Head-up display device and traffic device

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a head-up display device, comprising an image source, a first reflecting element and a second reflecting element; wherein the image source and the first reflecting element are located in a top region inside a traffic device, the image source is configured to emit image light rays, the first reflecting element is configured to reflect the image light rays emitted by the image source to the second reflecting element; the second reflecting element is configured to reflect the image light rays to an eyebox region.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure belongs to the field of optical imaging technology, and specifically relates to a head-up display device and a transportation device. Background Technology

[0002] Head-up display (HUD) technology refers to the process of projecting light emitted from an image source onto an imaging window (image plate, windshield, etc.) through the principle of optical reflection, and then reflecting the light into the eye box to form a virtual image.

[0003] The inventors discovered that existing HUDs are generally installed inside the dashboard of traffic equipment. However, the dashboard needs to accommodate a series of structural components such as the crossbeam (CCB), steering column, and air conditioning duct, leaving very limited installation space for the HUD. This results in many restrictions on the assembly of the HUD and a single installation method. Utility Model Content

[0004] This utility model aims to at least solve the aforementioned technical problems existing in the prior art, and provides a head-up display device, including an image source, a first reflective element, and a second reflective element; wherein...

[0005] The image source and the first reflective element are located in the top area of ​​the traffic equipment. The image source is configured to emit image light, and the first reflective element is configured to reflect the image light emitted by the image source to the second reflective element.

[0006] The second reflective element is configured to reflect the image light onto the eye box area.

[0007] This disclosure also provides a transportation device, including the head-up display device in the above embodiments.

[0008] The head-up display device and traffic equipment disclosed herein have the following advantages: they make the installation of the HUD more flexible. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a head-up display device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0010] Figure 2a A schematic diagram of a second reflective element provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0011] Figure 2b A schematic diagram of a folded second reflective element provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0012] Figure 3A schematic diagram of yet another head-up display device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0013] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of another head-up display device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0014] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of this utility model, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0015] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this application shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains. The terms “a,” “an,” “an,” “the,” and similar words used in this application do not indicate quantity limitation and may indicate singular or plural. The terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and any variations thereof used in this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or modules (units) is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may also include steps or units not listed, or may include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices. The terms “connected,” “linked,” “coupled,” and similar words used in this application are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. “Multiple” used in this application refers to two or more. “And / or” describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships may exist; for example, “A and / or B” can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, and B alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship. The terms "first," "second," and "third" used in this application are merely to distinguish similar objects and do not represent a specific ordering of objects. "Above," "below," "left," and "right" are only used to indicate relative positional relationships; when the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0016] As used herein, “parallel” and “perpendicular” include the described situation and situations that are similar to the described situation, within an acceptable range of deviation, which is determined by those skilled in the art taking into account the measurement under discussion and the error associated with the measurement of a particular quantity (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system). For example, “parallel” includes absolute parallelism and approximate parallelism, where an acceptable range of deviation for approximate parallelism may be, for example, within 5°; “perpendicular” includes absolute perpendicularity and approximate perpendicularity, where an acceptable range of deviation for approximate perpendicularity may also be, for example, within 5°.

[0017] This document describes exemplary embodiments with reference to sectional views and / or plan views, which are idealized exemplary drawings. In the drawings, the thickness of layers and regions is enlarged for clarity. Therefore, variations in shape relative to the drawings are contemplated due to, for example, manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances. Therefore, exemplary embodiments should not be construed as limited to the shapes of the regions shown herein, but rather include shape deviations due to, for example, manufacturing processes. Thus, the regions shown in the drawings are schematic in nature, and their shapes are not intended to show the actual shapes of the regions of the device, nor are they intended to limit the scope of the exemplary embodiments.

[0018] In this disclosure, a coordinate system is established as follows: the X-axis represents the length direction of the traffic equipment, the Y-axis represents the width direction of the traffic equipment, and the Z-axis is perpendicular to the X-axis and Y-axis. The positive directions of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis can be defined as follows: Figure 1 As shown in the image.

[0019] This disclosure provides a head-up display device. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a head-up display device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. The head-up display device can be installed on transportation equipment such as vehicles, airplanes, and ships. Figure 1 As shown, the head-up display device includes an image source 10, a first reflective element 20, and a second reflective element 30. The image source 10 and the first reflective element 20 are located in the ceiling inside the traffic equipment. The image source 10 is configured to emit image light rays, and the first reflective element 20 and the second reflective element 30 are sequentially arranged in the imaging optical path of the image light rays. In some examples, the first reflective element 20 includes a plane mirror, and the second reflective element 30 includes a curved mirror. The image light rays emitted from the image source 10 are reflected sequentially by the first reflective element 20 and the second reflective element 30 along the imaging optical path before entering the observer's eye box region 40. When the observer's eyes are within the eye box region 40, they can see the image formed by the image light rays. At this time, the image seen by the observer is a virtual image 50 formed by the second reflective element 30 through reflective imaging. The observer can be any user within the transportation equipment, including the driver, front passenger, or rear passenger (e.g., the rear passenger of a vehicle). The observer can obtain the required information from the virtual image in front of their line of sight, such as augmented reality (AR) information, video, and other multimedia information.

[0020] It should be noted that in this disclosure, the second reflective element 30 directly reflects the image light to the eye box region 40. That is, the image light reflected by the second reflective element 30 does not pass through any other optical elements, but directly enters the eye box region 40. There are no other optical elements (including but not limited to reflective elements, transmission elements, etc.) in the optical path between the second reflective element 30 and the eye box region 40.

[0021] Specifically, the eyebox area 40 of the head-up display device refers to the area where the observer's eyes are located, where they can see the virtual image presented by the head-up display device. The eyebox area 40 has a certain size, so even if the observer's eyes are deviated from the center of the eyebox area 40 by a certain distance, such as a certain distance in the vertical or horizontal direction, as long as they are still within the eyebox area 40, they can see the virtual image presented by the head-up display device.

[0022] Furthermore, refer to Figure 1 The image source 10 and the first reflective element 20 are located in the top area of ​​the traffic equipment. The image source 10 is configured to emit image light, and the first reflective element 20 is configured to reflect the image light emitted from the image source 10 to the second reflective element 30. The second reflective element 30 is configured to reflect the image light to the eye box area 40. In this way, mounting the image source 10 and the first reflective element 20 on the ceiling makes the installation method of the HUD more flexible and saves space inside the dashboard.

[0023] Specifically, both the image source 10 and the first reflective element 20 are located in the top area above the seats within the transportation equipment, such as in the ceiling above the seats or within a top cavity. The transportation equipment may have multiple rows of seats. The first row of seats may include a driver's seat and a front passenger seat, while the rear rows are seats located behind the first row for passenger seating, such as including a second row or even a third row. For example, the image source 10 and the first reflective element 20 can be installed in the top cavity 80 above the seats or in the ceiling (the top cavity is the cavity formed by the ceiling 81 and the outer top 82 of the transportation equipment; when the transportation equipment is a vehicle, the top cavity may be the cavity located between the interior ceiling and the exterior roof), thereby making full use of the space in the ceiling or the top cavity. The second reflective element is installed in the ceiling, and the specific installation location of the second reflective element can be selected according to actual needs. Taking any of the rear passengers as an example, the image source 10 and the first reflective element 20 can both be located in the top cavity above the rear seat where the observer is located in the transportation equipment. The second reflective element is installed in the ceiling, and in the unfolded state, the second reflective element is located between the virtual image and the eye box area of ​​the rear passenger, so that the rear passenger can see the virtual image formed by the HUD. This solves the technical problem in the prior art that the virtual image formed by the HUD is mainly for the driver to see, and there is no HUD for the rear passengers of the transportation equipment to see.

[0024] In some examples, the head-up display device also includes a mounting structure configured to deploy the second reflective element 30 when in use and to retract the second reflective element 30 when not in use. Figure 2a This is a schematic diagram showing the unfolded form of a second reflective element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2bThis is a schematic diagram of a folded second reflective element provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. The mounting structure includes, for example, a pivot for rotating the second reflective element 30. Figure 2a As shown, the mounting structure is used to deploy the second reflective element 30 when the head-up display device is in use (including when the head-up display device is in the working state), so that the second reflective element 30 reflects the image light to achieve magnified imaging and form a virtual image 50; when the head-up display device is not in use (including when the head-up display device is not in the working state), as... Figure 2b As shown, the second reflective element 30 is folded to reduce the space occupied by the second reflective element 30 in the Z direction, for example, by folding the second reflective element 30 closer to the roof 81 (the roof 81 may be part of the interior roof of a vehicle or other transportation equipment).

[0025] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of yet another head-up display device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of yet another head-up display device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. (See diagram below.) Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the head-up display device also includes a third reflective element 70 located at the ceiling; the image source 10 is configured to emit image light to the third reflective element 70; the third reflective element 70 is configured to reflect image light to the first reflective element 20. The third reflective element 70 includes a plane mirror or a curved mirror, preferably a plane mirror. The imaging optical path can be further folded by the third reflective element 70, thereby further reducing the size of the HUD.

[0026] In some examples, the reflective surface of the second reflective element 30 is provided with a reflective layer, which is configured to reflect image light. Alternatively, the image light emitted from the image source 10 has a first polarization characteristic, which can be an S-polarization characteristic or a P-polarization characteristic, and the reflective layer is configured to reflect light with the first polarization characteristic. The reflective layer is also used to transmit other light, including a portion of ambient light, such as light with a second polarization characteristic, which differs from the first polarization characteristic; the second polarization characteristic is, for example, a P-polarization characteristic or an S-polarization characteristic.

[0027] In some examples, the reflective layer has a reflectivity of 50% or more, or 70% or more, or 90% or more for light with a first polarization characteristic.

[0028] Optionally, the second reflective element 30 can be made of a non-transparent material or a transparent material, such as polycarbonate (PC) or glass.

[0029] In some examples, such as Figure 1As shown, the head-up display device also includes a shielding structure 60, which is configured to form a light-transmitting area through which image light reflected by the first reflective element 20 passes, and to block image light emitted from the image source 10 from directly entering the eye box area 40. The image light reflected by the first reflective element 20 passes through the light-transmitting area formed by the shielding structure 60 and then enters the second reflective element 30. The shielding structure 60 can prevent certain angles of light emitted from the image source 10 from bypassing the first reflective element 20 and the second reflective element 30 and directly entering the eye box area 40 (that is, this part of the light, after emanating from the image source 10, directly enters the eye box area 40 without passing through other elements). If this light directly enters the eye box area 40, the observer can directly see the real image formed on the surface of the image source 10, forming stray light that interferes with the normal viewing of the virtual image 50. Therefore, the shielding structure 60 can avoid stray light.

[0030] The shielding structure 60 is configured to block the image light emitted from the image source 10 from directly entering the eye box region 40 without being reflected by the first reflective element 20; or, the shielding structure 60 is configured to block the image light emitted from the image source 10 from directly entering the eye box region 40 without being reflected by the second reflective element 30.

[0031] In some examples, the area of ​​the light-transmitting region is S1, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the image light beam on the plane of the light-transmitting region is S2, where (S1-S2) / S1≤50% or (S1-S2) / S1≤30%. It should be noted that in this disclosure, without affecting the propagation of the image light, that is, all image light reflected by the first reflecting element 20 can pass through the light-transmitting region. The smaller the area of ​​the light-transmitting region, the better the effect of preventing stray light.

[0032] like Figure 1 As shown, the shielding structure 60 includes a first shielding member 61 and a second shielding member 62; the first shielding member 61 and the second shielding member 62 are configured to block image light emitted from the image source 10 from directly entering the eye box region 40, and a light-transmitting region is formed between the first shielding member 61 and the second shielding member 62. The first shielding member 61 and the second shielding member 62 can be configured as follows: Figure 1 The light extends beyond the light envelope of the image light rays reflected by the first reflective element 20, and a light-transmitting area is formed near the light envelope.

[0033] In some examples, the shielding structure 60 may be a separate structural component, such as a component painted black or a dark color. Alternatively, at least a portion of the shielding structure 60 may be formed by the ceiling inside the transportation equipment, i.e., the ceiling inside the transportation equipment cabin may be reused as at least a portion of the shielding structure 60. For example, the first shielding member 61, or the second shielding member 62, or both the first shielding member 61 and the second shielding member 62 may be formed by a portion of the ceiling component inside the transportation equipment.

[0034] This disclosure also provides a transportation device, including but not limited to a car. The transportation device includes a head-up display device as described in any of the examples above.

[0035] The image source 10 and the first reflective element 20 are located in the top area above the seat in the transportation device; the second reflective element 30 is configured to reflect image light to the observer's eye box area 40. Taking the eye box area as the eye box area of ​​the rear passenger as an example, the rear passenger of the transportation device can view the virtual image formed by the HUD. Specifically, the image source 10, the first reflective element 20, and the third reflective element 70 are all located in the ceiling cavity above the rear seat, and the second reflective element 30 is installed in the ceiling.

[0036] In this disclosure, the image source 10 can be an LCD liquid crystal display (e.g., TFT-LCD), an LED display, a DLP (Digital Light Processing) projector, an LBS (Laser Beam Scanning) scanner, or an LCOS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) display.

[0037] In some examples, image source 10 includes a display panel and a backlight source that provides backlighting for the display panel, with the display panel disposed on the light-emitting side of the backlight source. For example, the display panel 10 is a liquid crystal display panel. The display panel is used to convert the light emitted by the backlight source into image light that can form an image. The backlight source that provides light for the display panel may include light-emitting devices arranged in an array. Specifically, the light-emitting devices may be electroluminescent elements, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), mini light-emitting diodes (Mini LEDs), micro light-emitting diodes (MicroLEDs), cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs), electroluminescent displays (ELDs), cold LED lights (CLLs), electroluminescent (ELs), field emission displays (FEDs), halogen tungsten lamps, or metal halide lamps, etc., and the embodiments disclosed herein do not limit this.

[0038] It is understood that the various embodiments disclosed above can be combined. Furthermore, the above embodiments are merely exemplary implementations used to illustrate the principles of this utility model; however, this utility model is not limited thereto. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and essence of this utility model, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A head-up display device, comprising an image source, a first reflective element, and a second reflective element; wherein, The image source and the first reflective element are located in the top area of ​​the traffic equipment. The image source is configured to emit image light, and the first reflective element is configured to reflect the image light emitted by the image source to the second reflective element. The second reflective element is configured to reflect the image light onto the eye box area.

2. The head-up display device according to claim 1, wherein, The first reflecting element includes a plane mirror, and the second reflecting element includes a curved mirror.

3. The head-up display device according to claim 2, wherein, Both the image source and the first reflective element are located in the top cavity of the traffic equipment, or in the ceiling inside the traffic equipment.

4. The head-up display device according to claim 1, wherein, The eye box area includes the eye box area corresponding to the rear passenger of the transportation device, or the eye box area corresponding to the driver of the transportation device, or the eye box area corresponding to the co-driver of the transportation device.

5. The head-up display device according to claim 2, wherein, The head-up display device further includes a mounting structure configured to deploy the second reflective element when in use and to retract the second reflective element when not in use.

6. The head-up display device according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein, The head-up display device also includes a third reflective element located in the top region; The image source is configured to emit the image light to the third reflective element; The third reflective element is configured to reflect the image light back to the first reflective element.

7. The head-up display device according to claim 6, wherein, The third reflective element includes a plane mirror or a curved reflective mirror, and the third reflective element is located in the top cavity of the traffic equipment or in the ceiling inside the traffic equipment.

8. The head-up display device according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein, The head-up display device further includes a shielding structure configured to form a light-transmitting area through which image light reflected by the first reflective element passes, and to block the image light emitted from the image source from directly entering the eye box area.

9. The head-up display device according to claim 8, wherein, The shielding structure is configured to block the image light emitted from the image source from directly entering the eye box area without being reflected by the first reflective element; or, The shielding structure is configured to prevent the image light emitted from the image source from directly entering the eye box area without being reflected by the second reflective element.

10. A transportation device comprising a head-up display device as claimed in any one of claims 1-9.

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