Suspension projection assembly for panel and projection method

Abstract

The invention relates to a suspension projection assembly for a panel and a projection method. Wherein the panel provides a light path passing area, and an installation space is limited on the inner side of the panel; the suspension projection assembly comprises an image assembly which is located in the installation space and provides an image used for suspension projection; the negative refraction lens is installed corresponding to the light path passing area; wherein the image assembly and the negative refraction lens form a suspension projection light path, and in the suspension projection light path, an image used for suspension projection starts from the image assembly, passes through the negative refraction lens, passes through the light path passing area and reaches the outer side of the panel to form an actual suspension projection image.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to a suspended projection assembly for a panel and a projection method. Background Art

[0002] In the panels of the prior art, such as the vehicle interior panels, there is a solution of projecting an image onto the surface of the interior panel by projection, and the user can directly touch the image on the interior panel to perform touch operation.

[0003] However, due to the variety of surface materials and textures of vehicle interior panels, such as wood grain, plastic surface, leather surface, metallic gloss texture, piano black texture, etc., if a solution of direct projection on the surface of the interior panel is adopted, in order to achieve the ideal image projection effect for different surface materials and textures, it is necessary to adopt a different projection light path and corresponding optical structure design for each surface material and texture, which results in high R&D costs.

[0004] Therefore, the art needs a suspended projection assembly and projection method for a panel, which has good versatility in vehicle interiors and ensures the user's visual and interactive experience of the vehicle interior system under different surface materials and textures of the interior panels. Summary of the invention

[0005] An object of the present application is to provide a suspended projection assembly for a panel.

[0006] An object of the present application is to provide a suspension projection method for a panel.

[0007] The technical problem solved by the present application is to provide a suspended projection image relative to a panel, which has good versatility and can adapt to the surface materials and textures of different panels. When used in a vehicle, it can allow users to have a good visual and interactive experience of the vehicle interior system.

[0008] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a suspended projection component for a panel, the panel provides a light path passing area, and defines an installation space on the inner side of the panel; the suspended projection component includes: an image component, located inside the installation space, the image component provides an image for suspended projection; a negative refractive lens, installed corresponding to the light path passing area; wherein the image component and the negative refractive lens constitute a suspended projection light path, in which the image for suspended projection starts from the image component, passes through the negative refractive lens, and passes through the light path passing area to the outside of the panel to form an image of actual suspended projection.

[0009] In at least one embodiment of the suspended projection component, the image component includes a light source component and an image component, and the light source component is configured to emit light to the image component to form the image of the suspended projection; or: the image component includes a display module, and the display module directly displays the image for the suspended projection.

[0010] In at least one embodiment of the suspended projection component, the image component also includes at least one reflector. In the suspended projection light path, the at least one reflector is located downstream of the image element or the display module, and the image used for suspended projection reaches the negative refractive lens after being reflected by the at least one reflector.

[0011] In at least one embodiment of the suspended projection assembly, in the suspended projection light path, the incident angle provided by the at least one reflector is a variable incident angle.

[0012] In at least one embodiment of the suspended projection component, the panel has a front and a rear, and the front and the rear are divided by the light path passing area. In the suspended projection light path, the image used for suspended projection starts from the image component, passes through the negative refractive lens, the light path passing area to the outside of the panel corresponding to the front or above the light path passing area to form an actual suspended projection image; the front space of the installation space corresponding to the front is provided with a touch sensing device.

[0013] In at least one embodiment of the suspended projection assembly, the touch sensing device includes a proximity sensor.

[0014] In at least one embodiment of the suspended projection assembly, the panel is a part of a vehicle dashboard, or a door panel, or a center console, or a seat cover.

[0015] In at least one embodiment of the suspended projection assembly, the area through which the light path passes has a transparent cover.

[0016] According to the second aspect of the present invention, a method for suspended projection of a panel includes: setting a panel, the panel providing a light path passing area and defining an installation space on the inner side of the panel; setting an image component, which is arranged inside the installation space, and the image component is arranged to provide an image for suspended projection; setting a negative refractive lens, which is installed at a position corresponding to the light path passing area; forming a suspended projection light path through the panel, the image component, and the negative refractive lens, in which the image for suspended projection starts from the image component, passes through the negative refractive lens, and passes through the light path passing area to the outside of the panel to form an image of actual suspended projection.

[0017] In at least one embodiment of the suspended projection method, the image component is configured to include a light source component and an image component, and the light source component is configured to emit light to the image component to form the image of the suspended projection; or is configured to include a display module, and the display module directly displays the image of the suspended projection; the image component also includes at least one reflector, and in the suspended projection light path, the at least one reflector is located downstream of the image component or the display module, and the image of the suspended projection reaches the negative refractive lens after being reflected by the at least one reflector; the number of the at least one reflector and / or the incident angle of the at least one reflector are changed so that the suspended projection light path avoids the remaining components other than the image component inside the installation space. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The above and other features, properties and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent through the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be noted that the drawings are only examples and are not drawn to scale, and should not be used as a limitation on the actual scope of protection required by the present invention, wherein:

[0019] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a vehicle interior panel and a suspended projection assembly according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0020] Figure 2 Based on Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure.

[0021] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the projection effect of a suspended projection assembly for a vehicle interior panel according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0022] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the optical path structure of the first embodiment of the suspended projection assembly of the present application.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the optical path structure of the second embodiment of the suspended projection assembly of the present application.

[0024] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the optical path structure of the third embodiment of the suspended projection assembly of the present application.

[0025] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the optical path structure of the fourth embodiment of the suspended projection assembly of the present application.

[0026] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the optical path structure of the fifth embodiment of the suspended projection assembly of the present application.

[0027] Reference numerals:

[0028] 1-vehicle interior panel, 10-installation space, 11-light path passing area, 110-transparent cover, 12-front, 13-rear, 14-touch sensing device, 140-proximity sensor;

[0029] 100-suspended projection component;

[0030] 2-image component, 20, 2000-image for suspended projection; 21-light source component, 201-housing, 211-LED circuit board, 22-image component, 23-display module, 24-reflector, 241-first reflector, 242-second reflector, 2401-first position, 2402-second position;

[0031] 200-user's eyes, 300-user's hands;

[0032] 3-Negative refractive lens;

[0033] 30, 301-actual suspended projected image, 302-music playback touch icon, 303-passenger health information touch icon, 304-voice control touch icon, 305-navigation touch icon;

[0034] 40-Suspended projection light path. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The present invention is further described below in conjunction with specific embodiments and drawings. More details are elaborated in the following description to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can obviously be implemented in a variety of other ways different from the description herein. Those skilled in the art can make similar generalizations and deductions based on actual application situations without violating the connotation of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should not be limited by the content of this specific embodiment.

[0036] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by technicians in the technical field to which this application belongs; the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application; the terms "including" and "having" in the specification and claims of this application and the above-mentioned figure descriptions and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0037] Reference to "embodiments" herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of the phrase in various locations in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0038] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, which are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the embodiments of the present application.

[0039] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, technical terms such as "install", "connect", "connect", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can also be a mechanical connection. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0040] The application scenarios of the suspended projection component and projection method for panels disclosed in the embodiments of the present application take the dashboard of a car interior panel as an example, but are not limited to this. It can be understood that, for example, other interior panels in other car interiors that may have a need for suspended projection images, such as door panels, center consoles, and even seat covers.

[0041] like Figures 1 to 8 As shown, in some embodiments, a panel 1, such as a vehicle interior panel, defines an installation space 10 on its inner side, and has an optical path passing area 11 on the surface of the panel 1. The suspended projection assembly 100 includes an image assembly 2 and a negative refractive lens 3. The image assembly 2 is located inside the installation space 10, and the image assembly 2 provides an image 20 for suspended projection. The negative refractive lens 3 is installed corresponding to the optical path passing area 11; wherein, the image assembly 2 and the negative refractive lens 3 constitute a suspended projection optical path 40, in which the image 20 for suspended projection starts from the image assembly 2, passes through the negative refractive lens 3, and passes through the optical path passing area 11 to the outside of the panel 1 to form an image 30 for actual suspended projection.

[0042] The meaning of "suspended projection" here is that the projected image is located in the space outside the panel 1, rather than being projected onto the surface of the panel 1. For example, when the panel 1 is a roughly flat panel, the space perpendicular to the panel 1 makes the projected image float out from the surface of the panel 1 for the observer.

[0043] Here, "inside" and "outside" are relative concepts. Taking the surface of the panel 1 as the boundary, the "outside" refers to the side where the passengers of the vehicle are located, and the "inside" is the other side opposite to the "outside".

[0044] The meaning of the negative refractive lens 3 is similar to the general meaning in this field, that is, when the light wave of the lens with negative refraction effect is incident from the material with positive refractive index to the interface of the material with negative refractive index, the refraction of the light wave is opposite to the conventional refraction, and the incident wave and the refracted wave are on the same side of the normal direction of the interface. The specific manufacturing process of the negative refractive lens 3 can be obtained by micro-optics processing. The specific structure can be, for example, a negative refractive plate lens (DCT-plate), which uses the principle of light field reconstruction to re-converge the divergent light in the air, thereby forming a real image that does not require a medium to carry.

[0045] The image component 2 here means a component or assembly that generates an image 20 for suspended projection. Figures 4 to 8 The first to fifth embodiments are shown.

[0046] like Figure 4 As shown, in the first embodiment, the image assembly 2 includes a light source component 21 and an image component 22. The light source component 21 is configured to emit light to the image component 22 to form an image 20 for suspended projection. The specific structure of the light source component 21 and the image component 22 can be as follows: Figure 4 As shown, a housing 201 is provided with an LED circuit board 211, and a light-emitting image element 22 is provided on the other side of the housing 201. The image element 22 can be provided by common processes such as laser etching and screen printing, and can be coated with reflective paint. The LED circuit board 211 generates light to irradiate the image element 22 to generate an image 20 for suspended projection. The image 20 for suspended projection then passes through the negative refractive lens 3, and passes through the area 11 through the light path, that is, forms an actual suspended projection image 30 in the upper front of the panel 1, so that it can be observed by the user's eyes 200.

[0047] like Figure 8 As shown, in the fifth embodiment, the image assembly 2 includes a display module 23, and the display module 23 directly displays the suspended projected image 20. Figure 5 As shown, a display module 23 is provided in the housing 201, which may be, for example, a MiniLED display panel, but is not limited thereto, and may also be, for example, an OLED or QLED display panel. The display module 23 may directly display the suspended projected image 20, for example, Figure 4 The image element 22 has the same image character. The beneficial effect of this is that more types of suspended projection images 20 can be projected, without the need to only be able to suspend and project preset image elements 22 as in the first embodiment.

[0048] like Figures 5 to 7As shown, in the second to fourth embodiments, different from the first embodiment, the image assembly 2 further includes at least one reflector 24. In the suspended projection optical path 40, at least one reflector 24 is located downstream of the image component 22 or the display module 23. The image 20 for suspended projection reaches the negative refractive lens 3 after being reflected by at least one reflector 24. The beneficial effect of using the reflector 24 is that the optical path of the image 20 for suspended projection in the installation space 10 inside the panel 1 can be flexibly changed, so that the spatial arrangement of the image assembly 2 inside the installation space 10 is very flexible and can adapt to various different arrangements inside the installation space 10, so that the suspended projection optical path 40 avoids the remaining components except the image assembly 2 inside the installation space 10, further improving the versatility of the suspended projection assembly 100. Here, the "remaining components" can be, for example, a display circuit for the instrument panel, an air duct of the air outlet, and other structures arranged in the installation space 10.

[0049] like Figure 5 As shown, in the second embodiment, the image assembly 2 includes a reflector 24, and the light emitted by the LED circuit board 211 is irradiated to the image element 22 to generate an image 20 for suspended projection. After being reflected by the reflector 24, the image 20 passes through the negative refractive lens 3 and passes through the area 11 through the light path, that is, forms an actual suspended projected image 30 in the upper front of the panel 1, so that it can be observed by the user's eyes 200. Figures 5 to 7 In order to show the function of the reflector 24, the space occupied by the reflector is exaggerated. It can be understood that the reflector 24 is generally smaller in practice. Figure 5 and Figure 4 It can be seen that the second embodiment has different positions of the housing 201 and the corresponding LED circuit board 211 and image component 22 compared to the first embodiment, and can adapt to different spatial layouts of the installation space 10 .

[0050] like Figure 6 As shown, in the third embodiment, the image assembly 2 includes a first reflector 241 and a second reflector 242. The light emitted by the LED circuit board 211 is irradiated to the image element 22 to generate an image 20 for suspended projection. After being reflected by the first reflector 241, the light is reflected by the second reflector 242, and then passes through the negative refractive lens 3. The light passes through the area 11 through the optical path, that is, forms an actual suspended projected image 30 in the upper front of the panel 1, so that the image 30 can be observed by the user's eyes 200. Figure 6 and Figure 4 , Figure 5 It can be seen that the third embodiment has different positions of the housing 201 and the corresponding LED circuit board 211 and image component 22 compared to the first and second embodiments, and can adapt to different spatial layouts of the installation space 10 .

[0051] like Figure 7 As shown, in the fourth embodiment, compared with the second embodiment, the incident angle provided by the reflector 24 is a variable incident angle. Figure 7 As shown, the reflector 24 can be located at the same first position 2401 as the second embodiment, or can be rotated about a pivot and located at a second position 2402 different from the first position. The second position 2402 provides a different incident angle relative to the first position 2401, and the corresponding reflected image is also different. Figure 7 As shown, the image 20 for suspension projection at the first position 2401 corresponds to the image 30 of actual suspension projection, while the reflector 24 at the second position 2402 corresponds to the image 301 of actual suspension projection. The beneficial effect of this is that the image of actual suspension projection can be located at different positions, such as positions at different heights relative to the surface of the panel 1, which can meet the personalized needs of users, such as providing images of actual suspension projection at different positions for users of different heights and vision.

[0052] Preferably, continue to refer to Figures 1 to 8 In some embodiments, the panel 1 has a front portion 12 and a rear portion 13, and the front portion 12 and the rear portion 13 are separated by the light path passing area 11. In the suspended projection light path 40, the suspended projected image 20 starts from the image component 2, passes through the negative refractive lens 3, the light path passing area 11 to the outer area of ​​the panel 1 corresponding to the front or above the light path passing area 11; the front space 101 of the installation space 10 corresponding to the front portion 12 is provided with a touch sensing device 14. In this way, the user can realize the touch operation of the suspended projection image 30. For example Figure 3 As shown, the suspended projected image 30 may include a music playback touch icon 302, a passenger health information touch icon 303, a voice control touch icon 304, and a navigation touch icon 305. The user's hand 300 approaches or touches the suspended projected image 30 to implement the operation of the corresponding touch icon. The touch sensing device 14 refers to a sensing device that realizes the distance recognition between the suspended projection and the hand to realize the touch operation. For example, it can be a proximity sensor 140 (Proximity Sensor), which is a general term for sensors that do not need to contact the detected object. It uses the displacement sensor to have sensitive characteristics to approaching objects to identify the approach of the object and output a corresponding switch signal. Therefore, the proximity sensor is usually called a proximity switch, which can detect the movement and existence information of the object and convert it into an electrical signal. It can be understood that it can also be implemented with other forms of sensors and combined related recognition algorithms, and is not limited to the proximity sensor 140 introduced above.

[0053] Continue to refer Figures 1 to 8As shown, the specific form of the light path passing through the area 11 can be Figures 4 to 8 The opening shown is only for panel 1, but it can also be Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 As shown, the light path passing area 11 has a transparent cover plate 110, which is covered on the negative refractive lens 3 to protect the optical effect of the negative refractive lens 3 from interference as much as possible. The material of the transparent cover plate 110 can be transparent PC (polycarbonate) or transparent PMMA (Polymethyl methacrylate, also commonly known as organic glass, chemical name polymethyl methacrylate) material, and a corrosion-resistant coating is coated on the surface. In addition, it can also be glass or transparent silicone material, which is not limited to this.

[0054] Based on the above, this case also involves a suspension projection method for a panel, including:

[0055] A panel 1 is provided, the panel 1 provides a light path through an area 11, and defines an installation space 10 inside the panel 1;

[0056] An image assembly 2 is provided for use inside the installation space 10, and the image assembly 2 is configured to provide an image 20 for suspended projection;

[0057] A negative refractive lens 3 is provided, which is installed at a position corresponding to the light path passing through the area 11;

[0058] A suspended projection optical path 40 is formed by the panel 1, the image component 2, and the negative refractive lens 3. In the suspended projection optical path 40, the image 20 for suspended projection starts from the image component 2, passes through the negative refractive lens 3, and passes through the optical path through the area 11 to the outside of the panel 1 to form an actual suspended projection image 30.

[0059] In some embodiments, the image component 2 is configured to include a light source component 21 and an image component 22, wherein the light source component 21 is configured to emit light to the image component 22 to form a suspended projected image 20; or configured to include a display module 23, wherein the display module 23 directly displays the suspended projected image 20;

[0060] The image assembly 2 further includes at least one reflector 24. In the suspended projection optical path 40, the at least one reflector 24 is located downstream of the image component 22 or the display module 23. The suspended projected image 20 is reflected by the at least one reflector 24 and reaches the negative refractive lens 3.

[0061] The number of at least one reflector 24 and / or the incident angle of at least one reflector 24 are changed so that the suspended projection light path 40 avoids other components except the image assembly 2 inside the installation space 10 .

[0062] As can be seen from the above, the beneficial effects of the suspended projection component and projection method for the panel introduced in the above embodiments include but are not limited to, through the setting of the image component and the negative refractive lens, it is possible to provide a suspended projection image relative to the panel, especially to provide a suspended projection image relative to the vehicle interior panel in the vehicle interior. It has good versatility and can adapt to the surface materials and textures of different panels, so that users can have a good visual experience and interactive experience with the vehicle interior system.

[0063] Although the present invention is disclosed as above with the above embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art may make possible changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, any modification, equivalent change and modification made to the above embodiments according to the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention shall fall within the protection scope defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A suspended projection assembly (100) for a panel (1), characterized in that: The panel (1) provides a light path passing area (11), and defines an installation space (10) inside the panel (1); the suspended projection assembly (100) comprises: An image component (2) is located inside the installation space (10), and the image component (2) provides an image (20) for suspended projection; A negative refractive lens (3) is installed corresponding to the light path passing area (11); The image component (2) and the negative refractive lens (3) form a suspended projection optical path (40). In the suspended projection optical path (40), the image (20) for suspended projection starts from the image component (2), passes through the negative refractive lens (3), passes through the optical path through the area (11) to the outside of the panel (1), and forms an image (30) for actual suspended projection.

2. The suspended projection assembly (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The image component (2) comprises a light source component (21) and an image component (22), wherein the light source component (21) is configured to emit light to the image component (22) to form the suspended projected image (20); or: The image component (2) comprises a display module (23), and the display module (23) directly displays the image (20) for suspended projection.

3. The suspended projection assembly (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that: The image assembly (2) further comprises at least one reflector (24); in the suspended projection optical path (40), the at least one reflector (24) is located downstream of the image element (22) or the display module (23); the image (20) for suspended projection is reflected by the at least one reflector (24) and reaches the negative refractive lens (3).

4. The suspended projection assembly (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that: In the suspended projection optical path (40), the incident angle provided by the at least one reflector (24) is a variable incident angle.

5. The suspended projection assembly (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The panel (1) comprises a front portion (12) and a rear portion (13), wherein the front portion (12) and the rear portion (13) are separated by the light path passing area (11); in the suspended projection light path (40), the image (20) for suspended projection starts from the image component (2), passes through the negative refractive lens (3), the light path passing area (11) to the outside of the panel (1) corresponding to the front or the top of the light path passing area (11), and forms an actual suspended projection image (30); a front space (101) of the installation space (10) corresponding to the front portion (12) is provided with a touch sensing device (14).

6. The suspended projection assembly (100) according to claim 5, characterized in that: The touch sensing device (14) comprises a proximity sensor (140).

7. The suspended projection assembly (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The panel (1) is a part of a vehicle dashboard, or a door panel, or a center console, or a seat cover.

8. The suspended projection assembly (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The light path passing area (11) has a transparent cover plate (110).

9. A suspension projection method for a panel, characterized in that: include: A panel (1) is provided, wherein the panel (1) provides a light path passing area (11), and an installation space (10) is defined inside the panel (1); An image component (2) is arranged inside the installation space (10), and the image component (2) is arranged to provide an image (20) for suspended projection; A negative refractive lens (3) is provided and installed at a position corresponding to the light path passing area (11); The panel (1), the image component (2), and the negative refractive lens (3) form a suspended projection optical path (40). In the suspended projection optical path (40), the image (20) for suspended projection starts from the image component (2), passes through the negative refractive lens (3), passes through the optical path through the area (11) to the outside of the panel (1), and forms an image (30) for actual suspended projection.

10. The suspension projection method according to claim 9, characterized in that: The image component (2) is configured to include a light source component (21) and an image component (22), wherein the light source component (21) is configured to emit light to the image component (22) to form the suspended projected image (20); or is configured to include a display module (23), wherein the display module (23) directly displays the suspended projected image (20); The image assembly (2) further comprises at least one reflector (24); in the suspended projection optical path (40), the at least one reflector (24) is located downstream of the image element (22) or the display module (23); the suspended projected image (20) is reflected by the at least one reflector (24) and reaches the negative refractive lens (3); The number of the at least one reflector (24) and / or the incident angle of the at least one reflector (24) are changed so that the suspended projection light path (40) avoids other components outside the image assembly (2) inside the installation space (10).

Images