Head-up displays

• US 4,407,564 A
• Filed: 01/21/1981
• Issued: 10/04/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1980
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GEC Marconi Limited (Gooding Consumer Electronics Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Elliott Brothers London Ltd (Cornhill Corp. Holdings LLP)
• Inventors: Ellis, Stafford M.
• Primary Examiner(s): BUCZINSKI, STEPHEN C
• Application Number:
  US06/237,401
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 350/174, 350/3.7, 350/3.77
• US Class Current: 345/7
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0107 with optical power
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0025 for optical correction, e.g. distorsion, aberration
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0103 comprising holographic elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0149 characterised by mechanical features G02B27/0176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1093 for use with monochromatic radiation only, e.g. devices for splitting a single laser source

Abstract

A display unit for a head up display wherein the combiner (9), which serves to reflect light from a display surface (3) towards an observer to provide the observer with an image of the display superimposed on his view through the combiner, comprises first, second and third tuned reflective optical films (13c, 15c, 17c) disposed in such angular relationship with one another and the display surface that narrow waveband light from the display surface reaches the observer after being, successively, reflected at the first film, transmitted through the second film, reflected at the third film, reflected at the second film and transmitted through the third film.

Claims

1. A display unit for a head up display comprising a combiner through which an observer can view a scene and a projector unit having a display surface from which light representing a display is projected onto the combiner for reflection to the observer thereby to provide the observer with an image of the display superimposed on his view through the combiner, characterised in that the combiner has first, second and third tuned reflective optical films which converge towards one another so as to define a pair of tapering spaces;

the reflection/transmission characteristics of the films and the angles of convergence of the films and their angular relationship with the display surface being such that light within a narrow waveband from the display surface is, in turn, reflected at the first film towards the second film, transmitted through the second film towards the third film, reflected at the third film back towards the second film, reflected at the second film towards the third film, and transmitted through the third film to the observer'"'"'s viewing position.

2. A display unit according to claim 1 wherein said second film is between said first and third films and said first and second films converge towards one edge of the second film and said second and third films converge towards the opposite edge of the second film.

3. A display unit according to claim 2 wherein light from said projector unit is directed onto said first film by a reflector disposed adjacent said opposite edge of the second film.

4. A display unit according to claim 3 wherein light from the projector unit is directed onto said reflector through a relay lens system disposed on the side of the combiner remote from the observer'"'"'s viewing position and extending generally parallel to the observer'"'"'s line of sight through the combiner.

5. A display unit according to claim 1 wherein said first and third films are substantially flat and said second film is substantially spherical.

6. A display unit according to claim 1 wherein each said film is sandwiched between a pair of supporting light transparent elements.