Display apparatus for a vehicle

• US 4,978,196 A
• Filed: 05/30/1989
• Issued: 12/18/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Suzuki, Yoshiyuki, Aoki, Kunimitsu
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kachmarik, Ronald M.
• Application Number:
  US07/358,516
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 350/169, 350/171, 350/174, 350/602, 350/603, 350/612, 350/618, 350/622, 350/623, 340/705
• US Class Current: 359/630
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0154 with movable elements
• 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: G02B 27/0149 characterised by mechanical features G02B27/0176 takes precedence

Abstract

A display apparatus for a vehicle comprises a unit for projecting a display pattern provided by a display device onto a projecting face in front of a driver'"'"'s seat; a unit for visually overlapping an outer landscape in front of a front glass and a virtual image of the display pattern provided by the projecting unit; a first mirror for reflecting light from the projecting unit; and a second mirror for reflecting light reflected from the first mirror on the side of the driver'"'"'s seat such that the virtual image of the display pattern in front of the second mirror is visualized. The display apparatus for a vehicle may comprise another mirror unit for reflecting the light reflected from the first mirror towards the front glass, the reflected light from the second mirror being reflected by the front glass on the driver'"'"'s seat side such that the virtual image of the display pattern in front of the front glass is visualized. The display apparatus for a vehicle may comprise a device for adjusting the angular position of the mirror with respect to at least one of the forward-backward direction and the right-left direction.

Claims

1. A display apparatus in an automotive vehicle comprising:

a display unit producing a visual display pattern;

a driver'"'"'s seat within said automobile;

a projecting face in front of said driver'"'"'s seat;

a windshield in front of said driver'"'"'s seat, said windshield having a driver'"'"'s seat side;

a ceiling at least partially located above said driver'"'"'s seat;

a vehicle dashboard in front of said driver'"'"'s seat;

means disposed within said vehicle for projecting a display pattern provided by the display unit onto the projecting face in front of the driver'"'"'s seat;

means for visually overlapping an outer landscape in front of the windshield and a virtual image of the display pattern provided by the means for projecting;

first flat mirror means for reflecting light from the means for projecting; and

second flat mirror means, disposed on the vehicle dashboard, for reflecting light reflected from the first mirror means on the driver'"'"'s seat side of the windshield such that the virtual image of the display pattern in front of the second mirror means is visualizable;

wherein the first flat mirror means is disposed on the ceiling of the automotive vehicle in order to lengthen a display optical path from the projecting means to the second flat mirror means without providing any lens therebetween, whereby the virtual image of the display pattern can be produced at a position relatively far from a driver in front of the windshield, whereby the driver can realize the virtual image on the landscape within his normal driving focal range.

2. A display apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the first flat mirror means comprises a first mirror, a mirror support member for supporting the first mirror, a base attached tot he ceiling of the vehicle and pivotally supporting the mirror support member, and means for adjusting the angle of the mirror support member with respect to the base.

3. A display apparatus for lengthening a display optical path in an automotive vehicle comprising:

a display unit producing a visual display pattern;

a driver'"'"'s seat within said automobile;

a projecting face in front of said driver'"'"'s seat;

a windshield in front of said driver'"'"'s seat, said windshield having a driver'"'"'s seat side;

a ceiling at least partially located above said driver'"'"'s seat;

a vehicle dashboard in front of said driver'"'"'s seat;

means disposed within said vehicle for projecting a display pattern provided by the display unit onto the projecting face in front of the driver'"'"'s seat;

means for visually overlapping an outer landscape in front of the windshield and a virtual image of the display pattern provided by the means for projecting;

first flat mirror means, disposed on the ceiling of the automotive vehicle, for reflecting light from the means for projecting; and

second flat mirror means, disposed on the vehicle dashboard, for reflecting light reflected from the first mirror means on the driver'"'"'s seat side of the windshield such that the virtual image of the display pattern in front of the second mirror means is visualizable;

wherein said automotive vehicle includes a forward-backward direction and a right-left direction and wherein said second mirror means includes;

means for adjusting the angular position of the second mirror with respect to at least one of the forward-backward direction and the right-left direction of the automotive vehicle.

4. A display apparatus as in claim 3, wherein the second mirror comprises a half mirror.

5. A display apparatus as in claim 3, wherein said adjusting means comprises a vertical support shaft, a horizontal shaft member rotatably fitted to the vertical support shaft, an attaching unit for attaching the light reflecting means to the horizontal shaft member, a restricting member slidably fitted to the horizontal shaft member in the axial direction thereof, and thumbscrew means for axial adjustment of the restricting member with respect to the horizontal shaft member.

6. A display apparatus as in claim 5, wherein the attaching unit is rotatably fitted to the horizontal shaft member, and is slidably fitted to the horizontal shaft member in the axial direction thereof.

7. A display apparatus as in claim 5, wherein the restricting member and the attaching unit are pressed and held between the vertical support shaft and the thumbscrew.

8. A display apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said adjusting means is disposed on a dashboard.

9. A display apparatus in an automotive vehicle, the automotive vehicle having a driver'"'"'s seat within said automobile, a windshield in front of said driver'"'"'s seat, said windshield having a driver'"'"'s seat side, a ceiling at least partially located above said driver'"'"'s seat, and a vehicle dashboard in front of said driver'"'"'s seat, and the display apparatus comprising:

a display unit producing a visual display pattern;

a projecting face in front of said driver'"'"'s seat;

means disposed within said vehicle for projecting a display pattern provided by the display unit onto the projecting face in front of the driver'"'"'s seat;

means for visually overlapping an outer landscape in front of the windshield and a virtual image of the display pattern provided by the projecting means;

first flat mirror means, arranged on the ceiling of the automotive vehicle, for reflecting light from the projecting means; and

second flat mirror means, arranged on the vehicle dashboard in front of the driver'"'"'s seat, for reflecting light reflected from the first mirror means towards the windshield, the reflected light from the second mirror means being reflected by the windshield on the driver'"'"'s seat side such that the virtual image of the display pattern is visualizable in front of the windshield;

wherein the arrangement of the first and second flat mirror means serves to lengthen a display optical path from the projecting means to the second flat mirror means without providing any lens therebetween, whereby the virtual image of the display pattern can be produced at a position relatively far from a driver in front of the windshield, at which the driver can visually overlap the virtual image on the landscape within his normal driving focal range.

10. A head-up display device for a vehicle operated by a driver having a forward line-of-sight and being seated in a vehicle compartment including a ceiling, a dashboard, and a front glass, comprising:

means for projecting a light image in space, said projection means being mounted within said vehicle compartment;

a first planar mirror for reflecting at least a portion of said projected light image, said first planar mirror being spaced from said projection means to provide therebetween a first image path "a" and said planar mirror being movably attached to the vehicle ceiling above the line-of-sight of the driver in order to lengthen the first image path "a" as long as possible without providing any lens between the projecting means and the planar mirror; and

at least one additional menas for reflecting at least a portion of said projected light image, said at least one additional means for reflecting being spaced from said planar mirror to provide therebetween an additional image path "b" in a field of view which includes the line-of-sight of the driver and which provides a virtual image at a place of focus in said field of view;

wherein the virtual image place of focus is external to the vehicle and spaced a distance "d" from the last additional means for reflecting, and wherein the image paths "a" and "b" have a total length dimension at least equal to distance "d", whereby the virtual image can be produced at a position relatively far from the driver in front of the windshield, where the driver can realize the virtual image on a landscape in front of the vehicle within his normal driving focal range.

11. The display device of claim 10, wherein said first planar mirror is movably attached to the vehicle ceiling.

12. The display device of claim 10, wherein said at least one additional means for reflecting is the vehicle front glass.

13. The display device of claim 10, wherein the virtual image plane of focus is spaced a distance of about 3 to 6 meters from the driver.

14. The display device of claim 10, wherein the front glass is a frontward vehicle windshield and the virtual image plane of focus is spaced a distance of about 1.5 to about 3 meters from the vehicle windshield.

15. A head-up display device for a vehicle operated by a driver having a forward line-of-sight and being seated in a vehicle compartment including a ceiling, a dashboard, and a front glass, comprising:

means for projecting a light image in space, said projection means being mounted within said vehicle compartment;

a first planar mirror for reflecting at least a portion of said projected light image, said first planar mirror being spaced from said projection means to provide therebetween a first image path "a" and being movably attached to the vehicle ceiling above the line-of-sight of the driver;

a second planar mirror for reflecting at least a portion of said projected light image, said second planar mirror being spaced from said first planar mirror to provide therebetween a second image path "b" and being attached to the vehicle dashboard below the line-of-sight of the driver; and

at least one additional means for reflecting at least a portion of said projected light image, said at least one additional means for reflecting being spaced from said second planar mirror to provide therebetween an additional image path "c" in a field of view which includes the line-of-sight of the driver and which provides a virtual image at a plane of focus in said field of view;

wherein the virtual image plane of focus is external to the vehicle and spaced a distance "d" from the last additional means for reflecting, and wherein the image paths "a", "b" and "c" have a total length dimension at least equal to distance "d", and the first planar mirror, the second planar mirror and the at least one additional means are arranged such that the distance "d" becomes sufficiently long, whereby the virtual image can be produced at a position relatively far from the driver in front of the windshield, where the driver can visually overlap the virtual image on a landscape in front of the vehicle within his normal driving focal range.

16. The display device of claim 15, wherein said second planar mirror is movably attached to the vehicle dashboard.

18. The display device of claim 15, wherein the virtual image plane of focus is a steaight line to the driver less than the sum of distance "d, " the length of first image path "a," the length of second image path "b," and the length of third image path "c" from the driver.

17. A head-up display device for a vehicle operated by a driver having a forward line-of-sight and being seated in a vehicle compartment including a ceiling, a dashboard, and a front glass, comprising:

means for projecting a light image in space, said projection means being mounted within said vehicle compartment;

a first planar mirror for reflecting at least a portion of said projected light image, said first planar mirror being spaced from said projection means to provide therebetween a first image path "a" and being movably attached to the vehicle ceiling above the line-of-sight of the driver;

a second planar mirror for reflecting at least a portion of said projected light image, said second planar mirror being spaced from said first planar mirror to provide therebetween a second image path "b" and being attached to the vehicle dashboard below the line-of-sight of the driver; and

at least one additional means for reflecting at least a portion of said projected light image, said at least one additional means for reflecting being spaced from said second planar mirror to provide therebetween an additional image path "c" in a field of view which includes the line-of-sight of the driver and which provides a virtual image at a plane of focus in said field of view;

wherein the virtual image plane of focus is external to the vehicle and spaced a distance "d" from the last additional means for reflecting, and wherein the image paths "a", "b" and "c" have a total dimension at least equal to distance "d";

wherein

said at least one additional means for reflecting is the vehicle front glass.

19. A head-up display device for a vehicle operated by a driver having a forward line-of-sight and being seated in a vehicle compartment including a ceiling, a dashboard, and a front glass, comprising:

means for projecting a light image in space, said projection means being mounted within said vehicle compartment;

a first planar mirror for reflecting at least a portion of said projected light image, said first planar mirror being spaced from said projection means to provide therebetween a first image path "a" and being movably attached to the vehicle ceiling above the line-of-sight of the driver;

a second planar mirror for reflecting at least a portion of said projected light image, said second planar mirror being spaced from said first planar mirror to provide therebetween a second image path "b" and being attached to the vehicle dashboard below the line-of-sight of the driver, and

at least one additional means for reflecting at least a portion of said projected light image, said at least one additional means for reflecting being spaced from said second planar mirror to provide therebetween an additional image path "c" in a field of view which includes the line-of-sight of the driver and which provides a virtual image at a plane of focus in said field of view;

wherein the virtual image plane of focus is external to the vehicle and spaced a distance "d" from the last additional means for reflecting, and wherein the image paths "a", "b" and "c" have a total length dimension at least equal to distance "d";

wherein

the virtual image plane of focus is spaced a distance of about 3 to 6 meters from the driver.

20. A head-up display device for a vehicle operated by a driver having a forward line-of-sight and being seated in a vehicle compartment including a ceiling, a dashboard, and a front glass, comprising:

means for projecting a light image in space, said projection means being mounted within said vehicle compartment;

a first planar mirror for reflecting at least a portion of said projected light image, said first planar mirror being spaced from said projection means to provide therebetween a first image path "a" and being movably attached to the vehicle ceiling above the line-of-sight of the driver;

a second planar mirror for reflecting at least a portion of said projected light image, said second planar mirror being spaced from said first planar mirror to provide therebetween a second image path "b" and being attached to the vehicle dashboard below the line-of-sight of the driver; and

at least one additional means for reflecting at least a portion of said projected light image, said at lest one additional means for reflecting being spaced from said second planar mirror to provide therebetween an additional image path "c" in a field of view which includes the line-of-sight of the driver and which provides a virtual image at a plane of focus in said field of view;

wherein the virtual image plane of focus is external to the vehicle and spaced a distance "d" from the last additional means for reflecting, and wherein the image paths "a", "b" and "c" have a total length dimension at least equal to distance "d";

wherein

the front glass is a frontward vehicle windshield and the virtual image plane of focus is spaced a distance of about 1.5 to about 3 meters from the vehicle windshield.