Head-up display for a motor vehicle

• US 10,393,935 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2011
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Finger, Eckhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Dzierzynski, Evan P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Oestreich, Mitchell T
• Application Number:
  US13/997,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20130279016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,805 Days
• Field of Search: 359630, 359599, 359443, 349 58, 353 13
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/30 Polarising elements light-modulating devices with active elements G02F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/3066 involving the reflection of light at a particular angle of incidence, e.g. Brewster's angle
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133536 Reflective polarizers G02F1/13362 takes precedence

Abstract

A head-up display for a motor vehicle, including an image generating device, from which radiation beams of an image, linearly polarized by a polarizer 4 arranged on the image generating device on the light exit side, are guided via an imaging optical unit to a windscreen and are directed from the windscreen in the direction of a driver of the motor vehicle. A reflective linear polarizer is arranged in the beam path of the radiation beam between the image generating device and the windscreen, the polarization direction of which linear polarizer corresponds to the polarization direction of the radiation beam emitted by the image generating device, and which linear polarizer reflects differently polarized light radiating on the beam path from the windscreen to the image generating device.

Claims

1. A head-up display for a motor vehicle, comprising:

an image generating device, from which beams of an image are guided at a first surface;

a polarizer assembly comprising at least a polarizer and a reflecting linear polarizer;

the polarizer arranged on a light-exit side on the image generating device configured to linearly s-polarize the beams of the image, an input surface and an output surface of the polarizer each being parallel to the first surface of the image generating device;

at least one mirror configured to guide the linearly s-polarized beams of the image to a windscreen of the motor vehicle, wherein the linearly s-polarized beams of the image are directed from the windscreen in a direction of a driver of the motor vehicle;

the reflecting linear polarizer arranged between the image generating device and the windscreen, the reflecting linear polarizer having a first planar surface upon which the beams of the image are guided and a second planar surface parallel to the first surface, the second planar surface being an ultimate output of the polarizer assembly, a polarization direction of the reflecting linear polarizer corresponds to a polarization direction of the beams emitted by the image generating device and which reflects light that travels along a beam path from the windscreen to the image generating device that has a different polarization,

wherein an s-polarized portion is about 30% reflected or transmitted such that only 30% of s-polarized light can reach the image generating device along the beam path, the first planar surface and the second planar surface of the reflecting linear polarizer each being parallel to the first surface of the image generating device,

wherein the light travels along the beam path from the windscreen to the at least one mirror and then directly to the second planar surface of the reflecting linear polarizer without intervening elements between the mirror and the second planar surface of the reflecting linear polarizer.

2. The head-up display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reflecting linear polarizer is arranged on a light-exit-side polarizer of the image generating device.

3. The head-up display as claimed in claim 2, wherein the reflecting linear polarizer and the light-exit-side polarizer of the image generating device are a common film.

8. The head-up display as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a housing in which the image generating device and the at least one mirror are arranged,

wherein the housing has an opening that is closed by a light-transmissive cover panel and through which the beams from the image generating device reaches the windscreen, and

wherein the reflecting linear polarizer is arranged on or in the cover panel.

9. The head-up display as claimed in claim 8, wherein the image generating device is a liquid-crystal display, through which a light source can shine and which, on a light-entry side, has a p-polarizing polarizer.

10. The head-up display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mirror is an aspherical mirror arranged between the image generating device and the windscreen.

4. A head-up display for a motor vehicle, comprising:

an image generating device, from which beams of an image are guided at a first surface,

a polarizer assembly comprising at least a polarizer and a reflecting linear polarizer;

the polarizer arranged on a light-exit side on the image generating device configured to linearly polarize the beams, an input surface and an output surface of the polarizer each being parallel to the first surface of the image generating device;

at least one mirror configured to guide the beams to a windscreen, wherein the beams are directed from the windscreen in a direction of a driver of the motor vehicle;

a planar mirror configured as the reflecting linear polarizer and arranged between the image generating device and the windscreen, the planar mirror having a first planar surface upon which the beams of the image are guided and a second planar surface parallel to the first surface, the second planar surface being an ultimate output of the polarizer assembly, the polarization direction of the reflecting linear polarizer is orientated perpendicularly with respect to the polarization direction of the beams emitted by the image generating device and which transmits this light and which absorbs or reflects light that travels along a beam path from the windscreen to the image generating device that has a different polarization, wherein a p-polarized portion is about 70% reflected or transmitted, and an s-polarized portion is about 30% reflected or transmitted such that only 30% of s-polarized light can reach the image generating device along the beam path, the first planar surface and the second planar surface of the reflecting linear polarizer each being parallel to the first surface of the image generating device,

wherein the light travels along the beam path from the windscreen to the at least one mirror and then directly to the second planar surface of the planar mirror without intervening elements between the mirror and the second planar surface of the reflecting linear polarizer.

5. The head-up display as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

a housing in which the image generating device and the at least one mirror are arranged,

wherein the housing has an opening that is closed by a light-transmissive cover panel and through which the beams from the image generating device reaches the windscreen, and

wherein the reflecting linear polarizer is arranged on or in the cover panel.

6. The head-up display as claimed in claim 4, wherein the image generating device is a liquid-crystal display, through which a light source can shine and which, on a light-entry side, has a p-polarizing polarizer.

7. The head-up display as claimed in claim 4, wherein the mirror is a part of an imaging optical unit.

11. The head-up display as claimed in claim 4, wherein the mirror is an aspherical mirror arranged between the image generating device and the windscreen.