EV Mirror Battery Indicator LED Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for an interior rearview mirror assembly in electric vehicles that effectively indicates the battery charge level to the driver, as existing solutions do not provide a clear and visible indication of the battery's state while driving.
Innovation Solution
An interior rearview mirror assembly with an indicator bar featuring a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that are energized based on the battery charge level, allowing for visible indication from various angles, including forward, rearward, and sideward, with customizable lighting patterns and colors to convey battery status and other vehicle information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the battery charge level indicator is integrated into the mirror assembly, then the driver can monitor battery status without distraction, but the mirror assembly structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the battery charge level indicator with the mirror assembly by integrating an indicator bar with multiple light-emitting diodes into the mirror housing. This merging of functions allows the driver to monitor battery status through the existing mirror location without adding separate dashboard indicators, thereby maintaining driver awareness while utilizing already-present structural elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The mirror assembly is designed to serve multiple functions: traditional rearview reflection and battery charge level indication. The indicator bar is integrated into the mirror assembly structure, allowing the same component to provide both mirror functionality and battery status display, thus reducing the need for separate dedicated indicator systems.
2Measurement precision
If multiple LEDs are used to indicate different charge levels, then the indication becomes more precise and informative, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The indicator bar is divided into multiple discrete light-emitting diode segments, each representing a specific battery charge level threshold. This segmentation allows for precise charge level indication through different lighting patterns (e.g., one LED for 25%, two LEDs for 50%, etc.), while each individual LED module can be manufactured and tested separately before final assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses different lighting parameters of the LEDs to convey battery charge level information. By controlling which LEDs illuminate and their intensity levels, the system provides precise charge level measurement without requiring physically distinct components for each charge level, thereby simplifying manufacturing compared to using separate indicator elements for each threshold.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the indicator bar is positioned at the lower region of the mirror head, then it is viewable from multiple angles, but the available space for other mirror components is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The indicator bar is positioned in the lower region of the mirror head, utilizing the vertical dimension and peripheral space that would otherwise be unused. This positioning allows drivers to view the battery charge level from forward, rearward, and sideward angles without interfering with the central reflective area, effectively using spatial dimensionality to accommodate multiple functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The mirror head structure is designed with differentiated zones: the upper and central regions maintain high-quality reflective surfaces for primary viewing, while the lower peripheral region accommodates the indicator bar with appropriate lighting and viewing angles. This local differentiation allows each region to optimize its specific function without compromising the overall mirror assembly.
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 provides a clear and intuitive indication of the vehicle's battery charge level and other critical information, enhancing driver awareness and safety by integrating the indicator bar within the mirror assembly, ensuring the driver can monitor the battery status without distraction while driving.
Implementation Method 1
The indicator comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes that are individually operated or energized
Data Source
AI summary
An interior rearview mirror assembly for an electric vehicle having a vehicle battery for powering a propulsion system of the electric vehicle. The interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror casing, a mirror reflective element, a mounting structure configured to adjustably mount the mirror assembly at an interior portion of the electric vehicle, and an indicator disposed at the mirror casing along a perimeter region of the mirror reflective element. The indicator includes a plurality of LEDs, and each LED of the plurality of LEDs is individually operated to emit light. With the mirror reflective element and the mirror casing adjustably mounted at the interior portion of the electric vehicle via the mounting structure, and responsive to a battery charge level of the vehicle battery, the indicator electrically powers one or more of the LEDs to convey vehicle battery charge level information to a driver of the electric vehicle.