Projection device and head-up display device

• US 10,302,939 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2015
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nippon Seiki Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nippon Seiki Company Limited
• Inventors: Morohashi, Kazuo, Sato, Megumi, Takahashi, Yuichi, Matsuura, Kazuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Alexander, William R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mebrahtu, Ephrem Z
• Application Number:
  US15/504,591
• Publication Number:
  US 20170235138A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/334 Projection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/344 for additionally illuminating mechanical elements, e.g. pointers or control knobs
• 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: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/106 for splitting or combining a plurality of identical beams or images, e.g. image replication
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/28 Reflectors in projection beam in illumination beam G03B21/2066
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/30 Image reproducers optical systems for producing stereoscopic or other three-dimensional effects G02B30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3141 Constructional details thereof details not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/14

Abstract

The present invention is compact and inexpensive, has good light efficiency, and enables a display image having a plurality of display distances to be displayed. A display emits projection light for displaying a display image at a predetermined position, and an image formation position adjusting mirror receives the projection light emitted from the display, performs conversion into a plurality of first projection light and second projection light that have different image formation distances by changing the image formation distance of the projection light that is at least part of the incident projection light, and reflects the first projection light and the second projection light to project the first projection light and the second projection light onto a first screen and a second screen.

Claims

1. A projection device, comprising:

a display configured to emit projection light representing a display image; and

an image formation position adjusting mirror comprising;

a first surface;

a second surface opposite the first surface;

a first reflection surface provided on the first surface, the first reflection surface having a first curvature, the first reflection surface receiving, from the display as a first projection light, a first part of the projection light and reflecting the first projection light toward a first screen, the first projection light traveling a first image formation distance extending between the first reflection surface and the first screen; and

a second reflection surface provided on the first surface, the second reflection surface having a second curvature different from the first curvature, the second reflection surface receiving, from the display as a second projection light, a second part of the projection light and reflecting the second projection light toward a second screen different from the first screen, the second projection light traveling a second image formation distance extending between the second reflection surface and the second screen,

wherein the second image formation distance is different from the first image formation distance.

2. The projection device according to claim 1, wherein

the display does not project the projection light in a vicinity of a boundary between the first reflection surface and the second reflection surface.

3. The projection device according to claim 1, wherein

any one of the first reflection surface and the second reflection surface is a flat surface.

13. The projection device according to claim 1, wherein

the second image formation distance is longer than the first image formation distance.

4. A head-up display device for projecting a display image onto a projection surface to cause the display image to be visually recognized as a virtual image, the head-up display device comprising:

a projection unit configured to emit projection light;

an image formation position adjusting mirror comprising;

a first surface;

a second surface opposite the first surface;

a first reflection surface provided on the first surface, the first reflection surface having a first curvature, the first reflection surface reflecting, as a first projection light, a first part of the projection light;

a second reflection surface provided on the first surface, the second reflection surface having a second curvature different from the first curvature, the second reflection surface reflecting, as a second projection light, a second part of the projection light;

a first screen configured to receive, from the first reflection surface, the first projection light and display a first display image represented by the first projection light; and

a second screen configured to receive, from the second reflection surface, the second projection light and display a second display image of the second projection light, the second screen being disposed farther away from the projection unit than the first screen,

wherein the first projection light traveling a first image formation distance extending between the first reflection surface and the first screen,

wherein the second projection light traveling a second image formation distance extending between the second reflection surface and the second screen, and

wherein the second image formation distance is different from the first image formation distance.

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

the projection unit does not project the projection light in a vicinity of a boundary between the first reflection surface and the second reflection surface.

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

any one of the first reflection surface and the second reflection surface is a flat surface.

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

the first screen comprises:

a first receiving plane for receiving the first projection light from the first reflection surface; and

a first image formation plane for displaying the first display image of the first projection light,

the first image formation plane disposed opposite the first receiving plane,

the first screen is disposed on a first optical axis of the first projection light so that the first image formation plane is disposed at a first angle with respect to the first optical axis,

the second screen comprises;

a second receiving plane for receiving the second projection light from the second reflection surface; and

a second image formation plane for displaying the second display image of the second projection light,

the second image formation plane disposed opposite the second receiving plane, and

the second screen is disposed on a second optical axis of the second projection light so that the second image formation plane is disposed at a second angle with respect to the second optical axis.

8. The head-up display device according to claim 7, wherein

the first angle between the first imaging plane and the first optical axis projection light is different from the second angle between the second imaging plane and the second optical axis.

9. The head-up display device according to claim 7, wherein

at least one of the first image formation distance of the first projection light and the second image formation distance of the second projection light changes in accordance with a change in an angle of view of the display image.

10. A projection device, comprising:

a display configured to emit projection light representing a display image; and

an image formation position adjusting mirror comprising;

a first surface;

a second surface opposite the first surface;

a first reflection surface provided on the first surface, the first reflection surface having a first curvature, the first reflection surface reflecting, as a first projection light, a first part of the projection light to a first screen, the first projection light traveling a first image formation distance extending between the first reflection surface and the first screen; and

a second reflection surface provided on the first surface, the second reflection surface having a second curvature different from the first curvature, the second reflection surface reflecting, as a second projection light, a second part of the projection light toward a second screen different from the first screen, the second projection light traveling a second image formation distance extending between the second reflection surface and the second screen,

wherein the second image formation distance is different from the first image formation distance,

wherein the first screen comprises a first image formation plane on which a first display image represented by the first projection light is displayed,

wherein the first screen is disposed on a first optical axis of the first projection light so that the first image formation plane is disposed at a first angle with respect to the first optical axis,

wherein the second screen comprises a second image formation plane which a second display image represented by the second projection light is displayed

wherein the second screen is disposed on a second optical axis of the second projection light so that the second image formation plane is disposed at a second angle with respect to the second optical axis.

11. A projection device according to claim 10, wherein

the first angle between the first imaging plane and the first optical axis projection light is different from the second angle between the second imaging plane and the second optical axis.

12. The projection device according to claim 11, wherein

at least one of the first image formation distance of the first projection light and the second image formation distance of the second projection light changes in accordance with a change in an angle of view of the display image.