Head-up display, vehicle and controlling method of head-up display

• US 9,372,343 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2012
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Lee, Bing-Yen, Yang, Shu-Hsiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Gerald
• Assistant Examiner(s): JAVED, MAHEEN I
• Application Number:
  US13/348,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20130181887A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,622 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/23 Head-up displays [HUD] optical aspects of head-up displays G02B27/01
• 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: G02F 1/133331 Cover glasses
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/62 Switchable arrangements whereby the element being usually not switchable

Abstract

A head-up display including a casing, a control circuit board, a display panel, and a plate is provided. The control circuit board is disposed in the casing. The display panel is disposed in the casing and electrically connected to the control circuit board. The plate is fixed to the casing and covers the display panel. The transmittance of the plate is capable of being changed, so that an image displayed on the display panel is projected out through the plate, or external light is stopped from illuminating the display panel through the plate. A vehicle having the head-up display and a controlling method of the head-up display are provided as well.

Claims

1. A head-up display adapted to a vehicle, the vehicle having a windshield, the head-up display comprising:

a casing;

a control circuit board disposed in the casing;

a display panel disposed in the casing and coupled to the control circuit board, wherein the display panel is aligned to a displaying region of the head-up display; and

a plate, disposed in the casing and covering the display panel, wherein when the vehicle is started, the control circuit board receives power, and the transmittance of the plate is increased so that an image displayed on the display panel is directly projected to the windshield through the plate, and when the vehicle is not activated, the control circuit board does not receive power, and the transmittance of the plate is decreased such that an external light via the windshield irradiating on the display panel through the plate is reduced,

wherein the display panel has a display surface facing the plate, the plate has a rear surface facing the display panel, and an area of the display surface is not smaller than an area of the rear surface.

2. The head-up display as recited in claim 1, wherein the plate is a liquid crystal panel.

3. The head-up display as recited in claim 1, wherein the plate is electrically connected to the control circuit board, and the control circuit board is capable of transmitting a control signal to the plate, so as to change the transmittance of the plate.

4. The head-up display as recited in claim 1, wherein the plate has a light emitting surface, the light emitting surface is a convex surface, and the image displayed on the display panel is projected out through the light emitting surface and is enlarged.

5. The head-up display as recited in claim 1, wherein the plate is fixed into the casing, the casing has an opening, and the opening exposes the plate.

6. The head-up display as recited in claim 1, wherein the casing has an opening, the opening exposes the display panel, and the plate is fixed onto the casing and covers the opening.

7. The head-up display as recited in claim 1, wherein transmittance of one region of the plate increases relative to transmittance of the other region of the plate, such that light emitted from the display panel is projected out through the region of the plate and forms patterns or letters.

8. A vehicle having a network bus comprising:

a body having a windshield; and

an electronic system comprising;

a head-up display comprising;

a casing fixed into the body;

a control circuit board disposed in the casing and coupled to the network bus;

a display panel disposed in the casing and coupled to the control circuit board, wherein the display panel is aligned to a displaying region of the head-up display; and

a plate, disposed in the casing and covering the display panel, wherein when the vehicle is started, the control circuit board receives power, and the transmittance of the plate is increased so that an image displayed on the display panel is directly projected to the windshield through the plate, and when the vehicle is not activated, the control circuit board does not receive power, and the transmittance of the plate is decreased such that an external light via the windshield irradiating on the display panel through the plate is reduced,

wherein the display panel has a display surface facing the plate, the plate has a rear surface facing the display panel, and an area of the display surface is not smaller than an area of the rear surface.

9. The vehicle as recited in claim 8, wherein the plate is electrically connected to the control circuit board, and the control circuit board is capable of driving the plate, so as to change the transmittance of the plate.

10. The vehicle as recited in claim 9, wherein the electronic system further comprises:

a brightness sensing module disposed in the body and coupled to the network bus, wherein the brightness sensing module generates a brightness value according to brightness of an environment and transmitted the brightness value to the control circuit board via the network bus, and the control circuit board drives the plate according to the brightness value, so as to change the transmittance of the plate.

11. The vehicle as recited in claim 9, wherein the electronic system further comprises:

a temperature sensing module disposed in the body and coupled to the network bus, wherein the temperature sensing module senses temperature and transmitted the sensed temperature to the control circuit board via the network bus, and the control circuit board drives the plate according to the temperature, so as to change the transmittance of the plate.

12. The vehicle as recited in claim 8, wherein the display is a liquid crystal display.

13. The vehicle as recited in claim 8, wherein the plate has a light emitting surface, the light emitting surface is a convex surface, and the image displayed on the display panel is projected out through the light emitting surface and is enlarged.

14. The vehicle as recited in claim 8, wherein the plate is disposed into the casing, the casing has an opening, and the opening exposes the plate.

15. The vehicle as recited in claim 8, wherein the casing has an opening, the opening exposes the display panel, and the plate is disposed onto the casing and covers the opening.

16. The vehicle as recited in claim 8, wherein transmittance of one region of the plate increases relative to transmittance of the other region of the plate, such that light emitted from the display panel is projected out through the region of the plate and forms patterns or letters.

17. A controlling method for a head-up display adapted to a vehicle, the vehicle having a windshield, the head-up display comprising a display panel, a plate covering the display panel, and a control circuit board, the controlling method comprising:

sensing temperature or brightness of an environment; and

changing transmittance of the plate,

wherein when the vehicle is started, the control circuit board receives power, and the transmittance of the plate is increased according to the temperature or the brightness of the environment so that an image displayed on the display panel is directly projected to the windshield through the plate, and when the vehicle is not activated, the control circuit board does not receive power, and the transmittance of the plate is decreased such that an external light via the windshield irradiating on the display panel through the plate is reduced,

wherein the display panel is aligned to a displaying region of the head-up display, wherein the display panel has a display surface facing the plate, the plate has a rear surface facing the display panel, and an area of the display surface is not smaller than an area of the rear surface.

18. The controlling method of the head-up display as recited in claim 17, wherein the step of changing the transmittance of the plate comprises:

supplying power to the plate to increase the transmittance of the plate, or stop supplying the power to the plate to decrease the transmittance of the plate.

19. The controlling method of the head-up display as recited in claim 17, wherein the step of changing the transmittance of the plate comprises:

driving the plate through a control circuit board, so as to change the transmittance of the plate, wherein the control circuit board is electrically connected to the plate and the display panel.

20. The controlling method of the head-up display as recited in claim 17, wherein the step of changing the transmittance of the plate comprises:

changing the transmittance of the plate according to a brightness value sensed by a brightness sensing module.

21. The controlling method of the head-up display as recited in claim 17, wherein the step of changing the transmittance of the plate comprises:

changing the transmittance of the plate according to temperature sensed by a temperature sensing module.