Scanned-beam heads-up display and related systems and methods

• US 7,460,305 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2006
• Issued: 12/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microvision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Microvision, Inc.
• Inventors: Powell, Karlton D., Malik, Amjad, Hannigan, Russell J., Ürey, Hakan
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang; Hung X
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, VIPIN
• Application Number:
  US11/499,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20070103747A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 359/630, 359/13, 359/900
• US Class Current: 359/630
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/22 Telecentric objectives or lens systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0123 comprising devices increasing the field of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/10 Scanning systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0087 with index gradient
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/001 using specific devices not provided for in groups G09G3/02 - G09G3/36, e.g. using an intermediate record carrier such as a film slide; Projection systems; Display of non-alphanumerical information, solely or in combination with alphanumerical information, e.g. digital display on projected diapositive as background slide projectors per se G03B23/00 = 42 HP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3129 scanning a light beam on the display screen scanning a light beam on a screen in displays other than projection devices G09G3/02; scanning systems in general G02B26/10; projectors using laser light sources in general H04N9/3161
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 359/90 Methods

Abstract

A heads-up display that includes a scanner and a projection assembly. The scanner generates an image by sweeping a beam of electromagnetic energy, and the projection assembly directs the image into a predetermined viewing space having a region with a substantially uniform intensity profile. Such a heads-up display can often be made smaller than a conventional heads-up display, and can often generate an image having a higher quality than an image generated by a conventional display. Furthermore, one can often calibrate and recalibrate such a display without physically modifying or replacing a component of the display or of a vehicle incorporating the display.

Claims

1. A heads-up display, comprising:

a scanner assembly operable to generate an image by sweeping a beam of electromagnetic energy in at least one dimension; and

a projection assembly operable to direct the image into a predetermined viewing space having a substantially uniform intensity profile in a cross section having a region that is substantially normal to a viewing dimension, wherein the projection assembly comprises an exit-pupil expander, and wherein the scanner is operable to generate the image by sweeping the beam in two dimensions onto the exit-pupil expander.

2. A heads-up display, comprising:

a scanner assembly operable to generate an image by sweeping a beam of electromagnetic energy in at least one dimension; and

a projection assembly operable to direct the image into a predetermined viewing space having a substantially uniform intensity profile in a cross section having a region that is substantially normal to a viewing dimension, wherein a planar projection of the cross section of the viewing space has a hexagonal shape.

3. A heads-up display, comprising:

a scanner assembly operable to generate an image by sweeping a beam of electromagnetic energy in at least one dimension; and

a projection assembly operable to direct the image into a predetermined viewing space having a substantially uniform intensity profile in a cross section having a region that is substantially normal to a viewing dimension, wherein a planar projection of the cross section of the viewing space has an elongated hexagonal shape.

4. A heads-up display, comprising:

a scanner assembly operable to generate an image by sweeping a beam of electromagnetic energy in at least one dimension; and

a projection assembly operable to direct the image into a predetermined viewing space having a substantially uniform intensity profile in a cross section having a region that is substantially normal to a viewing dimension, wherein the cross section of the viewing space is a planar cross section.

5. A heads-up display, comprising:

a scanner assembly operable to generate an image by sweeping a beam of electromagnetic energy in at least one dimension; and

a projection assembly operable to direct the image into a predetermined viewing space having a substantially uniform intensity profile in a cross section having a region that is substantially normal to a viewing dimension, wherein a planar projection of the cross section of the viewing space has one dimension of at least 100 millimeters.

6. A heads-up display, comprising:

a scanner operable to generate an image by sweeping a beam of electromagnetic energy in at least one dimension; and

a projection assembly that includes a first microlens array operable to direct the image into a predetermined viewing space, wherein the projection assembly comprises an exit-pupil expander, and wherein the scanner is operable to generate the image by sweeping the beam in two dimensions onto the exit-pupil expander.

7. The heads-up display of claim 6 wherein the first microlens array comprises lenslets, one of the lenslets having a first value for a lenslet property and another of the lenslets having a second value for the lenslet property.

8. The heads-up display of claim 6 wherein the projection assembly comprises a second microlens array disposed adjacent to the first microlens array such that the first and second microlens arrays are together operable to direct the image into the predetermined viewing space.

9. The heads-up display of claim 6 wherein:

the first microlens array has a focal plane and a focal length from the focal plane; and

the projection assembly further includes a second microlens array having a focal plane and the focal length from the focal plane, the focal plane of the second microlens array being substantially parallel to and spaced the focal length from the focal plane of the first microlens array.

10. The heads-up display of claim 6 wherein the first microlens array comprises lenslets arranged in a pattern and is operable to cause a planar projection of the cross section of the viewing space to have the pattern.

11. The heads-up display of claim 6 wherein the first microlens array comprises lenslets arranged in an elongated hexagonal pattern and is operable to cause a planar projection of the cross section of the viewing space to have the elongated hexagonal pattern.

12. A heads-up display, comprising:

a scanner operable to generate an image by sweeping a beam of electromagnetic energy in at least one dimension; and

a projection assembly having a mirror operable to reflect the image off of a wind screen and into a predetermined viewing space having a cross section, the mirror operable to maintain a dimension of the cross section at a substantially constant size for reflection of the image off of a predetermined region of the windshield, wherein the mirror is operable to move the viewing space in a dimension substantially parallel to the cross section.

13. A heads-up display, comprising:

a scanner operable to generate an image by sweeping a beam of electromagnetic energy in at least one dimension; and

a projection assembly having a mirror operable to reflect the image off of a wind screen and into a predetermined viewing space having a cross section, the mirror operable to maintain a dimension of the cross section at a substantially constant size for reflection of the image off of a predetermined region of the windshield, wherein the mirror is operable to move the viewing space in a dimension substantially normal to the cross section.

14. A heads-up display, comprising:

a scanner operable to generate an image by sweeping a beam of electromagnetic energy in at least one dimension; and

a projection assembly operable to direct the image into a predetermined viewing space such that in a cross section of the viewing space having a region that is substantially normal to a viewing dimension, the image has a substantially uniform intensity profile, wherein the projection assembly comprises an exit-pupil expander, and wherein the scanner is operable to generate the image by sweeping the beam in two dimensions onto the exit-pupil expander.

15. The heads-up display of claim 14, further comprising a beam generator operable to generate the beam of electromagnetic energy having a substantially uniform intensity profile in a planar cross section that is normal to a direction in which the beam propagates.

16. The heads-up display of claim 14, further comprising:

a beam generator operable to generate the beam of electromagnetic energy having a hexagonal aperture and a substantially uniform intensity profile in a planar cross section that is normal to a direction in which the beam propagates; and

wherein the cross section of the viewing space has a hexagonal shape.

17. The heads-up display of claim 14, further comprising:

a beam generator operable to generate the beam of electromagnetic energy having a hexagonal aperture and a substantially uniform intensity profile in a planar cross section that is normal to a direction in which the beam propagates;

wherein the cross section of the viewing space has a hexagonal shape; and

wherein the viewing space includes beamlets each having a hexagonal aperture and a substantially uniform intensity profile in a planar cross section that is substantially parallel to the planar cross section of the viewing space.