HEAD UP DISPLAY (HUD)

• US 20130141311A1
• Filed: 12/02/2011
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Automotive Research & Testing Center
• Original Assignee: Automotive Research & Testing Center
• Inventors: HO, KEVIN, HSU, JIH-TAO, CHIANG, CHIH-BIN
• Granted Patent: US 8,854,281 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/7
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0833 the reflecting element being a micromechanical device, e.g. a MEMS mirror, DMD G02B26/0825 takes precedence; micromechanical devices in general B81B
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/10 Automotive applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/003 to produce spatial visual effects

Abstract

A Head Up Display (HUD), comprising: an image display unit, to generate input images; a virtual image generation unit, to receive said input images and generate at least a virtual image; a rotation mechanism, used to make said virtual image generation unit to change its projection angle, to project virtual images to a plurality of transmission mirrors; and a plurality of transmission mirrors, used to receive said virtual images and reflect them into a large area virtual image. Advantage of said HUD is that, size of lens and mirrors is reduced, so said HUD is miniaturized, while realizing large area image display, such that information frame of vehicle match that of outside view, hereby solving problems of single optical route display device of the prior art, that is only capable of displaying a small area image rather than a large area image.

Claims

1. A Head Up Display (HUD), comprising at least:

an image display unit, used to generate one or more input images;

at least a virtual image generation unit, to receive said input images and produce a plurality of virtual images;

a rotation mechanism, used to control rotation angle of said virtual image generation unit, so that said virtual image generation unit change a projection angle of said virtual images; and

a plurality of transmission mirrors, used to receive said virtual images and reflect them into a large area virtual image.

2. The Head Up Display (HUD) as claimed in claim 1, wherein when a plurality of said virtual image generation units are provided, they are arranged into a matrix array to form a digital micro-mirror device, each said input image contains a plurality of pixels, each said virtual image generation unit corresponds to at least a said pixel, and said rotation mechanism has at least two swaying states, such that number of said transmission mirrors is same as that of said swaying states.

3. The Head Up Display (HUD) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a light source generation unit, used to generate a light source, wherein, said image display unit is a digital micro-mirror device and contains a plurality of micro-mirrors, said micro-mirrors form into a matrix array, such that said image display unit receives light from said light source to generate said input images, wherein, each said input image has a plurality of pixels, each said micro-mirror corresponds respectively to each said pixel, so that number of said micro-mirrors is same as that of said pixels.

4. The Head Up Display (HUD) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rotation mechanism further includes an actuation unit and a power unit, said power unit provides power to bring said actuation unit into action, so that said actuation unit controls said virtual image generation unit, wherein, said power unit is a step motor or a micro motor.

5. The Head Up Display (HUD) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said image display unit is a liquid crystal display or a digital optical projector.

6. The Head Up Display (HUD) as claimed in claim 1, wherein a vision converged range is provided, so that said transmission mirror reflects said large area virtual image into said vision converged range.

7. The Head Up Display (HUD) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

at least an image fetching unit and at least a processing unit, said processing unit is connected to said image fetching unit and said image display unit, said image fetching unit is used to fetch an external signal, said processing unit is used to receive said external signal from said image fetching unit, and process said external signal and a vehicle signal into an image signal, and said processing unit transmits said image signal to said image display unit, so that said image display unit generates said input image.

8. The Head Up Display (HUD) as claimed in claim 7, wherein said external signal relates to a lane marking, a horizontal line, or an obstacle contour;

and vehicle signal relates to vehicle operation temperature, engine rotation speed, vehicle driving speed, guidance information, tire pressure, gear shift reminder, turning-around and back-up reminder, obstacle warning, flying attitude, flying speed, flying direction, vertical speed variations, vehicle inclination angle, wind direction, vehicle moving-forward or slow-down.

9. The Head Up Display (HUD) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said virtual image generation unit is a concave lens, a convex lens, or a combination of both.

10. The Head Up Display (HUD) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said transmission mirror is a planar plate of a high reflectivity optical thin film, with its transmission rate between 70% and 75%, and its reflection rate between 25% and 30%, and display angle of said transmission mirror is adjustable and is adjusted to a proper display angle.