Head-up display device

Abstract

This prevents damage to the display elements of the display unit and deterioration of display characteristics due to incident external light. [Solution] The system includes a movable correcting mirror 130 that is rotatable to multiple positions, including a reflection position that reflects the display light L2 representing the real image IMG2 displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 121, allowing the driver 40 to see the real image IMG2, and a retraction position that moves out of the optical path of the display light L1 representing the virtual image IMG1 displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 111 and emits the display light L1, allowing the driver 40 to see the virtual image IMG1; a drive mechanism 133 that drives and rotates the movable correcting mirror 130; and a correcting mirror control unit 15A that controls the drive mechanism 133. The correcting mirror control unit 15A controls the drive mechanism 133 to rotate the movable correcting mirror 130 to an intermediate position located between the reflection position and the retraction position when predetermined conditions are met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a head-up display device that performs a desired display for a viewer.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, for example, a head-up display device described in Patent Document 1 is known. This head-up display device has two displays, and by transmitting the display light of one display through a half mirror and reflecting the display light of the other display with a half mirror, the optical path lengths to each front glass are made different, and the driver is made to visually recognize two virtual images corresponding to the two display lights.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the above conventional head-up display device, for example, when the head-up display device is not in use, such as when the vehicle is parked or stopped, external light such as sunlight may enter the head-up display device. In that case, the external light may follow a path opposite to the path through which the external light exits the head-up display device from the two displays and enter one of the two displays. If the state where external light enters one of the displays continues, the display will heat up, and there is a problem that the display element may be damaged or a temporary display defect may occur, leading to a deterioration in display characteristics.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a head-up display device that can prevent damage to the display elements of the display device and deterioration of display characteristics due to the incidence of ambient light. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention relates to a head-up display device 100 having an outlet 17, which emits display lights M1, L1 / M2, L2 from the outlet 17 toward a light-transmitting member 30, thereby allowing the driver 40 of a vehicle 10 to view the display image represented by the display lights M1, L1 / M2, L2, the head-up display device 100 having an outlet 17, which emits display lights M1, L1 / M2, L2 toward a light-transmitting member 30, the head-up display device 100 having a first display element which transmits light emitted from a first light source 125 and displays a first display image IMG2, the head-up display device 100 having an outlet 17, which emits display lights M1, L1 / M2, L2 toward a light-transmitting member 30, and the head-up display device 100 having an outlet 17 which emits display lights M1, L1 / M2, L2 to allow the driver 40 to view the display image IMG2, the head-up display device 100 having an outlet 17, which emits display lights M1, L1 / M2, L2 from the outlet 17 toward a light-transmitting member 30, the head-up display device 100 has an outlet 17. The first mirror 130 is configured to be rotatable to a plurality of positions, including a reflection position for reflective purposes and a retraction position which is a position that moves out of the optical path of the second rays M1 and L1 representing the second display image IMG1 displayed on the second display unit 111 and emits the second rays M1 and L1 to the light-transmitting member 30, and allows the driver 40 to view the second display image IMG1; a first drive unit 133 drives and rotates the first mirror 130; and a first control unit 15A controls the first drive unit 133, wherein the first control unit 15A controls the first drive unit 133 to rotate the first mirror 130 to an intermediate position located between the reflection position and the retraction position when predetermined conditions are met. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent damage to the display elements of a display device and deterioration of its display characteristics due to the incidence of ambient light. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] A conceptual diagram showing the placement of a head-up display device according to one embodiment of the present invention in a vehicle. [Figure 2] A schematic cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of a head-up display device. [Figure 3] A schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the display state of virtual images in a head-up display device. [Figure 4] A schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the display state of a real image in a head-up display device. [Figure 5] A flowchart illustrating the control actions performed by the correcting mirror control unit and the concave mirror control unit of the control device. [Figure 6] A schematic cross-sectional view showing a head-up display device in which the movable compensating mirror is driven to an intermediate position and the concave mirror is driven to an intermediate posture. [Figure 7] A flowchart illustrating the control actions performed by the compensating mirror control unit and the concave mirror control unit of the control device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, a head-up display device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 1. As shown in Figure 1, the head-up display device 100 according to this embodiment is positioned below the windshield 30 of the vehicle 10 (for example, inside the instrument panel (hereinafter referred to as the instrument panel as appropriate)), and allows the driver 40 to view a real image IMG2 on the inside of the vehicle with the windshield 30 (translucent member) in between, and a virtual image IMG1 on the outside of the vehicle.

[0010] <Overview of a head-up display device> Figure 2 shows the overall configuration of the head-up display device 100 according to this embodiment. In Figure 2, the head-up display device 100 comprises a first display unit 120, a second display unit 110, a reflector unit 13, and a control device 15, all of which are housed in a housing 160.

[0011] <Housing> The housing 160 has an upper case 161 and a lower case 162. The upper case 161 is provided with an opening 17 (emission outlet) from which the display light L1 and L2 described later are emitted, and the opening 17 is provided with a window portion 163 for protecting the interior. The window portion 163 is made of a light-transmitting resin (for example, acrylic) and in this example has a curved shape.

[0012] Furthermore, the upper case 161 is provided with a light-shielding wall 161a to prevent the phenomenon of washout, where external light other than sunlight enters the first display unit 120 and the second display unit 110, making the virtual image IMG1 and real image IMG2 difficult to see. The light-shielding wall 161a is flat and is formed to hang diagonally from the top of the upper case 161.

[0013] <First display unit> The first display unit 120 includes a light-emitting diode 125 (first light source), a liquid crystal display panel 121 (first display unit) provided on the side of the opening 17 along the optical path from the light-emitting diode 125, lens members 122, 123, 124, a rigid wiring board 126, a case body 127, and a heat sink 128.

[0014] The light-emitting diode 125 emits light in the visible wavelength range, such as white light. Multiple light-emitting diodes 125 are arranged in close proximity to each other and mounted on a rigid wiring board 126. The lens member 122 has multiple convex lens portions 122a. Each convex lens portion 122a is provided at a location corresponding to the light-emitting diode 125 and focuses the light emitted by the light-emitting diode 125.

[0015] The liquid crystal display panel 121 has a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) type first display element (not shown), transmits the light M2 emitted from the light-emitting diode 125 and transmitted through the lens members 122, 123, 124 to generate display light L2, and displays the real image (first display image) IMG2 that is a display image formed in front of the driver 40. The first display element can form display light representing an arbitrary image according to a control signal sent from the control device 15.

[0016] The case body 127 is made of resin, and the liquid crystal display panel 121 is provided at the open end of this case body. The heat sink 128 is disposed on the rear surface of the rigid wiring board 126. The heat sink 128 releases the heat generated by the light-emitting diode 125.

[0017] <Second Display> The second display 110 includes a light-emitting diode 115 (second light source), a liquid crystal display panel 111 (second display unit) provided closer to the opening 17 side along the optical path than the light-emitting diode 115, lens members 112, 113, 114, a rigid wiring board 116, a display holder 117, and a case body 118.

[0018] The light-emitting diode 115 emits light in the visible wavelength range, for example, white light. A plurality of light-emitting diodes 115 are arranged close to each other and mounted on the rigid wiring board 116. The lens members 112, 113, 114 are made of a light-transmitting resin such as polycarbonate and are disposed between the liquid crystal display panel 111 and the light-emitting diode 115. The lens member 112 has a plurality of convex lens portions 112a. Each convex lens portion 112a is provided at a location corresponding to the light-emitting diode 115 and condenses the light emitted by the light-emitting diode 115.

[0019] The liquid crystal display panel 111 has a second TFT-type display element (not shown) that transmits light M1 emitted from the light-emitting diode 115 and passed through lens members 112, 113, and 114 to generate display light L1, and also displays a virtual image (second display image) IMG1, which is a display image formed in front of the driver 40. The second display element can form display light representing any image according to the control signal sent from the control device 15. The liquid crystal display panel 111 is held and positioned in front of the opening of the case body 118 by a display holder 117.

[0020] The case body 118 is made of black resin and has a roughly rectangular shape.

[0021] Furthermore, the liquid crystal display panel 111 of the second display unit 110 is positioned on the aperture 17 side of the position of the second optical focus F2 of the imaging optical system, which includes the window shield 30 and the reflector 140 described later, along the optical path of the display light L1 (in optical path order).

[0022] Furthermore, in Figure 2, although countless light rays (display light) are actually emitted from both the liquid crystal display panel 121 and the liquid crystal display panel 111, here, the strongest light ray emitted from the center of the liquid crystal display panel 121 and passing through the center of the eye box is shown as the representative light ray, display light L2, and the strongest light ray emitted from the center of the liquid crystal display panel 111 and passing through the center of the eye box is shown as the representative light ray, display light L1. In Figure 2, for convenience, display light L2 is shown as a solid line and display light L1 is shown as a dashed line. Furthermore, in the first display unit 120 and the second display unit 110, optical components such as condenser lenses, lenticular lenses, diffusers, and polarizers may be placed at any position downstream of the respective light-emitting diodes 125 and 115.

[0023] <Reflector> The reflective section 13 reflects the display light L2, which represents the display image displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 121, and the display light L1, which represents the display image displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 111, toward the windshield 30. This reflective section 13 comprises a first mirror section 13a and a second mirror section 13b.

[0024] <First Mirror Section> The first mirror section 13a includes a reflector 150 that reflects the display light L2 emitted from the liquid crystal display panel 121 toward the movable correcting mirror 130, and a movable correcting mirror 130 (first mirror) that reflects the display light L2 emitted from the reflector 150 toward the second mirror section 13b. The reflector 150 and the movable correcting mirror 130 have mirror surfaces and are complex free-form shapes to correct the distortion of the display light L2 and correct the distortion of the image seen by the driver 40.

[0025] <Reflector> The reflector 150 is positioned along the optical path of the display light L2 (in optical path order) on the aperture 17 side of the first display unit 120, and has a concave mirror (not shown) and a mirror holder (not shown), with the mirror holder holding the concave mirror. As shown in Figure 2, the reflector 150 is positioned on the first display unit 120 side of the first optical focus F1 of the imaging optical system, which includes the window shield 30, the movable compensating mirror 130, and the reflector 140. The reflector 150 then reflects the display light L2 emitted from the liquid crystal display panel 121 and reflected by the movable compensating mirror 130 at the above reflection position toward the movable compensating mirror 130 located above the reflector 150.

[0026] <Adjustable corrective mirror> The movable correcting mirror 130 comprises a concave mirror 131 (mirror body) and a mirror holder 132 (holder) that houses and holds the concave mirror 131.

[0027] The concave mirror 131 is made of a high-reflectivity mirror that reflects approximately 97% of the incident light, for example, by forming a coating by sputtering. Alternatively, the concave mirror 131 may be made of a clear mirror that reflects approximately 90% of the incident light.

[0028] The mirror holder 132 is configured to rotate around the substantially horizontal axis of the drive mechanism 133 (first drive unit) between the reflection position shown by the solid line and the retracted position shown by the dashed line in Figure 2, by the drive mechanism 133 (first drive unit). The reflection position is the position where the movable compensating mirror 130 is located on the optical path of the display light L1, causing the display light L1 to strike the back surface of the mirror holder 132, and also reflecting the display light L2 toward the reflector 140. The retracted position is the position where the movable compensating mirror 130 is located off the optical path of the display light L1, allowing the display light L1 to pass through and reflecting the display light L2 toward the reflector 150. The mirror holder 132 is provided with a contact portion 132b, which, when rotated by the drive mechanism 133, contacts the stopper portion 162a formed by the casing contact surface to position the movable compensating mirror 130 (see Figure 2), and this contact state becomes the reflection position.

[0029] The drive mechanism 133 includes, for example, a gearbox (not shown) and a motor (not shown), and is connected to the shaft 132a of the mirror holder 132 via an appropriate coupling or the like. In this example, the shaft 132a is positioned at the lower end of the mirror holder 132, which allows the entire concave mirror 131 to be positioned on or completely out of the optical path of the display light L1 (second ray) by rotation. In other words, if the shaft 132a were positioned at the center of the mirror holder 132, the entire concave mirror 131 would not be able to be completely out of the optical path of the display light L1, so this is avoided.

[0030] When the movable compensating mirror 130 is in the reflection position described above, it reflects the display light L2 (first ray) from the approximately vertical direction reflected by the reflector 150 back toward the reflector 140. When the movable compensating mirror 130 is in the reflection position described above, the second display unit 110, which has a liquid crystal display panel 111, is located on the opposite side from the reflective surface of the concave mirror 131 of the movable compensating mirror 130. When the movable compensating mirror 130 is in the retracted position described above, the first display unit 120 is basically not displayed. However, even if it were to be displayed, the display light L1 representing the virtual image IMG1 displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 111 does not pass through the movable compensating mirror 130.

[0031] <Second Mirror Section> The second mirror section 13b has a reflector 140 whose surface is made of mirror material.

[0032] <Reflector> The reflector 140 is configured to be rotatable and includes a concave mirror 141 that reflects indicator lights L1 and L2 and projects them onto the windshield of the vehicle, a mirror holder 142 that holds the concave mirror 141, and a drive mechanism 143 (second drive unit).

[0033] The concave mirror 141 has a free-form surface and is formed by depositing aluminum (Al) onto a resin such as polycarbonate (PC) to create a reflective film. The mirror holder 142 is made of a resin such as PBT. The concave mirror 141 and mirror holder 142 may also be made of a metal such as aluminum.

[0034] The drive mechanism 143 includes a linear guide 143a and a motor 143b. The linear guide 143a is fastened to a fitting portion 142a provided on the mirror holder 142, and when the motor 143b is driven, the arrangement angle of the concave mirror 141 held in the mirror holder 142 is adjusted, thereby adjusting the projection direction of the display lights L1 and L2.

[0035] The reflector 140 reflects the display light L2 that has been reflected and folded back by the movable correcting mirror 130 at the above reflection position, or the display light L1 that has entered from the liquid crystal display panel 111 without passing through the movable correcting mirror 130, toward the upper opening 17. The display light L2 or display light L1 reflected by the reflector 140 is then emitted to the windshield 30 through the window 163, and the driver 40 views the display image represented by the display light L2 as a real image IMG2, or the display image represented by the display light L1 as a virtual image IMG1.

[0036] In particular, the reflector 140 is rotated by the drive mechanism 143 to match the position of the driver's eyes 40, and the direction of emission of the indicator light L2 and indicator light L1 is freely changed to adjust the position of the image. For example, it may be desirable to have different display angles when display light L2 displays a real image IMG2 and when display light L1 displays a virtual image IMG1. For instance, one might want to display the virtual image IMG1 as if it were tilted relative to the road surface, while displaying the real image IMG2 as if it were standing perpendicular to the road surface. In response to this, by performing the above adjustment by rotating the drive mechanism 143, it becomes possible to display the images at angles suitable for the real image IMG2 and the virtual image IMG1, respectively.

[0037] <Control device> The control device 15 functionally comprises a correcting mirror control unit 15A (first control unit) and a concave mirror control unit 15B (second control unit).

[0038] The correcting mirror control unit 15A can fine-tune the uniformity and position of the real image IMG2 by fine-tuning the angle of the concave mirror 131 via the drive mechanism 133. The concave mirror control unit 15B can adjust the projection direction of the display lights L1 and L2 by adjusting the arrangement angle of the concave mirror 141 via the drive mechanism 143 as described above.

[0039] In addition to the above, the control device 15 also has the function of controlling the display content and display switching of the liquid crystal display panel 121 and the liquid crystal display panel 111 (detailed explanation omitted). In other words, although a detailed explanation is omitted, the control device 15 controls the first display unit 120 and the second display unit 110 in coordination, and generates display light L2 emitted from the first display unit 120 and display light L1 emitted from the second display unit 110 by turning the light-emitting diode 125 on / off, turning the light-emitting diode 115 on / off, and controlling the display content of the liquid crystal display panel 121 and the display content of the liquid crystal display panel 111.

[0040] The ECU 65, a control unit connected to the control device 15 that controls various devices mounted on the vehicle 10, and the human presence sensor 67 connected to the ECU 65 will be described later.

[0041] <Representation of Real and Virtual Images> With the head-up display device configured as described above, the driver 40 of the vehicle 10 can see the real image IMG2 on the inside of the vehicle, across the windshield 30, that is, on the side of the windshield 30 in front of the driver 40, by viewing the display light L2 reflected off the windshield 30. The driver 40 can also see the virtual image IMG1 on the outside of the vehicle, across the windshield 30, that is, on the side of the windshield 30 in front of the driver 40, by viewing the display light L1 reflected off the windshield 30.

[0042] Figure 3 shows the state in which the head-up display device 100 is displaying a virtual image IMG1 on the second display unit 110. As mentioned above, in this case, the corrective mirror control unit 15A of the control device 15 controls the drive mechanism 133 so that the movable corrective mirror 130 rotates counterclockwise as shown in the figure, with the center of the shaft 132a as the axis, until just before it hits the lower case 162, and moves out of the optical path of the display light L1 to a retracted position. At this time, the mirror holder 132 may be provided with a stopper part (not shown) that protrudes toward the concave mirror 131 and hits the lower case 162. In this embodiment in particular, the concave mirror control unit 15B of the control device 15 controls the drive mechanism 143 so that the concave mirror 141 is driven to a second posture (see Figure 3) that is suitable for the driver 40 to view the virtual image IMG1. As a result, as mentioned above, the display light L1 representing the virtual image IMG1 displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 111 does not pass through the movable corrector mirror 130. The display light L1 that enters the reflector 140 in the second position from the liquid crystal display panel 111 without passing through the movable corrector mirror 130 is reflected toward the opening 17 and emitted to the windshield 30, allowing the driver 40 to see the display image represented by the display light L1 as the virtual image IMG1.

[0043] Furthermore, the virtual image IMG1 displays information that is highly necessary to draw the driver's attention, such as vehicle information like the vehicle's speed and engine RPM, route guidance displays such as turn-by-turn directions and maps, blind spot indicators, and warning displays such as speed limit exceeding warnings. These displays provide a driving environment that reduces the need for eye movement and adjustment of the eye's focal length.

[0044] Figure 4 shows the state in which the head-up display device 100 is displaying a real image IMG2 on the first display unit 120. As mentioned above, in this case, the correcting mirror control unit 15A of the control device 15 controls the drive mechanism 133 so that the movable correcting mirror 130 rotates in the clockwise direction shown in the figure (until the contact portion 132b of the mirror holder 132 hits the stopper portion 162a) with the center of the shaft 132a as the axis, and is positioned with high precision to the reflection position on the optical path of the display light L1. In this embodiment in particular, the concave mirror control unit 15B of the control device 15 controls the drive mechanism 143 so that the concave mirror 141 is driven to a first posture (see Figure 4) that is suitable for the driver 40 to view the real image IMG2. As a result, as described above, the display light L2 representing the real image IMG2 displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 121 is reflected and folded back by the movable correcting mirror 130 at the reflection position, and further reflected by the reflector 140 in the first position toward the upper opening 17. The display light L2 reflected by the reflector 140 is then emitted to the windshield 30 through the window section 163, and the driver 40 can see the display image represented by the display light L2 as the real image IMG2.

[0045] In addition, the actual image IMG2 will display, for example, entertainment content, assistants or agents that support the driver 40, and characters representing them, on the side of the windshield 30 that is in front of the driver 40.

[0046] Furthermore, the real image IMG2 and virtual image IMG1 include not only the text and icons indicating the above information, but also a background area, which, in a plan view from the driver 40, appears, for example, as roughly rectangular.

[0047] <Problems caused by the intrusion of external light> As described above, in this embodiment, the movable compensating mirror 130 is configured to rotate between a reflection position and a retracted position when driven by the drive mechanism 133. When the driver 40 is to view the real image IMG2, as described above, the movable correcting mirror 130 is rotated to the reflection position (Figure 4) to be positioned on the optical path of the display light L1 from the second display unit 110, and the display light L2 from the first display unit 120 is reflected and emitted onto the windshield 30. That is, light is emitted through the path of the first display unit 120 → reflector 150 → movable correcting mirror 130 in the reflection position → opening 17 (hereinafter referred to as the first path as appropriate). On the other hand, when the virtual image IMG1 is to be viewed by the driver 40, as described above, the movable compensating mirror 130 is rotated to the retracted position (Figure 3) to deviate from the optical path of the display light L1, and the display light L1 from the second display unit 110 is emitted onto the windshield 30. That is, the light is emitted from the second display unit 110 → (without passing through the movable compensating mirror 130 in the retracted position) through the opening 17 (hereinafter referred to as the second path as appropriate).

[0048] In this case, for example, when the head-up display device 100 is not in use, such as when the vehicle 10 is parked or stopped, external light such as sunlight may enter the head-up display device 100. In this case, if the configuration remained such that the driver 40 could see the real image IMG2 described above (with the movable compensating mirror 130 in the reflection position shown in Figure 4), there is a possibility that ambient light could enter the first display unit 120 via the reverse of the first path described above, namely, the path from the opening 17 → the movable compensating mirror 130 in the reflection position → the reflector 150 → the first display unit 120. Similarly, if the configuration remained such that the driver 40 could see the virtual image IMG1 described above (with the movable compensating mirror 130 in the retracted position shown in Figure 3), there is a possibility that ambient light could enter the second display unit 110 via the reverse of the second path described above, namely, the path from the opening 17 → (without passing through the movable compensating mirror 130 in the retracted position) to the second display unit 110. If ambient light continues to enter the first display unit 120 or the second display unit 110 in this manner, the display units 120 and 110 may overheat, potentially damaging the display elements or causing temporary display defects and a decrease in display characteristics.

[0049] <Control details> To avoid the above-mentioned problems, the control contents performed by the correcting mirror control unit 15A and the concave mirror control unit 15B in this embodiment will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 5.

[0050] First, in S5, vehicle-related information is acquired. Specifically, this vehicle-related information includes, for example, parking brake ON / OFF information, engine ON / OFF information, speed information, etc., which are acquired via the ECU65. Of these, for example, information that the parking brake is ON or that the engine is OFF indicates that vehicle 10 is in a parked state. Also, for example, information that the engine is ON and the speed is zero indicates that vehicle 10 is in a stationary state. Each of these pieces of information corresponds to a stationary state quantity, which indicates that the vehicle is stopped or parked.

[0051] Subsequently, in S10, based on the vehicle-related information obtained in S5, it is determined whether vehicle 10 is stopped or parked. In the example above, for example, if the parking brake is ON, or the engine is OFF, or the engine is ON and the speed is zero, vehicle 10 is considered to be stopped or parked. In this case, the result is Yes, and the process proceeds to S15. If vehicle 10 is determined to be neither stopped nor parked, the result is No, and the process proceeds to S45, which will be described later.

[0052] In S15, personnel information is acquired within the vehicle 10. Specifically, this personnel information includes, for example, the detection results from the human presence sensor 67 acquired via the ECU 65. The human presence sensor 67 detects the presence of occupants in the seats using appropriate known methods such as weight detection, contact detection, or non-contact detection. Alternatively, it may include the imaging results from cameras appropriately installed within the vehicle 10. When acquiring this personnel information, it is not necessarily required to detect the number of occupants in all seats; for example, it may be necessary to detect only whether or not there is a driver in the driver's seat. For example, if the human presence sensor 67 detects 0 occupants, or if the camera images show 0 occupants, the information represented by these results corresponds to an unoccupied state quantity, indicating that the vehicle 10 is unoccupied.

[0053] Subsequently, in S20, based on the personnel information obtained in S15, it is determined whether or not there were no passengers inside the vehicle 10 and it was unoccupied (if only the driver is detected as described above, this means no one was in the driver's seat; the same applies hereafter). If it was unoccupied, the result is Yes, and the process proceeds to S25. For example, if even one passenger is detected and it was not unoccupied, the result is No, and the process proceeds to S45, which will be described later.

[0054] In S25, a timer appropriately installed in the control device 15 performs a timing count. Then, in S30, it is determined whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the timing started in S25. If the predetermined time has not yet elapsed, the result is No, and the process returns to S10 and the same process as above is repeated. If the predetermined time has elapsed, the result is Yes, and the process proceeds to S35.

[0055] In S35, a tilt change command is output to the drive mechanism 133 to drive the movable compensating mirror 130 to an intermediate position between the reflection position and the retracted position, thereby moving the movable compensating mirror 130 to the intermediate position as shown in Figure 6.

[0056] Then, in S40, a posture change command is output to the drive mechanism 143 to drive the concave mirror 141 of the reflector 140 to an intermediate posture between the first and second postures mentioned above, thereby moving the concave mirror 141 to the intermediate position (see Figure 6). After that, the process returns to S5 and is repeated.

[0057] On the other hand, in S45, which is triggered when S10 or S20 is determined to be No, a tilt change command is output to the drive mechanism 133 to drive the movable compensating mirror 130 to the aforementioned reflection position or retracted position. As a result, when the driver 40 is to view the real image IMG2, the movable compensating mirror 130 is in the reflection position (see Figure 4), and when the driver 40 is to view the virtual image IMG1, the movable compensating mirror 130 is in the retracted position (Figure 3).

[0058] Then, in S50, a posture change command is output to the drive mechanism 143 to drive the concave mirror 141 of the reflector 140 to the aforementioned first or second posture. As a result, when the driver 40 is to view the real image IMG2, the concave mirror 141 will be in the first posture (see Figure 4), and when the driver 40 is to view the virtual image IMG1, the concave mirror 141 will be in the second posture (see Figure 3). After that, the process returns to S5 and is repeated.

[0059] <Effects of the Embodiment> As described above, in this embodiment, when a predetermined condition is met, including, for example, the vehicle 10 being parked or stopped, the correcting mirror control unit 15A rotates the movable correcting mirror 130 to an intermediate position (Figure 6) located between the reflection position and the retracted position. As a result, even if ambient light G were to enter through the aperture 17, as shown in Figure 6, the path of the incident ambient light G would deviate from both the first and second paths, and therefore would not enter either the first display unit 120 or the second display unit 110. Consequently, damage to the display elements and deterioration of display characteristics can be avoided.

[0060] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the reflector 140 is configured to be driven by the drive mechanism 143 to switch between multiple positions, including a first position (see Figure 4) and a second position (see Figure 3). When the driver 40 is to view the real image IMG2, the movable compensating mirror 130 is rotated to the reflection position (S45) and the reflector 140 is switched to the first position (S50), so that it is positioned in the optical path of the display light L1 from the second display 110, and the display light L2 from the first display 120 is reflected by the movable compensating mirror 130 and the reflector 140 respectively, and emitted from the opening 17 to the windshield 30 (see Figure 4). That is, light is emitted through the path of first display 120 → reflector 150 → movable compensating mirror 130 in the reflection position → reflector 140 in the first position → opening 17 (hereinafter referred to as a third path as appropriate). On the other hand, when the virtual image IMG1 is to be viewed by the driver 40, the movable correcting mirror 130 is rotated to the retracted position (S45) to deviate the display light L1 from the optical path, and the reflector 140 is switched to the second position (S50) to reflect the display light L1 from the second display unit 110 only by the reflector 140 and emit it from the opening 17 to the windshield 30 (see Figure 3). That is, the light is emitted via the path from the second display unit 110 → (without passing through the movable correcting mirror 130 in the retracted position) to the reflector 140 in the second position → to the opening 17 (hereinafter referred to as the fourth path as appropriate).

[0061] In this embodiment, when predetermined conditions are met, such as the vehicle 10 being parked, the concave mirror control unit 15B rotates the reflector 140 to an intermediate position (see Figure 6) located between the first and second positions (S40). As a result, even if ambient light G were to enter through the opening 17, as shown in Figure 6, the path of the incident ambient light G would deviate from both the third and fourth paths, and therefore would not enter either the first indicator 120 or the second indicator 110. In particular, according to this embodiment, the control by the correction mirror control unit 15A to rotate the movable correction mirror 130 to an intermediate position, and the control by the concave mirror control unit 15B to rotate the reflector 140 to an intermediate position, control both the reflector 140 and the movable correction mirror 130 to a position or location deviated from the path through which ambient light G can enter, thereby ensuring that ambient light G entering from the opening 17 does not enter either the first display unit 120 or the second display unit 110. As a result, damage to the display elements and deterioration of display characteristics can be avoided even more reliably.

[0062] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the predetermined conditions include the acquisition of the above-mentioned parking / stopping state quantity, which indicates that the vehicle 10 is in a stopped or parked state. For example, by setting a condition that the parking / stopping state quantity is acquired via the ECU 65, it is possible to detect that the vehicle is in a parked or stopped state where the driver 40 is not driving, which is prone to the aforementioned adverse effects caused by ambient light G, and then perform the aforementioned control based on that state.

[0063] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the predetermined conditions include the acquisition of an unoccupied state quantity indicating that the vehicle 10 is unoccupied. For example, by setting a condition that the amount of unoccupied state detected by the aforementioned human presence sensor 67 or camera is acquired, the parked or stopped state can be detected more reliably, and the aforementioned control can be performed based on that condition.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment in particular, the movable correcting mirror 130 can be rotated between the reflection position and the retracted position by driving the mirror holder 132, which houses the concave mirror 131, with a motor.

[0065] In addition, in this embodiment, the movable correcting mirror 130 has a function to correct the distortion of the display light L2, and the reflector 140 includes a concave mirror 141 with a free-form surface. This makes it possible to improve the image quality of both the real image IMG2 and the virtual image IMG1.

[0066] Furthermore, in this embodiment in particular, the movable correcting mirror 130 is rotated to the reflective position to reflect the display light L2 from the first display unit 120 and emit it onto the windshield 30, allowing the driver 40 to see the actual image. The movable correcting mirror 130 is rotated to the retracted position, and the display light L1 from the second display unit 110 is emitted onto the windshield 30, allowing the driver 40 to see the virtual image.

[0067] <Variation> It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from its spirit and technical idea. Such modifications will be described in order below. Parts equivalent to those in the above embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0068] (1) When intermediate position and intermediate posture are not used In other words, in the above embodiment, the movable compensating mirror 130 was configured to be switchable to three positions: a reflective position, a retracted position, and an intermediate position, and the concave mirror 141 of the reflector 140 was configured to be switchable to three positions: a first position, a second position, and an intermediate position. In contrast, in this modified example, the intermediate position and intermediate position are not used, the movable compensating mirror 130 is configured to be switchable to two positions: a reflective position and a retracted position, and the concave mirror 141 of the reflector 140 is configured to be switchable to two positions: a first position and a second position.

[0069] The control operations performed by the correcting mirror control unit 15A and the concave mirror control unit 15B in this modified example will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 7, which corresponds to Figure 5.

[0070] In the flow chart shown in Figure 7, steps S35 and S40 in Figure 5 are omitted, and S100 is provided in their place. In other words, after going through S5, S10, S15, S20, and S25, if a "Yes" determination is made in S30 due to the passage of a predetermined period, the process proceeds to the newly established S100.

[0071] In S100, a tilt change command for driving the movable compensating mirror 130 to the aforementioned reflection position is output from the compensating mirror control unit 15A to the drive mechanism 133, and a posture change command for driving the concave mirror 141 of the reflector 140 to the aforementioned second posture is output from the concave mirror control unit 15B to the drive mechanism 143 (= first coordinated control process). As a result, the movable compensating mirror 130 is in the reflection position and the concave mirror 141 is in the second posture. Alternatively, a tilt change command for driving the movable compensating mirror 130 to the aforementioned retracted position is output from the compensating mirror control unit 15A to the drive mechanism 133, and a posture change command for driving the concave mirror 141 of the reflector 140 to the aforementioned first posture is output from the concave mirror control unit 15B to the drive mechanism 143 (= second linked control process). As a result, the movable compensating mirror 130 is in the retracted position and the concave mirror 141 is in the first posture.

[0072] The processing details other than those mentioned above are the same as in Figure 5, and therefore the explanation is omitted.

[0073] <Effects of the modified example> In other words, as already described in the above embodiment, in the head-up display device 100, the movable correcting mirror 130 is configured to rotate to multiple positions, including a reflection position and a retracted position, when driven by a drive mechanism 133. The reflector 140 is also configured to be switched between multiple positions, including a first position and a second position, when driven by a drive mechanism 143.

[0074] When the driver 40 is to view the real image IMG2, the movable correcting mirror 130 is rotated to the reflection position (S45) and the reflector 140 is switched to the first position (S50), so that it is positioned in the optical path of the display light L1 from the second display 110, and the display light L2 from the first display 120 is reflected by the movable correcting mirror 130 and the reflector 140 respectively, and emitted from the opening 17 to the windshield 30. That is, light is emitted through the path of first display 120 → reflector 150 → movable correcting mirror 130 in the reflection position → reflector 140 in the first position → opening 17 (hereinafter referred to as a third path as appropriate). On the other hand, when the virtual image IMG1 is to be viewed by the driver 40, the movable correcting mirror 130 is rotated to the retracted position (S45) to deviate the display light L1 from the optical path, and the reflector 140 is switched to the second position (S50) to reflect the display light L1 from the second display unit 110 only by the reflector 140 and emit it from the opening 17 to the windshield 30. That is, the light is emitted via the path from the second display unit 110 → (without passing through the movable correcting mirror 130 in the retracted position) the reflector 140 in the second position → the opening 17 (hereinafter referred to as the fourth path as appropriate).

[0075] In this case, for example, when the head-up display device 100 is not in use, such as when the vehicle 10 is parked or stopped, external light G, such as sunlight, may be incident on the head-up display device 100. In this case, if the configuration remained such that the driver 40 could see the real image IMG2 described above (with the movable compensating mirror 130 in the reflection position), there is a possibility that ambient light G could enter the first display unit 120 via the reverse of the third path described above, namely, the path from the opening 17 → the reflector 140 in the first position → the movable compensating mirror 130 in the reflection position → the reflector 150 → the first display unit 120. Similarly, if the configuration remained such that the driver 40 could see the virtual image IMG1 described above (with the movable compensating mirror 130 in the retracted position), there is a possibility that ambient light G could enter the second display unit 110 via the reverse of the fourth path described above, namely, the path from the opening 17 → the reflector 140 in the second position → (without passing through the movable compensating mirror 130 in the retracted position) → the second display unit 110. If the first display unit 120 or the second display unit 110 continues to be exposed to ambient light G in this manner, the display units 120 and 110 will overheat, potentially damaging the display elements or causing temporary display defects and a decrease in display characteristics.

[0076] Therefore, in this modified example, when predetermined conditions, including the parked state of the vehicle 10, are met (in the example above, when the state in which the vehicle 10 is parked or stopped (S10:Yes) and unoccupied (S20:Yes) continues for a predetermined time (S30:Yes)), the correcting mirror control unit 15A and the concave mirror control unit 15B work together to execute the first or second linked control process (S100). In the first coordinated control process, the movable compensating mirror 130 is rotated to the reflection position, while the reflector 140 is in the second position instead of the first position. In the second coordinated control process, the movable compensating mirror 130 is rotated to the retracted position, while the reflector 140 is in the first position instead of the second position. As a result, even if ambient light G were to enter through the aperture 17, the path of the incident ambient light G would deviate from both the third and fourth paths, and therefore would not enter either the first display unit 120 or the second display unit 110. Consequently, damage to the display elements and deterioration of display characteristics can be avoided.

[0077] Furthermore, according to the above method of this modified example, when the vehicle 10 is powered off, for example by turning off the key switch, while the movable corrector mirror 130 is positioned as the reflection position and the real image IMG2 is being viewed by the driver 40 (S45), the movable corrector mirror 130 can remain in the reflection position while the concave mirror 141 is positioned in a second posture corresponding to when the virtual image IMG1 is being viewed (first coordinated control processing executed in S100). Similarly, if the power-off process is performed in the same manner as described above while the movable compensating mirror 130 is in the retracted position and the virtual image IMG1 is being viewed by the driver 40 (S45), then in S100, the movable compensating mirror 130 can remain in the retracted position, while the concave mirror 141 can be set to the first posture corresponding to when the real image IMG2 is being viewed (second coordinated control process performed in S100).

[0078] (2) Others The horizontal and vertical directions mentioned above are shown with reference to the horizontal and vertical directions of the vehicle 10, but the reference for each direction is not limited to these. This disclosure also includes cases where the entire device is tilted at a predetermined angle while the overall arrangement of each optical component maintains a relative positional relationship, depending on the internal shape of the instrument panel and the external shape of the housing 160.

[0079] In addition to what has already been described above, the methods described in the above embodiments and their respective modifications may be used in appropriate combinations.

[0080] Furthermore, although not to be exemplified individually, the present invention may be implemented with various modifications without departing from its spirit. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0081] 10 vehicles 13 Reflector 13a First Mirror Section 13b Second Mirror Section 15 Control device 15A Correction mirror control unit (first control unit) 15B Concave mirror control unit (second control unit) 17 Opening (injection port) 30 Window shield (light-transmitting material) 40 Driver 65 ECU 67 Human motion sensors 100 Head-Up Display Devices 110 Second display unit 111 Liquid crystal display panel (second display unit) 112 Lens component 112a Convex lens section 113 Lens component 114 Lens components 115 Light-emitting diode (second light source) 116 Rigid wiring board 117 Display holder 118 Case Body 120 First display unit 121 Liquid crystal display panel (first display unit) 122 Lens components 122a Convex lens section 123 Lens component 124 Lens components 125 Light-emitting diode (first light source) 126 Rigid wiring board 127 Case Body 128 Heatsink 130 Movable correcting mirror (first mirror) 131 Concave mirror (mirror body) 132 Mirror Holder (Holder) 132a Shaft 132b Contact part 133 Drive mechanism (first drive unit) 140 Reflector 141 Concave mirror 142 Mirror Holder 142a Fitting part 143 Drive mechanism (second drive unit) 143a Linear Guide 143b Motor 150 reflector 160 Housing 161 Upper case 161a Light-blocking wall 162 Lower case 162a Stopper part 163 Window section 170 opening F1 1st optical focus F2 2nd optical focus IMG1 Virtual image (second display image) IMG2 Real image (first display image) L1 display light (second light beam) L2 display light (first ray) M1 Display light (second light beam) M2 Display light (1st ray)

Claims

1. A head-up display device having an emission port, which emits display light from the emission port toward a light-transmitting member, thereby allowing the driver of a vehicle to view the display image represented by the display light, A first display unit comprising a first display element that transmits light emitted from a first light source and displays a first display image, A second display unit is provided with a second display element, which transmits light emitted from a second light source and displays a second display image. A first mirror is configured to be rotatable to a plurality of positions, including a reflection position for reflecting a first ray representing the first display image displayed on the first display unit toward the light-transmitting member, the first display image being made visible to the driver, and a retraction position for moving the second ray representing the second display image displayed on the second display unit out of the optical path and emitting the second ray toward the light-transmitting member, the second display image being made visible to the driver; A first drive unit that drives and rotates the first mirror, A head-up display device having a first control unit that controls the first drive unit, The first control unit is, When predetermined conditions are met, the first drive unit is controlled to rotate the first mirror to an intermediate position located between the reflection position and the retracted position. A head-up display device characterized by the following features.

2. A second mirror is configured to be switchable between a plurality of positions, including a first position for reflecting the first light ray reflected by the first mirror toward the emission port when the first mirror is rotated to the reflection position, and a second position for reflecting the second light ray from the second display unit toward the emission port when the first mirror is rotated to the retracted position. A second drive unit that drives the second mirror to change its attitude, A second control unit that controls the second drive unit in a manner that cooperates with the first control unit, It further possesses, The second control unit is, When the predetermined conditions are met, the second drive unit is controlled to switch the second mirror to an intermediate position between the first and second positions. The head-up display device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 1.

3. A head-up display device having an emission port, which emits display light from the emission port toward a light-transmitting member, thereby allowing the driver of a vehicle to view the display image represented by the display light, A first display unit comprising a first display element that transmits light emitted from a first light source and displays a first display image, A second display unit is provided with a second display element, which transmits light emitted from a second light source and displays a second display image. A first mirror is configured to be rotatable to a plurality of positions, including a reflection position for reflecting a first ray representing the first display image displayed on the first display unit toward the light-transmitting member, the first display image being made visible to the driver, and a retraction position for moving the second ray representing the second display image displayed on the second display unit out of the optical path and emitting the second ray toward the light-transmitting member, the second display image being made visible to the driver; A second mirror is configured to be switchable between a plurality of positions, including a first position for reflecting the first light ray reflected by the first mirror toward the emission port when the first mirror is rotated to the reflection position, and a second position for reflecting the second light ray from the second display unit toward the emission port when the first mirror is rotated to the retracted position. A first drive unit that drives and rotates the first mirror, A first control unit that controls the first drive unit, A second drive unit that drives the second mirror to change its attitude, A second control unit that controls the second drive unit in a manner that cooperates with the first control unit, It has, The first control unit and the second control unit are When predetermined conditions are met, A first coordinated control process is executed, which controls the first drive unit and the second drive unit in a coordinated manner so that the first mirror is rotated to the reflection position and the second mirror is set to the second orientation. Alternatively, A second coordinated control process is executed, which controls the first drive unit and the second drive unit in a coordinated manner so that the first mirror is rotated to the retracted position and the second mirror is set to the first position. A head-up display device characterized by the following features.

4. The aforementioned predetermined conditions are: This includes obtaining a parking / stopping state quantity that indicates the vehicle is stopped or parked. A head-up display device according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 3.

5. The aforementioned predetermined conditions are: This includes the acquisition of an unoccupied state quantity indicating that the vehicle is unoccupied. The head-up display device according to claim 4, characterized by its features.

6. The first mirror is, The mirror body and The mirror body is housed in and held by a holder that is rotatable around a substantially horizontal axis, The first drive unit is, The holder is equipped with a motor for rotating it. A head-up display device according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 3.

7. The first mirror includes a corrective mirror for correcting the distortion of the display light, The second mirror comprises a concave mirror with a free-form surface. The head-up display device according to claim 3, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 3.

8. The first display image is a real image, and the second display image is a virtual image. The head-up display device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 1.

Images