Heads-up display

• US 5,210,624 A
• Filed: 10/03/1991
• Issued: 05/11/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Watanabe, Reiko, Matsumoto, Tsuyoshi, Aritake, Hirokazu, Yamagishi, Fumio, Morihara, Takashi, Eguchi, Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): Lerner, Martin
• Application Number:
  US07/770,157
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 350/3.7, 350/3.77, 350/172, 350/174, 350/339 F, 350/404, 359/13, 359/14, 359/630, 359/633, 359/634, 359/15, 359/24
• US Class Current: 359/13
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0116 comprising devices for correcting chromatic aberration
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0194 with combiner of laminated type, for optical or mechanical aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0103 comprising holographic elements

Abstract

A heads-up display including a holographic optical element which reflects only at least one specific wavelength and allows a background light of other wavelengths to pass therethrough, an information source which emits information light having the specific wavelength, and a device for removing a wavelength of light corresponding to a complementary color of the specific wavelength.

Claims

1. A heads-up display, comprising:

a holographic optical element located along a field of view and having diffraction characteristics sufficient to reflect a predetermined first wavelength, to reflect a second wavelength corresponding to a substantially complementary color of the predetermined first wavelength and to pass therethrough wavelengths of a background light other than the first and second wavelengths; and

an information source which emits an information light having the predetermined first wavelength and configured so that the background light transmitted through said holographic optical element and the information light reflected by the holographic optical element can be simultaneously viewed along the field of view.

2. A heads-up display according to claim 1, wherein said holographic optical element is a hologram plate having the diffraction characteristics such that said holographic optical element reflects the predetermined first wavelength and the second wavelength corresponding to a substantially complementary color of the predetermined first wavelength.

3. A heads-up display, comprising:

a holographic optical element located along a field of view and having diffraction characteristics sufficient to reflect a predetermined first wavelength and pass a background light of wavelengths other than the predetermined first wavelength therethrough;

an information source which emits an information light of the predetermined first wavelength and configured to direct the information light onto a surface of said holographic optical element; and

an additional optical element located along the field of view and having characteristics sufficient to not pass therethrough a second wavelength of light corresponding to a substantially complementary color of the predetermined first wavelength so that the background light transmitted through said holographic optical element and the information light of the predetermined first wavelength reflected by the holographic optical element can be simultaneously viewed along the field of view.

4. A heads-up display according to claim 3, wherein said additional optical element does not pass the second wavelength by reflecting the second wavelength which corresponds to the substantially complementary color of the predetermined first wavelength.

5. A heads-up display according to claim 3, wherein said additional optical element does not pass the second wavelength by absorbing the second wavelength which corresponds to the substantially complementary color of the predetermined first wavelength.

6. A heads-up display according to claim 3, wherein said additional optical element is located along the field of view between the holographic optical element and a source of the background light.

7. A heads-up display according to claim 3,

wherein said holographic optical element comprises a hologram which reflects only the predetermined first wavelength and passes wavelengths other than the predetermined first wavelength, and

wherein said additional optical element comprises a substrate on which the hologram of the holographic optical element is formed and which removes the second wavelength which corresponds to the substantially complementary color of the predetermined first wavelength and passes wavelengths other than the second wavelength.

8. A heads-up display according to claim 7, wherein said substrate reflects the second wavelength.

9. A heads-up display according to claim 3, wherein the second wavelength is a combination of two wavelengths which are removed by said additional optical element.

10. A heads-up display comprising:

a holographic optical element located along a field of view and having diffraction characteristics sufficient to reflect a predetermined first wavelength and pass a background light of wavelengths other than the predetermined first wavelength therethrough;

an information source which emits an information light of the predetermined first wavelength and configured to direct the information light onto a surface of said holographic optical element; and

an additional optical element located along the field of view and having characteristics sufficient to not pass therethrough a second wavelength of light corresponding to a substantially complementary color of the predetermined first wavelength so that the background light transmitted through said holographic optical element and the information light of the predetermined first wavelength reflected by the holographic optical element can be simultaneously viewed along the field of view; and

wherein both said holographic optical element and said additional optical element are formed on a common transparent substrate.

11. A heads-up display comprising:

a holographic optical element located along a field of view and having diffraction characteristics sufficient to reflect a predetermined first wavelength and pass a background light of wavelengths other than the predetermined first wavelength therethrough;

an information source which emits an information light of the predetermined first wavelength and configured to direct the information light onto a surface of said holographic optical element; and

an additional optical element located along the field of view and having characteristics sufficient to not pass therethrough a second wavelength of light corresponding to a substantially complementary color of the predetermined first wavelength so that the background light transmitted through said holographic optical element and the information light of the predetermined first wavelength reflected by the holographic optical element can be simultaneously viewed along the field of view; and

wherein said additional optical element is located along the field of view between the holographic optical element and a viewer.

12. A heads-up display comprising:

a holographic optical element located along a field of view and having diffraction characteristics sufficient to reflect a predetermined first wavelength and pass a background light of wavelengths other than the predetermined first wavelength therethrough;

an information source which emits an information light of the predetermined first wavelength and configured to direct the information light onto a surface of said holographic optical element; and

an additional optical element located along the field of view and having characteristics sufficient to not pass therethrough a second wavelength of light corresponding to a substantially complementary color of the predetermined first wavelength so that the background light transmitted through said holographic optical element and the information light of the predetermined first wavelength reflected by the holographic optical element can be simultaneously viewed along the field of view; and

wherein said holographic optical element comprises a hologram which reflects only the predetermined first wavelength and passes wavelengths other than the predetermined first wavelength;

wherein said additional optical element comprises a substrate on which the hologram of the holographic optical element is formed and which removes the second wavelength which corresponds to the substantially complementary color of the predetermined first wavelength and passes wavelengths other than the second wavelength; and

wherein said substrate absorbs the second wavelength.

13. A heads-up display, comprising:

a holographic optical element located along a field of view and having diffraction characteristics sufficient to reflect a first set of predetermined wavelengths and to reflect a second set of wavelengths each corresponding to a substantially complementary color of a corresponding one of the predetermined wavelengths of the first set and to pass a remaining part of a background light therethrough; and

an information source which emits information lights corresponding to the first set of the predetermined wavelengths and configured so that the background light transmitted through said holographic optical element and the information lights reflected by said holographic optical element can be simultaneously viewed along the field of view.

14. A heads-up display, comprising:

a holographic optical element located along a field of view and having diffraction characteristics sufficient to reflect a first set of predetermined wavelengths and to pass a remaining part of a background light therethrough;

an information source which emits information lights corresponding to the first set of the predetermined wavelengths and configured to direct the information lights onto a surface of said holographic optical element; and

an additional optical element located along the field of view and having characteristics sufficient to not pass therethrough a second set of wavelengths each corresponding to a substantially complementary color of a corresponding one of the predetermined wavelengths of the first set so that the background light transmitted through said holographic optical element and the information lights reflected by said holographic optical element can be simultaneously viewed along the field of view.

15. A heads-up display, comprising:

a holographic optical element located along a field of view and having diffraction characteristics sufficient to reflect a first set of predetermined wavelengths and to pass a remaining part of a background light therethrough;

an information source which emits information lights corresponding to the first set of the predetermined wavelengths and configures to direct the information lights onto a surface of said holographic optical element; and

an additional optical element located along the field of view and having characteristics sufficient to not pass therethrough a second set of wavelengths each corresponding to a substantially complementary color of a corresponding one of the predetermined wavelengths of the first set so that the background light transmitted through said holographic optical element and the information lights reflected by said holographic optical element can be simultaneously viewed along the field of view; and

wherein said holographic optical element comprises a plurality of holograms formed on a transparent substrate.

16. A heads-up display, comprising:

a holographic optical element located along a field of view and having diffraction characteristics sufficient to reflect a first set of predetermined wavelengths and to pass a remaining part of a background light therethrough;

an information source which emits information lights corresponding to the first set of the predetermined wavelengths and configured to direct the information lights onto a surface of said holographic optical element; and

an additional optical element located along the field of view and having characteristics sufficient to not pass therethrough a second set of wavelengths each corresponding to a substantially complementary color of a corresponding one of the predetermined wavelengths of the first set so that the background light transmitted through said holographic optical element and the information lights reflected by said holographic optical element can be simultaneously viewed along the field of view; and

wherein said holographic optical element comprises a plurality of hologram plates, each hologram plate having a hologram formed on a transparent substrate.

17. A heads-up display, comprising:

a holographic optical element located along a field of view and having diffraction characteristics sufficient to reflect a first set of predetermined wavelengths and to pass a remaining part of a background light therethrough;

an information source which emits information lights corresponding to the first set of the predetermined wavelengths and configured to direct the information lights onto a surface of said holographic optical element; and

an additional optical element located along the field of view and having characteristics sufficient to not pass therethrough a second set of wavelengths each corresponding to a substantially complementary color of a corresponding one of the predetermined wavelengths of the first set so that the background light transmitted through said holographic optical element and the information lights reflected by said holographic optical element can be simultaneously viewed along the field of view; and

wherein said additional optical element comprises a plurality of optical plates which reflect or absorb the second set of wavelengths.

18. A heads-up display, comprising:

a holographic optical element located along a field of view and having diffraction characteristics sufficient to reflect a first set of predetermined wavelengths and to pass a remaining part of a background light therethrough;

an information source which emits information lights corresponding to the first set of the predetermined wavelengths and configured to direct the information lights onto a surface of said holographic optical element; and

an additional optical element located along the field of view and having characteristics sufficient to not pass therethrough a second set of wavelengths each corresponding to a substantially complementary color of a corresponding one of the predetermined wavelengths of the first set so that the background light transmitted through said holographic optical element and the information lights reflected by said holographic optical element can be simultaneously viewed; and

wherein both said holographic optical element and said additional optical element are formed on a common transparent substrate.

19. A heads-up display, comprising:

a holographic optical element located along a field of view and having diffraction characteristics sufficient to reflect a first set of predetermined wavelengths and to pass a remaining part of a background light therethrough;

an information source which emits information lights corresponding to the first set of the predetermined wavelengths and configured to direct the information lights onto a surface of said holographic optical element; and

an additional optical element located along the field of view and having characteristics sufficient to not pass therethrough a wavelength of light corresponding to a substantially complementary color of the first set of predetermined wavelengths in combination so that the background light transmitted through said holographic optical element and the information lights reflected by said holographic optical element can be simultaneously viewed along the field of view.