VOLUMETRIC HEADS-UP DISPLAY WITH DYNAMIC FOCAL PLANE

• US 20140267402A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company), Making Virtual Solid-California, LLC
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hing, Victor Ng-Thow, Zamojdo, Tom, Grabowski, Chris
• Granted Patent: US 9,164,281 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/633
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0127 comprising devices increasing the depth of field
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0154 with movable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence

Abstract

A heads-up display device for displaying graphic elements in view of a user while the user views an environment through a display screen. The heads-up display device includes at least one projector that projects a graphic element on a frontal focal plane in view of the user while the user views the environment through the display screen, and at least one projector that projects a graphic element on a ground-parallel focal plane in view of the user while the user views the environment through the display screen. The projector that projects the graphic element on the frontal focal plane is mounted on an actuator that linearly moves the projector so as to cause the frontal focal plane to move in a direction of a line-of-sight of the user. The projector that projects the ground-parallel focal plane is fixedly arranged such that the ground-parallel focal plane is static.

Claims

1. A heads-up display device for displaying graphic elements in view of a user while the user views an environment through a display screen of the heads-up display device, comprising:

a first projector configured to project a first graphic element on a first focal plane in view of the user while the user views the environment through the display screen, the first focal plane oriented substantially perpendicularly to a line-of-sight of the user; and

a first actuator on which the first projector is mounted, the first actuator configured to linearly move the first projector, wherein linearly moving the first projector causes the first focal plane of the first graphic element to move in a direction of the line-of-sight of the user.

2. The heads-up display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second projector configured to project a second graphic element on a second focal plane in view of the user while the user views the environment through the display screen, the second focal plane oriented substantially parallel to a ground surface,

wherein the second projector is fixedly arranged such that the second focal plane of the second graphic element is static.

3. The heads-up display device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a third projector configured to project a third graphic element on a third focal plane in view of the user while the user views the environment through the display screen, the third focal plane oriented substantially perpendicularly to the direction of the line-of-sight of the user;

a second actuator on which the third projector is mounted, the second actuator configured to linearly move the third projector, wherein linearly moving the third projector causes the third focal plane of the third graphic element to move in the direction of the line-of-sight of the user; and

a fourth projector configured to project a fourth graphic element on a fourth focal plane in view of the user, the fourth focal plane oriented substantially parallel to and above the ground surface, wherein the fourth projector is fixedly arranged such that the fourth focal plane of the fourth graphic element is static, and the second projector is configured to project the second graphic element such that the second focal plane is disposed on the ground surface.

4. The heads-up display device according to claim 3, wherein the first actuator and the second actuator are independently operable to move the first projector and the third projector, such that the first focal plane and the third focal plane are movable independently of one another.

5. The heads-up display device according to claim 3, further comprising:

a central beam splitter into which projections from each of the first projector, the second projector, the third projector, and the fourth projector are received and combined into a singular projection output; and

at least one lens disposed to receive the singular projection output from the central beam splitter, and to direct the singular projection output to the display screen in view of the user.

6. The heads-up display device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a central beam splitter into which projections from each of the first projector and the second projector are received and combined into a singular projection output; and

at least one lens disposed to receive the singular projection output from the central beam splitter, and to direct the singular projection output to the display screen in view of the user.

7. The heads-up display device according to claim 1, wherein the graphic elements include at least one contact-analog augmented reality graphic element.

8. The heads-up display device according to claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to:

communicate with at least one associated control system;

determine a target first graphic element position based on communication with the at least one associated control system; and

control the first actuator to linearly move the first projector such that the first focal plane moves to the target first graphic element position.

9. A vehicular heads-up display system, comprising:

a vehicle heads-up display device for displaying graphic elements in view of a driver of a vehicle while the driver views an environment through a windshield of the vehicle, the vehicle heads-up display device comprising;

a first projector configured to project a first graphic element on a first focal plane in view of the driver, the first focal plane oriented substantially perpendicularly to a line-of-sight of the driver, and the first projector configured to move the first focal plane in a direction of the line-of-sight of the driver; and

a second projector configured to project a second graphic element on a second focal plane in view of the driver, the second focal plane being static and oriented substantially parallel to a ground surface, and

a controller configured to communicate with at least one associated vehicle control system and to control the vehicle heads-up display device to display the first and second graphic elements based on communication with the at least one associated vehicle control system.

10. The vehicular heads-up display system according to claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to:

determine a target first graphic element position based on communication with the at least one associated vehicle control system; and

control the first projector to move the first focal plane to the target first graphic element position.

11. The vehicular heads-up display system according to claim 10, wherein the vehicle heads-up display device further comprises an actuator on which the first projector is mounted, the actuator configured to linearly move the first projector, wherein linearly moving the first projector causes the first focal plane to move in the direction of the line-of-sight of the driver, and

the controller is configured to control the actuator to linearly move the first projector such that the first focal plane moves to the target first graphic element position.

12. The vehicular heads-up display system according to claim 9, wherein

the vehicle heads-up display device further comprises:

a third projector configured to project a third graphic element on a third focal plane in view of the driver, the third focal plane oriented substantially perpendicularly to the line-of-sight of the driver, and the third projector configured to move the third focal plane in the direction of the line-of-sight of the driver; and

a fourth projector configured to project a fourth graphic element on a fourth focal plane in view of the driver, the fourth focal plane being static and oriented parallel to the ground surface and disposed above the ground surface, wherein the second projector is configured to project the second graphic element with the second focal plane disposed on the ground surface, and

the controller is configured to control the vehicle heads-up display device to display the first, second, third, and fourth graphic elements based on communication with the at least one associated vehicle control system.

13. The vehicular heads-up display system according to claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to:

determine a target first graphic element position based on communication with the at least one associated vehicle control system;

determine a target third graphic element position based on communication with the at least one associated vehicle control system; and

control the first projector to move the first focal plane to the target first graphic element position, and control the third projector to move the third focal plane to the target third graphic element position.

14. The vehicular heads-up display system according to claim 13, wherein

the vehicle heads-up display device further comprises:

a first actuator on which the first projector is mounted, the first actuator configured to linearly move the first projector, wherein linearly moving the first projector causes the first focal plane to move in the direction of the line-of-sight of the driver; and

a second actuator on which the third projector is mounted, the second actuator configured to linearly move the third projector, wherein linearly moving the third projector causes the third focal plane to move in the direction of the line-of-sight of the driver, and

the controller is configured to control the first and second actuators to linearly move the first and third projectors such that the first and third focal planes respectively move to the target first graphic element position and the target third graphic element position, and the controller is configured to control the first and second actuators independently of one another.

15. The vehicular heads-up display device according to claim 12, wherein

the vehicle heads-up display device further comprises:

a first actuator on which the first projector is mounted, the first actuator configured to linearly move the first projector, wherein linearly moving the first projector causes the first focal plane to move in the direction of the line-of-sight of the driver; and

a second actuator on which the third projector is mounted, the second actuator configured to linearly move the third projector, wherein linearly moving the third projector causes the third focal plane to move in the direction of the line-of-sight of the driver, and

the controller is configured to control the first and second actuators to linearly move the first and third projectors such that the first and third focal planes respectively move, and the controller is configured to control the first and second actuators independently of one another.

16. The vehicular heads-up display device according to claim 9, wherein the vehicle heads-up display device further comprises a first actuator on which the first projector is mounted, the first actuator configured to linearly move the first projector, wherein linearly moving the first projector causes the first focal plane to move in the direction of the line-of-sight of the driver, and

the controller is configured to control the first actuator to linearly move the first projector such that the first focal plane moves.

17. A method for presenting augmented reality graphic elements in a heads-up display, comprising:

projecting a first graphic element on a first focal plane in view of a user, the first focal plane oriented substantially perpendicularly to a line-of-sight of the user;

projecting a second graphic element on a second focal plane in view of the user, the second focal plane being static and oriented substantially parallel to a ground surface; and

moving the first focal plane in a direction of the line-of-sight of the user.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the heads-up display is provided in a vehicle and the user is a driver,

the method further comprising:

receiving an input from at least one associated vehicle control system;

determining a target position of the first graphic element based on the input received from the at least one associated vehicle control system; and

moving the first focal plane in the direction of the line-of-sight of the driver such that the first focal plane moves to the target position of the first graphic element.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein moving the first focal plane in the direction of the line-of-sight of the user includes linearly moving a projector which projects the first graphic element, the linear movement of the projector causing the movement of the first focal plane in the direction of the line-of-sight of the user.

20. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

projecting a third graphic element on a third focal plane in the view of the user, the third focal plane oriented substantially perpendicularly to the line-of-sight of the user;

projecting a fourth graphic element on a fourth focal plane in view of the user, the fourth focal plane being static and oriented substantially parallel to and above the ground surface, wherein the second graphic element is projected with the second focal plane disposed on the ground surface; and

moving the third focal plane in the direction of the line-of-sight of the user,

wherein the first focal plane and third focal plane are moved independently from one another.