Windshield grating hologram for increasing bus driver's field of view

• US 5,706,107 A
• Filed: 01/11/1996
• Issued: 01/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Smith, Ronald T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Schuberg, Darren E.
• Application Number:
  US08/584,670
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 359/1, 359/13, 359/14, 359/15, 359/19, 359/567, 359/630, 296/96.12
• US Class Current: 359/15
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/32 Holograms used as optical elements

Abstract

A holographic viewing apparatus for allowing an operator of a bus to view a portion of a blind spot region located in front of the bus and below the windshield of the bus. The holographic viewing apparatus includes a volume transmission holographic grating attached to a lower edge of the windshield of the bus for transmissively diffracting light from a portion of the blind spot region such that an operator of the bus sees an image of the portion of the blind spot region superimposed on a scene that is directly and non-diffractingly observed through the holographic transmission grating.

Claims

1. A holographic viewing apparatus attached to a lower edge of a windshield disposed in a vehicle, the holographic viewing apparatus comprising a holographic transmission grating for transmissively diffracting light from a portion of a blind spot region that is in front of the vehicle and below the windshield of the vehicle, whereby the operator of the vehicle sees an image of the portion of the blind spot region superimposed on a scene that is directly and non-diffractingly observed through the holographic transmission grating.

2. A holographic viewing apparatus comprising:

a transparent windshield of a vehicle;

a partially transparent holographic transmission grating disposed on said transparent windshield for transmissively diffracting light from a portion of a blind spot region that is in front of the windshield and below the windshield which is angularly displaced from a scene that is directly and non-diffractingly observed through the holographic transmission grating, wherein the operator of the vehicle sees an image of the portion of the blind spot region superimposed on said scene that is directly and non-diffractingly observed by the operator of the vehicle through the holographic transmission grating.

3. The holographic viewing apparatus of claim 2 wherein said windshield of a vehicle comprises a windshield of a bus.