FULL-WINDSHIELD HEAD-UP DISPLAY ENHANCEMENT: ANTI-REFLECTIVE GLASS HARD COAT

• US 20100253600A1
• Filed: 03/18/2010
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Szczerba, Joseph F., Seder, Thomas A., Cui, Dehua
• Granted Patent: US 8,830,141 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/7
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10036 comprising two outer glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10761 containing vinyl acetal
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/334 Projection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/231 characterised by their arrangement or structure for integration into vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/235 with means for detecting the driver's gaze direction or eye points
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/425 Anti-reflection arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/723 by using numerical data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9318 Controlling the steering
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93185 Controlling the brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9319 Controlling the accelerator
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9321 Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9322 : using additional data, e.g. driver condition, road state or weather data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9325 : for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93271 : in the front of the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/105 : Protective coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/113 : using inorganic layer materials only
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/115 : Multilayers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/14 : Protective coatings, e.g. hard coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 : comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0018 : with means for preventing ghost images anti-reflection coatings G02B1/11
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 : characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/208 : for use with infrared or ultraviolet radiation, e.g. for separating visible light from infrared and/or ultraviolet radiation

Abstract

A substantially transparent windscreen head-up display of a vehicle is configured to display graphical images from a light source. The windscreen head-up display includes multiple layers having an outer layer including a transparent substrate. The multiple layers further include a second transparent substrate layer including light emitting material, wherein the light emitting material emits visible light in response to absorption of ultraviolet light from the light source, and wherein the light emitting material includes a plurality of light emitting particles. The multiple layers further include an inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer.

Claims

1. A substantially transparent windscreen head-up display of a vehicle configured to display graphical images from a light source, the windscreen head-up display comprising multiple layers including:

an outer layer comprising a transparent substrate;

a second transparent substrate layer comprising light emitting material, wherein the light emitting material emits visible light in response to absorption of ultraviolet light from the light source, and wherein the light emitting material comprises a plurality of light emitting particles; and

an inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer.

2. The windscreen head-up display of claim 1, further comprising:

an ultraviolet blocking layer between the outer layer and the second transparent substrate layer.

3. The windscreen head-up display of claim 1, wherein the second transparent substrate layer further comprises a first, second, and third layer comprising light emitting material, wherein light emitting material in the first layer comprises red phosphor material, wherein light emitting material in the second layer comprises green phosphor material, and wherein light emitting material in the third layer comprises blue phosphor material.

4. The windscreen head-up display of claim 1, wherein the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer couples light from the light source to the second transparent substrate layer.

5. The windscreen head-up display of claim 1, wherein the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer protects inner layers of the windscreen.

6. The windscreen head-up display of claim 1, wherein the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer reduces ultraviolet reflection back towards the light source.

7. The windscreen head-up display of claim 1, wherein the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer comprises multiple ultraviolet anti-reflective sub layers.

8. The windscreen head-up display of claim 7, wherein an outer sub layer of the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer protects inner layers of the windscreen.

9. The windscreen head-up display of claim 7, wherein an index of refraction is attenuated from an outermost sub layer of the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer to an innermost sub layer of the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer.

10. The windscreen head-up display of claim 7, wherein the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective sub layers comprise at least one of SiO2, Si3N4, TiO2, and SiOxNy.

11. The windscreen head-up display of claim 7, wherein an outermost one of the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective sub layers comprises SiOxNy.

12. The windscreen head-up display of claim 1, wherein the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer comprises MgF₂.

13. The windscreen head-up display of claim 1, wherein the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer is deposited on the windscreen using at least one of magnetron sputtering, physical vapor deposition, and chemical vapor deposition.

14. A substantially transparent full-screen windscreen head-up display of a vehicle configured to display graphical images from a light source, the windscreen head-up display comprising multiple layers including:

an outer layer comprising a transparent substrate;

a second transparent substrate layer comprising light emitting material, wherein the light emitting material emits visible light in response to absorption of ultraviolet light from the light source, and wherein the light emitting material comprises a plurality of light emitting particles; and

an inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer comprising three ultraviolet anti-reflective sub layers.

15. Method to represent graphical images upon a substantially transparent full-screen windscreen head-up display of a vehicle configured to display graphical images from a light source, the method comprising:

monitoring informational inputs describing an operational environment for the vehicle;

processing the informational inputs to synthesize an operational environment model;

monitoring an occupant eye location;

converting the environmental model into the graphical images based upon the monitored occupant eye location; and

displaying the graphical images upon the substantially transparent full-screen windscreen head-up display, wherein the windscreen head-up display comprises multiple layers including;

an outer layer comprising a transparent substrate;

a second transparent substrate layer comprising light emitting material, wherein the light emitting material emits visible light in response to absorption of ultraviolet light from the light source, and wherein the light emitting material comprises a plurality of light emitting particles; and

an inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the windscreen head-up display further comprises an ultraviolet blocking layer between the outer layer and the second transparent substrate layer.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer comprises multiple ultraviolet anti-reflective sub layers.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the ultraviolet anti-reflective sub layers comprise at least one of SiO2, Si3N4, TiO2, and SiOxNy.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein an outermost one of the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective sub layers comprises SiOxNy.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer couples light from the light source to the second transparent substrate layer.