Head-up display device and display unit

• US 9,651,779 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2014
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Takasu, Katsutoshi, Masuda, Akira, Iwamoto, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Gerald
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ritchie, Darlene M
• Application Number:
  US14/326,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20150015457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1523 Matrix displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/33 Illumination features
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/343 Illumination of matrix displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/215 characterised by the combination of multiple visual outputs, e.g. combined instruments with analogue meters and additional displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/22 Display screens
• 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: B60Q 3/10 for dashboards
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0141 characterised by the informative content of the display
• 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 6/0045 by shaping at least a portion of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0076 Stacked arrangements of multiple light guides of the same or different cross-sectional area
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/10 Automotive applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/36 using liquid crystals

Abstract

A pair of first guide lights are displayed side by side adjacent to an HUD display area with emitted light from first light sources, and a pair of second guide lights are displayed at the outer sides of the respective first guide lights with emitted light from second light sources. At least one of the number of lighting lights, the lighting cycle, and the lighting order of the first light sources and the second light sources is changed in accordance with a differential value between the current speed and a speed limit set for a road on which the vehicle is traveling.

Claims

1. A head-up display device mounted on a vehicle, comprising:

a projector configured to project display light including a display image through a first emitting port onto a reflecting plate directed toward a driver'"'"'s eye;

a pair of first light sources and a pair of second light sources configured to project emitted light through a second emitting port onto the reflecting plate, the first light sources and the second light sources are fixed in a respective position relative to the projector; and

a controller connected to the first light sources and the second light sources, wherein

the display light from the projector is reflected by the reflecting plate in a viewing direction to define a display area on the reflecting plate,

the emitted light from the first light sources is reflected by the reflecting plate in the viewing direction to display a pair of first guide lights side by side adjacent to a common side of the display area on the reflecting plate such that the first guide lights remain adjacent to the common side of the display area,

the emitted light from the second light sources is reflected by the reflecting plate in the viewing direction to display a pair of second guide lights at outer sides of the respective first guide lights and on the common side of the display area on the reflecting plate such that the second guide lights remain adjacent to the common side of the display area and remain fixed relative to the first guide lights,

the controller controls lighting states of the first light sources and the second light sources to change at least one of a number of light sources to be lit, a lighting cycle, and a lighting order of the first light sources and the second light sources in accordance with a differential value between a current traveling speed of the vehicle and a speed limit set for a road on which the vehicle is traveling, and

a first pair of prisms positioned in first and second light paths, respectively, of the pair of first light sources, and a second pair of prisms positioned in third and fourth light paths, respectively, of the pair of second light sources.

2. The head-up display device according to claim 1, wherein the projector includes a backlight substrate, a liquid crystal display, and a lens array placed between the backlight substrate and the liquid crystal display.

3. The head-up display device according to claim 1, wherein the first pair of prisms includes first and second reflecting surfaces, respectively, oriented to reflect light incident from the pair of first light sources onto respective first and second locations of the reflecting plate, the second pair of prisms includes third and fourth reflecting surfaces, respectively, oriented to reflect light incident from the pair of second light sources onto respective third and fourth locations of the reflecting plate, and the third and fourth locations are spaced from the first and second locations.

4. The head-up display device according to claim 1, further comprising an end face light source adjacent the reflecting plate.

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

when the current traveling speed of the vehicle exceeds the speed limit, the controller controls the projector to display a predetermined warning pattern relating to the speed limit on the display area.

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

an optical path length from the reflecting plate to the first light sources in the viewing direction differs from an optical path length from the reflecting plate to the second light sources in the viewing direction.

7. A display unit comprising:

the head-up display device according to claim 5; and

a meter unit including a display section, wherein

the controller causes the display section to display a warning display when the differential value exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

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

an optical path length from the reflecting plate to the first light sources in the viewing direction differs from an optical path length from the reflecting plate to the second light sources in the viewing direction.

9. A display unit comprising:

the head-up display device according to claim 8; and

a meter unit including a display section, wherein

the controller causes the display section to display a warning display when the differential value exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

10. A display unit comprising:

the head-up display device according to claim 1; and

a meter unit including a display section, wherein

the controller causes the display section to display a warning display when the differential value exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

11. The display unit device according to claim 10, further comprising a driving unit assembly connected to the reflecting plate, and the driving unit assembly is configured to move the reflecting plate between a use position and a stored position.