Head-up display device

• US 9,423,617 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2014
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ando, Hiroshi, Fujikawa, Takayuki, Yamaguchi, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, James
• Application Number:
  US14/766,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20160004075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 359/199.1, 359/199.4, 359/200.8, 3592011-2021, 3592041-2051, 359/208.1, 3592111-2112, 359/211.5, 359/563, 359/566, 359/618, 359629-630, 359/741, 359/743, 353 30- 32, 353/34, 349/11, 345 7- 9, 348/115
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: B60R 1/001 integrated in the windows, e.g. Fresnel lenses
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/205 using a head-up display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/013 comprising a combiner of particular shape, e.g. curvature
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0037 with diffracting elements G02B27/0056 takes precedence; holographic optical elements G02B5/32; zone systems G02B5/1876
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0043 Inhomogeneous or irregular arrays, e.g. varying shape, size, height
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/02 Diffusing elements; Afocal elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0278 used in transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/1842 Gratings for image generation G02B5/1847 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/147 Optical correction of image distortions, e.g. keystone
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/2033 LED or laser light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 33/06 by additive-colour projection apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/31 Projection devices for colour picture display , e.g. using electronic spatial light modulators [ESLM]
• 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

Abstract

An HUD device includes a laser scanner that projects laser light carrying a display image, and a screen member that has a plurality of optical elements arrayed in the form of a grating, and diffuses laser light which emanates from the laser scanner and enters the optical elements toward a projection surface. The optical elements have curved surfaces, which take on a convexly curved form as a common curved form, formed as their faces, and diffuse laser light which is emitted to the projection surface from the curved surfaces. The optical elements are configured so that an element width differs in at least one array direction of the array of the grating between adjoining optical elements.

Claims

1. A head-up display device that projects a display image onto a projection surface of a moving entity and thus displays a virtual image of the display image so that the virtual image can be discerned inside the moving entity, comprising:

a projector that projects laser light carrying the display image; and

a screen member that has a plurality of optical elements arrayed in a form of a grating, and diffuses and introduces the laser light, which emanates from the projector and enters the optical elements, toward the projection surface, wherein

the optical elements have curved surfaces, which are either convexly curved or concavely curved and take on a common curved form, as faces of the optical elements, and diffuse the laser light which is emitted to the projection surface from the curved surfaces; and

the optical elements are configured so that an element width differs between the optical elements adjoining in at least one array direction in an array of the grating.

2. The head-up display device according to claim 1, wherein

the optical elements are configured so that the element width in one of array directions in the array of the grating differs between the optical elements adjoining in the one of the array directions, and the element width in another one of the array directions in the array of the grating differs between the optical elements adjoining in the another one of the array directions.

3. The head-up display device according to claim 2, wherein

the optical elements are configured so that a relationship of size of the element widths in the one of the array directions in the array of the grating is consistent with a relationship of size of the element widths in the another one of the array directions in the array of the grating.

4. The head-up display device according to claim 1, wherein

the optical elements are configured so that a sag quantity from each of surface vertices of the curved surfaces to each of boundaries among the optical elements differs between the adjoining optical elements.

5. The head-up display device according to claim 1, wherein

the optical elements are configured so that a sag quantity from each of surface vertices of the curved surfaces to each of boundaries among the optical elements are equal between the adjoining optical elements.

6. The head-up display device according to claim 1, wherein

the optical elements are configured so that a radius of curvature of each of the curved surfaces differs between the adjoining optical elements.

7. The head-up display device according to claim 1, wherein

the element width differs between the adjoining optical elements over an entire surface of the screen member on a side of the screen member on which the curved surfaces of the faces of the optical elements are formed.