Sunlight-avoiding vehicle image device

Abstract

An image device for a vehicle includes: an image forming device (PGU) that is disposed inside an instrument panel of the vehicle and that forms an optical signal on one side; a concave mirror disposed separately from the PGU so as to transmit the optical signal; a polarizing film that is disposed on at least one surface of the concave mirror and selectively transmits or reflects the optical signal in accordance with the polarization component of the optical signal; and a diffusion region which is disposed separately from the concave mirror so as to display an image of the optical signal transmitted through the concave mirror, and the surface of the diffusion region is formed so that sunlight flowing into the instrument panel is reflected in each direction and absorbed inside the instrument panel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This specification relates to a vehicle imaging device. More specifically, it relates to a vehicle imaging device that avoids sunlight. Background Art

[0002] A vehicle is a device for moving a seated user in a desired direction. Representatively, an automobile can be cited as an example.

[0003] On the other hand, for the convenience of vehicle users, current vehicles tend to be equipped with various sensors and electronic devices. In particular, for the convenience of driving by users, active research is currently being carried out on vehicle driver assistance systems (ADAS: Advanced Driver Assistance System). Furthermore, active research and development are being carried out on autonomous vehicles.

[0004] On the other hand, a vehicle display that shows various driving information of the vehicle is located below the forward driving vision of the driver, which thus affects driving safety, namely rubber necking. Therefore, in recent years, a vehicle imaging device such as a HUD (Head up display) that displays an image on the windshield in front of the vehicle closer to the driving vision to ensure driving safety has been mounted on vehicles.

[0005] In addition, a vehicle imaging device that displays driving-related information in the front area of the driver's seat of the vehicle or provides personal entertainment content in the front area of the passenger seat or the rear seat of the vehicle is required.

[0006] On the other hand, in a vehicle imaging device, as an optical signal for displaying an image is output to the windshield, sunlight generated by the surrounding sun needs to travel outside the line-of-sight area of vehicle occupants. Therefore, in order to avoid direct sunlight and reflected sunlight, it is necessary to change the path of sunlight to the outside of the line-of-sight area of occupants through an internal vehicle reflection structure. Regarding this, the internal vehicle reflection structure is embodied in a curved surface form considering the movement path of the sun and the shape of the windshield. However, such a curved surface form of the reflection structure has a problem of increasing the height of the entire structure.

[0007] In addition, a large-screen AR-HUD using a mirror causes glare to the driver from sunlight and has defects such as thermal damage to the liquid crystal display device. In the case of a HUD that reduces the height of the overall structure of the reflection structure and miniaturizes the volume, the spacing between components is narrow, and there is a problem that it is difficult to avoid vision defects caused by sunlight. Summary of the Invention

[0008] Technical Problem

[0009] An object of the present specification is to provide a vehicle image device designed to avoid sunlight in the driver's field of view while reducing the volume, and a vehicle having the vehicle image device.

[0010] In addition, an object of the present specification is to avoid a visual defect caused by sunlight in a HUD structure that reduces the height of the overall structure while miniaturizing the volume.

[0011] An object of the present specification is to diffuse the retroreflected light of sunlight to avoid thermal damage to the display and the phenomenon of glare to the driver caused by the retroreflected light.

[0012] An object of the present specification is to achieve a customized design of a vehicle image device based on the limited space inside the vehicle while avoiding visual defects caused by sunlight.

[0013] The problems of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and those skilled in the art can clearly understand other problems not mentioned herein from the following description.

[0014] Means for Solving the Problem

[0015] To solve the above problems, a vehicle image device according to one aspect of the present specification includes: an image forming device (PGU: Picture Generation Unit), which is disposed inside the dashboard of the vehicle and forms an optical signal on one side; a concave mirror, which is disposed separately from the PGU to allow the optical signal to pass through; a polarizing film, which is disposed on at least one surface of the concave mirror and selectively allows the optical signal to pass through or be reflected according to the polarization component of the optical signal; and a diffusing area, which is disposed separately from the concave mirror to display an image of the optical signal passing through the concave mirror, and the surface of the diffusing area is formed to reflect sunlight flowing into the dashboard in all directions and be absorbed inside the dashboard.

[0016] According to an embodiment, the vehicle image device may further include: a cover, which forms the appearance of the dashboard, and the optical signal reflected by the diffusing area and the concave mirror passes through the cover.

[0017] According to an embodiment, the vehicle image device may include: a phase retarder, which is disposed on the front surface of the diffusing area and delays the phase of the polarization component of the optical signal.

[0018] According to an embodiment, it may be that the concave mirror attached with the above polarizing film allows the optical signal formed by the above PGU to pass through, and the optical signal reflected by the above phase retarder and the screen in the above diffusion region is reflected by the above concave mirror and redirected to a specific region of the windshield of the vehicle.

[0019] According to an embodiment, it may be that the above PGU is arranged at an inclination angle less than 90 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane, and the above concave mirror is arranged at a first inclination angle greater than 90 degrees with respect to the above horizontal plane.

[0020] According to an embodiment, it may be that the above PGU is formed to have a first length on a plane corresponding to the above inclination angle, the above concave mirror is formed to have a second length on a plane corresponding to the above first inclination angle, and the above second length of the above concave mirror is longer than the above first length of the above PGU.

[0021] According to an embodiment, it may be that the above diffusion region is arranged at a second inclination angle greater than 90 degrees with respect to the above horizontal plane, the above diffusion region is formed to have a third length on a plane corresponding to the above second inclination angle, the above second inclination angle of the above diffusion region is greater than the above inclination angle of the above PGU and less than the above first inclination angle of the above concave mirror, and the above third length of the above diffusion region is longer than the above first length of the above PGU and shorter than the above second length of the above concave mirror.

[0022] According to an embodiment, it may be that the above vehicle image device further includes: a motor configured to be coupled to the back surface of the above diffusion region to adjust the above second inclination angle of the above diffusion region.

[0023] According to an embodiment, it may be that the above cover is arranged between a first point and a second point on the front surface of the above instrument panel, the above PGU is arranged in a first region where the above cover is not arranged, the above concave mirror is arranged adjacent to the above first point of the above cover, and the above diffusion region is arranged at a predetermined distance inward from the above second point of the above cover with respect to the above instrument panel.

[0024] According to an embodiment, it may be that the above PGU and the above concave mirror are arranged with a first distance as the shortest distance of the optical path and a second distance as the longest distance of the optical path, the above concave mirror and the above diffusion region are arranged with a third distance as the shortest distance of the optical path and a fourth distance as the longest distance of the optical path, and the values of the above first distance, the above second distance, the above third distance, and the above fourth distance increase in sequence.

[0025] The vehicle image device according to another embodiment of the present specification includes: an image forming device (PGU: Picture Generation Unit), which is disposed inside the dashboard of the vehicle and forms an optical signal on one side; a diffusing area, which is separately disposed from the concave mirror to display an image of the optical signal formed by the PGU, and the surface of the diffusing area is formed to reflect the sunlight flowing into the dashboard in all directions and be absorbed inside the dashboard; a cover, which forms the appearance of the dashboard, and the optical signal reflected by the diffusing area passes through the cover; a polarizing film, which is disposed on at least one side of the cover; and a concave mirror, which is disposed in the upper area of the cover and reflects the optical signal that has passed through the first and second surfaces of the cover. The optical signal reflected by the concave mirror is reflected by the first surface of the cover and directed toward a specific area of the windshield of the vehicle.

[0026] According to an embodiment, it may be that the vehicle image device further includes: a phase retarder, which is disposed on the front surface of the concave mirror to retard the phase of the polarization component of the optical signal.

[0027] According to an embodiment, it may be that the cover attached with the polarizing film transmits the optical signal of the first polarization component formed by the PGU and reflected by the diffusing area, and the optical signal of the second polarization component reflected by passing through the phase retarder and the concave mirror is reflected by the polarizing film disposed on the first surface of the cover.

[0028] According to an embodiment, it may be that the PGU is disposed at an inclination angle greater than 90 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane, and the diffusing area is disposed at a first inclination angle less than 90 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0029] According to an embodiment, it may be that the PGU is formed to have a first length on a plane corresponding to the inclination angle, the diffusing area is formed to have a second length on a plane corresponding to the first inclination angle, and the second length of the diffusing area is longer than the first length of the PGU.

[0030] According to an embodiment, it may be that the concave mirror is disposed at a second inclination angle less than 90 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane, the concave mirror is formed to have a third length on a plane corresponding to the second inclination angle, the second inclination angle of the concave mirror is less than the inclination angle of the PGU and greater than the first inclination angle of the diffusing area, and the length of the light condensing area of the diffusing area is longer than the first length of the PGU and shorter than the third length of the concave mirror.

[0031] According to an embodiment, the vehicle image device may further include: a motor configured to be coupled to the back surface of the diffusing area to adjust the first tilt angle of the diffusing area.

[0032] According to an embodiment, the cover may be disposed between a first point and a second point on the front surface of the instrument panel, the diffusing area may be disposed between a third point and a fourth point on the back surface of the instrument panel, the PGU may be disposed inside the cover between the cover and the diffusing area, the concave mirror may be disposed between a fifth point and a sixth point in the upper area of the instrument panel, the fifth point of the concave mirror may be disposed closer to the lower end of the windshield than the first point, and the sixth point of the concave mirror may be disposed between the first point and the second point.

[0033] According to an embodiment, the PGU and the diffusing area may be disposed at a first distance, which is the shortest optical path distance, and a second distance, which is the longest optical path distance, the diffusing area and the concave mirror may be disposed at a third distance, which is the shortest optical path distance, and a fourth distance, which is the longest optical path distance, and the values of the first distance, the second distance, the third distance, and the fourth distance may increase in this order.

[0034] Specific matters of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and the drawings.

[0035] Advantageous Effects of the Invention

[0036] The technical features of the vehicle image device with a reduced volume and the vehicle having the vehicle image device according to this specification are summarized as follows.

[0037] According to this specification, by optimally arranging the image forming device and the mirror inside the cover of the instrument panel and optimally arranging the second mirror outside the cover, a vehicle image device with a reduced volume can be achieved.

[0038] According to this specification, a vehicle image device can be achieved that forms a cover for reflecting or transmitting an optical signal, reduces the volume according to the limited installation space of the large-screen AR-HUD, and ensures a field of view (FOV) of a specific angle or more.

[0039] According to this specification, a vehicle image device can be achieved that attaches a polarizing film to at least one surface of the cover, reduces the volume according to the limited installation space of the large-screen AR-HUD, and ensures a field of view (FOV) of a specific angle or more.

[0040] According to this specification, a vehicle image device can be achieved that uses a plurality of mirrors to reflect different AR images through different areas of the windshield and provide them to the user's field of view.

[0041] According to this specification, a vehicle image device can be realized that uses one image module to give an image a large aspect ratio for continuous images related to driving-related information.

[0042] According to this specification, a cover for preventing foreign matter from entering is used, and the effect of reducing the volume is maximized through an optical system that selectively reflects / transmits more.

[0043] According to this specification, as the height from the lower end of the first mirror to the upper end of the second mirror decreases, the degree of freedom in the volume occupied when installed inside the vehicle can be ensured.

[0044] According to this specification, a vehicle image device can be realized that has a volume reduction effect of more than 40% compared to existing large-screen AR-HUDs on the market.

[0045] According to this specification, a vehicle image device that can be realized inside the vehicle to have a volume of about 9 L or less for an AR-HUD can be provided.

[0046] The effects of this specification are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and those skilled in the art can clearly understand other effects not mentioned herein through the description in the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] Figure 1 It is a view showing the appearance of a vehicle according to an embodiment of this specification.

[0048] Figure 2 It is a view of the vehicle according to an embodiment of this specification observed from various external angles.

[0049] Figures 3 to 4 It is a view showing the interior of a vehicle according to an embodiment of this specification.

[0050] Figure 5 It is a block diagram referred to when describing the vehicle according to an embodiment of this specification.

[0051] Figure 6a It shows a structure in which a screen with a specified ratio is formed in a specific area of the front glass of the vehicle.

[0052] Figure 6b It shows for realizing Figure 6a a structure in which a vehicle image device for a screen with a specified ratio is arranged inside the instrument panel of the vehicle.

[0053] Figure 7 It shows the vehicle image device according to an embodiment of this specification.

[0054] Figure 8 It shows the incident light to Figure 7Structure in which sunlight of a diffuser screen of a vehicle image device is diffused.

[0055] Figure 9 Shows in Figure 7 Structure in which an optical signal is reflected and transmitted through a specific area of a windshield in a vehicle image device.

[0056] Figure 10 Shows in Figure 9 The shortest distance and the longest distance of the optical path between different configuration structures in the structure that transmits an optical signal.

[0057] Figure 11 Shows the polarization components in a polarization film attached to a Figure 7 concave mirror and a phase retarder attached to a screen in a diffused area.

[0058] Figure 12 Shows a vehicle image device according to another embodiment of the present specification.

[0059] Figure 13 Shows in Figure 12 Structure in which an optical signal is reflected and transmitted through a specific area of a windshield in a vehicle image device.

[0060] Figure 14 Shows the polarization components in a polarization film attached to a Figure 12 cover and a phase retarder attached to a concave mirror.

[0061] Figure 15 Shows a block diagram of a vehicle having the vehicle image device of the present specification. Detailed Description

[0062] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, embodiments disclosed in the present specification will be described in detail. Regardless of the reference numerals in the drawings, the same or similar components are given the same reference signs and repeated descriptions thereof are omitted. The suffixes “module” and “unit” used in the following description of components are given or mixed only for the convenience of writing the specification, and do not have a meaning or function of distinguishing each other. In addition, when explaining the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, if it is determined that a detailed description of related well-known technologies makes the gist of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification unclear, the detailed description thereof is omitted. In addition, the drawings are only used to help understand the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, and the technical idea disclosed in the present specification is not limited to the content illustrated in the drawings, but includes all changes, equivalents, and substitutes within the scope of the idea and technology of the present invention.

[0063] Terms including ordinal numbers such as first, second, etc. are used to describe each component, but the above components are not limited to the above terms. The above terms are only used to distinguish one component from other components.

[0064] When referring to a certain component being "connected" or "connected to" other components, it may mean directly connected or connected to other components, or it may mean that there are other components in between. On the contrary, when referring to a certain component being "directly connected" or "directly connected to" other components, it means that there are no other components in between.

[0065] In the case where different meanings are not clearly expressed in the text, the singular expression includes the plural expression.

[0066] In this application, terms such as "including" or "having" refer to the existence of the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts or combinations thereof described in the specification, and do not preclude the existence or additional possibility of one or more other features or numbers, steps, actions, components, parts or combinations thereof in advance.

[0067] The vehicle described in this specification is a concept including automobiles and motorcycles. Below, regarding the vehicle, the description will mainly focus on automobiles.

[0068] The vehicle described in this specification is a concept including internal combustion engine vehicles having an engine as a power source, hybrid vehicles having an engine and an electric motor as power sources, electric vehicles having an electric motor as a power source, etc.

[0069] In the following description, the left side of the vehicle refers to the left side in the driving direction of the vehicle, and the right side of the vehicle refers to the right side in the driving direction of the vehicle.

[0070] Figure 1 It is a view showing the appearance of the vehicle according to the embodiment of this specification.

[0071] Figure 2 It is a view of the vehicle according to the embodiment of this specification observed from various external angles.

[0072] Figures 3 to 4 It is a view showing the interior of the vehicle according to the embodiment of this specification.

[0073] Figure 5 It is a block diagram referred to when describing the vehicle according to the embodiment of this specification.

[0074] Referring to Figures 1 to 5 , the vehicle 100 may include wheels rotated by a power source and a steering input device 510 for adjusting the driving direction of the vehicle 100.

[0075] Vehicle 100 can be an autonomous vehicle.

[0076] Vehicle 100 is converted into an autonomous driving mode or a manual mode based on a user input.

[0077] For example, vehicle 100 is converted from a manual mode into an autonomous driving mode or from an autonomous driving mode into a manual mode based on the received user input through user interface device 200.

[0078] Vehicle 100 is converted into an autonomous driving mode or a manual mode based on driving condition information. The driving condition information is generated based on object information provided by object detection device 300.

[0079] For example, vehicle 100 is converted from a manual mode into an autonomous driving mode or from an autonomous driving mode into a manual mode based on the driving condition information generated by object detection device 300.

[0080] For example, vehicle 100 is converted from a manual mode into an autonomous driving mode or from an autonomous driving mode into a manual mode based on the driving condition information received through communication device 400.

[0081] Vehicle 100 is converted from a manual mode into an autonomous driving mode or from an autonomous driving mode into a manual mode based on information, data, signals provided by an external device.

[0082] When operating vehicle 100 in an autonomous driving mode, autonomous vehicle 100 is operated based on operating system 700.

[0083] For example, autonomous vehicle 100 is operated based on information, data or signals generated by driving system 710, departure system 740, parking system 750.

[0084] When operating vehicle 100 in a manual mode, autonomous vehicle 100 receives a user input for driving through driving operation device 500. Vehicle 100 can be operated based on the user input received through driving operation device 500.

[0085] Overall length refers to the length from the front to the rear of vehicle 100, width refers to the width of vehicle 100, height refers to the length from the lower part of the wheel to the roof of the vehicle. In the following description, the overall length direction L refers to the direction serving as the measurement reference for the overall length of vehicle 100, the width direction W refers to the direction serving as the measurement reference for the width of vehicle 100, and the height direction H refers to the direction serving as the measurement reference for the height of vehicle 100.

[0086] As Figure 5As illustrated, vehicle 100 includes a user interface device 200, an object detection device 300, a communication device 400, a driving operation device 500, a vehicle driving device 600, an operation system 700, a navigation system 770, a sensing unit 120, an interface unit 130, a memory 140, a control unit 170, and a power supply unit 190.

[0087] According to an embodiment, vehicle 100 may further include other components other than the components described in this specification or may not include some of the described components.

[0088] The user interface device 200 is a device for communicating between vehicle 100 and the user. The user interface device 200 receives user input and provides information generated by vehicle 100 to the user. Vehicle 100 can implement UI (User Interfaces) or UX (User Experience) through the user interface device 200.

[0089] The user interface device 200 includes an input unit 210, an internal camera 220, a biometric sensing unit 230, an output unit 250, and a processor 270.

[0090] According to an embodiment, the user interface device 200 may further include other components other than the described components or may not include some of the described components.

[0091] The input unit 200 is used to receive information from the user, and the data collected from the input unit 120 is analyzed by the processor 270 and thus can be processed as a user control command.

[0092] The input unit 200 may be disposed inside the vehicle. For example, the input unit 200 may be disposed in an area of the steering wheel, an area of the instrument panel, an area of the seat, an area of each pillar, an area of the door, an area of the center console, an area of the head lining, an area of the sun visor, an area of the windshield, or an area of the window, etc.

[0093] The input unit 200 may include a voice input unit 211, a gesture input unit 212, a touch input unit 213, and a mechanical input unit 214.

[0094] The voice input unit 211 can convert the voice input of the user into an electrical signal. The converted electrical signal can be provided to the processor 270 or the control unit 170.

[0095] The voice input unit 211 may include one or more microphones.

[0096] The gesture input unit 212 can convert the gesture input of the user into an electrical signal. The converted electrical signal can be provided to the processor 270 or the control unit 170.

[0097] The gesture input unit 212 may include at least one of an infrared sensor and an image sensor for sensing the gesture input of the user.

[0098] According to an embodiment, the gesture input unit 212 can sense the three-dimensional gesture input of the user. To this end, the gesture input unit 212 may include a plurality of light output units for infrared light output or a plurality of image sensors.

[0099] The gesture input unit 212 can sense the three-dimensional gesture input of the user by a TOF (Time of Flight) method, a structured light method, or a disparity method.

[0100] The touch input unit 213 can convert the touch input of the user into an electrical signal. The converted electrical signal can be provided to the processor 270 or the control unit 170.

[0101] The touch input unit 213 may include a touch sensor for sensing the touch input of the user.

[0102] According to an embodiment, the touch input unit 213 may be integrally formed with the display unit 251 to implement a touch screen. Such a touch screen can provide both an input interface and an output interface between the vehicle 100 and the user.

[0103] The mechanical input unit 214 may include at least one of a button, a dome switch, a jog wheel, and a jog switch. The electrical signal generated by the mechanical input unit 214 can be provided to the processor 270 or the control unit 170.

[0104] The mechanical input unit 214 may be disposed on the steering wheel, the center fascia, the center console, the cockpit module, the door, etc.

[0105] The internal camera 220 can obtain an image of the interior of the vehicle. The processor 270 can sense the state of the user based on the image of the interior of the vehicle. The processor 270 can obtain the line-of-sight information of the user in the image of the interior of the vehicle. The processor 270 can sense the gesture of the user in the image of the interior of the vehicle.

[0106] The biological sensing unit 230 can obtain the biological information of the user. The biological sensing unit 230 includes sensors that can obtain the biological information of the user, and can obtain the fingerprint information, heart rate information, etc. of the user by using the sensors. The biological information can be used for user authentication.

[0107] The output unit 250 is used to generate outputs related to vision, audition, touch, etc.

[0108] The output unit 250 may include at least any one of a display unit 251, an audio output unit 252, and a tactile output unit 253.

[0109] The display unit 251 can display graphic objects corresponding to various information.

[0110] The display unit 251 may include at least one of a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFTLCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a flexible display, a three-dimensional display (3D display), and an e-ink display.

[0111] The display unit 251 and the touch input unit 213 form a layer structure with each other or are formed into an integrated type, so as to realize a touch screen.

[0112] The display unit 251 can be implemented by a HUD (Head Up Display), a CID (Center Information Display), a cluster, and / or an RSE (Rear Seat Entertainment). When the display unit 251 is implemented by the HUD, the display unit 251 has a projection module and can output information through an image projected onto the windshield or the window.

[0113] The display unit 251 may include a transparent display. The transparent display can be attached to the windshield or the window.

[0114] The transparent display may have a specified transparency and may display a specified screen. In order to have transparency, the transparent display may include at least one of a transparent TFEL (Thin Film Elecroluminescent), a transparent OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode), a transparent LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), a transmissive transparent display, and a transparent LED (Light Emitting Diode) display. The transparency of the transparent display may be adjusted.

[0115] On the other hand, the user interface device 200 may include a plurality of display units (251a to 251g).

[0116] The display unit 251 may be implemented in an area of the steering wheel, an area 521a, 251b of the instrument panel, an area 251d of the seat, an area 251f of each pillar, an area 251g of the door, an area of the center console, an area of the ceiling, an area of the sun visor, or an area 251c of the windshield, an area 251h of the window.

[0117] In areas 251a, 251b of the instrument panel, driving-related information for the driver may be displayed. In area 251e of the instrument panel, a personal infotainment display may be implemented through a vehicle image device for the passenger sitting in the passenger seat. In area 251d of the seat, a personal infotainment display may be implemented through a vehicle image device for the RSE (Rear Seat Entertainment) system.

[0118] The audio output unit 252 converts an electrical signal provided from the processor 270 or the control unit 170 into a sound signal and outputs it. To this end, the audio output unit 252 may include one or more speakers.

[0119] The haptic output unit 253 generates a haptic output. For example, the haptic output unit 253 may vibrate the steering wheel, the seat belt, seats 110FL, 110FR, 110RL, 110RR to enable the user to recognize the output.

[0120] The processor 270 may control the overall operation of each unit of the user interface device 200.

[0121] According to an embodiment, the user interface device 200 may include a plurality of processors 270 or may not include a processor 270.

[0122] In the case where the user interface device 200 does not include a processor 270, the user interface device 200 may operate under the control of a processor or a control unit 170 of other devices within the vehicle 100.

[0123] On the other hand, the user interface device 200 may be named as a vehicle display device.

[0124] The user interface device 200 may operate under the control of the control unit 170.

[0125] The object detection device 300 is a device for detecting an object located outside the vehicle 100.

[0126] The object is various objects related to the operation of the vehicle 100.

[0127] On the other hand, the vehicle imaging device of this specification will be described. Regarding this, a vehicle display for displaying various driving information of the vehicle is located below the forward driving vision of the driver, thereby affecting driving safety (rubber necking). Therefore, in recent years, a vehicle imaging device such as a HUD (Head up display) that displays an image on the windshield in front of the vehicle close to the driving vision to ensure driving safety has been mounted on the vehicle.

[0128] In addition, an infotainment device for providing personal information and personal entertainment content needs to be implemented in the passenger seat or the rear seat of the vehicle. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a vehicle imaging device that displays driving-related information in the front area of the driver's seat of the vehicle or provides personal entertainment content in the front area of the passenger seat or the rear seat of the vehicle.

[0129] In order to display such driving-related information or entertainment content in a specific area of the windshield in front of the vehicle, it is necessary to be configured with a large aspect ratio where the width in one axis is more than a certain ratio of the length in the other axis. There is a problem that it has not been specifically proposed which part of the vehicle and in what structure the vehicle imaging device is provided to constitute such a large aspect ratio screen.

[0130] To solve such problems, the purpose of this specification is to provide a vehicle image device with a large aspect ratio using a projection optical system related to a vehicle. In addition, the purpose of this specification is to display driving-related information in a specific area of the windshield in front of the vehicle on a screen with a large aspect ratio. In addition, the purpose of this specification is to provide a vehicle image device having an optical structure and a special screen that make an image have a large aspect ratio with one image module. In addition, the purpose of this specification is to implement continuous images related to driving-related information as having a large aspect ratio with one image module. In addition, the purpose of this specification is to provide a vehicle image device with a small and thin volume.

[0131] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the vehicle image device for achieving the above object will be described in detail as follows. Regarding this, Figure 6a A structure for forming a screen with a specified ratio in a specific area of the front glass of the vehicle is shown. Figure 6b A structure for showing the vehicle image device with a specified ratio of the screen for achieving Figure 6a is arranged inside the instrument panel of the vehicle.

[0132] Referring to Figure 6a , an image having a width Wa in one axis and a length La in the other axis is displayed in a specific area 251R of the windshield of the vehicle. The above image is configured to include a plurality of image areas for displaying information required for driving a vehicle. The plurality of image areas include a first image area IR1 to a third image area IR3. A first image including vehicle-related information is displayed in the first image area IR1 closest to the driver's field of view of the vehicle. A second image related to the driving path of the vehicle is displayed in the second image area IR2. A third image related to a map including a departure place and a destination is displayed in the third image area IR3. As a plurality of images are displayed in the specific area 251R, the width Wa in one axis is set to a specified ratio of the length La in the other axis, for example, 5 times or more.

[0133] Referring to Figure 6a and Figure 6b , the vehicle image device 1000 is arranged inside the instrument panel of the vehicle. The vehicle image device 1000 is arranged in a specific area inside the instrument panel so as not to overlap with the area where the steering wheel and pedals are arranged. An image formed by the light reflected by the screen panel 1200 constituting the vehicle image device 1000 is displayed in a specific area 251R of the windshield of the vehicle. The specific area 251R is realized with a specified length La so that the image is displayed within the driver's field of view. The distance from the center of the driver's line of sight to the center of the specific area 251R is realized with a specified distance Da.

[0134] Next, a vehicle image device capable of avoiding sunlight in this specification will be described. Regarding this, a vehicle display that displays various driving information of the vehicle is located below the forward driving vision of the driver, which thus affects driving safety (rubber necking). Therefore, in recent years, a vehicle image device such as an HUD (Head up display) that displays an image on the windshield in front of the vehicle closer to the driving vision to ensure driving safety has been mounted on the vehicle.

[0135] Such an HUD (Head up display) uses augmented reality (AR) to display driving-related information and is implemented as a large screen. Products with a large screen (FOV 10×4 degrees or more) that require a reduced volume (less than 10L) according to the limited installation space of the large-screen AR-HUD. However, there are the following problems: it is difficult to implement a vehicle image device such as an AR-HUD that has a reduced volume and can avoid sunlight in products with a large screen (FOV 10×4 degrees or more) above a certain size.

[0136] To overcome the above problems, the purpose of this specification is to provide a vehicle image device designed to reduce the volume while avoiding sunlight in the driver's vision area, and a vehicle having the vehicle image device. The purpose of this specification is to avoid vision defects caused by sunlight in an HUD structure that reduces the height of the overall structure and miniaturizes the volume. The purpose of this specification is to diffuse the retroreflective light of sunlight to avoid thermal damage to the display and the problem of the driver being dazzled by the retroreflective light. The purpose of this specification is to avoid vision defects caused by sunlight and implement a customized design of the vehicle image device according to the limited space inside the vehicle.

[0137] Regarding this, Figure 7 The vehicle image device showing an embodiment of this specification. Figure 8 Showing the sunlight incident on Figure 7 The diffuser screen of the vehicle image device is diffused. Figure 9 Showing Figure 7 In the vehicle image device of, the optical signal is reflected and transmitted through a specific area of the windshield. Figure 10 Showing in Figure 9 In the structure for transmitting the optical signal, the shortest distance and the longest distance of the optical path between different configuration structures.

[0138] Refer to Figures 7 to 10, the image forming device 1100 of the vehicle image device 1000 can be implemented by a projection device. A linear polarizer or a linear polarizing film can be arranged at the front end of the image forming device 1100. The concave mirror 1311 of the image forming device 1100 is an optical component representing the virtual image distance and magnification of the HUD.

[0139] The reflecting mirror 1310 is implemented in such a way that a polarizing film 1312 such as a reflective linear polarizing film is arranged on the concave mirror 1311, and is used as a polarizing element for selective transmission and reflection.

[0140] The diffusing area 1320 can be implemented by a device such as a diffusing screen for displaying the projected image. The diffusing area 1320 can include all patterns and materials for diffusing light. The diffusing area 1320 is provided with a phase retarder 1322 at the front end to delay the polarization phase of light and is reflected by the concave mirror 1311. When a back-reflection phenomenon of sunlight occurs from the screen display device, a diffusing area 1320 such as a diffusing screen or a diffusing film can be applied in front of the screen display device.

[0141] The cover 1010 prevents foreign objects from entering the interior and is implemented with a linear polarizing film so that a driver wearing sunglasses can also see the screen. The cover 1010 can also be referred to as a dust cover. The cover 1010 is designed with a specified curved surface shape and curvature to block the path of direct reflection of external sunlight to the driver.

[0142] The windshield 250 can be combined with the vehicle frame and arranged in the front visible area of the vehicle to protect the driver and ensure the field of view in the external environment. The windshield 250 reflects the light path emitted from the HUD to the eye box so that the driver can see the virtual image. The virtual image is an image that provides dashboard information and status information to the driver, and the virtual image distance and FOV (Field of View) can be changed as required.

[0143] The eye box corresponds to the area representing the movement of the field of view. On the other hand, the motor 1325 is operably coupled to the diffusing area 1320 to adjust the angle of the diffusing area 1320 to adjust the driver's field of view height (Short / Nominal / Tall).

[0144] Next, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the vehicle image device 1000 configured to avoid sunlight in this specification will be described in detail. Refer to Figures 7 to 10, the vehicle image device 1000 is configured to include a cover 1010, an image forming device 1100, a mirror 1310, and a diffusion area 1320. The cover 1010 can form the appearance of the dashboard 1001 of the vehicle. The image forming device 1100, a concave mirror 1311, and the diffusion area 1320 can be disposed inside the cover 1010.

[0145] The mirror 1310 can be configured to include a concave mirror 1311 and a polarization film 1312. The concave mirror 1311 can be disposed inside the dashboard 1001 of the vehicle. The concave mirror 1311 can be formed to reflect the optical signal inside the dashboard 1001. The polarization film 1312 can be disposed on at least one surface of the concave mirror 1311. The polarization film 1312 can be a linear polarization film that transmits at least one of S-polarized light and P-polarized light and reflects the remaining one.

[0146] The image forming device (PGU: Picture Generation Unit) 1100 can be disposed inside the dashboard 1001. The image forming device 1100 can be configured to form an optical signal on one side. The image forming device 1100 includes various projection devices and a display that displays pixels on a screen. The image forming device 1100 can be implemented by a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), DLP (Digital Light Processing), LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon), or a micro light-emitting diode.

[0147] The concave mirror 1311 can be separately disposed from the PGU 1100 to allow the optical signal from the PGU 1100 to pass through. The polarization film 1312 can be disposed on at least one surface of the concave mirror 1311. The polarization film 1312 can be formed to selectively transmit or reflect the optical signal according to the polarization component of the optical signal from the PGU 1100.

[0148] The diffusion area 1320 can be separately disposed from the concave mirror 1311 to display the image of the optical signal passing through the concave mirror 1311. The surface of the diffusion area 1320 can be formed to diffuse the sunlight inside the dashboard 1001. The surface of the diffusion area 1320 can be formed to reflect the sunlight flowing into the dashboard 1001 in all directions and be absorbed inside the dashboard 1001.

[0149] On the other hand, the sunlight passing through the cover 1010 can be reflected by the concave mirror 1311 and diffused in the diffusion area 1320. Regarding this, the sunlight incident on the diffusion area 1320 can be reflected in all directions and absorbed by the inner area of the cover 1010.

[0150] Regarding this, the sunlight SL1 passing through the cover 10001 can be reflected by the mirror 1310 having the concave mirror 1311 and the polarization film 1312, and the sunlight SL2 reflected by the mirror 1310 travels toward the diffusion area 1320. The sunlight SL3 reflected by the diffusion area 1320 and traveling toward the cover 1001 can be absorbed by the second surface (back surface) of the cover 1001. The sunlight SL4 reflected by the diffusion area 1320 and traveling toward the mirror 1320 can be reflected by the mirror 1320 and absorbed by the lower area of the instrument panel 1001.

[0151] The diffusion area 1320 can form a diffusion pattern on the screen to reflect sunlight in all directions. Alternatively, the diffusion area 1320 can form a diffusion film by laminating mirrors to reflect sunlight in all directions.

[0152] The instrument panel 1001 can include a first area 1001a formed with the cover 1010 and a second area 1001b where the PGU 1100 is disposed. The sunlight SL3 reflected by the diffusion area 1320 and traveling toward the first area 1001a of the instrument panel 1001 is absorbed by the cover 1010 formed in the first area 1001a of the instrument panel 1001. The sunlight SL4 reflected by the diffusion area 1320 and traveling toward the second area 1001b of the instrument panel 1001 is absorbed by the second area 1001b of the instrument panel 1001.

[0153] A first absorption film for absorbing sunlight can be attached to the second surface of the cover 1010 formed in the first area 1001a of the instrument panel 1001. A second absorption film body for absorbing sunlight can be attached to the second area 1001b of the instrument panel 1001. The first absorption film is formed to absorb the sunlight SL3 and allow the optical signal to pass through.

[0154] The cover 1010 can form the appearance (front surface) of the instrument panel 1001. The cover 1010 is formed to allow the optical signal reflected by the diffusion area 1320 and the concave mirror 1311 to pass through. The sunlight passing through the first surface S1 of the cover 1010 is reflected by the concave mirror 1311 and incident on the diffusion area 1320. The sunlight incident on the diffusion area 1320 can be reflected in all directions and absorbed by the second surface S2 of the cover 1010.

[0155] On the other hand, the vehicle image device 1000 of the present specification may further include a phase retarder 1322. In this regard, the diffusing region 1320 may be configured to include a screen 1321 and a phase retarder 1322. For a structure in which a diffusing film is laminated in the diffusing region 1320, the screen 1321 may be replaced by a mirror.

[0156] The phase retarder 1322 may be disposed on the front surface or the rear surface of the diffusing region 1320. The phase retarder 1322 formed on the screen 1321 may be configured to retard the phase of the polarization component of the optical signal. In this regard, Figure 11 Shows the polarization components in the polarization film attached to the Figure 7 concave mirror and the phase retarder of the screen attached to the diffusing region.

[0157] Referring to Figures 7 to 11 , the first polarization component emitted from the PGU 1100 may pass through the polarization film 1312. The first polarization component passing through the polarization film 1312 is converted into a second polarization component at the phase retarder 1322 and the screen 1321. The phase retarder 1322 may be implemented by a QWP (quarter-wave plate) that converts the first polarization component (e.g., S-polarized light) into a first circular polarization component (e.g., left-handed circularly polarized light). The first circular polarization component may be reflected by the reflecting surface 1320R of the screen 1321 and converted into a second circular polarization component (e.g., right-handed circularly polarized light). The reflected second circular polarization component may pass through the phase retarder 1322 again and be converted into a second polarization component (e.g., P-polarized light). The second polarization component (e.g., P-polarized light) passing through the phase retarder 1322 of the diffusing region 1320 may be reflected by the concave mirror 1311 and directed toward the windshield 250.

[0158] In this regard, the concave mirror 1311 attached with the polarization film 1312 is configured to allow the optical signal formed by the PGU 1100 to pass through. The optical signal reflected by the phase retarder 1322 and the screen 1321 of the diffusing region 1320 may be reflected by the concave mirror 1321 and directed to a specific region 251R of the windshield 250 of the vehicle.

[0159] On the other hand, each structure of the vehicle imaging device 1000 of this specification is configured to be formed at a specified inclination angle and length, so that the optical signal can pass through / reflect in an optimal manner and avoid sunlight. Regarding this, the PGU 1110 can be arranged at an inclination angle α less than 90 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane. The PGU 1110 can be formed into a first length L1 on a plane corresponding to the inclination angle α. The concave mirror 1311 can be arranged at a first inclination angle greater than 90 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane. The concave mirror 1311 can be formed into a second length L2 on a plane corresponding to the first inclination angle. The second length L2 of the concave mirror 1311 can be longer than the first length L1 of the PGU 1110.

[0160] The diffusing area 1320 can be arranged at a second inclination angle greater than 90 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane. The diffusing area 1320 can be formed into a third length L3 on a plane corresponding to the second inclination angle. The second inclination angle of the diffusing area 1320 can be formed to be greater than the inclination angle α of the PGU 1100 and less than the first inclination angle of the concave mirror 1311. Thereby, the condensing area of the optical signal reflected by the concave mirror 1311 is made larger than the condensing area of the optical signal reflected by the diffusing area 1320, so that the size of the image displayed in the specific area 251R of the windshield 250 can be increased.

[0161] The third length L3 of the diffusing area 1320 can be longer than the first length L1 of the PGU 1110 and shorter than the second length L2 of the concave mirror 1311. Thereby, the condensing area of the optical signal reflected by the concave mirror 1311 is made larger than the condensing area of the optical signal reflected by the diffusing area 1320, so that the size of the image displayed in the specific area 251R of the windshield 250 can be increased.

[0162] On the other hand, the vehicle imaging device 1000 of this specification is configured to further include a motor 1325. Regarding this, the motor 1325 can be combined with the back surface of the diffusing area 1320. The motor 1325 can be configured to adjust the second inclination angle of the diffusing area 1320. The motor 1325 can adjust the second inclination angle of the diffusing area 1320 to adjust the condensing area of the optical signal reflected by the concave mirror 1311. Thereby, the motor 1325 can adjust the vertical position of the specific area 251R of the windshield 250 and the position of the eye box. In addition, the motor 1325 can adjust the second inclination angle of the diffusing area 1320 to adjust the direction in which the sunlight incident on the diffusing area 1320 is reflected.

[0163] On the other hand, the configuration structures of the cover 1010, the PGU 1100, the concave mirror 1311, and the diffusion area 1320 in the vehicle image device 1000 of this specification will be described in detail. The cover 1010 can be disposed between a first point P1 and a second point P2 on the front surface of the instrument panel 1001. The PGU 1100 can be disposed in a first area R1 of the instrument panel 1001 where the cover 1010 is not disposed. The first area R1 of the instrument panel 1001 can be a storage area housed inside the vehicle. The second area R2 of the instrument panel 1001 can be an area where the cover 1010 is disposed on the front surface and exposed to the outside of the vehicle.

[0164] The concave mirror 1311 can be disposed adjacent to the first point P1 of the cover 1010. The diffusion area 1320 can be disposed at a predetermined distance inward from the instrument panel 1001 with respect to the second point P2 of the cover 1010.

[0165] The PGU 1100 and the concave mirror 1311 can be disposed at a first distance D1, which is the shortest distance of the optical path, and a second distance D2, which is the longest distance of the optical path. The concave mirror 1311 and the diffusion area 1320 can be disposed at a third distance D3, which is the shortest distance of the optical path, and a fourth distance D4, which is the longest distance of the optical path. Regarding this, the values of the first distance D1, the second distance D2 between the PGU 1100 and the concave mirror 1321, and the third distance D3 and the fourth distance D4 between the concave mirror 1311 and the diffusion area 1320 can increase in sequence. The light signal emitted from the limited area of the PGU 1100 can maximize the use of the internal area of the instrument panel 1001 and increase the condensing area of the light signal. Therefore, the size of the image displayed in the specific area 251R of the windshield 250 can be increased.

[0166] On the other hand, a vehicle image device according to another embodiment of this specification will be described. Regarding this, Figure 12 A vehicle image device according to another embodiment of this specification is shown. Figure 13 Shown Figure 12 is a structure in which the light signal is reflected and transmitted through a specific area of the windshield in the vehicle image device.

[0167] Referring to Figure 12 and Figure 13 the image forming device 1100 of the vehicle image device 1000b includes a projection device. A linear polarizing film is disposed at the front end of the image forming device 1100, and the polarized light of the transmitted light can be projected as a linear polarization component.

[0168] The diffusing area 1320b is a device that receives the projected light and displays an image. The concave mirror 1311b can be shaped according to the virtual image distance and magnification. The concave mirror 1311b can be implemented in a form that is exposed at the front end of the mirror bench. It can be configured to dispose a phase retarder 13112b such as a phase retardation film at the front end of the concave mirror 1311b to retard the phase of the projected linearly polarized component and be reflected by the cover 1010.

[0169] The cover 1010 prevents foreign objects from entering the interior and can be configured with a polarizing film 1011 to reflect the linearly polarized light reflected by the concave mirror 1311b. The angle of the cover 1010 can be adjusted according to the angle of the windshield 250 and the position of the eye box so that sunlight does not flow into the eye box.

[0170] The windshield 250 can be configured in the front visible area of the vehicle in combination with the vehicle frame to protect the driver and ensure visibility in the external environment. The windshield 250 reflects the light path emitted from the HUD to the eye box so that the driver can see the virtual image. The virtual image is an image that provides the driver with instrument panel information and status information, and the virtual image distance and FOV (Field of View) can be changed according to requirements.

[0171] The eye box corresponds to the area representing the movement of the field of view. On the other hand, the motor 1325 is operably coupled to the diffusing area 1320 to adjust the angle of the diffusing area 1320 to adjust the driver's field of view height (Short / Nominal / Tall).

[0172] Refer to Figure 12 and Figure 13 The vehicle image device 1000b of this specification will be described. The vehicle image device 1000b can be configured to include a cover 1010, an image forming device 1100, a mirror 1310b, and a diffusing area 1320b.

[0173] The cover 1010 can form the appearance of the dashboard 1001 of the vehicle. The image forming device 1100, the concave mirror 1311b, and the diffusing area 1320b can be disposed inside the cover 1010.

[0174] The image forming device (PGU: Picture Generation Unit) 1100 can be disposed inside the dashboard 1001. The image forming device 1100 can be configured to form an optical signal on one side. The image forming device 1100 includes various projection devices and a display that displays pixels on the screen. The image forming device 1100 can be implemented by LCD, OLED, DLP, LCoS, or micro LED.

[0175] The diffusing area 1320b can be separately arranged from the concave mirror 1311b to display an image of the optical signal passing through the concave mirror 1311b. The surface of the diffusing area 1320b can be formed to diffuse the sunlight inside the instrument panel 1001. The surface of the diffusing area 1320b can be formed to reflect the sunlight flowing into the instrument panel 1001 in all directions and be absorbed inside the instrument panel 1001.

[0176] The sunlight passing through the cover 1010 can be diffused in the diffusing area 1320b. In this regard, the sunlight incident on the diffusing area 1320b is reflected in all directions and absorbed by the inner area of the cover 1010. The diffusing area 1320b can form a diffusing pattern on the screen to reflect the sunlight in all directions. Alternatively, the diffusing area 1320b can form a diffusing film in the mirror lamination to reflect the sunlight in all directions.

[0177] The cover 1010 can form the appearance (front surface) of the instrument panel 1001. The cover 1010 can be formed to allow the optical signal reflected by the diffusing area 1320 to pass through. The sunlight passing through the first surface S1 of the cover 1010 is incident on the diffusing area 1320b. The sunlight reflected by the concave mirror 1311 and passing through the first surface S1 of the cover 1010 is incident on the diffusing area 1320b. The sunlight incident on the diffusing area 1320b is reflected in all directions and can be absorbed by the second surface S2 of the cover 1010.

[0178] The polarizing film 1011 can be arranged on at least one surface of the cover 1010. The polarizing film 1011 can be formed to selectively transmit or reflect the optical signal according to the polarization component of the optical signal emitted from the PGU 1100 and reflected by the diffusing area 1320b.

[0179] The mirror 1310b can include a concave mirror 1311b and a phase retarder 1312b. The concave mirror 1311b can be arranged in the upper area of the cover 1010. The concave mirror 1311b can be formed to reflect the optical signal passing through the first surface S1 and the second surface S2 of the cover 1010. The optical signal reflected by the concave mirror 1311b can be reflected by the first surface S1 of the cover 1010 and directed toward a specific area 251R of the windshield 250 of the vehicle.

[0180] On the other hand, the vehicle image device 1000 of this specification is configured to further include a phase retarder 1312b. The phase retarder 1312b can be arranged on the front surface of the concave mirror 1311b to extend the phase of the polarization component of the optical signal. For the structure in which a diffusing film is laminated on the diffusing area 1320b, the screen can be replaced by a mirror. The phase retarder 1312b formed on the concave mirror 1311b can be configured to retard the phase of the polarization component of the optical signal.

[0181] On the other hand, the vehicle imaging device of the present specification can achieve selective transmission and reflection through polarization conversion. Regarding this, Figure 14 shows the polarization components in the polarizing film attached to the Figure 12 cover and the phase retarder attached to the concave mirror.

[0182] The optical signal emitted from the PGU1100 can be reflected by the screen or mirror in the diffusing area 1320b. The optical signal of the first polarization component reflected by the diffusing area 1320b can pass through the polarizing film 1011 disposed on the cover 1010. The polarizing film 1011 is formed to transmit the first polarization component and reflect the second polarization component.

[0183] The first polarization component passing through the polarizing film 1011 of the cover 1010 is converted into a second polarization component by the phase retarder 1312b and the concave mirror 1311b. The phase retarder 1312b can be realized by a QWP (quarter-wave plate) that converts the first polarization component (e.g., S-polarized light) into a first circular polarization component (e.g., left-handed circularly polarized light). The first circular polarization component can be reflected by the reflecting surface 1310R of the concave mirror 1311b and converted into a second circular polarization component (e.g., right-handed circularly polarized light). The reflected second circular polarization component passes through the phase retarder 1312b again and is converted into a second polarization component (e.g., P-polarized light). The second polarization component (e.g., P-polarized light) passing through the phase retarder 1312b of the reflecting mirror 1310b can be reflected by the polarizing film 1011 of the cover 1010 and directed toward the windshield 250.

[0184] Therefore, the cover 1010 attached with the polarizing film 1011 can transmit the optical signal of the first polarization component formed by the PGU1100 and reflected by the diffusing area 1320b. On the other hand, the optical signal of the second polarization component reflected by the phase retarder 1312b and the concave mirror 1311b can be reflected by the polarizing film 1011 disposed on the first surface S1 of the cover 1010.

[0185] On the other hand, each structure of the vehicle imaging device 1000b of the present specification is configured to be formed at a specified tilt angle and length, so that the optical signal can be transmitted / reflected in an optimal manner and avoid sunlight. Regarding this, the PGU1110 can be disposed at an inclination angle β greater than 90 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane. The PGU1110 can be formed into a first length L1 on a plane corresponding to the inclination angle β. The diffusing area 1320b can be disposed at a first inclination angle less than 90 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane. The diffusing area 1320b can be formed into a second length L2 on a plane corresponding to the first inclination angle. The second length L2 of the diffusing area 1320b can be longer than the first length L1 of the PGU1110.

[0186] The concave mirror 1311b can be arranged at a second inclination angle less than 90 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane. The concave mirror 1311b can be formed to have a third length L3 on a plane corresponding to the second inclination angle. The second inclination angle of the concave mirror 1311b can be formed to be less than the inclination angle β of the PGU1100 and greater than the first inclination angle of the diffusing area 1320b. Thereby, the condensing area of the optical signal reflected by the diffusing area 1320b can be larger than the condensing area of the optical signal reflected by the concave mirror 1311b, so that the size of the image displayed in the specific area 251R of the windshield 250 can be increased.

[0187] The length Lx of the condensing area of the diffusing area 1320b can be formed to be longer than the first length L1 of the PGU1110 and shorter than the third length L3 of the concave mirror 1311b. Thereby, the condensing area of the optical signal reflected by the concave mirror 1311b can be larger than the condensing area of the optical signal reflected by the diffusing area 1320b, so that the size of the image displayed in the specific area 251R of the windshield 250 can be increased.

[0188] Regarding this, the length Lx of the condensing area of the diffusing area 1320b is formed to be shorter than the second length L2. The diffusing area 1320b reflects the optical signal in a partial area having the length Lx and reflects the sunlight in all directions in the entire area having the second length L2 longer than the length Lx, thereby being able to avoid the sunlight.

[0189] On the other hand, the vehicle image device 1000 of the present specification is configured to further include a motor 1325b. Regarding this, the motor 1325b can be coupled to the back surface of the diffusing area 1320b. The motor 1325b can be configured to adjust the first inclination angle of the diffusing area 1320b. The motor 1325b can adjust the first inclination angle of the diffusing area 1320b to adjust the condensing area of the optical signal incident on the concave mirror 1311b. Thereby, the motor 1325b can adjust the vertical position of the specific area 251R of the windshield 250 and the position of the eye box. In addition, the motor 1325b can adjust the first inclination angle of the diffusing area 1320 to adjust the direction in which the sunlight incident on the diffusing area 1320b is reflected.

[0190] On the other hand, the configuration structures of the cover 1010, the PGU 1100, the concave mirror 1311b, and the diffusion area 1320b in the vehicle image device 1000b of this specification will be described in detail. The cover 1010 can be disposed between a first point P1 and a second point P2 on the front surface of the instrument panel 1001. The diffusion area 1320b can be disposed between a third point P3 and a fourth point P4 on the back surface of the instrument panel 1001. The concave mirror 1311b can be disposed between a fifth point P5 and a sixth point P6 in the upper region of the instrument panel 1001. The fifth point P5 of the concave mirror 1311b can be disposed closer to the lower end of the windshield 250 than the first point P1 of the instrument panel 1001. The sixth point P6 of the concave mirror 1311b can be disposed between the first point P1 and the second point P2 of the instrument panel 1001.

[0191] The PGU 1100 can be disposed inside the cover 1010 between the cover 1010 and the diffusion area 1320b. The PGU 1100 is disposed at an inclination angle β greater than 90 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane, and the cover 1010, the concave mirror 1311b, and the diffusion area 1320b are all disposed at inclination angles less than 90 degrees. Thus, the optical signal emitted from the PGU 1100 having a limited emission area is reflected by the diffusion area 1320b, the concave mirror 1311b, and the cover 1010 to increase the condensing area.

[0192] The PGU 1100 and the diffusion area 1320b can be disposed apart by a first distance D1 which is the shortest distance of the optical path and a second distance D2 which is the longest distance of the optical path. The diffusion area 1320b and the concave mirror 1311b can be disposed apart by a third distance D3 which is the shortest distance of the optical path and a fourth distance D4 which is the longest distance of the optical path. Regarding this, the values of the first distance, the second distance between the PGU 1100 and the diffusion area 1320b, the third distance, and the fourth distance between the diffusion area 1320b and the concave mirror 1311b can increase in sequence. The optical signal emitted from the limited area of the PGU 1100 makes the most of the internal area and the upper area of the instrument panel 1001 to increase the condensing area of the optical signal. Therefore, the size of the image displayed in the specific area 251R of the windshield 250 can be increased.

[0193] As described above, the vehicle image devices 1000 and 1000b of one embodiment of this specification have been described. Next, a vehicle having the vehicle image devices 1000 and 1000b of another embodiment of this specification will be described. The above descriptions related to the Figures 6a to 14 vehicle image devices 1000 and 1000b and all the descriptions related to the Figures 1 to 5 vehicle 1 can be applied to the following vehicle having the vehicle image devices 1000 and 1000b. Regarding this, Figure 15A block diagram of a vehicle having a vehicle image device of the present specification is shown.

[0194] Refer to Figures 1 to 15 , a vehicle having a vehicle image device of the present specification will be described. The vehicle 1 is configured to include a windshield 250 and vehicle image devices 1000, 1000b. The windshield 250 is disposed in front of the vehicle 1. The vehicle image devices 1000, 1000b are disposed inside the instrument panel 250 of the vehicle 1 and between the windshield 250 and the instrument panel 1001.

[0195] The vehicle image device 1000 is configured to include a cover 1010, an image forming device 1100, a mirror 1310, and a diffused area 1320. Regarding this, the vehicle image device can be implemented by Figure 12 and Figure 13 the vehicle image device 1000b. The vehicle image device 1000b can be configured to include a cover 1010, an image forming device 1100, a mirror 1310b, and a diffused area 1320b.

[0196] Hereinafter, for the sake of convenience of description, the vehicle image device 1000 including the cover 1010, the image forming device 1100, the mirror 1310, and the diffused area 1320 will be described. The cover 1010 can form the appearance of the instrument panel (dash board) 1001 of the vehicle. Inside the cover 1010, an image forming device 1100, a concave mirror 1311, and a diffused area 1320 can be disposed.

[0197] The mirror 1310 can be configured to include a concave mirror 1311 and a polarization film 1312. The concave mirror 1311 can be disposed inside the instrument panel 1001 of the vehicle. The concave mirror 1311 is formed to reflect the optical signal inside the instrument panel 1001. The polarization film 1312 can be disposed on at least one surface of the concave mirror 1311. The polarization film 1312 can be a linear polarization film that transmits at least one of S-polarized light or P-polarized light and reflects the remaining one.

[0198] The image forming device (PGU: Picture Generation Unit) 1100 can be disposed inside the instrument panel 1001. The image forming device 1100 can be configured to form an optical signal on one side. The image forming device 1100 includes various projection devices and a display for displaying pixels on a screen. The image forming device 1100 can be implemented by a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), DLP (Digital Light Processing), LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon), or a micro light-emitting diode (micro LED).

[0199] The concave mirror 1311 can be separately disposed from the PGU 1100 to allow the optical signal from the PGU 1100 to pass through. The polarization film 1312 can be disposed on at least one surface of the concave mirror 1311. The polarization film 1312 can be formed to selectively transmit or reflect the optical signal according to the polarization component of the optical signal from the PGU 1100.

[0200] The diffusing area 1320 can be separately disposed from the concave mirror 1311 to display an image of the optical signal that has passed through the concave mirror 1311. The surface of the diffusing area 1320 can be formed to diffuse the sunlight inside the instrument panel 1001. The surface of the diffusing area 1320 can be formed to reflect the sunlight flowing into the instrument panel 1001 in all directions and be absorbed inside the instrument panel 1001.

[0201] On the other hand, the sunlight that has passed through the cover 1010 is reflected by the concave mirror 1311 and diffused in the diffusing area 1320. Regarding this, the sunlight incident on the diffusing area 1320 is reflected in all directions and absorbed by the inner area of the cover 1010.

[0202] Regarding this, the sunlight SL1 that has passed through the cover 10001 is reflected by the mirror 1310 having the concave mirror 1311 and the polarization film 1312, and the sunlight SL2 reflected by the mirror 1310 travels toward the diffusing area 1320. The sunlight SL3 reflected by the diffusing area 1320 and traveling toward the cover 1001 is absorbed by the second surface (back surface) of the cover 1001. The sunlight SL4 reflected by the diffusing area 1320 and traveling toward the mirror 1320 is reflected by the mirror 1320 and absorbed by the lower area of the instrument panel 1001.

[0203] The diffusing area 1320 can form a diffusing pattern on the screen to reflect sunlight in all directions. Alternatively, the diffusing area 1320 can form a diffusing film by laminating a mirror to reflect sunlight in all directions.

[0204] The instrument panel 1001 may include a first region 1001a formed with a cover 1010 and a second region 1001b where the PGU 1100 is disposed. The sunlight SL3 reflected by the diffusing region 1320 and traveling toward the first region 1001a of the instrument panel 1001 is absorbed by the cover 1010 formed in the first region 1001a of the instrument panel 1001. The sunlight SL4 reflected by the diffusing region 1320 and traveling toward the second region 1001b of the instrument panel 1001 is absorbed by the second region 1001b of the instrument panel 1001.

[0205] A first absorption film that absorbs sunlight may be attached to the second surface of the cover 1010 formed in the first region 1001a of the instrument panel 1001. A second absorption film body that absorbs sunlight may be attached to the second region 1001b of the instrument panel 1001. The first absorption film may be formed to absorb the sunlight SL3 and allow the optical signal to pass through.

[0206] The cover 1010 may form the appearance (front surface) of the instrument panel 1001. The cover 1010 may be formed to allow the optical signal reflected by the diffusing region 1320 and the concave mirror 1311 to pass through. The sunlight passing through the first surface S1 of the cover 1010 is reflected by the concave mirror 1311 and incident on the diffusing region 1320. The sunlight incident on the diffusing region 1320 may be reflected in various directions and absorbed by the second surface S2 of the cover 1010.

[0207] On the other hand, the vehicle image device 1000 of the present specification is configured to further include a phase retarder 1322. In this regard, the diffusing region 1320 is configured to include a screen 1321 and a phase retarder 1322. For the structure in which the diffusing film is laminated in the diffusing region 1320, the screen 1321 may be replaced by a mirror.

[0208] As described above, the vehicle image device capable of avoiding sunlight and the vehicle having the vehicle image device of the present specification have been described. The technical effects of the vehicle image device capable of avoiding sunlight and the vehicle having the vehicle image device of the present specification are summarized as follows, but are not limited thereto.

[0209] According to an embodiment of the present specification, a vehicle image device designed to avoid sunlight in the driver's field of view region and a vehicle having the vehicle image device can be provided.

[0210] According to an embodiment of the present specification, in the HUD structure in which a polarization film is disposed on the concave mirror and a phase retardation film is disposed on the diffusing screen, it is possible to avoid visual field defects caused by sunlight while reducing the height of the overall structure and miniaturizing the volume.

[0211] According to an embodiment of the present specification, a phase delay film is configured to selectively achieve transmission / reflection, thereby miniaturizing the volume and applying a diffuser screen to avoid sunlight defects.

[0212] According to an embodiment of the present specification, the retroreflective light of sunlight is diffused to avoid heat damage to the display and the phenomenon of driver glare caused by the retroreflective light.

[0213] According to an embodiment of the present specification, on the basis of avoiding the visual field defects caused by sunlight, by adjusting the distance and angle from the concave mirror to the diffuser screen, a customized design of a vehicle imaging device can be achieved according to the limited space inside the vehicle.

[0214] The above-described present invention can be implemented by computer-readable code in a medium recording a program. The computer-readable medium includes all kinds of recording devices storing data readable by a computer system. As examples of the computer-readable medium, there are HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Disk), SDD (Silicon Disk Drive), ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage device, etc. In addition, the above computer may further include a processor or a control unit. Therefore, the above detailed description should not be construed as limiting in all aspects, but should be regarded as illustrative. The scope of the present invention should be determined by a reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes within the equivalent scope of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An imaging device for a vehicle, comprising: A PGU as an image forming device, which is disposed inside the instrument panel of the vehicle and forms an optical signal on one side. The PGU is a Picture Generation Unit, that is, an image generation unit; A concave mirror, which is separately disposed from the above-mentioned PGU to allow the above-mentioned optical signal to pass through; A polarizing film, which is disposed on at least one surface of the above-mentioned concave mirror, and selectively transmits or reflects the above-mentioned optical signal according to the polarization component of the above-mentioned optical signal; A diffusing area, which is separately disposed from the above-mentioned concave mirror to display an image of the optical signal passing through the above-mentioned concave mirror, and the surface of the diffusing area is formed to reflect the sunlight flowing into the instrument panel in all directions and be absorbed inside the instrument panel; and A cover, which forms the appearance of the above-mentioned instrument panel, and the optical signal reflected by the above-mentioned diffusing area and the above-mentioned concave mirror passes through the cover.

2. The vehicle image device according to claim 1, wherein, The imaging device for the vehicle includes: A phase retarder, which is disposed on the front surface of the above-mentioned diffusing area to delay the phase of the polarization component of the above-mentioned optical signal.

3. The imaging device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein The concave mirror attached with the above-mentioned polarizing film allows the optical signal formed by the above-mentioned PGU to pass through, The optical signal reflected by the above-mentioned phase retarder and the screen through the above-mentioned diffusing area is reflected by the above-mentioned concave mirror and turned to a specific area of the windshield of the vehicle.

4. The imaging device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein The above-mentioned PGU is disposed at an inclination angle less than 90 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane, The above-mentioned concave mirror is disposed at a first inclination angle greater than 90 degrees with respect to the above-mentioned horizontal plane.

5. The imaging device for a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein The above-mentioned PGU is formed to have a first length on a plane corresponding to the above-mentioned inclination angle, The above-mentioned concave mirror is formed to have a second length on a plane corresponding to the above-mentioned first inclination angle, The above-mentioned second length of the above-mentioned concave mirror is longer than the above-mentioned first length of the above-mentioned PGU.

6. The imaging device for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein The above-mentioned diffusing area is disposed at a second inclination angle greater than 90 degrees with respect to the above-mentioned horizontal plane, The above-mentioned diffusing area is formed to have a third length on a plane corresponding to the above-mentioned second inclination angle, The above-mentioned second inclination angle of the above-mentioned diffusing area is greater than the above-mentioned inclination angle of the above-mentioned PGU and less than the above-mentioned first inclination angle of the above-mentioned concave mirror, The above-mentioned third length of the above-mentioned diffusing area is longer than the above-mentioned first length of the above-mentioned PGU and shorter than the above-mentioned second length of the above-mentioned concave mirror.

7. The vehicle image device according to claim 6, wherein, The imaging device for the vehicle further includes: A motor, which is configured to be combined with the back surface of the above-mentioned diffusing area to adjust the above-mentioned second inclination angle of the above-mentioned diffusing area.

8. The imaging device for a vehicle according to claim 6, wherein The above-mentioned cover is disposed between a first point and a second point on the front surface of the above-mentioned instrument panel, The above-mentioned PGU is disposed in a first area where the above-mentioned cover is not disposed, The above-mentioned concave mirror is disposed adjacent to the above-mentioned first point of the above-mentioned cover, The above-mentioned diffusing area is disposed at a predetermined distance inward from the above-mentioned second point of the above-mentioned cover with respect to the instrument panel.

9. The imaging device for a vehicle according to claim 8, wherein The above-mentioned PGU is arranged at a first distance which is the shortest optical path distance and a second distance which is the longest optical path distance from the above-mentioned concave mirror. The above-mentioned concave mirror is arranged at a third distance which is the shortest optical path distance and a fourth distance which is the longest optical path distance from the above-mentioned diffused area. The values of the above-mentioned first distance, the above-mentioned second distance, the above-mentioned third distance and the above-mentioned fourth distance increase in sequence.

10. An imaging device for a vehicle, comprising: A PGU as an image forming device, which is arranged inside the instrument panel of the vehicle and forms an optical signal on one side. The PGU is a Picture Generation Unit, that is, an image generation unit. A diffused area, which is arranged separately from the above-mentioned concave mirror to display the image of the optical signal formed by the above-mentioned PGU, and the surface of the diffused area is formed to reflect the sunlight flowing into the instrument panel in all directions and be absorbed inside the instrument panel. A cover, which forms the appearance of the above-mentioned instrument panel, and the optical signal reflected by the above-mentioned diffused area passes through the cover. A polarizing film, which is arranged on at least one side of the above-mentioned cover; and A concave mirror, which is arranged in the upper area of the above-mentioned cover and reflects the optical signal that has passed through the first side and the second side of the cover. The optical signal reflected by the above-mentioned concave mirror is reflected by the above-mentioned first side of the above-mentioned cover and directed towards a specific area of the windshield of the vehicle.

11. The vehicle image device according to claim 10, wherein, The imaging device for the vehicle includes: A phase retarder, which is arranged on the front surface of the above-mentioned concave mirror and delays the phase of the polarization component of the above-mentioned optical signal.

12. The imaging device for a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein The above-mentioned cover with the above-mentioned polarizing film attached allows the optical signal of the first polarization component formed by the above-mentioned PGU and reflected by the diffused area to pass through. The optical signal of the second polarization component reflected by passing through the above-mentioned phase retarder and the above-mentioned concave mirror is reflected by the above-mentioned polarizing film arranged on the above-mentioned first side of the above-mentioned cover.

13. The imaging device for a vehicle according to claim 10, wherein The above-mentioned PGU is arranged at an inclination angle greater than 90 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane. The above-mentioned diffused area is arranged at a first inclination angle less than 90 degrees with respect to the above-mentioned horizontal plane.

14. The imaging device for a vehicle according to claim 13, wherein The above-mentioned PGU is formed to have a first length on a plane corresponding to the above-mentioned inclination angle. The above-mentioned diffused area is formed to have a second length on a plane corresponding to the above-mentioned first inclination angle. The above-mentioned second length of the above-mentioned diffused area is longer than the above-mentioned first length of the above-mentioned PGU.

15. The imaging device for a vehicle according to claim 14, wherein The above-mentioned concave mirror is arranged at a second inclination angle less than 90 degrees with respect to the above-mentioned horizontal plane. The above-mentioned concave mirror is formed to have a third length on a plane corresponding to the above-mentioned second inclination angle. The above-mentioned second inclination angle of the above-mentioned concave mirror is less than the above-mentioned inclination angle of the above-mentioned PGU and greater than the above-mentioned first inclination angle of the above-mentioned diffused area. The length of the light condensing area of the above-mentioned diffused area is longer than the above-mentioned first length of the above-mentioned PGU and shorter than the above-mentioned third length of the above-mentioned concave mirror.

16. The vehicle image device according to claim 15, wherein, The imaging device for the vehicle further includes: A motor configured to be combined with the back surface of the diffusion area to adjust the first tilt angle of the diffusion area.

17. The vehicle image device according to claim 15, wherein the cover is disposed between a first point and a second point on the front surface of the instrument panel, the diffusion area is disposed between a third point and a fourth point on the back surface of the instrument panel, the PGU is disposed inside the cover between the cover and the diffusion area, the concave mirror is disposed between a fifth point and a sixth point in the upper area of the instrument panel, the fifth point of the concave mirror is disposed closer to the lower end of the windshield than the first point, the sixth point of the concave mirror is disposed between the first point and the second point.

18. The vehicle image device according to claim 8, wherein the PGU and the diffusion area are disposed at a first distance, which is the shortest optical path distance, and a second distance, which is the longest optical path distance, the diffusion area and the concave mirror are disposed at a third distance, which is the shortest optical path distance, and a fourth distance, which is the longest optical path distance, the values of the first distance, the second distance, the third distance, and the fourth distance increase in sequence.

Images