Headup display

• US 5,748,377 A
• Filed: 06/20/1996
• Issued: 05/05/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Omata, Keiichi, Mizuno, Yoshihiro, Matsumoto, Tsuyoshi, Eguchi, Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms, David C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Robbins, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US08/666,907
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 359/14, 359/13, 359/729, 359/730, 359/731, 359/857, 359/858, 359/859, 359/633
• US Class Current: 359/633
• 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 headup display including a light emission-type display source, a concave mirror having an spherical reflecting surface and located so as to reflect light emitted from the display source, and a reflection-type hologram located so as to reflect the light reflected on the concave mirror toward an observer in a mobile unit. The concave mirror is configured so that its lateral focal length contributing to lateral enlargement of a displayed image is shorter than its longitudinal focal length contributing to longitudinal enlargement of the displayed image. The reflection-type hologram is configured so that its longitudinal focal length contributing to longitudinal enlargement of the displayed image is shorter than its lateral focal length contributing to lateral enlargement of the displayed image.

Claims

1. A headup display comprising:

a light emission-type display source;

a first concave mirror located so as to reflect light emitted from said display source, said first concave mirror having an aspherical reflecting surface, said first concave mirror having a lateral focal length contributing to lateral enlargement of a displayed image and a longitudinal focal length contributing to longitudinal enlargement of said displayed image, said lateral focal length being shorter than said longitudinal focal length; and

a combiner located so as to reflect the light reflected on said first concave mirror toward an observer in a mobile unit, said combiner having a longitudinal focal length contributing to longitudinal enlargement of said displayed image and a lateral focal length contributing to lateral enlargement of said displayed image, said longitudinal focal length of said combiner being shorter than said lateral focal length of said combiner.

2. A headup display according to claim 1, wherein said combiner comprises a reflection-type hologram.

3. A headup display according to claim 2, wherein said reflection-type hologram has a laterally elongated, rectangular shape, and spatial frequency at laterally opposite ends of said hologram is substantially equal to that at longitudinally opposite ends of said hologram.

4. A headup display according to claim 1, wherein said aspherical reflecting surface of said first concave mirror is a cylindrical surface.

5. A headup display according to claim 1, wherein said aspherical reflecting surface of said first concave mirror is a toroidal surface.

6. A headup display according to claim 1, wherein said combiner comprises a semitransparent concave mirror having an aspherical reflecting surface.

7. A headup display according to claim 1, further comprising a second concave mirror located so as to reflect the light emitted from said display source toward said first concave mirror.

8. A headup display according to claim 1, further comprising a plane mirror located so as to reflect the light emitted from said display source toward said first concave mirror.

9. A headup display according to claim 1, wherein said display source is a monitor screen of a car navigation system.

10. An image projecting device comprising:

a light emission-type display source;

.

light condensing means located so as to condense light emitted from said display source, said light condensing means having a lateral focal length contributing to lateral enlargement of a displayed image and a longitudinal focal length contributing to longitudinal enlargement of said displayed image, said lateral focal length being shorter than said longitudinal focal length; and

a diffraction means located so as to diffract a light condensed by said light condensing means toward an observer in a mobile unit, said diffraction means having a longitudinal focal length contributing to longitudinal enlargement of said displayed image and a lateral focal length contributing to lateral enlargement of said displayed image, said longitudinal focal length of said diffraction means being shorter than said lateral focal length of said diffraction means.

11. An image projecting device according to claim 10, wherein said diffraction means comprises a hologram.