Image display device

• US 8,902,130 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2011
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Furuya, Hiroyuki, Shikii, Shinichi, Sugiyama, Keiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Sharifi-Tafreshi, Koosha
• Application Number:
  US13/379,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20120098819A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,323 Days
• Field of Search: 345/1.1, 345/7, 345/8, 345/204, 348/115, 353/13, 353/79, 349/11, 359/13, 359/630
• US Class Current: 345/7
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/334 Projection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0112 comprising device for genereting colour display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/10 Scanning systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/18 Diffraction gratings holographic optical elements G02B5/32, G03H; integrally combined with optical fibres G02B6/02057; for coupling light guides G02B6/34; integrally combined with optical integrated light guides G02B6/12; grating systems G02B27/44
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/32 Holograms used as optical elements

Abstract

An image display device includes a laser source for emitting a laser beam, an image forming element which uses the laser beam to emit image light for displaying an image, a first diffraction element for diffracting the image light, and a controller for controlling a display position of the image on the basis of a wavelength of the laser beam and a temperature of the first diffraction element.

Claims

1. An image display device comprising:

a laser source configured to emit a laser beam;

an image forming element which uses the laser beam to emit image light for displaying an image;

a first diffraction element configured to diffract the image light;

a controller configured to control a display position of the image in response to a wavelength of the laser beam and a temperature of the first diffraction element;

a first thermometer which measures at least one of a temperature of the laser source and a temperature around the laser source to output first temperature data; and

a second thermometer which measures at least one of a temperature of the first diffraction element and a temperature around the first diffraction element to output second temperature data, wherein

the controller controls the display position of the image in response to the first and second temperature data.

2. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein

the controller determines a shift amount for the display position of the image in response to the first and second temperature data to output shift information about the shift amount to the image forming element, and

the image forming element changes the display position of the image in response to the shift information.

3. The image display device according to claim 2, wherein

the laser source includes a first laser source which emits a first laser beam of a first hue and a second laser source which emits a second laser beam of a second hue,

the image is represented by a first image rendered by the first laser beam and a second image rendered by the second laser beam,

the shift information includes first shift information about a shift amount of a display position of the first image and second shift information about a shift amount of a display position of the second image, and

the controller independently changes the display positions of the first and second images in response to the first and second shift information.

4. The image display device according to claim 2, further comprising a photometer which measures a quantity of at least one of external light that enters the first diffraction element and external light that falls around the first diffraction element to output light quantity data about the quantity of the at least one of the external lights, wherein

the controller generates shift information in response to the first temperature data, the second temperature data and the light quantity data.

5. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein

the second thermometer includes a second diffraction element which partially diffracts the image light in a different direction from the first diffraction element and a light receiving element which receives the image light diffracted by the second diffraction element,

the second diffraction element changes a diffraction direction of the image light in response to a temperature of the second diffraction element, and

the second temperature data corresponding to a change in the diffraction direction is output from the light receiving element to the controller.

6. The image display device according to claim 5, further comprising a filter provided in the light receiving element, wherein

the filter suppresses stray light.

7. The image display device according to claim 5, wherein

the image forming element scans the laser beam to form the image;

and

the light receiving element includes light receiving regions.

8. The image display device according to claim 5, wherein

the light receiving element includes light receiving regions aligned in a change direction of the diffraction direction.

9. The image display device according to claim 2, further comprising a power supply which supplies power to the laser source, wherein

the controller controls the power supply to stop the supply of the power unless the light receiving element receives the image light or if a quantity of the image light received by the light receiving element is less than a light quantity threshold which is set for the quantity of the light.

10. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein

the controller includes:

a memory which stores data of temperature characteristics including temperature characteristics of the laser source and the first diffraction element;

a generator configured to generate the shift information in response to the first temperature data, the second temperature data and the data of the temperature characteristics; and

an output portion which generates and outputs a signal including the shift information.

11. The image display device according to claim 10, further comprising a wavelength measurement portion which measures a wavelength of the laser beam to output wavelength data about the wavelength, wherein

the controller controls the display position of the image in response to the wavelength data and the second temperature data.

12. The image display device according to claim 11, wherein

the wavelength measurement portion includes a hologram element configured to diffract the laser beam, and a light receiving array which receives the laser beam diffracted by the hologram element to detect a change in diffraction angle by the hologram element, and

the hologram element changes the diffraction angle for the laser beam in response to the wavelength of the laser beam.

13. The image display device according to claim 12, wherein

the wavelength measurement portion includes a transmission element which partially transmits the laser beam, and a light quantity detector configured to detect a light quantity of the laser beam transmitted through the transmission element,

the transmission element changes a transmitted light quantity of the laser beam in response to the wavelength of the laser beam, and

the light quantity detector generates the wavelength data in response to a change in the transmitted light quantity.

14. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein

the image forming element includes a reflector for scanning the laser beam.

15. The image display device according to claim 14, wherein the reflector includes a MEMS mirror which is electrostatically or piezoelectrically driven.

16. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein the first diffraction element is attached to a windshield of a vehicle.

17. An image display device for a vehicle in which the image display device according to claim 5 is mounted on a vehicle, wherein

the light receiving element provided between a driver driving the vehicle and a windshield of the vehicle includes a first light receiving region and a second light receiving region which is closer to the driver than the first light receiving region, and

the second light receiving region has a larger light receiving surface than the first light receiving region has.