Head-up display device and vehicle

Abstract

To provide a head-up display device that can more reliably perform display.SOLUTION: A head-up display device 100 displays a virtual image by projecting display light on a projection target member. The head-up display device comprises: a display element 30 that emits the display light; a display control unit 92 that sets an operation parameter of the display element 30 and controls a display operation of the display element 30; a storage unit 93 that is connected with the display control unit 92 and stores the operation parameter in a storage area. The display control unit 92 includes error detection means that executes an error detection operation for the storage unit 93 and the storage area. The error detection means executes the error detection operation for only a partial area of the storage area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a head-up display device and a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art A head-up display device that displays a virtual image by projecting display light onto a projection member is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2018 / 123554 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in a conventional head-up display device, there are cases where the operation is terminated even when the device is in a normal operable state.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a head-up display device that can perform display more reliably. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In one aspect, the following solution is provided. A head-up display device that displays a virtual image by projecting display light onto a projection member, comprising: a display element that emits display light; a display controller that sets operating parameters of the display element and controls the display operation of the display element; and a memory unit connected to the display controller that stores the operating parameters in a memory area, wherein the display controller comprises error detection means that performs an error detection operation on the memory area, and the error detection means performs the error detection operation on only a portion of the memory area. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a head-up display device that can perform display more reliably. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic side view of a vehicle equipped with a head-up display device according to the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing an optical configuration of the head-up display device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the head-up display device. [Figure 4] FIG. 1A is a diagram showing a conventional error detection target region, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an error detection target region of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0010] 1, a head-up display device 100 of this embodiment is mounted on a vehicle. The head-up display device 100 is provided in a dashboard of the vehicle, and reflects display light L representing a display image by a windshield 200, allowing a passenger such as a driver 250 to visually recognize a virtual image V of the display image representing, for example, vehicle information.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 2, the head-up display device 100 includes, for example, an illumination unit 10, an illumination optical system 20, a display element 30, a projection optical system 50, a screen 60, a flat mirror 70, a concave mirror 75, and a housing 80 having a window portion 81 through which a display image M is emitted.

[0012] The illumination unit 10 has a light source unit 11 (see FIG. 3) capable of emitting light. The light source unit 11 includes a light emitting diode 11r (first light emitting element) that emits, for example, red light, a light emitting diode 11g (second light emitting element) that emits, for example, green light, and a light emitting diode 11b (third light emitting element) that emits, for example, blue light.

[0013] The illumination optical system 20 is formed of, for example, a concave lens, and can adjust the illumination light C emitted from the illumination unit 10 to the size of the display element 30.

[0014] The display element 30 is, for example, a DMD (Digital Micro-mirror Device) equipped with a plurality of movable micro-mirrors, each of which is individually controlled. When the micro-mirror is ON, the micro-mirror is tilted, for example, by +12 degrees with a hinge (not shown) as a fulcrum, and can reflect the illumination light C emitted from the illumination optical system 20 toward the projection optical system 50. When the micro-mirror is OFF, the micro-mirror is tilted, for example, by -12 degrees with the hinge as a fulcrum, and cannot reflect the illumination light C toward the projection optical system 50.

[0015] The projection optical system 50 is composed of, for example, a concave lens or a convex lens, and can efficiently irradiate the display light L of the display image M projected from the display element 30 onto the screen 60.

[0016] The screen 60 is composed of, for example, a diffusion plate, a holographic diffuser, a microlens array, etc., and can receive display light L from the projection optical system 50 on the lower surface of the screen 60 and display a display image M on the upper surface of the screen 60.

[0017] The flat mirror 70 can reflect the display image M displayed on the screen 60 towards the concave mirror 75 .

[0018] The concave mirror 75 is, for example, a concave mirror, and reflects the display light L from the plane mirror 70 at its concave surface, and the reflected light is emitted toward the window portion 81. The display light L reaches the driver 250 via such a display mechanism, and the virtual image V recognized by the driver 250 has a size obtained by enlarging the display image M displayed on the screen 60.

[0019] The concave mirror 75 has a rotatable concave mirror, and by changing the reflection angle of the display light L by rotating the concave mirror, the display height of the virtual image V recognized by the driver 250 can be adjusted.

[0020] The housing 80 is made of a material such as a hard resin, and a window 81 of a predetermined size is provided on the upper part of the housing 80. The window 81 is made of a material such as a light-transmitting resin such as acrylic, and the shape of the window 81 is, for example, a curved shape. The window 81 can transmit the display light L from the concave mirror 75.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 3, the head-up display device 100 is controlled by, for example, a control unit 90, a lighting control unit 91, and a display control unit 92 (display controller). An ECU (Electronic Control Unit) shown in Fig. 3 generates a video signal 300, and the control unit 90 can input the video signal 300 by, for example, LVDS (Low Voltage Differential Signaling) communication. The control unit 90 is typically configured by, for example, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), but may also be configured by, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a microcomputer, or the like. Furthermore, the control unit 90, the lighting control unit 91, and the display control unit 92 may also be configured by, for example, an integrated IC.

[0022] The control unit 90 outputs lighting control data D1 for controlling the lighting unit 10 at the light luminance and light emission timing required by the video signal 300 to the lighting control unit 91. The control unit 90 can also output display control data D2 for forming the display image M required by the video signal 300 on the display element 30 to the display control unit 92. Furthermore, the control unit 90 can control the rotation of the concave mirror of the concave mirror 75 in response to an adjustment operation by the driver 250 to change the display height of the virtual image V.

[0023] A frame, which is a period for displaying the display image M, is composed of subframes divided into a plurality of time periods. The illumination control unit 91 can control the illumination unit 10 by a field sequential driving method that switches the light emitting diodes 11r, 11g, and 11b of different colors for each subframe at high speed in accordance with the light intensity and timing required by the illumination control data D1.

[0024] The display control unit 92 sets operation parameters of the display element 30 based on the display control data D2, and controls the display operation of the display element 30. The display operation control of the display element 30 is performed, for example, by controlling the ON / OFF of each micromirror of the display element 30 using a PWM method. In addition, the display control unit 92 can express the display image M in full color or in mixed colors using an additive mixing method, using the emission colors of the light emitting diodes 11r, 11g, and 11b as basic colors when reflecting the illumination light C emitted by the illumination unit 10 toward the screen 60, for example.

[0025] A storage unit 93 (e.g., Flash ROM) that stores operating parameters and test images in a storage area is connected to the display control unit 92. In normal display operation, the display control unit 92 controls the display operation of the display element 30 based on the operating parameters read from the storage unit 93. Normally, a storage area M1 for operating parameters in the storage unit 93 is smaller than a storage area M2 for test images (see FIG. 4).

[0026] The test images are used in the assembly and inspection process of the head-up display device 100. For example, the test images are image data suitable for evaluating the display operation and display performance, and are expressed as a geometric pattern expressed in a single color or several colors, a pattern such as a gradation, etc. Normally, a plurality of test images are stored in the memory unit 93, and in response to the execution of a command corresponding to each test image, the display control unit 92 reads the corresponding test image from the memory unit 93 and displays the test image on the display element 30. However, in the head-up display device 100 in a state where it is mounted on a vehicle after inspection, the test images are hardly used.

[0027] The display control unit 92 includes an error detection means and a display operation stopping means as functional configurations realized by cooperation between hardware and software. The error detection means executes an error detection operation on the storage area of ​​the storage unit 93. If the display operation stopping means detects an error in the storage area of ​​the storage unit 93 as a result of the error detection operation, it stops the display operation of the display element 30. The error detection means, which is a main part of the present invention, will be described below with reference to FIG. 4.

[0028] The error detection means performs an error detection operation (error check) to check whether an error has occurred in the data stored in the storage unit 93, for example, when the head-up display device 100 is started up. The error detection operation is performed, for example, using a cyclic redundancy check (CRC). It is technically difficult to completely prevent error detection from occurring in the error detection operation of the storage unit 93 using such a CRC or the like. The reason for this is that in the storage unit 93, even if it is not a defective product, a bit flip may occur over time. If this charge flip occurs, it is deemed an error in the error detection operation at the time of start-up, and the head-up display device 100 stops operating.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 4(A), the conventional error detection means performs an error detection operation on all memory areas of the memory unit 93. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 4(B), the error detection means of this embodiment performs an error detection operation on only a part of the memory areas of the memory unit 93. According to such an error detection means of this embodiment, the possibility of error detection due to charge leakage can be reduced by limiting the target area of ​​the error detection operation.

[0030] 4(B), the error detection means of this embodiment performs an error detection operation on the storage area M1 in which the operating parameters are stored, among the storage areas of the storage unit 93, and does not perform an error detection operation on the storage area M2 in which the test images are stored. According to such an error detection means of this embodiment, an error can be appropriately detected on the storage area M1 for the operating parameters, and the operation of the head-up display device 100 can be reliably stopped in response to the error detection. On the other hand, by omitting the error detection operation on the storage area M2 for the test images, which is hardly used when the device is mounted on the vehicle, the possibility of error detection due to charge loss can be reduced, and the operation stop of the head-up display device 100 due to charge loss can be prevented.

[0031] Although each embodiment has been described above in detail, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiment, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the claims. In addition, it is also possible to combine all or a plurality of the components of the above-described embodiments.

[0032] For example, the display element 30 is not limited to a DMD, and may be a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) or an organic electro-luminescence (EL).

[0033] Furthermore, the error detection operation by the error detection means may be performed not only when the head-up display device 100 is started up, but also during operation.

[0034] Furthermore, the error detection operation by the error detection means may be a check method other than CRC.

[0035] In addition, the display stopping operation by the display operation stopping means includes terminating the operation of the display element 30, turning off the light source unit 11 (stopping the power supply, setting the PWM duty ratio to 0, etc.), turning off the display control unit 92 or the control unit 90, transitioning the concave mirror 75 to a non-display position (parking position), turning off the transformer element, cutting off the battery power supply, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 100 Head-up display device 200 Windshield 250 Driver 300 Video Signal 10 Lighting Section 11 Light source section 11b Light-emitting diode 11g Light Emitting Diode 11r Light Emitting Diode 20 Illumination optical system 30 Display element 50 Projection optical system 60 screens 70 Plane Mirror 75 Concave mirror (concave mirror) 80 Housing 81 Window 90 Control section 91 Lighting control unit 92 Display control unit (display controller) 93 Memory section

Claims

1. A head-up display device that displays a virtual image by projecting display light onto a projection member, A display element that emits display light; a display controller that sets operating parameters of the display element and controls a display operation of the display element; a storage unit connected to the display controller and configured to store the operation parameters in a storage area; the display controller includes an error detection means for performing an error detection operation on the storage area; The error detection means performs an error detection operation only on a part of the storage area. Head-up display device.

2. The display controller further includes a display operation stopping means for stopping a display operation of the display element when an error is detected in the partial area as a result of the error detection operation. The head-up display device according to claim 1 .

3. the storage unit stores a test image for testing a display performance of the display element; The partial area is an area in which the inspection image is not stored. The head-up display device according to claim 1 .

4. a rotatable concave mirror that reflects the display light; a control unit that outputs a video signal to the display controller and controls the rotation of the concave mirror. The head-up display device according to claim 1 .

5. A head-up display device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is provided. vehicle.

Images