Vehicular display system forming display image on front windshield
First Claim
1. A display system for an automotive vehicle comprising:
- a front windshield positioned in front of a driver of a vehicle;
a projector assembly installed in the vehicle, the projector assembly comprising an optical system for generating an image-forming light beam and a deflecting means for deflecting the light beam from the optical system toward the front windshield, the deflected image-forming light beam being further deflected on the front windshield toward the driver so as to form a display virtual image in front of the windshield, wherein the optical system and the deflecting means have the same spectral characteristics so that sunlight incident on the deflecting means through the front windshield is not reflected;
a display position adjusting means, associated with the optical system, for changing the angle of the optical system, thereby to change an angle of incidence of the image-forming light beam on the deflecting means, the display position adjusting means including a motor for tilting the optical system with respect to the deflecting means; and
a controller for driving the motor of the display position adjusting means to vary an inclination of an optical axis of the optical system with respect to the deflecting means, to allow an entire portion of the display virtual image in front of the front windshield to be visible to the driver when the driver'"'"'s eye point changes.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicular display system can project optical images onto different areas on a front windshield in accordance with the effective height of a driver'"'"'s eyes. The display system includes an image source and a mirror, either of which can be tilted manually and/or automatically. The mirror reflecting an image from the image source onto the inside of the windshield at an angle suitable for reflection toward the driver'"'"'s eyes and at a height on the windshield fully within the driver'"'"'s field of view. An electrically controlled seat can provide seat position and inclination signals for use in automatically adjusting the display height. In addition, a memory may hold manually entered display-height information to expedite readjustment of the display height in cases where more than one driver uses the vehicle.
173 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A display system for an automotive vehicle comprising:
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a front windshield positioned in front of a driver of a vehicle; a projector assembly installed in the vehicle, the projector assembly comprising an optical system for generating an image-forming light beam and a deflecting means for deflecting the light beam from the optical system toward the front windshield, the deflected image-forming light beam being further deflected on the front windshield toward the driver so as to form a display virtual image in front of the windshield, wherein the optical system and the deflecting means have the same spectral characteristics so that sunlight incident on the deflecting means through the front windshield is not reflected; a display position adjusting means, associated with the optical system, for changing the angle of the optical system, thereby to change an angle of incidence of the image-forming light beam on the deflecting means, the display position adjusting means including a motor for tilting the optical system with respect to the deflecting means; and a controller for driving the motor of the display position adjusting means to vary an inclination of an optical axis of the optical system with respect to the deflecting means, to allow an entire portion of the display virtual image in front of the front windshield to be visible to the driver when the driver'"'"'s eye point changes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A display system for an automotive vehicle consisting essentially of:
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a front windshield positioned in front of a driver of a vehicle; a projector assembly installed in the vehicle, the projector assembly comprising an optical system for generating an image-forming light beam and a deflecting means for deflecting the light beam from the optical system toward the front windshield, the deflected image-forming light beam being further deflected on the front windshield toward the driver so as to form a display virtual image in front of the windshield, wherein the deflecting means has a spectral characteristic such that sunlight incident on the deflecting means through the front windshield is absorbed by the deflecting means and is not reflected; a display position adjusting means, associated with the optical system, for changing the angle of the optical system thereby to change an angle of incidence of the image-forming light beam on the front windshield, the display position adjusting means including a motor for tilting the optical system with respect to the deflecting means; and a controller for driving the motor of the display position adjusting means to vary an inclination of an optical axis of the optical system with respect to the deflecting means, to allow an entire portion of the display virtual image in front of the front windshield to be visible to the driver when the driver'"'"'s eye point changes. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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23. A display system for an automotive vehicle comprising:
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a front windshield positioned in front of a driver of a vehicle; a projector assembly installed in the vehicle, the projector assembly comprising an optical system for generating an image-forming light beam and a deflecting means for deflecting the light beam from the optical system toward the front windshield, the deflected image-forming light beam being further deflected on the front windshield toward the driver so as to form a display virtual image in front of the windshield, wherein the image-forming light beam from the optical system and the deflected image-forming light beam from the deflecting means have the same spectral characteristics so that sunlight incident on the deflecting means through the front windshield is not reflected; and a display position adjusting means, associated with the optical system, for changing the angle of the optical system, thereby to change an angle of incidence of the image-forming light beam on the front windshield, the display position adjusting means including a motor for tilting the optical system with respect to the deflecting means.
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Specification