A head-up display component and head-up display device

Abstract

The embodiment of the present application provides a head-up display component and a head-up display device. The head-up display component comprises: an image generating unit configured to emit an image light beam along an exit light axis; a small mirror having a reflecting surface for receiving and reflecting the image light beam; and a connecting component having a first end connected with the image generating unit and a second end connected with the small mirror, and a through light path is formed in the connecting component to enable the image light beam to be incident on the reflecting surface of the small mirror from the image generating unit without being blocked and to be emitted towards a large mirror or a vehicle windshield glass after being folded by the reflecting surface without being blocked.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of head-up display technology, and more specifically, to a head-up display component and a head-up display device. Background Technology

[0002] Current head-up display devices generally employ a "distributed" optical architecture, where the image generation unit (PGU) and small reflector are independently fixed and mounted on the instrument panel via separate brackets. This structure has the following inherent drawbacks: Vehicle differences necessitate strong customization—the curvature of the windshield, the space of the eye box, and the installation height vary with the vehicle model, requiring redesign of the PGU bracket, small reflector bracket, and optical path. This results in low mold reuse rate, long development cycle, high cost, and difficulty in achieving platformization. The position of the eye box cannot be actively adjusted - the optical path parameters are fixed in the design stage, and the virtual image projection position cannot be dynamically adjusted according to the driver's height or sitting posture, resulting in limited observation for some users and a decline in the human-computer interaction experience. Low space utilization – separate brackets and redundant fasteners occupy a large volume inside the dashboard, are prone to interference with surrounding parts, and limit the widespread application of HUD in compact vehicles.

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new HUD technology solution to solve the problems of platformization difficulties, non-adjustable eye boxes, and low space utilization caused by the distributed structure. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide a head-up display component and a head-up display device to overcome at least one of the following defects in the prior art: low platformization caused by the dispersed arrangement of optical components, inability to actively adjust the position of the eye box, and insufficient utilization of instrument panel space.

[0005] According to a first aspect of this application, a head-up display (HUD) component is provided. The HUD component includes: an image generation unit configured to emit an image beam along an outgoing optical axis; Small reflectors, having reflective surfaces, are used to receive and reflect the image beam; The connecting component has a first end connected to the image generating unit and a second end connected to the small reflector. The connecting component forms a through optical path so that the image beam can be incident from the image generating unit onto the reflective surface of the small reflector without obstruction, and after being refracted by the reflective surface, it can be emitted without obstruction toward the large reflector or the vehicle windshield.

[0006] Optionally, the connecting component is further provided with a rotating shaft, the axis of which is not parallel to the output light axis; wherein, the rotating shaft is configured to: drive the connecting component and drive the image generation unit and the small reflector to rotate synchronously in the rotation plane defined by the axis around its own axis as the pivot center, so as to switch the output direction of the image beam, thereby selectively projecting the virtual image to the eye box position, or adjusting the head-up display component to the parking position.

[0007] Optionally, the connecting component is formed by several connecting plates enclosing a semi-enclosed frame structure; In the propagation path of the image beam emitted from the image generation unit and the propagation path of the image beam reflected by the small reflector, each of the connecting plates is located outside the beam cross section to ensure that the image beam is completely directed toward the large reflector or the vehicle windshield.

[0008] Optionally, the connecting component includes a first connecting plate and a second connecting plate, both of which extend along the emission optical axis of the image generating unit and are arranged opposite to each other along the axial direction of the rotation axis of the connecting component. The first connecting plate and the second connecting plate together define the first field of view boundary of the image beam emitted by the image generating unit.

[0009] Optionally, when the connecting component is provided with a rotating shaft, the rotating shaft passes through the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate in sequence, and at least one end of the rotating shaft extends outward from the first connecting plate and / or the second connecting plate for connection with an external drive mechanism.

[0010] Optionally, the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate are inclined in a figure-eight configuration, and their relative tilt angle is configured to cover and match the first field of view of the image beam emitted by the image generation unit to ensure complete beam transmission.

[0011] Optionally, the connecting component is further provided with a third connecting plate, which fixes the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate together as one unit; In a direction where both the outgoing optical axis of the image generation unit and the axis of the rotation axis form a non-zero angle, the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate respectively have a first end face and a second end face that are opposite to each other. The third connecting plate is connected to the same side end face of the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate, and is arranged away from the reflected light path of the small reflector, so that it together with the first connecting plate and the second connecting plate forms a semi-closed frame structure and avoids blocking the reflected light beam.

[0012] Optionally, the third connecting plate has a first end and a second end arranged sequentially along the direction of the emitted optical axis, the first end being connected to the non-emitting area of ​​the image generation unit; the third connecting plate extends to form a light-shielding edge, the geometric contour of the light-shielding edge being configured to define the effective field of view boundary of the image generation unit.

[0013] Optionally, the connecting component has a first frame and a second frame arranged sequentially along the direction of the emitted optical axis, the image generation unit is detachably disposed on the first frame, and the small reflector is detachably disposed on the second frame.

[0014] Optionally, the rotation axis is disposed between the small reflector and the image generation unit, and its axial position along the direction of the emitted light axis is determined according to the composite centroid of the image generation unit, the connecting component and the small reflector, so that the radial distance between the axis of the rotation axis and the composite centroid is zero or minimal, thereby maintaining dynamic balance during rotation.

[0015] According to a second aspect of this application, a head-up display device is provided. The head-up display device includes the head-up display component as described in the first aspect.

[0016] Optionally, the head-up display device further includes a large reflector located downstream of the reflected light path of the small reflector and configured to receive the image beam reflected by the small reflector and reflect it a second time onto the vehicle's windshield.

[0017] Optionally, the surface shape of the large reflector, the spatial position of the large reflector relative to the small reflector, and the relative angle and distance between the large reflector and the windshield are all determined based on the following factors: The beam divergence angle and image plane characteristics are determined by the type of the image generation unit; The preset optical parameters of the head-up display device; This allows the image beam reflected by the windshield to form a virtual image that conforms to a preset specification at the driver's eye box.

[0018] One technical advantage of this application is: In the technical solution provided in this application embodiment, the connecting component connects the image generation unit and the small reflector to form an integrated head-up display component, realizing the unitization and platformization of the HUD optical module, which can quickly adapt to different vehicle models with different windshield curvatures or dashboard space limitations; the integrated structure eliminates the traditional distributed bracket, significantly reducing the volume and number of parts, making the head-up display component more compact overall.

[0019] Other features and advantages of this specification will become clear from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of this specification and, together with their description, serve to explain the principles of this specification.

[0021] Figure 1 The diagram shown is a structural diagram of the head-up display component provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0022] Figure 2 The diagram shows the structure of the head-up display component provided in this application applied to a head-up display device. Figure 1 .

[0023] Figure 3 The diagram shows the structure of the head-up display component provided in this application applied to a head-up display device. Figure 2 .

[0024] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Image generation unit; 2. Small reflector; 3. Connecting component; 31. First connecting plate; 32. Second connecting plate; 33. Third connecting plate; 34. Rotation axis; 4. Large reflector; 5. Windshield; 6. Eye box. Detailed Implementation

[0025] Various exemplary embodiments of the present application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present application.

[0026] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the scope of this application and its application or use.

[0027] Technologies and equipment known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such technologies and equipment should be considered part of the specification.

[0028] In all the examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values.

[0029] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be discussed further in subsequent figures.

[0030] The technical solution of this application will be further described below with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0031] This application provides a heads-up display component. (Refer to...) Figures 1-3 The head-up display component includes: an image generation unit 1, configured to emit an image beam along the outgoing optical axis; Small reflector 2, having a reflective surface, is used to receive and reflect the image beam; The connecting component 3 has its first end connected to the image generating unit 1 and its second end connected to the small reflector 2. The connecting component 3 forms a through optical path so that the image beam is incident from the image generating unit 1 onto the reflective surface of the small reflector 2 without obstruction, and after being refracted by the reflective surface, it is emitted without obstruction toward the large reflector 4 or the vehicle windshield 5.

[0032] In this embodiment, the head-up display (HUD) component is an integrated HUD component, which includes the following components: an image generation unit 1, a small reflector 2, and a connecting component 3. The image generation unit 1 and the small reflector 2 are integrated into a modular optical component through the connecting component 3, thereby solving at least one technical problem in the prior art, namely, the difficulty in platformization caused by the distributed optical architecture and the low space utilization of the instrument panel.

[0033] Image generation unit 1 emits an image beam along a preset output optical axis, serving as the optical source for virtual image projection. The specific size and type of image generation unit 1 can be flexibly selected based on the required field of view, virtual image distance, and brightness specifications of the target vehicle model. Examples include: 1.8-inch, 3.1-inch, 4.1-inch, or 5.1-inch TFT-LCD micro-display modules, DLP chipsets, or LCoS chipsets; or any combination thereof, to meet the optical performance requirements of different HUD specifications.

[0034] The small reflector 2 has a high-precision reflective surface, which is used to receive and reflect the image beam to complete the initial reversal of the optical path direction; its outgoing optical path is configured according to the architecture type of the head-up display device: directly pointing to the vehicle windshield 5, or pointing to the vehicle windshield 5 after secondary reflection by the large reflector 4.

[0035] Specifically, this application includes a connecting component 3 between the small reflector 2 and the image generating unit 1. The first end of the connecting component 3 is fixedly or detachably connected to the image generating unit 1, and the second end of the connecting component 3 is fixedly or detachably connected to the small reflector 2. The interior of the connecting component 3 forms a through-light path, which ensures unobstructed transmission of the image beam from the image generating unit 1 to the reflecting surface of the small reflector 2, and after reflection, it is unobstructedly directed towards the large reflector 4 or the vehicle windshield 5.

[0036] Preferably, the first end of the connecting component 3 is detachably connected to the image generation unit 1, and the second end of the connecting component 3 is detachably connected to the image generation unit 1.

[0037] In this embodiment, depending on the optical performance parameters required by the target vehicle model (such as resolution, luminous flux, color gamut, etc.), different types of PGU modules (e.g., LCD, DLP, LCoS, etc.) can be selectively installed at the first end of the connecting component 3. The connection method between the image generation unit 1 and the first end of the connecting component 3 includes the following two modes: Fixed connection mode: When the first end of the connecting component 3 is rigidly connected to the PGU (such as by welding, riveting or a dedicated fixed interface), the PGU module and the connecting component 3 form a stable optical reference, without the need to optimize the relative position of the PGU and the small reflector 2 for a single vehicle model.

[0038] Detachable connection mode: When using a standardized detachable interface (such as a snap-fit, screw quick-release structure or optical alignment positioning device), the same connecting component 3 can be compatible with multiple types of PGU modules, supporting quick replacement across vehicle models.

[0039] In this embodiment of the application, according to the optical path requirements such as the virtual image projection angle and virtual image distance of the target vehicle model, small reflectors 2 of different specifications can be selectively configured at the second end of the connecting component 3. Specifically, this includes: adjusting the radius of curvature of the reflective surface to match the curvature of different windshields 5; and selecting differentiated reflective coatings (such as high reflectivity coatings and wavelength selective coatings) to optimize light efficiency.

[0040] The small reflector 2 and the second end of the connecting component 3 can be fixedly connected (to ensure long-term stability) or detachably connected (to support modular replacement). Neither of these requires special calibration of the relative position of the PGU-small reflector 2.

[0041] In this embodiment, regardless of whether the connection method between the connecting component 3 and the image generation unit 1 and the small reflector 2 is a fixed connection or a detachable connection, the connecting component 3 provided in this embodiment achieves the following technical effects: Simplified optical path optimization process: The relative position of PGU and small reflector 2 is guaranteed by the mechanical structure of connecting component 3, and there is no need to re-optimize due to changes in vehicle model. During the simulation, only the position and surface shape of large reflector 4 need to be adjusted according to the overall parameters of the head-up display component.

[0042] Improving component reusability: In fixed connection scenarios, the same head-up display component can be adapted to different vehicle types by adjusting the position and shape of the large reflector 4. In detachable connection scenarios, the standardized interface design allows a single connection component 3 to be compatible with different specifications of PGU and small reflector 2 modules, significantly reducing mold costs and development cycle.

[0043] Therefore, in this embodiment, the connecting component 3 connects the image generation unit 1 and the small reflector 2 to form an integrated head-up display component, realizing the unitization and platformization of the HUD optical module, which can quickly adapt to different vehicle models with different windshield curvatures or dashboard space limitations; the integrated structure eliminates the traditional distributed bracket, significantly reducing the volume and number of parts, making the head-up display component more compact overall.

[0044] In a further embodiment, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 In addition to ensuring that the aforementioned head-up display component is applicable to head-up display devices for different vehicle models, a rotating shaft 34 is further provided on the connecting component 3. The rotating shaft 34 drives the image generation unit 1 and the small reflector 2 to rotate as a whole, allowing continuous adjustment of their spatial position. This ensures compatibility with the rotating shaft arrangements required by different vehicle model head-up display devices, and enables the dynamic projection of the virtual image onto any height position of the eye box 6 or the folding of the entire module to a parking, light-avoiding position. This achieves full coverage of multiple vehicle models, multiple eye box 6 positions, and parking protection functions with the same module, enhancing platform adaptability and layout flexibility.

[0045] Specifically, the connecting component 3 is also provided with a rotating shaft 34, the axis of which is not parallel to the emitted light axis. The rotating shaft 34 is configured to drive the connecting component 3 and the image generating unit 1 and the small reflector 2 to rotate synchronously within the plane defined by the axis, using its own axis as a pivot center. This allows for a complete switch of the emitted direction of the image beam without changing the relative posture between the image generating unit 1 and the small reflector 2, thereby selectively projecting the virtual image onto the eye box 6 or adjusting the head-up display component to the parking position. Simultaneously, the rotating shaft 34 is fixed to the connecting component 3, and its axis is in a non-parallel (e.g., tilted or perpendicular) spatial relationship with the emitted light axis of the image generating unit 1. The axis of the rotating shaft 34 serves as a pivot center, driving the connecting component 3 to rotate within the plane defined by the axis of the rotating shaft 34 and the emitted light axis via an external drive mechanism (e.g., a motor).

[0046] In this embodiment, when the rotating shaft 34 rotates within the rotation plane defined by the axis and the outgoing optical axis, based on the connection method between the image generation unit 1 and the small reflector 2, the outgoing direction of the image beam is switched as a whole without changing the relative posture between the image generation unit 1 and the small reflector 2, thereby selectively projecting the virtual image to the position of the eye box 6, or adjusting the head-up display component to the parking position.

[0047] Specifically, the image generation unit 1 and the small reflector 2 are fixed together by the connecting component 3 and share a single rotation axis 34 to form an optical module that can be rotated as a whole. For the same module, only the rotation angle needs to be changed to adapt to the curvature of the windshield glass 5, the height of the eye box 6 and the installation space of different car models, realizing "one thing for multiple uses", significantly shortening the development cycle and reducing mold costs. Meanwhile, the rotating shaft 34 design, for a single vehicle model, continuously adjusts the light path's emission direction via the rotating shaft 34, allowing the virtual image to quickly match the eye box 6 position for drivers of different heights, improving observation comfort and driving safety. Furthermore, when the vehicle is off or parked, driving the rotating shaft 34 synchronously rotates the head-up display components to the parking position, effectively avoiding direct sunlight and preventing critical optical components such as the LCD panel and reflective film from aging and failing due to high temperatures. (Refer to...) Figure 2 The small reflector 2 and the image generation unit 1 share a common rotation axis 34, such as Figure 2 As shown, Figure 2 The four colors (yellow, green, blue, and red) of the dotted lines correspond to the positions of the upper, middle, and lower eye boxes 6 in the working state and the parking position rotation axis 34 in the non-working position.

[0048] Specifically, the axis of rotation 34 is not parallel to the output optical axis of image generation unit 1 (PGU), and both define a rotation plane. PGU and small reflector 2 are fixedly connected by connecting component 3, so any angular displacement around the rotation axis 34 keeps the relative attitude of PGU and small reflector 2 unchanged, but changes the beam pointing angle before secondary reflection. This pointing angle has a one-to-one mapping relationship with the rotation angle of rotation axis 34. Since large reflector 4 and windshield 5 are fixed relative to the vehicle body, the change in pointing angle is equivalent to changing the imaging angle of the virtual image in the height direction, thereby continuously translating the virtual image center to the eye box 6 area (upper / middle / lower) for drivers of different heights. When the rotation angle continues to increase to the preset parking angle, the "parking" light-avoiding state of the non-working position is achieved. Therefore, by continuously rotating around a single rotation axis 34 in the plane, eye box 6 matching and parking protection can be completed simultaneously without redesigning the optical components, achieving the purpose of "one axis, multiple states" for rapid adjustment.

[0049] Therefore, in this embodiment, the image generation unit 1 and the small reflector 2 are connected as one unit via the connecting component 3, realizing a modular setup of the image generation unit 1 and the small reflector 2 in the head-up display. This supports rapid response to diverse vehicle model requirements, and is particularly suitable for vehicle platforms with varying windshield curvatures or dashboard space limitations. Simultaneously, a rotating shaft 34 is provided on the connecting component 3. The image generation unit 1 and the small reflector 2 share a single rotating shaft 34, forming a rotatable optical module. The same optical module can adapt to different vehicle models' windshield curvatures, eye box heights, and installation spaces simply by changing the rotation angle, achieving a platform-based "one-thing-multiple-use" solution. This significantly shortens the development cycle and reduces mold costs. Furthermore, the module provides overall light protection when the engine is off, eliminating the need for an additional sunshade mechanism and extending the lifespan of the PGU and reflective film layer. In addition, by connecting the image generation unit 1 and the small reflector 2 as one unit via the connecting component 3, and by adjusting the positions of the image generation unit 1 and the small reflector 2 by rotating the rotating shaft 34, the structure of the head-up display component becomes more compact, reducing its size to a certain extent.

[0050] According to the embodiments of this application, refer to Figure 1 The connecting component 3 is formed by several connecting plates enclosing a semi-enclosed frame structure; On the propagation path of the image beam emitted from the image generation unit 1 and the propagation path of the image beam reflected by the small reflector 2, each of the connecting plates is located outside the beam cross section to ensure that the image beam is completely directed toward the large reflector 4 or the vehicle windshield 5.

[0051] In this embodiment, the connecting component 3 adopts a semi-enclosed frame structure, specifically composed of several connecting plates rigidly connected (such as by welding, riveting, or integral molding). The connecting plates are distributed circumferentially along the optical path of the image generation unit 1 (PGU) and the small reflector 2, forming an open semi-enclosed shape, which provides structural support while avoiding obstruction of the optical path.

[0052] On the propagation path of the beam emitted from the PGU and the propagation path of the beam reflected by the small reflector 2, the edge contours of each connecting plate are strictly located outside the beam cross-section range, ensuring that the beam is projected onto subsequent optical components (such as the large reflector 4) or the vehicle windshield 5 without obstruction.

[0053] The optical path avoidance design in this embodiment reduces the relative positional accuracy requirements of the connecting component 3 for the PGU and the small reflector 2, allowing the same optical module to adapt to windshields 5 with different curvatures and different eye box heights 6, reducing the cost of structural redesign due to vehicle model changes.

[0054] In one exemplary embodiment, reference is made to Figure 3The connecting component 3 can be located only on the A and B sides outside the PGU output beam section and on the C side away from the reflected light path of the small reflector 2, while leaving an open space on the propagation side of the reflected beam of the small reflector 2. This open side is not obstructed by a connecting plate, thus allowing for freedom in the different spatial positions, radii of curvature, and tilt angles of the large reflector 4, and allowing the reflected beam to pass through unimpeded when the curvature, installation tilt angle, and height of the eye box 6 of the vehicle windshield 5 change. This enables the same frame structure to be compatible with the optical parameters of multiple vehicle models, further ensuring the HUD platform adaptability.

[0055] According to a specific embodiment of this application, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3 The connecting component 3 includes a first connecting plate 31 and a second connecting plate 32. The first connecting plate 31 and the second connecting plate 32 both extend along the emission optical axis of the image generating unit 1 and are arranged opposite to each other along the axis of the rotation axis 34 of the connecting component 3. The first connecting plate 31 and the second connecting plate 32 together define the first field of view boundary of the image beam emitted by the image generating unit 1.

[0056] In this embodiment, the first connecting plate 31 and the second connecting plate 32 extend along the output optical axis of the image generation unit 1 and are symmetrically arranged around the axis of the rotation axis 34; the relative inner surfaces of the two plates together form a first field of view boundary in the projection plane perpendicular to the output optical axis, which is used to limit the cross-sectional range of the PGU output image beam and ensure that the beam is not mechanically cut off or deformed in the through optical path.

[0057] For example, it is configured to define the horizontal field of view boundary of the image beam emitted by the image generation unit 1 in order to suppress horizontal stray light and ensure that the horizontal width of the virtual image at the position of the eye box 6 meets the design specifications.

[0058] For example, the relative inner surfaces may be treated with matte blackening or microstructure light-absorbing treatment to further suppress stray light reflection and improve imaging contrast.

[0059] In one specific embodiment, refer to Figure 1 When the connecting component 3 is provided with a rotating shaft 34, the rotating shaft 34 passes through the first connecting plate 31 and the second connecting plate 32 in sequence, and at least one end of the rotating shaft 34 extends outward from the first connecting plate 31 and / or the second connecting plate 32 for connection with an external drive mechanism.

[0060] In this embodiment, the rotating shaft 34 is disposed on the connecting component 3, and at least one end of the rotating shaft 34 extends outward from the first connecting plate 31 and / or the second connecting plate 32 to form a drive connecting end, which is used to rigidly connect with an external drive mechanism (such as a motor, gear set, etc.) to realize the rotation adjustment function of the connecting component 3.

[0061] It should be noted that this embodiment does not limit the specific driving mechanism for driving the rotating shaft 34 to rotate; any driving form that can drive the rotating shaft 34 to produce angular displacement in the rotation plane jointly defined by its axis and the emitted optical axis should fall within the protection scope of this application.

[0062] In this further embodiment, the first connecting plate 31 and the second connecting plate 32 are inclined in a figure-eight shape relative to each other, and their relative tilt angle is configured to cover and match the first field of view of the image beam emitted by the image generation unit 1 to ensure complete beam transmission.

[0063] In this embodiment, the tilt angle of the first connecting plate 31 and the second connecting plate 32 is set to perfectly match the first field of view (FOV) of the beam emitted by the image generation unit 1 (PGU) (e.g., tilt angle range of 5°-30°). For example, the relative tilt angle of the first connecting plate 31 and the second connecting plate 32 is equal to or slightly larger than the first field of view of the image beam emitted by the PGU, so that the inner surface of the plate is always outside the beam cross section, completely eliminating horizontal mechanical obstruction and ensuring the integrity of the horizontal width of the virtual image.

[0064] In addition, the figure-eight structure of the first connecting plate 31 and the second connecting plate 32 forms a gradually expanding beam channel, and its inner surface is treated with optical coating (e.g., reflectivity ≤1%) to avoid stray light generated by diffraction or reflection of the beam at the edge of the connecting plate, thus ensuring the contrast of the virtual image.

[0065] According to the embodiments of this application, refer to Figure 1 The connecting component 3 is further provided with a third connecting plate 33, which fixes the first connecting plate 31 and the second connecting plate 32 together as one unit; In the direction where both the emitted optical axis of the image generation unit 1 and the axis of the rotation axis 34 form non-zero angles, the first connecting plate 31 and the second connecting plate 32 have a first end face and a second end face that are opposite to each other. The third connecting plate 33 is connected to the same side end face of the first connecting plate 31 and the second connecting plate 32, and is set away from the reflected light path of the small reflector 2, so that it together with the first connecting plate 31 and the second connecting plate 32 forms a semi-closed frame structure, and avoids blocking the reflected light beam.

[0066] In this embodiment, the connecting component 3 forms a semi-enclosed frame structure by introducing a third connecting plate 33. The third connecting plate 33 extends along the output optical axis of the image generation unit 1 (PGU), and its two ends are connected to the same side end faces (first end face and second end face) of the first connecting plate 31 and the second connecting plate 32, respectively, forming a semi-enclosed frame structure with three sides enclosed and one side open. The structure is positioned away from the reflected light path of the small reflector 2 (i.e., the open side is away from the propagation path of the reflected beam), ensuring that the third connecting plate 33 does not enter the effective propagation area of ​​the reflected beam (e.g., the minimum distance between the reflected beam and the third connecting plate 33 is ≥5mm), thus avoiding occlusion or interference with the virtual image imaging. In addition, the fact that the third connecting plate 33 does not enter the effective propagation area of ​​the reflected beam allows it to accommodate the diverse optical path requirements of large reflectors 4 and windshields 5 with different curvatures.

[0067] In this further embodiment, reference is made to Figure 1 The third connecting plate 33 has a first end and a second end arranged sequentially along the direction of the emitted light axis. The first end is connected to the non-emitting area of ​​the image generation unit 1. The third connecting plate 33 extends to form a light-shielding edge, and the geometric contour of the light-shielding edge is configured to define the effective field of view boundary of the image generation unit 1.

[0068] In this embodiment, the third connecting plate 33 is divided into a first end and a second end along the optical axis of the image generation unit 1 (PGU). The first end is rigidly connected to the non-light-emitting area of ​​the PGU (such as the heat dissipation substrate or the edge of the housing) (such as by screws or clips). The connection position avoids the effective light-emitting surface of the PGU (such as ≥2mm from the edge of the light-emitting surface) to ensure that it does not occupy the effective optical space.

[0069] The second end of the third connecting plate 33 extends from the first end along the direction of the emitted optical axis to near the effective field of view boundary of the optical system (e.g., extending to the boundary position of the vertical field of view ±15°), and its extended portion forms a light-shielding edge. The geometric profile of the light-shielding edge (e.g., stepped, arc-shaped, or beveled) is precisely configured to match the effective field of view (FOV) of the emitted beam from the PGU, ensuring that only beams within the target field of view (e.g., within the ±15° field of view) are allowed to pass through, while stray light outside the field of view (e.g., light with a field of view >15°) is blocked, thereby significantly suppressing imaging noise such as ghosting and glare at the edge of the virtual image.

[0070] According to an embodiment of this application, the connecting component 3 has a first frame and a second frame arranged sequentially along the direction of the emitted optical axis, the image generation unit 1 is detachably disposed on the first frame, and the small reflector 2 is detachably disposed on the second frame.

[0071] In this embodiment, the connecting component 3 is provided with a first frame and a second frame along the direction of the emitted light axis. Both the first frame and the second frame adopt detachable interfaces, so that the image generation unit 1 and the small reflector 2 can be independently and quickly assembled and disassembled.

[0072] The image generation unit 1 is detachably mounted on the first frame, and the small reflector 2 is detachably mounted on the second frame. The same connecting component 3 can be compatible with various PGU sizes and small reflectors 2 with different curvatures, such as 1.8″-5.1″, by replacing the first frame / second frame of different specifications. This realizes the platform strategy of "unchanged substrate and local replacement", which significantly reduces development costs. In a further embodiment, the main body of the connecting component 3 and the positioning surface of the frame are processed in one go. The detachable interface adopts a benchmark coincidence design to ensure that the relative attitude accuracy between the PGU and the small reflector 2 remains unchanged after repeated assembly, avoiding secondary optical calibration and shortening the assembly cycle.

[0073] According to the embodiments of this application, refer to Figure 1 The rotating shaft 34 is disposed between the small reflector 2 and the image generating unit 1. Its axial position along the direction of the emitted light axis is determined according to the composite centroid of the image generating unit 1, the connecting component 3 and the small reflector 2, so that the radial distance between the axis of the rotating shaft 34 and the composite centroid is zero or minimal, thereby maintaining dynamic balance during rotation.

[0074] In this embodiment, the axial position of the rotating shaft 34 along the direction of the emitted light axis is set to have a radial distance of zero or minimum from the centroid of the PGU-connecting component 3-small reflector 2, significantly reducing the rotational centrifugal torque and the peak current of the drive motor, achieving low power consumption, low noise, and rapid adjustment. Furthermore, the centroid-axis coincidence design eliminates eccentric mass, minimizes inertial torque under bumpy driving conditions, reduces virtual image jitter, and improves driving viewing stability.

[0075] By axially moving the rotating axis 34, a flexible balance can be achieved while maintaining equilibrium. When the axis is closer to the PGU, the virtual image displacement is increased to accommodate the large curvature windshield. When the axis is closer to the small reflector 2, the cantilever length is shortened, the overall depth of the HUD is reduced, and the compact dashboard layout is achieved.

[0076] According to the second aspect of this application, referring to Figure 2 A head-up display device is provided. The head-up display device includes the head-up display component as described above.

[0077] In this embodiment, the head-up display device includes a head-up display component as described in the first aspect of this application and any embodiment thereof; the head-up display component serves as the optical and mechanical core module of the head-up display device and is used to generate and initially fold the image beam to achieve virtual image projection or folding to the parking position.

[0078] The head-up display component provided in this application embodiment is applied in a head-up display device, making the head-up display device compact and applicable to different vehicle models.

[0079] According to an embodiment of this application, the head-up display device further includes a large reflector 4, which is located downstream of the reflected light path of the small reflector 2 and is configured to receive the image beam reflected by the small reflector 2 and reflect it a second time to the vehicle windshield 5.

[0080] In this embodiment, the large reflector 4 is positioned downstream of the reflected light path of the small reflector 2, forming a secondary reflection stage. The reflective surface of the large reflector 4 receives the image beam emitted from the small reflector 2 and deflects it again towards the vehicle's windshield 5 to form a virtual image in front of the driver. The large reflector 4 and the head-up display (including the small reflector 2) together form a dual-reflection optical architecture. By folding the light path through two reflections, the physical depth of the HUD is significantly shortened, meeting the requirements of a compact dashboard layout.

[0081] According to the embodiments of this application, the surface shape of the large reflector 4, the spatial position of the large reflector 4 relative to the small reflector 2, and the relative angle and distance between the large reflector 4 and the windshield 5 are all determined based on the following factors: The beam divergence angle and image plane characteristics are determined by the type of the image generation unit 1; The preset optical parameters of the head-up display device; This allows the image beam reflected by the windshield 5 to form a virtual image that conforms to preset specifications at the driver's eye box 6.

[0082] In this embodiment, the surface shape (freeform, spherical or aspherical), spatial pose (six degrees of freedom relative to the small mirror 2), and the installation angle and distance between the large mirror 4 and the windshield 5 are determined by the beam divergence angle and image plane characteristics determined by the type of image generation unit 1, combined with the preset optical parameters of HUD (virtual image distance, field of view, size of eye box 6, brightness) to achieve optical path matching between the windshield 5, the large mirror 4, and the small mirror 2.

[0083] Since the connecting component 3 connects the image generation unit 1 and the small reflector 2 into an integrated module, their relative positions and optical parameters are known constants in the simulation model. Therefore, the optimization process only needs to iteratively calculate the surface shape and spatial setting variables of the large reflector 4 to quickly obtain the optical configuration that meets the preset image quality requirements, which significantly shortens the design cycle and reduces development costs.

[0084] In a specific embodiment, the optical model is input with the following boundary conditions: field of view: 9°×3°; eye box 6: 130mm×50mm, allowable offset ±50mm; virtual image distance: 4000mm; downward viewing angle: -3.8°; distance from human eye to windshield 5: 1200mm; peripheral hard points: connecting component 3 and instrument panel limiting surface.

[0085] The design steps are as follows: Selection: Based on brightness and resolution requirements, a 3.1-inch PGU head-up display component was selected as the light source module.

[0086] Initial calculation of optical envelope: Based on the given field of view, eyebox 6, imaging distance and downward angle of view, the required effective reflection area inside the windshield 5 is calculated in reverse to obtain the initial optical envelope space size and position between the windshield and the large reflector 4.

[0087] Spatial vector matching: Iterate the optical envelope centerline and the surrounding limiting surface, and adjust the spatial direction vector of the large reflector 4 to (X, Y, Z)=(-0.16, 0.577, -0.801) to make the optical path completely avoid the limiting surface, while ensuring that the position of the light output port surface of the platform module remains unchanged.

[0088] Surface optimization: While keeping the relative attitude of the small mirror 2 and PGU fixed, only the surface of the large mirror 4 is optimized as a free-form surface until the imaging conditions are met and the matching with the platform head-up display component is completed.

[0089] The above embodiments mainly describe the differences between the various embodiments. As long as the different optimization features between the various embodiments are not contradictory, they can be combined to form a better embodiment. For the sake of brevity, they will not be elaborated here.

[0090] While specific embodiments of this application have been described in detail by way of examples, those skilled in the art should understand that the above examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of this application. The scope of this application is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A heads-up display component, characterized in that, include: The image generation unit (1) is configured to emit an image beam along the outgoing optical axis; Small reflector (2), having a reflective surface, is used to receive and reflect the image beam; The connecting component (3) has its first end detachably connected to the image generating unit (1) and its second end detachably connected to the small reflector (2). The connecting component (3) forms a through optical path so that the image beam can be incident from the image generating unit (1) onto the reflective surface of the small reflector (2) without obstruction, and after being refracted by the reflective surface, it can be emitted without obstruction toward the large reflector (4) or the vehicle windshield (5). The connecting component (3) is also provided with a rotating shaft (34), the axis of which is not parallel to the emitted light axis; The rotating shaft (34) is configured to drive the connecting component (3) and the image generating unit (1) and the small reflector (2) to rotate synchronously in the rotation plane defined by the axis, with its own axis as the pivot center, so as to switch the emission direction of the image beam and selectively project the virtual image to the position of the eye box (6), or adjust the head-up display component to the parking position.

2. The head-up display component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting component (3) is formed by several connecting plates enclosing a semi-enclosed frame structure; On the propagation path of the image beam emitted from the image generation unit (1) and the propagation path of the image beam reflected by the small reflector (2), each of the connecting plates is located outside the beam cross section to ensure that the image beam is completely directed to the large reflector (4) or the vehicle windshield (5).

3. The head-up display component according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The connecting component (3) includes a first connecting plate (31) and a second connecting plate (32). The first connecting plate (31) and the second connecting plate (32) both extend along the emission optical axis of the image generating unit (1) and are arranged opposite to each other along the axis of the rotation axis (34) of the connecting component (3). The first connecting plate (31) and the second connecting plate (32) together define the first field of view boundary of the image beam emitted by the image generating unit (1).

4. The head-up display component according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the connecting component (3) is provided with a rotating shaft (34), the rotating shaft (34) passes through the first connecting plate (31) and the second connecting plate (32) in sequence, and at least one end of the rotating shaft (34) extends outward from the first connecting plate (31) and / or the second connecting plate (32) for connection with an external drive mechanism.

5. The head-up display component according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first connecting plate (31) and the second connecting plate (32) are inclined in a figure-eight shape relative to each other, and their relative tilt angle is configured to cover and match the first field of view of the image beam emitted by the image generation unit (1) to ensure complete beam transmission.

6. The head-up display component according to claim 3, characterized in that, The connecting component (3) is further provided with a third connecting plate (33), which fixes the first connecting plate (31) and the second connecting plate (32) together as one unit; In the direction where both the outgoing optical axis of the image generation unit (1) and the axis of the rotation axis (34) form non-zero angles, the first connecting plate (31) and the second connecting plate (32) have a first end face and a second end face that are opposite to each other. The third connecting plate (33) is connected to the same side end face of the first connecting plate (31) and the second connecting plate (32), and is set away from the reflected light path of the small reflector (2), so that it together with the first connecting plate (31) and the second connecting plate (32) forms a semi-closed frame structure, and avoids blocking the reflected light beam.

7. The head-up display component according to claim 6, characterized in that, The third connecting plate (33) has a first end and a second end arranged sequentially along the direction of the emitted light axis. The first end is connected to the non-emitting area of ​​the image generation unit (1). The third connecting plate (33) extends to form a light-shielding edge. The geometric contour of the light-shielding edge is configured to define the effective field of view boundary of the image generation unit (1).

8. The head-up display component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting component (3) has a first frame and a second frame arranged sequentially along the direction of the emitted optical axis. The image generation unit (1) is detachably disposed on the first frame, and the small reflector (2) is detachably disposed on the second frame.

9. The head-up display component according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotating shaft (34) is disposed between the small reflector (2) and the image generating unit (1). Its axial position along the direction of the emitted light axis is determined according to the composite centroid of the image generating unit (1), the connecting component (3) and the small reflector (2), so that the radial distance between the axis of the rotating shaft (34) and the composite centroid is zero or minimal, thereby maintaining dynamic balance during rotation.

10. A head-up display device, characterized in that, The head-up display device includes a head-up display component as described in any one of claims 1-9.

11. The head-up display device according to claim 10, characterized in that, The head-up display device also includes a large reflector (4), which is located downstream of the reflected light path of the small reflector (2) and is configured to receive the image beam reflected by the small reflector (2) and reflect it a second time to the vehicle windshield (5).

12. The head-up display device according to claim 11, characterized in that, The surface shape of the large reflector (4), the spatial position of the large reflector (4) relative to the small reflector (2), and the relative angle and distance between the large reflector (4) and the windshield (5) are all determined based on the following factors: The beam divergence angle and image plane characteristics are determined by the type of the image generation unit (1); The preset optical parameters of the head-up display device; This allows the image beam reflected by the windshield (5) to form a virtual image that conforms to a preset specification at the driver's eye box (6).

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