Display apparatus for automotive vehicle

• US 5,028,912 A
• Filed: 06/06/1989
• Issued: 07/02/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Iino, Tadashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Oberley, Alvin E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard A.
• Application Number:
  US07/362,281
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 340/705, 340/461, 340/980, 350/174, 350/606, 350/607, 350/632, 350/637, 350/639, 350/605, 353/14, 358/93, 358/103, 358/104, 358/250
• US Class Current: 345/7
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/08 Arrangements of scales, pointers, lamps or acoustic indicators, e.g. in automobile speedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0154 with movable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays

Abstract

In a display apparatus for an automotive vehicle including a projector disposed at the ceiling of the automotive vehicle to project display images and a half mirror for reflecting projected display images to the driver, an angular position of the half mirror surface from the lateral direction of the vehicle is automatically adjusted according to vehicle lateral acceleration. Therefore, the driver can appropriately see virtual display images ahead of the half mirror along the driver'"'"'s eye direction variable according to vehicle lateral acceleration.

Claims

1. A display apparatus for an automotive vehicle comprising:

(a) projecting means, disposed in a passenger compartment of the automotive vehicle, for projecting display images;

(b) half mirror reflecting means for reflecting the display images projected by said projecting means to a driver;

(c) actuator means, coupled to said half mirror reflecting means, for moving said half mirror reflecting means to adjust a position of a reflection surface of said half mirror reflecting means from at least a lateral direction of the vehicle;

(d) sensor means for detecting a change in vehicle lateral acceleration; and

(e) control means, coupled to said actuator means and said sensor means, for controlling the position of said half mirror reflecting means according to vehicle lateral acceleration detected by said sensor means to automatically form virtual display images ahead of said half mirror reflecting means in a driver'"'"'s eye direction variable according to vehicle lateral acceleration.

2. The display apparatus for an automotive vehicle, as set forth in claim 1, which further comprises another actuator means, coupled to said half mirror reflecting means, for tilting said half mirror reflecting means to manually adjust a tilt angle of said half mirror reflecting means so that display images can be correctly reflected from said half mirror reflecting means to the driver according to a driver'"'"'s sitting height.

3. The display apparatus for an automotive vehicle, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said control means controls said half mirror reflecting means in accordance with table look-up method on the basis of detected vehicle lateral acceleration.

4. The display apparatus for an automotive vehicle, as set forth in claim 3, wherein said control means controls said half mirror reflecting means in direct forward control method.

5. The display apparatus for an automotive vehicle, as set forth in claim 3, wherein said actuator means comprises a sensor for detecting an angular position of a reflection surface of said half mirror reflecting means to control said half mirror reflecting means in feedback control method.

6. A display apparatus for an automotive vehicle having a passenger compartment and a driver, comprising:

(a) projecting means disposed in the passenger compartment of the automotive vehicle, for projecting display images;

(b) half-mirror reflecting means having a reflection surface for reflecting the display images projected by said projecting means to a driver;

(c) actuator means coupled to said half-mirror reflecting means, for moving said half-mirror reflecting means to adjust a position of a reflection surface of said half-mirror reflecting means from at least a lateral direction of the vehicle;

(d) sensor means for detecting vehicle lateral acceleration; and

(e) control means coupled to said actuator means and said sensor means, for controlling the position of said half-mirror reflecting means in accordance with a look-up table of values on the basis of detected vehicle lateral acceleration detected by said sensor means to automatically form virtual display images ahead of said half-mirror reflecting means in a driver'"'"'s eye direction variable according to vehicle lateral acceleration.

7. The display apparatus for an automotive vehicle, as set forth in claim 6, wherein said control means controls said half-mirror reflecting means by direct forward control.

8. The display apparatus for an automotive vehicle, as set forth in claim 6, wherein said actuator means comprises a sensor for detecting an angular position of a reflection surface of said half-mirror reflecting means to control said half-mirror reflecting means by feedback control.