This paper reviews added feature interior and exterior rearview mirrors, and outlines how they can enhance consumer safety, convenience, and affordability. Automotive rearview mirrors have numerous attributes that render them desirable hosts for a variety of added features beyond their principal function of providing a rearview field of vision. One attribute is location. Rearview mirrors are ideal locations for: information display such as of directional information from a compass sensor and/or of temperature information from an exterior temperature sensor; automatic wiper activation rain sensors; automatic headlamp activation controllers; remote keyless entry receivers; garage door opener/home access transmitters; global positioning satellite (GPS) antennae; lights such as map reading lights incorporated in interior mirror assemblies; and for ground illumination security lights located in exterior mirror assemblies. Another feature is electrical service. Many interior and most exterior mirrors are electrically powered, for example electrochromic mirrors. The circuitry to control the electrochromic dimming function and any other mirror-mounted electronic feature can be commonly housed in or on a rearview mirror assembly. A third attribute is flexibility. By hosting an added feature within a rearview mirror assembly, an automaker has wide latitude in option packaging. As car area networks (CAN) proliferate, the ease and convenience of incorporation of added features will be even further enhanced. (A)
Abstract