HEAD-UP DISPLAY AND METHOD WITH SPEED SENSITIVE LIGHT INTENSITY

• US 20150019072A1
• Filed: 07/09/2013
• Published: 01/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: DARA, Chester Peter Jr., BLANTON, Carlin Bjork
• Granted Patent: US 9,008,908 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/00 Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings

Abstract

A head-up display light source intensity control for a vehicle can include sensing an ambient light intensity condition and providing ambient light intensity data indicative of the ambient light intensity condition to a controller. A speed of the vehicle is sensed and vehicle speed data indicative of the speed of the vehicle is provided to the controller. The controller is configured to calculate a light intensity output value for the head-up display based on both the ambient light intensity data and the vehicle speed data. The light intensity output of a light source of the head-up display is adjusted based upon the light intensity output value.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a light intensity output of a head-up display for a vehicle comprising:

configuring a controller to obtain ambient light intensity data;

configuring the controller to obtain vehicle speed data;

configuring the controller to adjust the light intensity output of the head-up display based on both the ambient light intensity data and the vehicle speed data.

2. The method of controlling a light intensity output of a head-up display of claim 1, wherein configuring the controller to adjust the light intensity output comprises configuring the controller to provide a first time-based rate of change in the light intensity output at a first high vehicle speed that is greater than a second time-based rate of change in the light intensity output at a second low vehicle speed.

3. The method of controlling a light intensity output of a head-up display of claim 1, wherein configuring the controller to adjust the light intensity output comprises configuring the controller to provide a first distance-based rate of change in the light intensity output at a first high vehicle speed that is substantially the same as the distance-based rate of change in the light intensity output at a second low vehicle speed.

4. The method of controlling a light intensity output of a head-up display of claim 1, wherein configuring the controller to adjust the light intensity output comprises configuring the controller to provide a first time-based rate of change in the light intensity output at a first high vehicle speed that is greater than a second time-based rate of change in the light intensity output at a second low vehicle speed, and to provide a first distance-based rate of change in the light intensity output the first high vehicle speed that is substantially the same as a second distance-based rate of change in the light intensity output at the second low vehicle speed.

5. The method of controlling a light intensity output of a head-up display in a vehicle of claim 1, wherein configuring the controller to adjust the light intensity output comprises configuring the controller to provide changes in a magnitude of the light intensity output that are proportional to the speed of the vehicle so that proportionally higher vehicle speeds result in proportionally larger changes in the magnitude of the light intensity output.

6. The method of controlling a light intensity output of a head-up display in a vehicle of claim 1, wherein configuring the controller to adjust the light intensity output comprises configuring the controller to provide changes in the light intensity output at a periodic rate that is proportional to the speed of the vehicle so that proportionally higher vehicle speeds result in proportionally faster changes in the periodic rate of the light intensity output.

7. A method of controlling a light intensity output of a head-up display for a vehicle comprising:

sensing an ambient light intensity condition;

providing ambient light intensity data indicative of the ambient light intensity condition to a controller;

sensing a speed of the vehicle;

providing vehicle speed data indicative of the speed of the vehicle to the controller;

configuring the controller to calculate a light intensity output value for the head-up display based on both the ambient light intensity data and the vehicle speed data; and

adjusting the light intensity output of a light source of the head-up display based upon the light intensity output value.

8. The method of controlling a light intensity output of a head-up display in a vehicle of claim 7, wherein adjusting the light intensity output comprises providing a first time-based rate of change in the light intensity output at a first high vehicle speed that is greater than a second time-based rate of change in the light intensity output at a second low vehicle speed.

9. The method of controlling a light intensity output of a head-up display in a vehicle of claim 7, wherein adjusting the light intensity output comprises providing a first distance-based rate of change in the light intensity output at a first high vehicle speed that is substantially the same as the distance-based rate of change in the light intensity output at a second low vehicle speed.

10. The method of controlling a light intensity output of a head-up display in a vehicle of claim 7, wherein adjusting the light intensity output comprises providing changes in a magnitude of the light intensity output that are proportional to the speed of the vehicle so that proportionally higher vehicle speeds result in proportionally larger changes in the magnitude of the light intensity output.

11. The method of controlling a light intensity output of a head-up display in a vehicle of claim 7, wherein adjusting the light intensity output comprises providing changes in the light intensity output at a periodic rate that is proportional to the speed of the vehicle so that proportionally higher vehicle speeds result in proportionally faster changes in the periodic rate of the light intensity output.

12. The method of controlling a light intensity output of a head-up display in a vehicle of claim 7, further comprising incorporating the head-up display in the vehicle, which is an automobile.

13. A head-up display for a vehicle comprising:

a controller;

an ambient light intensity sensor configured to provide ambient light intensity data to the controller; and

a vehicle speed sensor configured to provide vehicle speed data to the controller; and

wherein the controller is configured to calculate a light intensity output of the head-up display based upon both the ambient light intensity data and the vehicle speed data.

14. The head-up display of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to provide a first time-based rate of change in the light intensity output at a first high vehicle speed that is greater than a second time-based rate of change in the light intensity output at a second low vehicle speed.

15. The head-up display of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to provide a first distance-based rate of change in the light intensity output at a first high vehicle speed that is substantially the same as the distance-based rate of change in the light intensity output at a second low vehicle speed.

16. The head-up display of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to provide a first time-based rate of change in the light intensity output at a first high vehicle speed that is greater than a second time-based rate of change in the light intensity output at a second low vehicle speed, and to provide a first distance-based rate of change in the light intensity output the first high vehicle speed that is substantially the same as a second distance-based rate of change in the light intensity output at the second low vehicle speed.

17. The head-up display of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to provide changes in a magnitude of the light intensity output that are proportional to the speed of the vehicle so that proportionally higher vehicle speeds result in proportionally larger changes in the magnitude of the light intensity output.

18. The head-up display of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to provide changes in the light intensity output at a periodic rate that is proportional to the speed of the vehicle so that proportionally higher vehicle speeds result in proportionally faster changes in the periodic rate of the light intensity output.

19. The head-up display of claim 13, wherein the ambient light intensity sensor configured to have a sensor viewing cone extending forward of the vehicle at an angle.

20. A vehicle incorporating the head-up display of claim 13, wherein the vehicle is an automobile.