Vehicle information display assembly, system and method

• US 10,948,877 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2016
• Issued: 03/16/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Original Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited (TATA Motors Limited)
• Inventors: Hasedzic, Elvir, Khan, Javid
• Primary Examiner(s): Choudhury, Mustak
• Application Number:
  US15/736,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20180181067A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,734 Days
• Field of Search: 359 9, 359 24, 359 13, 35948908, 359567, 359633, 345 8, 345633, 348 40, 348148
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/29 Holographic features
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/777 on or in sun visors
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• 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 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1215 with information displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/8026 in addition to a rear-view mirror system
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/02 Details of features involved during the holographic process; Replication of holograms without interference recording
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/08 Synthesising holograms, i.e. holograms synthesized from objects or objects from hologramsusing electric digital computers G06F; G06T
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/22 Processes or apparatus for obtaining an optical image from holograms G03H1/26 - G03H1/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/2202 Reconstruction geometries or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/2294 Addressing the hologram to an active spatial light modulator
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/2645 Multiplexing processes, e.g. aperture, shift, or wavefront multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/2226 Edge lit holograms TIR recording G03H1/0408
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/2231 Reflection reconstruction
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/2234 Transmission reconstruction
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/2255 Holobject out of Fourier or hologram planes
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/2273 Pseudo-dynamic holobject, e.g. due to angle multiplexing and viewer motion
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/2284 Superimposing the holobject with other visual information
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2210/30 : 3D object
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2223/16 : Optical waveguide, e.g. optical fibre, rod
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2227/06 : Support including light source
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2250/42 : Reflective layer G03H2250/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2260/62 : Direct etching

Abstract

A mirror and information image display assembly (300) for a vehicle, a holographic information image display system (300, 106, 104), a vehicle (100) comprising such an assembly, and a method of providing image information to an occupant of a vehicle are disclosed. The assembly has a reflective layer (302) and an image display means (304, 306), for displaying image information to an occupant of the vehicle. The image display means comprises a hologram (304), and a lighting means comprising a light source (306) for illuminating the hologram.

Claims

1. A mirror and information image display assembly for a vehicle, the assembly comprising:

a reflective layer; and

an image display system configured to display image information to an occupant of the vehicle,

the image display system comprising;

a plurality of holograms; and

a light source for illuminating the holograms,

wherein the holograms are located behind the reflective layer and the reflective layer is at least partially transmissive to allow light from the illuminated holograms to pass therethrough so that in use light from the illuminated holograms can be viewed by a driver of the vehicle, and wherein the holograms differ by focal depth and perceived size of a holographic image produced when illuminated.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the hologram forms a hologram layer, and the image display system comprises a glass layer which is disposed either between the hologram layer and the reflective layer or in front of the hologram layer.

3. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein the glass layer is a wedged glass layer.

4. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein light from the light source is transmitted from an edge of the glass layer, and propagated through the glass layer to light the hologram.

5. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the reflective layer is at least partially transmissive, and wherein the image display system is disposed behind the reflective layer.

6. The assembly according to claim 5, wherein the hologram is an edge-lit hologram, and wherein light from the light source is transmitted from an edge of the hologram, and propagated from the hologram through the at least partially transmissive reflective layer.

7. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the hologram is etched into a substrate.

8. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of holograms are multiplexed.

9. The assembly according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of multiplexed holograms are one of:

wavelength-multiplexed holograms, angular-multiplexed holograms, spatially-multiplexed holograms, edge-multiplexed holograms, or phase-multiplexed holograms.

10. The assembly according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of multiplexed holograms further differ by one of the following features of a hologram image produced:

viewing angle, focal depth, color, or image content.

11. The assembly according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of multiplexed holograms differ by the image content of the hologram image produced, and wherein the image content of the plurality of multiplexed hologram is sequenceable into an animation.

12. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein the image display system is controlled using an input signal from a sensor on the vehicle.

13. The assembly according to claim 12, wherein the image display system is controlled using the input signal in response to an object detected by the sensor in a blind spot of the vehicle, and wherein image information in the hologram is information indicative of a proximity of the object to the vehicle.

14. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein the image display system comprises a plurality of multiplexed holograms which differ by focal depth of an image of a holographic image produced, and wherein the holographic image differ in focal depth in relation to the proximity of the object to the vehicle.

15. A vehicle comprising the assembly according to claim 1.

16. A holographic information image display assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

a reflective layer; and

an image display system configured to display image information to an occupant of the vehicle, wherein the image display system comprises a plurality of holograms and a light source for illuminating the holograms, wherein the holograms are located behind the reflective layer and the reflective layer is at least partially transmissive to allow light from the illuminated holograms to pass therethrough so that in use light from the illuminated holograms can be viewed by a driver of the vehicle, and wherein the holograms differ by focal depth and perceived size of a holographic image produced when illuminated;

a processor for controlling the image display system; and

a sensor configured to be mounted on the vehicle, for providing sensor inputs to the processor.

17. The holographic information display assembly according to claim 16, further comprising:

an electronic memory device electrically coupled to the processor and having instructions stored therein, wherein the processor is configured to access the memory device and execute the instructions stored therein to control the image display system; and

wherein the processor comprises an electrical input for receiving sensor input signals from the sensor, and an electrical output for sending control signals to the image display assembly.

18. A method of providing image information to an occupant of a vehicle, the method comprising:

obtaining a first input signal from a sensor on the vehicle indicating a first proximity of an object to the vehicle;

obtaining a second input signal from the sensor indicating a second proximity of the object; and

controlling an image display system to illuminate a first of a plurality of holograms in response to the first sensor input signal and to illuminate a second of the plurality of holograms in response to the second sensor input signal,

wherein the plurality of holograms differ by focal depth and perceived size of a holographic image produced when illuminated.