The present invention relates to a side mirror for a vehicle, the side mirror being provided on a vehicle for facilitating the checking of road situations on the left, right, and rear sides. The side mirror for a vehicle comprises a mirror housing which is mounted on the exterior of the vehicle, and a mirror part which is supported by the mirror housing, and is divided into multiple mirror areas which are in aspherical form respectively across the horizontal direction from the internal side, which is close to the vehicle, to the external side, which is far from the vehicle. In the mirror part, the respective optical powers of the mirror areas gradually increase from the internal side to the external side so as to have the same optical power at the borders of the mirror areas, and the optical power rate for at least one of the mirror areas is constant.

A method of forming a mirror reflector sub-assembly suitable for use in an exterior rearview mirror assembly of a vehicle includes providing a glass substrate and physically removing glass from a portion of a second surface of the glass substrate to form a curved recess locally thereat, and coating via a vacuum deposition process the second surface of the glass substrate with a mirror reflector to form a mirror reflective element suitable for use in an automotive exterior rearview mirror assembly. The method includes forming a mirror back plate in a plastic molding operation and providing a heater pad and disposing the heater pad between the coated second surface of the glass substrate and the first side of the mirror back plate.

A mirror reflective element assembly for a vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a principal mirror element, a wide angle mirror element and an illumination element that at least partially circumscribes the wide angle mirror element. The illumination element emits illumination at least partially around the wide angle mirror element that is viewable by a person viewing the exterior rearview mirror assembly when the mirror assembly is disposed at a side of a vehicle. At least one of (i) the illumination element, responsive to determination that an ambient light level is below a threshold level, is operable to provide a light level that is less than about 100 candelas per square meter, and (ii) the illumination element, responsive to determination that an ambient light level is above a threshold level, is operable to provide a light level that is greater than about 200 candelas per square meter.

An exterior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a mirror head and a light module disposed at a mirror casing. A blind zone indicator light emitting diode and a turn signal indicator light emitting diode are disposed at a single circuit board and are operable to emit light for a blind zone indicator and a turn signal indicator, respectively. The blind zone indicator and the turn signal indicator are disposed along a forward and sideward portion of the mirror casing, where the turn signal indicator is viewable and the blind zone indicator is not viewable along the forward and sideward portion of the mirror casing. When the blind zone indicator light emitting diode is operated and when the exterior rearview mirror assembly is attached at the side of the vehicle, the blind zone alert is viewable by the driver of the vehicle outboard of the mirror reflective element.

A door mirror device has a main mirror having a first reflecting surface that enables a periphery of a vehicle to be viewed, and a sub-mirror that is disposed adjacent to the main mirror. The sub-mirror includes a light guide having a light guiding portion into which light from an LED is introduced. A second reflecting surface, that enables a periphery of the vehicle to be viewed, is provided at a surface of the light guide. Further, a light portion, that illuminates, toward an out-of-plane direction of the second reflecting surface, light from the LED that has been introduced into the light guide interior, is provided at the second reflecting surface.

A mirror assembly for vehicle is disclosed. The mirror assembly includes a housing, a retaining rim, and a mirror lens that is secured between the housing and the retaining rim. In one embodiment, the mirror has a visual indicator mounted to the retaining rim or housing. When an object or pedestrian is detected in a lane next to or in front of a vehicle, the visual indicator provides light signals or other type of warning to an operator driving the vehicle. In one embodiment, the mirror assembly has a speaker mounted to the housing. When an object or pedestrian is detected in a lane next to or in front of the vehicle, the speaker provides audio signals to warn an operator driving the vehicle. In another embodiment, the mirror assembly includes a housing, a shield attached to the housing, a mirror lens, and a visual indicator securely located, for example, in a channel of the shield, retaining rim and/or housing.

A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head and a mounting base configured to mount the mirror assembly at a side of a vehicle. The mirror head accommodates a reflective element and an indicator module. With the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the side of the vehicle, and responsive to actuation by a driver of the vehicle of a turn signal input of the plurality of inputs, the indicator module projects a turn signal icon onto the ground proximate the side of the vehicle. With the vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly mounted at the side of the vehicle, and responsive to another input of the plurality of inputs, the indicator module projects another icon onto the ground proximate the side of the vehicle. The other icon projected onto the ground is a different color than the turn signal icon projected onto the ground.

The invention relates to an indirect rear viewing system for a motor vehicle having a supporting element for fastening at least one reflective element, wherein the supporting element has a coupling region for a position variable fastening/attachment to an adjusting element, which in turn can be attached to the vehicle, wherein the coupling region contacts a counter contact regions, of the adjusting element, wherein interlocking anti rotation means are present on the supporting element and on the adjusting element, wherein the anti rotation means are forming an index geometry, which, in a first operating state, permits an adjustment of the supporting element relative to the adjusting element about two axes of rotation, which are transverse to one another, and, in at least a second operating state, permits a basic position change of the supporting element relative to the adjusting element about a third axis of rotation which is aligned transversely to the two other axes of rotation.

A vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror head and a mounting base configured to mount the mirror assembly at a side of a vehicle. The mirror head accommodates a reflective element. A powerfold actuator is operable to pivot the mirror head relative to the mounting base to a park detent position or a drive detent position responsive to actuation of the user input. The powerfold actuator includes at least one element that senses position of the mirror head or limits pivotal movement of the mirror head. With the mirror head not at the park detent position or the drive detent position and responsive to actuation of the user input, and based at least in part on the at least one element, the powerfold actuator pivots the mirror head toward the park detent position or toward the drive detent position.

A method for enhancing situational awareness in a transportation vehicle includes locating at least one camera on the vehicle. Upon activation of a vehicle brake, the camera is automatically paired with a computing device located inside the vehicle.