966 results about "Wing mirror" patented technology

A rearview mirror system comprises a spotter mirror for providing an image of an object in a vehicle's blind zone to the vehicle's operator. A recognition enhancement device is provided with the spotter mirror for drawing the attention of the driver to the spotter mirror when an overtaking vehicle enters the driver's blind zone. The signaling display is activated by a sensing system which senses the presence of the overtaking vehicle in the blind zone. An electrochromic element is incorporated into the spotter mirror to reduce the intensity of light transmitted from the object and reflected from the spotter mirror. Activation of the electrochromic element to darken the spotter mirror will induce the operator to observe the object in the spotter mirror.

A low ink sensing system is combined with an ink cartridge detection system to enable a more efficient ink jet printer. An ink container which supplies ink to an associated printhead is modified by the incorporation of two light directing elements, in the preferred embodiment, a faceted prism and a roof mirror, into a transparent wall of the container housing. The cartridge, comprising the ink container and associated printhead, is mounted on a scan carriage. Periodically, the carriage is conveyed to a sensing station comprising a pair of light sources and a commonly used photosensor. A first light source is energized and a beam of light is directed to a location where the roof mirror, would be positioned if the cartridge is present. If the cartridge is absent, lack of a reflected return signal is sensed, indicating a cartridge has not been inserted. Print operation is halted until a cartridge is inserted. If a cartridge is properly inserted, the roof mirror returns most of the incident light to the photosensor which generates a signal indicating the presence of the cartridge. A second light source is then energized and directed towards the faceted prism, which is either immersed in ink or exposed to air within the interior of the container. If the latter, light is internally reflected by the prism facets back to the photosensor. If a print operation has been in progress, and the ink level has fallen, the common photosensor detects either a strong or weak redirected light component and initiates a status check and generates appropriate displays of low ink level or out of ink warnings.

A rearview assembly of the present invention may include a housing adapted to be mounted to the vehicle, a rearview element disposed in the housing for providing an image to the driver of the rearward view from the vehicle, and a glare sensor positioned to receive light from passing through the rearview element. The glare sensor may be a surface-mounted to a circuit board. An optional secondary optical element may be disposed between the rearview element and the glare sensor. The optional secondary optical element may have an anamorphic lens for providing different fields of view horizontally versus vertically.

A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes an electro-optic reflective element with an overhang region at an edge region of a first substrate that extends beyond a corresponding edge region of a second substrate. A transparent electrical conductor is disposed at a second surface of the first substrate and a mirror reflector is disposed at a third surface of the second substrate. The mirror reflector includes a tab portion that at least partially encompasses an edge dimension of the second substrate. A non-conductive seal is disposed between the first and second substrates and encompasses at least a portion of the mirror reflector and at least a portion of a non-conductive perimeter region of the third surface. A first electrical connector connects to the transparent electrical conductor via the overhang region and a second electrical connector is in electrical connection with the tab portion of the mirror reflector.

An image sensing system for a vehicle includes an imaging sensor comprising a two-dimensional array of light sensing photosensor elements formed on a semiconductor substrate. The imaging sensor is disposed at an interior portion of the vehicle, and may be at or proximate to an interior rearview mirror assembly of the vehicle. The system includes a logic and control circuit comprising an image processor for processing image data derived from the imaging sensor. The image sensing system may identify objects of interest based on spectral differentiation or by comparing over successive frames image data associated with objects in the forward field of view of the image sensor or by objects of interest being at least one of qualified and disqualified based at least in part on object motion in the field of view of the imaging sensor.

A mirror reflective element for an exterior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle includes a mirror substrate having a front surface and a rear surface. The mirror substrate has a first reflector portion and a second reflector portion, with the first reflector portion having a principal reflector portion of the mirror reflective element. The rear surface of the mirror substrate has a curved recess established thereat, and the second curved reflector portion is established at the curved recess. The curved recess has a radius of curvature that is less than a radius of curvature of the first reflector portion, whereby the curved recess, when coated by a reflector coating, provides a wide angle auxiliary reflector portion integrally formed with the mirror reflective element.

A lens for a vehicle rearview mirror includes a light-transmissible glass substrate, which has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, a first coating layer, which has a reflectivity of 10–20% and is coated on the first surface of the glass substrate and defines with the first surface of the glass substrate a first transmission zone, a second coating layer, which has a reflectivity of 40–55% and is coated on the whole area of the second surface of the glass substrate, and a back layer, which is covered on the second coating layer and defines with the second coating layer a second transmission zone corresponding to the first transmission zone.

The invention relates to a rear-view mirror for vehicles, which consists of compatible, combinable and exchangeable modules such as: (A) and (B), or integrated (A+B), functional, signal, lighting and sensor modules; and structural (C), (D) and (E) modules; cover-housing, body-housing and support which may include functional modules. (A), (B) and (A+B) fulfill their function even if the rear-view mirror is folded. They use a multifocal light source of LED's inserted into a flexible and orientable circuit and / or a mixed rigid-flexible circuit combining LED's+bulbs and other lighting elements, with variable optical and reflective means enabling more than one signal from one same transparent surface with direct light output, indirect-reflected light output and / or through intermediate optical light guides depending on the directions required in the front, the side, the back and the lateral ground for different commands, applications and safety signals.

A multi-display vehicular rearview mirror system (2600) and method includes an electrochromic (EC) glass element (2603) and a plurality of liquid crystal displays (LCDs) (2605a, 2605b, 2605c) positioned behind EC element (2603). A plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) (2610a, 2610b, 2610c) are used for providing backlighting for each respective LCD of the plurality of LCDs such that the LCDs utilize a plurality of imaging devices (2717, 2719, 2721) for forming substantially a single image across the plurality of LCDs (2605a, 2605b, 2605c).