US5475366A — Electrical control system for vehicle options

Claim 1

Independent Claim 116 words

A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, comprising: a housing; a connector supported on said housing and connectable to a vehicle electrical system; a rearview mirror supported on said housing; and a display system displaying information to the vehicle operator, said display system including a display source supported in said housing and connected to said connector, and a reflector mounted on said housing vertically spaced from said mirror and positioned for reflecting information presented by said display source, whereby said display source is mounted on a circuit board in said housing and said reflector reflects the information displayed by said display source such that said display source information is visible to a driver of the vehicle.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 116 words

A rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle, comprising: a housing; a connector supported on said housing and connectable to a vehicle electrical system; a rearview mirror supported on said housing; and a display system displaying information to the vehicle operator, said display system including a display source supported in said housing and connected to said connector, and a reflector mounted on said housing vertically spaced from said mirror and positioned for reflecting information presented by said display source, whereby said display source is mounted on a circuit board in said housing and said reflector reflects the information displayed by said display source such that said display source information is visible to a driver of the vehicle.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 30 words

The system as defined in claim 1, further including a parameter sensor and a circuit coupling said sensor to said display system for displaying parameter information sensed by said sensor.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 21 words

The system as defined in claim 2, wherein said sensor is a flux-gate magnetic field sensor for displaying the vehicle heading.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 16 words

The system as defined in claim 3, wherein said display source is a vacuum fluorescent display.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 16 words

The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said display source is a vacuum fluorescent display.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 48 words

The system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a second reflector positioned on said housing for reflecting information presented by said display source such that said information is visible to the driver through said first reflector and to a passenger in the vehicle through said second reflector.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 28 words

The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said information is alpha-numeric and the information presented by said display source reversed such that upon reflection it is readable.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 50 words

The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said reflector is pivotably mounted in to said housing and movable between an operating position wherein said information is displayed to the driver of the vehicle, and a closed position wherein said information is not displayed to the driver of the vehicle.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 42 words

The system as defined in claim 1 and further including a flux-gate magnetic sensor and an electronic clock and a circuit coupling said sensor and said clock to said display source, for displaying compass bearing and time information to the vehicle operator.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 21 words

The system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a support for fastening said housing to a windshield of the vehicle.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 23 words

The system as defined in claim 1, and further comprising a support for connecting said housing to the interior roof of the vehicle.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 33 words

The system as defined in claim 1, wherein said display source receives a plurality of input signals, at least one of which is supplied from a signal source located externally of said housing.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 132 words

An information display system for use in a vehicle comprising: a housing; a connector supported on said housing and connectable to a vehicle electrical system; an interior rearview mirror supported on said housing; and a display system including a display source providing an image and a reflector, said reflector positioned to reflect the image from said display source, said reflector position on said housing adjacent said rearview mirror for displaying information corresponding to at least one sensed parameter, said rearview mirror movable about more than one axis relative to a driver of the vehicle such that the rearview mirror provides reflections at a desired viewing angle for the driver of the vehicle, and wherein said display reflector moves with said rearview mirror for displaying said sensed parameter at said desired viewing angle.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 132 words

An information display system for use in a vehicle comprising: a housing; a connector supported on said housing and connectable to a vehicle electrical system; an interior rearview mirror supported on said housing; and a display system including a display source providing an image and a reflector, said reflector positioned to reflect the image from said display source, said reflector position on said housing adjacent said rearview mirror for displaying information corresponding to at least one sensed parameter, said rearview mirror movable about more than one axis relative to a driver of the vehicle such that the rearview mirror provides reflections at a desired viewing angle for the driver of the vehicle, and wherein said display reflector moves with said rearview mirror for displaying said sensed parameter at said desired viewing angle.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 86 words

A rearview mirror for a vehicle, comprising: a movable housing; a rearview mirror supported by said housing; and a display system including a display source mounted in said housing for displaying a sensed parameter, said display system further including a reflector pivotally supported on said housing for pivoting between a hidden position and a display position, whereby said reflector reflects the display source sensed parameter such that said sensed parameter is visible to a driver of the vehicle when said reflector is in said display position.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 86 words

A rearview mirror for a vehicle, comprising: a movable housing; a rearview mirror supported by said housing; and a display system including a display source mounted in said housing for displaying a sensed parameter, said display system further including a reflector pivotally supported on said housing for pivoting between a hidden position and a display position, whereby said reflector reflects the display source sensed parameter such that said sensed parameter is visible to a driver of the vehicle when said reflector is in said display position.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 25 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 14, further including a sensor operatively connected to said display source for supplying said parameters to said display source.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 20 words

An apparatus defined in claim 15, wherein said sensor is a flux-gate sensor, and said parameter is the vehicle heading.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 28 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 14, further comprising a sensor operatively coupled to said display source, and wherein said connector supplies operating electrical current to said sensor.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 35 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 15, further comprising a second reflective source for reflecting said sensed parameter from said display means such that said sensed parameter is visible to a passenger in the vehicle.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 22 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein said displayed sensed parameter is an image which is inverted by said display reflector.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 35 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein said display system further includes a second reflector for reflecting said displayed sensed parameter such that said sensed parameter is visible to a passenger in the vehicle.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 28 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 14, further comprising at least one additional input for said display source such that said display source displays more than one parameter.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 23 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein said reflector means comprises a reflective member having one end pivotably connected to said housing.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 34 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein said display receives input signals from a flux-gate magnetic sensor and from a time indicating means, for displaying compass bearing and the time of day information.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 35 words

An apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein said display source receives a plurality of input signals, at least one of which is coupled through said connector from a source located externally of said housing.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1998-12-11	1999-06-12	1999-12-12	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2002-12-11	2003-06-12	2003-12-12	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2006-12-11	2007-06-12	2007-12-12	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Electrical control system for vehicle options

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