Projection optical system, control method, vehicle lamp, and vehicle

Abstract

The application provides a projection optical system, a control method, a vehicle lamp and a vehicle. The projection optical system is used for projecting at least two icons and comprises a plurality of projection element groups. Each projection element group comprises a plurality of projection units. Each projection element group is provided with a light source assembly. Light emitted by the light source assembly passes through the projection units of the corresponding projection element group to project a projection pattern. The projection patterns projected by the plurality of projection element groups are combined to form the at least two icons. The number of the projection element groups used for projecting the icon farthest from the projection optical system is greater than the number of the projection element groups used for projecting the icon closest to the projection optical system. Thus, the projection brightness difference between icons with different projection distances can be reduced, and the brightness display uniformity between icons in the same signal image can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of automotive technology, and in particular relates to a projection optical system, control method, vehicle lighting fixtures, and vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] With the technological advancements in vehicle exterior lighting, vehicle lights can project patterns with specific meanings onto the ground outside the vehicle using methods such as projection, which can then convey the vehicle's driving intentions or status to surrounding road users.

[0003] However, for signal images composed of multiple icons, these icons are typically distributed at different projection positions, resulting in varying projection distances between the icons and the vehicle lights. Icons farther from the vehicle lights tend to have lower projection brightness compared to those closer. Therefore, when multiple icons with different projection distances are combined to form a single signal image, noticeable brightness differences can easily occur between the icons, affecting the overall brightness uniformity and display effect of the signal image. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a projection optics system, control method, vehicle lighting fixture, and vehicle to solve the technical problem in the prior art where multiple icons of the same signal image have different projection distances, resulting in uneven projection brightness between different icons and affecting the overall projection display effect of the signal image.

[0005] To address the aforementioned problems, the technical solution of this application is: a projection optical system for projecting at least two icons, the projection optical system comprising: Multiple projection element groups, each projection element group including multiple projection units, each projection element group is correspondingly provided with a light source component, the light emitted from the light source component is projected through the projection unit of the corresponding projection element group to form a projection pattern, and the projection patterns formed by the projection of multiple projection element groups are combined to form the at least two icons. The number of projection element groups used to project the icon furthest from the projection optical system is greater than the number of projection element groups used to project the icon closest to the projection optical system.

[0006] In one or more embodiments, the difference between the number of projection element groups used to project the icon furthest from the optical system and the number of projection element groups used to project the icon closest to the optical system is less than the number of icons projected by the projection optical system.

[0007] In one or more embodiments, the distance between any of the icons and the projection optical system is positively correlated with the number of the projection element groups used to project the corresponding icon.

[0008] In one or more embodiments, the number of projection units corresponding to the icon furthest from the projection optics system is greater than the number of projection units corresponding to the icon closest to the projection optics system; and / or For the same icon, the number of projection units corresponding to the pattern point farthest from the projection optical system is greater than the number of projection units corresponding to the pattern point closest to the projection optical system.

[0009] In one or more embodiments, the distance between any of the icons and the projection optical system is positively correlated with the number of projection units corresponding to the icon; and / or The distance between any pattern point of the same icon and the projection optical system is positively correlated with the number of projection units that project that pattern point.

[0010] In one or more embodiments, when at least two of the projection element groups are used to project and form the same icon... The projected pattern formed by at least two of the said projection element groups respectively includes the same said icon; and / or The projection pattern formed by at least two of the projection element groups respectively includes a portion of the same icon, such that the projection patterns formed by at least two of the projection element groups respectively can be combined to form the same icon.

[0011] In one or more embodiments, the projection pattern of the projection element group is in any of the following forms: The projection pattern of the projection element group contains only a portion of the icon; The projection pattern of the projection element group includes at least one complete icon; The projection pattern of the projection element group contains at least two complete icons.

[0012] In one or more embodiments, the projection unit includes an incident lens, a projection lens, and a pattern assembly, wherein the pattern assemblies of the same projection element group have the same pattern; or the same projection element group includes at least two projection units with different pattern assemblies.

[0013] In one or more embodiments, the total outgoing luminous flux of the projection element group used to project the icon that is relatively far from the projection optics system is greater than the total outgoing luminous flux of the same or different projection element groups used to project the icon that is relatively close to the projection optics system.

[0014] In one or more embodiments, the patterning component includes a mask pattern in which the light transmittance for projecting a mask pattern forming an icon relatively far from the projection optics system is greater than the light transmittance for projecting a mask pattern forming an icon relatively close to the projection optics system, in the same or different groups of projection elements.

[0015] In one or more embodiments, in the same or different groups of projection elements, the average numerical aperture of the projection lens used to project an icon that is relatively far from the projection optics system is greater than the average numerical aperture of the projection lens used to project an icon that is relatively close to the projection optics system.

[0016] In one or more embodiments, in the same or different groups of projection elements, the projection lens used to project the icon that is relatively far away from the optical system has a regular hexagonal shape in the orthogonal projection in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis, and adjacent projection lenses are arranged in a honeycomb pattern. The projection lens used to project the icon, which is relatively close to the projection optical system, has a non-regular hexagonal shape in its orthogonal projection in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis.

[0017] In one or more embodiments, multiple light source components are controlled to light up sequentially, so as to control the corresponding projection element group to project and form multiple icons according to a preset lighting sequence.

[0018] In one or more embodiments, at least one of the projection element groups is used to project a border that forms at least one of the icons.

[0019] In one or more embodiments, the projected brightness of the border is greater than the projected brightness of the icon; and / or, The border is lit up first and maintains a fixed projection, while the icons are dynamically projected according to a preset lighting sequence.

[0020] In one or more embodiments, the icon includes any one or any combination of patterns, symbols, words, letters, and numbers used to represent vehicle driving intention, vehicle status, vehicle outline information, vehicle surrounding area information, and / or vehicle interaction information with external traffic participants.

[0021] Based on the same concept, this application also provides a control method for controlling a projection optical system as described in any of the above statements, comprising: In response to the icon projection control signal, the light source component is controlled to light up, and the light emitted from the light source component passes through the corresponding projection element group to project at least two icons. The number of projection element groups used to project the icon furthest from the projection optical system is greater than the number of projection element groups used to project the icon closest to the projection optical system, so as to reduce the difference in projection brightness of the icons at different projection distances.

[0022] Based on the same concept, this application also provides a vehicle lighting fixture, including: The projection optical system as described in any one of the above statements.

[0023] Based on the same concept, this application also provides a vehicle, including: As described above, the vehicle lights.

[0024] Because this application adopts the above technical solution, it has the following advantages and positive effects compared with the prior art: This application provides a projection optical system, a control method, a vehicle lamp, and a vehicle. The projection optical system includes multiple projection element groups, each projection element group includes multiple projection units, and each projection element group is correspondingly provided with a light source assembly. Light emitted from the light source assembly is projected onto the projection units of the corresponding projection element group to form a projection pattern. The projection patterns formed by multiple projection element groups are combined to form at least two icons. The number of projection element groups used to project the icon farthest from the projection optical system is greater than the number of projection element groups used to project the icon closest to the projection optical system.

[0025] In this application, icons at different projection distances are configured with different numbers of projection element groups. By having more projection element groups project together to form icons that are relatively far from the projection optical system, the light energy attenuation caused by the increase in projection distance can be compensated. As a result, the difference in projection brightness between icons at different projection distances can be reduced, and the brightness display uniformity between icons in the same signal image can be improved. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This application provides a schematic diagram of the projection optical system. Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the vehicle projection forming signal image provided in this application is illustrated; Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the icon composition of the signal image provided in this application; Figure 4 This is a first schematic diagram of the projection element assembly provided in this application; Figure 5 A second schematic diagram of the projection element assembly provided in this application is shown; Figure 6 A third schematic diagram of the projection element assembly provided in this application is shown; Figure 7 This shows a fourth schematic diagram of the projection element assembly provided in this application; Figure 8 This is a fifth schematic diagram of the projection element assembly provided in this application; Figure 9 The sixth schematic diagram of the projection element group provided in this application is shown.

[0027] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1: Projection element group; 2: Light source assembly; 3: Concentrating element; 4: Projection unit; 5: Announcement lens; 6: Pattern assembly; 7: Projection lens; 8: Signal image; 9: Icon; 10: Border. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The following detailed description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, provides a further detailed account of a projection optical system, control method, vehicle lighting fixture, and vehicle according to this application. The advantages and features of this application will become more apparent from the following description and claims.

[0029] The term "comprising" and its variations as used herein are open-ended inclusions, meaning "including but not limited to". The term "based on" means "at least partially based on". The term "one embodiment" means "at least one embodiment"; the term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment"; the term "some embodiments" means "at least some embodiments". Definitions of other terms will be given in the description below.

[0030] It should be noted that all directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of this application are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indicator will also change accordingly.

[0031] like Figures 1 to 3As shown, a first aspect of this application provides a projection optical system for projecting at least two icons 9. The projection optical system includes: a plurality of projection element groups 1, each projection element group 1 including a plurality of projection units 4, each projection element group 1 being correspondingly provided with a light source component 2, the light emitted from the light source component 2 being projected through the projection unit 4 of the corresponding projection element group 1 to form a projection pattern, and the projection patterns formed by the plurality of projection element groups 1 being combined to form at least two icons 9; wherein, the number of projection element groups 1 used to project the icon 9 farthest from the projection optical system is greater than the number of projection element groups 1 used to project the icon 9 closest to the projection optical system.

[0032] Specifically, the projection optical system may include multiple projection element groups 1 and light source components 2 corresponding to each projection element group 1. The light source components 2 are used to emit light required to form the projection pattern. A focusing element 3 may also be provided between the light source components 2 and the corresponding projection element group 1. The focusing element 3 is used to converge the light emitted by the light source components 2 so that the light enters the corresponding projection element group 1.

[0033] Each projection element group 1 includes multiple projection units 4, which are arranged in a planar array perpendicular to the main optical axis of the projection element group 1. Each projection unit 4 has an incident lens 5, a pattern component 6, and a projection lens 7 arranged sequentially along the light transmission direction. The incident lens 5 is used to converge and adjust the propagation direction of the light entering the corresponding projection unit 4, so that the light further illuminates the pattern component 6 in the projection unit 4. The pattern component 6 may have a light-transmitting area and a non-light-transmitting area corresponding to the preset projection content, and is used to spatially modulate the light passing through the projection unit 4, so that the light emitted from the pattern component 6 has a light distribution corresponding to the preset projection content. The projection lens 7 is used to further image and project the light emitted from the pattern component 6 to project a projection pattern corresponding to the pattern component 6 onto the target projection area. The incident lenses 5 of the multiple projection units 4 form an incident microlens array, and the projection lenses 7 of the multiple projection units 4 form a projection microlens array. Furthermore, this application is not limited thereto, and the pattern component 6 may not be located between the incident lens 5 and the projection lens 7.

[0034] When the projection optical system is working, the light source component 2 is lit, and the light emitted from the light source component 2 is incident on the incident light microlens array of the corresponding projection element group 1 through the light focusing element 3. Each incident light lens 5 in the incident light microlens array causes the light to pass through the corresponding pattern component 6. The pattern component 6 selectively transmits the light, so that the emitted light has a light distribution corresponding to the preset projection content. The light that penetrates the pattern component 6 is further incident on the corresponding projection lens 7, and is emitted towards the target projection area through the projection lens 7 to project and form the corresponding projection pattern. The projection pattern is formed by superimposing the graphic projection of the light-transmitting area of ​​the pattern component 6 of the projection element group 1.

[0035] In this embodiment, a complete signal image 8 can be composed of multiple icons 9. The projection patterns formed by different projection element groups 1 can be the same or different. Furthermore, the projection pattern formed by one projection element group 1 can be used to form all or part of one icon 9, or it can be used to form all and / or part of two or more icons 9. Through the combination, splicing, and / or overlapping of the projection patterns formed by multiple projection element groups 1, the projection patterns formed by multiple projection element groups 1 are ultimately combined to form at least two icons 9, and at least two icons 9 combine to form a complete signal image 8. Since at least two icons 9 are located at different positions in the target projection area, different icons 9 have different projection distances from the projection optical system. When the light emitted from the projection optical system is transmitted to the target projection position relatively far from the projection optical system, it is more likely to cause light energy loss compared to when it is transmitted to the target projection position relatively close to the projection optical system. Therefore, under the same or similar projection conditions, such as the same power of each light source component 2, icons 9 farther from the projection optical system tend to exhibit lower projection brightness.

[0036] Therefore, in this embodiment, the number of projection element groups 1 used to project the icon 9 furthest from the projection optical system is greater than the number of projection element groups 1 used to project the icon 9 closest to the projection optical system. This allows a larger number of projection element groups 1 to be configured for projecting the icon 9 at a greater distance, thereby increasing the projection light energy used to form the icon 9. This compensates for the brightness attenuation of the projected pattern caused by the increased projection distance, thereby reducing the difference in projection brightness between the distant and nearby icons 9. This makes the projection brightness of multiple icons 9 with different projection distances tend to be consistent within the target projection area, improving the brightness uniformity and display consistency of the overall signal image 8. Simultaneously, when compensating for the brightness of icons 9 at different projection distances by adjusting the number of projection element groups 1, each light source component 2 can be selected as a device of the same model with the same rated output power and / or the same emitted luminous flux. Each projection element group 1 can also adopt the same number of projection units 4, the same optical structure, and the same or substantially the same optical parameters, which helps to reduce the design complexity and manufacturing cost of the projection optical system.

[0037] The specific structure and functionality of the projection optical system provided in this embodiment will be described in further detail below: In one or more embodiments, the difference between the number of projection element groups 1 used to project the icon 9 furthest from the optical system and the number of projection element groups 1 used to project the icon 9 closest to the optical system is less than the number of icons 9 projected by the projection optical system.

[0038] Specifically, taking the projection optical system projecting n icons 9 and setting n+m projection element groups 1 as an example, where n is an integer greater than 1 and m is an integer greater than or equal to 0. In one embodiment, the icon 9 closest to the projection optical system is formed by one projection element group 1, while the icon 9 farthest from the projection optical system is formed by 1+m projection element groups 1. The difference in the number of projection element groups 1 between the two is m. By setting m < n, the difference in the number of projection element groups 1 corresponding to the icon 9 farthest from the projection optical system and the icon 9 closest to the projection optical system is less than the number of icons 9. This ensures that the icon 9 farthest from the projection optical system can obtain more projection light energy, while avoiding setting too many redundant projection element groups 1 to improve the projection brightness of the far-end icon 9. This is beneficial for achieving brightness uniformity among different icons 9 and the structural compactness of the projection optical system.

[0039] In one or more embodiments, the distance between any icon 9 and the projection optical system is positively correlated with the number of projection element groups 1 used to project the corresponding icon 9.

[0040] Specifically, when the projection optical system projects multiple icons 9 at different projection positions, the number of projection element groups 1 used to form each icon 9 can be configured differently based on the relative distance between each icon 9 and the projection optical system. Specifically, the farther an icon 9 is from the projection optical system, the more projection element groups 1 can be used to form it; conversely, the closer an icon 9 is to the projection optical system, the fewer projection element groups 1 can be used. By increasing the number of projection element groups 1 with increasing projection distance, icons 9 at greater distances can receive more light energy from the projection element groups 1, compensating for light energy attenuation caused by longer propagation distances.

[0041] For example, such as Figure 4 As shown, in one embodiment, when the projection optical system projects the first icon A1, the second icon A2, and the third icon A3 sequentially along the distance from the projection optical system from near to far, the projection optical system can be provided with one first projection element group S1, two second projection element groups S2, and three third projection element groups S3. One first projection element group S1 is used to project the first icon A1, two second projection element groups S2 are used to combine the projection to form the second icon A2, and three third projection element groups S3 are used to combine the projection to form the third icon A3, so that the number of projection element groups 1 corresponding to each icon 9 generally increases with the increase of the projection distance.

[0042] In one or more embodiments, the number of projection units 4 corresponding to the icon 9 farthest from the projection optical system is greater than the number of projection units 4 corresponding to the icon 9 closest to the projection optical system; and / or for the same icon 9, the number of projection units 4 corresponding to the pattern point of the icon 9 farthest from the projection optical system is greater than the number of projection units 4 corresponding to the pattern point of the icon 9 closest to the projection optical system.

[0043] Specifically, each projection element group 1 includes multiple projection units 4. For multiple icons 9 located at different projection positions, the number of projection units 4 for icons 9 that are farther away from the projection optical system is greater than the number of projection units 4 for icons 9 that are closer to the projection optical system. The number of projection units 4 can be the number of individual projection units 4 in a single projection element group 1 that participate in the projection to form the corresponding icon 9, or it can be the sum of the number of projection units 4 that combine to participate in the projection to form the corresponding icon 9 in multiple projection element groups 1. This allows icons 9 that are farther away to receive more light from the projection units 4, compensating for the brightness attenuation caused by the increased projection distance.

[0044] For example, such as Figure 5As shown, in one embodiment, when the projection optical system sequentially projects a first icon A1, a second icon A2, and a third icon A3 along a direction from near to far from the projection optical system, the projection optical system can be provided with a first projection element group S1, a second projection element group S2, and two third projection element groups S3. The first projection element group S1 is used to project the first icon A1, the second projection element group S2 is used to project the second icon A2, and the two third projection element groups S3 are used to combine projections to form the third icon A3. Each projection element group S1 contains the same number of projection units 4, such that the total number of projection units 4 used to project the third icon A3 is greater than the number of projection units 4 used to project the first icon A1 / second icon A2. In this embodiment, the number of projection units in the second projection element group S2 can be further made greater than the number of projection units in the first projection element group S1, thereby making the number of projection units used to project the second icon A2 greater than the number of projection units 4 used to project the first icon A1.

[0045] like Figure 6 As shown, in another embodiment, when the projection optical system projects the first icon A1, the second icon A2, and the third icon A3 sequentially along the direction from near to far from the projection optical system, the projection optical system may be provided with a first projection element group S1, two second projection element groups S2, and two third projection element groups S3. The first projection element group S1 is used to project the first icon A1, the two second projection element groups S2 are used to combine the projection to form the second icon A2, and the two third projection element groups S3 are used to combine the projection to form the third icon A3. The number of projection units 4 contained in any third projection element group S3 is greater than the number of projection units 4 contained in the first projection element group S1 / any second projection element group S2, such that the total number of projection units 4 used to project the third icon A3 is greater than the number of projection units 4 used to project the first icon A1 / the second icon A2.

[0046] Furthermore, for the same icon 9, since the icon 9 has a certain spatial area in the target projection area, different pattern points in the same icon 9 can also have different relative distances to the projection optical system. In this embodiment, based on the projection distance of different pattern points within the same icon 9, the pattern components 6 of the projection unit 4 can be differentiated so that at least some projection units 4 correspond to different pattern areas in the same icon 9. Thus, by further differentiating the number of projection units 4 participating in forming each pattern point, pattern points relatively far from the projection optical system are projected by more projection units 4, while pattern points relatively close to the projection optical system are projected by fewer projection units 4.

[0047] In one embodiment, the projection optical system projects an icon 9 extending in a direction away from the projection optical system. The icon 9 can be divided into multiple pattern regions or multiple pattern points from near to far from the projection optical system. Pattern points in relatively far regions correspond to more projection units 4, while pattern points in relatively near regions correspond to fewer projection units 4. The corresponding pattern contents formed by different projection units 4 are finally combined in the target projection area to form the complete icon 9. This compensates for the brightness differences caused by the different projection distances of different pattern points within the same icon 9, thereby improving the brightness uniformity within the same icon 9.

[0048] In one or more embodiments, the distance between any icon 9 and the projection optical system is positively correlated with the number of projection units 4 that project the icon 9; and / or the distance between any pattern point of the same icon 9 and the projection optical system is positively correlated with the number of projection units 4 that project the pattern point.

[0049] Specifically, when projecting multiple icons 9 with different projection distances, the number of projection units 4 participating in the projection of each icon 9 can be configured according to the relative distance between each icon 9 and the projection optical system. The farther the icon 9 is from the projection optical system, the more projection units 4 can be used to project it; the closer the icon 9 is to the projection optical system, the fewer projection units 4 can be used to project it. This allows icons 9 at greater distances to receive more projection light energy from the projection units 4, compensating for the brightness attenuation caused by the increased projection distance.

[0050] For example, in one embodiment, when the projection optical system projects images sequentially from near to far along the distance from the projection optical system to form a first icon A1, a second icon A2, and a third icon A3, a first number of projection units 4 are configured to combine projections to form the first icon A1, a second number of projection units 4 are configured to combine projections to form the second icon A2, and a third number of projection units 4 are configured to combine projections to form the third icon A3. The third number is greater than the first number / second number, so that the number of projection units 4 corresponding to different icons 9 increases with the increase of the projection distance. In this embodiment, the number of projection units 4 included in different projection element groups 1 can be the same or different. In the implementation where a single icon 9 is formed by projection from a single projection element group 1, the number of projection units 4 used to form the icon 9 can be the number of projection units 4 included in the single projection element group 1; in the implementation where a single icon 9 is formed by combining projections from multiple projection element groups 1, the number of projection units 4 used to form the icon 9 is the total number of projection units 4 included in the multiple projection element groups 1.

[0051] Furthermore, for the same icon 9, the number of projection units 4 participating in the projection of different pattern points can be differentiated according to the relative distance between different pattern points in icon 9 and the projection optical system. The farther the pattern point is from the projection optical system, the more projection units 4 are involved in projecting that pattern point; the closer the pattern point is to the projection optical system, the fewer projection units 4 are involved in projecting that pattern point. This allows relatively distant areas in the same icon 9 to receive more projection light energy, compensating for brightness differences within the same icon 9 caused by different projection distances of different pattern points, thereby improving the uniformity of projection brightness within the same icon 9.

[0052] In one or more embodiments, when at least two projection element groups 1 are used to project to form the same icon 9, the projection patterns formed by the at least two projection element groups 1 respectively include the same icon 9; and / or the projection patterns formed by the at least two projection element groups 1 respectively include a portion of the same icon 9, so that the projection patterns formed by the at least two projection element groups 1 respectively can be combined to form the same icon 9.

[0053] Specifically, at least two projection element groups 1 can be used to project the same complete icon 9. Multiple projection units 4 in each projection element group 1 project the complete icon 9 according to the corresponding pattern component 6, so that the same icon 9 formed by different projection element groups 1 is projected to the same or substantially the same position in the target projection area, and at least two complete icons 9 overlap. Thus, the same icon 9 can be projected by multiple projection element groups 1, allowing the icon 9 to receive projection light energy provided by multiple projection element groups 1.

[0054] For example, such as Figure 5 As shown, in one embodiment, when the projection optical system projects a first icon A1, a second icon A2, and a third icon A3 sequentially along the direction from near to far from the projection optical system, the projection optical system may be provided with a first projection element group S1, a second projection element group S2, and two third projection element groups S3. The first projection element group S1 is used to project to form the first icon A1, the second projection element group S2 is used to project to form the second icon A2, and the two third projection element groups S3 are used to project to form two third icons A3 respectively. The two third icons A3 overlap at the same projection position so that the projection brightness of the third icons A3 at different projection distances tends to be consistent with that of the first icon A1 and the second icon A2.

[0055] Furthermore, at least two projection element groups 1 are used to form different parts of the same icon 9. According to the pattern shape of a complete icon 9, the icon 9 can be divided into at least two pattern parts, and different projection element groups 1 can project to form at least one of the pattern parts. After the projection patterns formed by each projection element group 1 are projected to the corresponding positions in the target projection area, they are combined to form a complete icon 9.

[0056] For example, such as Figure 5 As shown, in one embodiment, when the projection optical system projects a first icon A1, a second icon A2, and a third icon A3 sequentially along the distance from the projection optical system from near to far, the projection optical system may be provided with a first projection element group S1, a second projection element group S2, and two third projection element groups S3. The first projection element group S1 is used to project to form the first icon A1, and the second projection element group S2 is used to project to form the second icon A2. One third projection element group S3 is used to project to form one pattern portion of the third icon A3, and the other third projection element group S3 is used to project to form another pattern portion of the third icon A3. The two pattern portions can be combined to form a complete third icon A3, so that the projection brightness of the third icon A3 at different projection distances tends to be consistent with that of the first icon A1 and the second icon A2.

[0057] In one or more embodiments, the projection pattern of the projection element group 1 is in any of the following forms: the projection pattern of the projection element group 1 contains only a portion of an icon 9; the projection pattern of the projection element group 1 contains at least one complete icon 9; the projection pattern of the projection element group 1 contains at least two complete icons 9.

[0058] Specifically, on the one hand, the projection pattern formed by a projection element group 1 contains only a part of an icon 9, and can be combined with the projection patterns formed by other projection element groups 1 to form a complete icon 9.

[0059] On the other hand, the projection pattern formed by a projection element group 1 contains at least one complete icon 9.

[0060] On the other hand, the projection pattern formed by a projection element group 1 includes at least two complete icons 9. That is, different projection units 4 in the same projection element group 1 can correspond to the pattern content of different icons 9 respectively, so that some projection units 4 are used to project to form one icon 9 and other projection units 4 are used to project to form another icon 9, thereby making the projection element group 1 available to participate in the projection to form two icons 9 at the same time.

[0061] Specifically, such as Figure 7As shown, in one embodiment, when the projection optical system projects a first icon A1, a second icon A2, and a third icon A3 sequentially along the direction from near to far from the projection optical system, the projection optical system may be provided with a first projection element group S1, a second projection element group S2, a third projection element group S3, and a fourth projection element group S2+S3. The first projection element group S1 is used to project to form the first icon A1, the second projection element group S2 is used to project to form the second icon A2, the third projection element group S3 is used to project to form the third icon A3, and the fourth projection element group S2+S3 is used to simultaneously project to form the second icon A2 and the third icon A3. The two second icons A2 are overlapped at the same projection position to form the same icon 9, and the two third icons A3 are overlapped at the same projection position to form the same icon 9. In order to further adjust the brightness display difference between the second icon A2 and the third icon A3, the number of projection units 4 in the fourth projection element group S2+S3 used to project the third icon A3 can be greater than the number of projection units 4 used to project the second icon A2, so as to compensate for the brightness attenuation of the third icon A3 caused by the projection distance.

[0062] like Figure 8 As shown, in another embodiment, when the projection optical system projects the first icon A1, the second icon A2, and the third icon A3 sequentially along the direction from near to far from the projection optical system, the projection optical system can be provided with a first projection element group S1+S2, a second projection element group S2+S3, and a third projection element group S3. The first projection element group S1+S2 is used to simultaneously project the first icon A1 and the second icon A2. The second projection element group S2+S3 is used to simultaneously project the second icon A2 and the third icon A3. The third projection element group S3 is used to project the third icon A3. The two second icons A2 are overlapped at the same projection position to form the same icon 9 for display. The two third icons A3 are overlapped at the same projection position to form the same icon 9 for display. In order to further adjust the brightness display difference between the second icon A2 and the third icon A3, the total number of projection units 4 included in the third projection element group S3 and the total number of projection units 4 included in the second projection element group S2+S3 for projecting to form the third icon A3 is greater than the total number of projection units 4 included in the first projection element group S1+S2 for projecting to form the second icon A2 and the total number of projection units 4 included in the second projection element group S2+S3 for projecting to form the second icon A2, so as to compensate for the brightness attenuation of the third icon A3 caused by the projection distance.

[0063] In one or more embodiments, the projection unit 4 includes an incident lens 5, a projection lens 7, and a pattern component 6, wherein the pattern components 6 of the same projection element group 1 have the same pattern; or the same projection element group 1 includes at least two projection units 4 with different pattern components 6.

[0064] Specifically, in one embodiment, each projection unit 4 in the same projection element group 1 is provided with a pattern component 6 having the same pattern. Each projection unit 4 projects the same or substantially the same projection content through the corresponding pattern component 6, and they are used together to project the projection pattern corresponding to the projection element group 1. By making multiple projection units 4 in the same projection element group 1 use the same pattern, multiple projection units 4 can participate in projection with the same pattern content.

[0065] In another embodiment, at least two projection units 4 in the same projection element group 1 are provided with different pattern components 6. Different projection units 4 project different projection contents according to their respective pattern components 6, so that the same projection element group 1 can project projection patterns with different pattern contents through multiple projection units 4.

[0066] In one or more embodiments, the total outgoing light flux of the projection element group 1 used to project an icon 9 that is relatively far from the projection optical system is greater than the total outgoing light flux of the same or different projection element groups 1 used to project an icon 9 that is relatively close to the projection optical system.

[0067] Specifically, for any icon 9, the effective outgoing light flux provided by all projection element groups 1 that participate in forming the icon 9 for projecting the icon 9 is summed to obtain the total outgoing light flux corresponding to the icon 9.

[0068] For example, in one embodiment, the projection optical system sequentially projects a first icon A1 and a second icon A2 along a direction from near to far from the projection optical system. The sum of the effective outgoing light flux provided by all projection element groups 1 used to project the second icon A2 is greater than the sum of the effective outgoing light flux provided by all projection element groups 1 used to project the first icon A1. Therefore, when the second icon A2 has a long projection distance, more projection light energy can be pre-allocated to the second icon A2 when the light is emitted from the projection optical system to compensate for the light energy attenuation caused by the increase in light propagation distance.

[0069] In one aspect, the projection element group 1 used to form the first icon A1 and the second icon A2 can be different projection element groups 1. For example, the projection optical system can be provided with one first projection element group S1 and two second projection element groups S2. The first projection element group S1 is used to project and form the first icon A1, and the two second projection element groups S2 are used to project and form two second icons A2 respectively, with the two second icons A2 overlapping at the same projection position. In this case, the total emitted light flux of the second projection element group S2 used to project and form the second icon A2 is greater than the total emitted light flux of the first projection element group S1 used to project and form the first icon A1.

[0070] Of course, in other embodiments, if the number of projection element groups 1 used to form the first icon A1 and the second icon A2 is the same, such as when the projection optical system is provided with a first projection element group S1 and a second projection element group S2, the total emitted light flux of the same number of second projection element groups S2 can also be controlled to be greater than the total emitted light flux of the first projection element group S1. The specific control method will be described later. Here, the first icon A1 and the second icon A2 are only used to explain the total emitted light flux of the corresponding projection element groups 1, and are not used to limit the projection optical system to only projecting the first icon A1 and the second icon A2. The projection optical system can also project other icons 9 to satisfy the requirement that the number of projection element groups 1 used to project the icon 9 farthest from the projection optical system is greater than the number of projection element groups 1 used to project the icon 9 closest to the projection optical system. This embodiment will not elaborate further here.

[0071] On the other hand, the same projection element group 1 can also participate in the formation of at least two icons 9 simultaneously. For example, the projection optical system can be equipped with a first projection element group S1+S2 and a second projection element group S2. The first projection element group S1+S2 is used to simultaneously project and form a first icon A1 and a second icon A2, and the second projection element group S2 is used to project and form a second icon A2. The first projection element group S1+S2 and the second projection element group S2 respectively project and form two second icons A2, which overlap at the same projection position. At this time, the total outgoing light flux of the first projection element group S1+S2 and the second projection element group S2 used to project and form the second icon A2 is greater than the total outgoing light flux of the first projection element group S1+S2 used to project and form the first icon A1.

[0072] In one or more embodiments, the pattern component 6 includes a mask pattern in which the light transmittance of the mask pattern used to project an icon 9 that is relatively far from the projection optics system is greater than the light transmittance of the mask pattern used to project an icon 9 that is relatively close to the projection optics system.

[0073] Specifically, the mask pattern is used to selectively transmit light passing through the projection unit 4 to form a light distribution corresponding to the target projection content. Specifically, the light transmittance of the mask pattern can be defined by the ratio of the transparent area of ​​the pattern component of a projection unit to (transparent area + non-transparent area). Thus, the size of the transparent area can be set to ensure that the light transmittance of the mask pattern used to project an icon 9 relatively far from the projection optical system is greater than the light transmittance of the mask pattern used to project an icon 9 relatively close to the projection optical system. In some variations, the transparent area of ​​the pattern component 6 can be set to semi-transparent. In this way, the transparency of the transparent area can be used to ensure that the light transmittance of the mask pattern used to project an icon 9 relatively far from the projection optical system is greater than the light transmittance of the mask pattern used to project an icon 9 relatively close to the projection optical system. Many other variations can be implemented in this application, which will not be elaborated here.

[0074] In one embodiment, different projection element groups 1 are used to project icons 9 with different projection distances. For example, as... Figure 5 As shown, when the projection optical system projects the first icon A1, the second icon A2, and the third icon A3 sequentially along the distance from the projection optical system from near to far, the projection optical system can be equipped with a first projection element group S1, a second projection element group S2, and two third projection element groups S3. The first projection element group S1 is used to project the first icon A1, the second projection element group S2 is used to project the second icon A2, and the two third projection element groups S3 are used to project the two third icons A3 respectively. In order to further ensure that the first icon A1 and the second icon A2 projected by the same number of projection element groups 1 maintain relative consistency in brightness, the light transmittance of the mask pattern in the second projection element group S2 used to project the second icon A2 can be made greater than the light transmittance of the mask pattern in the first projection element group S1 used to project the first icon A1. Therefore, under the same or similar projection conditions, more light can pass through the mask pattern used to project the second icon A2, thereby increasing the effective outgoing light flux corresponding to the second icon A2.

[0075] In another embodiment, the same projection element group 1 simultaneously participates in projection to form at least two icons 9 with different projection distances. For example, as Figure 7As shown, when the projection optical system projects the first icon A1, the second icon A2, and the third icon A3 sequentially along the direction from near to far from the projection optical system, the projection optical system can be equipped with a first projection element group S1, a second projection element group S2, a third projection element group S3, and a fourth projection element group S2+S3. The first projection element group S1 is used to project the first icon A1, the second projection element group S2 is used to project the second icon A2, and the third projection element group S3 is used to project the third icon A3. At the same time, the fourth projection element group S2+S3 is used to simultaneously project the second icon A2 and the third icon A3. The two second icons A2 are overlapped at the same projection position to form the same icon 9, and the two third icons A3 are overlapped at the same projection position to form the same icon 9. To further ensure that the second icon A2 and the third icon A3, projected by the same number of projection element groups 1, maintain relative consistency in brightness, the fourth projection element group S2+S3 can include projection units 4 with different mask patterns (provided that the number of projection units 4 used to project the second icon A2 and the third icon A3 in the fourth projection element group S2+S3 is the same). The light transmittance of the mask pattern used by the fourth projection element group S2+S3 to project the third icon A3 is greater than the light transmittance of the mask pattern used to project the second icon A2. Under the same or similar projection conditions, more light can pass through the mask pattern used to project the third icon A3, thereby increasing the effective outgoing light flux corresponding to the third icon A3.

[0076] In one or more embodiments, in the same or different projection element groups 1, the average numerical aperture of the projection lens 7 used to project an icon 9 that is relatively far from the projection optical system is greater than the average numerical aperture of the projection lens 7 used to project an icon 9 that is relatively close to the projection optical system.

[0077] Specifically, the projection element group 1 includes multiple projection units 4, each projection unit 4 is provided with a corresponding projection lens 7. The numerical aperture of the projection lens 7 is used to represent its ability to receive and transmit light. Under the same or similar projection conditions, a larger numerical aperture can allow more light to pass through the projection lens 7 and be emitted to the target projection area, thereby improving the effective output light flux and projection brightness of the corresponding projection pattern.

[0078] In one embodiment, different projection element groups 1 are used to form icons 9 with different projection distances. For example, such as Figure 5As shown, when the projection optical system projects the first icon A1, the second icon A2, and the third icon A3 sequentially along the distance from the projection optical system from near to far, the projection optical system can be equipped with a first projection element group S1, a second projection element group S2, and two third projection element groups S3. The first projection element group S1 is used to project the first icon A1, the second projection element group S2 is used to project the second icon A2, and the two third projection element groups S3 are used to project the two third icons A3 respectively. In order to further ensure that the first icon A1 and the second icon A2 projected by the same number of projection element groups 1 maintain relative consistency in brightness, the average numerical aperture of the projection lens 7 in the second projection element group S2 used to project the second icon A2 can be made larger than the average numerical aperture of the projection lens 7 in the first projection element group S1 used to project the first icon A1. Thus, under the same or similar projection conditions, more light can pass through the projection lens 7 used to project the second icon A2, increasing the effective outgoing light flux corresponding to the second icon A2.

[0079] In another embodiment, the same projection element group 1 simultaneously participates in forming at least two icons 9 with different projection distances. For example, as Figure 7 As shown, when the projection optical system projects the first icon A1, the second icon A2, and the third icon A3 sequentially along the direction from near to far from the projection optical system, the projection optical system can be equipped with a first projection element group S1, a second projection element group S2, a third projection element group S3, and a fourth projection element group S2+S3. The first projection element group S1 is used to project the first icon A1, the second projection element group S2 is used to project the second icon A2, and the third projection element group S3 is used to project the third icon A3. At the same time, the fourth projection element group S2+S3 is used to simultaneously project the second icon A2 and the third icon A3. The two second icons A2 are overlapped at the same projection position to form the same icon 9, and the two third icons A3 are overlapped at the same projection position to form the same icon 9. To further ensure that the second icon A2 and the third icon A3, formed by the same number of projection element groups 1, maintain relative consistency in brightness, the fourth projection element group S2+S3 can include projection units 4 with projection lenses 7 having different average numerical apertures (provided that the number of projection units 4 used to project the second icon A2 and the third icon A3 in the fourth projection element group S2+S3 is the same). The average numerical aperture of the projection lens 7 used to project the third icon A3 in the fourth projection element group S2+S3 is greater than the average numerical aperture of the projection lens 7 used to project the second icon A2. Under the same or similar projection conditions, more light can pass through the projection lens 7 used to project the third icon A3, thereby increasing the effective outgoing light flux corresponding to the third icon A3.

[0080] In one or more embodiments, in the same or different projection element groups 1, the projection lens 7 used to project an icon 9 that is relatively far from the optical system has a regular hexagonal shape in the orthogonal projection in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis, and adjacent projection lenses 7 are arranged in a honeycomb pattern; the projection lens 7 used to project an icon 9 that is relatively close to the projection optical system has a non-regular hexagonal shape in the orthogonal projection in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis.

[0081] Specifically, the projection element group 1 includes multiple projection units 4, and each projection unit 4 is provided with a corresponding projection lens 7.

[0082] In one embodiment, different projection element groups 1 are used to project icons 9 with different projection distances. For example, such as Figure 5 As shown, when the projection optical system projects the first icon A1, the second icon A2, and the third icon A3 sequentially along the direction from near to far from the projection optical system, the projection optical system can be equipped with a first projection element group S1, a second projection element group S2, and two third projection element groups S3. The first projection element group S1 is used to project the first icon A1, the second projection element group S2 is used to project the second icon A2, and the two third projection element groups S3 are used to project the two third icons A3 respectively. To further ensure that the first icon A1 and the second icon A2, formed by the same number of projection element groups 1, maintain relative consistency in brightness, the projection lenses 7 in the second projection element group S2 used to project the second icon A2 can all have regular hexagonal orthographic projections in the direction perpendicular to their respective optical axes, with adjacent regular hexagonal projection lenses 7 arranged closely in a honeycomb pattern; while the projection lenses 7 in the first projection element group S1 used to project the first icon A1 can have non-regular hexagonal orthographic projections in the direction perpendicular to their optical axes. For example, the orthographic projection of the projection lens 7 can be circular, elliptical, square, rectangular, or other non-regular hexagonal shapes.

[0083] The regular hexagonal outline enables a more compact arrangement between adjacent projection lenses 7, reducing the gap area between adjacent projection lenses 7 that cannot effectively participate in light transmission. Thus, given that the corresponding projection element group 1 has a preset overall size, the effective light transmission area and light utilization rate of the projection lens array are increased, allowing more light to pass through the projection lens 7 and be emitted towards the target projection area. Consequently, under the same or similar projection conditions, more light can pass through the projection lens 7 used to project and form the second icon A2, increasing the effective outgoing light flux corresponding to the second icon A2.

[0084] In another embodiment, the same group of projection elements 1 simultaneously participates in forming at least two icons 9 with different projection distances. For example, as Figure 7As shown, when the projection optical system projects the first icon A1, the second icon A2, and the third icon A3 sequentially along the direction from near to far from the projection optical system, the projection optical system can be equipped with a first projection element group S1, a second projection element group S2, a third projection element group S3, and a fourth projection element group S2+S3. The first projection element group S1 is used to project the first icon A1, the second projection element group S2 is used to project the second icon A2, and the third projection element group S3 is used to project the third icon A3. At the same time, the fourth projection element group S2+S3 is used to simultaneously project the second icon A2 and the third icon A3. The two second icons A2 are overlapped at the same projection position to form the same icon 9, and the two third icons A3 are overlapped at the same projection position to form the same icon 9. To further ensure that the second icon A2 and the third icon A3, projected by the same number of projection element groups 1, maintain relative consistency in brightness, the fourth projection element group S2+S3 can include projection units 4 with projection lenses 7 having different contours (provided that the number of projection units 4 used to project the second icon A2 and the third icon A3 in the fourth projection element group S2+S3 is the same). Specifically, the projection lenses 7 used by the fourth projection element group S2+S3 to project the third icon A3 have hexagonal orthographic projections perpendicular to their respective optical axes, and adjacent hexagonal projection lenses 7 are arranged closely in a honeycomb pattern. The projection lenses 7 used by the fourth projection element group S2+S3 to project the second icon A2 can have non-hexagonal contours in their orthographic projections perpendicular to the optical axis. Under similar or identical projection conditions, this allows more light to pass through the projection lenses 7 used to project the third icon A3, increasing the effective outgoing light flux corresponding to the third icon A3.

[0085] In one or more embodiments, multiple light source components 2 are controlled to light up sequentially, so as to control the corresponding projection element group 1 to project and form multiple icons 9 according to a preset lighting sequence.

[0086] Specifically, each projection element group 1 is equipped with a corresponding light source component 2. By controlling the lighting state of different light source components 2, the corresponding projection element group 1 can be controlled to project onto the target projection area to form a corresponding projection pattern. When multiple light source components 2 are lit sequentially according to a preset lighting sequence, the projection patterns corresponding to each projection element group 1 can be projected in the corresponding order, thereby making multiple icons 9 present a dynamic projection effect with a time sequence relationship.

[0087] In one or more embodiments, at least one projection element group 1 is used to project a border 10 that forms at least one icon 9.

[0088] Specifically, a border 10 can be additionally projected along the outer contour of icon 9. The border 10 and icon 9 are projected by different projection element groups 1, wherein at least one projection element group 1 is used to project and form the border 10 of icon 9.

[0089] In one implementation, for example, such as Figure 9 As shown, when the projection optical system projects the first icon A1, the second icon A2, and the third icon A3 sequentially along the direction from near to far from the projection optical system, the projection optical system can be equipped with a first projection element group S1+S2, a second projection element group S2+S3, a third projection element group S3, and a fourth projection element group S4. The first projection element group S1+S2 is used to simultaneously project the first icon A1 and the second icon A2, the second projection element group S2+S3 is used to simultaneously project the second icon A2 and the third icon A3, and the third projection element group S3 is used to project the third icon A3. A border 10 is provided outside the first icon A1, the second icon A2, and the third icon A3, and the fourth projection element group S4 is used to project the border 10.

[0090] In one or more embodiments, the projection brightness of the border 10 is greater than the projection brightness of the icon 9; and / or, the border 10 is lit up first and maintains a fixed projection, while the icon 9 is dynamically projected according to a preset lighting sequence.

[0091] Specifically, in one embodiment, the projection brightness of the border 10 can be greater than the projection brightness of the main body of the icon 9, so that the formed border 10 has a higher projection brightness relative to the main body of the icon 9, which can improve the visual display effect of the outer contour of the icon 9.

[0092] In another implementation, the border 10 can be controlled to light up before the icon 9, and maintain a fixed projection during subsequent dynamic projection. While the border 10 is in a projected state, the light source components 2 used to project different icons 9 are controlled to light up sequentially according to a preset lighting sequence, so that the icons 9 are dynamically projected in a preset order, achieving a projection effect where the border 10 is fixed while the icons 9 change dynamically.

[0093] In one or more embodiments, icon 9 includes any one or any combination of patterns, symbols, words, letters, and numbers used to represent vehicle driving intention, vehicle status, vehicle outline information, vehicle surrounding area information, and / or vehicle interaction information with external traffic participants.

[0094] In one implementation, the vehicle's driving intention may include information related to vehicle steering, lane changing, or other expected driving directions. For example, a projection optics system can form multiple turn signal icons on the ground to the front, side, and / or rear of the vehicle. Each turn signal icon can be an arrow, a directional symbol, or other pattern that represents the vehicle's expected driving direction. When the vehicle's turn signal function is triggered, the projection optics system can be controlled to form multiple turn signal icons in the corresponding direction to convey the vehicle's turning intention to traffic participants around the vehicle. In this embodiment, by differentiating the projection light energy configuration of the turn signal icons at different projection distances, the difference in projection brightness between multiple turn signal icons can be reduced, resulting in a more uniform overall display effect for the projected turn signal image 8.

[0095] In one embodiment, the projection optics system may further include a distance sensing module and a control unit. The distance sensing module is used to detect the distance distribution of the projection target surface relative to the projection optics system. The control unit determines the target projection distance of each icon based on the distance distribution and adjusts the number of projection element groups used to project the corresponding icon according to the target projection distance. Specifically, when the target projection distance of an icon increases (e.g., due to changes in ground slope), the control unit increases the number of projection element groups used to project the icon; when the target projection distance of an icon decreases, the control unit decreases the number of projection element groups used to project the icon. Thus, the projection optics system can dynamically adjust the allocation of projection element groups according to the actual projection distance, ensuring consistent icon brightness and clarity at different distances. In some specific implementations, when a vehicle travels uphill from flat ground, the distance difference between icons decreases. When the number of projection element groups forming distant icons is greater than one, some projection element groups forming distant icons can be turned off to save energy. In some other implementations, when a vehicle travels downhill from flat ground, the distance difference between the icons increases. In addition to the projection element group corresponding to the flat ground driving, a redundant projection element group can be set up to compensate for the brightness of distant icons when going downhill.

[0096] In one embodiment, within the same frame period, the illumination duration of each light source component is positively correlated with the distance between the projected icon and the projection optical system, and the frame rate is greater than or equal to 60 Hz. When the duty cycle of the illumination duration corresponding to a certain icon is less than a preset threshold, the driving current of the light source component corresponding to that icon is reduced instead of further reducing the duty cycle. Furthermore, at least one projection element group can project a first icon in a first time interval and a second icon in a second time interval, and when the distance from the first icon to the projection optical system is greater than that of the second icon, the duration of the first time interval is greater than the duration of the second time interval. Thus, the same projection element group projects icons at different distances in different time slots, with distant icons occupying more time slots (or multiple discontinuous time slots), thereby achieving illumination balance without increasing the number of groups.

[0097] In one embodiment, the projection optical system may further include a distance sensing module and a control unit. The distance sensing module is used to detect the distance distribution of the projection target surface relative to the projection optical system. The control unit determines the target projection distance of each icon based on the distance distribution, and adjusts the illumination duty cycle of the light source component corresponding to the projection element group used to project the corresponding icon according to the target projection distance. In this embodiment, when the vehicle is traveling on flat ground, the light source component corresponding to each projection element group is illuminated according to a preset duty cycle; when the vehicle is traveling uphill from flat ground, the distance difference between the icons decreases, which can reduce the duty cycle of the illumination duration of the light source component corresponding to the projection element group forming the distant icon; when the vehicle is traveling downhill from flat ground, the distance difference between the icons increases, which can increase the duty cycle of the illumination duration of the light source component corresponding to the projection element group forming the distant icon. In other embodiments, when the vehicle is traveling on flat ground, the light source components corresponding to each projection element group are illuminated according to a preset duty cycle. When the vehicle travels uphill from flat ground, the distance difference between the icons decreases, which reduces the difference in the duty cycle of the light source components corresponding to the projection element groups forming nearby icons and the light source components corresponding to the projection element groups forming distant icons, thereby reducing brightness compensation for distant icons. When the vehicle travels downhill from flat ground, the distance difference between the icons increases, which increases the difference in the duty cycle of the light source components corresponding to the projection element groups forming nearby icons and the light source components corresponding to the projection element groups forming distant icons, thereby increasing brightness compensation for distant icons. Therefore, in this embodiment, dynamic adjustment of distance and brightness compensation can be achieved without adding additional redundant projection element groups.

[0098] Based on the same concept, a second aspect of the embodiments of this application provides a control method for controlling a projection optical system as described in any one of the above, comprising: in response to an icon projection control signal, controlling a light source assembly 2 to light up, wherein light emitted from the light source assembly 2 passes through a corresponding projection element group 1 to project at least two icons 9; wherein the number of projection element groups 1 used to project the icon 9 furthest from the projection optical system is greater than the number of projection element groups 1 used to project the icon 9 closest to the projection optical system, so as to reduce the difference in projection brightness of icons 9 at different projection distances.

[0099] Specifically, in response to the icon projection control signal, the light source component 2 corresponding to each projection element group 1 is controlled to light up, so that the light emitted from the light source component 2 passes through the corresponding projection element group 1 and is projected by multiple projection units 4 in the projection element group 1 onto the target projection area to project at least two icons 9.

[0100] Among them, the projection optics system can be applied to vehicles. The icon projection control signal can be generated according to the triggering state of the corresponding function of the vehicle. For example, when the vehicle's turn signal function is triggered, the corresponding icon projection control signal can be generated, and the corresponding light source component 2 can be lit according to the icon projection control signal, thereby forming the corresponding turn signal icon on the outside of the vehicle.

[0101] When multiple icons 9 with different projection distances are projected by the projection optical system, the projection element groups 1 participating in the projection of each icon 9 are configured according to the relative distance between each icon 9 and the projection optical system. Specifically, the number of projection element groups 1 used to project the icon 9 furthest from the projection optical system is greater than the number of projection element groups 1 used to project the icon 9 closest to the projection optical system. Since more projection element groups 1 participate in the projection of icons 9 farther from the projection optical system, more projection light energy from these groups can be obtained. This can be used to compensate for light energy attenuation during the propagation of light over a longer projection distance, thereby reducing the difference in projection brightness between distant and close icons 9 and improving the overall brightness uniformity and display consistency of the signal image 8.

[0102] Based on the same concept, a third aspect of the present application provides a vehicle lighting fixture, including a projection optical system as described in any one of the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0103] Based on the same concept, a fourth aspect of this application provides a vehicle including vehicle lights as described above.

[0104] The embodiments of this application have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but this application is not limited to the above embodiments. Even if various changes are made to this application, if these changes fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, they shall still fall within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A projection optical system, characterized in that, The projection optical system is used to project and form at least two icons. The projection optical system includes: Multiple projection element groups, each projection element group including multiple projection units, each projection element group is correspondingly provided with a light source component, the light emitted from the light source component is projected through the projection unit of the corresponding projection element group to form a projection pattern, and the projection patterns formed by the projection of multiple projection element groups are combined to form the at least two icons. The number of projection element groups used to project the icon furthest from the projection optical system is greater than the number of projection element groups used to project the icon closest to the projection optical system.

2. The projection optical system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The difference between the number of projection element groups used to project the icon furthest from the optical system and the number of projection element groups used to project the icon closest to the optical system is less than the number of icons projected by the projection optical system.

3. The projection optical system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The distance between any of the icons and the projection optical system is positively correlated with the number of projection element groups used to project the corresponding icon.

4. The projection optical system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The number of projection units corresponding to the icon farthest from the projection optical system is greater than the number of projection units corresponding to the icon closest to the projection optical system. and / or For the same icon, the number of projection units corresponding to the pattern point farthest from the projection optical system is greater than the number of projection units corresponding to the pattern point closest to the projection optical system.

5. The projection optical system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The distance between any of the icons and the projection optical system is positively correlated with the number of projection units that project the corresponding icon; and / or The distance between any pattern point of the same icon and the projection optical system is positively correlated with the number of projection units that project that pattern point.

6. The projection optical system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, When at least two of the aforementioned projection element groups are used to project and form the same icon, The projected pattern formed by at least two of the aforementioned projection element groups respectively contains the same icon; and / or The projection pattern formed by at least two projection element groups respectively includes a portion of the same icon, such that the projection patterns formed by at least two projection element groups respectively can be combined to form the same icon.

7. The projection optical system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The projection pattern of the projection element group can be any of the following forms: The projection pattern of the projection element group contains only a portion of the icon; The projection pattern of the projection element group includes at least one complete icon; The projection pattern of the projection element group contains at least two complete icons.

8. The projection optical system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The projection unit includes an incident lens, a projection lens, and a pattern assembly, wherein the pattern assemblies of the same projection element group have the same pattern; or the same projection element group includes at least two projection units with different pattern assemblies.

9. The projection optical system as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The total outgoing luminous flux of the projection element group used to project the icon that is relatively far from the projection optical system is greater than the total outgoing luminous flux of the same or different projection element groups used to project the icon that is relatively close to the projection optical system.

10. The projection optical system as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that, The pattern assembly includes a mask pattern in which the light transmittance of the mask pattern used to project an icon that is relatively far from the projection optics system is greater than the light transmittance of the mask pattern used to project an icon that is relatively close to the projection optics system, in the same or different groups of projection elements.

11. The projection optical system as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that, In the same or different groups of projection elements, the average numerical aperture of the projection lens used to project an icon that is relatively far from the projection optics system is greater than the average numerical aperture of the projection lens used to project an icon that is relatively close to the projection optics system.

12. The projection optical system as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that, In the same or different groups of projection elements, the projection lens used to project the icon that is relatively far away from the optical system has a regular hexagonal shape in the orthographic projection in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis, and adjacent projection lenses are arranged in a honeycomb pattern. The projection lens used to project the icon, which is relatively close to the projection optical system, has a non-regular hexagonal shape in its orthogonal projection in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis.

13. The projection optical system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, Multiple light source components are controlled to light up sequentially, so as to control the corresponding projection element group to project and form multiple icons according to a preset lighting sequence.

14. The projection optical system as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that, At least one of the projection element groups is used to project a border that forms at least one of the icons.

15. The projection optical system as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that, The projected brightness of the border is greater than the projected brightness of the icon; and / or, The border is lit up first and maintains a fixed projection, while the icons are dynamically projected according to a preset lighting sequence.

16. The projection optical system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The icons include any one or any combination of patterns, symbols, words, letters, and numbers used to represent vehicle driving intentions, vehicle status, vehicle outline information, information about the area surrounding the vehicle, and / or information about the interaction between the vehicle and external traffic participants.

17. A control method, characterized in that, For controlling the projection optical system as described in any one of claims 1-16, comprising: In response to the icon projection control signal, the light source component is controlled to light up, and the light emitted from the light source component passes through the corresponding projection element group to project at least two icons. The number of projection element groups used to project the icon furthest from the projection optical system is greater than the number of projection element groups used to project the icon closest to the projection optical system, so as to reduce the difference in projection brightness of the icons at different projection distances.

18. A vehicle lamp, characterized in that, include: The projection optical system as described in any one of claims 1-16.

19. A vehicle, characterized in that, include: The vehicle lighting fixture as described in claim 18.

Images