MXPA01009265A - Indicators and illuminators using a semiconductor radiation emitter package - Google Patents

Abstract

A vehicle lamp assembly (209) includes a housing (202) and an LED lamp (218) carried in the housing. A signal mirror (100) includes a mirror (222) and an LED lamp. The LED lamp includes a heat extraction member (400).

Description

INDICATORS AND ILLUMINATORS USING A RADIATION EMITTERING PACKAGING, SEMICONDUCTOR FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to illuminators and indicators, and to improved components and assemblies for vehicles that incorporate a radiation-emitting, semiconductor package.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Vehicles include a number of different components and assemblies having an illuminator and / or a signal lamp associated therewith. There has been great interest in the use of electroluminescent semiconductor devices, such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), as illuminators and signal indicators because they offer many potential advantages when compared to other light sources. of conventional low voltage. Other sources of light suffer from many deficiencies, including: that they are relatively inefficient, such as conventional incandescent tungsten lamps; which requires high voltages to operate, such as fluorescent and gas discharge lamps; or that are susceptible to damage, such Ref.132564 as incandescent lamps. Consequently, these alternative light sources are not optimal for vehicular applications where only limited power or low voltage are available, or where a high voltage is unacceptable for safety reasons, or in applications where shocks or significant vibration exist. LEDs on the other hand are highly resistant to shocks, and therefore provide significant advantages over fluorescent and incandescent bulbs, which can be destroyed when subjected to thermal or mechanical shock. LEDs also have operating lives from 200,000 hours to 1,000,000 hours, when compared to 1,000 to 2,000 typical hours for incandescent lamps or 5,000 to 10,000 hours for fluorescent lamps. Because of these and other advantages, LEDs become common in a wide variety of opto-electronic applications. Visible LEDs of all colors, including white, are used as status indicators within instrument panels and consoles in automobiles, trucks, buses, small cargo trucks, sports utility vehicles, aircraft, and the like. In each of these applications, the low intensity light output emitted by the LEDs limits the relative visibility of the indicator, particularly in high ambient lighting conditions. Visible LEDs that emit amber, red, and orange-colored, high-intensity light are used in integrated sets of visual signaling systems such as CHMSLs (stop lamps mounted in the raised center part) of the vehicle, braking lamps, turn signals, exteriors and warning flashers, exterior signaling mirrors, and the like. In each of these applications, the limited luminous flux emitted by the individual discrete LEDs within the array requires the simultaneous operation of eight or more discrete LEDs to achieve the intensity and distribution of the desired light beam. Multiple color combinations of the pluralities of high intensity visible colored LEDs are being used as the source of the white light projected for lighting purposes. Such illuminators are useful both for lights to read maps in vehicles or aircraft, for example, or as courtesy lights or for reading in vehicles or aircraft, lights to illuminate the load, illuminators of the plate of the license plate, lights for the equipment reserve, and lights to illuminate the puddles in the outside mirror. The "white" LEDs improved with phosphorus can also be used in some of these cases as illuminators. In these applications of the illuminator, where the intensity of the light beam is critical for the production of an effective projected illumination, the limited luminous flux emitted by individual discrete LEDs requires the simultaneous operation of many discrete LEDs to achieve the desired beam intensity, color and distribution. LEDs that emit infrared (IR) rays are being used for remote control and communication in devices such as VCRs, TVs, DVD players, CD players, and other audiovisual remote control units. Similarly, high-intensity IR emitting LEDs are being used for communication between IrDA devices such as desktop computers, small laptops, and computers that fit in the palm of the hand, personal digital assistants (PDAs) , and peripherals such as printers, network adapters, pointer devices or indicators ("mice", "rolling balls", etc.), keyboards, and the like. The range and quality of the signal depend on the magnitude of the magnetic flux generated by the emitter of the LED lamp. The limited magnetic flux uced by the existing IR LEDs has had a detrimental effect on the operation of the existing IR transmitters and the designs that incorporate the IR LEDs in the systems.

In all the applications described hereinabove, the limited magnitude of the magnetic flux generated by the semiconductor emitting cover has had a detrimental impact on the operation, design, size, weight, flexibility, cost, and other aspects of the devices in which they are employed. . Consequently, a great effort has been made to develop LEDs of greater intensity. In spite of the increases in the luminous efficiency that have been achieved as a result of these efforts, and in spite of all the efforts made to develop products that improve the operation of the LEDs incorporated in them, the high luminescence LEDs and the products who use them, suffer from high costs, high complexity, limited real capacity, and / or incompatibility with common manufacturing processes. An exemplary application in an automotive environment where LEDs have imparted serious limitations on design and operation, is a mirror of vehicle signals, such as those that provide a supplemental turn signal. Signal mirrors generally employ one or more lamps in a mirror assembly to generate an information signal. In general, external signal mirrors have used a lamp assembly placed either under a dichroic mirror, in such a way that the signal light passes through the mirror, or over the body housing of the rear view mirror, such so that the signal lamp is independent of the mirror. Examples of such signal mirrors can be found in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,361,190; 5,788,357; and 5,497,306. Even though the signal mirrors that incorporate the LEDs are in increasing popularity, these mirrors have not yet received wide acceptance. This limited acceptance may be due at least in part to the large volume, complexity, significant weight, and the high cost of implementing the external signal mirrors. External rearview mirrors typically include a vehicle mounted body housing, a mirror assembly, and an adjustable support mechanism that carries the mirror assembly in such a way that the driver can adjust the angle of the mirror. It is also common to provide other components in the housing of the mirror body such as one or more antennas (for accessories such as remote keyless entry), a motor for adjusting the angle of the mirror, and in some cases electronic circuits. In direct conflict with this desire to provide a multitude of components in the body housing of the external rear-view mirror is the desire of the vehicle designers to make the mirrors as small and aerodynamic as possible to minimize the noise effect of the vehicle. wind in the mirror and in the design of the vehicle. Consequently, there is no significant volume available within the mirror housing for additional components to be placed. In addition, it is desirable to make the weight of the mirror as light as possible to reduce vibration and its associated detrimental effect on rear vision. For these reasons, designers face a significant challenge when they try to design a signal mirror. U.S. Patent No. 5,361,190, entitled "MIRROR ASSEMBLY" issued November 1, 1994, to Roberts et al., Illustrates a LED signal mirror. The '5,361,190 patent describes a signal indicator through the mirror where a light source is placed under a dichroic mirror. The dichroic mirror passes light into a spectral band and attenuates light outside this spectral band. The light source placed under the dichroic mirror emits light in the spectral passage band of the dichroic mirror, in such a way that a visual signal from the light source can be observed from the front of the mirror. Nevertheless, the mirror will attenuate the light which is not within the narrow passage band of the dichroic mirror. Although the ability to pass light through the entire area of the mirror is a significant advantage, there are several disadvantages to the dichroic signal mirrors that have restricted their commercial exploitation. These signal mirrors use a large set of LEDs to generate the light signal. Such a set of LEDs is heavy, needs a substantial support structure for the rearview mirror, and is expensive. In addition, the set of LEDs is large, requires a large mirror body to accommodate the assembly, let alone the other components of the mirror. Another significant disadvantage of dichroic mirrors is that they are expensive to manufacture, difficult to mass-produce, and are prone to variations in performance over time. U.S. Patent No. 5,788,357, entitled "MIRROR ASSEMBLY", and issued to Muth et al., On August 4, 1998, describes a luminous assembly of signals for a semi-transparent mirror. Patent 5,788,357 describes the efforts to overcome the inherent physical characteristics of the most recent dichroic mirrors, such as the signal mirror described in the '5,361,190 patent. In particular, the patent 5,788,357 points out that the cost of producing the dichroic mirrors is too great. Additionally, the patent 5,788,357 attempts to solve the difficulties of providing a dichroic mirror with acceptable heat dissipation and reflectance while maintaining adequate luminescence and a neutral chromatic appearance. In particular, the 5,788,357 patent employs a mirror arrangement using a non-dicrotic, semitransparent mirror having a light source placed thereunder. The semitransparent mirror transmits about 1 percent to about 8 percent of a broad band of visible light. Similar to the patent 5,361,190, for LED signal lamps, the patent describes a larger bank of LEDs mounted on a substrate of relatively large dimension. Thus, the set of lamps is heavy, requiring a substantial structural support for the mirror, which will limit the types of applications in which the mirror can be used. To avoid the large set of LEDs, the patent 5,788,357 teaches the use of lamps other than LEDs. U.S. Patent No. 5,497,306, entitled "EXTERIOR VEHICLE SECURITY LIGTH", issued March 5, 1996, by Todd Pastrick, discloses a signal mirror assembly that includes a lamp module mounted on the housing of the body of the vehicle. exterior rearview mirror. The main mode illustrates the difficulties encountered when attempting to accommodate an incandescent lamp. In particular, the patent 5,497,306 shows a lamp housing assembly, which is removably attached to the housing of the exterior mirror body to facilitate replacement and maintenance of the signal lamp. Such an arrangement is expensive, large, and restricts the design flexibility of the designers. In addition, this design necessitates a redesign of the mirror housing to provide sufficient volume to accommodate the mirror, the removable light module and any associated electronic devices. Enlarging the mirror housing is exactly what automakers are trying to avoid. These difficulties encountered when designing a mirror of signals are representative of the types of problems found in many other components and assemblies that use LEDs. What is needed are components and assemblies that produce lighting, signals or both, brighter, more intense, more easily discernible or with all these characteristics, and in many applications, such as the production of better signals, lighting, or both, in a compact volume. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The subject matter that is considered as the invention is pointed out in a particular way and distinctly claimed in the portion of claims with which the specification ends. The invention, together with the additional objects and advantages thereof, can be better understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein the like numbers represent like components, and in which: the Figure 1 illustrates two vehicles traveling in adjacent traffic lanes; Figure 2 is an exploded top perspective view illustrating a signal mirror on a vehicle in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic representation of the mirror according to Figures 1 and 2 and showing the circuits used therewith in the form of a block diagram; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the lamp module taken along the plane 4-4 in Figure 6, such a lamp module can be used in the signal mirrors of Figures 1-3; Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the lamp module according to Figure 4 positioned adjacent to the rear surface of a mirror; Figure 6 is an end view of the lamp module of Figures 4 and 5 positioned adjacent the rear surface of a mirror; Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along plane 7-7 in Figure 3 illustrating the sub-assembly of the mirror; Figure 8 is an exploded side isometric view illustrating the sub-assembly of the mirror according to Figure 7; Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the plane 7-7 in Figure 3 illustrating a submountain of the alternative mirror; Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the plane 7-7 in Figure 3 illustrating an alternative mirror sub-assembly; Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the plane 7-7 in Figure 3 illustrating the sub-assembly of the alternative mirror; Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the plane 7-7 in Figure 3 illustrating a sub-assembly of the alternative mirror; Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along the plane 7-7 in Figure 3 illustrating a sub-assembly of the alternative mirror; Figure 14 is a schematic circuit illustrating a circuit of lamps that can be used with the module according to Figures 4-6; Figure 15 is a schematic circuit illustrating an alternative lamp circuit that can be used with the lamp module according to Figures 4-6; Figure 16 is a side elevational view of an alternative embodiment of the lamp module according to Figures 4-6; Figure 17 is a top isometric view of another alternative embodiment of the lamp module; Figure 18 is a top isometric view of another alternative embodiment of the lamp module; Figure 19 is a top perspective view of a lamp module that is in correspondence with a 2-pin connector; Figure 20 is a cross-sectional view taken along the plane 7-7 in Figure 3 illustrating an alternative embodiment of a sub-assembly of the signal mirror; Figure 21 is a cross-sectional view taken along the plane 7-7 in Figure 3 illustrating an alternative embodiment of a sub-assembly of the signal mirror; Figure 22 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an alternative embodiment of the signal mirror and including a bevel signal lamp; Figure 23 is a rear elevation view illustrating another alternative embodiment of a signal mirror and including a bevel signal lamp, of light tube; Figure 24 is a cross-sectional view taken along the plane 24-24 and illustrating another alternative embodiment of the signal mirror and including a signal lamp with a light tube bevel; Figure 25 is an exploded view of the bezel and the mirror, of the mirror assembly according to Figures 23 and 24; Figure 26 is a rear elevational view illustrating another alternative embodiment of a mirror and including two lamps; Figure 27 is a fragmentary side view illustrating the vehicle in accordance with Figure 26; Figure 28 is a cross-sectional view taken along the plane 28-28 in Figure 26 and illustrating the mirror in accordance with Figure 26; Figure 29a is a side elevational view illustrating another alternative embodiment of the signal mirror; Figure 29b is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along the plane 29b-29b in Figure 29a and illustrating the signal mirror in accordance with Figure 29a; Figure 29c is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along the plane 29c-29c in Figure 29a and illustrating the signal mirror in accordance with Figure 29a; Figure 29d is an isoluminal graph of the mirror in accordance with Figures 29c-29c; Figure 30 is a rear elevation view of an interior rear view mirror illustrating another embodiment of a signal mirror; Figure 31 is a side elevation view schematically illustrating a backlighting panel in the mirror in accordance with Figure 30; Figure 32 is a cross-sectional view taken along the center of the lamp module according to Figure 31 but having a flat lens surface; Figure 33 is a rear elevation view of a vehicle; Figure 34 is a rear elevation view of a vehicle; Figure 35 is an exploded perspective view of a CHMSL lamp assembly for the vehicle according to Figure 33; Figure 36 is a cross-sectional view of the CHMSL according to Figure 35 taken along the plane 36-36 in Figure 33; Figure 37 illustrates the capacity requirement in candela of the CHMSL at different angles; Figure 38 is a rectangular isoluminal graph of an LED lamp with an integrated red-orange light circuit including a heat extraction element; Figure 39 is a rectangular lamp distribution chart of the LED lamp according to Figure 38; Figure 40a is a rear elevational view of a CHMSL and a lamp assembly for loading in the vehicle according to Figure 34, with the lens removed; Figure 40b is a cross-sectional view of an alternative circuit board assembly taken along the plane 40b-40b in Figure 40a; Figure 40c is a cross-sectional view showing an alternative embodiment of the CHMSL lamp assembly taken along the plane 40c-40c in Figure 34; Figure 40d is a cross-sectional view showing an alternative embodiment of the lamp for the load taken along the plane 40d-40d in Figure 34; Figure 41 is a cross-sectional view taken along the same plane 40b-40b in Figure 40a, but showing an optical assembly for charge lamps in Figure 40a and lamps for illuminating maps of Figure 30; Figure 42 is a bottom perspective view illustrating the optical assembly according to Figure 41; Figure 43 is a rectangular isoluminal graph of a white light complementary-binary LED lamp that includes a heat extraction element; Figure 44 is a rectangular, candela distribution chart of the LED lamp according to Figure 43; Figure 45 is an exploded perspective view of a lamp assembly that included an integral lamp holder that can be used to implement the illuminators and indicator lamps in the vehicles according to Figures 33 and 34; Figure 46 is a cross-sectional view of the lamp assembly according to Figure 45 taken along the plane 46-46 in Figure 33; Figure 47 is a fragmentary elevation view of the lamp assembly according to Figures 45 and 46 and showing the lamp connected in a lampholder; and Figure 48 is a schematic circuit illustrating a reducing power converter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Improved components and assemblies incorporate a radiation-emitting, semiconductor package, such as an LED, and produce an indicator of easily visible, intense signals, an intense communication signal, a bright illumination or all these characteristics. Additionally, means are provided in some of the components and assemblies to increase the performance of the radiation-emitting, semiconductor package, or otherwise improve the operation of the device. A signal mirror 100 (Figure 1) is mounted on a vehicle A. A signal mirror as used herein refers to a mirror associated with a signal lamp to generate a signal, such as light or information, visible to an observer An example of a significant advantage that can be achieved by such a signaling device is evident from Figure 1, wherein the vehicle A includes an external signal mirror 100. The driver of the vehicle B is positioned in what is commonly referred to as the blind spot for the driver of vehicle A. Additionally, the driver of vehicle B, which is well outside the optimum viewing area D for this signal lamp, is unlikely to observe the signal lamp for turning, rear 102. An indicator signal that generates a signal that is discernible in the observation area C is advantageous because the driver of vehicle B can be alerted that the driver of vehicle A attempts to change lanes, and can take an appropriate action to avoid an accident that is an answer to this. With reference to Figures 2 and 3, where the elements shown first in Figure 2 are numbered 2XX and the elements shown first in Figure 3 are numbered 3XX (this numbering method is used with all the Figures), the mirror of Signals 100 will now be described in a general manner. The illustrated signal mirror 100 includes, from left to right in Figure 2: a housing 202 of the body of the rearview mirror; an LED lamp for illuminating the puddles 201 placed under a projection 203 in the housing 202 of the body of the mirror; a female connector 205; a support bracket 204 for the mirror, a bracket 206 for mounting to the vehicle body; an engine 208 for adjusting the angle of the mirror; a carrier 210 on which the mirror is supported; a mirror circuit board 212, optional; a heater 214 '; a circuit board 216 of the illuminator; an LED indicator lamp 218; a heat sink 220; a mirror 222; and a bezel or lid 224. With reference to Figure 3, the vehicle includes: a controller 302 of the mirror position; a controller 304 coupled to receive the inputs from an ambient light sensor 306, a dazzle or glare sensor 308, a brake actuator 310 and an actuator 312 of the turn signal; and a circuit 314 for controlling the heater. Although not shown in this Figure, it will be recognized that the signal for the return of the vehicle and the wiring for the brake can be connected directly to the LED lamp 218. It will also be recognized by those skilled in the art that although the signal mirror illustrated is outside the driver's seat of the adjacent vehicle, a signal mirror may be inside the vehicle or mounted at any location on the outside of the vehicle, and it will be further recognized that the signal mirror may include additional elements and functionalities, or consist only of a mirror and a lamp, and as used herein, the signal mirror will refer to any combination of a lamp that produces information or illumination with a mirror or a mirror housing. More particularly, the housing 202 of the rear view mirror body is typically an enclosure which is shaped taking into consideration the vehicle style A (Figure 1) to which it is attached as well as the general aerodynamic principles, serving the main functions of providing A functional and aesthetic design, and to protect mirror components from flying objects, such as stones. The housing 202 of the rear view mirror body (Figure 2) can be molded from a polymer, stamped from a metal or metal alloy, or from any other suitable conventional manufacture. The exterior of the housing 202 of the body of the rear view mirror is typically painted to match the color of vehicle A and covered with a clear coating finish. The housing 202 of the body of the rearview mirror includes a projection 203. Although the projection shown is in the upper front part of the housing, the housing 202 can be extended in other directions, or include other projections, to which the lamp can be fixed. LED 201. It will be recognized that because of the small profile of the LED lamp, it can be adapted to virtually any location on the mirror with minimal modification of the housing 202 of the mirror body and the mirror 222. An LED lamp 201 is positioned below the projection to project the light downward and forward to illuminate the area under the mirror and adjacent to the vehicle door A. The LED lamp for illuminating the puddles 201 is connected to a female connector 205, which in turn it is electrically connected to an optional printed circuit board 212 by means of the 219 cable, or if the optional printed circuit board 2 12 is omitted, the cable 219 may extend from the connector 205 directly to the controller 304 to receive the control signals therefrom. It will also be recognized that the LED lamp 201 can be connected directly to the vehicle's cable manifold to operate with the lamps of the interior dome or in response to the signals on the vehicle's signal bus. The connector 205 may contain therein a circuit for protecting the LED lamp 201 from the potentially harmful voltages. The LED lamp 201 is a high power LED lamp. In particular, the LED lamp 201 can be implemented using a phosphor emitter, red-green-blue light emitters, or binary complementary color emitters, which when combined produce white light. The LED lamp 201 is preferably activated in response to receipt of a remote keyless entry signal, or when a vehicle door is opened. A variety of components and assemblies are described here which improve the performance of LED lamps. Although these components and assemblies can improve the performance of any LED lamp, the LED lamps used are preferably high power LED lamps. "High Power LED Lamp" as used herein is an LED package, without auxiliary components, wherein 90% of the LED power at the maximum luminous intensity is at least about 0.1 Watt. Additionally, any of the components and assemblies described herein can be advantageously implemented using an LED lamp having a heat removal element. Particularly advantageous LED lamps, according to which the LED lamps here are preferably manufactured, designed to optimize the heat extraction and the manufacturing capacity in a component or assembly, are described in U.S. Patent Application Ser. Copending No. 09 / 426,795, entitled "SEMICONDUCTOR RADIATION EMITTER PACKAGE", and filed on October 22, 1999, the description of which is incorporated herein for reference. These LED lamps can be implemented using an optical radiation emitter, semiconductor, such as an organic light emitter or a polymer light emitter, and in particular can include an emitter or a plurality of emitters, and "LED lamp" as used here includes any optical radiation, semiconductor emitting packaging. The housing 202 of the body of the rearview mirror partially encloses a support bracket 204, which is fixed to the vehicle A (Figure 1) using the mounting bracket 206 (Figure 2). Support bracket 204 and mounting bracket 206 are constructed and fixed through conventional means. The motor 208 is mounted on the support bracket 204. The motor 208 is optional, and may be provided by any suitable conventional mechanism of the commercially available type to adjust the position of the mirror subassembly in response to the control signals received from a controller. from position 302 of the conventional mirror (Figure 3). The control signals are input to the motor from the controller 302 for position control by means of the cable 213. The control signals are typically generated using the switches located on the door or the center console of the vehicle A, such switches are placed so they are accessible to the driver. Alternatively, the motor and the mirror position controller can be replaced by a ball-and-socket joint, which allows the angle of the mirror to be adjusted by manual manipulation. The sub-assembly 209 of the mirror includes, from left to right: the conveyor 210; a mirror circuit board 212, optional; a heater 214 ', an LED lamp 218; a circuit board 216 of the lamp, optional; an optional heat sink 220; a mirror 222; and a bevel or lid 224. The conveyor 210 is preferably formed of a molded polymer, although it may be of any suitable conventional manufacture such as stamping a metal or a metal alloy. The mirror circuit board 212 is optional, and may be omitted, for example, wherein the mirror of the signal 100 does not include a significant number of circuits. If included, the circuit board 212 can be either a flexible circuit board or a rigid circuit board. Circuit board 212 may have one or more components of integrated circuits (IC) mounted thereto by conventional means, such as surface mounted, or mounted through holes, also known as tracks, using welding or other techniques, and is preferably a thin printed circuit board to reduce the thickness and weight of the sub-assembly 209 of the mirror. A sub-assembly of the mirror including a circuit board is described in U.S. Patent Application No. 09 / 312,682, entitled "EXTERIOR MIRROR SUBASSEMBLY WITH COMBINED ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY AND MIRROR ELEMENT", filed May 17, 1999 , by Timothy E. Steenwyk, which is incorporated here in its entirety for reference.

The optional heater 2l4 'can be of any suitable construction. More particularly, the heater 214 'may be a resistive conductor having an adhesive on a surface, or the opposing surfaces thereof. The resistive conductor generates heat when a current is applied to it. The resistive conductor implementation of the heater 214 'can be applied to the rear surface of the mirror 222, applied to a two-sided tape, mounted on the printed circuit board 212 of the mirror, optional, or etched by corrosion on a conductive surface of the 212 circuit board of the mirror. The LED lamp 218 is a high power LED, and preferably an LED lamp using one or more red-orange LIGHT emitting integrated circuits. In the illustrated embodiment of Figure 2, the circuit board 216 and the heat sink 220 are provided for the LED lamp 218. As described in more detail below, the LED lamp 218 and the heat sink 220 are connected to increase the heat dissipation from the LED lamp, the LED lamp is mounted to the circuit board 216, and the circuit board is mounted to the carrier plate 210 using a mechanical fastening mechanism such as the quick disconnect connectors, an adhesive, or other conventional means. The circuit board 216 is used to electrically connect the LED lamp to the controller 304 via the circuit board 212 and the cable 207a. Alternatively, the cable 207a may be directly connected to the circuit board 216 if the circuit board 212 is not used. The controller 304 generates the control signals for the LED lamp 218 in response to the brake actuator 310, the actuator of the turn signal 312, or both of these and in particular, the scintillating signals when the turn signal to the left is ON and a continuous signal when the driver presses the brake actuator while the turn signal is not on. It will be recognized that the signal on the right will be repeated on a signal lamp on the passenger side of the vehicle. It will also be recognized that the circuit board 216 of the signal lamp can be connected directly to the vehicle's electrical system to receive the turn signal and stop lamp signals from the vehicle signal bus without passing through the vehicle. controller 304, and the circuits for providing such a connection are described in greater detail hereinafter with reference to Figures 14 and 15. The mirror 222 may be planar, spherical, or convex. The mirror 222 can be a single-element, non-electro-chemical mirror, having a reflector on the first or second surfaces. Such mirrors are often constructed of a transparent element, such as glass or a polymeric material, with a reflective coating such as chromium, silver, or the like that serves as the reflector. Alternatively, the mirror 222 may be an electrochromic mirror, which offers the significant advantage of being able to automatically adjust its reflectance to reduce brightness at night and to provide a high level of reflectance during the day, when brightness is not a significant problem. The electrochromic mirrors amplify the difficulty of providing a signal mirror when the LED lamp has to transmit through two pieces of glass, at least one transparent conductive material, and an electrochromic medium, in addition to the reflective or dichroic coatings, as it is described in more detail here later. Electrochromic devices are generally known, and examples of electrochromic devices and associated circuits, some of which are commercially available, are described in Byker, U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,108; Bechtel et al., Canadian Patent No. 1,300,945; Bechtel, U.S. Patent No. 5,204,778; Byker, U.S. Patent No. 5,280,380; Byker, U.S. Patent No. 5,336,448; Bauer et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,434,407; Tonar, U.S. Patent No. 5,448,397; Knapp, U.S. Patent No. 5,504,478; Tonar et al., U.S. Patent Do not. ,679,283; Tonar et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,682,267; Tonar et al., 5,689,370; Tonar et al., 5,888,431; and Bechtel et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,451,822. Each of these patents is commonly assigned with the present invention and the descriptions of which, including the references contained therein, are incorporated herein in their entirety for reference. Such electrochromic devices can be used in a fully integrated internal / external rear-view mirror system or as separate internal or external rearview mirror systems. Alternatively, the mirror can be a dichroic mirror, examples of which are also referred to above. The controller 304 (Figure 3) controls the reflectance of the electrochromic mirror 222, and optionally provides control signals to control the LED lamps 201 and 218. The controller 304 can be advantageously implemented using one or more associated microcontrollers and circuits, and can be for example, a driver of the interior rearview mirror of the type associated with an electrochromic rearview mirror commonly mounted to the windshield of the vehicle, and the external mirror can receive the control signals thereof. The controller 304 is coupled to an ambient light sensor 306, which is typically flipped forward of the vehicle, and a brightness sensor 308, which is typically flipped back to detect light coming from the rear of the vehicle . The controller 304 can generate the control signals for both the indoor electrochromic mirror (such as the mirror 3000 in FIG. 30) and the exterior electrochromic mirror 222. The electrochromic mirror controllers are described in: Canadian Patent No. 1,300,945, entitled "AUTOMATIC REARVIEW MIRROR SYSTEM FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES", issued on May 19, 1992, to JH Bechtel et al; U.S. Patent No. 5,956,012, entitled "SERIES DRIVE CIRCUIT", filed by Robert R. Turnbull et al., 9-16-97, and PCT Application Serial No. PCT / US97 / 16946, entitled "INDIVIDUAL MIRROR CONTROL SYSTEM", presented by Robert C. Knapp et al., September 16, 1997; and U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 09 / 236,969, entitled "AUTOMATIC DIMMING MIRROR USING SEMICONDUCTOR LIGTH SENSOR WITH INTEGRAL CHARGE COLLECTION", filed May 7, 1999, by Bechtel et al., the descriptions of which are incorporated here for reference. Regardless of the type of the mirror 222, the bevel or cap 224 is sized to fit over and circumscribe the perimeter edge of the mirror 222. The bevel can be of any suitable construction, such as molded from an organic polymer, stamped from a metal or from a metal alloy, or similar. When assembled to the conveyor 210, the bevel 224 and the conveyor 210 support, frame, and protect the mirror 222, as well as the components associated therewith. Those skilled in the art will recognize that electric conductors 207, 207a-207c (Figure 2), and 215, can be provided by conventional conductors, such as copper wires having individual insulated sleeves and tied together in the cable collector ( not shown) that extends from the vehicle through the mounting structure of the mirror. The signal mirror 100 is exemplified by having a large number of components to illustrate the small volume that mirror designers have available for a signal lamp. It is desirable to provide a large number of components within the mirror for reasons of utility, safety and convenience, even when a large volume is required to accommodate a large number of components. In particular, the engine 208 allows the driver to adjust the position of the mirror for improved visibility without having to open the window and stretch to make physical contact with the mirror while operating the vehicle.; the electrochromic mirror improves forward vision of drivers by attenuating the brightness of the headlights of the rear vehicles at night and provides substantially attenuated reflection to improve backward vision during daylight hours; heater 214 'improves visibility through the rearview mirror by mirror clearing of moisture such as ice and condensation; and the signal lamp 218 increases the likelihood that the ducts of other vehicles will be alerted by the signaling system of the vehicle A. A substantial volume must also be provided in the housing 202 of the mirror body if the mirror is to have a freedom. significant movement to adjust the angle of the mirror to reflect the desired field of vision of the driver. In direct conflict with this need for more volume in the housing of the mirror body is the desire to make the assemblies of the mirrors as small as possible. Two main reasons to make the mirror as small as possible include improved aerodynamic characteristics and reduced wind noise. Accordingly, there is a need to reduce the volume of the signal mirror 100 required by the components in the mirror without reducing the characteristics in the mirror. More particularly, the LED lamp 201 produces an illuminator to illuminate the puddles, very bright, low profile, and the LED lamp 218 produces a very bright, small volume signal lamp, in the mirror 222. The LED lamp 218 includes a heat extraction element 400 (Figure 4) operative to reduce the temperature of the LED lamp by providing low thermal resistance between the emitter junction and the environment as described in the United States Patent Application. of America No. 09 / 426,795 incorporated herein for reference. The heat removal element is partially covered by an encapsulating material 402, such an encapsulating material is transparent and includes a lens 214. One, or more, emitters 404 are mounted to the heat removal element 400 under the lens, such fixing is by bonding or bonding for example, and in particular a bonding material which is thermally conductive may be used. The LED lamp 218 further includes the electrical wires 234-236 of high thermal resistance. The electric wires 234-236 are connected to the emitter, or the emitters, 404, and in particular, the three-wire LED lamp 218 has multiple emitters. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the LED lamp 218 can have two wires, or more than three wires, and that the three wire LED lamp is illustrative only. In the illustrated example, wherein the LED lamp 218 has two emitters, the electrical wire 234 can be connected to the anode of one emitter and the electrical wire 236 can be connected to the anode of the other emitter.

The electrical cable 235 can be coupled to the cathode of both emitters thh the heat extraction element shown in Figure 4. Such an arrangement allows the application of the respective control signals for the emitters. Each of the electrical wires 234-236 has a high thermal resistance relative to the heat removal element, such that the cables can be assembled in a device using known production techniques, such as surface mounting, insertion radial, axial insertion, wave welding, hand welding, and / or other conventional manufacturing processes, even if substantial amounts of heat are applied to the cables during the process, without harming the LED lamp. The LED lamp 201 is of a similar construction, except that as mentioned above, it has an emitter that produces white light instead of a red-orange light. Each of the LED lamps 201 and 218 can be used with or without a heat sink. The LED lamp 201 for illuminating the puddles is illustrated mounted directly to the lower surface of the projection 203, and can be mounted using an adhesive, a two-sided tape, adhesive, an integral connector such as a quick disconnect connector, or any other suitable connector. The housing itself can provide a heat sink for the heat generated by the lamp during illumination. An advantageous embodiment uses a molded housing of a polymer that is thermally conductive. Such material can be for example a polymeric compound commercially available from ChipCoolers, Inc., and sold under the trademark CoolPoly. This material can be molded into a desired shape, the LED lamp can be mounted with its heat removal element juxtaposed with the molded housing to provide efficient heat dissipation. The LED lamp 218 is mounted on a heat sink to significantly increase its power handling capabilities, and consequently the amount of light it is capable of emitting. The material of The Chipcoolers, Inc., may be the version that conducts electricity E2 or the dielectric version D2. It will be particularly advantageous to use the dielectric version to isolate the path of the circuits thh the heat extraction element where the heat extraction element is not electrically isolated from the integrated circuit of the emitter. The LED lamp may include an emitter that is thermally connected to the heat removal element but electrically isolated from the heat extraction element, in which case the heat extraction element need not be electrically insulated by the housing element against which It is physically fixed. With reference to Figures 2 and 4-7, it is advantageous for the LED lamp 218 to be packaged as a small module 401 which includes the circuit board 216 and a heat sink 220. The circuit board 216 may be of any type. suitable conventional type, although it is preferably a rigid circuit board. Circuit board 216 includes tracks 230-232 for receiving cables 234-236. Cables 234-236 are inserted into the tracks by automatic equipment, such as radial insertion equipment, and then welded, by methods such as wave welding. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other manufacturing techniques can be used, and that the manufacturing techniques described are exemplary. The circuits 1400, 1500 on the circuit board 216 have components for an LED driver that protects the LED lamp and controls the magnitude of the current input thereto. The circuits 1400, 1500 mounted on the circuit board 216 will be described in greater detail hereinafter with reference to Figures 14 and 15. It will be recognized that the circuit could be mounted anywhere, such as on the circuit board 212, or elsewhere on the vehicle A. The heat sink 220 (Figure 4) is illustrated as a passive heat sink that includes a rear wall 410 that puts distance between a plurality of fins 246-248. The rear wall spans the fins for easier assembly and provides a thermal conduit from the heat removal element of the LED lamp to the fins. The fins 246-248 have a large surface area to dissipate heat, which increases heat dissipation from the LED lamp 218, thereby increasing the amount of power that can be applied to the LED lamp 218 without damaging it. the LED lamp, which in turn increases the amount of light that the LED lamp can produce. The heat sink may be of any suitable construction, and as will be described in greater detail below, the heat sink may be active or passive. A passive heat sink 220, such as that illustrated in Figures 4-7, can be stamped from a metal or a metal alloy, and preferably a metal alloy having a low thermal resistance and which is light weight. The heat sink can be made of copper, brass, BeCu, aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or other metals or ceramic materials that have good thermal conduction properties. Alternatively, heat sinks can be employed, such as the Peltier cooler described later. The heat sink can be implemented using a phase change heat sink. It is also contemplated that in some applications a fan may be provided to significantly increase heat dissipation. The fastener 238, which is illustrated as a conventional screw of the type made of nylon, metal or a metal alloy, physically secures the heat removal element 400 of the lamp 218 against the heat sink 220. Alternatively, the LED lamp 218 can be attached to the heat sink 220 using a thermally conductive adhesive, an adhesive tape, or any other suitable conventional coupling means that provide a thermal path or path from the heat removal element of the LED lamp 218 to the dissipator heat 220. As described in greater detail in the copending U.S. Patent Application, referenced above, No. 09 / 426,795, providing improved thermal dissipation, the thermal characteristics of the emitter, or emitters, 404 which They produce the radiation emitted from the LED lamp 218, they are significantly improved. This is particularly advantageous in a signal mirror, because the ability to use a high power LED lamp 218 instead of incandescent lamps or a large set of LEDs makes it possible to implement a lighter signal indicator that does not consume a large volume inside the mirror. High power LEDs are also advantageous in electrochromic mirrors even if there is room for a large signal indicator because brighter LED lamps allow a thicker transflecting coating to be used, giving the window area mirror improved reflectance and blade strength, which can improve mirror performance. The LED lamp 201 for illuminating puddles is mounted directly to the mirror housing without a heatsink in the illustrated mode or for two reasons; the light to illuminate the puddle will produce enough light in the low ambient lighting conditions without a heat sink, and the profile of the LED lamp is lower without the heat sink, allowing the mirror 222 to move freely under the lamp still without a large gap between the mirror and the housing 202 of the mirror body. If the housing of the mirror body 202 is made of metal or a thermally conductive polymer, the housing itself will operate as a passive heat sink. The LED lamp 201 is connected to the connector 205, as indicated above. The connector 205 can be implemented as described in greater detail with respect to Figure 19. The LED lamp 218 is assembled in the mirror assembly 209 as follows. The LED lamp 218 and the circuit board 216 are mounted on the carrier 210 (Figure 2) or optional circuit board 212 (as shown in Figure 8) using an adhesive, an adhesive tape, mechanical fasteners such as integral quick disconnect connectors or screws, or the like. The surface 217 in the recess 226 of the conveyor 210 is preferably oriented such that the module of the LED lamp mounted in parallel therewith will be at the desired angle with respect to the surface of the mirror 222 after the mounting of the mirror 209 is fully assembled In the alternative, the heat sink 220 and the circuit board 216 can be mounted to the rear surface 512 of a rear element 700, 1200 of the mirror 222 using an adhesive as illustrated in Figures 4-6, using an adhesive tape or similar. In this alternative structure, the heat sink 220 is used as a mounting structure to support the LED lamp 218 on the rear surface 512 of the mirror, and as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, it guides the LED lamp 218 to a desired angle with respect to the rear surface of the mirror 222. The desired angle, a, is generally known in the art to be 0-70 °, and preferably approximately 20-50 ° so that the indicator of signals are visible in field C (Figure 1). Because the glass is a reasonably good thermal conductor, it will help dissipate heat from the heat sink. If greater thermal conductivity is desired, a polished stainless steel or a metallic heat sink made of copper, aluminum or the like could be laminated to a large surface area of the glass to help dissipate the heat. The sub-assembly of the mirror 209, and in particular the mirror 222, and its relation to the LED lamp 218 to provide a signal mirror or an illuminator, will now be described in greater detail with reference to Figures 7-15. Because some of the layers of the mirror 222 are very thin, the scale of the mirror 222 in the Figures is distorted in its clarity of the image. Further, for clarity of description of such structure, the front surface of the front glass element (surface further to the right in Figure 7) is sometimes referred to as the first surface, and the inner surface of the front glass element is referred to some times as the second surface. The inner surface of the rear glass element is sometimes referred to as the third surface, and the rear surface of the rear glass element is sometimes referred to as the fourth surface. There are two general types of electrochromic mirrors: third and fourth surface reflectors. The structure of the third surface reflector can have a wide variety of structures depending on the specific characteristics for both the electrochromic mirror as a whole, and for the window 223 in particular. Figures 7 and 9-13 illustrate some of these various constructions. Figures 9, 12 and 13 illustrate some of the various constructions of the reflectors of the fourth surface. Referring initially to Figure 7, the sub-assembly of the mirror 222 illustrated includes, from left to right: the conveyor 210; the optional circuit board 212; the heater 214 '; the LED lamp 218; a rear transparent mirror element 700; a reflector / electrode 703; an electrochromic means 706; a transparent front conductive material 708; an optional color suppression material 710; and a front transparent element 712. Preferably, the electrode / reflector material of layer 703 comprises one or more layers which may be of a wide variety of metals, oxides and metal oxides, such as chromium, chromium alloys nickel-molybdenum, nickel-iron-chromium alloys, silicon, tantalum, stainless steel, titanium nickel, rhodium, molybdenum, silver, silver alloys, platinum, palladium, gold, or combinations thereof. Additional useful materials are described below. The reflector / electrode may have one or more sub-layers 702 to improve certain characteristics, such as the strength of the binding to the transparent substrate 700. The mirror 222 further includes an electrochromic means 706 placed in a chamber defined by the reflector / electrode 703, the layer of the transparent conductive material 708, and a sealing material (not shown). ) placed around an internal perimeter of the coatings on the transparent elements. The mirror 222 includes a layer 708 of transparent conductive material deposited on the rear surface of the front element 712 (second surface) optionally having one or more color suppression sublayers 710. The transparent elements of the mirror 222 are generally glass, but may made using materials and techniques as described in U.S. Patent Application No. 09 / 311,955, entitled "ELECTROCHROMIC REARVIEW MIRROR INCORPORATING THIRD SURFACE METAL REFLECTOR 7AND A DISPLAY / SIG? AL LIGHT", filed May 14, 1999, by William, L. Tonar et al., The description of which is incorporated herein for reference. As can be seen in Figure 7, the window 223 formed in a reflective layer 704 of the reflector / electrode 703 is aligned with the optical axis of maximum intensity 720 of the lens 214 such that the light emitted by the LED lamp 218 will pass through. through window 223 and will generate the indicator signal. Window 223 can be formed by any conventional means, such as laser beam etching using a 50 Watt Nd: YAG laser beam, such as that made by XCEL Laser Control, located in Orlando, Florida, or by mechanical scraping, or chemical etching, application of a sandblast, masking during coating, etc. The total shape of the window can be; round, elliptical; square, directional such as an arrow, an arrowhead or a set of openings that together form a directional arrow; or similar. With reference to Figures 2, 3, and 7, it can be seen that the window 223 may include the interleaved openings 225 and the reflective strips 227. Although Figure 7 only shows the openings interspersed through the layer 704, it will be understood that that these openings may extend through one or more of the intermediate layers 703 and may extend longitudinally through the transparent substrate 700. Although it is contemplated that all of the reflectors / electrodes may be removed from the window 223 (thus no interleaved openings are left), such design will cause difficulties because there will be variations of the coloration in the electrochromic medium between the areas of the window 223 and the remaining portion of the mirror where the reflector / electrode is not removed. In the portions of the electrochromic mirror that move away from the window 223 there is an electrochromic material oxidized in one electrode for each corresponding electrochromic material reduced in the other electrode, in such a way that the mirror has a uniform color. However, if the area of the window is empty of any reflector / electrode, oxidation or reduction (depending on the polarity of the electrodes) occurring on the second surface electrode 708 directly through the window 223, will be presented evenly distributed , but the reduction or oxidation on the third surface will not be uniform due to the omission of the electrode region. Instead of being uniform, the generation of light absorbing species will be concentrated at the edges of the region of the window 223 whereby aesthetically unpleasant color discrepancies are created that are visible to the driver. By providing the reflector / electrode strips 227 in the area of the mirror window 223, the generation of the light absorbing species (in the second and third surfaces) in the area of the window 223 will be much closer to the observed uniformity in the other regions of the mirror that have fully balanced electrodes. It is therefore preferred that there are either portions of the window having the reflector / electrode present and other portions that do not have it, or that the reflector / electrode is designed in such a way that it provides adequate conductivity for the reactions electrochromic proceeds in a uniform manner while still allowing a sufficient transmission to operate as a signal mirror with the LED lamp 218. Preferably, the window regions 225 prevent the reflective material from constituting more than 50% of the aperture along the central axis of the window 223, while the area 227 occupied by the reflective material may exceed 50 percent along the perimeter. The illustrated openings are elliptical (Figure 3), but alternatively, the sides of the edges of the reflecting strips can be straight, or have a larger radius in the center than at the ends, or the strips can not extend through the full height of the window 223, such that the strips 227 extend alternately toward the opening from the upper edge and the lower edge of the window 223. Providing the reflective strips 227 that are narrower in the center of the window that at the edge, the conductive field necessary for the electrochromic function that will minimize discoloration can be provided while minimizing clogging of the signal beam from the LED lamp 218 in the most vital area, especially the center of the window. The optimized transmittance of the emissions of the LED lamp 218 can thus be achieved without damaging impact on the coloration of the electronic mirror 222 in the region of the window 223. The reflectance of the mirror 222 in the window 223 can be further controlled by varying the percentage of areas that are devoid of reflective material, for example, by varying the width of the reflecting strips 227, or by varying the thickness of the reflector / electrode (described in greater detail below). In addition, the reflective electrode material used to form the reflecting strips 227 in the illumination area of the signal 223 may be different from the reflector electrode material used for the remainder of the mirror. For example, a reflector electrode material having a higher reflectance may be used in the area 223 of the signal lamp.

Referring to Figure 10, the reflector / electrode 1001 does not need to have reflecting strips, but instead can have a window 223 with a continuous layer of the conductive material. For example, the reflector / electrode 1001 may include a coating 1000 of a first base layer 1002 applied directly to the front surface of the rear transparent element 700, and a second intermediate layer 1004 deposited on the first layer 1002. The first layer 1002 and the second layer 1004 are preferably made of materials having a relatively low sheet resistivity, and because they are at least partially transmitting. The materials forming the layers 1002 and 1004 can also be partially reflective. If the LED lamp 218 below the partially transmitting advantage 223 should be frequently observed under bright environmental conditions or direct sunlight, it may be desirable to maintain the reflectance of the window area 223 to a minimum using metals with low reflectance, or other black or transparent, dark coatings that are conductors of electricity. The material forming the layer 1002 must exhibit suitable bonding characteristics for the glass or other materials from which the transparent element 700 can be formed, while the material forming the layer 1004 must exhibit suitable properties for bonding to the layer material 1002 and providing a good bond between an applied layer 1006 and the peripheral seal 802 (Figure 8). Thus, the material used for layer 1002 is preferably a material selected from the group consisting essentially of: chromium, chromium-molybdenum-nickel alloys, nickel-iron-chromium alloys, silicon, tantalum, stainless steel, and titanium. In the most preferred embodiment, layer 1002 is made of chromium. The material used to form the second layer 1004 is preferably a material selected from the group consisting essentially of, but not limited to: molybdenum, rhodium, nickel, tungsten, tantalum, stainless steel, gold, titanium, and alloys thereof . In the most preferred embodiment, the second layer 1004 is formed of nickel, rhodium and molybdenum. If the first layer 1002 is formed of chromium, the layer 1002 preferably has a thickness of between 5 angstroms and 15 angstroms. In particular, it is contemplated that the thickness of layer 1004 will be selected based on the material used to allow between 10 to 50 percent transmittance of light through both layers 1002 and 1004. Therefore, for a second layer 1004 formed of rhodium, nickel, or molybdenum, or a combination thereof, layer 1004 is preferably between 50 and 150 angstroms. Although the thickness of the layers 1002 and 1004 are selected to be sufficiently thin to provide adequate transmittance, they must also be thick enough to provide adequate electrical conductance to sufficiently lighten or obscure the electrochromic means 706 in the vicinity of the window 223. The layer 1006 must have a sheet resistivity of less than 100 Ohms / square, and preferably less than 60 Ohms / square. The layer 1002 can also be a transparent conductor, such as ITO, in which case a reflective layer can be applied on the transparent conductor layer except for the window area. The metals used in the formation of the coating 1000 contribute to the total reflectance of the reflector / electrode 1001. Accordingly, the layer of the reflective material 1006 need not be made as thick as might be required if the layers 1002 and 1004 were replaced by a layer of simple coating. For example, for the silver or the silver alloys used to form the layer 1006 in the multiple electrode mirror, the thickness is between 50 angstroms and 150 angstroms, while the thickness of the reflective layer 1006 could need to be between 30 angstroms and 800 angstroms if layers 1002 and 1004 were replaced by a single layer. Including layers 1004 and 1002, some of the costs associated with the provision of the reflective layer 1006 may be reduced. In addition, the use of the reflective metals in the formation of the cover 1001 provides a degree of reflectance within the window 223, whereby a much more aesthetically pleasing appearance is provided than if the window 223 were devoid of any reflective material. Ideally, the coating 1001 provides between 30 and 40 percent of the reflectance in the window 223. If the reflectance in the window 223 is too high, a bright light will tend to clean the signal from the lamp 218, in the sense that the sun could eliminate the contrast between the light of the signal lamp and the reflection of the light outwardly from the coating 1001. It will be recognized from the above description that there is a trade-off between the reflectance and the transmittance, such that a window 223 with a higher transmittance it will let more light pass, but it will not reflect it either. Additionally, there is a tradeoff between transmittance and sheet strength, because the thicker electrode layers provide a lower sheet strength. The strength of the lower sheet improves the operation of the electrochromic medium both in terms of fast transition times and uniformity of color and clarity. Providing thicker electrodes thus improves the strength of the blade at the expense of transmittance.

Using a high power LED lamp 218, which is described in detail in U.S. Patent Application No. 09 / 426,795, a reproducible serial mirror having a reflector layer can be achieved. thicker electrode in the window area, producing improved reflectance and blade strength, while the signal indicator still produces high brightness levels both at night and during the day. Furthermore, by using the preferred lamp 218 it is possible, for a desired luminous efficiency, to use thicker layers for the reflector / electrode and to provide an improved uniformity and speed of coloring and rinsing, or the dimensions of the reflector / electrode layer can be maintained. identical and provide improved light for signaling or lighting. In the use of heat sinks to increase the luminous efficiency, a single LED lamp 218 and window 223 can be effectively used to provide a signal mirror even in an electrochromic mirror using a transflexion coating. Another alternative arrangement for the electrochromic mirror is shown in Figure 11. The construction shown in Figure 11 is essentially the same as that shown in Figure 10, except that a layer of silver or thin silver alloy 1106 is formed on the conductive coating 1100 within the window 223. By providing only a thin layer 1106 of the reflective material in the window 223, adequate transmittance can still be provided through the window 223, while the reflectance and the electrical conductivity in this area. The layer 1106 can have a thickness between 40 and 150 angstroms, while the layer of the reflective material 1006 in the other areas of the mirror can have a thickness of the order of between 200 and 1000 angstroms. The thin layer 1106 of the reflective material can be formed initially by masking the area of the window 223 while a portion of the reflective layer 1106 is applied and then removing the masking during the deposition of the remainder of the layer 1106. On the contrary, a layer The thin material of the reflector material can be deposited first and then a masking can be applied on the window 223 while the rest of the reflecting layer 1006 is deposited. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the window can be formed in layer 1106 without masking by depositing the reflective layer 1006 to its full thickness and subsequently removing a portion of the layer 1006 in the region of the window. A modification of the configuration shown in Figure 11 may simply be to make the layers 1102 and 1104 constituting the conductive coating 1100 thinner in the region under the window 223. As such, the thin layer 1102 may have a thickness between 5 and 50 angstroms, while layer 1102 could otherwise have a thickness anywhere between 100 and 1000 angstroms. Similarly, layer 1204 can be made of the same material, but with a thickness of between 50 and 150 angstroms, while layer 1104 could otherwise have a thickness of the order of 100 to 1000 angstroms. Thus, with this alternative construction, the sheet strength, reflectance, and transmittance within the window 23 can be optimized while making it possible for the sheet strength and reflectance in the other regions to be optimized without having relation to the transmittance in the region of the window 223. Referring again to Figure 7, a coating 721, which may be any or a combination of a light control film, a white or dark paint layer, and a Heater. A light control film, such as that available from 3M Company under the registered designation LCF-P, can be used, which is a thin plastic film that encloses a plurality of micro-grids colored black, closely spaced. Such a light control film is described for use in a conventional signal mirror in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,361,190 and 5,788,357, the descriptions of which are incorporated herein for reference. As described in these patents, such a light control film may have a thickness of 0.762 cm (0.030 inches), with the microrrej illas spaced at approximately 0.0127 cm (0.005 inches) apart. The microthreads are typically black, and are in various angular positions to provide an adequate viewing angle. Such a light control film allows the light from the LED lamp 218 to be transmitted to the appropriate viewing angle that will be visible in the region C (Figure 1) even if the lamp 218 is mounted parallel to the mirror surface in such a way that the optical axis of maximum intensity of the lamp is orthogonal to the mirror before the light emitted by the same hits the light control film. The light control film 721 also serves to block the light projected from the LED lamp 218 against the external path of the appropriate viewing angle C towards the vehicle driver's observation line A. The light control film can to be placed thus completely up and in front of the mirror surface in the line of illumination of the LED lamp 218. Furthermore, such a light control film can be made using other forms of optical elements, such as holograms and the like.

Alternatively, the element 721 can be a reflecting grid, a prism, a holographic optical element, or the like. If the element 721 is an opaque paint coating, such coating could preferably not extend as far as the front of the LED lamp 218 because it would block the transmission of light from the lamp 218 through the mirror 222 towards the viewing angle C (Figure 1) . Alternatively, such a paint coating could be completely extended on the front of the LED lamp 218, as long as it is configured to have some form of grid or equivalent structure formed on its surface in the area of the window 730, which is the path of proposed transmission of the LED lamp 218. For example, the thickness of such a paint coating could be controlled to create effective grids using stencil printing, molding, stamping, or laser beam ablation. Further, if the reflector / electrode 703 or the layers 906, 908 are configured in the manner described above with respect to Figure 7, the element 721 may be a coating of black paint with similar bars or strips in the overlapping areas of the LED lamp 218, which are oriented relative to the LED lamp 218 and the reflective strips 227 of the reflector / electrode 703 to provide a transmission path at the appropriate angle for the vehicle B to observe the emissions of the lamp 218 when finds in the observation angle C, while at the same time blocking the light so as not to reach the observation field of the driver of the vehicle A. Furthermore, the bars 227 of the reflector / electrode 703 can be configured to have minimum variable widths in such a way that the minimum width is reduced with the increase of the distance from the driver, to reduce the peripheral transmittance through the window 2 23 in the direction of the driver, or may have a less pronounced definition of edge coloration, as described above. If the element 721 is a heating element of the mirror, this heating element will be provided in place of the separate heater 214 'previously described. By removing the heater 214 'and the circuit board 212, a significant amount of the weight can be removed from the mirror, which is useful in reducing the total weight of the mirror. If the heating element 721 is used, the heating element 721 can be provided on an adhesive material such as a two-sided tape, and mounted extending through the fourth full surface of the mirror except for the regions of the window 730. The regions of the window can be provided by cut openings in the appropriate locations for the passage of the light emitted from the LED lamp 218 and transmitted at the appropriate angle so that it is visible within the observation angle C. Figure 9 shows a mirror alternative electrochromic, which has a reflector 906, 908 of the fourth surface. In this arrangement the electrode 904 on the third surface is preferably made of a transparent material similar to that of the electrode 708 and deposited on an optional color suppression material 902, which is similar to the color suppression material 710. The layer 906 is a protective paint well known in the art, which is deposited on the cover 908 of the reflector, which, in turn, is deposited on the fourth surface of the mirror. The reflective layer can be nickel aluminum, chrome, rhodium, stainless steel, silver, silver alloy, platinum, palladium, gold, or combinations thereof. The window 223 is in the reflector 908 aligned with the optical axis of maximum intensity 920 of the emitter 404 and the lens 214 in such a way that the optical axis of maximum intensity passes through the center of the window 223. Figure 9 shows the openings interleaved 225, but it should be understood that the window 223 may be completely devoid of the reflective material or may have a trans- or dichroic coating in accordance with the teachings herein.

Figure 12 illustrates a mirror having a transparent element 1200 and a coating 1202. Although the coating of the reflector is illustrated on the rear surface of the transparent element, the coating may be on the front surface. The transparent element 1200 may be the second element of a two-element mirror, such as an electrochromic mirror, or it may be the only transparent element of a mirror of a single standard element. It will be recognized that in the case of an electrochromic mirror, the illustrated reflector coating is applied to the fourth surface, while in the case of a single-element mirror, the illustrated reflector coating is applied to the second surface of the mirror. The reflector coating 1202 includes an opening 1204 through which the light generated by the lamp 218 passes to provide an indication of the signal. In any case, it is contemplated that the aperture 1204 will have a maximum transmittance and no reflectance, such that the light produced by the lamp 218 will substantially attenuate through the reflective layer. Figure 13 illustrates a mirror having a dichroic layer 1302 placed on the surface of the transparent element 1200. Although the reflective coating is illustrated on the back surface of the transparent element, the coating may be on the front surface. The dichroic layer 1302 allows the light to pass within a predetermined passage band and attenuates the light outside this passage band. The advantage of using a dichroic layer 1302 in a signal mirror is that red is the color of the preferred lamp for signal mirrors and commercially available dichroic layers only pass the red color and infrared light. There are several disadvantages to dichroic materials, not to mention that some of them are expensive, difficult to manufacture, and prone to degradation over time. An opaque coating 1304, having the window 223 therein, is provided in the mirror on the black surface of the mirror. The opaque coating can be a paint coating, such as a black paint, and provides a screen to block direct light emitted in the direction of the conductor, such light if not blocked could be detrimental to the driver. Referring now to Figure 8, sub-assembly 800 of the mirror is shown in an exploded view. It is contemplated that the mirror 222, which is illustrated to be an electromagnetic mirror, but can be a dichroic mirror or a non-electrochromic mirror such as a conventional mirror, will be assembled in such a way that the front transparent element 712 and the transparent element rear 700 are held in a spaced relationship away by the seal 802 in such a way that the electrochromic means is placed between them. To assemble the other components of the sub-assembly of the mirror, an adhesive, and preferably a tape or adhesive film, or a double-sided foam adhesive tape, is provided between the circuit board 212 and the carrier plate 210, and fixed on the board of circuits 212. A recess 226 in the carrier plate 210 is aligned with the lamp module 401 to receive the lamp module during the adhesion of the circuit board 212 to the conveyor 210. The circuit board 212, as noted above , it is an optional element and can be omitted. In the event that the circuit board 212 is omitted, the mirror including the heater 214 'is fixed to the carrier plate 210 using an adhesive, a tape or adhesive film, or a double-sided foam adhesive tape. The bezel 224 can be recessed to the rear of the conveyor 210, or the bezel and rear of the conveyor 210 can be connected for quick disconnection, fixed by fasteners such as screws or clips, stretched and softened with heating, or fixed by other suitable conventional means. Once assembled, the assembly of the mirror 209 is assembled in the housing 202 of the mirror body by the attachment of the conveyor plate 210 to the motor 208 (Figure 2). The LED lamp 218 is controlled either from the controller 304 or directly from the turn signal in the vehicle's electrical system. A circuit 1400 for providing power to the LED lamp 218 is described in Figure 14. The circuit is mounted on the circuit board 212 or the circuit board 216. The circuit 1400 includes an input 207a for the connection to the bar collector of the signals of rotation of the electrical system of the vehicle, although the same one could be connected to the controller 304. The capacitor Cl provides a route to connect to the ground the energy of high frequency, such as the tips or maximum levels of power, to protect The circuit. The diode DI is reverse polarized to isolate the input 207 if the voltage on the input 207 drops below the voltage on the terminal 1402. The transistors Q1-Q3 of the NPN and the associated resistors produce a cascaded current source for the lamp. LED 218. The LED lamp 218 includes two emitters 404, 404 ', which have a common cathode connection in the cable 235, and the anode wires 234, 236 connected by means of the respective resistors to the terminal 1402. describe two emitters, a single emitter, or more than two emitters, could be included in the LED lamp. The cascaded stream source generates a substantially constant current in the collector of transistor Q3, about half of which will flow through each of emitters 404, 404 '. Additionally, the circuit provides additional protection against excessive current. In particular, if the collector current of transistor Q3 is high enough for transistor Ql to saturate, the resulting low collector voltage on transistor Ql will turn off transistors Q2 and Q3, thereby cutting current through emitters 404 , 404 'of the LED lamp 218. Although the circuit is described including NPN transistors, it will be recognized that other transistor elements may be used, such as PNP, MOSFET or combinations of different transistors. The circuit 1500 in Figure 15 is an alternative to the circuit 1400. The circuit 1500 differs from the circuit 1400 in that the emitters 404, 404 'of the LED lamp 218' are connected in series. The lead 234 of the emitter anode 1502 is connected to the terminal 1402 through the resistor R3, and the lead 236 of the emitter cathode 1504 is connected to the collector of the transistor Q3. The collector 235 of the heat removal element, connected to the cathode of the emitter 1502 and the anode of the emitter 1504, is connected to the terminal junction of the optional resistors 1506, 1508.

Terminal 235 floats. The series connection of the emitters 1502, 1504 in the LED lamp 218 '(Figure 15) is advantageous because it uses less power than the common cathode, or in parallel, the arrangement of the emitters 404, 404' in the lamp of LED 218 (Figure 14). For example, circuit 1500 operates at 1.75 Watts, for a scintillation signal having a duty cycle of 75% and a period of less than one second, while circuit 1400 operates at 3.9 Watts with the same signal input . The LED lamp 218 'of the emitter, in series, can include the optional resistors 1506 and 1508, each connected in parallel with a respective one of the emitters 1502, 1504. The resistors 1506 and 1508 are used to reduce the current through the one, or both, of the emitters 1502, 1504 of the LED lamp 218 'if necessary so that the current through the emitters is different, although only one of the resistors could be used to reduce the current through only one of the issuers. An example where it might be desirable to have different currents is in the application where the LED lamp 218 'is to produce white light from the complementary colored emitters. In such a case, the ratio of the current through the emitters may need to be different to adapt to the different operating characteristics of each of the emitters and achieve the desired white light. The resistors 1506 and 1508 can be made by thick film deposits on the printed circuit board 216 which are laser engraved to achieve the desired resistance, the discrete resistors fixed to the heat sink, or the circuit board 212 if it is used. Additionally, it is contemplated that instead of the resistors 1506, 1508, a source of controlled current or heat sink of the current may be connected to the cable 235 to control the relative current through each of the emitters, and thus adjust the color and / or the intensity of the light generated by the LED lamp 218 '. Another application where it is desirable to have separate controls is where a single LED lamp 218 is used to produce different characteristics of the light. For example, the LED lamp 218 can be controlled to produce amber light under some circumstances and white light under other circumstances. To do this, the LED lamp needs to include only emitter integrated circuits that produce blue and amber light. The amber emitting emitter integrated circuits can be illuminated to produce a supplementary turn signal while the emitter integrated circuits that produce blue and amber light can be illuminated to produce a light for the lock / puddles. Thus, both lighting functions can be produced from a single LED lamp. It will be recognized that other combinations of light or illumination could be produced from a single LED lamp 218, such as red-orange and white, infrared and visible light, or the like. In the operation, when the driver moves the actuator 312 of the turn signal (Figure 3) on the steering column, an intermittent signal appears at the input 207, such a signal is either produced by the controller 304, or is on the signal bar of the vehicle in a conventional manner. In response to the pulses on the input 207, the circuit 1400, 1500 controls the current through the emitters of the LED lamp 218, 218 '. The LED lamp 218, 218 'emits light during the pulse ignition period and does not emit light during the pulse off period. The LED lamp 218, 218 'is thus synchronized with the vehicle's turn signal, producing a scintillation signal having the same duty cycle as the vehicle's primary turn signal lamps. It is contemplated that the controller 304 can control the LED lamp 218, 218 'to repeat the braking light in response to the signal from the braking light. Additionally, protection against excessive current is provided by transistors Q1-Q3. In particular, in any place where the input of the base current to the transistor Q1 is sufficiently high to cause the transistor Q1 to saturate, the resulting small collector current on the transistor Q1 will turn off the transistors Q2 and Q3, which disconnects the lamp of LED 218, 218 '. Accordingly, a signal mirror is described here, which can be advantageously employed with a number of different arrangements of the mirrors. Those skilled in the art will recognize that any other mirrors of a single element, or of multiple elements, dichroic, non-dichroic, electrochromic, either convex, spherical, or flat, can be advantageously employed with the LED lamp 218 high power for implement a signal mirror that is highly effective, small in size, and light in weight, such that a signal mirror can be designed in virtually any mirror housing with minimal impact on the main function of the mirror to provide a reflector . A number of different modalities of the lamp module 401 will now be described, which can be used with any of the mirrors described above, to implement a signal mirror. An alternative lamp module 1600 is described in Figure 16. The lamp module 1600 includes a LED lamp 1601, substantially similar to the LED lamp 218 in the module 401, except that the cables 1602-1604 are bent to provide a flat mounting surface at the ends thereof, which is preferably in parallel with the lower surface of the LED lamp 218 for surface mounting. The ends of the surface are mounted on rectangular printed circuit boards 1605 using any suitable conventional technique, such as wave soldering, hand welding, or the like. The circuit board is of any suitable conventional construction, and may advantageously be a two-sided circuit board such that the LED lamp is electrically connected to a conductive layer on one side of the circuit board substrate, and the circuit 1400 or 1500 can be mounted to a conductive layer on the other side of the substrate of the circuit board. Both conductive layers have traces engraved therein, and it is further contemplated that the traces may be connected by means of tracks (not shown). The LED lamp 1601 is secured to the heat sink 220 by any suitable conventional means such as the fastener 238, an adhesive, an adhesive tape, or the like. A significant advantage for the surface mount module 1600 is that the surface mounting of an IC is a less expensive and more efficient manufacturing technique to achieve a reliable electrical connection. However, where the depth of the lamp module 1600 is of interest, the lamp module 401 (Figure 4) can be used as if it had a lower height, but not a longer length, with the cables 234-236 of the LED lamp extending transversely with respect to circuit board 216. Another alternative lamp module 1700 is described in Figure 17. Lamp module 1700 is substantially similar to lamp module 401, except in two aspects. A first distinction is that the circuit board 1702 is illustrated as a rectangular circuit board, as opposed to a triangular circuit board 216. It will be recognized that the circuit boards 216, 1605, and 1702 described herein may be in any way , and therefore the illustrated forms are only exemplary. It is contemplated that the shape of the circuit board will be dictated by the housing in which it is mounted, and also that the shape and size of the circuit board will be selected to adapt the electronic components of the circuits 1400, 1500 in the smallest possible volume, where the volume is critical. The circuit board can be large in those components and assemblies where a large volume is available.

A second distinction of the lamp module 1700 is that the heat sink 1704 extends through the entire lower surface of the LED lamp 218, while the heat sink of the lamp module 401 extends only along the length of the lamp module. Lid of the heat extraction element. The partial heat sink 220 is necessary when the heat sink is mounted on the lens side of the LED lamp 218. However, because the heat sink 1704 extends over the entire length of the LED lamp , the large surface area provided by fins 1706 (only some of which are numbered) provides a substantial heat dissipation path for one or more emitters 404, 404 '(Figures 4 and 14) of LED lamp 218. Other alternative 1800 LED lamp module is described in Figure 18. The lamp module 1800 includes the LED lamp 218. The LED lamp module 1800 differs from the module 401 in that the LED lamp 218 is plugged into the connector 1802 The connector 1802 includes the contacts 1803-1805, which are electrically connected to, and mechanically coupled to, the remote ends 1808-1810 of the cables 234 to 236. The contacts 1803-1805 are connected to the circuits 1812, having circuit 1400, 1500 on it, circuits 1812 are connected to wires 1813 of the vehicle cable manifold. Additionally, the LED lamp 218 in Figure 18 is mounted to an active heat sink 1820, which is illustrated to be a Peltier cooler. The Peltier cooler can be provided using any commercially available, suitable Peltier cooler. The Peltier cooler has a hot surface 1822 and a cold surface 1824. The cold surface 1824 is placed in abutting contact with the heat removal element 400 of the LED lamp 218. The hot surface of the Peltier cooler is placed away from the LED lamp. The Peltier cooler will preferably be connected to a passive heat sink (not shown), such as the passive heat sink 1704 (Figure 17), to provide adequate heat dissipation and to ensure more effective operation of the cooler. The connector 1802 can be used to implement the female connector 205 (Figure 2). For maximum mounting / fabrication flexibility and reliability, the high-power lamp can be built to optimize its compatibility with seamless connection mechanisms such as connectors, lampholders, manifolds and other receptacles. The ends of the cables of the high power LED lamp, in this circumstance, are manufactured with the dimensions of a male spike proposed to correspond with the female socket of the receptacle. Suitable socket holders are available from companies such as Amp, Molex, Autosplice, and other connector manufacturers, in a wide variety of forms including versions which are pre-soldered to printed circuit boards and others which fold over the wires of the printed circuit boards. cable collector. An example of a two-wire LED lamp connection to a conventional Autosplice receptacle is illustrated in Figure 19. The LED lamp 1900 is similar to the LED lamp 218, but includes only two wires 1901 and 1903. The spacers 1906 and 1908 of the cables 1901 and 1903 provide a stop or stop to limit the depth of the cable insertion. The plastic connector 1920 includes the metal contacts 1922, 1923 ending in the turns 1926, 1927, respectively. When the bolts 1902, 1904 of the cables 1901, 1903 are inserted into the lamp holder, the contacts penetrate the ends of the cables to securely retain the cables 1901, 1903 in the connector 1910 in a manner that prevents easy decoupling. of the lamp holder due to mechanical vibrations, tension, or the like. The wires 1930, 1931 are part of the collector of the wires of the vehicle, and are retained in the lampholder by the turns or turns 1926, 1927. The wires 1930, 1931 and the contacts 1922, 1923 electrically connect the wires 1901, 1903 of the LED lamp 1900, to the electric circuit 1400, 1500. The lamp 1900 can be simply plugged into the chosen receptacle, eliminating the traditional welding operation usually necessary to connect the electrical components to a printed circuit board. This can be very useful in applications where welding is impractical (such as where simple circuits were used that were not printed circuit boards) or in commercial enterprises where appropriate automatic insertion equipment, such as surface mount equipment , radial or axial is not available. In one such configuration, by way of example, the narrow portion of the pins 1902, 1904 of the cables 1901, 1903 below the 1906, 1908 spacer, is fabricated to have a square cross section of 0.51 mm by 0.51 mm for insertion into a standard Autosplice receptacle, which requires this spike size. Another advantage of this configuration in some applications is the dimensional tolerance produced by this connection method. In a map light or CHMSL, for example, it could be typical for the high power emitter to acquire its directional alignment and dimensional registration through intimate contact with the portions of a mount such as a housing or support element. This can usually be established with the characteristics of the quick disconnect connector, protuberances, projections or other structures integrated with the housing or support element. This housing, with the integrated registration characteristics, can be molded by thermoplastic injection molding for example. However, manufacturing variations and environmental thermal expansion / contraction may alter the nominal dimensions and orientation of the support registration and alignment means, leading to derangement or disruption of the power semiconductor mounted thereon. Such derangements or disorders may be acceptable on their own, as is common to design systems that are tolerant of such minor deviations. However, these may present a problem in the most extreme cases, such as that any such disturbance may be transmitted to the connection point in the cables of the power semiconductor emitter. If this electrical connection is extremely rigid and brittle, as is sometimes the case with solder joints in a PCB, then the electrical connections may eventually become marginal, or intermittent in response to disturbances. Due to its inherent flexibility, a ball-and-socket configuration can avoid this problem in a manner uniquely applicable to the components and assemblies of the LED lamp described herein. Due to the unusually high flow emitted by these LED lamps, one or two components can now be used where a set of several LEDs were previously required. Since the number of electrical connections is radically reduced when compared to systems using LED lamps of the prior art, it is not necessary in any application to use series connection techniques such as soldering to a printed circuit board (PCB). ). Due to the low connection count, it becomes feasible to use lampholder connections, where the soldered connections were the only practical solution previously given. Thus, in some of the modalities, the LED lamp is described having wires, which can be adapted for use with lampholder connectors to take advantage of the uniquely applicable interconnection benefits associated with the high power emissions of the lamps of LEDs advantageously used here. For example, the connector 1910 can be used to implement the connector 205 (Figure 2). Another signal mirror 2000 (Figure 20) includes a thin transparent element 2008 attached to a circuit board 2001 cut from a commercially available printed circuit board storage material. The transparent element 2008 can be the only transparent element of a single-element mirror, or the second transparent element of an electrochromic mirror. The thin transparent element 2008 is adhered to the layer 2006 of the circuit board 2001, which is a layer of the material that conducts electricity, and is preferably etched with acid to include a heating element for the mirror. The intermediate layer 2004 of the circuit board is formed of a material of the substrate, which has good electrical insulation properties, as is well known in the art. The upper layer 2002 of the circuit board is another layer that conducts electricity. As can be seen in Figure 20, a hole 2012 is formed in the circuit board 2001 to receive the lens 2015 of the LED lamp 2016 and provide a path of illumination through the printed circuit board. The LED lamp 2016 is preferably mounted superficially to the upper layer 2002 of the printed circuit board, with the heat removal element oriented in parallel with the surface of the layer 2006 and the mirror. An optional element 2010 can be placed between the lens of the LED lamp 2016 and the transparent layer 2008 to redirect the light emitted by the LED lamp 2916 to a desired angle, such as the angle of approximately 20-50 ° described above with with respect to the LED lamp 218 in Figure 6. The diverter element 2010 can be provided using a commercially available, suitable medium, such as a diverter film, a light control film such as that commercially available from 3M, a holographic optical element, a holographic diffuser, a diffraction grating, a Fresnel lens, or the like. Each of these elements can be used with the LED lamp 2016 mounted in parallel with the rear surface of the mirror to redirect the light in a desired direction. A reflector 2017 is positioned to circumscribe the lens 2015 of the LED lamp 2016 in the hole 2012 to increase the intensity of the light emitted through the element 2010. The signal mirror 2000 takes advantage of the properties of the board stock of printed circuits to implement a thin mirror. The integrated circuit manufacturing industry has developed technologies by providing PC boards and computer disks (CDs) that are characteristically flat, which is highly desirable for a mirror conveyor. A thin mirror utilizing a circuit board as a carrier is disclosed in copending patent application Serial No. 09 / 270,153, entitled "LIGHT WEIGHT ELECTROCHROMIC MIRROR", filed March 16, 1999, by Roberts et al. ., the description of which is incorporated herein for reference. Flatness or smoothness specifications for PC boards are widely available in the industry and can be obtained from any of the manufacturers. Flatness will vary depending on the thickness and grade / quality of the purchased PC board. The PC board is selected according to the desired stiffness and weight considerations for the application. The specifications for printed circuit boards are such that each conductive layer 2002, 2006 must provide electrical continuity over its entire surface area. A LED lamp 2016 that connects the circuit to other circuits can be etched with acid in the upper layer 2006 of the printed circuit board 2001. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the circuits can be cut using a subtractive process, wherein the The material that conducts the electricity is removed from the conductive layer using, for example, chemical etching or laser beam. Alternatively, the circuit layer 2002 can be added to the 2004 layer of the non-conductive substrate using an additive process in which the electrically conductive material is coated on the non-conductive substrate 2004. Similarly, the conductive layer 2006 can be etched with acid to provide traces of elements of the heater, or the conductive strips can be added by coating the layer 2004 of the substrate. The signal mirror 2000 takes advantage of the conductive circuit board layer 2002, which may be a copper layer for example, to provide a heat sink for the 2018 heat removal element of the LED lamp 2016 In the illustrated embodiment, the heat removal element is placed against an optional spacer 2020, such a spacer must be thermally conductive. The spacer is provided to ensure a thermal coupling over most of the surface area of the heat removal element that overlaps the conductive layer 2002, and the spacer can be of any suitable material having a low thermal resistance, and can be a metallic spacer, or any other suitable material. The heat removal element 2018 is attached to the spacer (if the spacer is provided with something other than an adhesive or adhesive tape), which in turn is attached to the conductive layer 2002. Fixing or joining the LED lamp 2016 using a thermally conductive adhesive and the spacer 2020, the thermal coupling to the layer 2002 provides a large, additional heat dissipation surface for the LED lamp 2016. The 2001 circuit board includes a conductive layer of the circuit board that can provide Various functions with respect to LED lamp, circuit and mirror. The conductive layer can include conductor traces to which the LED lamp 2016 power cables can be fixed; an additional heat sink can be provided to which the heat removal element 2018 is thermally connected; and the conductive traces in the 2006 layer can provide the heater for cleaning the mirror surface from moisture. This circuit board 2001 can also be used by the carrier for the transparent element 2008, and because the structure of the circuit board provides a flat, strong surface, the transparent element can be very thin. The mirror may include a first or second reflective coating of the surface on the transparent element. Figure 21 shows a signal mirror 2101 substantially similar to the signal mirror 2000, wherein the LED lamp 2100 is mounted on the rear of a 2001 circuit board. The LED lamp 2100 differs from the LED lamp 2016 in that the lens 2115 of the LED lamp 2100 is off-center with respect to the transmitter 2013, while the emitter 2013 is aligned with the center of the lens 2015 in the LED lamp 2016. Because of the decentering of the lens, the optical axis of intensity maximum of the lamp 2100 is directed at an angle ß to the front surface of the transparent element, while the optical axis of maximum intensity 2030 of the LED lamp 2016 is orthogonally directed to the transparent element 2008. Additionally, a coating opaque 2110 can be applied to a portion of the region of the mirror window to provide a bulkhead against light that blocks direct light transmission from the LED 2100 lamp to the driver. The angle ß can be from 0 ° to 70 °, and can advantageously be in the range from 20 ° to 50 ° and more preferably is from 30 ° to 40 °. In the signal mirror either 2000 or 2101, although not shown, it will be recognized that the circuit 1400, 1500, can be mounted on the conductive layer 2002, and electrically connected to the LED lamp 2016, 2100 by strokes (not shown) ) etched with acid in the 2002 layer. Although not shown in Figure 21, the decentering lens 2115 of the LED lamp 2100 can be used in combination with the diverter element 2010 of Figure 20.

An alternative signal mirror 2200 including a LED lamp 218 mounted to the bezel, is shown in Figure 22. The signal mirror 2200 includes a bezel 2202, a mirror 2204, and a carrier 2206. The mirror 2200 can be any type of mirror, including a mirror of a single element, of multiple elements, dichroic, electrochromic, flat, convex, and / or spherical. The carrier 2206 is of any suitable construction, such as molded of an organic polymer, stamped metal, or the like. Bevel 2202 can be molded from an organic polymer, stamped from a metal, or from any other suitable known fabrication, and the bevel and carrier can be the same or different material. The bezel includes an aperture 2208, which is illustrated located in the lower right corner of the mirror, but alternatively can be placed in any location on the bezel, such as the lower center, the lower left corner, the upper left corner, the center superior, the upper right corner, or any location between them. A lens 2210, which can be clear or colored, and of any suitable construction such as molded from an organic polymer, is positioned within the aperture 2208. It is contemplated that the lens will be molded of a red transparent plastic, such as an acrylic or a polycarbonate, and that a red-orange LED lamp will be mounted to direct the light out through it. The lens 2010 is fixed to the aperture 2208 in the bezel 2202 using a fastener, an adhesive, an adhesive tape, or the like. It will be recognized that the lens will be a filter if it is colored. The lamp module 2220 placed under the lens includes a LED lamp 218, with the cables bent at a right angle for insertion into the openings 2225 in a circuit board 2222. The heat removal element 400 of the lamp LED 218 is mounted to a passive heat sink 2224. In the illustrated embodiment, module 2220 of the LED lamp is mounted adjacent to mirror 2204 in a recess thereof. The LED lamp 218 can be mounted in parallel with the lens, with a diverter element, such as the derailleur 2010, positioned between the lamp and the lens, or the lens can be a Fresnel lens, which directs the light away from the driver and to the observation area C (Figure 1). The 2220 module of the LED lamp is very compact, is resistant to vibration damage, and can be mounted on the bezel, but generates enough light to produce a signal of sufficient intensity to be easily visible under ambient light conditions. time both day and night. The module 2220 can be attached to the conveyor 2206 in the region 2240 using an adhesive, a fastener such as a tape or quick disconnect connector, or the like. The quick disconnect connector (not shown) can be integrally molded into the bevel, and extends outwardly therefrom. The quick disconnect connector will snap onto the lamp 218 to retain the module 2200 on the bezel. Alternatively, the region 2230 may include an integrally molded lamp holder, and in particular a recess shaped to receive the lamp 218 and the heat sink 2224, and includes female connectors to be in correspondence with the cables 234-236, in such a way that Circuit board 2222 can be omitted. The heat sink 2224 can be active or passive. Additionally, the LED lamp 218 mounted to the bezel can take advantage of the air flowing around the perimeter of the mirror to increase heat dissipation. This can be done for example by placing the heat removal element 400 and / or the heat sink 2224 in juxtaposition with the peripheral edge 2232 of the bevel, such effect can be improved by making the bevel region adjacent to the heat sink so that it has a low thermal conductivity. Low thermal conductivity can be achieved by having the thermally conductive material sandwiched in the 2202 bezel adjacent to the heat sink, or by molding the bezel from a thermally conductive polymer such as the polymeric compound commercially available from ChipCoolers, Inc., under the trademark CoolPoly, and more particularly available as a conductive material E2 and a dielectric material D2. The LED lamp module, which includes a heat extraction element coupled to a heat sink, thus provides a small lamp that will fit into a bezel, and capable of producing a bright light, and thus becoming a package that it can be expected to have a long life even when subjected to the thermal and mechanical shocks of the type experienced in the mirrors mounted on the doors, and more particularly, around the perimeter of such a mirror. The signal mirror 2300 (Figures 23-25) includes a bezel 2301 having a light tube on one end thereof. Unlike the arrangement of the bezel assembly of Figure 22, where the lamp 218 is mounted within the bezel to provide light directly, which in some circumstances can reduce the size of the reflecting surface of the mirror, the signal mirror 2300 it has a LED lamp 218 placed under the mirror 222 and uses a light tube 2302 to emit the light through a surface 2304 of the bezel 2301 on the front of the mirror. The LED lamp 218 enters the light at one end of a light tube 2302, which focuses light on an end 2304 visible from the observation area C. In this arrangement, the LED lamp 218 illuminates the bezel itself, and the bevel can be very small because it does not need to accommodate the lamp in the perimeter of it. The light tube 2302 can be of any suitable construction, such as molding an acrylic, a polycarbonate, or the like. As illustrated in Figure 24, the luminous tube includes an integrally formed flange 2309, which extends along the length of the luminous tube and holds the surface of the mirror 327 in a friction fit. The high power LED lamp 218 is mounted at one end of the light tube with the lens 214 directed towards the light tube. The heat sink 1704 is mounted to the back of the LED lamp 218. The electric wires of the LED lamp 218 can be plugged into a connector 1802 (Figure 18) or a receptacle 1910 (Figure 19), such connector or receptacle has the circuit 1400, 1500 mounted on a circuit board which is preferably mounted internally with respect to the connector / lampholder or, to which the board circuits of the socket / connector is mounted. The mirror 222 can be a single-element, dichroic, electrochromic, flat, convex, spherical, or similar reflector, and the light tube 2302, similarly to the lamp 2220 of the bezel of Figure 22, is compatible with any type of mirror commonly used with vehicles. The arms 2312, 2314 of the bevel extend substantially transverse to a projection 2318 of the bevel, such that the bevel arms and the bevel projection provide an integral, substantially U-shaped element. The arms 2312, 2314 and the projection 2318 of the bevel are preferably integrally molded from an organic polymer, although they may be of any suitable conventional fabrication, it is preferable that the bevel be made of an elastic material. The far end of the upper and lower arms 2312, 2314 of the U-shaped element each include a projection finger 2313, 2315 to be inserted into a respective complementary hole 2319, 2321 at an opposite end of the light tube. To assemble the bezel 2301 to the light tube 2302, the light tube 2302, which has the LED lamp 218 and the heat sink 1704 assembled to the light tube 2302, is slid over the end of the mirror 222 in such a way that the mirror is depressed slightly between the back of the light tube 2302 and the rim 2309. The light tube 2302 can be secured to one end of the mirror using an adhesive, a connector, the friction socket, or the like. The upper arm 2312 of the bezel and lower arm 2314 are fixed to the light tube by inserting the fingers 2313, 2315 into the holes 2319, 2321. The upper and lower arm can be secured to the light tube 2302 using an adhesive, a fastener such as a tape or a mechanical connector, or similar. The arms 2312, 2314 of the bevel, the projection 2318, and the light tube 2302 form the bevel 2301 which circumscribes the mirror 22. The bevel 2301 and the mirror 222 can be secured to the conveyor 2316 using an adhesive. Figure 23 also describes a LED lamp 2320 on the region, or "fin", of the mirror for use as an illuminator of the lock and / or a lamp to illuminate the puddles. The LED lamp 2320 can be implemented using any of the modules 401, 1600, 1700, 2800 of the LED lamps, or the components thereof, and are positioned to radiate the light through the aperture 2322. The lamp LED 2320 can be mounted to bracket 204 (Figure 2) to provide a heat sink for the LED lamp. This can be effected by fixing the heat removal element of the LED lamp 2320 to a mounting bracket, metal, made of a suitable thermally conductive material. It may be desirable to connect the LED lamp to the square using a material that does not conduct electricity, thermally conductive. Alternatively, the LED lamp 2320 may be mounted to the rearview mirror housing, or sheath 2308, or to some other component in the mirror upright. A circuit 1400; 1500 is preferably mounted on a circuit board to which the LED lamp 2320 is connected. An LED lamp 2324 on the region, or the fin, may be provided in place of, or in addition to, the LED lamp 2320, in where you want to provide a lamp under the mirror. This could be desirable where the surface of the upright is turned towards the driver. In such a situation, providing the lamp on the lower surface of the mirror mounting pillar will produce a light directed towards the floor adjacent to the vehicle door, and in some cases, towards the handle and the door, without the operator of the vehicle having to direct a beam of light. With reference to Figures 26-28, a mirror 2600 includes a lock illuminator 2602, and an optional LED lamp 2604. The lock illuminator includes a high power LED lamp 2606 that produces light to illuminate the handle of the lock. the door 2702 (Figure 27) and the lock 2704, or alternatively produces light directed towards the floor to produce a lamp that illuminates the puddles. The illuminator of the lock 2602 includes the high power LED lamp 2606 placed below a window 2610. The LED lamp 2606 may include a multiple emitter or emitters (not shown) under an encapsulating lens 2812 (Figure 28). The LED lamp 2606 preferably produces white light, and therefore includes; one or more phosphorus emitters; emitters of binary complementary colors, emitters of green and blue light; or similar, which are provided with energy to produce white light. With reference to Figure 28, the LED lens 2608 of the LED lamp 2606 is preferably of a relatively small diameter to produce a focused light that can be located as white on an area to be illuminated. Alternatively, if the lamp is used to produce illumination to illuminate a puddle, the lens will have a larger diameter that produces a less significantly focused light. The illuminator of the lock or the lamp to illuminate the puddles can be activated in response to a proximity detector, a remote keyless entry, the manual operation of the door handle, the vehicle's shutdown, or the like, and can disconnect automatically after a predetermined period of time has elapsed. The illuminator of the lock 2602 is preferably provided with a reflector 2800 to concentrate the light produced by the LED lamp 2606 on the door side around the handle of the door 2702 and the lock 2704. The reflector 2602 (similarly the reflector 2017 of Figure 20) can be implemented using any suitable conventional construction, such as the construction of the intermittent light reflector, and the internal surface of the reflector can be provided by applying a highly reflective coating, such as chromium, to the surface internal of a rigid body, such as a molded organic polymeric body, or of any other suitable construction. The reflector is retained against the LED lamp 2606 by any suitable means, such as using an adhesive, a fastener, a press fit connection, a snap fit or compression fit between the mirror 26J01 and the LED lamp 2606, or the like . The reflector 2800 preferably circumscribes the lens 214. An optional LED lamp 2608 for supplying the mirror 2600 with a supplementary turn / brake signal indicator, may be implemented as described above with respect to the LED lamp 218 in FIGS. -fifteen. The LED lamp 2608 is mounted below a window 2612 (Figure 26). The LED lamps 2608, 2606 are small in size, so that the two lamps can be accommodated between the mirror 2601 and the body 2603 of the mirror housing. Each of the LED lamps preferably includes a heat sink 2814, 2804 to increase the heat dissipation of the LED lamps, and thereby increase the current capacity, and the intensity of the performance, of these LED lamps. Although two LED lamps 2606, 2608 are illustrated in the mirror 2600, a single LED lamp can be used to provide both the lock / lamp illuminator to illuminate the puddles and the indicator of the supplementary signals. In particular, the LED lamp may include a plurality of emitters of different color. Activating the separate emitters with independent signals allows the controller to change the color of the light produced by the lamp. To provide a white light, an integrated circuit coated with complementary-binary materials (eg, amber and blue emitters), coated with red-green-blue light (ie, red, green and blue emitters) or coated with phosphor, in the LED lamp. To produce white light, all emitters are supplied with power. To produce a red light, only red-orange emitters are powered. To produce amber light, only amber emitters are illuminated. In the case of supplementary binary white light, where the amber and blue emitters are used, blue and white light are produced easily by supplying energy selectively to the emitters. The emitters can be energized to produce a correspondence of the color of the light of the braking signal lamps and of the main turn signal on the vehicle. Another mirror of signals 2900 of multiple lamps is described in Figures 29a-29d. The illustrated signal mirror 2900 includes a mirror assembly 2901 (Figure 29b), having a lamp module 401 positioned to emit light through the transparent element 2906 by means of the window 2910 on the reflective surface 2908. The LED lamp 218 is connected to the circuit board 216 (not shown) and includes the dissipator 220. The LED lamp 218 is preferably of the type that emits red-orange light, amber light, color light of the primary signal lamp, or the like. It is contemplated that the LED lamp 218 may be attached to the conveyor 2911 using the quick disconnect connectors (not shown) formed integrally on the conveyor 2911 during the molding thereof, an adhesive, an adhesive cover, a mechanical fastener such as a screw or clips, mounted by fixing the heat sink to the transparent element 2906, or the like. The mirror assembly 2902 including the conveyor 2911, the transparent element 2906, the reflective surface 2908, and the LED lamp 218, are carried over the motor 208 (not shown), which is mounted to support the support bracket 204 , and mounted within the housing 2915 of the mirror body in the same manner as described above with respect to the signal mirror 100. The housing 2915 of the mirror body is molded of a clear polycarbonate, or other suitable transparent material. The internal surface of the mirror has a coating 2931, which is for example an opaque paint corresponding to the exterior color of the vehicle A. Those skilled in the art will recognize that this is a significantly different approach than that commonly used for the manufacture of housings for vehicles. Typically, a housing is painted on the exterior surface to match the color of the vehicle body. After the paint has dried, a clear coating is applied over the paint. A significant advantage for painting the interior surface of the housing of the mirror body is that scratching or fragmentation of the paint will not occur when the paint is on the interior surface. The prior art is subject to fragmentation or scratching when flying debris collides on the surface at high speed. Although such an event may lead to some minor surface damage to the housing of the mirror body, the surface damage may be removed by polishing. An additional advantage where the mirror includes lamps for projecting light through the housing is that windows such as windows 2930, 2932, 2934, and 2936 need only be provided in the coating of the paint. For example, the windows can be formed by applying a masking material, such as a tape, to the regions 2930, 2932, 2934, and 2936 of the window, prior to applying the coating of the paint to the inner surface of the housing of the window. mirror, and after applying the paint, removing the tape leaving the opening of the window. The LED lamps 2920, 2922, 2924, and 2926 can then be supported on the housing of the mirror body adjacent to the window, which will transmit the light outwardly through the housing of the transparent body. The housing 2915 of the mirror body can advantageously be formed by including one, or more, integral lens structures. For example, lenses 2933, 2935, and 2937 can be formed integrally with the transparent housing during the molding of the housing, at locations where it is desirable to mount the LED lamps, or alternatively, the lenses can be cut into the housing 2915 of the mirror body using any suitable conventional means, such as laser engraving after the housing is formed. The lenses will be described in greater detail here later with respect to the lamps with which they are used. An LED lamp 2920 is mounted adjacent to the internal surface of the mirror housing 2915 in the window 2930, which is aligned with the lens 2933. A LED lamp 2922 is mounted on the body 2915 of the mirror housing adjacent to the window 2932, which is aligned with the lens 2935. The LED lamps 2920 and 2022 are preferably fixed to the housing of the internal mirror using respectively mounting brackets and lamp holders 2940 and 2944. Each of the LED lamps 2920 and 2922 can be implemented using a respective 1800 lamp module, without the Peltier 1820 cooler (Figure 18). Accordingly, each of the LED lamps 2920, 2922 includes a heat removal element 400 (not shown) mounted directly against the rear wall 2942, 2945 of the bracket / lampholder 2940, 2944, respectively. Additionally, each of the LED lamps 2920, 2022 is connected to a respective connector 1802 (Figure 18). The respective conductors 1813 for each of the lamp sockets 1802 associated with each of the LED lamps 2920, 2922 are either connected to the controller 304 (Fig. 3) or directly to the control of the turn signal for the vehicle (e.g. the signal bar of the vehicle). The circuit 1400, 1500 for each of the LED lamps 2920, 2922 is mounted on its respective connector 1802. The LED lamps 218, 2920, and 2922 are preferably all connected to receive a common control signal, although they could be be connected to receive different control signals. In operation, the LED lamps 218, 2920, 2922 provide a repeater of the turn signal. The optical axes of maximum intensity of the three signal lamps are intentionally at substantially different angles. The substantial angles as used herein refer to angles that are at least 5 ° apart, and can be separated for example by a distance greater than 15 °. By providing such a distribution of light, the light source has a greater visibility over a wider viewing angle than can be achieved by a single lamp. Additionally, by spacing the lamps and orienting them to different angles, in combination with the use of the LED that has high power capabilities, from a distance the LEDs will look like they are going to be a single beam of light. The diffusion lenses 2933 and 2935 increase the viewing angle, and because the LED lamps 2920 and 2922 produce a very bright light, this light will be visible even under conditions of low ambient light.

More particularly, Figure 29d shows an isolumin graph for the LED lamps 218, 2920, and 2022 relative to a vehicle A. As can be seen there, the LED lamp 218 produces a high intensity distribution 2960 around the optical axis of maximum intensity 2916, which is easily visible within the observation angle C. The LED lamp 2920 produces the light that is scattered by the lens 2933 leading to a wider intensity distribution 2961 around the optical axis of maximum intensity 2917. The LED lamp 2922 similarly produces a light which is scattered by the lens 2935 leading to a distribution of the light intensity 2962 around the optical axis of maximum intensity 2918. In these isoluminic graphs, the line 2960 represents points at which the intensity of the light emitted by the LED lamp 218 is in particular of an identical intensity. Similarly, line 2961 represents the points at which the intensity of the light emitted by the LED lamp 2920 is in particular of equal intensity. Line 2962 represents the points at which the intensity of the light emitted by LED lamp 2922 is in particular of identical intensity. It will be recognized that the isoluminic chart for the combined LED lamps could be different because the light from the lamps could be added. However, as can be seen from the distribution, LED lamps 218, 2910, and 2922 produce a distribution of light that is visible from 180 ° around the 2900 mirror. This distribution can be improved by providing the LED lamp 2922 with slightly different optical devices and / or moving the LED lamp 2922 further toward the front of the housing 2915 of the mirror body such that the LED lamps 2920 and 2922 are spaced apart. Additionally, if desired, the LED lamp 218 may be a low power LED lamp or a set of LED lamps that emit light through a plurality of openings or a dichroic mirror. Additionally, more than two LED lamps can be used on the body of the mirror housing. However, the high power LED lamp having a heat extraction element described in the United States of America Patent Application No. 09 / 426,795 makes it possible for a single LED lamp on the housing of the mirror body be used with a lamp in the mirror, such LED lamp 218 or any incandescent lamp or conventional LED visible from the rear, to provide a repeater of the signal visible from a significantly wider angle, so that the requirements are met legal for signal repeaters in countries that require a wide viewing angle.

The LED lamp 2924 is mounted "on the front of the housing 2915 of the body of the mirror, and is turned towards the front of the vehicle.The LED lamp can produce high power infrared (IR) light for a communication system or a system of camera, the light for a repeater of the braking / turning light, or any other desired light.The lamp is positioned to emit light through the window 2934 of the mirror housing 2915. The IR LED lamp 2924 can produce IR light that can be used by an external camera during low ambient light conditions, and strong IR emissions will increase the operating range of the camera.Another advantageous use is in the IR transceiver applications such as communication systems of IR, where the intensity of the IR radiation will have a direct impact on the quality of the communication signal, and consequently on the reliability of the communication link It is an exemplary vehicle application that uses the high power LED where the quality of the reliable communication signal is important, it is the pay toll booth for the passage of the car where a toll payment is made without stopping. Using a high-power LED lamp increases the range of the IR link and makes communication more reliable: it increases the amount of time the vehicle can be in communication with the equipment for collection of toll payment and significantly reduces the probability that the toll collection will not occur. It is further contemplated that the emitters that produce the visible light and the emitters that produce the IR light can be mounted on the same LED lamp 2924 and provided with separate controls such that the LED lamp 2924 can be controlled to produce a visible light for signage and / or lighting purposes and IR light for communication and / or lighting purposes. The LED lamp 2926 (Figure 29c) is mounted at the same level as the window 2936 on the inner surface of the lower wall of the housing 2915 of the mirror body. The LED lamp 2926 is a lamp for illuminating puddles that produces light directed down to illuminate an area under the mirror, and preferably adjacent to the door of vehicle A. The LED lamp 2926 can be placed anywhere along the length of the mirror housing, and therefore can be placed anywhere between the mirror pillar and the far end of the mirror which is remote from the automobile. It can thus be observed that a high degree of flexibility in the location of the LED lamps on the mirror housing is allowed. This LED lamp is preferably a high power white light LED lamp, and more advantageously an LED lamp having a heat removal element positioned against a 2950 heat sink. The LED lamp 2926 makes butt contact with the inner surface of the housing 2915 aligned with the lens 2937. The lens 2937 is a large radius lens that illuminates a wide illumination area. The LED lamp may be mounted to the inner surface of the mirror housing body using any suitable means, such as a transparent adhesive (not shown), a mechanical fastener such as integrally molded quick disconnect connectors or screws, or brackets fixed to the housing 2915. Each of the LED lamps 2920, 2922, 2924 and 2926 can be mounted to a bracket 2940, 2944, 2946, 2948, which is mounted in turn to the inner part of the housing 2915 of the body of the mirror. The mounting bracket or lamp holders 2940, 2944, 2946, 2948 are fixed to the internal surface of the mirror housing body using an adhesive, a mechanical fastener such as a quick disconnect connector molded integrally with the mounting bracket or housing 2915 of the body of the mirror, or similar. The mounting bracket can be molded from an organic polymer, stamped from a metal or metal alloy, or manufactured by any other suitable means. It is contemplated that the mounting bracket may be integrally formed with the body 2915 of the mirror housing. In the illustrated embodiment, the rear walls 2942 and 2945 are thermally conductive, but do not conduct electricity. It is contemplated that where the brackets are molded of a dielectric material, a thermally conductive material may be interspersed in the non-conductive material to provide a thermal path through the rear wall 2942, 2945. For example, the plastic bracket may be impregnated with metal fragments, such as pieces of copper. The bracket, or lampholder, 2948 may include a hole through which a heat sink 2950 protrudes. The heat sink 2950 may be implemented for example using the heat sink 1704 illustrated in Figure 17. Brackets / lampholders 2940, 2944, 2946 and 2948 provide an enclosure that seals the LED modules against moisture, dirt, and the like. Additionally, the brackets / lamp holders may be opaque to prevent ambient light from passing from the interior surface through the windows 2930, 2932, 2934 and 2936 in such a way as to be visible from the exterior of the mirror. The brackets / lamp holders are mounted to the interior surface of the mirror housing using an adhesive, adhesive tape, a fastener, or any other suitable means. In operation, the LED lamps 218, 2920, and 2922 form a repeater of the turn signal which reproduces a scintillation light synchronized with the primary turn signal on the vehicle. The repeater of the turn signal can be optionally illuminated with a continuous light to repeat a braking light on the vehicle if desired. The LED lamp 2924 can be connected to an IR communication system associated with vehicle A to provide a high power IR transmitter. The heat extraction element and the heat sink make it possible for the IR transmitter to produce a very strong communication signal. Finally, the light 2926 for illuminating the puddles in the housing 2915 can be used in place of, or in addition to, the LED lamp 201 to illuminate puddles (Figure 2). The lamp to illuminate puddles 2926 is thus lit in response to a proximity detector, a keyless entry signal, remote control, manual operation of the door handle, vehicle shutdown, or the like, and can be switched off automatically after a predetermined period of time has elapsed. An interior signal mirror 3000 is described in Figures 30 and 31. The interior signal mirror 3000 is of the type that produces information in the window 3002 of a mirror 3004. The mirror 3004 can be of any type of mirror, such as that described in Figures 7 and 9-13, and can advantageously be an electrochromic mirror. The information displayed can be any information useful to the driver, such as the tire pressure information if the vehicle includes an automatic tire pressure system or the vehicle heading information. The exemplary screen 3002 generates signals indicating whether the vehicle is heading toward the N (north), S (south), E (east) or W (west), or combinations thereof such as the NE (northeast) illustrated. The electrochromic mirror can be implemented using any suitable electrochromic mirror. The images on the screen 3002 can be generated by a backlight liquid crystal display (LCD) 3100 (Figure 31), which is for example an addressable LCD, reversibly. The LCD is controlled to generate the images acting as a shutter to selectively block the passage of light through it. The background illumination is thus used to project a bright light in those areas where the LCD does not dim the light. The LCD operates in this way to generate graphic images, alpha numerical images, and even video images or illustrations.

The LCD 3100 is mounted to the rear surface of the electrochromic mirror element 3004 using transparent optical coupling means 3102. In particular, the optical coupling means is a clear pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA), such as that commercially available adhesive No. 4910 of 3M, the epoxy or silicone for curing with ultraviolet light (UV), or a thermoplastic PVB laminate having a refractive index of about 1.5, which is substantially matched with the refractive index of the transparent element 3004 of the third surface. A 3106 transmission diffuser is optionally mounted below the LCD to diffuse the light produced by the high power LED lamp 2220. This allows the placement of the LED lamp 2220 near the LCD panel 3100, which is necessary where the mirror 3000 does not have much depth below the LCD 3000 panel. The LED lamp 2220 can have a 3110 lens with a large radius. Alternatively, a flat lens 3200 LED lamp (Figure 32), which will produce a scattered light due to the wide beam of light resulting from the flat surface 3201, can be used to illuminate the LCD. As mentioned above, it is contemplated that the lens will have a very large diameter, such that the lens provides some focus of the radiation emitted by it, but will still scatter the light over the entire area of the LCD panel 3100. Combining such Relatively focused light with a soft 3106 diffuser will ensure that the entire area of the LCD panel is illuminated and that the produced image will be bright and easily observable even through an electrochromic mirror that includes a translating window. The emitters (not shown) in the LED lamp 2220 can be selected to produce any desired color, and thus they can produce a white light, or the light of a color identical to the color of the interior lights of the vehicle, which can be Some color different from white, such as dyed red-orange, blue, yellow or similar before. The LED lamp 3110 (Figure 31) is mounted in a common housing with the mirror 3004. The LED lamp can be mounted for example to the inner housing by conventional means, such as integral mounting brackets, quick disconnect connectors, adhesives, one or more screws, or similar. The mirror 3000 (Figure 30) can advantageously include the lamps for illuminating maps 3012 and 3014 located at the bottom of the mirror to illuminate the front seat of the vehicle A. The lamps for illuminating maps are advantageously implemented using a high power LED having a heat sink which can be mounted in a very small volume within the mirror housing 3009. In particular, the lamp for illuminating maps 3014 can be implemented using a non-prismatic optical assembly according to the United States patent application America No. 09 / 109,527, entitled "Optical Assembly for Semiconductor Lighting Device Illuminator", filed July 2, 1998, by John Roberts et al., The description of which is incorporated for reference thereto. The lamp for illuminating maps 3012 can be implemented using the prismatic optical assembly described in U.S. No. 09 / 109,527. More preferably, the optical assemblies are modified to accommodate one or more LED lamps with heat removal elements as described below with respect to Figures 41 and 42. Some additional components and assemblies for the vehicles will now be described with respect to a vehicle 3300 illustrated in Figure 33 and vehicle 3400 illustrated in Figure 34. Vehicles include a large number of lamps, any and all of which may advantageously employ LED lamps that have a heat sink to produce a light brighter than what can be produced with conventional LEDs. In particular, vehicle 3300 includes a lateral signal mirror 100 for the driver and a lateral signal mirror 3302 for the passenger. The side mirror 100 for the driver is as described in detail, in various embodiments, hereinabove, and includes a lamp for illuminating puddles 201 and window 223 through which an LED lamp emits light. The side mirror 3302 for the passenger can be implemented using a side mirror for the conventional passenger, such as a spherical mirror, and additionally includes a 3303 window for the signal lamp for the passage of emissions from an LED lamp ( not shown) and a light to illuminate the puddles 3304. The lamps of the signal mirror 3302 and the window 3303 can be identical to the LED lamps 218, 201 and the window 223 of the signal mirror 100, and can be implemented for example according to any of the modalities described here. A CHMSL 3306 is illustrated located on the rear of the vehicle 3300 mounted adjacent to the rear window, although it could be located to emit light through the rear window 3308, or on the hood or rear flap in the case of a car . It will be recognized that the CHMSL which uses the LED lamps of the heat sink is uniquely capable of producing from a few LED lamps a bright light having a desired light path through the privacy crystals of the types commonly used in vehicles, such crystals detrimentally attenuate the light of less powerful lamps. A rear view mirror 3000 is placed inside the vehicle and mounted in a conventional manner such as being fixed to the windshield or the upper end of the vehicle. The vehicle also includes the taillights / brake lamps 3310, the signal lamps for the turn 3312, and the lights of the backup equipment 3314. An illuminator of the plate of the license plate 3316 is placed on the rear hatch adjacent to the sheet metal of registration number 3318. A vehicle 3400 includes the signal mirrors 100, 3302, the brake lights 3310 ', the signals for rotation 3312', the lights of the reserve equipment 3314 ', and a CHMSL 3406. The vehicle also includes the lights for load 3404 and 3408 to illuminate the vehicle's platform (illustrated vehicle 3400 is a truck), and as illustrated, the CHMSL 3406 and charging lights are integrated into a 3402 lamp assembly. More particularly, as Shown in Figure 15, CHMSL 3306 includes housing 3500 (Figure 35). The housing is illustrated as an elongated box, but can be configured in any way desired by the vehicle designer. The housing 3500 may be of any suitable conventional fabrication, such as molding an organic polymer. LED lamps 3502-3505 are mounted on a printed circuit board 3506 that is mounted on the 3500 housing using a mechanical fastener, an adhesive, or any other suitable mechanism. An optional element 3508, is illustrated as a substantially flat, rectangular opaque cover, shaped to extend over the entire opening of the housing except for the lens portion of the LED lamps 3502-3505. The element 3508 can be, for example, a molded black plastic part, paper, or optionally a reflector of a fabrication similar to that used to manufacture a scintillating light reflector of the type that extends around the scintillating light lamp. If the element 3508 is a reflector, it will be recognized that the element will be shaped to reflect the light of the LED lamps 3502-3505 forward through a lens 3509. The lens 3509 is placed on the housing and extends over the opening in it to operate with the LED lamps to create a desired light path for the CHMSL 3306 as described in more detail here below. The lens can be made of a clear or colored material, or it can be for example a transparent acrylic or polycarbonate. With continuous reference to Figure 35, the LED lamps 3502-3505 are preferably high power LEDE lamps of the type including a heat extraction element 3510-3513. Each of the LED lamps 3502-3505 can advantageously have one or more red-orange light emitters (e.g., 3604 in Figure 36) mounted on the heat removal elements 3510-3513. The emitters for each LED lamp are placed to radiate light through a 3514-3517 lens. The lens has a radius of curvature that produces a beam of light focused moderately. The heat removal element 3512-3513 of each LED lamp is placed on a respective heat sink 3520-3523. The heat sinks can be etched with a conductive layer of the 3506 circuit board using the conventional etching techniques of circuits, particularly where the circuit board has conductive layers on both sides thereof, or the heatsinks Heat can be formed by coating the substrate of the circuit board to form a thermally conductive plate on the outer surface of the dielectric substrate. The electric cables 3525-3527 (only numbered for one of the LED lamps to reduce grouping in the drawing) of the LED lamps 3502-3505 are bent so that they extend through the tracks in the 3506 circuit board, and can be electrically connected to the circuits 3612 (FIG. 36) mounted surface to the rear of the circuit board 3506. The cables 3525-3527 are electrically coupled to the circuits 3612 by the circuit traces recorded with the acid in the conductive layer on the back of the circuit board by conventional means. Circuits 3612 may implement for example circuit 1400, 1500. Lens 3509 is preferably a spherical or cylindrical surface of large radius. The lens can be colored or clear. To be similar to CHMSL 3306, circuits 3612 (Figure 36) and LED lamps 3502-3505 are mounted on opposite sides of board 3506. In particular, the exposed surface of the heat removal element on the underside of each of the LED lamps 3502-3505 is in juxtaposition with a respective heat sink 3520-3523 on the printed circuit board, and the wires 3525-3527 for each lamp are soldered on the board. The circuit board is snapped into the connectors 3600, 3602, two of which are shown, but it will be recognized that more than two connectors can be provided, the actual number depends on the rigidity and size of the board. The cover 3508 is preferably elastic, such that it can be bent slightly and inserted between the projection lugs 3614 and 3616 and when released it will be retained by the lugs 3600, 3602 in the housing. A respective aperture 3536-3539 is aligned with each lens 3514-3517 for the light produced by the LEDs to pass through. The optional lens 3509 is mounted to the housing 3500 using a mechanical fastener, a quick disconnect connection, an adhesive, or the like. The lens closes the housing, providing some environmental protection against insects and dirt. The requirements of the CHMSL about the candles emitted at different angles are represented by Figure 37. The center, C, that at 0 °, 0 ° on the map or graph, and represents the candelas emitted completely from the center of the CHMSL. The central crossing represents the candles emitted 5 ° up and 5 ° down from the center, and 5 ° to the left and 5 ° to the right of the center. The U-shaped area on the left includes the points 5 ° to the left and 5 ° to the bottom, 10 ° to the left and 5 ° down, 10 ° to the left, 10 ° to the left and 5 ° to above, and 5 ° to the left and 5 ° to the top. The U-shaped area to the right of the center crossing includes the points on the right that correspond to the points on the left. The tape or strip through the top includes the points 10 ° up from the center at 5 ° intervals from 10 ° to the left to 10 ° to the right. The number of each axis on the graph represents the candles (cd) that are required to be emitted in each direction, and the actual emission must be at least 60% of the number given for each point. Thus, emissions in a straight direction from the center of the CHMSL must be at least 25 candelas. An additional requirement is that the sum of area 1 must be at least 125 cd, the sum of the points within area 2 must be greater than 98 cd, the sum of the points in area 3 must be at least 98 cd , and the sum of the points within area 4 must be at least 32 cd. An additional requirement is that the minimum area of the CHMSL must be at least 29.03 cm2 (4.5 inches2). Another requirement is that the total yield is not greater than 130 cd at an angle greater than 0.25 ° from any of the measuring points in the field that extends from 10 ° to 5 ° down, from 10 ° to the left to 10 on the right. The maxima are measured within 60 seconds of an "ON" event within a temperature range of 18 ° to 38 ° C. The minima are measured in thermal equilibrium or 30 minutes, whichever comes first, with the ambient temperature within the temperature range from 18 ° to 38 ° C. An isoluminic emission graph using an LED lamp with dual red-orange integrated light circuit implemented in accordance with U.S. Patent Application No. 09 / 426,795, which is incorporated herein by reference, is incorporated herein by reference. described in Figure 38. In particular, the graph is for an LED lamp whose emitter is a cube, the lens has a radius of 2.5 mm, the center 0.4 mm below the top of the body curve, the aperture is of 4.9356 mm at the top of the cube, the cube is 3.8 mm in height, and the distance from the top of the cube to the base of the lens is 2.77 mm. The lighting profile of this LED lamp is illustrated in Figure 39. As can be seen from Figures 38 and 39, the focused performance is directional. Having an intensity of approximately 13 cd at an observation angle of 0 ° and falling or decreasing to 0 cd at angles above 45 °. The intensity is approximately 8 cd at an angle of 10 ° to the left or right. The intensity is about 11 cd at an angle of about 10 ° up. Because the performance of the LED lamps will be additive, it can be seen that a pair of such LEDs can be used to produce the intensity of the required CHMSL signal. The LED lamp from which the graph was taken, was mounted on a circuit board, with the top layer of the circuit board providing a heat sink. Providing four LEDs thus enables redundancy, and a significant amount of flexibility is allowed in the implementation of the CHMSL. In particular, the power supply to the LED can be reduced, LEDs from a single integrated circuit can be used instead of dual integrated circuit LEDs, and the CHMSL having only four LED lamps can be placed under the dark privacy glass and still produce the intensity of the light required. The performance can be increased further by improving the heat sink. With reference to Figures 40a and 40b, the CHMSL and the lamp assembly for the load 3402 (Figure 34) includes the circuit board 4000 in the housing 4002. The LED lamps 4004 and 4005 provide illumination for the lamp for the load 3404 on the left side. The LED lamps 4006-4009 provide the lighting for the CHMSL 3406. The LED lamps 4010 and 4011 provide the lighting for the load lamp 3408 on the right side. Each of the LED lamps can be implemented using an LED lamp that has a heat extraction element. The LED lamps are mounted in the same manner as described above with respect to CHMSL 3306 (Figure 35), each of the LED lamps has a heat removal element placed on a heat sink 4020-4027 located on a surface of the printed circuit board. The LED lamps 4004, 4005, 4010 and 4011 preferably direct light downward to the vehicle platform 3400 (Figure 34), while the CHMSL LED lamps emit light as described above with respect to Figure 37. It is contemplated that this downwardly directed illumination will be provided using optical means where the LED lamps 4004, 4005, 4010 and 4011 of the charging light are mounted in parallel, such as on a common circuit board with the CHMSL 4006 lamps. -4009 An example of an optical assembly that can be used will be described with respect to Figures 41 and 42. The mounting of the charging lamp 3402 (Figure 40a) includes the LED lamps 4004-4011 as mentioned above. An alternative mounting arrangement of the LED lamps 4004-4011 will be described with respect to the LED lamp 4004 in Figure 40b. The LED lamps 4005-4011 can be mounted in the same way as the LED lamp 4004, or all or a portion of the LED lamps 4004-4011 can be mounted in the same way as the LED lamps 3502-3505 . The LED lamp 4004 (Figure 40b) includes: a 4030 heat sink plate; an electrical insulator layer 4032; the circuit board 4000 'having a dielectric substrate layer 4036 and a conductive layer 4034; and a layer that does not conduct electricity 4038, thermally conductive. Circuit board 4000 'in this arrangement includes a hole cut in the mounting position for each of the LED lamps 4004-4011. Each of the holes is preferably larger than the heat removal element 4040 of each of the LED lamps. Each of the LED lamps is mounted to the circuit board on an electronically non-conducting side thereof, with the cables bent at 90 ° for insertion into the tracks on the circuit board. The cables are electrically connected to the conductors in the conductor layer 4034 of the PCB 4000 ', such conductors are formed by etching the conductive layer 4034 or the application of a conductive ink to the substrate layer 4038, or the application of a coating driver, or similar. A layer 4038 of electrically conductive, thermally conductive, elastic material is inserted into the opening below the LED lamp. The layer 4038 may be provided using a preformed thermal coupler such as a cut resistant material, based on silicon, available from Bergquist, and identified as Silipad 600. Two sides of the material 4038 may have an adhesive applied thereto, such as so that it sticks to the LED lamp and the circuit board or the heat sink plate 4030. Additionally, a screw (not shown), such as a nylon screw, can be inserted through the heat removal element and the board, and is retained in place when tightened into a threaded opening in the heat dissipating plate 4030 or received in a bolt (not shown). Where the board is 0.1574 cm (0.062 inches) thick, and the Silipad is 0.022 cm (0.009 inches) thick, the bolt and screw can be used to squeeze the LED lamp, layer 4038, and the plate in coupling. The thermally conductive material may include a thermally conductive adhesive coating for bonding the layer to the heat removal element 4040. An electrical insulator layer 4032 is coated on the heat dissipating plate 4030, at least in those regions of the heat removal element that otherwise they could make contact with the conductive layer of the circuit board 4034. The insulating coating can be any suitable dielectric material, and can be for example porcelain, powder, a suitable polymeric adhesive, or the like. Although the hole in the board, and the heat removal element, are preferably larger than the heat removal element 4040, to provide the maximum amount of heat transfer through the board to board 4030, they can be be smaller A smaller opening could be provided to allow mounting of the LED lamp extraction element to the surface of the circuit board for example.

Another alternative mounting arrangement for LED lamps 4004-4011 and LED lamps 3502-3505 is illustrated in Figures 40c and 40d. This alternative mounting arrangement is described with reference to the CHMSL and the lamp assembly for the load 3402. It will be recognized that the arrangement of Figure 40c is applicable to the lamps of CHMSL 3502-3505 and 4006-4007, while the arrangement of Figure 40d produces the desired downward projection illumination for the LED lamps 4004, 4005, 4010, and 4011. In this alternative mounting arrangement, the circuit board 4060 is mounted in the housing 4002 generally orthogonal with respect to the LED lamps from CHMSL 4006-4009. Cables 4041, 4041 ', 4043, 4043', 4045, and 4045 '(Figure 40a) (numbered only for lamp 4004 and 4006 to improve the reading ability of the drawing) of LED lamps 4004-4011 can be inserted thus in the boards using the conventional automatic radial insertion equipment. As illustrated in Figure 40c, the LED lamps 4006-4009 are mounted to a heat sink 4070 using a suitable adhesive, such as a thermally conductive adhesive. The heat sink is supported on the housing 4002 by the legs 4072, 4074. The legs are fixed to the housing 4002 by the legs 4076, 4078, which can be mounted using any suitable conventional means such as a fastener, an adhesive, or similar. The heat sink is of any suitable construction and material having a low thermal resistance and providing a heat dissipation path from the emitter of the LED lamp to the environment, and may for example be stamped from a metal , such as copper, aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or molded from a thermally conductive material, or the like. The LED lamps 4004, 4005, 4010, and 4011 of the charge light are mounted at a downward angle as illustrated in Figure 40d. The downward directed angle is provided by bending the cables 4041, 4043 and 4045 in such a way that the LED lamps can be focused on the vehicle platform 3400. The LED lamps 4004, 4005, 4010 and 4011 include a 4080 heat sink. mounted directly thereto, and are supported on a reflector 4082 used to focus the light on the desired illumination region of the vehicle platform 3400. the reflector can be of any suitable construction, such as of a molded organic polymer having a chromium coating, or any conventional construction such as those used to make scintillating light reflectors. As you can see, the LED lamp and the reflector are directed downwards. The reflector may be mounted to the encapsulating material of the LED lamp, the housing 4002, and / or the lens 3509 ', and such assemblies may be made using an adhesive, an adhesive tape, a mechanical connector such as a quick disconnect connector or a screw, or similar. The 3509 'lens is implemented using a cylindrical or spherical element, large radius, transparent to the wavelength of interest, and can be a clear transparent element through its full length if the LED lamps 4006-4009 include the elements of red-orange light or red light. For example, the lens 3509 'may be molded of a clear polymeric material, such as an acrylic, and may include a diffusion surface on the outer side of the element. An advantage of using a clear 3509 'lens with the red LEDs is that the area of the braking lamp will be clear when not illuminated by the LEDs and red when it is illuminated, thereby providing a significant contrast between the illuminated and not illuminated A disadvantage to the clear element is that some observers expect the braking light to be red when it is not illuminated. Accordingly, the lens can be clear on the charging lamp 3404, 3408 and red on the CHMSL 3406 area. An optical assembly 4100 is illustrated in Figures 41 and 42 which can be used to produce charge lamps directed towards below from LED lamps 4004, 4005, 4010, 4011 of Figure 40a, or lights for map 3012, 3014 of Figure 30. Optical mounting 4100 is used with a high power LED lamp 4102. The optical assembly is described in copending United States of America Patent Application No. 09 / 109,527, although it is modified here to accommodate the high power LED lamp including a heat extraction element. The LED lamp 4102 includes an emitter 4104 mounted on a top flat surface of the heat extraction element 4106. The heat extraction element 4106 is mounted flat on the circuit board 4110. The heat extraction element 4106 is juxtaposed with the layer 4112 of the heat sink on the substrate 4114 of the circuit board 4110. The emitter 4104 is covered by a transparent encapsulating material 4108, which is preferably cylindrical to be accommodated within the TIR 4117, 4202. In particular, the optical assembly includes one or more collimator lenses 4116, 4020 (two are shown), one or more TIR lenses 4117, 4202 (two are shown) and a prism 4118. The collimator lens and the TIR lens direct irradiated light from transmitter 4104 forward, and the prism redirects the light to the desired angle. The outlet surface 4130 of the optical assembly is preferably a diffuser. The emitter 4104 can be an integrated phosphor LED circuit which produces the white light, an LED which uses red, green, and blue light elements, or complementary binary LED emitters. A respective LED lamp is placed in each TIR 4116, 4202. It will be recognized that the optical assembly 4100, including the prism 4118, will be used for the light of the map 3014, while the prism is omitted for the lamp of the map 3012. Prism 4118 can be non-prismatic by changing the angle of the surface 4130 extending orthogonally with respect to the light rays produced by the 4116 (Fig. 41) and the TIR 4117. Additionally, the lamps for the 3012, 3014 map they can each be implemented using a single LED lamp, such that only half of the 4100 optical assembly could be provided, or two or more LED lamps using the full 4100 optical assembly. It will be recognized that the optical assembly accommodates three or more LED lamps by adding a column lens and the TIR over a longer housing for each additional LED lamp. An isoluminic emission graph for a complementary, binary white light lamp, implemented in accordance with US Patent Application Serial No. 09 / 426,795 which is incorporated herein for reference, is illustrated in FIG. 43. In particular, the graph is for an LED lamp with a lens that has a radius of 4.25 mm. The lighting profile of this LED lamp is illustrated in Figure 44. The LED lamp is mounted on a circuit board with a conductive layer that provides a heat sink. It can be seen that two such LED lamps will produce sufficient illumination. With additional heat dissipation, the LED lamp can produce significantly more light. A lamp assembly 4500 (Figures 45-47) that can be used to implement a light for the dome, a light for braking, a turn signal, a license plate illuminator, or any other light module for the vehicle. The lamp assembly includes a housing 4502 having an integral lampholder 4504 for receiving a lamp 4506. The sidewalls 4510-4513 circumscribe the lampholder and extend it upward to define a rectangular aperture. The LED lamp 4506 can be implemented using any suitable high power LED, and is preferably implemented using a high power LED lamp having an integral heat extraction element, and can be implemented according to the patent application of United States of America No. 09 / 426,795. The LED lamp includes a heat extraction element 4520, an emitter (4602, Figure 46) conveyed on the heat extraction element, and an encapsulating material 4522 covering the emitter. The electrical cables 4523, 4524 extend outwardly from the encapsulating material and are bent downwardly for connection to the contacts 4530, 4531. The lampholder 4504 includes the openings 4532-4535 for each of the four cables (only two of the which are visible) on the LED lamp and the respective contacts (only two of which 4530, 4531 are shown) into which the cables are inserted. The contacts 4530, 4531 are mounted on a circuit board 4540, which may include for example the contact pads 4542-4545 to which the respective contacts are connected (only 4530, 4531 are shown). The components 4552 of the circuit are connected to the circuit board on a lower surface, and in particular can be surface mounted according to conventional techniques. When fully assembled, contacts 4530, 4531 retain the LED lamp 4506 inside the lamp holder as best shown in Figure 47. A 4550 reflective coating (Figure 46) is applied to the inner surface of the side walls 4510-4513 . This coating and / or the housing can be made of a thermally conductive material that extends inside the lamp holder to provide a large heat dissipating element for the LED lamp 4506. The heat removal element of the LED lamp 4506 is mounted in juxtaposition with the heat removal element to facilitate the removal of heat from the emitter of the LED lamp. A diffusion lens 4604 is mounted to the housing 4502. The lens can be manufactured in accordance with conventional, known techniques, and can be molded, for example, from a transparent polycarbonate or acrylic. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the shape of the housing 4502 can be altered to provide the appropriate size for the application. Additionally, for an application such as the plate license plate illuminators, the reflector and the lens can be small and shaped to have a low profile. The illuminators of the license plate are shaped to direct the light on the license plate while blocking the light from being radiated directly out from the rear of the vehicle. It will further be recognized that the lamp can be assembled to include more than one lampholder 4504, or the lampholder may have a space to receive more than one lamp. In any case, more than one lamp can be accommodated inside the lampholder so that more light can be produced. A reducing circuit is described in Figure 48. The reducing circuit provides a regulated current to the LED lamps of the CHMSL, the lamp to illuminate the puddles, the light to illuminate the map, the illuminator of the plate of the license plate, the lamp of the turn signal, the light for the reserve equipment, the lamp for braking, or any other lamp in the vehicle. The circuit is described in co-pending United States of America Patent Application No. 09 / 426,794 entitled "POWER SUPPLY FOR ELECTROCHROMIC MIRRORS IN HIGH VOLTAGE AUTOMOTIVE POWER SYSTEMS" and filed on October 22, 1999, by Robert Turnbull, the description of which is incorporated for reference here. Circuit 4800 preferably differs from the circuit of the other application from the United States of America by the inclusion of bypass transistors Q5 and Q6, and the value of capacitor C5. In particular, transistors Q5 and Q6 are connected in parallel with respect to emitters D7 and D8. These emitters can be, for example, binary complementary LED integrated circuits selected in such a way that together they produce a white light. Alternatively, they may be of different colors selected in such a way that together they produce a desired color, or they may be two integrated circuits that produce light of the same color. The current controller 4802 generates control signals that are input to the bypass transistors Q5 and Q6 to dynamically adjust the output thereof. By selecting a capacitor value small enough for the output capacitor C5, the bypass transistors can be used to turn off the LED lamp 218 '. Additionally, bypass transistors Q5 and Q6 can be used to adjust the current in each of the emitters, diverting the current in a parallel branch path through the transistors. Additionally, one or both of the transistors Q5 and Q6 can be turned off so that the full current flows through the respective LED emitter connected in parallel thereto. The controller can thus control the current by means of the transistor switches and the LED lamps. This is advantageous where it may be desirable to flash the LEDs in response to a control signal generated by the controller 304 in Figure 3, instead of control of the vehicle's turn signal, in an application such as a repeater of the Turn signal of the signal mirror. Additionally, the light output of the LED lamp 218 'used for an illuminator can be controlled at a desired intensity, either in response to manual control by a user or automatically to produce an "opera" effect where the lights fade gradually when the lamps are off. Another application where the control of the independent LED emitter is desirable is where it is necessary to change the color of the LED lamp. Where two or more LED colored integrated circuits are used differently in a single LED lamp, the current input to each of the LED lamps can be varied independently to change the color emitted by the LED lamp . For example, white light can be produced from the lamp under one condition and the colored light can be produced under another condition. By selecting the emitters of the amber and blue light, for example, both emitters can be energized to produce a complementary binary light while only one of the LED lamps can be illuminated to produce a blue or amber light. In these and other applications, independent current control can be provided for emitters connected in series. The use of binary complementary emitters to produce white light is described in U.S. Patent No. 5,803,579, entitled ILLUMINATOR ASSEMBLY INCORPORATING LIGHT EMITTING DIODES, issued to Roberts et al., On September 8, 1998, description of which is incorporated herein for reference thereto.

Although the described 4800 circuit is for the series connected emitters, those skilled in the art will recognize that the circuit can be modified to also accommodate the common cathode LED lamps. For common cathode emitters, transistors Q5 and Q6 could be connected in series with the respective emitters as opposed to the parallel connection shown. Additionally, the emitters can be provided by connecting a plurality of emitters in parallel in place of the emitter 1502 and / or 1504. The lamp housings described throughout this application can be made of a thermally conductive material. It is contemplated that the housing for lamps 3306, 3406 and 4500, for example, may be molded using thermally conductive polymeric materials described hereinbefore, such as those commercially available from ChipCoolers, Inc., of Warwick, Rhode Island. The heat removal element of the LED lamps can then be mounted directly to the housing to implement an effective heat sink without additional components. Alternatively, the housing can be thermally conductive to help increase heat dissipation from the lamp assemblies even where other heat dissipation techniques are used.

Although the invention has been described in detail here in accordance with certain embodiments thereof, many changes and modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the high power LED lamp that includes a heat extraction element may be employed in mirror structures such as those of U.S. Patent Nos. 5,497,306; 5,361,190; and 5,788,357, the descriptions of which are incorporated herein for reference, to significantly improve the operation thereof. Additionally, although these devices are described in vehicle applications, the lamps described herein have equal application to the home, industrial, business, and other environments, and consequently the lamp assemblies described herein will find a multitude of applications. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims and not in the manner of the details and instrumentation describing the embodiments described herein. It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known to the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is that which is clear from the present description of the invention.

Claims (139)

1. CLAIMS Having described the invention as above, the content of the following claims is claimed as a priority: 1. A signal mirror, characterized in that it comprises: a mirror; and a high power LED lamp placed close to the mirror, the high power LED lamp includes a heat extraction element, at least one emitter placed on the heat extraction element, and two or more electric cables having a higher thermal resistance than the heat removal element electrically coupled to the emitter, and wherein the LED lamp is positioned to produce a visible signal.
2. 2. The signal mirror according to claim 1, characterized in that the mirror includes a reflecting surface having at least one window, the LED lamp is positioned to emit light through at least one window.
3. 3. The signal mirror according to claim 2, characterized in that at least one window has a higher transmittance than the other regions of the reflecting surface.
4. 4. The signal mirror according to claim 3, characterized in that at least one window is shaped to provide a directional indicator.
5. 5. The signal mirror according to claim 4, characterized in that at least one window includes a plurality of openings that together provide a directional indicator.
6. 6. The signal mirror according to claim 2, characterized in that the window includes one or more layers of material that are partially transmitting and reflecting.
7. The signal mirror according to claim 6, characterized in that one or more layers comprise metals, oxides or metal oxides.
8. The signal mirror according to claim 7, characterized in that one or more layers comprise a dichroic coating and the LED lamp is placed to generate light once it has passed through the dichroic coating.
9. The signal mirror according to claim 2, characterized in that the window comprises an interleaved reflector material and openings.
10. The signal mirror according to claim 1, characterized in that the mirror is an electrochromic mirror and the LED lamp is positioned to transmit a visual signal through the electrochromic mirror.
11. The signal mirror according to claim 1, characterized in that the mirror includes one or more layers of material that are partially transmitting and reflecting.
12. 12. The signal mirror according to claim 11, characterized in that one or more layers comprise metals, oxides or metal oxides.
13. The signal mirror according to claim 12, characterized in that one or more layers comprise a dichroic coating and the LED lamp is positioned to generate the light once it has passed through the dichroic coating.
14. 14. The signal mirror according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a bevel around at least a portion of the perimeter of the mirror, wherein the high power LED lamp is positioned to transmit a visual signal through the bevel .
15. 15. The signal mirror according to claim 14, characterized in that the LED lamp transmits a visual signal through the bezel by means of a light tube.
16. 16. The signal mirror according to claim 1, characterized in that it also includes a diverting film and wherein the high power LED lamp is placed to emit light through the diverting film to obtain an optical axis of maximum output intensity at An angle from 0 to 70 °.
17. 17. The signal mirror according to claim 16, characterized in that it also includes a holographic optical element (HOE), wherein the high power LED lamp is placed to emit light through the HOE to obtain an optical axis of Maximum output intensity at an angle from 0 to 70 °.
18. 18. The signal mirror according to claim 16, characterized in that it also includes a grid, and wherein the high power LED lamp is positioned to emit light through the grid to obtain an optical axis of maximum output intensity at an angle of 0 to 70 °.
19. 19. The signal mirror according to claim 16, characterized in that it also includes a prism, and wherein the high power LED lamp is placed to emit light through the prism to obtain an optical axis of maximum output intensity to An angle from 0 to 70 °.
20. 20. The signal mirror according to claim 1, characterized in that the LED lamp is mounted to the surface of a heat sink, and the heat sink is mounted to a surface of the mirror, and wherein the surface of the heat sink is at a desired angle for the LED lamp with respect to the surface of the mirror.
21. 21. The signal mirror according to claim 1, characterized in that the LED lamp is mounted to a carrier plate of the mirror assembly at a desired angle with respect to the surface of the mirror.
22. 22. The signal mirror according to claim 21, characterized in that the desired angle is greater than 0 ° and less than 70 °.
23. 23. The signal mirror according to claim 1, characterized in that the LED lamp is mounted on a lampholder on a printed circuit board.
24. 24. The signal mirror according to claim 1, characterized in that the mirror is inserted in a socket of a housing.
25. 25. The signal mirror according to claim 1, characterized in that the lamp holder includes a thermally conductive material.
26. 26. The signal mirror according to claim 24, characterized in that it also includes a bevel, the mirror carried on the bezel, and wherein the lamp holder is integral with the bevel.
27. 27. The signal mirror according to claim 1, characterized in that it also includes a control circuit coupled to the lamp.
28. 28. The signal mirror according to claim 27, characterized in that the control circuit comprises a constant current source.
29. 29. The signal mirror according to claim 27, characterized in that the LED lamp includes multiple emitters connected in series.
30. 30. The signal mirror according to claim 29, characterized in that it also includes at least one transistor connected in parallel with at least one of the emitters to control the current.
31. 31. The signal mirror according to claim 29, characterized in that it also includes at least one transistor connected in parallel with the emitters.
32. 32. The signal mirror according to claim 27, characterized in that the LED lamp includes multiple emitters.
33. 33. The signal mirror according to claim 32, characterized in that the LED lamp includes the control of the respective current for each of the emitters in such a way that the emitters can be controlled independently.
34. 34. The signal mirror according to claim 1, characterized in that the LED lamp is carried in the housing to emit light from the region of the signal mirror.
35. 35. The signal mirror according to claim 1, characterized in that it also includes a partial reflection surface to provide an indirect reflection of the signal produced by the high power LED lamp to the driver to confirm the operation of the signal to the driver .
36. 36. The signal mirror according to claim 1, characterized in that the LED lamp includes multiple emitters, all of the emitters are energized to produce the white light emitted from the mirror and the selected emitters are illuminated to generate the colored light .
37. 37. The signal mirror according to claim 36, characterized in that the LED lamp emits light through the mirror and is selectively operable to provide a supplementary signal and illumination.
38. 38. The signal mirror according to claim 1, characterized in that it also includes a sensor of ambient light to control the intensity of the light according to the conditions of the ambient light.
39. 39. The signal mirror according to claim 1, characterized in that the high power LED lamp dissipates 0.6 watts or more through the heat extraction element during the on state.
40. 40. The signal mirror according to claim 1, characterized in that the high power LED lamp dissipates 0.3 watts or more through the heat extraction element in the on state.
41. 41. The signal mirror according to claim 1, characterized in that it also includes a heat sink, the heat extraction element mounted on the heat sink to dissipate heat through the heat sink.
42. 42. The signal mirror according to claim 41, characterized in that the heat sink is passive.
43. 43. The signal mirror according to claim 41, characterized in that the heat sink is active.
44. 44. The signal mirror according to claim 42, characterized in that the LED lamp dissipates more than 1 W during the on state.
45. 45. The signal mirror according to claim 1, characterized in that it also includes a second high power LED lamp placed adjacent to the mirror, the second high power LED lamp provides illumination.
46. 46. The signal mirror according to claim 45, characterized in that the signal mirror is adapted to be mounted on a vehicle and wherein the second high-power LED lamp illuminates the area of the vehicle lock.
47. 47. The signal mirror according to claim 45, characterized in that the second high-power LED lamp illuminates the floor adjacent to the vehicle.
48. 48. A mirror assembly, characterized in that it comprises: a mirror placed in a housing; a high-power LED lamp, the high-power LED lamp placed adjacent to the mirror to generate a visible signal, where the LED lamp is capable of producing light that has an intensity of 12 candelas from a single lamp of LED.
49. 49. The mirror assembly according to claim 48, characterized in that the mirror has a reflecting surface and the high power LED lamp is placed under the mirror to project the light through the reflecting surface.
50. 50. The mirror assembly according to claim 48, characterized in that the mirror assembly is adapted to be mounted on a vehicle and wherein the high power LED lamp illuminates the area of the vehicle lock.
51. 51. The mirror assembly according to claim 48, characterized in that the mirror assembly is adapted to be mounted on a vehicle where the high power LED lamp illuminates the floor adjacent to the vehicle.
52. 52. A mirror assembly, characterized in that it comprises: a housing; a mirror placed in the housing; and a LED lamp placed in the housing, wherein the LED lamp is capable of operating continuously at a value greater than about 100 mW.
53. 53. A mirror assembly, characterized in that it comprises: a housing; a mirror placed in the housing; and a high power LED lamp placed in the housing to transmit the light outside the mirror assembly, the high power LED lamp has an emitter and a heat extracting element on which the emitter is mounted.
54. 54. The mirror assembly according to claim 53, characterized in that the housing is adapted to be mounted on a vehicle and wherein the transmitted light illuminates an area adjacent to the vehicle.
55. 55. The mirror assembly according to claim 53, characterized in that the high power LED lamp is placed in the housing to illuminate an area below the mirror housing.
56. 56. The mirror assembly according to claim 53, characterized in that the high power LED lamp is placed in an opening in the perimeter of the housing.
57. 57. The mirror assembly according to claim 53, characterized in that the high power LED lamp is placed on the housing to emit light out from the housing.
58. 58. The mirror assembly according to claim 53, characterized in that the housing is thermally conductive, the LED lamp mounted to the housing whereby the housing provides a heat sink coupled thermally to the heat removal element of the lamp. LED
59. 59. The mirror assembly according to claim 53, characterized in that the LED lamp is mounted on the mirror region.
60. 60. The mirror assembly according to claim 53, characterized in that the LED lamp is carried inside the mirror housing and projects the light from the bottom of the mirror.
61. 61. The mirror assembly according to claim 53, characterized in that the LED lamp is fixed to a projection of the mirror housing.
62. 62. The mirror assembly according to claim 53, characterized in that it includes a first LED lamp on the mirror region and a second LED lamp so that it projects the light through the mirror.
63. 63. A mirror assembly, characterized in that it comprises: a housing; a mirror placed in the housing, the mirror includes a surface, at least a portion of the surface is partially reflective; A high power LED lamp, the high power LED lamp includes a heat extracting element; and a heat sink placed in the housing, the heat removal element positioned against the heat sink such that the high power LED lamp emits radiation that is visible.
64. 64. The mirror assembly according to claim 63, characterized in that the high power LED lamp is placed under the mirror in such a way that the radiation is emitted through the mirror.
65. 65. The mirror assembly according to claim 63, and further comprising a bezel that extends around a periphery of the mirror, wherein the high power LED lamp is placed on the bezel.
66. 66. The mirror assembly according to claim 63, characterized in that the housing is thermally conductive to facilitate heat dissipation.
67. 67. A signal mirror, characterized in that it comprises: two or more lamps each having an optical axis of maximum intensity in which the light is projected, at least one of the lamps is an LED lamp; and at least one support, the two or more lamps mounted to at least one support in such a way that the axis of maximum intensity of a first of the lamps is at an angle greater than 5D with respect to the axis of maximum intensity of a second of The lamps .
68. 68. The signal mirror according to claim 67, characterized in that the maximum intensity axis of a first of the LED lamps and the maximum intensity axis of a second of the LED lamps are in the same plane.
69. 69. The signal mirror according to claim 67, characterized in that the support comprises a housing and a mirror, a first of the lamps carried on the mirror and a second of the lamps carried on the housing.
70. 70. The signal mirror according to claim 69, characterized in that it also includes a third lamp carried on the housing.
71. 71. The signal mirror according to claim 69, characterized in that the third LED lamp emits an infrared communication signal.
72. 72. The signal mirror according to claim 67, characterized in that the second LED lamp is a light for illuminating puddles.
73. 73. The signal mirror according to claim 70, characterized in that the first, second and third lamps provide a supplementary signal lamp visible over a wide viewing angle.
74. 74. A mirror assembly, characterized in that it comprises: a mirror including a reflecting surface; and a lamp placed adjacent to the mirror, the lamp includes an emitter and a lens, the lens has an optical axis of maximum intensity offset from the center of the emitter whereby the light produced by the emitter is emitted from the lens at an angle that it is a function of decentering.
75. 75. A signal mirror, characterized in that it comprises: a transparent housing defining an interior volume; at least one lamp carried within the interior volume of the housing for projecting light through the transparent housing; and a mirror placed inside the housing.
76. 76. The signal mirror according to claim 75, characterized in that it also includes a coating applied to at least a portion of the inner surface of the transparent housing, at least one lamp placed adjacent to a region of the inner surface which is transparent after the coating is applied.
77. 77. The signal mirror according to claim 76, characterized in that the coating is opaque, and wherein the regions of the interior surface are not coated.
78. 78. The signal mirror according to claim 75, characterized in that the transparent housing includes an integral lens in a region adjacent to the lamp such that the lamp emits light through the lens.
79. 79. The signal mirror according to claim 75, characterized in that the lens further comprises a prism.
80. 80. A lamp assembly for a vehicle, characterized in that it comprises: a housing; and a LED lamp carried in the housing, the LED lamp includes an emitter and a heat extraction element.
81. 81. The lamp assembly according to claim 80, characterized in that the LED lamp is a high power LED lamp.
82. 82. The lamp assembly according to claim 80, characterized in that the lamp assembly is a CHMSL.
83. 83. The lamp assembly according to claim 80, characterized in that the mounting of the lamp is a light to illuminate the puddles.
84. 84. The lamp assembly according to claim 80, characterized in that the lamp assembly is a light for a dome.
85. 85. The lamp assembly according to claim 80, characterized in that the lamp assembly is an illuminator of the license plate.
86. 86. The lamp assembly according to claim 80, characterized in that the mounting of the lamp is a light for braking.
87. 87. The lamp assembly according to claim 80, characterized in that the lamp assembly comprises a light for the turn signal.
88. 88. The lamp assembly according to claim 80, characterized in that the housing includes at least a first portion of the housing and a second portion of the housing, and wherein at least a first LED lamp having a heat extraction element. it is carried in the first portion of the housing and at least one second LED lamp having a heat removal element is placed in the second portion of the housing.
89. 89. The lamp assembly according to claim 88, characterized in that the first of the LED lamps produces a white light and the second of the LED lamps produces red light.
90. 90. The lamp assembly according to claim 89, characterized in that the first LED lamp comprises an integrated phosphor white light emitting circuit.
91. 91. The lamp assembly according to claim 89, characterized in that the first LED lamp comprises complementary binary emitters.
92. 92. The lamp assembly according to claim 80, characterized in that the LED lamp is placed on an external rearview mirror to illuminate a lock, and the housing is in the mirror housing.
93. 93. The lamp assembly according to claim 80, characterized in that the LED lamp is placed on an external mirror to illuminate the floor.
94. 94. The lamp assembly according to claim 80, characterized in that it also includes a control circuit, the control circuit coupled to the LED lamp.
95. The lamp assembly according to claim 94, characterized in that the LED lamp comprises multiple emitters, and wherein the control circuit generates independent control signals to activate or excite the emitters whereby the intensity of the respective emitters it is independently adjustable to vary the light produced by the respective emitters.
96. 96. The lamp assembly according to claim 95, characterized in that the emitters are independently controlled to produce different colors of the light.
97. 97. The lamp assembly according to claim 80, characterized in that it also includes a reflector placed in the housing, the LED lamp is placed on the front of the reflector.
98. 98. The lamp assembly according to claim 80, characterized in that it also includes a thermally conductive coating on an internal surface of the housing, the heat extraction element thermally coupled to the thermally conductive coating.
99. 99. The lamp assembly according to claim 98, characterized in that the thermally conductive coating provides a reflecting surface.
100. 100. The lamp assembly according to claim 80, characterized in that it also includes a lens, the LED lamp emits light through the lens.
101. 101. The lamp assembly according to claim 100, characterized in that the lens is a diffraction lens.
102. 102. The lamp assembly according to claim 100, characterized in that the lens is a refractive lens.
103. 103. The lamp assembly according to claim 100, characterized in that it also includes a TIR placed adjacent to the LED lamp.
104. 104. The lamp assembly according to claim 100, characterized in that the lens is a Fresnel lens.
105. 105. The lamp assembly according to claim 100, characterized in that the lens is a lens for resting.
106. 106. The lamp assembly according to claim 100, characterized in that it also includes a diffuser.
107. 107. The lamp assembly according to claim 100, characterized in that the lens is a filter.
108. 108. The lamp assembly according to claim 100, characterized in that the lens is integral with the LED lamp.
109. 109. The lamp assembly according to claim 100, characterized in that the lens is fixed to the housing spaced from the LED lamp.
110. 110. The lamp assembly according to claim 80, characterized in that it also includes a heat sink in the housing, the element for extracting the heat placed on the heat sink.
111. 111. The lamp assembly according to claim 110, characterized in that the heat sink is passive.
112. 112. The lamp assembly according to claim 111, characterized in that the heat sink is integral with the housing.
113. 113. The lamp assembly according to claim 111, characterized in that the heat sink is an active heat sink.
114. 114. The lamp assembly according to claim 111, characterized in that the heat sink is a Peltier cooler.
115. 115. The lamp assembly according to claim 111, characterized in that the heat sink is a heat sink with phase change.
116. 116. The lamp assembly according to claim 111, characterized in that the heat sink is carried on a circuit board.
117. 117. The lamp assembly according to claim 80, characterized in that the LED lamp is mounted in a receptacle.
118. 118. The lamp assembly according to claim 117, characterized in that the receptacle is fixed to a cable.
119. 119. The lamp assembly according to claim 117, characterized in that the receptacle is integral with the housing.
120. 120. The lamp assembly according to claim 84, characterized in that the control circuit is coupled to a control to manually reduce the light of the LED lamp.
121. 121. The lamp assembly according to claim 84, characterized in that the control circuit manually reduces the light of the LED lamp.
122. 122. The lamp assembly according to claim 80, characterized in that the housing includes a thermally conductive material.
123. 123. The lamp assembly according to claim 122, characterized in that the LED lamp is mounted to the housing in such a way that the heat removal element is thermally connected to the housing and the housing provides a heat sink for the LED lamp .
124. 124. The lamp assembly according to claim 123, characterized in that the housing includes a polymer.
125. 125. The lamp assembly according to claim 123, characterized in that the housing includes a metal.
126. 126. The lamp assembly according to claim 80, characterized in that the LED lamp is mounted on a circuit board.
127. 127. The lamp assembly according to claim 126, characterized in that it also includes a heat sink carried on the circuit board.
128. 128. The lamp assembly according to claim 127, characterized in that it also includes an electrically conductive, thermally conductive element, positioned between the heat extraction element and the heat sink.
129. 129. A method for assembling a component assembly that includes a circuit board, a heat sink and an LED lamp that includes an emitter, a heat extraction element on which the emitter is mounted, and electrical cables coupled or electrically connected to the emitter, the method is characterized in that it comprises the steps of: assembling the LED lamp in such a way that the heat extraction element is placed against the heat sink; and connect the electrical cables to a circuit.
130. 130. The method of compliance with the claim 129, characterized in that the connection step includes fixing the LED lamp to a circuit board.
131. 131. The method according to claim 129, characterized in that the connection step includes welding the wires of the LED lamp to the circuit board.
132. 132. The method according to claim 129, characterized in that it also includes the step of fixing the heat sink to a circuit board.
133. 133. The method according to claim 129, characterized in that it also includes the step of placing the heat extraction element so that it is carried on a circuit board.
134. 134. The method according to claim 129, characterized in that it also includes the step of fixing the heat sink to a mirror.
135. 135. The method according to claim 129, characterized in that it also includes the step of fixing the heat extraction element to a thermally conductive housing.
136. 136. The method of compliance with the claim 135, characterized in that it also includes the step of molding the thermally conductive housing.
137. 137. A signal mirror, characterized in that it comprises: a mirror; a high power LED lamp, the high power LED lamp includes a heat extracting element, a plurality of emitters carried on the heat extraction element, and two or more electric wires having a higher thermal resistance than the heat extraction element coupled to the emitter, and wherein the LED lamp is placed adjacent to the mirror to produce a visible signal; and a control circuit coupled to the signal mirror, wherein the control circuit is operative to independently control the emitters whereby the LED lamp is selectively controlled to produce a different light.
138. 138. The signal mirror according to claim 137, characterized in that the high power LED lamp includes emitters to produce white light and colored light, wherein the LED lamp is controlled to produce a white light and a colored light for generate a signal.
139. 139. The signal mirror according to claim 137, characterized in that the high power LED lamp includes emitters to produce visible and infrared light.