Image display unit

• US 5,760,931 A
• Filed: 10/13/1994
• Issued: 06/02/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Ogawa, Shunichi, Kimura, Teiyuu, Higuchi, Masahiro, Terui, Takekazu, Ando, Hiroshi, Fukatsu, Yoshiaki, Kawazoe, Naoyuki, Mizutani, Yasuhiro, Koike, Satoshi, Saburi, Toshiki
• Primary Examiner(s): Dzierzynski, Paul M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Schuberg, Darren E.
• Application Number:
  US08/290,753
• Time in Patent Office: 1,328 Days
• Field of Search: 359/1, 359/13, 359/14, 359/15, 359/16, 359/630, 359/637, 359/858, 359/862, 359/863, 359/859, 359/25, 345/7-9, 348/744, 348/781-785
• US Class Current: 359/13
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0107 with optical power
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0109 comprising details concerning the making of holograms
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0116 comprising devices for correcting chromatic aberration
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0154 with movable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0194 with combiner of laminated type, for optical or mechanical aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0103 comprising holographic elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0149 characterised by mechanical features G02B27/0176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/2202 Reconstruction geometries or arrangements

Abstract

A heads-up display unit provided with a display device serving as display image forming means which displays a display image. A hologram serves as a reflecting means, and reflects the display light emitted from the display device, causing reflection of the display image on the interior surface of a vehicle'"'"'s windshield. A display image is formed outside the windshield towards the front of the vehicle. A concave mirror having a different focal length in different directions is recorded in the hologram serving as a reflecting means so as to offset distortion of the display image caused by curvatures of the windshield. This construction makes it possible to cause the windshield to display a display image free from distortion.

Claims

1. An image display unit comprising:

image forming means for forming a display image;

reflecting means for reflecting light emitted from said image forming means; and

display means for forming said display image from light emitted from said image forming means and reflected by said reflecting means, said display means having a first curvature in a first direction and a second curvature in a second direction perpendicular to said first direction, said first curvature being smaller than said second curvature,

wherein said reflecting means is provided between said image forming means and said display means, and has optical characteristics of a concave mirror with a curvature being larger than zero in any direction, said reflecting means having a third curvature in a third direction optically parallel to said first direction and a fourth curvature in a fourth direction optically parallel to said second direction, said third curvature of said reflecting means being larger than said fourth curvature thereof so as to offset distortion of said display image caused by said first and said second curvatures of said display means.

2. An image display unit according to claim 1, wherein said reflecting means is a hologram having recorded therein said optical characteristics of said concave mirror.

3. An image display unit according to claim 1, wherein said concave mirror is a toroidal concave mirror.

4. An image display unit according to claim 1, wherein said display means and said reflecting means together have optical reflecting characteristics of a spherical concave mirror.

5. An image display unit according to claim 1, wherein:

said reflecting means has a plurality of portions, each having a corresponding optical path length between said image forming means and said reflecting means, and a corresponding focal length in accordance with said optical path length, so that light reflected by said reflecting means has a plurality of focal points.

6. An image display unit according to claim 5, wherein said reflecting means is a hologram having said plurality of portions with said plurality of focal points recorded therein.

7. An image display unit according to claim 1, wherein:

said reflecting means has a diffraction function for reflecting only a particular wavelength of said light emitted from said image forming means, said diffraction function being such that when a maximum wavelength at which a diffraction efficiency of said reflecting means has a maximum value η

_m is λ

₀, and when a half-value wavelength at which said diffraction efficiency has a value of one-half said maximum value η

_m is λ

₀ ±

Δ

λ

_h, a variation of an angle between an incident ray and an emitted ray of said reflecting means is less than 0.33°

when light of said image display varies in wavelength Δ

λ

_n between said maximum wavelength λ

₀ and said half-value wavelength λ

₀ ±

Δ

λ

_h.

8. An image display unit according to claim 1, wherein said display means comprises a windshield.

9. An image display unit according to claim 1, wherein said display means includes a hologram having an enlarging function for enlarging said display image.

10. An image display unit according to claim 1, further comprising an angle adjusting mechanism, on which said reflecting means is disposed, for adjusting an attachment angle of said reflecting means with respect to said display means.

11. An image display unit comprising:

image forming means for forming a display image;

reflecting means for reflecting light emitted by said image forming means; and

display means for forming said display image from light emitted by said image forming means and reflected by said reflecting means,

wherein said reflecting means is provided between said image forming means and said display means, and has a plurality of portions, each having a corresponding optical path length between said image forming means and said reflecting means, and a corresponding focal length in accordance with said optical path length, so that light reflected by said reflecting means has a plurality of focal points.

12. An image display unit according to claim 11, wherein said reflecting means includes a hologram having said plurality of portions with said plurality of focal points recorded therein.

13. An image display unit according to claim 11, wherein:

said reflecting means has a diffraction function for reflecting only a particular wavelength of said light emitted from said image forming means, said diffraction function being such that when a maximum wavelength at which a diffraction efficiency of said reflecting means has a maximum value η

_m is λ

₀, and when a half-value wavelength at which said diffraction efficiency has a value of one-half said maximum value η

_m is λ

₀ ±

Δ

λ

_h, a variation of an angle between an incident ray and an emitted ray of said reflecting means is less than 0.33°

when light of said image display varies in wavelength Δ

λ

_h between said maximum wavelength λ

₀ and said half-value wavelength λ

₀ ±

Δ

λ

_h.

14. An image display unit according to claim 11, wherein said display means comprises a windshield.

15. An image display unit according to claim 11, wherein said display means includes a hologram having an enlarging function for enlarging said display image.

16. An apparatus for displaying an image comprising:

a display device which generates said image; and

an optical element that receives light of said image from said display device and projects said light from said optical element, said optical element having a plurality of portions, each having a corresponding optical path length between said display device and said optical element, and a corresponding focal length in accordance with said optical path length, so that said light projected from said optical element has a plurality of focal points.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said optical element has a diffraction function for reflecting only a particular wavelength of said light emitted from said display device, said diffraction function being such that when a maximum wavelength at which a diffraction efficiency has a maximum value η

_m is λ

₀, and when a half-value wavelength at which said diffraction efficiency has a value of one-half said maximum value η

_m is λ

₀ ±

Δ

λ

_h, a variation of an angle between an incident ray and an emitted ray of said optical element is less than 0.33°

when said light of said image varies in wavelength Δ

λ

_h between said maximum wavelength λ

₀ and said half-value wavelength λ

₀ ±

Δ

λ

_h.

18. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said optical element includes a hologram having said plurality of portions with said plurality of focal points recorded therein, respectively.

19. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said hologram has optical characteristics of a mirror.

20. An apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising a windshield on which said optical element projects said light.