FULL-WINDSHIELD HUD ENHANCEMENT: PIXELATED FIELD OF VIEW LIMITED ARCHITECTURE

• US 20100253601A1
• Filed: 03/24/2010
• 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: Cui, Dehua, Szczerba, Joseph F., Seder, Thomas A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,427,395 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/7
• 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 2027/0123 comprising devices increasing the field of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0194 with combiner of laminated type, for optical or mechanical aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays

Abstract

A system projects graphics upon a transparent windscreen head-up display of a vehicle. The system includes a graphics projection system projecting light upon the transparent windscreen head-up display and the transparent windscreen head-up display emitting light in a limited field of view based upon the projected light. The transparent windscreen head-up display includes light emitting particles small enough that the transparent windscreen head-up display is substantially transparent.

Claims

1. System for projecting graphics upon a transparent windscreen head-up display of a vehicle, the system comprising:

a graphics projection system projecting light upon the transparent windscreen head-up display; and

the transparent windscreen head-up display emitting light in a limited field of view based upon the projected light and comprising light emitting particles small enough that the transparent windscreen head-up display is substantially transparent.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the transparent windscreen head-up display is a substantially full-windscreen transparent windscreen head-up display.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the limited field of view is oriented to display graphics only to a driver of the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the limited field of view is oriented to display graphics only to a first row passenger of the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the transparent windscreen head-up display further emits light in a non-limited field of view.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the limited field of view is a first limited field of view;

and

wherein the transparent windscreen head-up display further emits light in a second limited field of view.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the transparent windscreen head-up display emits the light in the first limited field of view from a first area of the transparent windscreen head-up display;

and

wherein the transparent windscreen head-up display emits the light in the second limited field of view from a second area of the transparent windscreen head-up display.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the transparent windscreen head-up display emits the light in the first limited field of view from a predetermined area of the transparent windscreen head-up display;

and

wherein the transparent windscreen head-up display emits the light in the second limited field of view also from the predetermined area of the transparent windscreen head-up display.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the light emitting particles comprise parabola shaped emitters comprising:

a multiple layer reflective material shaped into a parabola;

a transparent protective layer closing the parabola formed by the multiple layer reflective material; and

a light emitting material encased between the multiple layer reflective material and the transparent protective layer;

wherein each parabola shaped emitter allows the projected light from the graphics projection system to pass through the transparent protective layer, excite the light emitting material creating visible light, and directionally emits the visible light from the parabola shaped emitter based upon the orientation of the parabola shaped emitter.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the transparent windscreen head-up display comprises parabola shaped depressions matching the parabola shaped emitters and oriented to create the limited field of view.

11. Method for constructing a transparent windscreen head-up display of a vehicle, comprising:

constructing a transparent substrate;

upon the transparent substrate, depositing a pixelated field of view limited architecture oriented to a desired limited field of view and comprising light emitting particles responsive to a projected excitation light, the particles being sized small enough that the transparent windscreen head-up display remains substantially transparent.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein depositing a pixelated field of view limited architecture oriented to the desired limited field of view comprises depositing a plurality of UV transparent encapsulants upon the transparent windscreen head-up display

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the UV transparent encapsulants each have a diameter between 0.5 nanometers and 500 nanometers.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the UV transparent encapsulants comprises SiO₂ and are filled with an LIF material fluorescing visible wavelengths when irradiated with ultraviolet radiation.

15. Method for displaying graphics upon a substantially transparent windscreen head-up display of a vehicle, comprising:

defining a limited field of view oriented to an occupant of the vehicle; and

utilizing a pixelated field of view limited architecture oriented to the limited field of view to display graphics upon the substantially transparent windscreen head-up display, the graphics being visible only within the limited field of view.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the pixelated field of view limited architecture comprises:

parabola shaped depressions etched upon the substantially transparent windscreen head-up display; and

parabola shaped light emitters filling the parabola shaped depressions.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the parabola shaped light emitters each comprise:

a parabola shaped reflective material filled with light emitting material to reflect visible light emitted from the light emitting material not oriented to the limited field of view.