US 7,370,983 · Granted 2008-05-13
The Pop-Up Rearview Mirror That Puts a Screen Right in Your Sight Line
This patent protects a rearview mirror that has a hidden video screen that can slide out from inside the mirror casing when you need it, then tuck back in when you don't. The screen appears and disappears automatically, so you could see backup camera footage or navigation without cluttering your windshield.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a rearview mirror assembly where a video display screen is mechanically mounted to slide or retract parallel to the mirror's length axis. What's protected here is the specific design where the screen moves between a hidden position (fully inside the casing) and an extended position (sticking out from the mirror's side) — especially the automatic triggering mechanism that extends the display in response to certain driving events, like when you shift into reverse.
Why it matters
This patent represents an early solution to the problem of integrating digital displays into cars without creating dangerous windshield obstructions or permanent clutter. By making the screen retractable and automatically activated, Donnelly created a way to add camera feeds and navigation data to the rearview mirror while keeping the driver's sightline clear when the feature isn't in use. This kind of integrated smart-mirror technology has become increasingly common in modern vehicles.
Real-world use
When you back up in a modern car with a backup camera, you might see the camera feed pop up in your rearview mirror — that's the kind of retractable display this patent describes.
Original USPTO abstract
An interior rearview mirror assembly includes a display screen that is extendable and retractable relative to a casing. The display screen is movably mounted at the casing and movable or slidable in a direction generally parallel to a length axis of the reflective element between a non-use position, where the video display screen is positioned substantially within the casing, and a use position, where the video display screen is substantially extended from a side of the casing for viewing. The display screen may be automatically extended in response to an activating event.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 7,370,983
- Filing date
- 2005-11-22
- Grant date
- 2008-05-13
- Assignee
- Donnelly Corporation
- Inventor(s)
- DEWIND DARRYL P., KRAMER MARK E., WELLER ANDREW D., WHITEHEAD PETER J., BLANK RODNEY K., LYNAM NIALL R.
- CPC class
- B60R1/12
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