Apparatus and Method for Supressing Double Images On A Combiner Head-Up Display
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A head-up display system for overlaying a projected image onto an external scene image, the head-up display system comprising:
- a combiner having a first surface and a second surface and including a uniaxially absorbing polarizing structure disposed on the combiner to define the first surface or within the combiner between the first surface and the second surface;
a polarized image generation system configured to project polarized light onto the combiner; and
wherein the uniaxially absorbing polarizing structure has a local absorption axis that is substantially aligned at each point of the uniaxially absorbing polarizing structure with a refracted propagation direction of the external scene image transmitted through the combiner toward a design eye point for the head-up display system, the combiner configured to reflect from the first surface a first portion of the polarized light from the image generation system toward a design eye point for the head-up display system, and the uniaxially absorbing polarizing structure configured to substantially absorb a second portion of the polarized light from the image generation system.
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Abstract
A head-up display system and method are provided that suppress double images from a combiner by eliminating or reducing a reflection of a refracted image from the back surface of the combiner. The combiner contains a tilted axis polarizing structure that attenuates transmittance and subsequent reflection of a refracted polarized projector image but maintains high transmittance for the forward external scene imagery.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A head-up display system for overlaying a projected image onto an external scene image, the head-up display system comprising:
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a combiner having a first surface and a second surface and including a uniaxially absorbing polarizing structure disposed on the combiner to define the first surface or within the combiner between the first surface and the second surface; a polarized image generation system configured to project polarized light onto the combiner; and wherein the uniaxially absorbing polarizing structure has a local absorption axis that is substantially aligned at each point of the uniaxially absorbing polarizing structure with a refracted propagation direction of the external scene image transmitted through the combiner toward a design eye point for the head-up display system, the combiner configured to reflect from the first surface a first portion of the polarized light from the image generation system toward a design eye point for the head-up display system, and the uniaxially absorbing polarizing structure configured to substantially absorb a second portion of the polarized light from the image generation system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A head-up display system, comprising:
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a combiner comprising; a transparent layer having a first surface and a second surface and configured to allow a first image to pass therethrough in a first direction; and a polarizing layer disposed on the first surface or within the transparent layer, the first surface defining a tangential plane at each point of the surface, and the polarizing layer having a uniaxial absorption axis at a non-zero angle with respect to the tangential plane at each point of the surface, thereby configured to suppress a refracted image created by a polarized image passing through the transparent layer and reflecting off the second surface; and a polarized image generation system configured to project the polarized image onto the combiner, wherein a reflected image and the first image are combined in the first direction.
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18. An optical window having an associated design eye point, comprising:
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a light transmitting element having a first surface and a second surface; and a polarizing structure disposed within the light transmitting element between the first surface and the second surface;
wherein the light transmitting element and polarizing structure are configured to;pass light of arbitrary polarization through the first surface, second surface and design eyepoint without its polarization being substantially changed by the polarizing structure; and pass light through the first surface, second surface and polarizing structure but not the design eyepoint such that it is at least partially polarized and attenuated by the polarizing structure. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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Specification