Head-up display

Abstract

The present invention relates to a head-up display device (12) for a vehicle (10) with handlebars (14), comprising: a. a support (20), at least a part of which, called the active part (24), is partially reflective and has a non-zero curvature so as to form a concave mirror on the rider side (16); and b. a light-emitting unit for control information of the vehicle (10), said light-emitting unit and said support (20) being positioned in said display device according to positioning constraints, said positioning constraints being: 1. a light beam emitted from the light-emitting unit is reflected by the active part (24) of the support (20) to form a virtual image in the field of view of the rider (16) in a driving position; and 2. the formed virtual image is the same image for the right and left eyes of the rider (16).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a head-up display device for a vehicle with a steering wheel. The present invention further relates to an associated device and an associated design method. [Background technology]

[0002] Vehicles with handlebars, such as motorcycles and scooters, are typically equipped with a control panel on the vehicle's handlebars. Such a control panel, also called an instrument cluster or dashboard, serves to present rider information useful to driving and operating the vehicle. To this end, the control panel comprises the vehicle's on-board instruments, some of which are required by law.

[0003] Nevertheless, to view the control panel, the rider must take his or her eyes off the road, which reduces alertness and increases eye fatigue due to the constant visual accommodation effort required.

[0004] In the automotive field it is known to use head-up displays to enable useful information to be viewed more safely.

[0005] However, vehicles with handlebars, such as motorcycles and scooters, have constraints regarding available space (especially for small cylinder vehicles) and rider position, as well as possibly limited field of vision due to wearing a helmet, constraints that are not compatible with head-up displays used in automobiles.

[0006] US Pat. No. 5,399,623 and US Pat. No. 5,499,633 relate to examples of prior art display devices. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 59-172086 [Patent Document 2] European Patent Application Publication No. 3076221 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] Therefore, there is a need for a device that fits the constraints of a vehicle with handlebars, that allows a rider to easily view information useful for controlling the vehicle, improves driving safety, and keeps the rider alert. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To this end, the present description relates to a head-up display device for a vehicle with handlebars, such as a motorcycle or scooter, said device comprising: a. a support suitable for being placed against the upper part of the body of a rider in a driving position in order to deflect air when the vehicle is in operation, at least a part of the support, called the useful portion, being partially reflective and having a non-zero curvature to form a concave mirror on the rider side; b. a lighting unit for vehicle control information, the lighting unit being capable of emitting at least one light beam and having at least one operating mode called a head-up display mode; The light emitting unit and the support are positioned within the display device according to positioning constraints, the positioning constraints being such that in the head-up display mode: - a light beam emitted from the light-emitting unit is reflected by an effective portion of the support to form a virtual image in the field of view of a rider in a driving position; The virtual image formed is the same image for the right and left eyes of the rider.

[0010] According to other advantageous aspects, the device comprises one or more of the following features, taken individually or according to all technically possible combinations: the support has an inclination with respect to the vertical, referred to as the main inclination, and the light-emitting units are inclined with respect to the support by an inclination, referred to as the relative inclination, the positioning constraint providing that the main inclination and the relative inclination are such that the light beams emitted by the light-emitting units and reflected by the active parts form a virtual image in the field of view of a rider in a driving position; - the concave mirror has an apex and a focal point, and the positioning constraint specifies that the light emitting unit is located on the rider side in a region between the apex of the concave mirror and a reference point, and the positioning constraint specifies that the reference point is a point between the apex and the focal point of the concave mirror that is located on a line connecting the apex and the focal point of the concave mirror, so that a virtual image formed in the field of view of the rider in the driving position is the same image for the right eye and the left eye of the rider; - the concave mirror has a radius of curvature, and the position of the reference point depends on the radius of curvature of the concave mirror; - The distance between the reference point and the vertex of the concave mirror is called the useful distance, and the positioning constraint specifies that the useful distance satisfies the following relationship: d=-A·R 2 +B·R+C where: d is the effective distance, R is the radius of curvature of the concave mirror, and A, B and C are positive numbers; - the concave mirror has a radius of curvature such that the virtual image has a magnification strictly greater than 1; - the light-emitting unit has another operating mode called a direct display mode, in which the information emitted by the light-emitting unit is readable by the rider directly on the light-emitting unit when the rider is in a driving position looking at the light-emitting unit; - the direct display mode and the head-up display mode correspond to different relative inclinations of the light-emitting unit to the support; The display device includes a rotation mechanism that can rotate the light-emitting unit between the head-up display mode and the direct display mode.

[0011] The present description further relates to a drive assembly comprising: a. Vehicles with handlebars, such as motorcycles or scooters; and b. The above-mentioned display device, which is integrated into the vehicle and positioned facing the upper body of a rider in the driving position, deflects air when the vehicle is being driven, and forms a virtual image, which is the same image for the right and left eyes of the rider in the driving position, within the field of view of the rider to display vehicle control information.

[0012] The present description further relates to a method for designing a display device as described above for a vehicle with handlebars, such as a motorcycle or a scooter, comprising the following steps: a. acquiring rider characteristics for a rider in a driving position of the vehicle; b. providing a support suitable for being placed against the upper body of a rider in a driving position, at least a portion of the support, known as the active portion, being partially reflective and having a non-zero curvature so as to form a concave mirror towards the rider, the curvature of the support being determined according to the characteristics of the rider; c. providing a lighting unit for control information of a vehicle, the lighting unit being capable of emitting at least one light beam, the lighting unit having at least one operation mode called a head-up display mode; d. Positioning the support and the light-emitting unit on the display device according to positioning constraints, the positioning constraints being such that in the head-up display mode, a light beam emitted by the light-emitting unit is reflected by the effective portion to form a virtual image within the field of view of the rider in the driving position, the formed virtual image being the same image for the right and left eyes of the rider.

[0013] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from reading the following description which follows of an embodiment of the invention given by way of limiting example only, and from referring to the following drawings, in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a vehicle equipped with a handlebar that includes a head-up display device. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a head-up display device including a support and a light-emitting unit for displaying information. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the field of vision of a rider wearing a helmet, more specifically the direct field of vision and the peripheral field of vision. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams showing examples of positioning constraints for a support and a light-emitting unit. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of another example of a head-up display device, this example illustrating two operating modes of the information light-emitting unit of the display device, namely a head-up display mode and a direct display mode. [Figure 6]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of another example of a display device, in which the support and the light-emitting unit are fixed together to form one and the same unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] A vehicle 10 equipped with a head-up display 12 is shown in FIG.

[0016] In this example, the vehicle 10 is a motorcycle.

[0017] In a variant, the vehicle 10 is a scooter, a quad, a sidecar, a gyropod, a moped, a motorcycle or bicycle, a tricycle, or a cargo tricycle.

[0018] More generally, vehicle 10 is any vehicle equipped with a handlebar 14. The handlebar is a member for steering and controlling the trajectory of the front wheels of vehicle 10. Thus, the handlebar is distinct from the steering wheel of an automobile.

[0019] Considering the above examples, it should be noted that the vehicle 10 is different from an automobile or rail vehicle. Such a vehicle 10 may or may not be motorized, and may or may not have a saddle. Such a vehicle 10 has two to four wheels.

[0020] The device 12 is suitable for displaying information to the rider 16 for controlling the vehicle 10 when the vehicle 10 is being driven by the rider 16. Such control information is for example navigation, safety or communication information coming from an on-board system in the vehicle or from the rider's electronic device such as a smartphone.

[0021] The device 12 includes at least one operating mode that allows information to be displayed within the field of view of the rider 16 of the vehicle 10 while driving. This information may be, for example, navigation, safety or communication information provided by equipment onboard the vehicle 10 or coming from an onboard system in the vehicle or from the rider's electronic device, such as a smartphone.

[0022] By way of example, the information relates to a speed indicator of the vehicle 10, the energy consumption of the vehicle 10, an alert regarding a malfunction of a particular component of the vehicle 10, or navigation information (mapping, position, direction).

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2, the device 12 includes a support 20 and a light-emitting unit 22 for controlling information of the vehicle 10 .

[0024] The support 20 may be placed against the upper body (at least a part of the torso) of the rider 16 in a driving position in order to deflect air while the vehicle 10 is being driven, so that the support 20 has the function of a windscreen, also called a deflector or bubble.

[0025] The substrate 20 may be transparent, or partially transparent (wholly or partially tinted), or opaque.

[0026] The support 20 is made of, for example, polycarbonate.

[0027] The support 20 has at least one portion, called the active portion 24, which is partially reflective and has a non-zero curvature so as to form a concave mirror on the lidar side. The concave mirror has a vertex S, a focus F, and a radius of curvature R.

[0028] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the active portion 24 is covered with a reflective element 26 that provides a partial reflection function. The reflective element 26 is, for example, a coating or treatment (e.g., obtained by physical or chemical vapor deposition) or a film (e.g., laminated or held by electrostatic effects).

[0029] In a variant, the reflective element 26 is inside the active portion 24 .

[0030] 2, the support 20 has a non-zero curvature and the useful portion 24 has a uniform curvature (same axes of curvature) as the curvature of the support 20. In a variant, the useful portion 24 is a local deformation of the support 20.

[0031] 2, the active portion 24 extends over only a portion of the support 20, in this case the portion responsible for generating a virtual image in the (direct or peripheral) field of view of a rider in a driving position, as will be explained below. In a variant, the active portion 24 extends over the entire support 20.

[0032] The light-emitting unit 22 is suitable for displaying control information of the vehicle 10. This information preferably includes information provided by an on-board device of the vehicle 10 or navigation, safety or communication information coming from an on-board system of the vehicle or from an electronic device of the lidar such as a smartphone. To this end, the light-emitting unit 22 is capable of emitting at least one light beam.

[0033] The light-emitting unit 22 has at least one operating mode called head-up display mode. Preferably, in the head-up display mode, the head-up display device has a shutter 30 (see FIG. 5) that can block the light beam emitted by the light-emitting unit 22 from the direct view of the rider. Thus, if the light-emitting unit 22 is a screen, in the head-up display mode, the image displayed on the light-emitting unit 22 is not visible under the direct vision of the rider. The light-emitting unit 22 and the support 20 are positioned in the display device 12 according to positioning constraints.

[0034] The positioning constraints for Heads-Up Display mode are as follows: The light beam emitted by the light emitting unit 22 is reflected by the effective portion 24 to form a virtual image IM in the field of view of the rider 16 in the driving position. The virtual image IM formed is the same image for the right and left eyes of the rider 16.

[0035] This allows the positioning constraints to form a virtual image IM in the field of view of the rider 16 in the driving position, preventing the phenomenon of double vision in the left and right eyes. The field of view considered is preferably the direct field of view CD (also called the central field of view), if not at least the peripheral field of view CP. The direct field of view CD is the spatial region located in the center of the rider's field of view (cone of vision). The peripheral field of view CP is the remaining part of the rider's field of view. Figure 3 shows, by way of example, the different fields of view of a rider wearing a helmet, for example a motorcycle rider or a scooter rider.

[0036] In one embodiment, the positioning constraints define the absolute position of the support 20 and the relative positions of the light emitting units 22 with respect to the support 20 .

[0037] Hereinafter, as shown in FIG. 2, the inclination of the support 20 with respect to the vertical direction is referred to as the main inclination αP In addition, the relative inclination of the light-emitting unit 22 with respect to the medium 20 is defined as the relative inclination α R is defined.

[0038] In this embodiment, the positioning constraint is the main tilt α P and the relative inclination α R is defined as being such that the light beam emitted from the light emitting unit 22 and reflected by the active portion 24 forms a virtual image IM in the field of view of the rider 16 in the driving position.

[0039] More specifically, as shown in Fig. 4, the positioning constraint condition specifies that the light-emitting unit 22 is located on the rider side within a region Z1 between the apex S of the concave mirror and a reference point P. The positioning constraint condition specifies that the reference point P is a point located between the focal point F of the concave mirror located on a line connecting the apex S and the focal point F of the concave mirror, and that the virtual image IM formed in the field of view of the rider 16 in the driving position is the same image for the right eye and the left eye of the rider 16. As a result, beyond the region Z1, a unique image is obtained for each eye due to the non-zero curvature of the effective portion 24, resulting in the phenomenon of double image.

[0040] Preferably, the position of the reference point P depends on the radius of curvature R of the concave mirror.

[0041] Advantageously, the positioning constraint stipulates that the distance between the reference point P and the vertex S of the concave mirror, called the effective distance d, satisfies the following relationship: d=-A·R 2 +B·R+C where: d is the effective distance, R is the radius of curvature of the concave mirror, and A, B and C are positive numbers.

[0042] The distance d therefore defines the maximum position that must not be exceeded to avoid different images for each eye. The display device is then placed between S and P.

[0043] The above relationships were experimentally obtained. In one embodiment, coefficient A is equal to 0.0009, coefficient B is equal to 0.228, and coefficient C is equal to 2.7046.

[0044] Preferably, the radius of curvature R of the concave mirror is such that the virtual image IM has a magnification strictly greater than 1, preferably greater than or equal to 1.5.

[0045] Preferably, no optical components are disposed between the light-emitting unit 22 and the support 20 .

[0046] 5, the light-emitting unit 22 has another operating mode called a direct indication mode, in which the information emitted by the light-emitting unit 22 can be read directly by the rider 16 in the driving position while looking at the light-emitting unit 22. That is, in the direct indication mode, the light beam emitted by the light-emitting unit 22 is not reflected by the active portion 24 of the concave mirror.

[0047] 5, the direct display mode and the head-up display mode correspond to different relative inclinations of the light-emitting unit 22 with respect to the support 20. In particular, in the head-up display mode, the light beam emitted from the light-emitting unit 22 can be reflected by the effective portion 24 of the support 20 to form a virtual image IM. In the direct display mode, the light beam emitted from the light-emitting unit 22 is emitted toward the direction of the rider 16.

[0048] Furthermore, if the display device 12 is equipped with a shutter 30, the position of the shutter 30 is changed between the head-up display mode and the direct display mode (and thus depending on the tilt of the light-emitting unit 22) so that in the head-up display mode the direct image from the light-emitting unit 22 is masked from the rider and in the direct display mode it is visible to the rider.

[0049] Thus, in the direct display mode, the light emitting unit 22 can be regarded as a dashboard of the vehicle 10. Therefore, it is conceivable to eliminate the dashboard of the vehicle.

[0050] Preferably, the display device 12 includes a pivot-like rotation mechanism that can rotate the light-emitting unit 22 between the head-up display mode and the direct display mode. The rotation mechanism can be, for example, a pivot, a curved slide, or a corresponding curved guide, or a specific kinematic object.

[0051] Preferably, the direct display mode and the head-up display mode also correspond to different brightness levels (brighter in the head-up display mode) and different orientations of the (realistic) image generated by the light-emitting unit 22 (inverted image in the head-up display mode, non-inverted image in the direct display mode).

[0052] Preferably, the light-emitting unit 22 is a screen suitable for displaying a realistic image emitted by the light beam from the light-emitting unit 22. The display device is, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display device.

[0053] In a variant, the lighting unit 22 has a single operating mode, which is a head-up display mode, and the lighting unit 22 is fixed relative to the support 20. In such a variant, the vehicle 10 generally has a dashboard separate from the display device 12 for displaying information coming from the on-board instruments.

[0054] 6, the support 20 and the light-emitting unit 22 form a single unit suitable for mounting on the vehicle 10. The light-emitting unit 22 is then fixed to the support 20. As a result, the display device 12 can be easily mounted on the vehicle 10.

[0055] More specifically, in the example shown in Fig. 6, the display device 12 comprises a holding element 31 to which the light-emitting unit 22 is fixed. The holding element 31 is fixed to the support 20 by means of fasteners 32. Such a device is therefore intended to be sold as a single unit as an accessory for handlebar vehicles and to be subsequently mounted on the vehicle by the manufacturer or purchaser.

[0056] Next, an example of a method for designing the head-up display device 12 as described above will be described.

[0057] The design method includes obtaining features for a rider 16 in a driving position of the vehicle 10. The features may, for example, correspond to an average rider, for example, the 85th percentile of the population. The features may, for example, be the position of the rider on the vehicle 10 or the direction gaze of the rider in the driving position.

[0058] The design method includes the steps of providing a support 20 that can be positioned to face the upper body of a rider 16 in a driving position.

[0059] At least one portion of the support 20, called the active portion 24, is partially reflective and has a non-zero curvature so as to form a concave mirror on the lidar side. The position of the active portion 24 and the curvature of the support 20 were determined, for example, depending on the characteristics of the lidar.

[0060] The design method includes providing a light-emitting unit 22 for control information of the vehicle 10. The light-emitting unit 22 is capable of emitting at least one light beam, and the light-emitting unit 22 has at least one operating mode referred to as a head-up display mode.

[0061] The design method includes a step of positioning the support 20 and the light-emitting unit 22 in the display device 12 according to a positioning constraint, which is that in a head-up display mode, a light beam emitted from the light-emitting unit 22 is reflected by the active portion 24 to form a virtual image IM, which is an identical image for the right eye and the left eye of the rider 16, in the field of view of the rider 16 in the driving position.

[0062] More specifically, the positioning constraints are as explained above.

[0063] In one example, the position of the support 20 is first determined in the vertical direction. Then, the relative inclination α of the light-emitting unit 22 with respect to the support 20 is determined so that the virtual image IM is well formed within the field of view of the rider 16 in the driving position. R The area for positioning the light emitting unit 22 relative to the support 20 is also determined as described above as a function of the curvature of the effective portion 24 so that the virtual image IM formed is the same image for the right and left eyes of the rider 16.

[0064] The head-up display 12 thereby serves to display information useful for driving (control, navigation, traffic information) within the field of view of the rider 16 when in the driving position, allowing the rider to easily access this information.

[0065] More specifically, the non-zero curvature of the active portion 24 makes it possible to magnify the information coming from the light emitting unit 22, thereby making it possible to eliminate the need for a light emitting unit 22 that is too large for a handlebar vehicle. Furthermore, such a curvature contributes to reducing vibrations (even more so if the curvature extends over the entire support 20), which is generally more important for a handlebar vehicle than for an automobile.

[0066] The positioning constraints, in particular, enable the generated virtual image IM to be the same for each of the two eyes of the rider 16, despite the curvature of the active portion 24, thereby preventing the disadvantages associated with double images.

[0067] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the above-described embodiments may likely be combined with each other where such combinations are compatible.

Claims

1. A head-up display (12) for a vehicle (10) having a handlebar (14), comprising: a. a support (20) suitable for being placed against the upper body of a rider (16) in a driving position to deflect air when the vehicle (10) is in operation, at least a portion of the support (20), called the active portion (24), being partially reflective and having a non-zero curvature to form a concave mirror towards the rider; b. a lighting unit (22) for control information of a vehicle (10), the lighting unit (22) being capable of emitting at least one light beam and having at least one operating mode called head-up display mode; The light emitting unit (22) and the support (20) are positioned within the display device according to a positioning constraint, the positioning constraint comprising, in the head-up display mode: a light beam emitted by said light emitting unit (22) is reflected by the active part (24) of the support (20) to form a virtual image (IM) in the field of view of the rider (16) in the driving position; - the virtual image (IM) formed is the same image for the right and left eye of the rider (16); Device.

2. The support (20) has a main inclination (α Ｐ ) and the light-emitting unit (22) has a relative inclination (α Ｒ ), and the positioning constraint is the principal slope (α Ｐ ) and the relative inclination (α Ｒ 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the inclination of the light emitting unit (22) is such that the light beam emitted by the light emitting unit (22) and reflected by the active portion (24) forms a virtual image (IM) within the field of view of the rider (16) in the driving position.

3. The concave mirror has a vertex (S) and a focal point (F); the positioning constraint condition specifies that the light-emitting unit (22) is located on the rider side in a region between the vertex (S) and a reference point (P) of the concave mirror; The device described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the positioning constraint condition specifies that the reference point (P) is a point between the vertex (S) and the focal point (F) of the concave mirror located on a straight line connecting the vertex (S) and the focal point (F) of the concave mirror, thereby making a virtual image (IM) formed within the field of view of the rider (16) in the driving position the same image for the right and left eyes of the rider (16).

4. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the concave mirror has a radius of curvature (R) and the position of the reference point (P) depends on the radius of curvature (R) of the concave mirror.

5. The distance between the reference point (P) and the vertex (S) of the concave mirror is called the effective distance (d), and the positioning constraint condition is that the effective distance (d) satisfies the following relationship: d=-A・R ２ +B・R+C Where: d is the effective distance, R is the radius of curvature of the concave mirror, and A, B and C are positive numbers, The apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising:

6. 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said concave mirror has a radius of curvature (R) such that said virtual image (IM) has a magnification strictly greater than 1.

7. 3. The device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the light-emitting unit (22) has another operating mode called a direct display mode, in which information emitted by the light-emitting unit (22) is readable directly on the light-emitting unit (22) by the rider (16) in the driving position when the rider (16) is looking at the light-emitting unit (22).

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the direct display mode and the head-up display mode correspond to different relative inclinations of the light-emitting unit (22) with respect to the support (20).

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the display device (12) comprises a rotation mechanism capable of rotating the light-emitting unit (22) between the head-up display mode and the direct display mode.

10. A drive assembly comprising: a. a vehicle (10) having a handlebar (14); b. The display device (12) according to claim 1 or 2, which is integrated with the vehicle (10), is disposed facing the upper body of the rider (16) in the driving position, deflects air when the vehicle (10) is driven, and forms a virtual image (IM) that is the same image for the right eye and the left eye of the rider (16) within the field of view of the rider (16) in the driving position to display control information for the vehicle (10); A drive assembly comprising:

11. A method for designing a head-up display device (12) according to claim 1 or 2 for a vehicle (10) with a handlebar (14), comprising the steps of: a. acquiring rider characteristics for a rider (16) in a driving position of a vehicle (10); b. providing a support (20) suitable to be placed against the upper body of the rider (16) in a driving position, at least a part of the support (20), called the active part (24), being partially reflective and having a non-zero curvature so as to form a concave mirror towards the rider, the curvature of the support (20) being determined according to the characteristics of the rider; c. Providing a lighting unit (22) for control information of the vehicle (10), the lighting unit (22) being capable of emitting at least one light beam, the lighting unit (22) having at least one operating mode called a head-up display mode; d) positioning the support (20) and the light emitting unit (22) on the display device (12) according to a positioning constraint, the positioning constraint being such that in the head-up display mode, a light beam emitted by the light emitting unit (22) is reflected by the active portion (24) to form a virtual image (IM) in the field of view of the rider (16) in the driving position, the formed virtual image (IM) being the same image for the right and left eyes of the rider (16); The method comprises:

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