Head-up display with second high intensity lighting unit installed outside of first display casing

• US 10,274,725 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2017
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Murzyn, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Ritchie, Darlene M
• Application Number:
  US15/430,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20170363866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/332 Light emitting diodes
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/338 Light strips
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/34 Backlit symbols
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/23 Head-up displays [HUD] optical aspects of head-up displays G02B27/01
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/50 Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle B60K35/231 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/10 for dashboards
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/205 using a head-up display
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/767 the planes containing the fins or blades having directions perpendicular to the light emitting axis
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0141 characterised by the informative content of the display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/10 Automotive applications

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a head-up display that has a first lighting unit to display first information on a windshield. The first lighting unit includes a first lighting source that emits light for the windshield as the first information and a first cylindrical casing that accommodates the first lighting source therein. The head-up display further has a second lighting unit to display second information on the windshield. The second lighting unit includes a second lighting source that emits light for the windshield as the second information. The head-up display further has a package disposed under the windshield. The first and second lighting units are installed on the package. The second lighting unit is installed on the package independently from the first lighting unit.

Claims

1. A head-up display comprising:

a first lighting unit configured to display first information on a windshield, the first lighting unit including a first lighting source that emits light for the windshield as the first information and a first cylindrical casing that accommodates the first lighting source therein;

a second lighting unit configured to display second information on the windshield, the second lighting unit including a second lighting source that emits light for the windshield as the second information; and

a package disposed under the windshield, the first and second lighting units being installed thereon;

wherein

the second lighting unit is installed on the package independently from the first lighting unit;

wherein;

the second lighting source is disposed outside of the first cylindrical casing;

the second lighting unit is installed on an exterior surface of the package so that the second lighting unit faces the windshield;

the second lighting source includes a bar-shaped frame and a plurality of LEDs along the longitudinal direction of the bar-shaped frame;

the second lighting source further includes a graphic board that has a plurality of translucent warning icons pre-printed corresponding to the plurality of the LEDs of the second lighting source; and

the graphic board receives light from the plurality of LEDs of the second lighting source and outputs the light from the plurality of translucent warning icons to the windshield such that the light from the plurality of LEDs of the second lighting source is output as the second display light via the graphic board.

2. The head-up display according to claim 1, wherein

the first lighting source includes LEDs with lower directivity to display the first information as lower priority information, and

the second lighting source includes LEDs with higher directivity to display the second information as higher priority information.

3. The head-up display according to claim 1, wherein

the first lighting unit has lower thermal resistance,

the second lighting unit has higher thermal resistance, and

the second lighting unit is capable to operate in a higher temperature condition than the first lighting unit.

4. The head-up display according to claim 1, wherein

the second lighting source further includes a second cylindrical casing that accommodates the second lighting source therein, and

the second cylindrical casing is installed on the package independently from the first cylindrical casing.

5. The head-up display according to claim 1, wherein

the first lighting unit further includes a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel having a display surface, the LCD panel being accommodated in the first cylindrical casing,

the second lighting source is disposed outside of the first cylindrical casing.

6. The head-up display according to claim 1, wherein

the first lighting unit further includes an OLP panel having a display surface, the digital light processing (OLP) panel being accommodated in the first cylindrical casing,

the second lighting source is disposed outside of the first cylindrical casing.

7. The head-up display according to claim 1, further comprising:

a reflector accommodated by the package, the reflector being visible from both the windshield and the first lighting unit;

wherein

the second lighting unit is installed on an outer surface of the first cylindrical casing so that the reflector is visible from the second lighting unit as well as the first lighting unit.

8. The head-up display according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of translucent warning icons include a low oil pressure warning icon, a battery warning icon, a seat belt reminder icon, a brake warning icon, a fuel warning icon, and a temperature warning icon.

9. The head-up display according to claim 1, wherein

the first lighting unit further includes a heat sink that is installed on the first cylindrical casing, and

the heat sink is configured to emit heat generated at the LEDs from the radiation surface outward of a cavity of the first cylindrical casing.

10. The head-up display according to claim 1, further comprising:

a controller including a detector, which detects a failure of a vehicle component and outputs a failure information, and a driving circuit, which drives the second lighting unit, wherein

the controller performs a light emitting operation for the second lighting unit 30 to display the second information based on the failure information when the failure information indicates warning of the vehicle component.

11. The head-up display according to claim 1, further comprising:

a controller including a navigator, which picks up navigation information for a vehicle and outputs the navigation information, and a driving circuit, which drives the first lighting unit, wherein

the controller performs a light emitting operation for the first lighting unit to display the first information based on the navigation information when the navigation information indicates a route or a distance from a current location to a destination.