Display apparatus

• US 9,076,248 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2012
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Tasaki, Tsuyoshi, Hotta, Aira, Moriya, Akihisa, Sasaki, Takashi, Okumura, Haruhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phu K
• Application Number:
  US13/714,967
• Publication Number:
  US 20130181982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 345/629, 345/631
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/785 on or in relation to the windshield or windows
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/23 Head-up displays [HUD] optical aspects of head-up displays G02B27/01
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/00 3D [Three Dimensional] image rendering

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a display apparatus includes an image projection unit, an information acquisition unit and a data supply unit. The image projection unit projects a light flux including an image toward a projection layer which is reflective and transmissive. The information acquisition unit acquires information relating to a position of a three-dimensional object superimposing portion of three-dimensional objects positioned at a road. The road extends from a proximal region of the external environment proximal to the projection layer toward a distal region of the external environment distal to the projection layer. The three-dimensional object superimposing portion is higher than a ground surface and viewable via the projection layer. The data supply unit supplies data relating to the image including a display object to the image projection unit based on the information. The display object is displayed along the three-dimensional object superimposing portion.

Claims

1. A display apparatus, comprising:

an image projection unit to project a light flux including an image toward a first side of a projection layer, the projection layer being reflective and transmissive;

an information acquisition unit to acquire information relating to a position of a three-dimensional object superimposing portion included in a three-dimensional object positioned along a side of a road on a second side of the projection layer opposite the first side, the road extending from a proximal region of the second side of the projection layer toward a distal region of the second side of the projection layer, the three-dimensional object superimposing portion being higher than a ground surface and viewable via the projection layer; and

a data supply unit to supply data relating to the image including a display object to the image projection unit based on the information relating to the position of the three-dimensional object superimposing portion acquired by the information acquisition unit, the display object being displayed along the three-dimensional object superimposing portion when viewed via the projection layer.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the display object indicates a position of a target of an external environment on the second side of the projection layer, and

the display object indicates a route from the proximal region to the position of the target.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the information acquisition unit selects a first proximal three-dimensional object included in the three-dimensional object, and the three-dimensional object superimposing portion includes the first proximal three-dimensional object, a distance from the first proximal three-dimensional object to the position of the target being shorter than a predetermined distance.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein multiple three-dimensional objects are included in the three-dimensional object and the information acquisition unit selects one of the multiple three-dimensional objects and further selects one other of the multiple three-dimensional objects existing between the proximal region and the selected one of the multiple three-dimensional objects, and the three-dimensional object superimposing portion includes the two selected ones of the multiple three-dimensional objects.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the three-dimensional object superimposing portion has a portion proximal to a position of the proximal region, and a portion proximal to the position of the target,

the display object includes multiple display objects, and

the multiple display objects are arranged along the three-dimensional object superimposing portion from a portion proximal to the position of the proximal region and to a portion proximal to the position of the target when viewed via the projection layer.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the three-dimensional object superimposing portion has a portion proximal to a position of the proximal region, and a portion proximal to the position of the target, and

the display object is continuous between the portion of the three-dimensional object superimposing portion proximal to the position of the proximal region and the portion of the three-dimensional object superimposing portion proximal to the position of the target when viewed via the projection layer.

7. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the position of the target corresponds to a position of an intersection of the road.

8. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the information acquisition unit selects a second proximal three-dimensional object included in the three-dimensional object, and the three-dimensional object superimposing portion includes the second proximal three-dimensional object, the second proximal three-dimensional object existing between the first proximal three-dimensional object and the proximal region.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the three-dimensional object superimposing portion has an apical portion on a side opposite to the ground surface, and

the display object is displayed along the apical portion of the three-dimensional object superimposing portion.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the three-dimensional object superimposing portion has a bottom portion on a side of the ground surface, an apical portion on a side opposite to the ground surface, and a side surface between the bottom portion and the apical portion, and

the display object is displayed along the side surface of the three-dimensional object superimposing portion.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the three-dimensional object superimposing portion has a bottom portion on a side of the ground surface, an apical portion on a side opposite to the ground surface, and an intermediate portion between the bottom portion and the apical portion,

the display object is displayed along the intermediate portion of the three-dimensional object superimposing portion, and

a portion of the display object overlaying a portion of the three-dimensional object superimposing portion higher than the intermediate portion is not displayed.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising the projection layer.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the display apparatus is mounted in a moving body including a windshield provided between the external environment and a human viewer that views the display object,

the projection layer is provided proximally to the windshield, and

the image projection unit causes the light flux to be incident on one eye of the human viewer and causes the light flux to be not incident on both eyes of the human viewer.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a width of a projection area of the light flux in a lateral direction when viewed by a human viewer is controlled to be not more than 70 mm at a position of the human viewer that views the display object.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image projection unit causes a human viewer to view the display object and an image of the external environment simultaneously.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information acquisition unit acquires the information relating to the three-dimensional object superimposing portion based on information relating to a position of the display apparatus acquired by a position acquisition unit configured to acquire the information relating to the position of the display apparatus.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a position acquisition unit configured to acquire information relating to a position of the display apparatus,

the information acquisition unit acquiring the information relating to the three-dimensional object superimposing portion based on the information relating to the position of the display apparatus acquired by the position acquisition unit.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an imaging unit configured to image an image of the external environment,

the information acquisition unit acquiring the information relating to the three-dimensional object superimposing portion based on the image of the external environment imaged by the imaging unit.

19. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional object includes at least one of a building, a street light, guardrail, a pole and a column provided at the side of the road.

20. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a distance between the three-dimensional object superimposing portion and the ground surface is not less than 0.3 m and not more than 10 m.