Headup display

• US 20030099025A1
• Filed: 09/04/2002
• Published: 05/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Noll, Heinrich, Abel, Heinz-Bernhard
• Granted Patent: US 6,886,971 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/265
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/785 on or in relation to the windshield or windows
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/785 on or in relation to the windshield or windows
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention relates to a headup display having an image forming unit 1 for forming an item of image information to be displayed that can be projected as light beams 2 by the image forming unit 1 or via an optical projection system onto a partially reflecting windshield pane 7. The image forming unit 1 has an OLED display 8 for forming the image information be displayed, in front of which there is arranged a light directing element 14 by which the light beams 2 produced by the OLED display 8 can be directed approximately parallel to one another.

Claims

1. Headup display, in particular for a motor vehicle, having an image forming unit for forming an item of image information to be displayed that can be projected as light beams by the image forming unit directly or via an optical projection system onto a partially reflecting pane, in particular onto a windshield pane, characterized by the fact that the image forming unit (1) has an OLED display (8, 8′

, 8″

, 8′

″

) for forming the image information to be displayed, in front of which there is arranged a light directing element (14, 14′

, 14″

) by which the light beams (2) produced by the OLED display (8, 8′

, 8″

, 8′

″

) can be directed approximately parallel to one another.

2. Headup display according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the light beams (2) can be directed at an angle (20) of less than approximately 30°

.

3. Headup display according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the light directing element (14, 14′

, 14″

) is arranged on the display surface of the OLED display (8′

, 8″

, 8′

″

) projecting the light beams (2).

4. Headup display according to claim 3, characterized by the fact that the light directing element (14, 14′

, 14″

) is a transparent film.

5. Headup display according to claim 3, characterized by the fact that the light directing element is a transparent plate.

6. Headup display according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized by the fact that the light directing element (14, 14′

, 14″

) is applied to the surface of the OLED display (8, 8′

, 8″

, 8′

″

) without an optical interface.

7. Headup display according to claim 6, characterized by the fact that the light directing element (14, 14′

, 14″

) is bonded onto the surface of the OLED display (8′

, 8″

, 8′

″

).

8. Headup display according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized by the fact that the transparent substrate (13) of the OLED display (8′

, 8″

, 8′

″

) is formed, on the side thereof projecting the light beams (2), as light directing element (14, 14′

, 14″

).

9. Headup display according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the light directing element (14, 14′

, 14″

) is formed with a light guiding structure extending over its surface.

10. Headup display according to claim 9, characterized by the fact that the light guiding structure is a prismatic, in particular a microprismatic structure (16).

11. Headup display according to claim 9, characterized by the fact that the light guiding structure is a lenticular, in particular a microlenticular structure (15).

12. Headup display according to claim 9, characterized by the fact that the light guiding structure is a directional reflector structure, in particular a directional microreflector structure (17).

13. Headup display according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the OLED display (8′

, 8″

, 8′

″

) has a point matrix electrode (12).

14. Headup display according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the OLED display is freely programmable.

15. Headup display according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the OLED display is a fully color-capable display.

16. Headup display according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact that the light beams (2) can be projected by the image forming unit (1) via a mirror system onto the partially reflecting pane.

17. Headup display according to claim 16, characterized by the fact that the mirror system has at least one plane mirror (3) and at least one free form planar mirror (5).

18. Headup display according to claim 17, characterized by the fact that a transparent cover (6) is arranged between the mirror system and the partially reflecting pane.

19. Headup display according to claim 18, characterized by the fact that the transparent cover (6) is arcuate.