HEAD-UP DISPLAY

• US 3,816,005 A
• Filed: 07/14/1972
• Issued: 06/11/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert K. Kirschner
• Original Assignee: Robert K. Kirschner
• Inventors: Kirschner, Robert K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schonberg, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Evans, F. L.
• Application Number:
  US05/271,983
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 350/174,198,294 35/12N 356/251,252 248/479
• US Class Current: 356/251
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/334 Projection means
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/02 using radio waves G01S19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0154 with movable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0156 with optionally usable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0169 Supporting or connecting means other than the external walls
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0149 characterised by mechanical features G02B27/0176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0676 specially adapted for landing

Abstract

An apparatus for displaying collimated images including an ellipsoidal mirror having a focal surface and means for generating a bar and scale image for the mirror in the focal surface. The means generating a scale image includes an elongated strip of film or tape containing indicia which is positioned intermediate an elongated light source and the mirror to display a scale image on the mirror, and the means generating the bar image includes a transverse bar which reflectively defines a bar image on the mirror intersecting the scale image. The generating means includes means for moving the tape strip to modify the scale image and means for moving the bar to displace the bar image on the mirror and modify the position of intersection between the bar and scale images.

Claims

1. A collimated head-up display apparatus for a vehicle, presenting a display of visual information to a viewer against a background of the outside world, comprising:

a reflective surface which is a segment of an ellipsoidal surface, said ellipsoidal surface being a surface of revolution of an ellipse about one of its axes, said reflective surface being taken substantially from one hemiellipsoidal surface adjacent but offset from said axis of revolution, which axis constitutes the optical axis of said reflective surface, said reflective surface having a nominal viewing position generally on the axial plane of the ellipsoid at right angles to the optical axis, said viewing position being offset from the optical axis with the line of sight from the viewing position to the reflective surface being generally parallel with but offset from the optical axis; and

means for generating an image of the visual information for display on said reflective surface, said means forming the image about the optical axis of and at the focal surface of said reflective surface, out of the line of sight between the viewing position and the reflective surface.

2. The collimated head-up display of claim 1 wherein the distance from the reflective surface to the viewing position is greater than two times the distance from the reflective surface to the focal surface.

3. The collimated head-up display of claim 1 wherein the distance from the reflective surface to the viewing position is less than two times the distance from the reflective surface to the focal surface.

4. The collimated head-up display of claim 1 wherein the distance from the reflective surface to the viewing position is substantially equal to the distance from the reflective surface to the focal surface.

5. The display apparatus of claim 1 wherein said reflective surface is semi-transparent and is positioned in the line of sight of the viewer, and the collimated image is combined with the view through the semitransparent reflective surface.

6. The display apparatus of claim 1 including a planar, semi-transparent mirror positioned in the line of sight of a viewer to reflect the collimated image from said reflective surface to the viewer, combined with the view through said mirror.

7. The display apparatus of claim 1 wherein the optical axis is the major axis and the ratio of major to minor axis of said ellipse is of the order of 4:

3.

8. The display apparatus of claim 1 wherein the viewing position is spaced from the optical axis approximately 0.135 times the axial dimension of the ellipse at right angles to the optical axis.

9. The display apparatus of claim 7 wherein said major axis is approximately 40 inches and said minor axis is approximately 30 inches the reflective surface has a generally spherical focal surface having a radius of the order of 4 inches with the focal surface being spaced approximately 6 inches from the reflective surface, and the reflected image is viewed at approximately 20 inches from the reflective surface, with the eyes spaced approximately 2 inches from the major axis.

10. The display apparatus of claim 1 wherein the image generating means includes, illuminating means;

an elongated bar positioned generally parallel to the reflective surface to reflect light from the illuminating means and define an image of the bar on the mirror;

means moving the bar reflective to the optical axis to modify the angle at which the image is viewed relative to the background and the optical axis.

11. The display apparatus of claim 1 including, a base, a housing at one end of the base with said image generating means therein, and a reflective surface support member slidably mounted at the other end of said base for movement toward and away from the image generating means.

12. The display apparatus of claim 1 including a Base;

a housing at one end of the base with said image generating means therein, and a reflective surface support member pivotally mounting the reflective surface on the base for movement between an upright position with the reflective surface displaying the generated image and a stow position.

13. The display apparatus of claim 12 including adjustable stop means to vary the upright position of the reflective surface about the pivotal axis of the mounting means.

14. The display apparatus of claim 12 including, circuit means selectively energizing said generating means;

and switch means operably associated with said pivotally mounted reflective surface to close the circuit means and energize the generating means when the reflective surface is in the upright position and to open the circuit means and deenergize the generating means when the mirror is in the stow position.

15. The display apparatus of claim 12 in which the reflective surface folds to a stow position intermediate the pivotal axis and the generating means.

16. The display apparatus of claim 15 in which said base includes, a housing portion containing said generating means and having a front window through which said image is directed toward the reflective surface;

and a second portion extending forwardly from the housing below said window, with said reflective surface being pivotally mounted to the second portion adjacent the end remote the window and folding to a stow position intermediate said remote end and the window.

17. The display apparatus of claim 12 including a support bar for the reflective surface pivotally mounted on the base, and means for detent engagement of the support bar to hold the reflective surface in a selected pivotal position.

18. The display apparatus of claim 17 in which said engagement means comprises, a pressure plate movably positioned adjacent said support bar;

and spring means urging said plate against the bar.

19. The collimated head-up display of claim 1 wherein said reflective surface is mounted on and movable with the head of the viewer, said image generating means including means compensating the image for the position of the viewer'"'"''"'"'s head with respect to the vehicle.

20. The collimated head-up display of claim 19 including means for generating a signal representing the image to be displayed, means for determining the vehicle position, means for determining the combiner position, and means for comparing the two positions and for generating a signal which compensates the image signal for the combiner position.

21. The collimated head-up display of claim 19 in which said reflective surface is mounted on a helmet worn by said viewer, and in which the image generating means is also mounted on and movable with said helmet.