HEAD-UP DISPLAY APPARATUS

• US 20100067118A1
• Filed: 10/11/2007
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nippon Seiki Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nippon Seiki Company Limited
• Inventors: Takahashi, Yuichi, Ohdaira, Maiko, Nagano, Keiichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,936,518 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/633
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0154 with movable elements
• 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 27/01 Head-up displays

Abstract

A head-up display apparatus having a structure capable of imaging a user, and enabling an eye position of the user to be accurately calculated is provided. The head-up display apparatus reflects visible light L emitted from display means 2 toward the user D by a combiner member (concave mirror) 4 to form a display image V. The apparatus includes infrared ray emitting means 5 for emitting an infrared ray toward the user D, a mirror member (cold mirror) 3 for reflecting the visible light L emitted from the display means 2 toward the combiner member 4, and transmitting the infrared ray reflected by the user D and the combiner member 4, a plurality of imaging means 6, 7 disposed to face the mirror member 3 for sensing the infrared ray, and each imaging the user D from differing directions, and image processing means 8 for calculating the eye position of the user D based on an image captured by the imaging means 6, 7.

Claims

1. A head-up display apparatus configured to reflect visible light emitted from display means toward a user by a combiner member to form a display image, the head-up display apparatus comprising:

infrared ray emitting means for emitting an infrared ray toward the user;

a mirror member for reflecting the visible light emitted from the display means toward the combiner member, and transmitting the infrared ray reflected by the user and the combiner member;

a plurality of imaging means for sensing the infrared ray transmitted through the mirror member, and each imaging the user from differing directions; and

image processing means for calculating the user'"'"'s eye position based on an image captured by the imaging means.

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

wherein the infrared ray emitting means is disposed to face the mirror member and be positioned between the plurality of imaging means.

3. The head-up display apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,

wherein a light shielding member is disposed between the infrared ray emitting means and the plurality of imaging means.

4. The head-up display apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the light shielding member is disposed to come in contact with the mirror member.

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

wherein the mirror member comprises a cold mirror.

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

wherein the combiner member comprises a windshield for a vehicle.

7. The head-up display apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the combiner member comprises a concave mirror disposed on a dashboard of the vehicle.

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

adjustment means for adjusting a position of formation of the display image, the adjustment means adjusting the display image formation position based on a result of the calculation by the image processing means.