Interior Rearview Mirror Assembly With Transflective Video Display
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional interior rearview mirror assemblies lack the ability to seamlessly integrate a display system that provides enhanced rearward viewing capabilities while maintaining the reflective functionality, often resulting in blind zones and inefficient use of display power due to limited light transmission and reflection.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a transflective mirror reflector and a polymer reflector film that converts linearly polarized light from the display device to circularly polarized light, allowing for a high percentage of light transmission and reflection, thereby enabling a large display area within the mirror assembly that encompasses the reflective element, enhancing visibility and reducing power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a conventional mirror assembly with a display screen is provided, then the display area is limited, but the light transmission and reflection efficiency deteriorates due to the display occupying the reflective area
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the display screen and mirror reflector into a single integrated assembly where the display is positioned behind the reflector. This merging allows the display area to be maximized without sacrificing mirror reflective area, as both functions occupy the same spatial footprint rather than competing for separate areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a polarizing beam splitter as an intermediary optical element between the display screen and the mirror reflector. This mediator separates light paths: it allows display light to pass through to the driver while reflecting ambient light from the mirror surface, enabling both display visibility and mirror reflection to coexist efficiently.
2Illumination intensity
If the display area spans the height and width of the mirror reflective element, then visibility is enhanced, but power consumption increases due to the large display area
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements ambient light sensing that automatically adjusts display backlight intensity based on environmental lighting conditions. The display adapts its power consumption to match actual viewing needs, using minimal power in bright conditions and maximizing visibility only when necessary, thereby achieving self-regulated energy efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs variable brightness control of the display backlight based on ambient light levels detected by sensors. By dynamically changing the display's luminance parameter in response to environmental conditions, the system maintains optimal visibility while minimizing power consumption during periods when full brightness is not required.
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
This solution provides an interior rearview mirror assembly with improved light transmission and reflection characteristics, allowing for a substantial display area within the mirror, enhancing rearward viewing capabilities and reducing power consumption, thus addressing blind zones and display inefficiencies.
Implementation Method 1
The polymer reflector or film converts linearly polarized light (that is emitted by the display screen) to circularly polarized light (that passes through the reflective element)
Implementation Method 2
the mirror reflector reflects light that is incident on the reflective element and partially transmits illumination emitted from the display device through the mirror reflective element
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head pivotally adjustable about a mirror support. The mirror head includes a mirror reflective element having a transflective mirror reflector. A video display device is disposed rearward of the mirror reflective element. A touch sensor is disposed at the mirror reflective element and is associated with circuitry at a flexible printed circuit of the video display device. The video display device is operable to display video images captured by a rearward viewing camera of the vehicle. Light emitted by the video display device passes through the transflective mirror reflector for viewing of displayed video images by the driver of the vehicle viewing the mirror reflective element. The mirror reflective element, at the reflective region of the transflective mirror reflector, reflects at least 40 percent of visible light incident at the front side of the mirror reflective element.