Headup display

• US 6,886,971 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2002
• Issued: 05/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Abel, Heinz-Bernhard, Noll, Heinrich
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tsidulko, Mark
• Application Number:
  US10/235,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20030099025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 362/503, 362/489, 362/29, 362/30, 362/135, 362/230, 362/231, 362/330, 362/339, 359/15, 345 44- 46, 345/82, 345/83
• US Class Current: 362/503
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/785 on or in relation to the windshield or windows
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/785 on or in relation to the windshield or windows
• 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: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence

Abstract

A headup display having an image forming unit 1 f or forming an item of image information to be displayed that can be projected as light beams 2 by the image forming unit 1 or via an optical projection system onto a partially reflecting windshield pane 7. The image forming unit 1 has an OLED display 8 for forming the image information displayed, in front of which there is arranged a light directing element 14 by which the light beams 2 produced by the OLED display 8 can be directed approximately parallel to one another.

Claims

1. Headup display, in particular for a motor vehicle, having an image forming unit for forming an item of image information to be displayed that is projectable as light beams by the image forming unit directly or via an optical projection system onto a partially reflecting pane, in particular onto a windshield pane, wherein the image forming unit (1) has an OLED display (8, 8 ′

, 8″

, 8′

″

) for forming the image information to be displayed, in front of which there is arranged a light directing element (14, 14 ′

, 14″

) by which the light beams (2) produced by the OLED display (8, 8 ′

, 8″

, 8′

″

) are directable approximately parallel to one another; and

the light beams (2) are directable at an angle (20) of less than approximately 30°

.

2. Headup display according to claim 1, wherein the light directing element (14, 14′

, 14y) is arranged on a display surface of the OLED display (8′

, 8″

, 8′

″

) projecting the light beams (2).

3. Headup display according to claim 2, wherein the light directing element (14, 14′

, 14″

) is a transparent film.

4. Headup display according to claim 2, wherein the light directing element is a transparent plate.

5. Headup display according to claim 2, wherein the light directing element (14, 14′

, 14″

) is applied to the surface of the OLED display (8, 8′

, 8-, 8′

″

) without an optical interface.

6. Headup display according to claim 5, wherein the light directing element (14, 14′

, 14″

) is bonded onto the surface of the OLED display (8′

, 8″

, 8′

″

).

7. Headup display according to claim 1, wherein a transparent substrate (13) of the OLED display (8′

, 8″

, 8′

″

) is formed, on a side thereof projecting the light beams (2), as the light directing element (14, 14′

, 8″

).

8. Headup display according to claim 1, wherein the light directing element (14, 14′

, 14″

) is formed with a light guiding structure extending over its surface.

9. Headup display according to claim 8, wherein the light guiding structure is a prismatic, in particular a microprismatic structure (16).

10. Headup display according to claim 8, wherein the light guiding structure is a lenticular, in particular a microlenticular structure (15).

11. Headup display according to claim 8, wherein the light guiding structure is a directional reflector structure, in particular a directional microreflector structure (17).

12. Headup display according to claim 1, wherein the OLED display is freely programmable.

13. Headup display according to claim 1, wherein the OLED display is a fully color-capable display.

14. Headup display according to claim 1, wherein the light beams (2) are projectable by the image forming unit (1) via a mirror system onto the partially reflecting pane.

15. Headup display according to claim 14, wherein the mirror system has at least one plane mirror (3) and at least one free form planar mirror (5).

16. Headup display according claim 15, wherein a transparent cover (6) is arranged between the mirror system and the partially reflecting pane.

17. Headup display according to claim 16, wherein the transparent cover (6) is arcuate.

18. Headup display, in particular for a motor vehicle, having an image forming unit for forming an item of image information to be displayed that is projectable as light beams by the image forming unit directly or via an optical projection system onto a partially reflecting pane, in particular onto a windshield pane, wherein the image forming unit (1) has an OLED display (8, 8′

, 8″

, 8′

″

) for forming the image information to be displayed, in front of which there is arranged a light directing element (14, 14′

, 14″

) by which the light beams (2) produced by the OLED display (8, 8′

, 8″

, B′

″

) are directable approximately Parallel to one another, and the OLED display (8′

, 8″

, 8′

″

) has a point matrix electrode (12).