand drive vehicle and the second group of near infrared LEDs is activated for a driver monitoring function).

[0062] Furthermore, when the mirror assembly is installed in a left-hand drive vehicle, the first group of light emitters 20a angled toward the left side of the vehicle is operable to illuminate / illuminate the driver's side of the vehicle for DMS, while the second group of light emitters 20b angled toward the right side of the vehicle is operable to illuminate the passenger side of the vehicle for OMS. Similarly, when the mirror assembly is installed in a right-hand drive vehicle, the second group of light emitters 20b angled toward the right side of the vehicle is operable to illuminate the driver's side of the vehicle for DMS, while the first group of light emitters 20a angled toward the left side of the vehicle is operable to illuminate the passenger side of the vehicle for OMS.

[0063] The mirror assembly is designed so that the camera 18 and the near infrared light emitter 20 located at the mirror head interfere with or encroach upon the effective display area of ​​the full mirror video display screen 22 to a minimum. In other words, the size of the video display screen 22 or the relative proportion of the video display screen 22 at the mirror head is maximized. Figure 1-Figure 13 As shown, the camera 18 can be set in a position including: behind the front glass substrate 24 of the electrochromic (EC) mirror reflective element; in the cutout area 28 of the rear glass substrate 26 and the video display screen 22, so that the camera 18 is not in the effective EC area, nor in the display screen. The camera 18 can be set at the side area of ​​the mirror head or at the drooping area 32 below the display screen 22 (for example, depending on the specific application of the mirror assembly and the driver monitoring system). Fig.16 ).

[0064] That is, the rear glass substrate 26 and / or the video display screen 22 include corresponding notches or slots or cutouts that overlap or align with each other and define a cutout area 28 where the camera 18 is disposed. In addition, the light emitter 20 may be disposed at or behind or within a corresponding hole or cutout area in the rear glass substrate 26 and / or the video display screen 22, so that the light emitted by the light emitter passes through the front glass substrate 24 without being blocked, reflected or interfered with by the rear glass substrate 26 and / or the video display screen 22.

[0065] The light emitter 20 may be arranged along the upper region of the lens head (eg, Figure 1-Figure 4 ), or the lower region (e.g. Figure 5-Figure 8 ), or lateral regions (e.g., Figure 9-12 ) arrangement. The light emitter 20 may have an angled reflector to direct or guide light emitted by the light emitter (when powered by electricity) to the driver or passenger area. The light emitter may be otherwise arranged at the lens head, and when the light emitter is powered by electricity, a light guide or light guide element may be used to direct or guide the light to be emitted from a desired or appropriate location at the lens head. The light guide may include a fiber optic light guide with a concentrator that directs the light to the target area.

[0066] See also Figure 1-Figure 4 , the first light emitter 20a can be disposed at a first cutout region 28a at an upper corner region of the mirror and along a first side portion of the mirror (eg, Figure 1 The second light emitter 20b may be disposed at a second cutout region 28b at an upper corner region of the mirror and along a second side of the mirror (e.g., Figure 1 The third light emitter 20c and the camera 18 may be disposed at a third cutout area 28c at the central area of ​​the mirror and along the lower edge of the mirror. The front glass substrate 24 covers and is disposed along the camera 18, the light emitter 20 and the cutout area.

[0067] like Figure 2 As shown, each cone or array represents the illumination domain of the light emitted by each light emitter 20. The first light emitter 20a emits light from the first side of the mirror, and such light is located in the first illumination domain 30a directed to the second side of the mirror. That is, the first light emitter 20a can be set on the side of the mirror closest to the driver's side of the left-hand drive vehicle, and the first illumination domain 30a is directed to the passenger side of the car. Similarly, the second light emitter 20b emits light from the second side of the mirror, and the second illumination domain 30b is directed to the first side of the mirror. In other words, the second light emitter 30b, which is set on the passenger side of the mirror closest to the left-hand drive vehicle, has a second illumination domain 30b directed to the driving side of the car. The light emitted by the third light emitter 20c is located in the third illumination domain 30c directed to the central area of ​​the car.

[0068] In addition, each light emitter can emit light in any suitable direction relative to the mirror assembly. For example, since the mirror assembly is mounted at or near the upper surface of the vehicle interior (e.g., the upper edge area of ​​the roof lining or the vehicle windshield), the light emitter can emit light that is at least partially directed downward. Optionally, the light emitter can emit light to the side and / or upward relative to the mirror assembly. The light emitter can have a narrow illumination area (e.g., directing light to the head area of ​​the vehicle driver or the passenger seat position) or a wide illumination area (e.g., illuminating a larger interval or area of ​​the compartment, which may include the rear seat area of ​​the vehicle). Therefore, when operating, the light emitter can illuminate any suitable area or portion of the compartment, including the driver's seat, the front passenger seat, and one or more rear passenger positions.

[0069] Therefore, the rear glass substrate 26 and the video display screen 22 include a cutout area for each of the first light emitter 20a and the second light emitter 20b, and the third light emitter 20c and the camera 18 are disposed at or share the same cutout area. Figure 1-Figure 4 In the example shown, the respective cutout regions are located at the respective left and right upper corner regions of the mirror and along the lower edge at the central region of the mirror. To accommodate the cutouts in the rear glass substrate 26, the shape of the EC active area between the rear substrate 26 and the front substrate 24 also includes cutouts or holes (e.g., Figure 3A and Figure 3B In other words, the camera 18 and the third light emitter 20c are disposed in the cutout region 28c along the lower edge region of the mirror assembly. The first light emitter 20a is disposed along the upper edge region of the mirror assembly and along the left side (e.g., Figure 2 The cutout area 28a can be configured to direct light to the right side of the mirror assembly (e.g., Figure 2 The second light emitter 20b is disposed along the upper edge region of the mirror assembly and along the right side (eg, Figure 2 The cutout area 28b can be configured to direct light to the left side of the mirror assembly (e.g., Figure 2 on the left side of the image).

[0070] like Figure 4 As shown, the shape of the video display screen 22 generally corresponds to the shape of the rear glass substrate and includes corresponding cutout areas or holes that are aligned with the cutout areas 28 that accommodate the light emitter 20 and the camera 18. In other words, the video display screen 22 includes corresponding cutout areas, which respectively: correspond to the cutout area along the lower edge of the rear glass substrate 26 to form a first cutout area 28a; correspond to the cutout area along the upper edge at the first side of the rear glass substrate 26 to form a second cutout area 28b; and correspond to the cutout area along the upper edge at the second side of the rear glass substrate 26 to form a third cutout area 28c. The video display screen 22 can extend beyond the EC active area toward the edge of the mirror reflective element.

[0071] See also Figure 5-Figure 8 , the mirror assembly 110 includes a mirror reflective element 116 with a full video display screen 122 and a camera 118, which is housed in the lens portion 112 of the mirror assembly 110 and observes through the mirror reflective element 116 to capture image data for the DMS and / or OMS. When the mirror assembly 110 is installed in the interior of the vehicle, the near IR illuminator 120 is disposed at the lower area or lower edge of the mirror housing 114. For example, the near IR illuminator 120 can be disposed below the lower edge of the mirror reflective element 116, or can be disposed to emit light through the lower edge area of ​​the mirror reflective element 116. The camera 118 and the near IR illuminator 120 are disposed at a cutout area 128 extending along the lower edge area of ​​the mirror reflective element 116.

[0072] That is, the rear glass substrate 126 and the video display screen 122 each include a corresponding hole or notch or cutout area extending along their respective lower edge regions and cooperating to define a cutout area 128. The camera 118, the first group of light emitters 120a, the second group of light emitters 120b, and the third group of light emitters 120c can be arranged at the cutout area 128 along the lower edge region of the mirror reflective element 116. Therefore, there is no cutout area at the upper edge region or upper corner region or side region of the mirror reflective element, and each of the light emitters 120 and the camera 118 is arranged along the lower edge of the mirror head. In other words, the camera 118, the first light emitter 120a, the second light emitter 120b, and the third light emitter 120c are arranged in the cutout area 128 along the lower edge region of the mirror assembly.

[0073] The first light emitter 120a may be disposed at the cutout region 128 and disposed at a first side portion of the cutout region 128 along a first side of the mirror (eg, Figure 6 The second light emitter 120b may be disposed at a second side portion of the cutout region 128 along a second side of the mirror (eg, Figure 6 The third light emitter 120c and the camera 118 may be disposed at the middle or central portion of the cutout region 128. The front glass substrate 124 covers and is disposed along the camera 118, the light emitter 120, and the cutout region 128.

[0074] like Figure 6 As shown, the first light emitter 120a emits light from a first side of the mirror (eg, Figure 6 ) emits light, and such light is located on the second side of the pointing mirror (e.g., Figure 6 The first and second light emitters 120a and 120b emit light from the second side of the mirror, and such light is located in the first illumination domain 130a directed to the first side of the mirror. Thus, the first and second light emitters 120a and 120b direct light to opposite sides of the vehicle, so that when the first and second light emitters 120a and 120b are electrically operated simultaneously, the first and second illumination domains 130a and 130b intersect or overlap. The light emitted by the third light emitter 120c is located in the illumination domain 130c directed to the central area of ​​the vehicle compartment.

[0075] Optionally, the first light emitter 120a and the second light emitter 120b can direct light to the respective sides of the vehicle so that the illumination fields of the first light emitter and the second light emitter do not cross or overlap. That is, when the first light emitter 120a is disposed on a first side of the mirror closest to the driver's side, the first light emitter 120a can direct light to the driver's side of the vehicle, and when the second light emitter 120b is disposed on a second side of the mirror closest to the passenger's side of the vehicle, the second light emitter 120b can direct light to the passenger's side of the vehicle.

[0076] exist Figure 5-Figure 8 In the example shown, the cutout region 128 extends along the lower edge region of the mirror assembly, and thus the first light emitter 120a, the second light emitter 120b, the third light emitter 120c, and the camera 118 are all disposed along the same cutout region 128. For example, a single cutout region 128 can simplify the assembly process because the light emitters and the camera are positioned relative to a single cutout region, rather than separate cutout regions spaced apart from each other across the mirror assembly. Although the front glass substrate 124 covers the cutout region 128, the EC active region between the rear substrate 126 and the front substrate 124 also includes a cutout or hole to accommodate the light emitters and the camera (e.g., Fig. 7A and Figure 7B ). Optionally, corresponding light emitters and cameras can be arranged along the lower edge area of ​​the mirror assembly and at separate corresponding cutout areas, such as to increase the relative size of the EC active area and / or video display screen 122 relative to the front glass substrate 124.

[0077] like Figure 8 As shown, the shape of the video display screen 122 generally corresponds to the shape of the rear glass substrate and includes corresponding cutout areas or holes aligned with the cutout areas of the rear glass substrate 126 to accommodate the light emitter 120 and the camera 118. In other words, the video display screen 122 includes corresponding cutout areas that correspond to the cutout areas along the lower edge of the rear glass substrate 126, respectively, to form cutout areas 128a. The video display screen 122 can extend beyond the EC active area to the edge of the mirror reflective element.

[0078] refer to Figure 9-12 , the mirror assembly 210 includes a mirror reflective element 216 having a full video display screen 222 and a camera 218, which is housed in the lens portion 212 of the mirror assembly 210 and observes through the mirror reflective element 216 to capture image data for the DMS and / or OMS. The near IR light emitter 220 is disposed within the mirror housing 216 and is disposed behind each side area of ​​the mirror reflective element 216, such as along the opposite edge of the video display screen 222 and outside thereof. Therefore, the near IR light emitter 220 emits light through the mirror reflective element 216 (rather than the video display screen of the mirror reflective element) and from the opposite side of the mirror assembly. For example, a near IR light emitter at one side of the mirror reflective element (e.g., Fig. 9 The right side in the mirror) may include a set of narrow beam LEDs for illuminating the driver or left seat and another set of narrow beam LEDs for illuminating the passenger or right seat, while a near IR light emitter (e.g., Fig. 9The left side in the figure) may include a set of wide beam LEDs for illuminating the cabin. The camera 218 and / or one or more additional near IR illuminators are disposed at a cutout area 228 formed along the lower edge area of ​​the mirror reflective element 216. The near IR illuminators 220 disposed along each side of the mirror assembly may be disposed at each cutout area formed along each side of the mirror reflective element 216, or each outer edge of the video display screen 222 and the rear glass substrate 226 may be located on the inner side of the near IR illuminator 220 relative to the front glass substrate 224.

[0079] like Fig.10 As shown, respective first lateral edges of the rear glass substrate 226 and the video display screen 222 are aligned within the mirror housing 214 and spaced apart from the peripheral edge of the mirror housing 214 to provide a first lateral edge of the mirror assembly (eg, Fig.10 In contrast, the second lateral edges of the rear glass substrate 226 and the video display screen 222 are aligned with and spaced apart from the peripheral edge of the mirror housing 214 to provide a first cutout area 228a along the second side of the mirror assembly (e.g., Fig.10 228a, the second cutout region 228b is defined. In addition, the rear glass substrate 226 and the video display screen 222 each include a corresponding hole or notch or cutout region that extends along the lower edge region of each of the rear glass substrate and the video display screen and cooperates to define a third cutout region 228c along the lower edge region of the mirror reflective element 216. The front glass substrate 224 covers and extends along the first cutout region 228a, the second cutout region 228b, and the third cutout region 228c.

[0080] The first light emitter 220a is arranged at the first cutout area 228a along the first side of the mirror assembly, and the emitted light is located in the first illumination domain 230a pointing to the second side of the mirror. Therefore, the first light emitter 220a can be arranged at a side of the mirror closer to the driver's side of the left-hand driving vehicle, and has a first illumination domain 230a pointing to the passenger side of the vehicle. The second light emitter 220b is arranged at the second cutout area 228b along the second side of the mirror assembly, and the emitted light is located in the second illumination domain 230b pointing to the first side of the mirror. Therefore, the second light emitter 220b can be arranged at a side of the mirror closer to the passenger side of the left-hand driving vehicle, and has a second illumination domain 230b pointing to the driver's side of the vehicle. The third light emitter 230c and the camera 218 are arranged in the third cutout area 228c along the lower edge of the mirror assembly, and the third light emitter 230c directs light to the central area of ​​the compartment.

[0081] Thus, the back glass substrate 226 and the video display screen 222 include a cutout area for each of the first light emitter 220a and the second light emitter 220b, and the third light emitter 220c and the camera 218 are disposed at or share the cutout area 228c. The shape of the EC active area between the back glass substrate 226 and the front glass substrate 224 corresponds to the shape or contour of the back glass substrate 226 (e.g., Fig.11A and Fig. 11B ).

[0082] like Fig.12 As shown, the shape of the video display screen 222 generally corresponds to the shape of the rear glass substrate and includes corresponding cutout areas or holes that are aligned with the cutout areas 228 that accommodate the light emitter 220 and the camera 218. In other words, the video display screen 222 includes corresponding cutout areas, which respectively: correspond to the cutout areas along the first side of the rear glass substrate 226 to form a first cutout area 228a; correspond to the cutout areas along the second side of the rear glass substrate 226 to form a second cutout area 228c; and correspond to the cutout areas along the lower edge of the rear glass substrate 226 to form a third cutout area 228c. Optionally, the video display screen 222 includes corresponding outer edges that are aligned with corresponding edges of the rear glass substrate 226 to form the first cutout area 228a and the second cutout area 228b along the corresponding sides of the mirror assembly 210. The video display screen 222 can extend beyond the EC active area to the edge of the mirror reflective element.

[0083] Fig.13 The mirror assembly 10 ( Figure 1 )、Mirror assembly 110( Figure 5 ) and mirror assembly 210 ( Fig. 9). The mirror assembly 10 provides narrow light emitters or LEDs 20, and the light emitters 20 are spaced far apart from each other (i.e., on opposite sides of the mirror assembly 10) and are arranged along the upper edge of the mirror reflective element 16. However, the location of the light emitters 20 of the mirror assembly 10 may directly affect the thin film transistor (TFT) integrated circuit (IC) frame and the backlight, and a split PCB for the LED may be required. That is, the light emitters 20 can be arranged at a separate PCB or a split PCB. By arranging the light emitters 120 in the cutout area 228 along the lower edge area of ​​the mirror reflective element 216, the mirror assembly 110 provides a consistent appearance, with only one visible cutout, and maintaining the same or similar backlight. In addition, by arranging the camera 218 along the lower cutout area 228c and arranging the light emitters 220 along the sides of the video display screen 222, the mirror assembly 210 has minimal impact on the backlight and TFT IC frame. However, the mirror assembly 210 may include a separate PCB for the LEDs and may have visible wasted space (ie, the display screen 222 does not extend to the outer lateral edges of the mirror reflective element 216).

[0084] like Fig.14 As shown, the mirror assembly 310 may include a camera 318, which is disposed in or along one of the first cutout regions 328a and the second cutout regions 328b along each side of the video display screen, and the mirror assembly may not include a third cutout region along the lower edge of the mirror assembly, so that the rear glass substrate and the video display screen 322 may extend continuously along the lower edge of the mirror reflective element 316 without a groove or cutout. For example, the camera 318 may be disposed at one of the first and second cutout regions based on whether the mirror assembly is installed in a left-hand drive vehicle or a right-hand drive vehicle. The light emitter 320 may be disposed at the first cutout region 328a and / or the second cutout region 328b.

[0085] Fig.15A mirror reflective element 16 is shown with a cutout area 28 along the lower edge of the mirror reflective element. The mirror reflective element 16 has a video display screen and an EC active area, which has a height at the central area of ​​the mirror reflective element 16 (i.e., the dimension measured from the lower edge of the video display screen and / or the EC active area to the upper edge of the video display screen and / or the EC active area when the mirror reflective element is installed at the vehicle) that is less than the height of the video display screen and the EC active area at the side of the mirror reflective element. That is, due to the cutout area in the central area of ​​the mirror reflective element, the video display screen and the EC active area of ​​the mirror reflective element are narrower or smaller in the central area of ​​the mirror reflective element 16 than at the side. For example, the height of the video display screen at the central portion of the mirror reflective element 16 can be 30 mm, 40 mm, 45 mm, etc. The height of the cutout area 28 can be any suitable measurement, such as 18 mm, 25 mm, etc., and the lower edge of the cutout area is aligned with the lower edge of the mirror reflective element.

[0086] In some examples, it may be desirable to have a minimum height of the EC active area and / or video display screen of, for example, 40 mm, 50 mm, etc., such as to provide a sufficiently large video display screen for the driver to view. To achieve a greater height of the EC active area and / or video display screen, the mirror assembly may have a mirror reflective element 416 having a greater height along the sides of the mirror reflective element (e.g., Fig.16 ), so that the central area is larger while still fitting into the cutout area. Optionally, the camera 518 (and optionally one or more near IR light emitters) can be disposed along one side of the mirror reflective element 516 at the cutout area 528 of the mirror reflective element 516, so that the video display screen 522 can be disposed at the other side of the mirror reflective element 516 and extend over substantially the entire area of ​​that side of the mirror reflective element 516 (e.g., Fig.17 ). Therefore, in Fig.17 In the embodiment of the present invention, the camera is moved from the central area of ​​the mirror reflective element to the side area so that the height of the mirror reflective element 516 can remain unchanged while still accommodating the camera 518. In addition, the mirror assembly can have a drop area 632 that extends along and below the lower edge of the mirror reflective element 616 to accommodate the camera at the lower edge of the mirror reflective element without increasing the height of the mirror reflective element along the side of the mirror reflective element (e.g., Fig.18 ). In other words, the camera is moved downward from the lower edge of the mirror reflective element to accommodate a video display screen with a greater height.

[0087] like Fig.18As shown, the camera 618 can be arranged along the lower area of ​​the lens portion 612, and the drooping portion or downward protrusion 632 of the front glass substrate 624 of the mirror reflective element 616 extends downward to conceal or hide the camera 618. That is, the mirror assembly 610 includes the lens portion 612, the drooping portion 632 of the lens portion extends from the lower edge at the central portion of the mirror housing 614, and the drooping portion 632 of the lens portion 612 accommodates the camera 618 (and optionally one or more near-infrared light emitters). Because the drooping portion 632 protrudes along the lower edge of the mirror reflective element 616 and / or protrudes below the lower edge of the mirror reflective element 616, the size of the cutout area 628 formed by the slotted area of ​​the video display screen 622 and the rear glass substrate 626 can be minimized (or the mirror assembly can be without the cutout area) to provide a more continuous video display screen 622 of the mirror reflective element 616. The front glass substrate 624 may cover and extend along the cutout region 628 and overhang 632 of the lens portion 612 to shield or conceal or hide the camera 618 observing through the front glass substrate 624 and / or the light emitter emitting light through the front glass substrate 624 .

[0088] Optionally, the angle of the camera 618 (relative to the front glass substrate 624) may be selected to provide a desired field of view, or a cover panel 634 (such as a clear or infrared transmissive plastic or acrylic or glass panel) may be provided in front of the camera 618 and angled to provide a desired field of view (see FIG. Figure 20-Figure 31 ). Optionally, the camera 618 can be angled downward (e.g., 20 or 25 degrees) and the imager 618a can be displaced upward relative to the lens 618b to provide the desired field of view of the camera. That is, the angle of the imager plane 618a of the camera 618 relative to the rear or inner surface of the mirror reflective element or cover panel 634 can be an oblique angle, such as 1 degree or less, 5 degrees or less, 10 degrees or less, 20 degrees or less, 25 degrees or less, etc. Tilting the camera can make the vertical requirement for the droop smaller, and therefore the droop can be smaller. The non-EC cover panel 634 allows the camera to be tilted and allows the use of custom optical elements.

[0089] refer to Figure 20-22, the cover panel 634 may include a light-transmitting panel (such as an infrared light-transmitting panel) that allows the camera 618 to observe through the cover panel 634 and conceals the camera 618 from being seen by the vehicle driver. The cover panel 634 is disposed at the droop 632 and covers and is disposed along the camera 618 and / or one or more light emitters at the droop 632. Thus, the cover panel 634 may extend from the lower edge of the mirror reflective element 616, and the upper edge of the cover panel 634 is adjacent to the lower edge of the front glass substrate 624. The cover panel 634 may be received at least partially along the slotted or cutout area 628 of the mirror reflective element 616.

[0090] The cover panel 634 can be substantially flat and arranged at an oblique angle relative to the plane of the mirror reflective element 616, wherein the field of view of the camera 618 viewed through the cover panel 634 is adjusted based on the angle of the cover panel 634 relative to the mirror reflective element 616 (e.g., Fig. 20 ). The camera can have a viewing angle that is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the mirror reflective element 616, such that the viewing angle of the camera through the cover panel is substantially equal to the angle of the cover panel 634 relative to the mirror reflective element 616. For example, the cover panel 634 can be arranged at any suitable angle relative to the mirror reflective element 616, such as an angle of 0 degrees, 1 degree, 2 degrees, 3 degrees, 4 degrees, 5 degrees, 6 degrees, 7 degrees, etc., of the outer surface or plane of the cover panel relative to the outer surface or plane of the mirror reflective element. The camera 618 can be tilted with the cover panel 634 so that the imager plane of the camera 618 is substantially parallel to the cover panel and is angled relative to the mirror reflective element 616. Optionally, the camera 618 is not tilted with the cover panel 634 so that the imager plane of the camera 618 is substantially parallel to the mirror reflective element 616, and the cover panel 634 is angled relative to the mirror reflective element 616 and the imager plane of the camera 618.

[0091] like Fig.21 As shown, as the angle of the cover panel 634 relative to the mirror reflective element 616 and the camera 618 increases, the size of the camera window 619 increases. In the case where the angle of the camera imager 618a and the camera lens 618b relative to the mirror reflective element 616 remains unchanged, the angle of the cover panel 634 relative to the mirror reflective element 616 adjusts the viewing angle of the imager 618a through the lens 618b and the cover panel 634 (for example, Fig. 22 ).

[0092] refer to Figure 23-Figure 25, the mirror assembly 710 includes a mirror reflective element 716 having a full video display screen 722 and a camera 718 housed by a mirror housing 714 at a drooped area or drooped portion 732 of the mirror portion 712. The camera 718 observes through a cover panel 734 covering and arranged along the drooped area 732 of the camera 718. One or more near-IR light emitters 720 are electrically operable to emit light through the cover panel 734 and / or the mirror reflective element 716. In the illustrated example, corresponding holes or recesses or slots in the rear glass substrate 726 and the video display screen 722 define a cutout area 728 at an upper corner area of ​​the mirror reflective element 716, and the light emitters are arranged at the corresponding cutout areas 728 and emit light through the front glass substrate 724. In other words, the cutout area 728 is formed along the upper edge of the mirror reflective element 716 and along a first side of the mirror reflective element, and another cutout area 728 is formed along the upper edge of the mirror reflective element 716 and along a second side of the mirror reflective element 716. Each cutout region accommodates a near IR illuminator 720. A third cutout region 728 can be formed along a lower edge region of the mirror reflective element 716 for accommodating the camera 718, and a cover panel 734 can be at least partially received along the third cutout region. The cover panel 734 can be angled relative to the mirror reflective element 716 to minimize the extension of the droop 732 below the lower edge of the mirror reflective element 716.

[0093] like Figure 26-Figure 28 As shown, the angle of the cover panel 734 relative to the mirror reflective element 716 allows the dangle 732 to be shorter or smaller because the vertical dimension of the camera observation window 719 decreases as the angle of the cover panel 734 relative to the mirror reflective element 716 increases. For example, a 3 degree angle of the cover panel 734 relative to the mirror reflective element 716 can save 2 mm or more of vertical dimension on the dangle 732, so that the lens head 712 can be only 14.2 mm taller than a full video display mirror assembly without a DMS camera.

[0094] refer to Figure 29-Figure 31 , the camera 718 and the cover panel 734 can be at approximately equal angles relative to the mirror reflective element 716. Therefore, the plane of the imager 718a is approximately parallel to the cover panel 734 and is angled relative to the mirror reflective element 716. In other words, the main visual axis of the camera is approximately normal to the cover panel. For example, the camera 718 and the cover panel 734 can be arranged at any suitable angle relative to the mirror reflective element 716, such as 0 degrees, 5 degrees, 10 degrees, 20 degrees, etc. As the angles of the cover panel 734 and the camera 718 relative to the mirror reflective element 716 increase, the vertical size of the droop 732 and the lens head decreases.

[0095] Optionally, the video display screen can be at least partially transparent (or at least partially transmit near IR light), so that the camera and / or light emitter can be set behind a portion or area of ​​the video display screen, and the portion or area can be partially transparent, so that when the portion of the video display screen displays a video image, the camera and / or light emitter is hidden or shielded behind the portion of the mirror reflective element. When the camera needs to observe through the mirror reflective element and / or the light emitter needs to emit light that passes through the mirror reflective element, the portion of the video display screen can be partially transparent so that light can pass through the portion of the mirror reflective element.

[0096] For example, Fig.32 A mirror assembly 810 is depicted having a camera 818 disposed at an upper corner region at a first side of the lens head and observing through a first portion 822a of a video display screen 822 of a mirror reflective element 816, the first portion 822a being partially transparent (or at least partially transmissive of near IR light), and an emitter 820 being disposed at an upper corner region at a second side of the lens head and operable to emit light through a second portion 822b of the video display screen 822, the second portion 822b being partially transparent. Fig.33 Similarly depicted is a mirror assembly 910 having a camera 918 disposed at an upper corner region at a first side of the mirror head and viewing through a first portion 922a of a video display screen 922 that may partially render transparent mirror reflective element 916, and an emitter 920 disposed at an upper corner region at a second side of the mirror head and operable to emit light through a second portion 922b of the partially render transparent video display screen 922. Thus, the video display screen may span substantially the entire mirror reflective element, such as a proportion of 75% or more, 85% or more, 95% or more, etc.

[0097] Optionally, the camera and one or more near IR illuminators may be incorporated into one or more cutout regions along the side regions of the mirror head so that the display screen may cover a relatively large portion of the mirror reflective element. Fig.34 A mirror assembly 1010 is depicted having a mirror reflective element 1016, a display screen 1022 of the mirror reflective element, and a rear glass substrate forming a cutout region 1028 disposed along one side of the mirror head (e.g., Fig.34 ), and the camera 1018 and one or more light emitters 1020 are arranged at the cutout area 1028.

[0098] Fig.35 A mirror assembly 1110 is depicted having a mirror reflective element 1116, a display screen 1122 of the mirror reflective element, and a rear glass substrate forming a first cutout region 1128a disposed along one side of the mirror head (e.g., Fig.35 ), and the camera 1118 and one or more light emitters 1120 are arranged at a first cutout area 1128a, and a smaller second cutout area 1128b is formed at a corner area along the other side of the lens head to accommodate one or more additional light emitters 1120.

[0099] Fig.36 A mirror assembly 1210 is shown having a mirror reflective element 1216, a display screen 1222 of the mirror reflective element and a rear glass substrate forming: a first cutout region 1228a (e.g., Fig.36 ) to accommodate the camera 1218 and one or more light emitters 1220; and a second cutout area 1228b (e.g., Fig.36 ) to accommodate one or more additional light emitters 1220.

[0100] See also Figure 37-Figure 39 , the mirror assembly 1310 includes a mirror reflective element 1316, and a full-view video display screen 1322 of the mirror reflective element substantially fills the mirror reflective element 1316 (e.g., the video display screen 1322 covers the mirror reflective element 1316 by 75% or more, 85% or more, 95% or more, etc.). The narrow-view light emitters 1320 are respectively disposed at first cutout regions 1328a at upper corner regions along a first side of the mirror reflective element 1316 (e.g., Fig.37 ) and at a second cutout region 1328b at an upper corner region along a second side of the mirror reflective element 1316 (eg, Fig.37 The third cutout region 1328c may extend along the lower edge of the mirror reflective element 1316 to accommodate the camera 1318 along the lower edge of the mirror reflective element 1316. In addition, one or more wide field of view light emitters 1321 may be disposed at the third cutout region 1328c.

[0101] The front glass substrate 1324 of the mirror reflective element 1316 covers and extends along the first cutout region 1328a and the second cutout region 1328, so that the light emitter emits light through the front glass substrate 1324 when electrically operated. A chrome strip 1325a may be disposed at the mirror reflective element (e.g., between the front glass substrate and the back glass substrate) and around the video display screen 1322, and an IR light transmissive coating 1325b may be disposed at the mirror reflective element and covering and along one or more of the cutout regions.

[0102] The camera 1318 and the wide field of view light emitter 1321 are disposed at a droop 1332 of the lens portion 1312, and a cover panel 1334 (e.g., an IR light transmissive cover panel) covers and extends along the droop 1332 below the mirror reflective element 1316. Thus, the camera 1318 observes through / through the cover panel 1334, and the wide field of view light emitter 1321 emits light through / through the cover panel 1334. The cover panel 1334 may be coated to at least partially block visible light from passing therethrough and at least partially allow near IR light to pass therethrough, so that the camera and light emitter are at least partially hidden from the vehicle driver.

[0103] See also Fig.40 and Fig.41 , the mirror assembly 1410 includes a mirror reflective element 1416 having a full-view video display screen 1422, the full-view video display screen substantially filling the mirror reflective element 1416 (e.g., the video display screen 1422 covers 75% or more, 85% or more, 95% or more of the mirror reflective element 1416, etc.). A drooping portion 1432 of the lens portion 1412 extends below the lower edge of the mirror reflective element 1416 to accommodate a camera and / or one or more light emitters. A cover panel 1434 extends over the drooping portion 1432 and includes an IR light transmitting material that allows transmission of IR light and / or near-IR light and blocks transmission of visible light (such as about 75% or more of visible light) to hide or shield the camera and / or light emitter. A multilayer IR transmitting tape 1425 is disposed at the mirror reflective element 1416 (such as between corresponding glass substrates) and surrounds the video display screen 1422. One or more infrared emitters are disposed behind the front glass substrate of the specular reflective element 1416 and outside of the video display screen 1422 such that the emitters transmit IR or near IR light through the IR transmissive tape 1425. The IR transmissive tape 1425 hides or shields the emitters behind the specular reflective element 1416.

[0104] See also Figure 42-Figure 44 , the mirror assembly 1510 includes a mirror reflective element 1516, and a full-view video display screen 1522 of the mirror reflective element substantially fills the mirror reflective element 1516 (for example, the video display screen 1522 covers the mirror reflective element 1516 by 75% or more, 85% or more, 95% or more, etc.). A cutout region 1528 extends along the lower edge of the mirror reflective element 1516, and a drooping portion 1532 of the lens head 1512 extends from the cutout region 1528. The narrow field of view light emitter 1520, the wide field of view light emitter 1521, and the camera 1518 are accommodated by the camera head 1512 along the cutout region 1528 and within the drooping portion 1532.

[0105] The chrome strip 1525 may be disposed at the mirror reflective element (such as between the front glass substrate and the rear glass substrate) and surround the video display screen 1522. A cover panel 1534 (such as an IR light transmitting cover panel) covers below the mirror reflective element 1516 and extends along the droop 1532. Thus, the camera 1518 is observed through the cover panel 1534, and the narrow field of view light emitter 1520 and the wide field of view light emitter 1521 emit light through the cover panel 1534. The cover panel 1534 may not allow visible light to pass through so that the camera and the light emitter are at least partially hidden from the vehicle driver. For example, the cover panel 1534 may be configured to block approximately 75% or more of visible light from passing through the cover panel 1534, while allowing relatively more IR light or near IR light to pass through the cover panel 1534.

[0106] See also Fig.45 and Fig.46 , the mirror assembly 1610 includes a mirror reflective element 1616 having a full video display screen 1622 and a cutout area 1628 extending along the lower edge of the mirror reflective element 1616. The lens portion 1612 includes a droop 1632 extending below the lower edge of the mirror reflective element 1616 at the cutout area 1628. The droop 1632 can accommodate a camera and / or one or more IR or near-IR light emitters. As shown, the front glass substrate 1624 can extend along the droop 1632 so that the camera and / or one or more light emitters are disposed behind the front glass substrate 1624. The portion of the mirror reflective element 1616 extending along the droop 1632 is dimmable or darkenable to hide or shield components disposed within the droop 1632 behind the mirror reflective element 1616. A band (eg, a chrome band) 1625 may be disposed at the mirror reflective element (eg, between the respective glass substrates) and extends along the perimeter of the lens portion 1612 (eg, the video display screen and the drop).

[0107] See also Fig.47 and Fig.48 , the mirror assembly 1710 includes a filter medium or coating 1725, such as an IR light or near IR light transmissive coating, covering the downturn 1732 of the lens portion 1712 and disposed along the mirror reflective element 1716, which allows IR light and / or near IR light to be transmitted through the coating 1725 and blocks a substantial portion (e.g., about 75% or more, 85% or more, 95% or more, etc.) of visible light incident on the coating 1725 to hide or shield the camera and / or one or more IR light or near IR light emitters at the downturn 1732. The coating 1725 can be disposed at the mirror reflective element 1716, such as disposed at an outer surface of the front glass substrate, or disposed behind the front glass substrate and between the front glass substrate and the rear glass substrate of the mirror reflective element 1716.

[0108] See also Fig.49 and Fig.50 , the mirror assembly 1810 includes a mirror reflective element 1816 having a video display screen 1822 and extending along a droop 1832 of the lens portion 1812. The droop 1832 can accommodate a camera and / or one or more light emitters that emit light that are observed through the mirror reflective element 1816. A multilayer IR-transmissive tape 1825 is disposed at the mirror reflective element 1816 (such as between respective glass substrates) and surrounds the mirror reflective element 1816 and covers and is disposed along the droop 1812. Thus, the light emitter emits IR or near-IR light through the IR-transmissive tape 1825, and the camera observes through the IR-transmissive tape 1825, and the IR-transmissive tape 1825 hides or shields the light emitter and camera behind the mirror reflective element 1816.

[0109] See also Figure 53-Figure 57 , the interior rearview mirror assembly 1910 may include a mirror reflective element 1916, the mirror reflective element including a video display screen 1922, and a droop 1932 of the lens head 1912 may extend below the mirror reflective element 1916 and extend from a cutout area 1928 of the mirror reflective element 1916. The droop 1932 may house a camera 1918 and one or more IR light or near IR light emitters 1920. The droop 1932 includes an IR light or near IR light transmissive material that allows IR light and / or near IR light to be transmitted through an outer surface of the droop 1932 and blocks visible light from being transmitted through an outer surface of the droop 1932. The camera 1918 extends through the outer surface of the droop 1932 (i.e., exposed to the outer surface of the lens head) so that the field of view of the camera 1918 is not affected by the light transmissive properties of the droop cover, and thus the camera 1918 can capture image data representing visible light and / or IR light reflected from within the vehicle cabin. A light transmissive or non-transmissive strip 1925 (such as a chrome strip) may be disposed at the mirror reflective element 1916 (such as between the respective glass substrates) and around the video display screen 1922 such that the strip 1925 is between the video display screen 1922 and the tab 1932 .

[0110] Alternatively, if Figure 58-Figure 62As shown, the mirror assembly 2010 may include a camera 2018, which is arranged behind the plastic cover of the drooping portion 2032 of the lens portion 2012, so that the camera can observe through the drooping portion cover. The camera 2018 can capture image data representing visible light and / or IR light or near IR light from the vehicle compartment based on the light transmittance of the drooping portion cover. For example, the drooping portion cover can be configured to allow IR light and / or near IR light to pass through the drooping portion cover, and a certain proportion of visible light can be blocked from passing through the drooping portion cover (such as 25% or more, 50% or more, 75% or more, etc.). Therefore, when the driver observes the camera assembly, the camera 2018 and / or the light emitter 2020 arranged at the drooping portion 2032 can be shielded or hidden outside the driver's line of sight. Light-transmissive and / or non-light-transmissive strips 2025 (such as chrome strips or IR light-transmissive strips) may be disposed at the mirror reflective element 2016 (such as between the front and rear glass substrates) and surround the video display screen 2022 of the mirror reflective element.

[0111] like Fig.63 As shown, the video display screen 2022 is operable to display one or more icons or overlays 2022a to display information representing the rear view of the vehicle within or on the video image. For example, the icon or overlay 2022a may indicate that the image is derived from captured image data (as opposed to a mirror reflective element providing reflection), or a compass may be superimposed on the display screen 2022.

[0112] Alternatively, the camera may be located at the lens head and a light guide or reflector may be used to reflect or direct light from the driver and / or passenger area toward the lens of the camera. The light guide or light guide may include a fiber optic light guide having a light collector that collects light at the mirror reflective element and a light concentrator that directs or concentrates the light at the lens of the camera.

[0113] Therefore, the DMS camera (and light emitter) is set at or in the lens head with a full mirror video display screen. The camera and light emitter are hidden at the lens head, such as behind a front glass substrate of a mirror reflective element or behind a separate cover panel. The cover or glass substrate has a coating or tint to hide the camera while allowing enough light to pass through so that the camera can capture image data for driver / occupant monitoring functions. The position and angle of the camera are selected to minimize the size of the lens head while minimizing the impact on the video display screen. The camera can be set within the "mirror-shaped" front glass, or the camera can be at a dropped area to reduce the size of the slot at the lower part of the video display.

[0114] When the mirror assembly includes a mirror housing with a drop region, it may be desirable for the drop portion to have a greater vertical height to occupy the video display screen with the full field of view of the exterior viewing camera (e.g., the video display screen can display a large enough portion of the field of view of the backup camera) and meet the vertical visibility requirement for the display (e.g., 40 mm). Tilting the drop region relative to the mirror reflective element can reduce the vertical size of the mirror head and improve the appearance of the mirror assembly while allowing the camera in the mirror assembly to have a field of view suitable for providing DMS and / or OMS.

[0115] For example, the camera can be set normal to the mirror reflective element, and the cover panel at the droop can be tilted or angled relative to the mirror reflective element and the camera. A larger angle provides a smaller droop and a reduced overall mirror height, but may affect the field of view of the camera. In some examples, a 3-degree angle of the cover panel of the droop relative to the mirror reflective element may result in a 2.4 mm reduction in the vertical height of the mirror head. An angle of 5 degrees may result in a 3.4 mm reduction in height, and an angle of 7 degrees may result in a 4.1 mm reduction in height.

[0116] Alternatively, the camera (i.e., lens and imager) can be arranged normal to the cover panel of the drooping part, thereby angled relative to the mirror reflection element. This can allow the bottom of the visual field of the camera to move upward, thereby reducing the vertical height of the mirror. In other words, the cover panel at the drooping part can be shortened to reduce the vertical size of the camera visual field, because the lower part of the visual field may not need to provide DMS and / or OMS. Alternatively, the imager can be vertically displaced along the cover panel of the drooping part, to reduce the height of the lens head when the cover panel is tilted and the camera is angled according to the angle of the cover panel. For example, the imager and the cover panel of the drooping part can be angled at any suitable angle relative to the mirror reflection element, such as 0 degree, 10 degree, 20 degree, etc. By making the cover panel at the drooping part angled relative to the mirror reflection element (such as 20 degrees), the lens head can have a mirror height that reduces 6.6 millimeters.

[0117] The camera may include any suitable camera (see Fig.64). For example, the DMS / OMS camera may include a first camera 2118 having a length (e.g., measured from the imager to the end of the lens) of approximately 23 mm and a diameter of approximately 15 mm. The first camera 2118 may have a resolution of 2.3 megapixels, a field of view of approximately 132 degrees, and may be capable of providing a wide field of view for passenger detection, driver distraction detection, driver eye tracking, and capturing image data representing visible light (e.g., RGB for video conferencing) and IR light or near IR light. The second camera 2218 may have a length of approximately 16 mm, a diameter of approximately 11 mm, a resolution of 5.0 megapixels, and a field of view of approximately 140 degrees. The second camera 2218 may provide a wider field of view to enhance passenger detection, enhance driver distraction detection, driver eye tracking, and capture image data representing visible light (e.g., RGB for video conferencing) and IR light or near IR light. The second camera 2218 may have a smaller footprint than the first camera 2118.

[0118] Optionally, the camera may include a micro camera 2318 ( Figure 65-Figure 71 ). The micro camera may be particularly suitable for driver-only monitoring functions (wherein the system monitors only the driver and not other occupants of the vehicle). Optionally, two micro cameras (one generally pointing to the left side area of ​​the vehicle and one generally pointing to the right side area of ​​the vehicle) may be used to provide driver monitoring functions and occupant monitoring functions. The image data captured by the two micro cameras may be processed together or separately by an image processor at the ECU of the driver monitoring system. The micro camera (one or more) takes up minimal space and therefore has minimal impact on the lens head design and video display screen. When the mirror assembly is installed in the vehicle, the camera may be angled or tilted (such as between 5 degrees and 25 degrees relative to the plane of the mirror glass, such as 15 degrees) so as to observe generally toward the driver's head area. In other words, the imager plane of the camera may be angled relative to the mirror reflective element and / or the cover panel so that the camera's field of view is offset or tilted toward one side of the mirror assembly and the interior compartment of the vehicle. The micro camera 2318 may have a length of approximately 5.5 mm, a diameter of approximately 5.8 mm, a resolution of 1.0 megapixels, and a field of view of approximately 56 degrees.

[0119] See also Figure 65-Figure 71 , the mirror assembly 2310 includes a miniature DMS camera 2318 disposed along the lower edge of the lens portion 2312, such as within a cutout area 2328 along the lower edge of the mirror reflective element 2316. Due to the reduced size of the camera 2318, the lens does not require a drooping area to accommodate the DMS camera and provide a complete video display screen 2322.

[0120] Thus, the mirror assembly 2310 includes a mirror head 2312 (which includes a mirror housing 2314 and a mirror reflective element 2316) mounted at the interior of the vehicle via a mounting structure 2336 (such as, via a mounting arm attached to the mirror housing via a pivot joint including a ball and socket). The mirror reflective element 2316 provides a full-screen video display screen 2322 that spans a portion of the mirror reflective element 2316 (such as, 75% or more, 85% or more, 95% or more, etc.). The rear glass substrate 2326 and the video display screen 2322 each include corresponding slots or holes or cutouts along their lower edge areas to cooperate to form a cutout area 2328 for accommodating the camera 2318. The front glass substrate 2324 of the mirror reflective element 2316 covers and extends along the cutout area 2328 and can be dimmable or darkenable to hide or shield the camera 2318 at the cutout area 2328. Optionally, the front glass substrate 2324 includes an IR-transmissive coating to hide or shield the camera.

[0121] like Fig.68 As shown, the DMS camera 2318 can be set at an angle, such as a 15 degree angle, relative to the front glass substrate 2324. For example, the DMS camera 2318 can be angled relative to the front glass substrate 2324 so that the camera's field of view is biased toward the head area of ​​the vehicle driver (e.g., toward the front of the vehicle). Fig.65 In other words, the primary viewing axis of the camera is offset toward the driver's side of the interior of the vehicle to capture image data representing a larger portion of the driver's side of the vehicle.

[0122] In addition, the camera 2318 can be mechanically and / or electrically coupled to the mirror assembly via a frame or bracket 2338 attached to the rear of the mirror reflective element 2316 (e.g., the rear surface of the PCB of the video display element). Thus, the camera 2318 can be disposed at the frame 2338, which is coupled to the rear surface of the mirror reflective element 2316 and extends around the edge of the mirror reflective element 2316 at the cutout area 2328 to position the camera 2318 at the front glass substrate 2324 and within the cutout area 2328. The electrical connector of the camera 2318 can be electrically connected to the electrical connector at the frame 2338. The frame 2338 can include a socket element that can be accessed through the mirror housing 2314 to receive the ball element of the mounting structure 2336.

[0123] like Fig.72 As shown in graph 7200 of , camera 2318 having a smaller field of view and positioned at an angle relative to the mirror reflective element is configured to determine the driver's eye position within the camera's field of view that is 50 degrees or greater relative to the camera's primary visual axis.

[0124] Traditional driver monitoring systems (DMS) found in vehicles such as BMW, Ford, GM, Tesla, and Subaru (e.g., GM SuperCruise described in https: / / www.consumerreports.org / car-safety / driver-monitoring-systems-ford-gm-earn-points-in-cr-tests-a6530426322) TM or Ford's BlueCruise TM ) is a "dual-box" DMS in which (i) a camera for monitoring the driver's head / eyes and a near-IR emitting light source for illuminating the driver's head / eyes are housed in a first box or module (typically positioned on the steering column of an equipped vehicle or at the overhead area of ​​an equipped vehicle); and (ii) the electronic equipment / software for analyzing the captured image data to determine the driver's gaze direction or head position or eye movement or alertness or drowsiness is housed in a separate second box or module that is remote from and a certain distance from the first box, and the second box or module is typically connected to the first box via a wired connection (the second box typically includes an ECU, which may be part of the host of the equipped vehicle and may optionally provide other features in addition to the DMS).

[0125] The "single box" DMS electrochromic interior rearview mirror assembly has both a camera for monitoring the driver's head / eyes and a near IR emitting light source housed in the interior rearview mirror assembly for illuminating the driver's head / eyes (and preferably both housed in the lens head of the interior rearview mirror assembly). Thus, the single box DMS electrochromic interior rearview mirror assembly allows an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of a vehicle (such as VW, Toyota, Honda, GM or Ford) to equip a vehicle with a DMS interior rearview electrochromic mirror assembly, etc., which includes a camera / illumination source / driver monitoring software / related driver monitoring electronic circuitry, such as data processing chip(s), memory, electronic components, printed circuit board(s), the printed circuit board including automatic dimming circuitry, data processing chip(s), memory, electronic components, light sensors for detecting glare and ambient light, and including a power source, electrical connector(s), heat sink(s), mechanical parts, etc. Thus, the OEM may purchase a single-box interior DMS rearview mirror assembly from an interior rearview mirror assembly manufacturer and may be installed by the OEM into the vehicle being assembled (typically to a mirror mounting button or similar element adhered to the interior side of the vehicle's windshield). To operate in an equipped vehicle, the single-box interior DMS rearview mirror assembly is connected to the vehicle's vehicle wiring harness and supplied with ignition voltage (nominal 12V DC, but may vary from 9V (6V for auto stop / start) to approximately 16V depending on vehicle type and vehicle operating conditions) via the vehicle wiring harness. The single-box interior DMS rearview mirror assembly supplies vehicle data via the wiring harness, including vehicle data and other data supplied via a CAN bus or link (which may transmit mirror vehicle information and may transmit mirror distraction warnings, etc.) or via a local area network (LIN) bus or line. The wiring harness may include a reverse inhibit signal / line that communicates to the interior electrochromic mirror assembly that the driver has selected reverse gear / reverse propulsion, an Ethernet link, video input / output lines, power, ground lines, and / or a GMSL / FPD link (video input / output). Video output may be provided, such as for video conferencing and / or "selfie" applications. Optionally, to protect privacy, the passenger image may be blurred if the occupant's image is displayed on a display within the vehicle cabin (e.g., during an in-vehicle video conference, etc.) or transmitted wirelessly to a viewer away from the equipped vehicle. The system may blur the entire image, leaving only the driver / co-pilot or all passengers' faces clear. Optionally, black bars may be superimposed on the person's face. Image stabilization may be provided to compensate for potential movement of the image, and / or dynamic cropping of the image may be performed.

[0126] The vehicle harness also receives outputs / data from the single-box interior rearview mirror assembly DMS, which are used for various features, systems and functions of the equipped vehicle. The outputs / data from the single-box interior DMS rearview mirror assembly include data related to the head position of the driver of the equipped vehicle, the direction of the driver's sight of the equipped vehicle, the hand position of the driver of the equipped vehicle, the drowsiness of the driver of the equipped vehicle, the attention of the driver of the equipped vehicle, etc., as well as other outputs / data related to the following parts (preferably all):

[0127] Emotional state

[0128] Cognitive distraction

[0129] Breakaway

[0130] Visual distraction

[0131] Drowsiness level

[0132] Microsleep

[0133] Sleep

[0134] Visual state

[0135] posture

[0136] Nod / Shake your head

[0137] Activity

[0138] Abnormal head posture

[0139] Hand position classification

[0140] Classification of items held

[0141] Speech

[0142] laugh

[0143] cough

[0144] sneeze

[0145] yawn

[0146] Smoking

[0147] Telephone handling

[0148] videoconference

[0149] Observation target classification

[0150] Child seat testing

[0151] Seat belt status

[0152] Passenger size

[0153] Age of crew members

[0154] gender

[0155] Presence detection

[0156] Convenience Identification

[0157] Security Identification

[0158] Crew changes

[0159] Electronic spoofing

[0160] expression

[0161] Body posture tracking

[0162] Eye Tracking

[0163] Head Tracking

[0164] Eyelid dynamics

[0165] Brightness Control

[0166] Face Search

[0167] Mouth shape

[0168] Camera pose estimation

[0169] Frozen image detection

[0170] Face occlusion

[0171] Lens blockage

[0172] Low image quality

[0173] IR light blocking

[0174] Camera misalignment

[0175] The interior DMS rearview mirror assembly provides an independent single-box DMS solution, which has a camera / illumination near-IR source / DMS software and its related data processing chip (one or more) / automatic dimming circuit / circuit for controlling the external electrochromic mirror reflective element, which is part of the exterior side-view mirror of the equipped vehicle / data processing circuit / communication circuit / memory / power supply / related electronic equipment and hardware / heat sink, etc., which is packaged into, integrated into and accommodated by the vehicle's interior rearview mirror assembly, and is preferably hiddenly integrated in the lens head of the vehicle's interior rearview mirror assembly, located behind the semi-transparent reflective mirror reflective element of the vehicle's interior rearview mirror assembly (and hidden from the driver's field of view by the semi-transparent reflective mirror reflective element).

[0176] Therefore, the interior rearview mirror has an embedded camera, an IR illuminator, and a processor for processing the captured image data for driver monitoring applications. The inward-facing camera and IR illuminator are fixed within the mirror head, so both components are coupled to the mirror body. Therefore, as the mirror head is adjusted to set the driver's preferred rear view field of view, the camera's field of view may vary from driver to driver.

[0177] The light emitter has two groups of LEDs disposed on a circuit board. One group of LEDs emits a wider near-infrared beam when powered on (e.g., four wider beam LEDs), while the other group of LEDs emits a narrower near-infrared beam when powered on (e.g., four narrower beam LEDs). The narrower beam LEDs may be powered or powered on for driver monitoring functions, while the wider beam LEDs may be powered or powered on for occupant monitoring functions (and may be intermittently powered on to illuminate specific frames of captured image data, such as by utilizing system aspects described in International Publication Nos. WO 2022 / 241423 and / or WO 2022 / 187805, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference).

[0178] The narrow beam LED is angled or tilted or offset (e.g., ten degrees or so) to the left and thus to the driver of a left-hand drive vehicle, while the wide beam LED is not offset to either side (e.g., the main axis of the beam emitted by the wide beam LED may be substantially perpendicular to the planar outer surface or front surface of the mirror reflective element). When the mirror assembly is installed in a left-hand drive vehicle, the narrow beam LED illuminates the driver's head area, while the wide beam LED illuminates the passenger area as well as the driver area. However, when the mirror assembly is installed in a right-hand drive vehicle, the narrow beam LED does not illuminate the driver's head area, while the wide beam LED illuminates the passenger area as well as the driver area.

[0179] Mounting an interior driver monitoring camera in a pivotable rearview mirror head presents unique challenges related to the camera's viewing angle. To account for changes in the camera's field of view when the mirror head is adjusted, the mirror's driver monitoring processor calculates the camera's position and angle within the vehicle based on image data captured by the camera and processed by the processor. For example, the system may process image data captured by the driver monitoring camera to determine the position of a particular feature in the camera's field of view (such as, relative to a particular region of the field of view, such as a central region), and thus the driver monitoring system determines the position of the driver's head by one or more determined positions of a particular fixed vehicle feature (such as a rear window, a pillar, a center console, etc.) in the captured image data. The system may adjust the processing of the image data captured by the camera to adapt to changes in the position of a known or particular vehicle feature. For example, if the mirror's nominal setting has a particular feature that is a preset distance from the center of the image data in the lateral and / or vertical directions, if it is determined that the particular feature is displaced or deviated from the preset distance position to one side or the other, the processor may shift or adjust the processing of the captured image data to accommodate the lateral and / or vertical displacement of the particular feature. Optionally, the camera's field of view can be offset by offsetting / shifting the camera's lens stack relative to the imager rather than physically aiming the entire imager PCB and lens stack. Such offsetting of the lens relative to the imager can utilize aspects of the systems described in U.S. Patent Nos. 10,946,798 and / or 10,525,883 and / or U.S. Patent Publication Nos. US-2022-0377219 and / or US-2022-0254132, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0180] The driver monitoring system may provide the algorithm / camera with the ability to determine whether the driver is aiming the rearview mirror correctly (so as to provide an acceptable rear view field of view for a particular driver). This determination may be made by determining (via processing image data captured by the camera) the presence and location of: (i) the driver's face in a given frame, (ii) sufficient light relative to the driver's head mass in a given frame, or (iii) the rear window and / or other fixed vehicle features (e.g., D-pillars or headrests, etc.) in the camera's field of view. If the system determines that the mirror is not aimed correctly, the algorithm may trigger the vehicle to warn the driver of improper use of the interior rearview mirror (such as via an audible warning, or via a visual warning, such as a display on an indicator light or display screen, or such as via a tactile warning). Optionally, the mirror may include an actuator that may adjust the mirror head to a nominal or optimal position for a particular driver in response to determining that the mirror head is not aimed correctly for the driver.

[0181] The mirror assembly may include a mirror actuator that positions the mirror head in a preset or preselected or determined orientation relative to the driver's head. The mirror assembly and / or mirror actuator may utilize aspects of the mirror systems described in U.S. Patent Nos. 9,616,815, 7,722,199, and / or 6,698,905, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The mirror assembly (such as a mounting base) may be mounted at the inboard side of the vehicle windshield, or the mirror assembly may be located or attached elsewhere in the vehicle, such as at an overhead console or headliner of the vehicle.

[0182] Optionally, the interior rearview mirror assembly can include a dual-mode interior rearview video mirror that can switch from a traditional reflective mode to a real-time video display mode, such as by utilizing aspects of the mirror assemblies and systems described in U.S. Patents Nos. 10,442,360, 10,421,404, 10,166,924 and / or 10,046,706 and / or U.S. Publication Nos. US-2021-0162926, US-2021-0155167, US-2020-0377022, US-2019-0258131, US-2019-0146297, US-2019-0118717 and / or US-2017-0355312, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The electrically operated actuator may provide a memory setting function and may also be operable to adjust the mirror head between a reflective mode and a video display mode, such as in response to a user-actuated input in the vehicle or at the mirror assembly (e.g., a toggle or switch or button at the mirror head).

[0183] Optionally, the driver monitoring system can be integrated with the vehicle's camera monitoring system (CMS). The integrated vehicle system incorporates multiple inputs, such as from an interior or driver monitoring camera and from a front or exterior camera, as well as a rear view camera and side view cameras from the CMS, to provide the driver with unique collision mitigation capabilities based on the entire vehicle environment and the driver's awareness state. Image processing, detection, and determination are performed locally within the interior rearview mirror assembly and / or overhead console area, depending on the available space and electrical connections for a particular vehicle application.

[0184] The CMS camera and system can utilize aspects of the systems described in U.S. Publication Nos. US-2021-0245662, US-2021-0162926, US-2021-0155167, US-2018-0134217, and / or US-2014-0285666, and / or International Publication No. WO2022 / 150826, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The connection between the camera and the controller or PCB and / or between the display and the controller or PCB can be made via corresponding coaxial cables, which can provide power and control (provided by the controller) to the camera, can provide image data from the camera to the controller, and can provide video images from the controller to the display device. The connection and communication can utilize U.S. Patent Nos. 10,264,219, 9,900,490, and / or 9,609,757, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0185] The mirror reflective element may include a variable reflectivity electro-optical mirror reflective element, such as an electrochromic mirror reflective element or a liquid crystal mirror reflective element. For example, the mirror reflective element may include a laminated structure variable reflectivity electro-optical (such as, electrochromic) reflective element assembly, which has a front glass substrate and a rear glass substrate, and an electro-optical medium (such as, electrochromic medium) is sandwiched between the front glass substrate and the rear glass substrate and is defined by a peripheral seal. The front substrate has a front surface or a first surface (when the mirror assembly is usually installed at a vehicle, the front surface or the first surface is usually facing the vehicle driver) and a rear surface or a second surface opposite to the front surface, and the rear substrate has a front surface or a third surface and a rear surface or a fourth surface opposite to the front surface, and the electro-optical medium is disposed between the second surface and the third surface and is defined by a peripheral seal of the reflective element (such as, known in the field of electrochromic mirrors). The second surface has a transparent conductive coating (such as an indium tin oxide (ITO) layer, or a doped tin oxide layer or any other transparent electrical semiconductor layer or coating, such as an indium cerium oxide (ICO), indium tungsten oxide (IWO) or indium oxide (IO) layer, or a zinc oxide layer or coating, or a zinc oxide coating doped with aluminum or other metal materials (such as silver or gold, etc.), or other oxides doped with suitable metal materials, etc., or other oxides such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,274,501, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference), and the third surface has a metal reflector coating (or multiple layers or multiple coatings). The front surface or third surface of the rear substrate may include one or more transparent semiconductive layers (such as an ITO layer, etc.) and one or more metal conductive layers (such as layers of silver, aluminum, chromium, etc. or alloys thereof), and may include multiple layers, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,274,501, 7,184,190 and / or 7,255,451, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0186] The specular reflector may include any suitable coating or layer, such as a transflective coating or layer (which partially transmits visible light and / or near infrared light and partially reflects visible light), such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,626,749, 7,274,501, 7,255,451, 7,195,381, 7,184,190, 6,690,268, 5,140,455, 5,151,816, 6,178,034, 6,154,306, 6,002,511, 5,567,360, 5,525,264, 5,610,75 6, 5,406,414, 5,253,109, 5,076,673, 5,073,012, 5,115,346, 5,724,187, 5,668,663, 5,910,854, 5,142,407 and / or 4,712,879, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, a semi-transmissive reflective coating or layer is disposed at the front surface of the rear substrate (commonly referred to as the third surface of the reflective element) and opposite to the electro-optical medium, such as an electrochromic medium disposed between the front substrate and the rear substrate and defined by a peripheral seal. Optionally, a mirror reflector can be disposed at the rear surface of the rear substrate (commonly referred to as the fourth surface of the reflective element). The driver monitoring camera can be accommodated in the lens head, and observes the driver's head area through the semi-transmissive mirror reflector, and / or a near infrared illuminator can be accommodated in the lens head, and emits light passing through the semi-transmissive mirror reflector to illuminate the driver's head area. The semi-transmissive mirror reflector can be spectrally tuned to transmit or pass through the light of a specific spectral band (e.g., near infrared light), while reflecting the light of other spectral bands (e.g., visible light). The camera can be sensitive to near infrared light, so that the near IR illuminator can emit near IR light passing through the semi-transmissive mirror reflector, and the camera can be sensitive to the near infrared light reflected from the driver's head and returned through the semi-transmissive mirror reflector. Therefore, the semi-transmissive mirror reflector of the mirror reflection element can transmit the near IR light incident thereon, transmit at least a portion of the visible light incident thereon, and reflect at least a portion of the visible light incident thereon.

[0187] The third surface defines an active EC region or surface of the rear substrate within the perimeter seal. The coated third surface may also be coated to define a protruding area (e.g., by utilizing aspects of the mirror assembly described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,274,501, 7,184,190, and / or 7,255,451, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference) for providing electrical connection of the conductive layer to an electrical clip of a connector or busbar, such as the type described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,066,112 and 6,449,082, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0188] The reflective element and the mirror housing are adjustable relative to the base portion or mounting base or mounting structure or mounting assembly to adjust the driver's rear view field of view when the mirror assembly is normally installed at or in the vehicle. The mounting assembly may include a single ball or single pivot mounting assembly, whereby the reflective element and the mirror housing are adjustable relative to the vehicle windshield (or other interior of the vehicle) about a single pivot joint, or the mounting assembly may include other types of mounting configurations, such as dual ball or dual pivot mounting configurations, etc. The socket or pivot element is configured to receive a ball member of the base, such as for a single pivot or single ball mounting structure or a dual pivot or dual ball mounting structure, etc. (such as pivot mounting assemblies of the type described in U.S. Patent Nos. 6,318,870, 6,593,565, 6,690,268, 6,540,193, 4,936,533, 5,820,097, 5,100,095, 7,249,860, 6,877,709, 6,329,925, 7,289,037, 7,249,860 and / or 6,483,438, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference).

[0189] The mirror assembly may include any suitable structure, for example, a reflective element is nested in a mirror housing and a bezel partially surrounds a peripheral area of ​​a front surface of the reflective element, or the mirror housing has a curved or chamfered peripheral edge around the reflective element and does not overlap the front surface of the reflective element (such as by utilizing aspects of the mirror assemblies described in U.S. Patent Nos. 7,184,190, 7,274,501, 7,255,451, 7,289,037, 7,360,932, 7,626,749, 8,049,640, 8,277,059 and / or 8,529,108, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties), or an electro-optical or electrochromic reflective element of the mirror assembly. The rear substrate of the reflective element is nested in the mirror housing, and the front substrate has a curved or chamfered peripheral edge, or such as the mirror assembly has a prismatic reflective element, the prismatic reflective element is arranged at the peripheral edge of the mirror housing, and the prismatic substrate has a curved or chamfered peripheral edge, such as described in U.S. Patent Nos. 8,508,831, 8,730,553, 9,598,016 and / or 9,346,403 and / or U.S. Publication Nos. US-2014-0313563 and / or US-2015-0097955, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference (and electrochromic mirrors and prisms of such structure are available from the assignee of the present application under the trade name INFINITY TM Alternatively, the mirror reflective element may include a variable reflectivity liquid crystal (VRLC) reflective element, such as by utilizing aspects of the mirror assembly described in U.S. Publication No. US-2022-371513, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0190] Optionally, the mirror housing may include a frame portion that surrounds a peripheral area of ​​the front surface of the reflective element, or may expose a peripheral area of ​​the front surface of the reflective element (such as by utilizing aspects of the mirror reflective elements described in U.S. Patent Nos. 8,508,831 and / or 8,730,553, and / or U.S. Publication Nos. US-2014-0022390, US-2014-0293169, and / or US-2015-0097955, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference).

[0191] Although illustrated as an electro-optic mirror application, it is contemplated that the mirror assembly may include a prismatic reflective element. The prismatic assembly can be mounted or attached to the interior of a vehicle (such as on the interior surface of a vehicle windshield) via the above-mentioned mounting device, and the reflective element can be toggled or flipped or adjusted between its daytime reflective position and nighttime reflective position via any suitable toggle device, for example by utilizing aspects of the mirror assemblies described in U.S. Patent Nos. 7,420,756, 7,338,177, 7,289,037, 7,274,501, 7,255,451, 7,249,860, 6,318,870, 6,598,980, 5,327,288, 4,948,242, 4,826,289, 4,436,371 and / or 4,435,042 and / or U.S. Publication No. US-2010-0085653, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0192] Alternatively, the mirror assembly may include one or more other displays, such as those of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,530,240 and / or 6,329,925, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, and / or a display-on-demand transflective display, and / or a video display or display screen, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,890,955, 7,855, 755, 7,338,177, 7,274,501, 7,255,451, 7,195,381, 7,184,190, 7,046,448, 5,668,663, 5,724,187, 5,841,610,611,613,614,615,616,617,618,619,619,620,634,619,636,618,619,640,651,661,663,673,677,683,683,697,768,776,787,796,804,810,796,964,798,819,799,818,799,973,798,819,799,819,799,984,799,819,799,999,799,818,799,999,799,819 ... and / or U.S. Patent Publication Nos. US-2006-0050018, US-2009-0015736, US-2009-0015736, and / or US-2010-0097469, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0193] The video display screen may be controlled or operated in response to inputs or signals, such as signals received from one or more cameras or image sensors of the vehicle, such as video cameras or sensors, e.g., CMOS imaging array sensors, CCD sensors, etc., and image processors or image processing techniques, such as those used in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,550,677; 5,670,935; 5,760,962; 6,690,268; 6,498,620; 6,396,397; 6,222,447; 6,201,642; 6,097,023; 5,877,897; 5,796,094; 5,715,093; 6,922,292; , 757,109, 6,717,610, 6,590,719, 6,320,176, 6,559,435, 6,831,261, 6,806,452, 6,822,563, 6,946,978, 7,038,577, 7,004,606, 7,720,580, 8,446,470, 8,451,107 and / or 9,126,525 and / or aspects of the cameras and image processors described in U.S. Patent Publication Nos. US-2006-0171704, US-2009-0244361 and / or US-2010-0214791, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. In response to the vehicle shifting into reverse gear, the imaging sensor or camera may be activated and the display screen may be activated so that the display screen is viewable by the driver and displays an image of the scene behind while the driver is reversing. It is contemplated that the image processor or controller may include the EYEQ Vision Controller available from Mobileye Vision Technologies Ltd., a Jerusalem-based company. TM Chips such as image processing chips process image data captured by the forward-looking camera and driver monitoring camera (and optionally the vehicle's surround-view camera and / or CMS camera).

[0194] One aspect of the present disclosure includes a vehicle driver monitoring system. The vehicle driver monitoring system includes a vehicle interior rearview mirror assembly, which includes a mirror head adjustably mounted at a mounting base. The mounting base is configured to be attached to the interior of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle driver monitoring system. The mirror head accommodates a mirror reflection element. The mirror reflection element includes a semi-transmissive reflective mirror reflector. The semi-transmissive reflective mirror reflector of the mirror reflection element transmits near-infrared light incident thereon, transmits visible light incident thereon, and reflects visible light incident thereon. The mirror reflection element includes a reflection area defined by the semi-transmissive reflective mirror reflector. A video display device is disposed behind the mirror reflection element. The video display device includes a video display screen occupying at least 75% of the reflection area of ​​the mirror reflection element. The video display device is operable to display a video image captured by a rearview camera of the vehicle. In the case where the mounting base is attached to the interior of the vehicle, and when the video display device is operated to display a video image captured by the rearview camera, the visible light emitted by the video display device passes through the semi-transmissive reflective mirror reflector of the mirror reflection element to view the displayed video image for the vehicle driver viewing the mirror reflection element. The driver monitoring camera is accommodated by the lens head. When the lens head is adjusted relative to the mounting base to set the rear view of the vehicle driver when the mounting base is attached to the interior of the vehicle, the driver monitoring camera moves in conjunction with the lens head. The near-infrared light emitter is accommodated by the lens head. When the lens head is adjusted relative to the mounting base to set the rear view of the vehicle driver when the mounting base is attached to the interior of the vehicle, the near-infrared light emitter moves in conjunction with the lens head. The near-infrared light emitter is accommodated by the lens head so that when the mounting base is attached to the interior of the vehicle and when the lens head is adjusted relative to the mounting base to set the rear view of the vehicle driver, the near-infrared light beam emitted by the near-infrared light emitter is directed to the vehicle driver area. The driver monitoring camera is arranged adjacent to the video display screen so that observation is not performed through the video display screen.

[0195] In some embodiments, the lens head includes electronic circuitry. The electronic circuitry includes a processor operable to process image data captured by the driver monitoring camera. When the mounting base is attached to the interior of the vehicle, the processor processes the image data captured by the driver monitoring camera to determine at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) driver attention, (ii) driver drowsiness, and (iii) driver gaze direction.

[0196] In some examples, the video display screen occupies at least 85% of the reflective area of ​​the mirror reflective element. In some examples, the video display screen occupies at least 95% of the reflective area of ​​the mirror reflective element.

[0197] Optionally, the driver monitoring camera views through a portion of the transflective mirror reflector of the mirror reflective element that is not disposed in front of the video display screen.

[0198] In some embodiments, the driver monitoring camera is not observed by the semi-transmissive reflective mirror reflector of the mirror reflective element. In a further embodiment, the driver monitoring camera is arranged behind the cover panel, and the cover panel is coated so that when the vehicle interior rearview mirror assembly is installed in the vehicle, the driver monitoring camera is hidden for the people who watch the mirror reflective element. In a further embodiment, the cover panel is accommodated by the mirror head and is adjacent to the lower edge of the mirror reflective element. Optionally, the outer surface of the cover panel is coplanar with the outer surface of the mirror reflective element at the lower edge of the mirror reflective element.

[0199] Optionally, the outer surface of the cover panel is arranged at an oblique angle relative to the outer surface of the mirror reflective element at the lower edge of the mirror reflective element, for example, the cover panel is arranged at an angle of one degree or less, two degrees or less, three degrees or less, four degrees or less, five degrees or less, six degrees or less, seven degrees or less, ten degrees or less, twenty degrees or less, etc. relative to the outer surface of the mirror reflective element at the lower edge of the mirror reflective element.

[0200] Optionally, the imager plane of the driver monitoring camera is parallel to the outer surface of the cover panel. The imager plane and the outer surface of the cover panel are arranged at an oblique angle relative to the outer surface of the mirror reflective element at the lower edge of the mirror reflective element. For example, the imager plane and the outer surface of the cover panel are arranged at an angle of one degree or less, five degrees or less, ten degrees or less, twenty degrees or less, etc. relative to the outer surface of the mirror reflective element at the lower edge of the mirror reflective element.

[0201] Optionally, the imager plane of the driver monitoring camera is set at an oblique angle relative to the inner surface of the cover panel, for example, the imager plane of the driver monitoring camera is set at an angle of one degree or less, five degrees or less, ten degrees or less, fifteen degrees or less, twenty degrees or less, twenty-five degrees or less, etc. relative to the inner surface of the cover panel.

[0202] The cover panel is coated with a near infrared light transmitting coating. The near infrared light transmitting coating at least partially allows transmission of near infrared light and at least partially blocks transmission of visible light.

[0203] In some embodiments, the mirror reflective element includes an electrochromic mirror reflective element, the electrochromic mirror reflective element having a front glass substrate and a rear glass substrate, and the electrochromic medium is sandwiched between the front glass substrate and the rear glass substrate. In a further embodiment, the driver monitoring camera is arranged at the back and observes through the overhang area of ​​the front glass substrate extending beyond the rear glass substrate, and the driver monitoring camera does not observe through the rear glass substrate. In a further embodiment, the overhang area of ​​the front glass substrate is coated with a near-infrared light transmitting coating, which at least partially allows the transmission of near-infrared light and at least partially blocks the transmission of visible light. The near-infrared light transmitting coating is configured to block the transmission of visible light incident to the near-infrared light transmitting coating, such as 75% transmission of visible light incident to the near-infrared light transmitting coating, 85% transmission of visible light incident to the near-infrared light transmitting coating, and 95% transmission of visible light incident to the near-infrared light transmitting coating, etc.

[0204] In some further embodiments, the driver monitoring camera is at least partially disposed in a cutout region along a lower edge of the rear glass substrate. In some further embodiments, the near infrared light emitter is at least partially disposed in the cutout region.

[0205] In other further embodiments, the rear glass substrate includes one or more cutout regions along the peripheral edge region of the rear glass substrate. The front glass substrate at least partially covers and extends along the one or more cutout regions. In other further embodiments, the one or more cutout regions include (i) a first cutout region along the lower portion of the peripheral edge region of the rear glass substrate, (ii) a second cutout region along the first side portion of the peripheral edge region of the rear glass substrate, and (iii) a third cutout region along the second side portion of the peripheral edge region of the rear glass substrate. The second side portion is opposite to the first side portion. The driver monitoring camera is accommodated in the lens head at the first cutout region, the first near-infrared light emitter is accommodated in the lens head at the second cutout region, and the second near-infrared light emitter is accommodated in the lens head at the third cutout region. Optionally, the second cutout region and the third cutout region are arranged along the upper portion of the peripheral edge region of the rear glass substrate opposite to the lower portion. Optionally, the second cutout region and the third cutout region extend between the lower portion of the peripheral edge region of the rear glass substrate and the upper portion of the peripheral edge region of the rear glass substrate opposite to the lower portion.

[0206] In some examples, when the mounting base is attached to the interior of the vehicle, the vehicle interior rearview mirror assembly can be operated in mirror mode and can be operated in display mode. In a further example, when the mounting base is attached to the interior of the vehicle and the vehicle interior rearview mirror assembly is operated in mirror mode, the vehicle driver can view the rear of the vehicle by viewing the reflection at the mirror reflective element. When the mounting base is attached to the interior of the vehicle and the vehicle interior rearview mirror assembly is operated in display mode, the video display screen is operated to display a video image for the driver to view through the mirror reflective element.

[0207] In some embodiments, the lens head includes a droop extending from a lower edge region of the lens head. The driver monitoring camera is at least partially accommodated by the droop of the lens head. In further embodiments, a mirror reflective element covers and extends along the driver monitoring camera at the droop of the lens head, so that the driver monitoring camera observes through the mirror reflective element. In other further embodiments, a cover panel extends from the lower edge region of the mirror reflective element and covers and extends along the driver monitoring camera at the droop of the lens head, so that the driver monitoring camera observes through the cover panel.

[0208] Optionally, the main viewing axis of the driver monitoring camera is offset toward the driver side of the vehicle interior.

[0209] Changes and modifications may be made to the specifically described embodiments without departing from the principles of the invention, which is limited only by the scope of the appended claims interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent law.

Claims

1. A vehicle driver monitoring system, the vehicle driver monitoring system comprising: A vehicle interior rearview mirror assembly including a mirror portion adjustably attached at a mounting base, the mounting base configured to be attached at an interior of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle driver monitoring system; Wherein, the lens part accommodates the mirror reflection element; wherein the mirror reflective element comprises a semi-transmissive mirror reflector, and wherein the semi-transmissive mirror reflector of the mirror reflective element transmits near infrared light incident thereon, transmits visible light incident thereon, and reflects visible light incident thereon; wherein the mirror reflective element includes a reflective area defined by a semi-transmissive mirror reflector; a video display device disposed behind the mirror reflective element; wherein the video display device comprises a video display screen occupying at least 75% of the reflective area of ​​the specular reflective element; wherein the video display device is operable to display a video image captured by a rear view camera of the vehicle; wherein, with the mounting base attached at the interior of the vehicle, and when the video display device is operated to display a video image captured by a rear view camera, visible light emitted by the video display device passes through the transflective mirror reflector of the mirror reflective element to allow a vehicle driver viewing the mirror reflective element to view the displayed video image; a driver monitoring camera housed by the lens head, wherein the driver monitoring camera moves in conjunction with the lens head when the lens head is adjusted relative to the mounting base to set a rearward field of view for a driver of the vehicle with the mounting base attached at the interior of the vehicle; a near infrared light emitter received by the lens head, wherein the near infrared light emitter moves in conjunction with the lens head when the lens head is adjusted relative to the mounting base to set a rear view field of view for a vehicle driver with the mounting base attached at the interior of the vehicle; wherein the near-infrared light emitter is accommodated by the lens head, so that when the mounting base is attached to the interior of the vehicle and the lens head is adjusted relative to the mounting base to set a rear view field of view for the vehicle driver, the near-infrared light beam emitted by the near-infrared light emitter is directed toward the vehicle driver area; and The driver monitoring camera is arranged adjacent to the video display screen so as to observe without going through the video display screen.

2. The vehicle driver monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein: The lens head includes electronic circuitry, and wherein the electronic circuitry includes a processor operable to process image data captured by a driver monitoring camera, and wherein, with the mounting base attached to the interior of the vehicle, the processor processes the image data captured by the driver monitoring camera to determine at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) driver attention, (ii) driver drowsiness, and (iii) driver gaze direction.

3. The vehicle driver monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein: The video display screen occupies at least 85% of the reflective area of ​​the specular reflective element.

4. The vehicle driver monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein: The video display screen occupies at least 95% of the reflective area of ​​the specular reflective element.

5. The vehicle driver monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein: The driver monitoring camera views through a portion of the transflective mirror reflector of the mirror reflective element that is not disposed in front of the video display screen.

6. The vehicle driver monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein: The driver monitoring camera does not view through the transflective mirror reflector of the mirror-reflective element.

7. The vehicle driver monitoring system according to claim 6, wherein: The driver monitoring camera is disposed behind a cover panel that is coated such that the driver monitoring camera is concealed from a person viewing the mirror reflective element when the interior rearview mirror assembly is installed in a vehicle.

8. The vehicle driver monitoring system according to claim 7, wherein: A cover panel is received by the mirror head and is disposed adjacent to a lower edge of the mirror reflective element.

9. The vehicle driver monitoring system according to claim 8, wherein: An outer surface of the cover panel is coplanar with an outer surface of the mirror reflective element at a lower edge of the mirror reflective element.

10. The vehicle driver monitoring system according to claim 8, wherein: The outer surface of the cover panel is disposed at an oblique angle relative to the outer surface of the mirrored reflective element at a lower edge of the mirrored reflective element.

11. The vehicle driver monitoring system according to claim 10, wherein: The cover panel is disposed at an angle of one degree or less relative to an outer surface of the mirror reflective element at a lower edge of the mirror reflective element.

12. The vehicle driver monitoring system according to claim 10, wherein: The cover panel is disposed at a lower edge of the mirrored reflective element at an angle of two degrees or less relative to an outer surface of the mirrored reflective element.

13. The vehicle driver monitoring system according to claim 10, wherein: The cover panel is disposed at a lower edge of the mirror reflective element at an angle of three degrees or less relative to an outer surface of the mirror reflective element.

14. The vehicle driver monitoring system according to claim 10, wherein: The cover panel is disposed at a lower edge of the mirror reflective element at an angle of four degrees or less relative to an outer surface of the mirror reflective element.

15. The vehicle driver monitoring system according to claim 10, wherein: The cover panel is disposed at a lower edge of the mirror reflective element at an angle of five degrees or less relative to an outer surface of the mirror reflective element.

16. The vehicle driver monitoring system according to claim 10, wherein: The cover panel is disposed at a lower edge of the mirror reflective element at an angle of six degrees or less relative to an outer surface of the mirror reflective element.

17. The vehicle driver monitoring system according to claim 10, wherein: The cover panel is disposed at a lower edge of the mirror reflective element at an angle of seven degrees or less relative to an outer surface of the mirror reflective element.

18. The vehicle driver monitoring system according to claim 10, wherein: The cover panel is disposed at a lower edge of the mirror reflective element at an angle of ten degrees or less relative to an outer surface of the mirror reflective element.

19. The vehicle driver monitoring system according to claim 10, wherein: The cover panel is disposed at a lower edge of the mirror reflective element at an angle of twenty degrees or less relative to an outer surface of the mirror reflective element.

20. The vehicle driver monitoring system according to claim 8, wherein: The imager plane of the driver monitoring camera is parallel to the outer surface of the cover panel.

21. The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 20, wherein: The imager plane and the outer surface of the cover panel are disposed at an oblique angle relative to the outer surface of the mirrored reflective element at a lower edge of the mirrored reflective element.

22. The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 21, wherein: The imager plane and the outer surface of the cover panel are disposed at an angle of one degree or less relative to the outer surface of the mirror reflective element at a lower edge of the mirror reflective element.

23. The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 21, wherein: The imager plane and the outer surface of the cover panel are disposed at an angle of five degrees or less relative to the outer surface of the mirror reflective element at a lower edge of the mirror reflective element.

24. The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 21, wherein: The imager plane and the outer surface of the cover panel are disposed at an angle of ten degrees or less relative to the outer surface of the mirror reflective element at a lower edge of the mirror reflective element.

25. The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 21, wherein: The imager plane and the outer surface of the cover panel are disposed at an angle of twenty degrees or less relative to the outer surface of the mirror reflective element at a lower edge of the mirror reflective element.

26. The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 8, wherein: The imager plane of the driver monitoring camera is disposed at an oblique angle relative to the inner surface of the cover panel.

27. The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 26, wherein: The imager plane of the driver monitoring camera is disposed at an angle of one degree or less relative to the interior surface of the cover panel.

28. The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 26, wherein: The imager plane of the driver monitoring camera is disposed at an angle of five degrees or less relative to the inner surface of the cover panel.

29. The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 26, wherein: The imager plane of the driver monitoring camera is disposed at an angle of ten degrees or less relative to the inner surface of the cover panel.

30. The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 26, wherein: The imager plane of the driver monitoring camera is disposed at an angle of fifteen degrees or less relative to the inner surface of the cover panel.

31. The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 26, wherein: The imager plane of the driver monitoring camera is disposed at an angle of twenty degrees or less relative to the inner surface of the cover panel.

32. The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 26, wherein: The imager plane of the driver monitoring camera is disposed at an angle of twenty-five degrees or less relative to the interior surface of the cover panel.

33. The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 7, wherein: The cover panel is coated with a near infrared light transmitting coating that at least partially allows transmission of near infrared light and at least partially blocks transmission of visible light.

34. The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 1, wherein: The mirror reflective element includes an electrochromic mirror reflective element having a front glass substrate and a rear glass substrate, and an electrochromic medium is sandwiched between the front glass substrate and the rear glass substrate.

35. The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 34, wherein: A driver monitoring camera is disposed rearwardly and views through an overhang region of the front glass substrate extending beyond the rear glass substrate, and wherein the driver monitoring camera does not view through the rear glass substrate.

36. The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 35, wherein: The overhang area of ​​the front glass substrate is coated with a near infrared light transmissive coating that at least partially allows transmission of near infrared light and at least partially blocks transmission of visible light.

37. The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 36, wherein: The near infrared light transmissive coating is configured to block transmission of at least 75% of visible light incident upon the near infrared light transmissive coating.

38. The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 36, wherein: The near infrared light transmissive coating is configured to block transmission of at least 85% of visible light incident upon the near infrared light transmissive coating.

39. The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 36, wherein: The near infrared light transmissive coating is configured to block transmission of at least 95% of visible light incident upon the near infrared light transmissive coating.

40. The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 34, wherein: The driver monitoring camera is at least partially disposed within a cutout region along a lower edge of the rear glass substrate.

41. The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 40, wherein: The near infrared light emitter is at least partially disposed within the cutout region.

42. The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 34, wherein: The rear glass substrate includes one or more cutout regions along a peripheral edge region of the rear glass substrate, and wherein the front glass substrate at least partially covers and extends along the one or more cutout regions.

43. The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 42, wherein: The one or more cutout regions include (i) a first cutout region along a lower portion of a peripheral edge region of the rear glass substrate, (ii) a second cutout region along a first side portion of the peripheral edge region of the rear glass substrate, and (iii) a third cutout region along a second side portion of the peripheral edge region of the rear glass substrate, wherein the second side portion is opposite to the first side portion.

44. The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 43, wherein: The driver monitoring camera is accommodated in the lens section at a first cutout region, the first near infrared light emitter is accommodated in the lens section at a second cutout region, and the second near infrared light emitter is accommodated in the lens section at a third cutout region.

45. The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 43, wherein: The second cutout region and the third cutout region are disposed along an upper portion of the peripheral edge region of the rear glass substrate opposite to the lower portion.

46. ​​The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 43, wherein: The second cutout area and the third cutout area extend between a lower portion of the peripheral edge area of ​​the rear glass substrate and an upper portion of the peripheral edge area of ​​the rear glass substrate opposite to the lower portion.

47. The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 1, wherein: With the mounting base attached at the interior of the vehicle, the vehicle interior rearview mirror assembly is operable in a mirror mode and is operable in a display mode.

48. The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 47, wherein: When the mounting base is attached to the interior of the vehicle and the interior rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle is operated in mirror mode, the vehicle driver can view the rear of the vehicle by viewing the reflection at the mirror reflective element, and wherein, when the mounting base is attached to the interior of the vehicle and the interior rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle is operated in display mode, the video display screen is operated to display a video image for the driver to view through the mirror reflective element.

49. The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 1, wherein: The lens head includes a depending portion extending from a lower edge region of the lens head, and wherein the driver monitoring camera is at least partially received by the depending portion of the lens head.

50. The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 49, wherein: The mirror reflective element covers the low portion of the mirror head and extends along the driver monitoring camera so that the driver monitoring camera observes through the mirror reflective element.

51. The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 49, wherein: The cover panel extends from a lower edge region of the mirror reflective element and covers and extends along the driver monitoring camera at a depending portion of the mirror head such that the driver monitoring camera observes through the cover panel.

52. The vehicle driver monitoring system of claim 1, wherein: The main viewing axis of the driver monitoring camera is towards the driver's side of the vehicle interior.

Images