US 6,690,268 · Granted 2004-02-10

The Rearview Mirror That Hides a Video Screen When You're Not Looking

Imagine a rearview mirror in your car that can flip down to reveal a hidden video screen behind it—and then tuck it away so the driver isn't distracted. This patent protects that clever two-in-one design: a traditional reflective mirror paired with an adjustable video display that can vanish from view when you need to focus on the road.

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The plain-English version

What it protects

The claim covers a vehicular mirror assembly that combines a standard reflective rearview mirror with a hidden video display screen mounted in the same housing. What's protected here is the specific arrangement where the video display can swivel and move into a stowed position—hidden behind or beneath the mirror—so it doesn't distract the driver. The mirror itself remains adjustable for viewing the road behind, while the video component is kept out of sight until deliberately accessed.

Why it matters

This patent represents an early approach to integrating digital displays into classic car interiors without overwhelming driver attention. By allowing the video screen to physically hide away, it solved a genuine safety concern: how to add new technology to vehicles without creating constant visual distractions. Donnelly Corporation, a major automotive supplier, used this design to compete in the growing market for in-vehicle entertainment and camera-display systems as backup cameras and video mirrors became more common in the 2000s.

Real-world use

If you've ever seen a car with a mirror that flips down to show a backup camera view or a navigation screen, and then tucks away when you're not using it, you're looking at technology built on this patent's core idea.

Original USPTO abstract

A vehicular video mirror system includes an interior rearview mirror assembly and a video display assembly. The interior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror casing incorporating a reflective element. The reflective element has a rearward field of view when the interior rearview mirror assembly is mounted in a vehicle. The mirror assembly further includes a mirror-mounting portion, which is adapted to mount the interior rearview mirror assembly at an interior portion of the vehicle, such as a windshield portion or a header portion. The mirror casing is adjustable about the mirror-mounting portion for adjusting the rearward field of view of the reflective element. The video display assembly includes a video screen which is incorporated in a video display housing. The video display assembly also includes a display-mounting portion, which is adapted to mount the video display assembly at the interior portion of the vehicle. The display housing is adapted to be adjustable about the display-mounting portion for adjusting the orientation of the video screen and, further, for moving the display housing to a stowed position whereby the video screen is generally not viewable by a driver when seated in a vehicle seat in the vehicle to thereby minimize the distraction to the driver of the vehicle.

Patent details

Publication number: US 6,690,268
Filing date: 2001-02-26
Grant date: 2004-02-10
Assignee: Donnelly Corporation
Inventor(s): SCHOFIELD KENNETH, O'BRIEN FRANK, BINGLE ROBERT L., LYNAM NIALL R.
CPC class: B60Q1/50

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