Image generation unit and head-up display device

Abstract

The invention relates to an image generation unit and a head-up display device. In one aspect, the image generation unit comprises: an illumination device for providing light; the first spectroscope is arranged on the light emitting side of the lighting device and is used for reflecting the first S light in the light rays and transmitting the first P light; the first display device is arranged to receive the first S light so as to be used for converting the first S light into second P light and reflecting the second P light to the first spectroscope; the second display device is arranged to receive the first P light so as to be used for converting the first P light into second S light and reflecting the second S light to the first spectroscope; the first diffuse reflector is arranged at the downstream of the light path of the first spectroscope and is configured to image one of the second S light and the second P light; and the second diffuse reflector is arranged at the downstream of the light path of the first spectroscope and is configured to image the other spectroscope. Therefore, the head-up display device has the advantages of being small in size, low in power consumption and large in field angle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of display technology, and in particular, to an image generating unit and a head-up display device including the image generating unit. Background Art

[0002] Head Up Display (HUD) devices are widely used in vehicles and other transportation vehicles. They are used to display information such as vehicle conditions on the imaging reflective part of the vehicle, such as the windshield, so that the driver can obtain this information while maintaining continuous attention to the road conditions.

[0003] Generally, a HUD device includes a picture generation unit (PGU) and a reflection unit. The PGU is used to emit image light toward the reflection unit, and the reflection unit is used to project the image light onto the windshield. As a result, the image light is reflected by the windshield to reach the eye box, thereby forming a virtual image for the driver to observe on the rearward extension line of the reflected image light.

[0004] Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCOS) PGU is a PGU that uses LCOS, which is a reflective polarization device, and can provide high-resolution clear images. A dual-focal plane HUD device using LCOS PGU can be used to obtain two virtual images at different distances so that the virtual image can be integrated with the real scene at different distances, thereby providing a better driving experience.

[0005] However, dual-focal plane HUD devices using LCOS PGU under the existing architecture have problems such as large size, high power consumption and small field of view. Summary of the invention

[0006] This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

[0007] The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a PGU that can make the HUD device small in size, low in power consumption and with a large field of view.

[0008] In order to achieve the above objective, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, a PGU is provided, comprising: Lighting device for providing light; A first beam splitter is arranged at the light-emitting side of the lighting device, and is used to reflect the first S light in the light and transmit the first P light in the light; A first display device is configured to receive the first S light from the first beam splitter, for converting the first S light into the second P light and reflecting the second P light to the first beam splitter; a second display device, configured to receive the first P light from the first beam splitter, for converting the first P light into a second S light and reflecting the second S light to the first beam splitter; a first diffuse reflector disposed downstream of the optical path of the first beam splitter and configured to image one of the second S light and the second P light; and The second diffuse reflector is disposed downstream of the optical path of the first beam splitter and is configured to form an image of the other of the second S light and the second P light.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first diffuse reflector and the second diffuse reflector may be arranged on the same optical path and arranged sequentially according to the direction of the optical path, wherein both the second S light and the second P light propagate on the optical path.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first diffuse reflector and the second diffuse reflector can both switch between a first state and a second state, and when the first diffuse reflector is in one of the first state and the second state, the second diffuse reflector is in the other state, wherein in the first state, the first diffuse reflector and the second diffuse reflector both transmit the second S light and the second P light, and in the second state, the first diffuse reflector images the one and absorbs the other, while the second diffuse reflector images the other and absorbs the one.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first diffuse reflector and the second diffuse reflector may both be tunable polarization absorbing films, and the tunable polarization absorbing films may be switched between a first state and a second state by adjusting a voltage.

[0012] In some implementations, the first diffuse reflector can be configured to image the one and transmit the other, and the second diffuse reflector can be configured to image the other and transmit the one.

[0013] In some embodiments, a first internal reflector may be further included, and the first internal reflector is disposed between the first diffuse reflector and the first beam splitter on the optical path to reflect the second S light and the second P light to the first diffuse reflector.

[0014] In some embodiments, both the first display device and the second display device may be liquid crystal on silicon display devices.

[0015] In some embodiments, a projection device may be further included. The projection device is disposed between the first beam splitter and the first diffuse reflector and the second diffuse reflector on the optical path to amplify the second S light and the second P light emitted from the first beam splitter.

[0016] In some embodiments, the optical system may further include a second beam splitter, a second internal reflector, a third internal reflector, and a light combining mirror. The second beam splitter is disposed downstream of the optical path of the first beam splitter to reflect the second S light and transmit the second P light. The second internal reflector is configured to receive the second S light from the second beam splitter and reflect it to the light combining mirror. The third internal reflector is configured to receive the second P light from the second beam splitter and reflect it to the light combining mirror. The light combining mirror is used to reflect the second S light and transmit the second P light. The first diffuse reflector is arranged on the first optical path of the second S light between the second beam splitter and the beam combiner and images the second S light, and the second diffuse reflector is arranged on the second optical path of the second P light between the second beam splitter and the beam combiner and images the second P light.

[0017] In some embodiments, the first diffuse reflector may be disposed between the light combining mirror and the second internal reflector on the first optical path, and the second diffuse reflector may be disposed between the light combining mirror and the third internal reflector on the second optical path.

[0018] In some embodiments, the first diffuse reflector may be disposed between the second internal reflector and the second beam splitter on the first optical path, and the second diffuse reflector may be disposed between the beam combiner and the third internal reflector on the second optical path.

[0019] In some embodiments, the first diffuse reflector may be disposed between the beam combiner and the second internal reflector on the first optical path, and the second diffuse reflector may be disposed between the third internal reflector and the second beam splitter on the second optical path.

[0020] In some embodiments, the first diffuse reflector can be disposed between the second internal reflector and the second beam splitter on the first optical path, and the second diffuse reflector can be disposed between the third internal reflector and the second beam splitter on the second optical path.

[0021] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a HUD device is also provided, comprising the PGU according to any of the above embodiments.

[0022] According to the above technical solution, by setting only one PGU in the HUD device and not setting an additional reflector, the HUD device has a smaller volume. Moreover, by using two LCOS display devices in the PGU to utilize both S light and P light in the light from one lighting device to form two virtual images, the HUD device has lower power consumption. In addition, by setting two diffuse reflectors in the PGU to respectively provide two effective display areas, the HUD device can provide a virtual image with a larger field of view. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The features and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure will become more easily understood through the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings are not drawn to scale and some features may be enlarged or reduced to show details of specific components. In the drawings: Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of a HUD system including a HUD device of related technology.

[0024] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a HUD system including a HUD device of another related technology.

[0025] Figure 3 A structural schematic diagram of a HUD system including a HUD device of another related technology.

[0026] Figure 4a and Figure 4b All of them are structural schematic diagrams of the PGU according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 5 To include Figure 4a and Figure 4b Schematic diagram of the structure of the HUD system of the HUD device of the PGU.

[0028] Figure 6 It is a schematic structural diagram of a PGU according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 7 To include Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the structure of the HUD system of the HUD device of the PGU.

[0030] Figure 8 It is a schematic structural diagram of a PGU according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Fig. 9 To include Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the structure of the HUD system of the HUD device of the PGU.

[0032] Fig.10 It is a schematic structural diagram of a PGU according to the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Fig.11 To include Fig.10 Schematic diagram of the structure of the HUD system of the HUD device of the PGU.

[0034] Fig.12 It is a schematic structural diagram of a PGU according to the fifth embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Fig.13 It is a schematic structural diagram of a PGU according to the sixth embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] Fig.14 It is a schematic structural diagram of a HUD device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] In the drawings, the same or corresponding technical features or components are represented by the same or corresponding reference numerals. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The present disclosure is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings by means of exemplary embodiments. It should be noted that the following detailed description of the present disclosure is only for illustrative purposes and is by no means a limitation of the present disclosure.

[0039] It should be noted that, for the sake of clarity, not all features of a specific implementation are described and illustrated in the specification and drawings. Furthermore, in order to avoid unnecessary details that obscure the technical solution that the present disclosure focuses on, only the device structure closely related to the technical solution of the present disclosure is described and illustrated in the specification and drawings, while other details that are not closely related to the technical content of the present disclosure and are known to those skilled in the art are omitted.

[0040] Below, refer to Figures 1 to 3 , the dual-focal plane HUD device using LCOS PGU under the existing architecture is explained.

[0041] First, refer to Figure 1 , which shows a HUD device 10 ′ (schematically shown in a dotted-line frame) of the related art, and shows a HUD system 1 ′ including the HUD device 10 ′ and an imaging reflective portion 11 ′.

[0042] The HUD device 10 ′ includes a PGU 100 ′, a PGU 101 ′, a reflector 200 ′, and a beam splitter 300 ′, wherein both the PGU 100 ′ and the PGU 101 ′ use LCOS.

[0043] Since LCOS is a reflective polarization device, the image light emitted by the PGU using LCOS is P-polarized light (P-light for short) or S-polarized light (S-light for short). Figure 1 In the figure, the image light S1 ′ (shown by a solid line) emitted by PGU100 ′ is S light, and the image light S2 ′ (shown by a dotted line) emitted by PGU101 ′ is P light.

[0044] The beam splitter 300' is arranged opposite to the reflector 200'. The beam splitter 300' is configured to reflect the S light and transmit the P light. The PGU100' and the PGU101' are arranged on opposite sides of the beam splitter 300', respectively. The PGU100' is arranged so that the image light S1' emitted from the PGU100' is reflected to the reflector 200' via the beam splitter 300', then reflected to the imaging reflector 11' via the reflector 200', and finally reflected to the eye box 3' via the imaging reflector 11'. Thus, on the outside of the imaging reflector 11' (i.e., Figure 1 1 ') and forms a first virtual image 4' on the backward extension line of the reflected image light S1'. The PGU101' is arranged so that the image light S2' emitted from the PGU101' passes through the beam splitter 300' and is incident on the reflector 200', and then is reflected to the imaging reflector 11' by the reflector 200', and finally is reflected to the eye box 3' by the imaging reflector 11', thereby forming a second virtual image 5' on the outside of the imaging reflector 11' and on the backward extension line of the reflected image light S2'.

[0045] In the HUD device 10' under this architecture, since two PGUs, namely PGU100' and PGU101', are used, the volume of the HUD device 10' is relatively large; moreover, since each PGU is provided with an illumination device for providing light, the use of two PGUs will also cause relatively large power consumption.

[0046] Next, refer to Figure 2 , which shows another related art HUD device 10 ″ (schematically shown in a dotted-line frame), and shows a HUD system 1 ″ including the HUD device 10 ″ and an imaging reflective portion 11 ′.

[0047] The HUD device 10 ″ includes a PGU 100 ″, a PGU 101 ″, and a first reflector 210 ″, a second reflector 220 ″, and a third reflector 230 ″, wherein both the PGU 100 ″ and the PGU 101 ″ use LCOS.

[0048] exist Figure 2 In the figure, the image light S1 ″ (shown by a solid line) emitted by PGU100 ″ may be S light or P light, and the image light S2 ″ (shown by a dotted line) emitted by PGU101 ″ may also be S light or P light.

[0049] The first reflector 210'' and the second reflector 220'' are both arranged opposite to the third reflector 230''. PGU100'' is arranged to emit image light S1'' toward the first reflector 210'', and the image light S1'' is reflected by the first reflector 210'' to the third reflector 230'', and then reflected by the third reflector 230'' to the imaging reflective portion 11', and finally reflected by the imaging reflective portion 11' to the eye box 3', thereby forming a first virtual image 4''. PGU101'' is arranged to emit image light S2'' toward the second reflector 220'', and the image light S2'' is reflected by the second reflector 220'' to the third reflector 230'', and then reflected by the third reflector 230'' to the imaging reflective portion 11', and finally reflected by the imaging reflective portion 11' to the eye box 3', thereby forming a second virtual image 5''.

[0050] In the HUD device 10'' under this architecture, since two PGUs, i.e., PGU100'' and PGU101'', are used, and since more reflectors are used, the volume of the HUD device 10'' is larger; moreover, since each PGU is provided with a lighting device, the use of two PGUs will also cause greater power consumption.

[0051] Next, refer to Figure 3 , which shows a HUD device 10''' of still another related art, and shows a HUD system 1''' including the HUD device 10''' and an imaging reflective portion 11'.

[0052] The HUD device 10''' includes a PGU 100''', a first reflector 210''', a second reflector 220''' and a beam splitter 300''', wherein the PGU 100''' uses LCOS.

[0053] exist Figure 3 PGU100''' emits image light S1''' (shown by solid lines) and image light S2''' (shown by dotted lines) in two areas on its effective display area, wherein image light S1''' is P light and image light S2''' is S light.

[0054] The first reflector 210''' and the beam splitter 300''' are both arranged opposite to the second reflector 220''', and the beam splitter 300''' is arranged between the first reflector 210''' and the second reflector 220'''. The beam splitter 300''' is configured to reflect S light and transmit P light. The PGU100''' is arranged so that the image light S1''' emitted from the PGU100''' is reflected to the beam splitter 300''' via the first reflector 210''', then passes through the beam splitter 300''' and is incident on the second reflector 220''', then is reflected to the imaging reflective portion 11' via the second reflector 220''', and finally is reflected to the eye box 3' via the imaging reflective portion 11', thereby forming a first virtual image 4'''. The image light S2''' emitted from PGU100''' is reflected by the beam splitter 300''' to the second reflector 220''', then reflected by the second reflector 220''' to the imaging reflective portion 11', and finally reflected by the imaging reflective portion 11' to the eye box 3', thereby forming a second virtual image 5'''.

[0055] In the HUD device 10''' under this architecture, although the volume and power consumption of the HUD device 10''' will not be increased because only one PGU and two reflectors are used, since the image light S1''' corresponding to the first virtual image 4''' and the image light S2''' corresponding to the second virtual image 5''' are respectively emitted from two display areas divided by the effective display area of ​​the PGU, the size of each of the two virtual images formed will become smaller, that is, the field of view angle of the virtual image will become smaller.

[0056] The above problems can be solved by the PGU according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. Figures 4a to 13 A PGU according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is described.

[0057] Figure 4a , Figure 4b , Figure 6 , Figure 8 , Fig.10 , Fig.12 and Fig.13 PGU 100 (shown in dashed boxes in these figures) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 5 , Figure 7 , Fig. 9 and Fig.11 The HUD system 1 including the HUD device 10 (shown as a dotted-line frame in these figures) having the PGU 100 and the imaging reflection portion 11 are respectively shown.

[0058] The PGU 100 includes an illumination device 110 , a first beam splitter 120 , a first display device 130 , a second display device 140 , a projection device 150 , a first diffuse reflector 160 , and a second diffuse reflector 170 .

[0059] The lighting device 110 is used to provide light S, so that the light S forms an image light S1 emitted from the PGU 100. Exemplarily, the lighting device 110 may include a light source for providing light, a collimation system for collimating the light, a homogenization system for homogenizing the light, and a relay system, etc. The light S includes both S light and P light. For example, the light S may be natural light provided by an LED light source.

[0060] The first beam splitter 120 is disposed on the light-emitting side of the lighting device 110 to reflect the S light (hereinafter referred to as the first S light) S11 in the light S from the lighting device 110 and transmit the P light (hereinafter referred to as the first P light) S12 in the light S. Thus, through the light splitting of the first beam splitter 120, the light S forms two paths of light, namely, the first S light S11 and the first P light S12. The first beam splitter 120 can be, for example, a beam splitter prism, which is formed by gluing two triangular prisms, and a film is provided on the gluing surface to reflect the S light and transmit the P light. It is conceivable that the other surfaces of the beam splitter prism are provided with anti-reflection films to increase the light transmittance, thereby improving the light effect.

[0061] The first display device 130 and the second display device 140 are both LCOS display devices.

[0062] The first display device 130 is configured to receive the first S light S11 from the first beam splitter 120, to convert the first S light S11 into P light (hereinafter referred to as second P light) S21, and to reflect the second P light S21 to the first beam splitter 120. Since the first beam splitter 120 transmits the P light, the second P light S21 will pass through the first beam splitter 120.

[0063] The second display device 140 is configured to receive the first P light S12 from the first beam splitter 120, to convert the first P light S12 into S light (hereinafter referred to as second S light) S22, and to reflect the second S light S22 to the first beam splitter 120. Since the first beam splitter 120 reflects the S light, the second S light S22 will be reflected by the first beam splitter 120.

[0064] The projection device 150 is disposed between the first beam splitter 120 and the first diffuse reflector 160 and the second diffuse reflector 170 on the optical path. Figure 4a and Figure 4bIn the embodiment, the projection device 150 is disposed on the optical path between the first beam splitter 120 and the first diffuse reflector 160. The projection device 150 may be composed of a lens group, for example, to amplify the second P light S21 and the second S light S22 emitted from the first beam splitter 120.

[0065] The first diffuse reflector 160 and the second diffuse reflector 170 are both disposed in the optical path downstream of the first beam splitter 120. Specifically, Figure 4a and Figure 4b As shown in , both are arranged downstream of the optical path of the projection device 150 to provide two effective display areas respectively.

[0066] The first diffuse reflector 160 is configured to image one of the second S light S22 and the second P light S21, and the second diffuse reflector 170 is configured to image the other of the second S light S22 and the second P light S21. Figure 4a and Figure 4b In the embodiment, the first diffuse reflector 160 is configured to image the second P light S21 to provide an effective display area for the second P light S21; and the second diffuse reflector 170 is configured to image the second S light S22 to provide another effective display area for the second S light S22.

[0067] In this case, for example, refer to Figure 5 , the image light S1 emitted from the PGU 100, that is, the second P light S21 (indicated by a horizontal line indicating its polarization direction) and the second S light S22 (indicated by a dot indicating its polarization direction, which is orthogonal to the polarization direction of the second P light S21) are reflected to the second reflector 220 via the first reflector 210, and reflected to the reflective imaging unit 11 via the second reflector 220, and then reflected to the eye box 3 via the reflective imaging unit 11, thereby forming a first virtual image 4 and a second virtual image 5, respectively. That is, using the HUD device 10, two virtual images at different distances can be obtained.

[0068] In this way, since the HUD device 10 is provided with only one PGU, i.e., PGU100, and no additional reflectors are provided, the HUD device 10 is smaller in size than a HUD device under an existing architecture provided with two PGUs and more reflectors, such as the HUD devices 10' and 10''. Moreover, the HUD device 10 is provided with only one PGU, which utilizes both S light and P light from one lighting device by using two LCOS display devices to form two virtual images, and the HUD device 10 consumes less power than a HUD device under an existing architecture that uses only one polarized light, such as S light or P light, from each of the lights of the two lighting devices to form two virtual images, such as the HUD devices 10' and 10''. In addition, the HUD device 10 provides two effective display areas respectively through two diffuse reflectors in PGU100. Compared with the HUD device under the existing architecture that divides one effective display area into two to provide two display areas, for example, HUD device 10''', the HUD device 10 can provide a virtual image with a larger field of view.

[0069] It should be noted that the focusing of the second P light S21 on the first diffuse reflector 160 and the focusing of the second S light S22 on the second diffuse reflector 170 are respectively achieved by adjusting the first optical back focus and the second optical back focus. The first optical back focus is the distance between the first display device 130 and the first beam splitter 120, and the second optical back focus is the distance between the second display device 140 and the first beam splitter 120.

[0070] In some embodiments, Figure 4a , Figure 4b and Figure 6 As shown in , the first diffuse reflector 160 and the second diffuse reflector 170 are arranged on the same optical path and are arranged sequentially according to the direction of the optical path, wherein the second S light S22 and the second P light S21 both propagate on the optical path.

[0071] like Figure 4a , Figure 4b and Figure 6 As shown in , the optical path is the optical path of the second S light S22, and is also the optical path of the second P light S21, that is, the second S light S22 and the second P light S21 are in the same optical path. By sequentially arranging the first diffuse reflector 160 and the second diffuse reflector 170 on the optical path according to the direction of the optical path, the first diffuse reflector 160 is closer to the first beam splitter 120 or closer to the projection device 150 than the second diffuse reflector 170.

[0072] In this way, the second P light S21 and the second S light S22 can be directly projected onto the first reflector 210 after being imaged on the first diffuse reflector 160 and the second diffuse reflector 170 respectively, without the need to provide other optical elements. Thus, the internal structure of the PGU 100 is simplified.

[0073] In some embodiments, reference Figure 4a , Figure 4b and Figure 5 , the first diffuse reflector 160 and the second diffuse reflector 170 are both switchable between a first state and a second state, and when the first diffuse reflector 160 is in one of the first state and the second state, the second diffuse reflector 170 is in the other state. In the first state, the first diffuse reflector 160 and the second diffuse reflector 170 both transmit the second S light and the second P light, and in the second state, the first diffuse reflector 160 images one of the second S light S22 and the second P light S21 and absorbs the other, while the second diffuse reflector 170 images the other and absorbs the one.

[0074] For example, Figure 4a and Figure 4b As shown in FIG. 1 , the first diffuse reflector 160 images the second P light S21 and absorbs the second S light S22 in the second state, and the second diffuse reflector 170 images the second S light S22 and absorbs the second P light S21 in the second state.

[0075] In this case, refer to Figure 4a , when the first diffuse reflector 160 is set to be in the first state, the second diffuse reflector 170 is set to be in the second state. At this time, when the second S light S22 and the second P light S21 from the projection device 150 are incident on the first diffuse reflector 160, the second S light S22 and the second P light S21 are both incident on the second diffuse reflector 170 through the first diffuse reflector 160. As a result, the second S light S22 is imaged on the second diffuse reflector 170, and the second P light S21 is absorbed by the second diffuse reflector 170. The imaged second S light S22 is projected onto the first reflector 210, and reaches the eye box 3 after being reflected by the first reflector 210, the second reflector 220, and the reflective imaging unit 11 in sequence, thereby forming a second virtual image 5.

[0076] On the other hand, refer to Figure 4b, when the first diffuse reflector 160 is set to be in the second state, the second diffuse reflector 170 is set to be in the first state. At this time, when the second S light S22 and the second P light S21 from the projection device 150 are incident on the first diffuse reflector 160, the second P light S21 is imaged on the first diffuse reflector 160, and the second S light S22 is absorbed by the first diffuse reflector 160. The imaged second P light S21 is projected to the first reflector 210 through the second diffuse reflector 170, and reaches the eye box 3 after being reflected by the first reflector 210, the second reflector 220, and the reflective imaging unit 11 in sequence, thereby forming a first virtual image 4.

[0077] In this way, dual virtual image display can be achieved by switching between the first state and the second state, and the near-view virtual image and the far-view virtual image can be switched according to different time sequences of scenes in actual use, thereby providing a better visual experience.

[0078] In some embodiments, the first diffuse reflector 160 and the second diffuse reflector 170 can both be adjustable light polarization absorbing films, which can be switched between a first state and a second state by adjusting a voltage. At this time, the first state is a transparent state of the adjustable light polarization absorbing film in a powered-on state, and the second state is an atomized state of the adjustable light polarization absorbing film in a powered-off state.

[0079] In some embodiments, reference Figure 6 and Figure 7 , the first diffuse reflector 160 may be configured to image one of the second S light S22 and the second P light S21 and transmit the other, and the second diffuse reflector 170 may be configured to image the other of the second S light S22 and the second P light S21 and transmit the above one.

[0080] At this time, the first diffuse reflector 160 and the second diffuse reflector 170 are both polarization diffuse reflectors. Figure 6 As shown in , the first diffuse reflector 160 may be configured to image the second P light S21 and transmit the second S light S22, and the second diffuse reflector 170 may be configured to image the second S light S22 and transmit the second P light S21.

[0081] In this case, when the second S light S22 and the second P light S21 from the projection device 150 are incident on the first diffuse reflector 160, the second P light S21 is imaged on the first diffuse reflector 160 and is projected to the first reflector 210 through the second diffuse reflector 170; the second S light S22 is imaged on the second diffuse reflector 170 through the first diffuse reflector 160 and is projected to the first reflector 210. Thus, the second P light S21 and the second S light S22 are reflected by the first reflector 210, the second reflector 220, and the reflective imaging unit 11 in sequence and then reach the eye box 3, thereby forming a first virtual image 4 and a second virtual image 5, respectively.

[0082] In this way, the first virtual image 4 and the second virtual image 5 can be formed simultaneously, so that the user can observe the two virtual images at the same time.

[0083] In some embodiments, reference Figure 4a , Figure 4b and Figure 6 PGU100 may further include a first internal reflector 180, which is disposed on the optical path between the first diffuse reflector 160 and the first beam splitter 120, specifically, between the first diffuse reflector 160 and the projection device 150, so as to reflect the second S light S22 and the second P light S21 emitted from the projection device 150 to the first diffuse reflector 160.

[0084] By providing the first internal reflector 180 , it is possible to allow the position of the optical elements within the PGU 100 to be adjusted so that the PGU 100 and thus the HUD device 10 have a smaller volume.

[0085] In some embodiments, reference Figures 8 to 13 , the PGU 100 may include a second beam splitter 121 , a second internal reflector 181 , a third internal reflector 182 , and a light combining mirror 190 .

[0086] The second beam splitter 121 is disposed downstream of the optical path of the first beam splitter 120, specifically, downstream of the optical path of the projection device 150, for reflecting the second S light S22 and transmitting the second P light S21. The second internal reflector 181 is configured to receive the second S light S22 from the second beam splitter 121, that is, to receive the second S light S22 reflected by the second beam splitter 121, and reflect the second S light S22 to the light combining mirror 190. The third internal reflector 182 is configured to receive the second P light S21 from the second beam splitter 121, that is, to receive the second P light S21 transmitted through the second beam splitter 121, and reflect the second P light S21 to the light combining mirror 190. The light combining mirror 190 is configured to reflect the second S light S22 and transmit the second P light S21.

[0087] In this way, the second S light S22 and the second P light S21 start to propagate along different optical paths through the splitting by the second beam splitter 121, and then, through the light combining by the light combining mirror 190, the second S light S22 and the second P light S21 that have propagated along different optical paths start to propagate along the same optical path again.

[0088] In this embodiment, the first diffuse reflector 160 is arranged on the first optical path S100 of the second S light S22 between the second beam splitter 121 and the light combiner 190 and images the second S light S22, and the second diffuse reflector 170 is arranged on the second optical path S200 of the second P light S21 between the second beam splitter 121 and the light combiner 190 and images the second P light S21.

[0089] Thus, when the second S light S22 and the second P light S21 from the projection device 150 are incident on the second beam splitter 121, the second S light S22 is propagated on the first optical path S100 via reflection from the second beam splitter 121 to form an image on the first diffuse reflector 160 and projected to the light combining mirror 190, and the second P light S21 is propagated on the second optical path S200 via the second beam splitter 121 to form an image on the second diffuse reflector 170 and projected to the light combining mirror 190. The light combining mirror 190 reflects the second S light S22 projected thereto, and transmits the second P light S21 projected thereto. Thus, for example, referring to Fig. 9 The second S light S22 and the second P light S21 are projected onto the first reflector 210 as image light S1 emitted from the PGU 100, and are reflected by the first reflector 210, the second reflector 220 and the reflective imaging unit 11 in sequence to reach the eye box 3, thereby forming a first virtual image 4 and a second virtual image 5, respectively.

[0090] In this way, since the second S light S22 and the second P light S21 are imaged on the corresponding diffuse reflectors when they are in different optical paths, the influence of one of the second S light S22 and the second P light S21 on the other does not need to be considered during imaging. For example, there is no need to specifically use a specific type of diffuse reflector to eliminate such influence, such as Figure 4a , Figure 4b and Figure 6 Moreover, the first virtual image 4 and the second virtual image 5 can be formed simultaneously, so that the user can observe the two virtual images at the same time.

[0091] In some embodiments, reference Figure 8 The first diffuse reflector 160 may be disposed between the second internal reflector 181 and the second beam splitter 121 on the first optical path S100 , and the second diffuse reflector 170 may be disposed between the light combining mirror 190 and the third internal reflector 182 on the second optical path S200 .

[0092] In this way, Figure 8 and Fig. 9 As shown in , the first diffuse reflector 160 is far away from the first reflector 210 of the reflective end of the HUD device 10, while the second diffuse reflector 170 is close to the first reflector 210 of the reflective end of the HUD device 10, and the optical path difference between the two is large. This arrangement is suitable for the case where the distance difference between the two virtual images formed is large and the virtual image distance of the virtual image formed by the second S light S22 is far.

[0093] In some embodiments, reference Fig.10 The first diffuse reflector 160 may be disposed between the light combiner 190 and the second internal reflector 181 on the first optical path S100 , and the second diffuse reflector 170 may be disposed between the third internal reflector 182 and the second beam splitter 121 on the second optical path S200 .

[0094] Therefore, refer to Fig.11 The second P light S21 and the second S light S22 are projected onto the first reflector 210 as the image light S1 emitted from the PGU 100, and are reflected by the first reflector 210, the second reflector 220 and the reflective imaging unit 11 in sequence to reach the eye box 3, thereby forming a first virtual image 4 and a second virtual image 5, respectively.

[0095] In this way, Fig.10 and Fig.11 As shown in , the first diffuse reflector 160 is closer to the first reflector 210 of the reflective end of the HUD device 10, while the second diffuse reflector 170 is farther from the first reflector 210 of the reflective end of the HUD device 10, and the optical path difference between the two is large. This arrangement is suitable for the case where the distance difference between the two virtual images formed is large, and the virtual image distance of the virtual image formed by the second P light S21 is far.

[0096] In some embodiments, reference Fig.12 The first diffuse reflector 160 may be disposed between the light combining mirror 190 and the second internal reflector 181 on the first optical path S100 , and the second diffuse reflector 170 may be disposed between the light combining mirror 190 and the third internal reflector 182 on the second optical path S200 .

[0097] In this way, the first diffuse reflector 160 and the second diffuse reflector 170 are both close to the first reflector 210 at the reflective end of the HUD device 10, and the optical path difference between the two is small. Therefore, the optical path of the reflective end of the HUD device 10 is short, the virtual image distance is close, and the distance difference between the two virtual images formed is small. This arrangement is suitable for the case where the distance difference between the two virtual images formed is small and the virtual image distance is close.

[0098] In some embodiments, reference Fig.13 , the first diffuse reflector 160 may be disposed between the second internal reflector 181 and the second beam splitter 121 on the first optical path S100 , and the second diffuse reflector 170 may be disposed between the third internal reflector 182 and the second beam splitter 121 on the second optical path S200 .

[0099] In this way, the first diffuse reflector 160 and the second diffuse reflector 170 are both far away from the first reflector 210 at the reflective end of the HUD device 10, and the optical path difference between the two is small. Therefore, the optical path of the reflective end of the HUD device 10 is long, the virtual image distance is far, and the distance difference between the two virtual images formed is small. This arrangement is suitable for the case where the distance difference between the two virtual images formed is small and the virtual image distance is far.

[0100] It should be noted that in Fig.12 and Fig.13 In the case shown in FIG. 1 , since the difference between the optical path of the first diffuse reflector 160 and the first reflector 210 and the optical path of the second diffuse reflector 170 and the first reflector 210 is small, in actual operation, the corresponding optical path difference can be adjusted by adjusting the first diffuse reflector 160 and the second diffuse reflector 170 along the corresponding optical axis by a certain distance to obtain corresponding different virtual image distances. Therefore, the corresponding optical path diagrams forming the two virtual images will be different from Fig. 9 or Fig.11 are similar, and are therefore not shown again.

[0101] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, Fig.14 As shown in , there is also provided a HUD device 10 (shown in a dotted box), which includes the above-mentioned PGU 100 (also shown in a dotted box).

[0102] In addition, the HUD device 10 may further include a reflection unit, which includes, for example, a first reflector 210 and a second reflector 220 . The display light S1 emitted by the PGU 100 can be reflected by the first reflector 210 and the second reflector 220 in sequence and then emitted from the HUD device 10 .

[0103] In the present disclosure, the terms "first", "second", etc. are used only for the purpose of convenience of description and should not be regarded as limiting. In addition, although the present disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described and shown in detail herein. Those skilled in the art may make various changes to the exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope defined by the claims of the present disclosure.

[0104] The features mentioned and / or shown in the above description of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be combined in the same or similar manner into one or more other embodiments, combined with the features in other embodiments or substituted for the corresponding features in other embodiments. The technical solutions obtained by these combinations or substitutions shall also be deemed to be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An image generation unit, characterized in that: include: Lighting device for providing light; A first beam splitter, arranged at a light-emitting side of the lighting device, for reflecting a first S light in the light and transmitting a first P light in the light; a first display device, configured to receive the first S light from the first beam splitter, for converting the first S light into a second P light and reflecting the second P light to the first beam splitter; a second display device, configured to receive the first P light from the first beam splitter, for converting the first P light into a second S light and reflecting the second S light to the first beam splitter; a first diffuse reflector, disposed downstream of the optical path of the first beam splitter and configured to image one of the second S light and the second P light; as well as The second diffuse reflector is disposed downstream of the optical path of the first beam splitter and is configured to form an image of the other of the second S light and the second P light.

2. The image generation unit according to claim 1, characterized in that The first diffuse reflector and the second diffuse reflector are arranged on the same optical path and are arranged sequentially according to the direction of the optical path, wherein both the second S light and the second P light propagate on the optical path.

3. The image generation unit according to claim 2, characterized in that The first diffuse reflector and the second diffuse reflector are both switchable between a first state and a second state, and when the first diffuse reflector is in one of the first state and the second state, the second diffuse reflector is in the other state, wherein in the first state, the first diffuse reflector and the second diffuse reflector both transmit the second S light and the second P light, and in the second state, the first diffuse reflector images the one and absorbs the other, while the second diffuse reflector images the other and absorbs the one.

4. The image generation unit according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first diffuse reflector and the second diffuse reflector are both adjustable light polarization absorbing films, and the adjustable light polarization absorbing films are switched between the first state and the second state by adjusting a voltage.

5. The image generation unit according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first diffuse reflector is configured to image the one and transmit the other, and the second diffuse reflector is configured to image the other and transmit the one.

6. The image generation unit according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that: The optical system further includes a first internal reflector, which is disposed between the first diffuse reflector and the first beam splitter on an optical path to reflect the second S light and the second P light to the first diffuse reflector.

7. The image generation unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The first display device and the second display device are both liquid crystal on silicon display devices.

8. The image generation unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The invention also includes a projection device, which is arranged between the first beam splitter and the first diffuse reflector and the second diffuse reflector on the optical path, so as to amplify the second S light and the second P light emitted from the first beam splitter.

9. The image generation unit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The invention also includes a second beam splitter, a second internal reflector, a third internal reflector and a light combining mirror, wherein the second beam splitter is arranged downstream of the optical path of the first beam splitter to reflect the second S light and transmit the second P light; the second internal reflector is arranged to receive the second S light from the second beam splitter and reflect it to the light combining mirror; the third internal reflector is arranged to receive the second P light from the second beam splitter and reflect it to the light combining mirror; the light combining mirror is used to reflect the second S light and transmit the second P light, The first diffuse reflector is arranged on a first optical path of the second S light between the second beam splitter and the light combiner and images the second S light, and the second diffuse reflector is arranged on a second optical path of the second P light between the second beam splitter and the light combiner and images the second P light.

10. The image generation unit according to claim 9, characterized in that: The first diffuse reflector is arranged between the light combiner and the second internal reflector on the first optical path, and the second diffuse reflector is arranged between the light combiner and the third internal reflector on the second optical path; or, the first diffuse reflector is arranged between the second internal reflector and the second beam splitter on the first optical path, and the second diffuse reflector is arranged between the light combiner and the third internal reflector on the second optical path; or, the first diffuse reflector is arranged between the light combiner and the second internal reflector on the first optical path, and the second diffuse reflector is arranged between the third internal reflector and the second beam splitter on the second optical path; or, the first diffuse reflector is arranged between the second internal reflector and the second beam splitter on the first optical path, and the second diffuse reflector is arranged between the third internal reflector and the second beam splitter on the second optical path.

11. A head-up display device, characterized in that: Comprising an image generation unit according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

Images