Static camera in interior mirror

Abstract

A mirror assembly for a vehicle includes an at least partially reflective glass element and a housing coupled to the glass element. The mounting member includes an inner portion within the housing, the inner portion defining a mounting member connector. The housing includes a housing connector operably coupled to the mounting member connector and configured to articulate the housing between different positions relative to the mounting member. The camera unit is connected to an inner portion of the mounting member such that the camera unit remains stationary when the housing is hinged relative to the mounting member.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to a rearview device system and, more particularly, to a mirror assembly having a camera that remains stationary. Summary of the invention

[0002] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a glass element that is at least partially reflective and a housing coupled to the glass element. A mounting member includes an interior portion located within the housing, the interior portion defining a mounting member connector. The housing includes a housing connector that is operably coupled to the mounting member connector and is configured to articulate the housing between different positions relative to the mounting member. A camera unit is coupled to the interior portion of the mounting member so that the camera unit remains stationary when the housing is articulated relative to the mounting member.

[0003] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a glass element that is at least partially reflective and a housing coupled to the glass element. A mounting member includes an interior portion located within the housing, the interior portion defining a mounting member connector. The housing includes a housing connector that is operably coupled to the mounting member connector and is configured to articulate the housing between different positions along at least two axes relative to the mounting member. A camera unit is connected to the interior portion of the mounting member so that the camera unit remains stationary when the housing is articulated relative to the mounting member. A printed circuit board ("PCB") is located in the housing and statically coupled to one of the mounting member and the housing.

[0004] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a glass element that is at least partially reflective and a housing coupled to the glass element. The mounting member includes an interior portion located within the housing, the interior portion defining a mounting member connector. The housing includes a housing connector that is operably coupled to the mounting member connector and is configured to articulate the housing between different positions along at least two axes relative to the mounting member. A camera unit is connected to the interior portion of the mounting member so that the camera unit remains stationary when the housing is articulated relative to the mounting member. A printed circuit board ("PCB") is located in the housing and statically coupled to one of the mounting member and the housing. The PCB defines an aperture that is aligned with the camera unit.

[0005] These and other features, advantages and objects of the present disclosure will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art with reference to the following description, claims and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] In the attached picture:

[0007] Figure 1 is a front elevation view of a mirror assembly according to the present disclosure;

[0008] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a mirror assembly according to a first configuration of the present disclosure;

[0009] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a mirror assembly according to a second configuration of the present disclosure;

[0010] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a mirror assembly according to a third configuration of the present disclosure;

[0011] Figure 5 is a side elevation view of a full display mirror according to the present disclosure articulated between various positions; and

[0012] Figure 6 is an exploded top perspective view of a mirror assembly according to the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] The presently illustrated embodiments reside primarily in combinations of method steps and apparatus components related to a mirror assembly with a camera that remains stationary. Accordingly, apparatus components and method steps have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the figures, and only those specific details relevant to understanding the embodiments of the present disclosure are shown so as not to obscure the present disclosure, which has details that will be apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the description herein. Furthermore, like numbers in the description and figures represent like elements.

[0014] For the purposes of this description, the terms "upper", "lower", "right", "left", "rear", "front", "vertical", "horizontal" and their derivatives shall be used in conjunction with Figure 1 . Unless otherwise specified, the term "front" shall refer to the surface of the device that is closer to the intended viewer of the device, and the term "rear" shall refer to the surface of the device that is farther from the intended viewer of the device. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure may adopt various alternative orientations, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It should also be understood that the specific devices and processes shown in the drawings and described in the following description are merely exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Therefore, unless the claims expressly state otherwise, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics related to the embodiments disclosed herein should not be considered limiting.

[0015] The terms "including", "comprises", "comprising" or any other variations thereof are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that includes a list of elements includes not only those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element preceded by "comprising..." does not, without more constraints, exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes the element.

[0016] Reference now Figure 1 , reference numeral 10A generally indicates a mirror assembly for a vehicle of a first configuration. In some embodiments, the mirror assembly 10A can be configured as a full display mirror and include a reflective state and a display state. In the reflective state, the mirror assembly 10A acts as a mirror, reflecting light of various wavelengths back toward an intended observer. In the display state, the mirror assembly 10A transmits information captured from one or more image capture components (e.g., messages or suggestions associated with the image data) to the vehicle operator. In other embodiments, the mirror assembly 10A can be configured as a traditional rearview mirror with a constant reflective state. The mirror assembly 10A includes a glass element 12 defining an observation area 13, which can be a constantly reflective (e.g., as a traditional rearview mirror) or a partially reflective, partially transmissive element (e.g., as a full display mirror). The mirror assembly 10A may include a display module 14 ( Figure 2-4 and 6). The display module 14 provides image data information through the glass element 12. The mirror assembly 10A also includes a housing 16 that shields and supports the glass element 12 and the display module 14. The housing 16 is attached to the associated vehicle via a mounting member 18. The housing 16 can be moved relative to the mounting member 18 to orient the glass element 12 at various angles relative to the vehicle operator to obtain different environmental views and / or orientations relative to the vehicle operator. The mirror assembly 10A includes a camera unit 20 for capturing image data. As will be appreciated, the camera unit 20 can be stationary relative to the movement of the glass element 12, the display module 14, and / or the housing 16. More particularly, the camera unit 20 can be directly coupled to a portion of the mounting member 18 located within the housing 16. The display module 14 can be sized to span substantially the entire viewing area 13 ( Figure 2-4 ) or extends at one or more discrete locations (not shown) within the viewing area 13. Therefore, in embodiments where the display module 14 does not substantially extend across the entire viewing area 13 (i.e., the display module 14 is located at one or more discrete locations within the viewing area 13), the camera unit 20 may not be aligned with the display module 14, but may still be aligned with the partially transmissive element 12.

[0017] refer to Figure 2 , showing the mirror assembly 10A of the first configuration along Figure 1 1. The mounting member 18 includes an interior portion 22 located within the housing 16, which extends to a camera mount 24 that is coupled to the camera unit 20. The mounting member 18 includes a mounting member connector 26, and the housing 16 includes a housing connector 28 that can be hinged relative to the mounting member connector 26. The camera mount 24 is located between the mounting member connector 26 and the glass element 12. In this way, when the housing 16 is hinged to various positions ( Figure 5 ), the camera unit 20 remains stationary on the mounting member 18 when the camera unit 20 is moved. Thus, the camera unit 20 can be oriented to a location within the cabin of an associated vehicle and remain stationary in a selected orientation regardless of movement of the housing 16. In some embodiments, one of the mounting member connector 26 and the housing connector 28 includes a ball, and the other of the mounting member connector 26 and the housing connector 28 includes a basket that captures the ball and allows relative articulation therebetween along at least two axes. More specifically, the relative articulation between the mounting member connector 26 and the housing connector 28 can change pitch (i.e., up and down), yaw (i.e., side to side), and / or roll (i.e., rotation).

[0018] Continue to refer Figure 2 , the housing connector 28 includes a basket and the mounting member connector 26 includes a ball. As will be described in more detail below, the mirror assembly 10A includes a PCB 30 that can be connected between the camera unit 20 and the glass element 12. The PCB 30 can define an aperture 32 to allow the camera unit 20 to capture image data through the aperture 32. One or more fastening members 33 can connect the PCB 30 to the housing 16, the glass element 12, and / or the display module 14. In some embodiments, the inner portion 22 of the mounting member 18 can extend through the aperture 32, and the PCB 30 can be located between the camera unit 20 and the mounting member connector 26.

[0019] Reference now Figure 3, showing a mirror assembly 10B of a second configuration. Unless otherwise indicated, the mirror assembly 10B of the second configuration can share all the same features, functions, materials and structures of the mirror assembly 10A of the first configuration. However, in the second configuration, the PCB 30 can be directly connected to the inner portion 22 of the mounting member 18. More particularly, the PCB 30 can be directly connected to the inner portion 22 between the mounting member connector 26 and the camera mount 24. The glass element 12 and / or the display module 14 can include a concave surface 34, and the camera unit 20 can be at least partially located in the space defined by the concave surface 34. In general, the closer the camera unit 20 is to the viewing area 13 of the glass element 12, the clearer the image captured by the camera unit 20 will be. In some embodiments, the concave surface 34 has a parabolic or spherical shape. The concave surface 34 can be ground and can be finished with a chrome layer.

[0020] Reference now Figure 4 , showing a mirror assembly 10C of the third configuration. Unless otherwise indicated, the mirror assembly 10C of the third configuration can share all the same features, functions, materials and structures of the mirror assemblies 10A, 10B of the first configuration and the second configuration. However, in the third configuration, the sleeve 36 can extend around the camera unit 20 and extend from the camera unit 20 to the glass element 12 and / or the display module 14. The sleeve 36 can be flexible and substantially opaque. For example, the sleeve 36 can be formed of an elastic polymer and can also include one or more gussets to promote elastic deformation. In use, the sleeve 36 reduces the ambient light entering the housing 16, the light from the display module 14 and / or other components of the mirror assembly 10C, so as not to adversely interfere with the image captured by the camera unit 20. The sleeve 36 can be connected to the glass element 12 and / or the display module 14 via an adhesive or the like. Therefore, when the housing 16 is articulated, the sleeve 36 conforms to the articulation angle. It should be appreciated that the sleeve 36 may be implemented in any other configuration to reduce ambient lighting and / or lighting from other components of the mirror assemblies 10A- 10C (eg, the display module 14 ).

[0021] Reference now Figure 5, side views of mirror assemblies 10A-10C in various articulated positions are shown. As previously described, the housing 16 can be articulated along at least two axes (e.g., pitch, yaw and / or roll). The housing 16 can be articulated relative to pitch (i.e., around the first axis A1), for example, at least a total of 10°, for example, at least 5° upward and at least 5° downward from a neutral position. In other embodiments, the housing 16 can be articulated at least a total of 15°, at least a total of 20°, or at least a total of 30°, with substantially equal separation between the upward and downward directions. The housing 16 can be articulated relative to yaw (i.e., around the second axis A2), for example, at least a total of 10°, for example, at least 5° upward and at least 5° downward from a neutral position. In other embodiments, the housing 16 can be articulated at least a total of 15°, at least a total of 20°, at least a total of 30°, at least a total of 40°, at least a total of 50°, or at least a total of 60°, equally separated between the lateral directions. Therefore, the size of the aperture 32 in the PCB 30 ( Figure 2 ), the size and depth of the concave surface 34 ( Figure 3 ) and the size and shape of the sleeve 36 can be configured to allow the camera unit 20 to capture uninterrupted images between articulated positions. One or more wires 38 can extend from an electrical connector 40 on the mounting member 18 through the hollow cavity of the mounting member 18 and to the camera unit 20 and other components of the mirror assembly 10A-10C.

[0022] Reference now Figure 6 ,according to Figure 1-4 The configuration provided in FIG. 1 shows the mirror assembly 10A-10C in a partially disassembled state. The mounting member 18 can extend rearward from the rear surface, top surface, or other position of the housing 16. The mounting member 18 includes a mounting plate 42 and a mounting bracket 43, which is suitable for mounting on the windshield or head space of the vehicle. The frame assembly 45 can be configured to define the outer contour of the glass element 12.

[0023] The display module 14 may include several components, including a display 44, an optical block 46, and a heat sink 48. The PCB 30 is used to provide power (e.g., from wires 38) and control to the components of the camera unit 20, the display module 14, and the glass element 12. The mirror assemblies 10A-10C may include a front shield 53 and an intermediate shield 54 that shield and support the glass element 12 and the display module 14. The housing 16, the intermediate shield 54, the front shield 53, and the components of the display module 14 include various retaining features that are used to operably connect several components of the display module 14 to the housing 16, the intermediate shield 54, the front shield 53, and the frame assembly 45, thereby providing support for the display module 14 and the glass element 12. More particularly, the housing 16 includes retaining features for operably connecting the housing 16 to the intermediate shield 54, and the intermediate shield 54 includes retaining features for operably connecting the display module 14. The frame assembly 45 and the front shield 53 also have retention features for operably connecting the frame assembly 45 and the front shield 53 to the display module 14. The retention features typically include snap-fit ​​connections, slot connections, screw connections, and / or other known retention features. In some embodiments, the intermediate shield 54 or other parts of the mirror assembly 10A-10C may include an ambient light sensor (not shown).

[0024] The display 44 can be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a plasma, a digital light processing (DLP), or other display technology. The display 44 also includes a flexible electrical connector 56 that is mechanically and electrically operably connected to the PCB 30. The length L of the flexible electrical connector 56 is sufficient to extend over and wrap around the display module components between the display 44 and the PCB 30, and its width extends substantially along the top edge 58 of the display 44. The ends of the flexible electrical connector 56 can be chamfered for ease of manufacturing. The flexible electrical connector 56 helps to fix the components along the top edge 58 of the display module 14 when it is operably connected to the PCB 30.

[0025] In the full display mirror configuration, when the glass element 12 acts as a partially reflective and partially transmissive element, the glass element 12 may include an electro-optical medium, which may include a prismatic structure or an electrochromic structure. In the prismatic structure, the electro-optical medium may generally include a glass element 12 having a thickness that varies from top to bottom. The glass element 12 includes at least two glass substrates, which may include a front substrate 60 and a rear substrate 62. The front substrate 60 may include a first surface and a second surface, and the rear substrate 62 may include a third surface and a fourth surface. In some embodiments, the rear substrate 62 has a thickness between 2 mm and 4 mm, such as about 3 mm, that defines a concave surface 34. The electro-optical medium may be disposed between the front substrate 60 and the rear substrate 62. The observation area 13 is defined by the first surface of the front substrate 60. For practical and aesthetic purposes, the observation area 13 may be rectangular in shape, trapezoidal in shape, or any custom contour shape. The boundary of the glass element 12 may contain a hidden layer 66 ( Figure 1 ) or edge treatment, such as a chrome ring, an opaque ring or other similar finish, to hide the peripheral area of ​​the housing 16, the intermediate shield 54 and other components located behind the glass element 12. A foam adhesive 68 can be connected to the inside of the glass element 12. A pair of J-clips 70 (or other types of conductors) can electrically connect the glass element 12 to the PCB 30. In an electrochromic configuration, the electro-optical medium is an electrochromic medium that includes at least one solvent, at least one anode material and at least one cathode material. Typically, both the anode material and the cathode material are electrically active, and at least one of them is electrochromic. It should be understood that, regardless of its usual meaning, the term "electroactive" will be defined herein as a material whose oxidation state changes when exposed to a specific potential difference. In addition, it should be understood that, regardless of its usual meaning, the term "electrochromic" will be defined herein as a material whose extinction coefficient changes at one or more wavelengths when exposed to a specific potential difference. As described herein, electrochromic components include materials whose color or opacity is affected by an electric current such that when the current is applied to the material, its color or opacity changes from a first phase to a second phase. During assembly, mechanical fasteners 72 may connect the components of the mirror assembly 10 .

[0026] The electrochromic components disclosed herein may be single-layer single-phase components, multi-layer components, or multi-phase components, as described in the following documents: U.S. Patent No. 5,928,572, entitled "Electrochromic Layer And Devices Comprising Same," U.S. Patent No. 5,998,617, entitled "Electrochromic Compounds," U.S. Patent No. 6,020,987, entitled "Electrochromic Medium Capable of Producing a Pre-selected Color," U.S. Patent No. 6,037,471, entitled "Electrochromic Compounds," U.S. Patent No. 6,037,471, entitled "Electrochromic Media for Producing a Pre-selected Color," and U.S. Patent No. 6,041,837, entitled "Electrochromic Media for Producing a Pre-selected Color." No. 6,141,137 entitled “Electrochromic System”, No. 6,241,916 entitled “Near Infrared-Absorbing Electrochromic Compounds and Devices Comprising Same”, No. 6,193,912 entitled “Coupled Electrochromic Compounds With Photostable Dication Oxidation States”, No. 6,249,369 entitled “Electrochromic Media With Concentration Enhanced Stability, Process for the Preparation Thereof and Use in Electrochromic Devices”, and No. 6,137,620 entitled “Electrochromic Media With Concentration Enhanced Stability, Process for the Preparation Thereof and Use in Electrochromic Devices”. Device)” in the United States Patent No. 6,519,072;and International Patent Application Publication No. WO 98 / 42796 entitled “Electrochromic Polymeric Solid Films, Manufacturing Electrochromic Devices Using Such Solid Films, and Processes for Making Such Solid Films and Devices” and International Patent Application Publication No. WO 99 / 02621 entitled “Electrochromic Polymer Systems”, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The glass element 12 may also be any other element having a partially reflective and partially transmissive property. In order to provide current to the glass element 12, electrical elements (e.g., busbars) may be disposed on opposite sides of the element to generate an electrical potential therebetween. The present disclosure may be used in display mirror systems, such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,505,349 and 10,739,591, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. ;

[0027] Continue to refer Figure 6 A glare sensor optical device 74 ( Figure 1 and Figure 6 ). Glare sensor optical device 74 ( Figure 1 ) receives light from the headlights of a trailing vehicle and measures information about possible glare visible on the glass element 12 and transmits this information to the mirror assembly 10A-10C so that the mirror assembly 10A-10C can be optimized to allow viewing of the display 44 through the glass element 12. The optical vertical / horizontal pattern of the glare sensor optics 74 can be symmetrical so that the orientation of the glare sensor optics 74 is not important (e.g., a circular geometry). The glare sensor optics 74 can also have an asymmetrical vertical / horizontal light spot pattern, in which case a keying feature would be placed in the lens to verify the correct orientation in the mirror assembly 10. The glare sensor optics 74 can also be at least partially encapsulated within the bezel assembly 45 of the mirror assembly 10A-10C and have a light guide configured to propagate light to the glare sensor optics 74. The glare sensor optics 74 can also be an imager on the rear portion of the vehicle in which a signal representative of the received light is transmitted from the glare sensor optics 74 to the mirror assembly 10. In some embodiments, glare sensor optics 74 may include an FDM camera and image processing performed by components on PCB 30 .

[0028] Reference now Figure 1-6 , when a line perpendicular to the plane of the glass element 12 extends toward the eyes of the observer, the mirror assembly 10A-10C is considered to be "on axis". Since the display 44 is viewed through the glass element 12, any glare on the glass element 12 may interfere with the visibility of the display 44. When the mirror assembly 10A-10C is on axis and is used during night driving conditions, the headlights of the trailing vehicle (i.e., a vehicle driving behind the vehicle having the mirror assembly 10A-10C) are captured by at least one image capture device (not shown) located at the rear of the vehicle for capturing images of other drivers or environmental conditions. According to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the actuator device 78 is operably coupled to the mirror assembly 10A-10C. When actuated, the actuator device 78 at least moves the glass element 12 away from the axis (i.e., away from the straight line toward the driver's eyes), while the camera unit 20 remains stationary. Typically, actuation of the actuator device 78 causes the glass element 12 to tilt upward to move the viewing area 13 to an off-axis position. However, it should be understood that the actuator device 78 can be configured to move the glass element 12 in other directions. The actuator device 78 can also be configured to move the display 44 when activated, while the camera unit 20 remains stationary. The actuator device 78 can also be configured to turn the display 44 on or off. Therefore, when the actuator device 78 is actuated to move the glass element 12 away from the axis, the display 44 can be disconnected. Typically, when the actuator device 78 is actuated, the mirror assembly 10A-10C rotates with the glass element 12 and the display 44, thereby maintaining a constant distance relationship with each other. When the actuator device 78 is activated, the mounting member 18, the camera mounting member 24 and the mounting plate 42 do not move relative to the associated vehicle. In this way, the glass element 12 and the display 44 can be rigidly fixed to each other and do not move independently of each other. Alternatively, the glass element 12 can be configured to move independently of the display 44. Additionally, to provide information to an observer of the mirror assembly 10A-10C, the mirror assembly 10A-10C may include information regarding the field of view, such as a partially transmissive graphic overlay or image on the display 44 that is visible on the viewing area 13 when the mirror assembly 10A-10C is in use.

[0029] The interior portion 22, camera mount 24, camera unit 20 placement, and other features of the mirror assembly 10A-10C can be used in conjunction with a mounting system, such as the mounting systems described in U.S. Patent Nos. 8,814,373, 8,201,800, 8,210,695, 9,174,577, 8,925,891, 8,960,629, 9,244,249, and 9,838,653, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. In addition, the present disclosure can be used with rear view packaging assemblies such as those described in the following patents: U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,814,373, 8,646,924, 8,643,931, 8,264,761, 8,885,240, and 9,316,347; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 707,625, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In addition, it is contemplated that the present disclosure can include bezels such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,827,517, 8,210,695, and 8,201,800, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0030] The invention disclosed herein is further summarized in the following paragraphs and is further characterized as any and all combinations of the various aspects described therein.

[0031] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a glass element that is at least partially reflective and a housing coupled to the glass element. A mounting member includes an interior portion located within the housing, the interior portion defining a mounting member connector. The housing includes a housing connector that is operably coupled to the mounting member connector and is configured to articulate the housing between different positions relative to the mounting member. A camera unit is coupled to the interior portion of the mounting member so that the camera unit remains stationary when the housing is articulated relative to the mounting member.

[0032] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the housing is configured to be articulated relative to the mounting member in a pitch direction and a yaw direction.

[0033] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the housing is further configured to be hinged in a rolling direction relative to the mounting member.

[0034] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the housing connector includes a basket and the mounting member connector includes a ball.

[0035] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a PCB is located in the housing, the PCB defining an aperture aligned with the camera unit.

[0036] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the PCB is located between the glass element and the camera unit.

[0037] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the PCB is located between the camera unit and the mounting member connector and the inner portion extends through the aperture.

[0038] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the PCB is located in a housing that is statically connected to an interior portion of the mounting member and remains stationary when the housing is articulated relative to the mounting member.

[0039] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a sleeve extends around the camera unit to reduce ambient light from interfering with the camera unit.

[0040] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a sleeve extends from the camera unit to proximate the glass element.

[0041] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the glass element defines a concave surface and the camera unit is at least partially located in a space defined by the concave surface.

[0042] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the concave surface has a parabolic or spherical shape.

[0043] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the concave surface has a chrome layer.

[0044] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a glass element that is at least partially reflective and a housing coupled to the glass element. A mounting member includes an interior portion located within the housing, the interior portion defining a mounting member connector. The housing includes a housing connector that is operably coupled to the mounting member connector and is configured to articulate the housing between different positions along at least two axes relative to the mounting member. A camera unit is connected to the interior portion of the mounting member so that the camera unit remains stationary when the housing is articulated relative to the mounting member. A printed circuit board ("PCB") is located in the housing and statically coupled to one of the mounting member and the housing.

[0045] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a glass element is partially reflective, partially transmissive, and includes a front substrate defining a first surface and a second surface, a rear substrate defining a third surface and a fourth surface, and an electro-optic medium disposed between the front substrate and the rear substrate.

[0046] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a display module is located in the housing behind the rear substrate.

[0047] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the PCB is configured to control features of a camera unit, a glass element, and a display module.

[0048] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a glass element that is at least partially reflective and a housing coupled to the glass element. The mounting member includes an interior portion located within the housing, the interior portion defining a mounting member connector. The housing includes a housing connector that is operably coupled to the mounting member connector and is configured to articulate the housing between different positions along at least two axes relative to the mounting member. A camera unit is connected to the interior portion of the mounting member so that the camera unit remains stationary when the housing is articulated relative to the mounting member. A printed circuit board ("PCB") is located in the housing and statically coupled to one of the mounting member and the housing. The PCB defines an aperture that is aligned with the camera unit.

[0049] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the PCB is statically coupled to the housing and is located between the glass element and the camera unit.

[0050] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the PCB is statically coupled to the mounting member and is located between the mounting member connector and the camera unit.

[0051] Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the construction of the disclosed and other components described is not limited to any specific material. Unless otherwise described herein, other exemplary embodiments of the disclosed content disclosed herein may be formed from a variety of materials.

[0052] For purposes of this disclosure, the term "coupled" (in all its forms, coupling, coupled, etc.) generally means the joining of two (electrical or mechanical) components to one another, directly or indirectly. Such joining may be stationary in nature or movable in nature. Such joining may be achieved using the two (electrical or mechanical) components and any additional intermediate members that are integrally formed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two components. Unless otherwise specified, such joining may be permanent in nature or removable or releasable in nature.

[0053] It is also worth noting that the construction and arrangement of the elements of the present disclosure as shown in the exemplary embodiments are merely illustrative. Although only a few embodiments of the present innovation have been described in detail in the present disclosure, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art who consult the present disclosure that there may be many modifications (e.g., changes in the size, dimensions, structure, shape and proportion, parameter values, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc. of various elements) without substantially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter. For example, an element shown as being integrally formed may be constructed from multiple parts, or an element shown as multiple parts may be integrally formed, the operation of the interface may be reversed or otherwise changed, the length or width of the structure and / or member or connector or other element of the system may be changed, and the nature or number of the adjustment positions set between the elements may be changed. It should be noted that the elements and / or assemblies of the system may be composed of any of a wide variety of materials that provide sufficient strength or durability, and may be in any of a wide variety of colors, textures, and combinations. Therefore, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present innovation. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions, and arrangements of desired and other exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present innovation.

[0054] It should be understood that any described process or steps within a described process can be combined with other disclosed processes or steps to form structures within the scope of the present disclosure. The exemplary structures and processes disclosed herein are for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as limiting.

[0055] It will be further understood that changes and modifications may be made to the structures and methods described above without departing from the concepts of the present disclosure and it will be further understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the appended claims unless the language of such claims expressly states otherwise.

Claims

1. A mirror assembly for a vehicle, the mirror assembly comprising: a glass element, said glass element being at least partially reflective; a housing coupled to the glass element; a mounting member including an interior portion positioned within the housing, the interior portion defining a mounting member connector; The housing includes a housing connector operably coupled to the mounting member connector and configured to articulate the housing between different positions relative to the mounting member; as well as A camera unit is connected to the interior portion of the mounting member and remains stationary when the housing is articulated relative to the mounting member. 2 . The mirror assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing is configured to articulate relative to the mounting member in a pitch direction and a yaw direction. 3 . The mirror assembly of claim 2 , wherein the housing is further configured to articulate in a rolling direction relative to the mounting member.

4. The mirror assembly of one of claims 1-3, wherein the housing connector comprises a basket and the mounting member connector comprises a ball.

5. The mirror assembly of one of claims 1-3, further comprising a PCB located in the housing, the PCB defining an aperture aligned with the camera unit.

6. The mirror assembly of claim 5, wherein the PCB is located between the glass element and the camera unit.

7. The mirror assembly of claim 5, wherein the PCB is located between the camera unit and the mounting member connector and the inner portion extends through the aperture.

8. The mirror assembly of claim 1 further comprising a PCB located in the housing, the PCB being statically connected to the interior portion of the mounting member and remaining stationary when the housing is articulated relative to the mounting member.

9. A mirror assembly according to claim 1, 7 or 8, further comprising a sleeve extending around the camera unit to reduce ambient light from interfering with the camera unit.

10. The mirror assembly of claim 9, wherein the sleeve extends from the camera unit to proximate the glass element.

11. The mirror assembly of claim 1 or 9, wherein the glass element defines a concave surface, and the camera unit is at least partially located in a space defined by the concave surface.

12. The mirror assembly of claim 11, wherein the concave surface has a parabolic or spherical shape.

13. The mirror assembly of claim 12, wherein the concave surface has a chrome layer.

14. A mirror assembly for a vehicle, the mirror assembly comprising: a glass element, said glass element being at least partially reflective; a housing coupled to the glass element; a mounting member including an interior portion positioned within the housing, the interior portion defining a mounting member connector; The housing includes a housing connector operably coupled to the mounting member connector and configured to articulate the housing between different positions along at least two axes relative to the mounting member; a camera unit connected to the interior portion of the mounting member so that the camera unit remains stationary when the housing is articulated relative to the mounting member; A printed circuit board ("PCB") is positioned within the housing and statically coupled to one of the mounting member and the housing.

15. The mirror assembly of claim 14, wherein the glass element is partially reflective and partially transmissive and comprises: a front substrate defining a first surface and a second surface; a rear substrate defining a third surface and a fourth surface; as well as An electro-optical medium is disposed between the front substrate and the rear substrate.

16. The mirror assembly of claim 15, further comprising a display module located in the housing behind the rear substrate.

17. The mirror assembly of claim 16, wherein the PCB is configured to control features of the camera unit, the glass element, and the display module.

18. A mirror assembly for a vehicle, the mirror assembly comprising: a glass element, said glass element being at least partially reflective; a housing coupled to the glass element; a mounting member including an interior portion positioned within the housing, the interior portion defining a mounting member connector; The housing includes a housing connector operably coupled to the mounting member connector and configured to articulate the housing between different positions along at least two axes relative to the mounting member; a camera unit connected to the interior portion of the mounting member so that the camera unit remains stationary when the housing is articulated relative to the mounting member; A printed circuit board ("PCB") is positioned within the housing and statically coupled to one of the mounting member and the housing, the PCB defining an aperture aligned with the camera unit.

19. The mirror assembly of claim 18, wherein the PCB is statically coupled to the housing and located between the glass element and the camera unit.

20. The mirror assembly of claim 18, wherein the PCB is statically coupled to the mounting member and is located between the mounting member connector and the camera unit.

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