Caseless Electro-Optic Mirror Assembly for Vehicle Rearview
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional interior rearview mirror assemblies are bulky and heavy, leading to impaired vibration performance, unattractive size, and manufacturing complexity, due to the use of a bulky mirror housing that houses electrochromic circuitry and sensors.
Innovation Solution
A caseless mirror assembly where the mirror reflective element is pivotally attached to a windshield electronics module, eliminating the need for a housing, with control circuitry separate from the mirror and using a rear backup camera for multifunctional operations including dimming control, glare detection, and ambient light sensing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a bulky mirror housing is used to house electrochromic circuitry and sensors, then the mirror assembly provides complete functionality, but the mirror assembly becomes heavy and bulky, impairing vibration performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the mirror system into separate functional modules: the mirror housing contains only the reflective element, while the electrochromic circuitry, sensors, and control electronics are relocated to a separate windshield-mounted module. This segmentation eliminates the need for a bulky housing around the electronics, reducing mirror assembly weight while maintaining complete functionality through the distributed architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the electrochromic circuitry and sensors from the mirror housing and relocates them to a separate module mounted on the windshield. This extraction removes the heavy electronic components from the moving mirror assembly, significantly reducing its weight and improving vibration performance while the extracted components continue to provide full electrochromic functionality from the stationary module.
2Reliability
If a bulky mirror housing is used to house electrochromic circuitry and sensors, then the mirror assembly provides complete functionality, but the mirror assembly becomes unattractive in size
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the mirror system into a compact mirror housing containing only the reflective element and a separate windshield-mounted module containing all electronics. This segmentation allows the mirror assembly itself to be minimized to an attractive, compact size while the functionality is provided by the separate stationary module, eliminating the need for a bulky housing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts all electronic components (circuitry, sensors, control electronics) from the mirror housing and places them in a separate module mounted on the windshield. This extraction reduces the mirror assembly volume to only what is necessary for the reflective element, creating an attractive compact design while maintaining complete functionality through the external module.
3Reliability
If a bulky mirror housing is used to house electrochromic circuitry and sensors, then the mirror assembly provides complete functionality, but manufacturing cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the mirror system into two independently manufacturable modules: a simple mirror housing that can be produced through standard molding processes, and a separate electronic module mounted on the windshield. This segmentation simplifies manufacturing by allowing each module to be produced using optimized processes for its specific components, reducing overall manufacturing complexity despite maintaining complete functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the complex electronic components from the mirror housing and consolidates them into a separate windshield-mounted module. This extraction simplifies the mirror housing manufacturing process, as it now only requires standard molding techniques without the complexity of integrating electronics, while the electronic module can be manufactured and tested separately before installation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution results in a low-profile mirror head with improved vibration performance, reduced size and weight, and simplified manufacturing, while enabling independent dimming control of multiple mirrors based on image data processing.
Implementation Method 1
a caseless electro-optic rearview mirror reflective element that includes a front transparent glass substrate with a rounded outer circumferential glass edge and a rear substrate with a rounded outer circumferential edge, with an electro-optic medium sandwiched between the front transparent glass substrate and the rear substrate
Implementation Method 2
front transparent glass substrate with a rounded outer circumferential glass edge and a rear substrate with a rounded outer circumferential edge
Data Source
AI summary
A multifunctional rear camera system includes a rear camera and a processor. Responsive to processing of captured image data, the processor generates respective outputs for (i) a rear backup assist function, (ii) a mirror dimming control for at least an electro-optic interior rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle and (iii) ambient light detection. The processor processes a mirror zone of captured image data for mirror dimming control and processes upper corner regions of captured image data for ambient light detection. The processor processes at least lower regions of captured image data for the rear backup assist function. The generated output for the mirror dimming control is provided to the electro-optic interior rearview mirror assembly to control dimming of the electro-optic reflective element. The generated output for the rear backup assist function provides (i) object detection and/or (ii) video display of video images derived from captured image data.