Head-up display

• US 10,031,368 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2017
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Otani, Sosuke, Fushimi, Yoshimasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Worku, Negussie
• Application Number:
  US15/614,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20170269428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 345 7, 345 87, 345102, 345 23, 345 9, 348115, 348 36, 348 41, 348790
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/007 Array of lenses or refractors for a cluster of light sources, e.g. for arrangement of multiple light sources in one plane combination of two or more refractors F21V5/008
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2207/123 Optical louvre elements, e.g. for directional light blocking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/28 for polarising used in stereoscopes G02B30/25
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/3025 Polarisers, i.e. arrangements capable of producing a definite output polarisation state from an unpolarised input state G02B5/3008, G02B5/3016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0055 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133536 Reflective polarizers G02F1/13362 takes precedence

Abstract

A head-up display includes an image light output device for outputting image light, a first optical element, a second optical element, and a third optical element. The first optical element is provided to be inclined with respect to the output surface of the image light output device. The first optical element reflects the image light having a first polarization direction and allowing the image light having second polarization direction to pass through. The second optical element reflects the image light from the first optical element to the first optical element. The third optical element is disposed between the first and the second optical element, and converts the image light having the first polarization direction to the image light having the second polarization direction by allowing the image light to pass through back and forth. The image light passing through the first optical element is projected on a combiner.

Claims

1. A head-up display comprising:

an image light source device for outputting image light;

a first optical element provided to be inclined with respect to an output surface of the image light source device, the first optical element being configured to reflect the image light having a first polarization direction and allow the image light having a second polarization direction different from the first polarization direction to pass through;

a second optical element configured to reflect the image light reflected by the first optical element, the image light reflected by the second optical element being reflected toward the first optical element; and

a third optical element configured to shift a phase of polarized light, the third optical element being disposed between the first optical element and the second optical element such that (i) the image light reflected by the first optical element passes through the third optical element and (ii) the image light reflected by the second optical element passes through the third optical element,

wherein after passing through the third optical element, the image light reflected by the second optical element has the second polarization direction, and

wherein the image light passing through the first optical element is projected on a reflection element having transparency.

2. The head-up display of claim 1, wherein the first optical element has a planar shape.

3. The head-up display of claim 1, further comprising

a refractive optical element that is disposed on an output surface side of the image light output device,

wherein the image light passes through the refractive optical element.

4. The head-up display of claim 1, wherein the first optical element has a cylindrical shape.

5. The head-up display of claim 1, further comprising

a fourth optical element that is disposed between the first optical element and the reflection element having transparency, and

wherein the fourth optical element partially converts the image light having the second polarization direction to the image light having the first polarization direction.

6. The head-up display of claim 1, wherein the image light passes through the third optical element three times.

7. The head-up display of claim 6, further comprising

a polarization adjustment element that is disposed on an output surface side of the image light output device,

wherein the image light passes through the polarization adjustment element.

8. The head-up display of claim 1, wherein the second optical element is a concave mirror.

9. The head-up display of claim 1, wherein the third optical element is a quarter-wave plate, and a slow phase axis of the third optical element is inclined by 45°

with respect to an axis including the first polarization direction.

10. The head-up display of claim 1, further comprising

a fifth optical element that is disposed between the first optical element and the reflection element having transparency, and

wherein the fifth optical element has a light-shielding member inside.

11. The head-up display of claim 1, wherein

angle θ

formed by the image light entering the second optical element and the image light reflected on the second optical element satisfies Formula 1 below,

12. A vehicle comprising the head-up display according to claim 1.

13. A system for display on a windshield of an automobile, the system comprising:

a projector for outputting image light;

a reflective polarizer provided to be inclined with respect to an output surface of the projector, the reflective polarizer being configured to reflect the image light having a first polarization direction and allow the image light having a second polarization direction different from the first polarization direction to pass through;

a concave mirror configured to reflect the image light reflected by the reflective polarizer, the image light reflected by the concave mirror being reflected toward the reflective polarizer; and

a quarter-wave plate configured to shift a phase of polarized light, the quarter-wave plate being disposed between the reflective polarizer and the concave mirror such that (i) the image light reflected by the reflective polarizer passes through the quarter-wave plate and (ii) the image light reflected by the concave mirror passes through the quarter-wave plate,

wherein after passing through the quarter-wave plate, the image light reflected by the concave mirror has the second polarization direction, and

wherein the image light passing through the reflective polarizer is projected on the windshield of the automobile.