Display unit for vehicle head-up display system

• US 10,401,621 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2017
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Electronics Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wierich, Thomas, Weber, Christian, Junglas, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Martinez, Joseph P
• Application Number:
  US15/484,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20170299861A1
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/205 using a head-up display
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/308 by overlaying the real scene, e.g. through a head-up display on the windscreen
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/0621 off-axis or unobscured systems in which not all of the mirrors share a common axis of rotational symmetry, e.g. at least one of the mirrors is warped, tilted or decentered with respect to the other elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0014 at least one surface having optical power
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0061 the light source comprising a LED semiconductor devices with at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier specially adapted for light emission H01L33/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence

Abstract

A display system for a vehicle includes a head-up display unit operable to display, at a display area at a windshield of the vehicle, information that is viewable by a driver of the vehicle when the driver is normally operating the vehicle. The head-up display unit includes a Köhler illuminator having a light source and an optical element. A reconfigurable mask is backlit by Köhler illumination generated by the Köhler illuminator.

Claims

1. A display system for a vehicle, said display system comprising:

a head-up display unit operable to display, at a display area at a windshield of the equipped vehicle, information that is viewable by a driver of the equipped vehicle when the driver is normally operating the equipped vehicle;

wherein said head-up display unit comprises a Kö

hler illuminator comprising a light source and an optical element, and wherein a reconfigurable mask is backlit by Kö

hler illumination generated by said Kö

hler illuminator; and

wherein said optical element comprises a solid transparent truncated parabolic body having reflective parabolic surfaces, and wherein said truncated parabolic body is truncated through a focal point of the parabola defined by the parabolic surfaces, and wherein said light source is disposed at the truncated end of said truncated parabolic body so as to be disposed at the focal point.

2. The display system of claim 1, wherein said reconfigurable mask comprises a thin film transistor liquid crystal reconfigurable mask comprising a plurality of individually addressable pixel elements.

3. The display system of claim 1, wherein said optical element of said Kö

hler illuminator comprises a solid immersion optic.

4. The display system of claim 3, wherein said light source comprises a light emitting diode.

5. The display system of claim 3, wherein said optical element comprises a parabolic surface that directs light emitted by said light source to parallel light rays.

6. The display system of claim 3, wherein said optical element comprises a collector optic.

7. The display system of claim 1, wherein light reflected from said parabolic surfaces of said truncated parabolic body is parallelized.

8. The display system of claim 7, wherein a surface of said truncated parabolic body opposite said light source comprises a collector optic surface, and wherein said collector optic surface focuses the reflected light toward a focal plane, and wherein said display system comprises a condenser optic that receives light passing through the focal plane and parallelizes the light passing through said condenser optic so that parallel light rays are received at said reconfigurable mask.

9. The display system of claim 1, wherein Kö

hler illumination generated by said Kö

hler illuminator provides uniform backlighting of said reconfigurable mask.

10. The display system of claim 1, comprising a gaze monitor operable to determine a gaze of the driver of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said head-up display unit is controlled responsive at least in part to a determined gaze of the driver as determined by said gaze monitor.

11. The display system of claim 1, comprising at least one camera configured to be disposed at the equipped vehicle so as to have a respective field of view exterior of the equipped vehicle, and wherein, with said at least one camera disposed at the equipped vehicle, said head-up display unit is operable to display images derived from image data captured by said at least one camera.

12. The display system of claim 1, wherein said head-up display unit is disposed at or in an instrumental panel of the equipped vehicle and projects images onto one of (i) the windshield of the equipped vehicle and (ii) a combiner disposed on top of a dashboard of the equipped vehicle and viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle.

13. A display system for a vehicle, said display system comprising:

a head-up display unit operable to display, at a display area at a windshield of the equipped vehicle, information that is viewable by a driver of the equipped vehicle when the driver is normally operating the equipped vehicle;

wherein said head-up display unit comprises a light source, a parabolic optical element, a condenser optic and a reconfigurable mask;

wherein said parabolic optical element comprises a solid transparent truncated parabolic body having a rear end and a front end and side reflective parabolic surfaces, and wherein said truncated parabolic body is truncated through a focal point of the parabola defined by the parabolic surfaces to establish the rear end of said truncated parabolic body;

wherein said light source is disposed at the rear end of said truncated parabolic body so as to be disposed at the focal point;

wherein a collector optic is at the front end of said truncated parabolic body;

wherein light emitted by said light source is reflected from said parabolic surfaces of said truncated parabolic body as parallel light rays and wherein the parallel light rays are focused by said collector optic toward a focal plane; and

wherein said condenser optic receives light passing through the focal plane and parallelizes the light passing through said condenser optic so that parallel light rays are received at said reconfigurable mask to backlight said reconfigurable mask.

14. The display system of claim 13, wherein said reconfigurable mask comprises a thin film transistor liquid crystal reconfigurable mask comprising a plurality of individually addressable pixel elements.

15. The display system of claim 13, wherein said parabolic optical element and said light source and said condenser optic function as a Kö

hler illuminator to provide Kö

hler illumination at said reconfigurable mask.

16. The display system of claim 13, wherein said light source comprises a light emitting diode.

17. The display system of claim 13, wherein illumination generated by said light source, said parabolic optical element, and said condenser optic provides uniform backlighting of said reconfigurable mask.

18. A display system for a vehicle, said display system comprising:

a head-up display unit operable to display, at a display area at a windshield of the equipped vehicle, information that is viewable by a driver of the equipped vehicle when the driver is normally operating the equipped vehicle;

wherein said head-up display unit comprises a Kö

hler illuminator comprising a light emitting diode and an optical element, and wherein a reconfigurable mask is backlit by Kö

hler illumination generated by said Kö

hler illuminator;

wherein said reconfigurable mask comprises a thin film transistor liquid crystal reconfigurable mask comprising a plurality of individually addressable pixel elements;

wherein said optical element of said Kö

hler illuminator comprises a solid immersion optic, and wherein said optical element comprises a transparent parabolic body having a parabolic surface that directs light emitted by said light emitting diode to parallel light rays, and wherein said parabolic body is truncated through a focal point of the parabola defined by the parabolic surface, and wherein said light emitting diode is disposed at the truncated end of said parabolic body so as to be disposed at the focal point;

wherein said reconfigurable mask is uniformly backlit by parallel light rays; and

wherein said head-up display unit is disposed at or in an instrumental panel of the equipped vehicle and projects images onto one of (i) the windshield of the equipped vehicle and (ii) a combiner disposed on top of a dashboard of the equipped vehicle and viewable by the driver of the equipped vehicle.

19. The display system of claim 18, wherein said optical element comprises a collector optic surface, and wherein said collector optic surface focuses parallel light rays toward a focal plane, and wherein said display system comprises a condenser optic that receives light passing through the focal plane and parallelizes the light passing through said condenser optic so that said reconfigurable mask is uniformly backlit by parallel light rays that pass through said condenser optic.