Head-up display device for the display of data aboard automobiles

• US 5,329,272 A
• Filed: 09/18/1991
• Issued: 07/12/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Societa Italiana Pentole SpA
• Original Assignee: Societa Italiana Pentole SpA
• Inventors: Giordano, Vito L., Massarelli, Liberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Application Number:
  US07/761,449
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 340/980, 340/705:461, 359/630, 359/632, 353/13, 353/14, 345/7, 345/8
• US Class Current: 340/461
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0154 with movable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0156 with optionally usable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence

Abstract

A head-up display device for the display of data aboard automobiles, comprising a unit for the generation of the visual information to be displayed; located within the first part of the optical axis of the device, placed substantially parallel to the longest side of the windshield of an automobile; first optical refracting means situated on said optical axis; reflecting means with zero optical power placed substantially at 45° to said first part of the optical axis to deviate by approximately 90° said optical axis on which a second refracting means is located; the second part of said optical axis originated by said reflecting means being directed towards the surface of the windshield at such an angle as to be substantially within the driver'"'"'s field of view; the arrangement being such that, in a known manner, the surface of the windshield acts as a combiner element of the panorama seen by the driver and the virtual image coming from said unit for the generation of visual information to be displayed.

Claims

1. In an automobile, a head-up display device for displaying data on the windshield of the automobile, said display device comprising:

image forming means for generating visual information transmitted along a first optical path that extends transversely of the vehicle substantially parallel to the lengthwise dimension of the windshield;

a first optical refractive element situated in said first optical path so as to refract the visual information generated by said image forming means;

a reflector having a nil optical power situated in said first optical path downstream of said first optical refractive element with respect to the direction in which the visual information is transmitted in the device so as to receive the visual information refracted by said first optical refractive element, said reflector oriented at substantially 45°

to said first optical path so as to reflect visual information impinging thereon along a second optical path that subtends an angle of approximately 90°

with said first optical path;

a second optical refractive element situated in said second optical path so as to refract the visual information reflected by said reflector; and

said reflector being so oriented relative to the windshield of the automobile that said second optical path intersects said windshield at such an angle and location that visual information traveling along said second optical path and refracted by said second optical refractive element reflects at the inner surface of said windshield within the field of vision of a driver whereby the driver can concurrently observe at the surface of the windshield a combination of the panorama in front of the automobile and the visual information generated by said image forming means;

a structure fixing said image forming means, said first optical refractive element and said reflector to one another so as to together constitute an integrated unit, said structure including a tubular structure to which said image forming means and said first optical refractive element are mounted, and a shaft extending from and parallel to said tubular element and supporting said reflector thereon at an angle of substantially 45°

relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, said tubular structure having a longitudinal axis coincident with said first optical path; and

a seat fixed relative to the automobile and supporting said tubular element for rotation about the longitudinal axis thereof wherein said unit is rotatably supported in the device about an axis coincident with said first optical path such that the location of the visual image at the surface of the windshield is adjustable by rotating said unit.

2. A head-up display device in an automobile as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first refractive element of the device is a negative lens that diverges light rays constituting the visual information, and said second refractive element of the device is a positive lens that converges the light rays constituting the visual information.

3. A head-up display device in an automobile as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising a semi-transparent net disposed over an exit pupil of the device that defines an opening which most limits the size of the visual information perceived at the surface of the windshield.

4. A head-up display device in an automobile as claimed in claim 2, and further comprising a semi-transparent net disposed over an exit pupil of the device that defines an opening which most limits the size of the visual information perceived at the surface of the windshield.

5. A head-up display device in an automobile as claimed in claim 4, wherein said positive lens forms said exit pupil and said semi-transparent net is removably supported in the automobile over said positive lens, whereby said positive lens can be cleaned when said net is removed.

6. A head-up display device in an automobile as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising a handle connected to said unit and extending from the dashboard of the automobile, said handle being manipulatable by the driver to rotate said unit about the first optical path of the device.

7. A head-up display device in an automobile as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising a motor connected to said unit and operable to rotate said unit about the first optical path of the device.

8. A head-up display device in an automobile as claimed in claim 1, wherein said seat is a tubular element in which said tubular structure is rotatably supported.

9. A head-up display device in an automobile as claimed in claim 1, wherein said image forming means comprises a vacuum fluorescent display.

10. A head-up display device in an automobile as claimed in claim 1, wherein said image forming means comprises an array of photoemitting diodes.

11. A head-up display device in an automobile as claimed in claim 1, wherein said image forming means comprises transparent illuminated masks.

12. A head-up display device in an automobile as claimed in claim 1, wherein said image forming means comprises a transmission illuminated liquid crystal display.

13. A head-up display device in an automobile as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device centers the visual information at a distance of approximately 2200 mm from the eyes of a driver of the automobile.

14. In an automobile, a head-up display device for displaying data on the windshield of the automobile, said display device comprising:

image forming means for generating visual information transmitted along a first optical path that extends transversely of the vehicle substantially parallel to the lengthwise dimension of the windshield;

a first optical refractive element situated in said first optical path so as to refract the visual information generated by said image forming means;

a reflector having a nil optical power situated in said first optical path downstream of said first optical refractive element with respect to the direction in which the visual information is transmitted in the device so as to receive the visual information refracted by said first optical refractive element, said reflector oriented at substantially 45°

to said first optical path so as to reflect visual information impinging thereon along a second optical path that subtends an angle of approximately 90°

with said first optical path;

a second optical refractive element situated in said second optical path so as to refract the visual information reflected by said reflector; and

said reflector being so oriented relative to the windshield of the automobile that said second optical path intersects said windshield at such an angle and location that visual information traveling along said second optical path and refracted by said second optical refractive element reflects at the inner surface of said windshield within the field of vision of a driver whereby the driver can concurrently observe at the surface of the windshield a combination of the panorama in front of the automobile and the visual information generated by said image forming means, the distance between said image forming means and said first optical refractive element as taken along said first optical path being 170 mm, the focal length of said first optical refractive element being -139 mm, the distance between said image forming means and said second optical refractive element as taken along said optical paths being 306 mm, the focal length of said second optical refractive element being 400 mm, and the distance between the second optical refractive element and said windshield as taken along said second optical path being 1300 mm.

15. A head-up display device in an automobile as claimed in claim 14, wherein the optical elements of the device enlarge the visual information generated by said image forming means by an enlargement factor of G=3.4.

16. A head-up display device in an automobile as claimed in claim 14, wherein the visual information is displayed over an area of 85 mm×

102 mm at the distance of 1300 mm from said second optical refractive element as taken along said second optical path.

17. A head-up display device in an automobile as claimed in claim 15, wherein the visual information is displayed over an area of 85 mm×

102 mm at the distance of 1300 mm from said second optical refractive element as taken along said second optical path.

18. A head-up display device in an automobile as claimed in claim 14, wherein the device centers the visual information at a distance of approximately 2200 mm from the eyes of a driver of the automobile.