In-vehicle stereoimage display apparatus

• US 7,830,602 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2006
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nippon Sheet Glass Company Limited (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nippon Sheet Glass Company Limited (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Takahiro, Nemoto, Hiroyuki, Ikeda, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang; Audrey Y
• Application Number:
  US12/066,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20090231698A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• Field of Search: 359/463, 359/462, 349/15, 348/59
• US Class Current: 359/463
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/1531 Three-dimensional displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/211 producing three-dimensional [3D] effects, e.g. stereoscopic images
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/26 for reproducing with unit magnification
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/011 comprising device for correcting geometrical aberrations, distortion
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0112 comprising device for genereting colour display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0134 of stereoscopic type
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0185 Displaying image at variable distance
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0031 Replication or moulding, e.g. hot embossing, UV-casting, injection moulding
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0056 arranged along two different directions in a plane, e.g. honeycomb arrangement of lenses G02B3/0043 takes precedence; miniaturised objectives for electronic devices employing wafer level optics G02B13/0085
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0062 Stacked lens arrays, i.e. refractive surfaces arranged in at least two planes, without structurally separate optical elements in-between
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0068 arranged in a single integral body or plate, e.g. laminates or hybrid structures with other optical elements G02B5/1885, G02B17/002, G02B30/27 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/56 by projecting aerial or floating images

Abstract

An in-vehicle stereoimage display apparatus includes a display device, an erecting unit magnification lens module spaced from and facing toward a display screen of the display device for forming an erecting unit magnification stereoimage of an image displayed on the display screen, a lens movement mechanism for movably supporting the erecting unit magnification lens module, and a controller for changing the position of the erecting unit magnification lens module in accordance with the travel velocity of a vehicle. In one example, the controller increases the distance between the vehicle driver'"'"'s eyes and the erecting unit magnification stereoimage as the travel velocity of the vehicle increases.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle stereoimage display apparatus installed in a vehicle, the apparatus being characterized by:

a display device including a display screen;

an erecting unit magnification lens module, spaced from and facing toward the display screen of the display device, for forming an erecting unit magnification stereoimage of an image displayed on the display screen;

a lens movement mechanism for movably supporting the erecting unit magnification lens module; and

a controller, connected to the lens movement mechanism, for changing the position of the erecting unit magnification lens module in accordance with the travel velocity of the vehicle.

2. The in-vehicle stereoimage display apparatus according to claim 1, being characterized in that:

the erecting unit magnification lens module forms the erecting unit magnification stereoimage at a side of the lens module opposite to the display device, and at least a portion of a space in which the erecting unit magnification stereoimage is formed is surrounded by a darkly colored member.

3. The in-vehicle stereoimage display apparatus according to claim 1, being characterized in that the controller controls the lens movement mechanism so that the distance between the vehicle driver'"'"'s eyes and the erecting unit magnification stereoimage increases as the travel velocity of the vehicle increases.

4. The in-vehicle stereoimage display apparatus according to claim 3, being characterized in that the controller increases the distance between the vehicle driver'"'"'s eyes and the erecting unit magnification stereoimage in a stepped manner when the travel velocity of the vehicle increases.

5. The in-vehicle stereoimage display apparatus according to claim 3, being characterized in that the controller increases the distance between the vehicle driver'"'"'s eyes and the erecting unit magnification stereoimage in a stepless manner when the travel velocity of the vehicle increases.

6. The in-vehicle stereoimage display apparatus according to claim 1, being characterized in that the controller controls the lens movement mechanism so that the distance between the erecting unit magnification lens module and the display device decreases as the travel velocity of the vehicle increases.

7. The in-vehicle stereoimage display apparatus according to claim 1, being characterized in that the erecting unit magnification stereoimage includes an image that dynamically indicates a vehicle state and a travel state of the vehicle in real time.

8. The in-vehicle stereoimage display apparatus according to claim 7, being characterized in that the erecting unit magnification stereoimage includes an additional image that indicates information other than the vehicle state and the travel state.

9. The in-vehicle stereoimage display apparatus according to claim 1, being characterized in that:

the erecting unit magnification lens module includes at least two lens array plates, each lens array plate includes a plurality of microlenses, with each having a peak, and the microlenses having parallel optical axes;

the peaks of the microlenses in one of the at least two lens array plates are in contact with or arranged close to the peaks of the microlenses in the other one of the at least two lens array plates; and

the microlenses in each lens array plate each have a predetermined spherical aberration that is greater than a minimum spherical aberration or a predetermined comatic aberration that is greater than a minimum comatic aberration.

10. The in-vehicle stereoimage display apparatus according to claim 9, being characterized in that the lens module has a thickness in the direction of the optical axes of the microlenses, and the thickness is less than a designed thickness value that minimizes the spherical aberration or the comatic aberration of each microlens.

11. The in-vehicle stereoimage display apparatus according to claim 9, being characterized in that the at least two lens array plates are integrated to form one of the erecting unit magnification lens module.

12. The in-vehicle stereoimage display apparatus according to claim 9, being characterized in that:

when the at least two lens array plates spaced from the display screen of the display device by a front side working distance, a light beam from the display screen passes through a single point on a surface of each microlens; and

when the front side working distance changes, the light beam passes through a point differing from the single point on the surface of each microlens.

13. The in-vehicle stereoimage display apparatus according to claim 9, being characterized in that each lens array plate has a rear side working distance in a range of 5 to 150 mm, in which the resolution is 10% or greater for 1 Lp (line pair/mm), with a resolution change rate being greater than 0%/mm and 2%/mm or less.

14. The in-vehicle stereoimage display apparatus according to claim 9, being characterized in that each lens array plate includes:

a substrate having two main surfaces; and

a plurality of microlenses having spherical or non-spherical surfaces arranged on one or both of the main surfaces of the substrate.

15. The in-vehicle stereoimage display apparatus according to claim 9, being characterized in that each lens array plate is made of a transparent resin.

16. The in-vehicle stereoimage display apparatus according to claim 1, being characterized by:

a case for accommodating the lens module and the display device;

wherein the case has an inner chamber for accommodating a medium, the lens module is arranged between the inner chamber and the display device, and the lens module forms an image displayed on the display screen of the display device in the inner chamber of the case.

17. The in-vehicle stereoimage display apparatus according to claim 16, being characterized in that the display device displays a two-dimensional image.

18. The in-vehicle stereoimage display apparatus according to claim 1, being characterized in that:

the erecting unit magnification lens module includes a plurality of microlenses regularly arranged and an object side focal distance;

the display device includes a display screen spaced from the erecting unit magnification lens module by the object side focal distance and a plurality of regularly arranged pixels;

the erecting unit magnification lens module forms a stereoimage viewed as a floating image with an image shown on the image display screen;

the lens movement mechanism enables the spaced distance between the erecting unit magnification lens module and the image display screen to be varied within a predetermined range; and

when the spaced distance between the erecting unit magnification lens module and the image display screen is varied within the predetermined range, the resolution of the erecting unit magnification lens module changes; and

when the spaced distance is within the predetermined range, the resolution of the erecting unit magnification lens module is greater than an upper limit value at which a blur is observable with human eyes.

19. The in-vehicle stereoimage display apparatus according to claim 18, being characterized in that:

the erecting unit magnification lens module is formed by at least two lens array plates, and each lens array plate includes a plurality of microlenses, with each having an optical axis and a peak, and the optical axes of the microlenses being parallel to one another;

the peaks of the microlenses in one of the at least two lens array plates are in contact with or arranged close to the peaks of the microlenses in the other one of the at least two lens array plates; and

the microlenses in each lens array plate each have a predetermined spherical aberration that is greater than a minimum spherical aberration or a predetermined comatic aberration that is greater than a minimum comatic aberration.

20. The in-vehicle stereoimage display apparatus according to claim 19, being characterized in that when the plurality of pixels has a pixel pitch PD, the microlenses have a lens pitch PL, LA represents a distance between a viewpoint and the image display screen, LB represents a distance between the stereoimage and the viewpoint, Lz represents the spaced distance, and PLo represents a corrected lens pitch obtained by correcting the lens pitch PL in accordance with the distances LA, LB, and Lz, and when the spaced distance Lz is minimal, the corrected lens pitch PLo satisfies the expression of

(1.20+n*1.50)≦

PLo/PD≦

(1.70+n*1.50),

where n=0, 1, 2, 3, . . . .

21. The in-vehicle stereoimage display apparatus according to claim 19, being characterized in that the resolution MTF of the lens module is 10% or greater at 1 LP/mm when the spaced distance is within the predetermined range, and the resolution of the lens module is maximal when the spaced distance is a minimum value in the predetermined range.

22. The in-vehicle stereoimage display apparatus according to claim 19, being characterized in that the plurality of pixels are in a vertical stripe arrangement, and the plurality of microlenses are in a hexagonal arrangement or in a square arrangement.

23. The in-vehicle stereoimage display apparatus according to claim 22, being characterized in that each pixel is formed by a plurality of sub-pixels that are arranged at a constant pitch and respectively correspond to a plurality of colors, and the plurality of sub-pixels form a vertical stripe arrangement in which sub-pixels of the same color are continuously arranged in a vertical direction.

24. The in-vehicle stereoimage display apparatus according to claim 22, being characterized in that each microlens is hexagonal, and some of the pixels form a line, some of the microlenses form another line, and the line of the pixels is inclined at an angle of 90 degrees relative to the line formed by the microlenses.

25. The in-vehicle stereoimage display apparatus according to claim 19, being characterized in that the plurality of pixels are in a delta arrangement, and the plurality of microlenses are in a hexagonal arrangement or in a square arrangement.

26. The in-vehicle stereoimage display apparatus according to claim 19, being characterized in that the plurality of pixels form lines, the plurality of microlenses form lines, and the lines of the pixels are inclined relative to the lines of the microlenses.