Head-up display

Abstract

To provide a head-up display capable of extending a display range of an image at low cost.SOLUTION: A head-up display includes: an image generation part (24) for emitting light for generating predetermined images; and a reflection part for reflecting the light emitted by the image generation part (24) in a manner to let a windshield and a combiner be irradiated with the light. The image generation part (24) includes: a change image generation part (24A) for generating a change image which changes according to a state of a vehicle among the predetermined images; and a fixed image generation part (24B) for generating a fixed image which is fixed regardless of the state among the predetermined images.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3A

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a head-up display. [Background technology]

[0002] In the future, it is expected that vehicles operating in automated driving mode and vehicles operating in manual driving mode will coexist on public roads.

[0003] In the future autonomous driving society, visual communication between vehicles and humans is expected to become increasingly important. For example, visual communication between a vehicle and its occupants is expected to become increasingly important. In this regard, visual communication between a vehicle and its occupants can be realized using a head-up display (HUD). A head-up display projects images or videos onto a windshield or combiner, and the images are superimposed on the real world through the windshield or combiner for the occupants to view, thereby realizing so-called augmented reality (AR).

[0004] As an example of a head-up display, Patent Document 1 discloses a display device equipped with an optical system for displaying a three-dimensional virtual image using a transparent display medium. The display device projects light onto the windshield or combiner into the driver's field of vision. Some of the projected light passes through the windshield or combiner, while other parts are reflected by the windshield or combiner. This reflected light is directed toward the driver's eyes. The driver perceives the reflected light as a virtual image that appears to be an image of an object on the other side of the windshield or combiner (outside the vehicle) against the background of real objects visible through the windshield or combiner. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-45103 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in existing head-up displays, there is room for improvement in the configuration for widening the display range of a virtual image (picture).

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a head-up display that can expand the image display range at low cost. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, a head-up display according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: A head-up display provided in a vehicle and configured to display a predetermined image toward an occupant of the vehicle, an image generating unit that emits light for generating the predetermined image; a reflecting unit that reflects the light emitted by the image generating unit so that the light is irradiated onto a windshield or a combiner, The image generation unit has a changing image generation unit that generates a changing image from the specified image that changes depending on the situation of the vehicle, and a fixed image generation unit that generates a fixed image from the specified image that remains fixed regardless of the situation.

[0009] According to the above configuration, a fixed image can be generated by adding it to a changing image, so that the image display range can be expanded without increasing the size of the expensive changing image generating unit.

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, a head-up display according to another aspect of the present invention comprises: A head-up display provided in a vehicle and configured to display a predetermined image toward an occupant of the vehicle, a varying image generating unit that emits light for generating a varying image of the predetermined image that changes depending on the situation of the vehicle; a reflecting unit that reflects the light emitted by the transition image generating unit so that the light is irradiated onto a windshield or a combiner; a fixed image generating unit that generates a fixed image from among the predetermined images regardless of the situation, The fixed image generation unit A light source and an optical member that transmits or reflects light emitted from the light source; The optical element is provided on the opposite side of the light source, and the light blocking element transmits the light in accordance with the shape of the fixed image.

[0011] According to the above configuration, a fixed image can be generated by adding it to a changing image, so that the image display range can be expanded without increasing the size of the expensive changing image generating unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a head-up display that can widen the image display range at low cost. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle system equipped with a head-up display (HUD) according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a HUD. [Figure 3A] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of an image generating unit. [Figure 3B] FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram of a fixed image generating unit that constitutes the image generating unit of FIG. 3A. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of a changing image and a fixed image that form a virtual image object. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating other examples of changing images and fixed images that form a virtual image object. [Figure 6A]FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an image generating unit according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a schematic diagram of a fixed image generating unit that constitutes the image generating unit of FIG. 6A. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a HUD according to a first modified example. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an image generating unit according to a third embodiment. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a changing image and a fixed image forming a virtual image object generated by an image generating unit according to the third embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an image generating unit according to a modified example of the third embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a vehicle system equipped with a head-up display (HUD) according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the HUD in FIG. [Figure 13] 12 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a fixed image generating unit included in the HUD of FIG. 11. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a HUD according to a second modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the present embodiment) will be described with reference to the drawings. For the sake of convenience, the dimensions of each component shown in the drawings may differ from the actual dimensions of each component.

[0015] Furthermore, in the description of this embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the terms "left-right direction," "up-down direction," and "front-rear direction" may be referred to as appropriate. These directions are relative directions set for the HUD (Head-Up Display) 20 shown in FIG. 2. Here, the "left-right direction" refers to a direction including the "left direction" and the "right direction." The "up-down direction" refers to a direction including the "upward direction" and the "downward direction." The "front-rear direction" refers to a direction including the "forward direction" and the "rearward direction." Although not shown in FIG. 2, the left-right direction refers to a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and the front-rear direction.

[0016] A vehicle system 2 equipped with a HUD 20 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram of the vehicle system 2. A vehicle 1 equipped with the vehicle system 2 is a vehicle (automobile) capable of running in an autonomous driving mode.

[0017] 1, the vehicle system 2 includes a vehicle control unit 3, a sensor 5, a camera 6, a radar 7, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 8, a GPS (Global Positioning System) 9, a wireless communication unit 10, and a storage device 11. The vehicle system 2 also includes a steering actuator 12, a steering device 13, a brake actuator 14, a brake device 15, an accelerator actuator 16, and an accelerator device 17. The vehicle system 2 also includes a HUD 20.

[0018] The vehicle control unit 3 is configured to control the driving of the vehicle 1. The vehicle control unit 3 is configured, for example, by at least one electronic control unit (ECU). The electronic control unit includes a computer system (e.g., a system on a chip (SoC)) having one or more processors and a memory, and an electronic circuit configured of active elements such as transistors and passive elements such as resistors. The processor includes, for example, at least one of a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processing unit (MPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), and a tensor processing unit (TPU). The CPU may be configured with multiple CPU cores. The GPU may be configured with multiple GPU cores. The memory includes a read-only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM). A vehicle control program may be stored in the ROM. For example, the vehicle control program may include an artificial intelligence (AI) program for autonomous driving. The AI ​​program is a program (trained model) constructed by supervised or unsupervised machine learning (particularly, deep learning) using a multi-layer neural network. The RAM may temporarily store a vehicle control program, vehicle control data, and / or surrounding environment information indicating the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1. The processor may be configured to load a program specified from various vehicle control programs stored in the ROM onto the RAM and execute various processes in cooperation with the RAM. The computer system may also be configured using a non-von Neumann computer such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). The computer system may also be configured using a combination of a von Neumann computer and a non-von Neumann computer.

[0019] The sensor 5 includes at least one of an acceleration sensor, a speed sensor, and a gyro sensor. The sensor 5 is configured to detect the driving state of the vehicle 1 and output driving state information to the vehicle control unit 3. The sensor 5 may further include a seating sensor that detects whether the driver is sitting in the driver's seat, a face direction sensor that detects the direction of the driver's face, an external weather sensor that detects the external weather conditions, and a human presence sensor that detects whether a person is inside the vehicle.

[0020] The camera 6 is a camera including an imaging element such as a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor), etc. The camera 6 includes one or more external cameras 6A and an internal camera 6B. The external camera 6A is configured to acquire image data showing the environment surrounding the vehicle 1 and then transmit the image data to the vehicle control unit 3. The vehicle control unit 3 acquires surrounding environment information based on the transmitted image data. Here, the surrounding environment information may include information about objects (pedestrians, other vehicles, signs, etc.) present outside the vehicle 1. For example, the surrounding environment information may include information about the attributes of objects present outside the vehicle 1 and information about the distance and position of the objects relative to the vehicle 1. The external camera 6A may be configured as a monocular camera or a stereo camera.

[0021] The internal camera 6B is disposed inside the vehicle 1 and configured to acquire image data showing the occupant. The internal camera 6B functions, for example, as an eye-tracking camera that tracks the occupant's viewpoint E (described later in FIG. 2). The internal camera 6B is provided, for example, near the rearview mirror or inside the instrument panel.

[0022] The radar 7 includes at least one of a millimeter wave radar, a microwave radar, and a laser radar (e.g., a LiDAR unit). For example, the LiDAR unit is configured to detect the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1. In particular, the LiDAR unit is configured to acquire 3D mapping data (point cloud data) indicating the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1, and then transmit the 3D mapping data to the vehicle control unit 3. The vehicle control unit 3 identifies surrounding environment information based on the transmitted 3D mapping data.

[0023] The HMI 8 is composed of an input unit that accepts input operations from the driver and an output unit that outputs driving information and the like to the driver. The input unit includes a steering wheel, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a driving mode changeover switch that changes the driving mode of the vehicle 1, and the like. The output unit is a display (excluding the HUD) that displays various driving information.

[0024] The GPS 9 is configured to acquire current position information of the vehicle 1 and output the acquired current position information to the vehicle control unit 3.

[0025] The wireless communication unit 10 is configured to receive information (e.g., travel information, etc.) about other vehicles around the vehicle 1 from the other vehicles and transmit information (e.g., travel information, etc.) about the vehicle 1 to the other vehicles (vehicle-to-vehicle communication). The wireless communication unit 10 is also configured to receive infrastructure information from infrastructure facilities such as traffic lights and marker lights and transmit travel information about the vehicle 1 to the infrastructure facilities (road-to-vehicle communication). The wireless communication unit 10 is also configured to receive information about pedestrians from portable electronic devices (smartphones, tablets, wearable devices, etc.) carried by pedestrians and transmit travel information about the vehicle 1 to the portable electronic devices (pedestrian-to-vehicle communication). The vehicle 1 may communicate directly with other vehicles, infrastructure facilities, or portable electronic devices in an ad hoc mode, or may communicate via an access point. The vehicle 1 may also communicate with other vehicles, infrastructure facilities, or portable electronic devices via a communication network (not shown). The communication network includes at least one of the Internet, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and a radio access network (RAN). The wireless communication standard may be, for example, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), LPWA, DSRC (registered trademark), or Li-Fi. Vehicle 1 may also communicate with other vehicles, infrastructure facilities, or portable electronic devices using a fifth-generation mobile communication system (5G).

[0026] The storage device 11 is an external storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD). Two-dimensional or three-dimensional map information and / or a vehicle control program may be stored in the storage device 11. For example, the three-dimensional map information may be composed of 3D mapping data (point cloud data). The storage device 11 is configured to output the map information and the vehicle control program to the vehicle control device 3 in response to a request from the vehicle control device 3. The map information and the vehicle control program may be updated via the wireless communication unit 10 and a communication network.

[0027] When the vehicle 1 is traveling in the autonomous driving mode, the vehicle control unit 3 automatically generates at least one of a steering control signal, an accelerator control signal, and a brake control signal based on traveling condition information, surrounding environment information, current position information, map information, etc. The steering actuator 12 is configured to receive the steering control signal from the vehicle control unit 3 and control the steering device 13 based on the received steering control signal. The brake actuator 14 is configured to receive the brake control signal from the vehicle control unit 3 and control the brake device 15 based on the received brake control signal. The accelerator actuator 16 is configured to receive the accelerator control signal from the vehicle control unit 3 and control the accelerator device 17 based on the received accelerator control signal. In this way, the vehicle control unit 3 automatically controls the traveling of the vehicle 1 based on the traveling condition information, surrounding environment information, current position information, map information, etc. In other words, in the autonomous driving mode, the traveling of the vehicle 1 is automatically controlled by the vehicle system 2.

[0028] On the other hand, when the vehicle 1 is traveling in the manual driving mode, the vehicle control unit 3 generates a steering control signal, an accelerator control signal, and a brake control signal in accordance with the driver's manual operation of the accelerator pedal, the brake pedal, and the steering wheel. In this way, in the manual driving mode, the steering control signal, the accelerator control signal, and the brake control signal are generated by the driver's manual operation, so that the traveling of the vehicle 1 is controlled by the driver.

[0029] As described above, the driving modes include an autonomous driving mode and a manual driving mode. The autonomous driving modes include, for example, a fully autonomous driving mode, an advanced driving assistance mode, and a driving assistance mode. In the fully autonomous driving mode, the vehicle system 2 automatically performs all driving control, including steering control, braking control, and accelerator control, and the driver is not in a state where he or she can drive the vehicle 1. In the advanced driving assistance mode, the vehicle system 2 automatically performs all driving control, including steering control, braking control, and accelerator control, and the driver is in a state where he or she can drive the vehicle 1 but does not drive the vehicle 1. In the driving assistance mode, the vehicle system 2 automatically performs some driving control, including steering control, braking control, and accelerator control, and the driver drives the vehicle 1 with the driving assistance of the vehicle system 2. On the other hand, in the manual driving mode, the vehicle system 2 does not automatically perform driving control, and the driver drives the vehicle 1 without the driving assistance of the vehicle system 2.

[0030] The HUD 20 is configured to display predetermined information (hereinafter referred to as HUD information) as an image to the occupants of the vehicle 1 so that the HUD information is superimposed on the real space outside the vehicle 1 (particularly, the surrounding environment ahead of the vehicle 1). The HUD information displayed by the HUD 20 is, for example, vehicle driving information related to the driving of the vehicle 1 and / or surrounding environment information related to the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1 (particularly, information related to objects present outside the vehicle 1). The HUD 20 is an AR display that functions as a visual interface between the vehicle 1 and the occupants.

[0031] The HUD 20 includes an image generation unit (PGU) 24 and a control unit 25. The image generation unit 24 has a changing image generation unit 24A and a fixed image generation unit 24B. The image generating unit 24 is configured to emit light for generating a predetermined image to be displayed toward the occupants of the vehicle 1. The variable image generating unit 24A emits light for generating a variable image, among the predetermined images, that changes depending on the situation of the vehicle 1. The fixed image generating unit 24B emits light for generating a fixed image, among the predetermined images, that remains fixed regardless of the situation of the vehicle 1.

[0032] The control unit 25 controls the operation of each unit of the HUD 20. The control unit 25 is connected to the vehicle control unit 3, and controls the operation of, for example, the changing image generation unit 24A and the fixed image generation unit 24B based on vehicle driving information, surrounding environment information, and the like transmitted from the vehicle control unit 3. Note that in this embodiment, the vehicle control unit 3 and the control unit 25 are provided as separate components, but the vehicle control unit 3 and the control unit 25 may be configured as an integrated unit. For example, the vehicle control unit 3 and the control unit 25 may be configured as a single electronic control unit.

[0033] (First embodiment) 2 is a schematic diagram of the HUD 20 according to the first embodiment as viewed from the side of the vehicle 1. At least a portion of the HUD 20 is located inside the vehicle 1. Specifically, the HUD 20 is installed in a predetermined location inside the vehicle 1. For example, the HUD 20 may be disposed inside the dashboard of the vehicle 1.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 2, the HUD 20 includes a HUD main body 21. The HUD main body 21 has a housing 22 and an exit window 23. The exit window 23 is made of a transparent plate that transmits visible light. The HUD main body 21 has, inside the housing 22, an image generation unit 24 (a changing image generation unit 24A and a fixed image generation unit 24B), a control unit 25, and a concave mirror 26 (an example of a reflecting unit).

[0035] Concave mirror 26 is disposed on the optical path of light emitted from image generation unit 24 (changing image generation unit 24A, fixed image generation unit 24B). Concave mirror 26 is configured to reflect the light emitted from image generation unit 24 toward windshield 18 (for example, the front window of vehicle 1). Concave mirror 26 has a reflective surface that is concavely curved to form a predetermined image, and reflects the light image emitted from image generation unit 24 and formed at a predetermined magnification. Concave mirror 26 may have a drive mechanism 27 and be configured to be able to rotate the orientation of concave mirror 26 based on a control signal transmitted from control unit 25.

[0036] The control unit 25 is equipped with a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory, and the processor executes a computer program read from the memory to control the operation of the image generation unit 24 (changing image generation unit 24A, fixed image generation unit 24B). For example, the control unit 25 generates a control signal for controlling the operation of the image generation unit 24 based on vehicle driving information, surrounding environment information, etc. transmitted from the vehicle control unit 3, and transmits the generated control signal to the image generation unit 24. The control unit 25 may also control the concave mirror 26 to change its orientation.

[0037] Light emitted from the image generation unit 24 (changing image generation unit 24A, fixed image generation unit 24B) is reflected by the concave mirror 26 and emitted from the exit window 23 of the HUD main body 21. The light emitted from the exit window 23 of the HUD main body 21 is irradiated onto the windshield 18. A portion of the light irradiated onto the windshield 18 from the exit window 23 is reflected toward the occupant's viewpoint E. As a result, the occupant recognizes the light emitted from the HUD main body 21 as a virtual image (predetermined image) formed at a predetermined distance in front of the windshield 18. In this way, the image displayed by the HUD 20 is superimposed on the real space in front of the vehicle 1 through the windshield 18, and as a result, the occupant can visually recognize the virtual image object I formed by the predetermined image as floating above the road located outside the vehicle.

[0038] Here, the occupant's viewpoint E may be either the viewpoint of the left eye or the viewpoint of the right eye of the occupant. Alternatively, the viewpoint E may be defined as the midpoint of a line segment connecting the viewpoint of the left eye and the viewpoint of the right eye. The position of the occupant's viewpoint E is identified based on image data acquired by the internal camera 6B, for example. The position of the occupant's viewpoint E may be updated at a predetermined interval or may be determined only once when the vehicle 1 is started.

[0039] When a 2D image (planar image) is formed as the virtual image object I, a predetermined image is projected to become a virtual image at a single distance that is arbitrarily determined. When a 3D image (stereoscopic image) is formed as the virtual image object I, a plurality of predetermined images that may be identical or different from one another are projected to become virtual images at different distances. The distance of the virtual image object I (the distance from the occupant's viewpoint E to the virtual image) can be adjusted as appropriate by adjusting the distance from the image generation unit 24 to the occupant's viewpoint E (for example, by adjusting the distance between the image generation unit 24 and the concave mirror 26).

[0040] 3A and 3B are schematic diagrams showing the configuration of the image generation unit 24 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 3A is a schematic diagram of the image generation unit 24 (changing image generation unit 24A, fixed image generation unit 24B) viewed from above. Fig. 3B is a schematic diagram of the fixed image generation unit 24B viewed from the front.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 3A , the transition image generating unit 24A includes a light source 101, an optical element 102 disposed in front of the light source 101, and a display device 103 disposed in front of the optical element 102. The light source 101 is, for example, a laser light source or an LED light source. The laser light source is, for example, an RGB laser light source configured to emit red laser light, green laser light, and blue laser light, respectively. The optical element 102 may be composed of at least one of a prism, a lens, a diffuser, a magnifying glass, etc. For example, in this example, the optical element 102 is composed of a plano-convex lens. The optical element 102 is configured to transmit or reflect light emitted from the light source 101 and emit the light toward the display device 103. The display device 103 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, a DMD (Digital Mirror Device), etc. The drawing method of the transition image generating unit 24A may be a raster scan method, a DLP (Digital Light Processing) method, or an LCOS (Liquid Crystal On Silicon) method. When the DLP system or the LCOS system is adopted, the light source 101 of the transition image generating unit 24A may be an LED light source. When the liquid crystal display system is adopted, the light source 101 of the transition image generating unit 24A may be a white LED light source.

[0042] The fixed image generating unit 24B includes a light source 111, an optical member 112 disposed in front of the light source 111, and a light-shielding member 113 disposed in front of the optical member 112 (closer to the concave mirror 26 than the optical member 112). The light source 111 is, like the light source 101, a laser light source or an LED light source, for example. The optical member 112 may be composed of at least one of a reflector, a prism, a lens, a diffuser, a magnifying glass, and the like. In this example, the optical member 112 is, for example, a lens formed in a predetermined shape to improve the utilization efficiency of the light emitted from the light source 111. The optical member 112 is configured to transmit or reflect the light emitted from the light source 111 and uniformly emit the light toward the light-shielding member 113. The light-shielding member 113 is, for example, composed of a synthetic resin film and a light-shielding film (shade) formed on at least one side of the synthetic resin film. For example, a light diffusing agent is added to the synthetic resin film constituting a part of the light-shielding member 113. As shown in FIG. 3B , the light-blocking member 113 has cutouts 114 formed therein as light-transmitting portions that transmit light from the light source 111 and correspond to the shape of the fixed image. The light-blocking member 113 is configured to radiate light from the light source 111 forward through the cutouts 114. The fixed-image generating units 24B are disposed on the left and right sides of the changing-image generating unit 24A. The shape of the light-blocking member 113 in a front view is not limited to a circular shape as in this embodiment. The fixed-image generating units 24B are not limited to being located on the left or right sides of the changing-image generating unit 24A. For example, they may be disposed above or below the changing-image generating unit 24A. Instead of adding a light diffusing agent to the synthetic resin film, a synthetic resin film may be provided behind the light-blocking film (shade) (on the optical member 112 side), and fine steps for diffusing light may be formed on the front surface of the synthetic resin film.

[0043] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a changing image and a fixed image forming the virtual image object I. 4, varying image 31 is an image generated by light emitted from varying image generation unit 24A. Fixed image 32 is an image generated by light emitted from fixed image generation unit 24B. The positions in front of vehicle 1 where varying image 31 is recognized and the positions where fixed image 32 is recognized are configured to be substantially the same. In other words, the distance from windshield 18 to varying image 31 and the distance from windshield 18 to fixed image 32 are configured to be substantially the same.

[0044] The fixed image 32 is displayed alongside the changing image 31 around the changing image 31. In this example, the fixed images 32 are displayed on the left and right of the changing image 31 as seen by the occupants of the vehicle 1. The changing image 31 is an image that changes depending on the situation of the vehicle 1. In this example, the changing images 31 displayed are a road image that notifies the occupants that the vehicle 1 will turn right up ahead and a speed image that notifies the occupants that the current traveling speed is 50 km / h. The fixed image 32 is an image that remains fixed regardless of the situation of the vehicle 1. In this example, the fixed image 32 displayed is an attention drawing image (angle bracket pattern) that alerts the occupants of the vehicle 1. The attention drawing image is an image that is generated only when necessary, and can be displayed for purposes such as notifying the occupants of the vehicle 1 of the presence of a pedestrian or speeding. The range R of the image that is viewed as the virtual image object I is the image range obtained by adding together the display range R1 of the changing image 31 formed by the light emitted from the changing image generating unit 24A and the display range R2 of the fixed image 32 formed by the light emitted from the fixed image generating unit 24B.

[0045] Note that multiple types of patterns may be prepared for the notches 114 made in the light blocking member 113 of the fixed image generating unit 24B to form the fixed image. For example, the fixed image may be a human-shaped mark in the shape of a child to call attention to a child running out into the street. The fixed image generating unit 24B may have, for example, a drive mechanism (not shown) and be configured to switch the pattern of the notches 114 in the light blocking member 113 based on a control signal transmitted from the control unit 25.

[0046] Furthermore, the distortion of the fixed image 32 displayed around the varying image 31 due to reflection from the concave mirror 26 may differ depending on the display position. Therefore, it is preferable that the control unit 25 adjusts the pattern of the notch 114 provided in the light-shielding member 113 so as to change the degree of distortion of the fixed image 32 generated by the fixed image generation unit 24B in advance, depending on the display position at which the fixed image 32 is displayed. It is also preferable that the control unit 25 controls the image generated by the varying image generation unit 24A so that the display mode of the varying image 31 is an appropriate display mode without distortion.

[0047] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a changing image and a fixed image forming the virtual image object I. In FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the information displayed by the changing image 33 and the information displayed by the fixed image 32 may be configured to be mutually associated. In this example, the changing image 33 and the fixed image 32 are both displayed in the same pattern (angle brackets) as attention-calling images that call attention to the driving of the vehicle 1. Furthermore, the fixed images 32 are displayed side by side with the changing image 31 on the left and right of the changing image 31. Note that in this example, the changing image 33 is displayed as a fixed angle bracket pattern, but for example, the changing image 33 may be displayed as an image that changes sequentially depending on the situation of the vehicle 1 while being associated with the fixed image 32. For example, a child-shaped mark may be displayed as a fixed image, and a changing image that evokes a child jumping out may be displayed associated with the human-shaped mark.

[0048] As described above, the HUD 20 according to this embodiment includes the image generation unit 24 that emits light for generating a virtual image object I (a predetermined image) and the concave mirror 26 (an example of a reflector) that reflects the light emitted by the image generation unit 24 so that the light is irradiated onto the windshield 18. The image generation unit 24 includes a varying image generation unit 24A that generates a varying image 31 of the virtual image object I that changes depending on the situation of the vehicle 1, and a fixed image generation unit 24B that generates a fixed image 32 of the virtual image object I that remains fixed regardless of the situation. With this configuration, the virtual image object I can be formed by adding the fixed image 32 generated by the fixed image generation unit 24B to the varying image 31 generated by the varying image generation unit 24A. This makes it possible to expand the display range of the virtual image object I (an example of a predetermined image) without increasing the size of the expensive varying image generation unit 24A.

[0049] 5, the HUD 20 may associate the information displayed by the changing image 33 and the fixed image 32 with each other. This allows the changing image 33 and the fixed image 32 to cooperate with each other to provide various types of information to the occupant.

[0050] Furthermore, according to HUD 20, fixed image generation unit 24B is configured with light source 111, optical member 112, and light blocking member 113. This allows fixed image generation unit 24B to be configured with a simple structure, thereby reducing costs.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the light emitted from the image generating unit 24 is directly irradiated onto the concave mirror 26, but this is not a limitation. Alternatively, a reflecting unit (e.g., a flat mirror) other than the concave mirror 26 may be disposed between the image generating unit 24 and the concave mirror 26, and the light emitted from the image generating unit 24 may be reflected by the flat mirror and irradiated onto the concave mirror 26. Furthermore, when a flat mirror is disposed on the optical path between the image generating unit 24 and the concave mirror 26, for example, the light emitted from the variable image generating unit 24A may be irradiated onto the concave mirror 26 via the flat mirror, i.e., reflected twice between the variable image generating unit 24A and the windshield 18, while the light emitted from the fixed image generating unit 24B may be irradiated directly onto the concave mirror 26 without passing through the flat mirror, i.e., reflected once between the fixed image generating unit 24B and the windshield 18. This allows costs to be reduced as much as possible while still employing a flat mirror as an additional component.

[0052] Second Embodiment 6A and 6B are schematic diagrams showing the configuration of the image generation unit 124 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 6A is a schematic diagram of the image generation unit 124 (changing image generation unit 124A, fixed image generation unit 124B) viewed from above. Fig. 6B is a schematic diagram of the fixed image generation unit 124B viewed from the front.

[0053] 6A, the transition image generation unit 124A has a light source 101, an optical member 102, and a display device 103. The transition image generation unit 124A according to the second embodiment has the same configuration as the transition image generation unit 24A in the HUD 20 according to the first embodiment, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0054] Fixed image generation unit 124B has multiple (two in this example) light sources 111a and 111b arranged in parallel, optical members 112a and 112b arranged in front of light sources 111a and 111b, respectively, and light blocking members 113a and 113b arranged in front of optical members 112a and 112b, respectively. Light sources 111a and 111b, optical members 112a and 112b, and light blocking members 113a and 113b have the same configurations as light source 111, optical member 112, and light blocking member 113 in fixed image generation unit 24B of the first embodiment, respectively. Light sources 111a and 111b are mounted on, for example, a single substrate (not shown). The optical members 112a and 112b are each composed of, for example, lenses formed in a predetermined shape that improves the efficiency of light utilization from the light sources 111a and 111b and allows light to be uniformly emitted toward the light-blocking members 113a and 113b. The light-blocking members 113a and 113b are each composed of, for example, a synthetic resin film containing a light-diffusing agent and a light-blocking film (shade) formed on at least one surface of the synthetic resin film. As shown in FIG. 6B, each of the light-blocking members 113a and 113b has notches 114a and 114b formed therein to correspond to the shape of the fixed image 32. The fixed image generating units 124B are disposed on the left and right of the varying image generating unit 124A. The fixed image generating units 124B may be disposed, for example, above or below the varying image generating unit 124A.

[0055] In the image generation unit 124, for example, when the varying image and fixed image forming the virtual image object I are the varying image 33 and fixed image 32 shown in FIG. 5, the virtual image object I is displayed in the following form. The fixed image generation unit 124B turns on the light sources 111a and 111b, for example, in sequence, when generating the fixed image 32. The varying image generation unit 124A generates the varying image 33 so as to be associated with the lighting of the light sources 111a and 111b by the fixed image generation unit 124B. As a result, the virtual image object I in FIG. 5 is displayed lit in a form in which, for example, angle bracket patterns move sequentially from both the left and right ends toward the center. Note that the lighting timing of the light sources 111a and 111b that generate the fixed image 32 and the information content displayed in the varying image 33 can be changed as appropriate.

[0056] As described above, the image generating unit 124 according to the second embodiment can generate the fixed image 32 by individually turning on and off the multiple light sources 111a, 111b arranged in parallel. This makes it possible to display a good-looking fixed image 32 as the virtual image object I. Note that, in this example, the multiple light sources 111a, 111b for generating the fixed image 32 are arranged in parallel in the horizontal direction, but the multiple light sources for generating the fixed image may also be arranged in parallel in the vertical direction. In this case, marks included in the fixed image are displayed in parallel in the vertical direction.

[0057] In the second embodiment described above, the light source 101 of the varying image generating unit 124A and the light sources 111a and 111b of the fixed image generating unit 124B are arranged at different positions in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1, but this is not limited to this example. The light source 101 and the light sources 111a and 111b may be arranged at approximately the same position in the longitudinal direction, and the light source 101 and the light sources 111a and 111b may be mounted on a single board. This facilitates control when generating the varying image 33 by the varying image generating unit 124A so as to associate it with the lighting of the light sources 111a and 111b by the fixed image generating unit 124B, for example.

[0058] (First Modification) FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a HUD 220 according to a first modified example. As shown in FIG. 7 , a HUD 220 according to the first modified example includes a HUD main body 21 and a combiner 19. The combiner 19 is provided inside the windshield 18 as a separate structure from the windshield 18. The combiner 19 is, for example, a transparent plastic disk, and light reflected by a concave mirror 26 is irradiated onto the combiner 19 instead of the windshield 18. As a result, a portion of the light irradiated onto the combiner 19 from the HUD main body 21 is reflected toward the occupant's viewpoint E, similar to the case where light is irradiated onto the windshield 18. As a result, the occupant can recognize the light (predetermined image) emitted from the HUD main body 21 as a virtual image object I formed at a predetermined distance in front of the combiner 19 (and the windshield 18). The HUD 220 equipped with such a combiner 19 can also achieve the same effects as the HUD 20 described above.

[0059] (Third embodiment) FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an image generating unit 224 according to the third embodiment. 8, the image generation unit 224 according to the third embodiment includes a changing image generation unit 224A and a fixed image generation unit 224B. The changing image generation unit 224A includes a plurality of light sources 101, a plurality of optical members 102 arranged corresponding to the light sources 101, and a display device 103. The light sources 101 are mounted on, for example, a single substrate 225. The remaining configuration of the changing image generation unit 224A according to the third embodiment is similar to that of the changing image generation unit 24A in the HUD 20 according to the first embodiment, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0060] The fixed image generating unit 224B includes a light source 211, an optical element 212 disposed in front of the light source 211, and a light-shielding element 213 disposed in front of the optical element 212. The light source 211 is mounted on, for example, a substrate 226 separate from the substrate 225. The optical element 212 is formed, for example, of a lens formed in a predetermined shape that can improve the efficiency of light utilization from the light source 211 and uniformly emit light toward the light-shielding element 213. In the example of FIG. 8, a biconvex lens is illustrated as an example of the optical element 212, but this example is not limiting. The lens used for the optical element 212 may be, for example, a Fresnel lens. By using a Fresnel lens, which is a normal lens divided into concentric regions to reduce its thickness, the optical element 212 can be made thinner than when a plano-convex lens, biconvex lens, or the like is used. The optical element 212 may be a combination of a vertical cylindrical lens and a horizontal cylindrical lens. Alternatively, a vertical cylindrical lens and a horizontal cylindrical lens may be formed on the exit surface and the entrance surface of a single lens. When a cylindrical lens is used, the cylindrical lens may be formed as a so-called linear Fresnel lens having a Fresnel shape.

[0061] A light diffusion sheet 215 made of, for example, a synthetic resin film to which a light diffusing agent has been added is attached to the surface of the light blocking member 213 facing the optical member 212. Similar to the light blocking member 113 shown in Fig. 3B, the light blocking member 213 has a cutout formed therein corresponding to the shape of the fixed image 32. Note that, although the fixed image generating unit 224B is provided only to the left of the changing image generating unit 224A in Fig. 8, the fixed image generating unit 224B may be provided on both the left and right of the changing image generating unit 224A.

[0062] Housing 224B1, which houses the components of static image generation unit 224B, is disposed adjacent to the right side of housing 224A1, which houses the components of varying image generation unit 224A. Housing 224B1 of static image generation unit 224B is disposed so that its front end is located further forward in the longitudinal direction of vehicle 1 than the front end of housing 224A1 of varying image generation unit 224A. In other words, light blocking member 213 of static image generation unit 224B is disposed forward of display device 103 of varying image generation unit 224A.

[0063] As described above, according to the configuration of the image generator 224 according to the third embodiment, the surface of the fixed image generator 224B that generates the fixed image 32 is disposed forward of the surface of the varying image generator 224A that generates the varying image 31. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9 , the optical path length of light between the surface of the fixed image generator 224B that generates the fixed image 32 and the concave mirror 26 is shorter than the optical path length of light between the surface of the varying image generator 224A that generates the varying image 31 and the concave mirror 26. Therefore, the distance between the fixed image 32 and the occupant's viewpoint E is shorter than the distance between the varying image 31 that constitutes the virtual object and the occupant's viewpoint E. In this way, by displaying the fixed image 32 at a position closer to the occupant's viewpoint E than the varying image 31, the fixed image 32 can be made to stand out, making it easier for the occupant to notice the fixed image 32.

[0064] In the third embodiment described above, the light blocking member 213 of the varying image generation unit 224A is disposed in front of the display device 103 of the varying image generation unit 224A, but this is not limited to this example. For example, as shown in FIG. 10 , the light blocking member 213 of the fixed image generation unit 324B may be disposed rearward of the display device 103 of the varying image generation unit 324A in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1. Specifically, the housing 324B1 of the fixed image generation unit 324B is disposed so as to be in contact with the right side of the housing 324A1 of the varying image generation unit 324A, and the front end of the housing 324B1 is disposed rearward of the front end of the housing 324A1. In this case, the light sources 101, 101 of the varying image generation unit 324A and the light source 211 of the fixed image generation unit 324B may be mounted on a single substrate 325. By mounting the light sources 101, 101 and the light source 211 on a single substrate 325, it is possible to improve the mountability of the light sources, and also to reduce the cost of the image generating unit 324.

[0065] 10, the surface of the image generating unit 324A that generates the changing image 31 is disposed forward of the surface of the fixed image generating unit 324B that generates the fixed image 32. This allows the changing image 31 to be displayed at a position closer to the occupant's viewpoint E than the fixed image 32. In this way, by making the distance (optical path length) between the changing image generating unit and the concave mirror 26 different from the distance (optical path length) between the fixed image generating unit and the concave mirror 26, it is possible to draw the occupant's attention to either the changing image 31 or the fixed image 32 rather than the other.

[0066] (Fourth embodiment) A vehicle system 500 including a HUD 520 according to the fourth embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a block diagram of the vehicle system 500. Duplicate descriptions of components that are the same as or correspond to those of the vehicle system 2 of the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 11, the HUD 520 according to the fourth embodiment includes a changing image generating unit 524, a fixed image generating unit 527, and a control unit 525. The changing image generating unit 524 emits light for generating a changing image, which changes depending on the situation of the vehicle 1, among the predetermined images to be displayed toward the occupants of the vehicle 1. The fixed image generating unit 527 emits light for generating a fixed image, which remains fixed regardless of the situation of the vehicle 1, among the predetermined images to be displayed toward the occupants of the vehicle 1.

[0068] The control unit 525 controls the operation of each unit of the HUD 520. The control unit 525 is connected to the vehicle control unit 3, and controls the operation of the changing image generation unit 524, the fixed image generation unit 527, etc., based on vehicle driving information, surrounding environment information, etc. transmitted from the vehicle control unit 3. Note that in this embodiment, the vehicle control unit 3 and the control unit 525 are provided as separate components, but the vehicle control unit 3 and the control unit 525 may be configured as an integrated unit. For example, the vehicle control unit 3 and the control unit 525 may be configured as a single electronic control unit.

[0069] 12, HUD main body 521 of HUD 520 has, inside housing 22, varying image generating section 524, concave mirror 526 (an example of a reflecting section), fixed image generating section 527, and control section 525. Fixed image generating section 527 is attached to concave mirror 526. For example, one fixed image generating section 527 is attached to each side of concave mirror 526 so as to sandwich concave mirror 526 in the left-right direction of vehicle 1.

[0070] The concave mirror 526 is disposed on the optical path of the light emitted from the changing image generating unit 524. The concave mirror 526 is configured to reflect the light emitted from the changing image generating unit 524 toward the windshield 18 (for example, the front window of the vehicle 1).

[0071] The control unit 525 is equipped with a processor such as a CPU and a memory, and the processor executes a computer program read from the memory to control the operation of the changing image generation unit 524 and the fixed image generation unit 527. For example, the control unit 525 generates a control signal for controlling the operation of the changing image generation unit 524 based on vehicle driving information, surrounding environment information, etc. transmitted from the vehicle control unit 3, and transmits the generated control signal to the changing image generation unit 524. The control unit 525 also generates a control signal for controlling the operation of the fixed image generation unit 527 based on the vehicle driving information, surrounding environment information, etc. transmitted from the vehicle control unit 3, and transmits the generated control signal to the fixed image generation unit 527. When the orientation of the concave mirror 526 is changed by the control unit 525, the orientation of the fixed image generation unit 527 attached to the concave mirror 526 may also be changed by the control unit 525. The orientation of the fixed image generation unit 527 may be changed individually by the control unit 525. By adjusting the orientation of fixed image generating unit 527, the emission angle of light emitted from fixed image generating unit 527 is controlled so that the fixed image formed by the light emitted from fixed image generating unit 527 is displayed at a predetermined position relative to the changing image formed by the light emitted from changing image generating unit 524.

[0072] The light emitted from the varying image generating unit 524 (hereinafter also referred to as varying light) is reflected by the concave mirror 526 and emitted from the exit window 23 of the HUD main body 521. The varying light emitted from the exit window 23 of the HUD main body 521 is irradiated onto the windshield 18. A portion of the varying light irradiated onto the windshield 18 from the exit window 23 is reflected towards the occupant's viewpoint E. Furthermore, the light emitted from the fixed image generating unit 527 (hereinafter also referred to as fixed light) is emitted from the exit window 23 of the HUD main body 521. The fixed light emitted from the exit window 23 of the HUD main body 521 is irradiated onto the windshield 18. A portion of the fixed light irradiated onto the windshield 18 from the exit window 23 is reflected towards the occupant's viewpoint E. As a result, the occupant recognizes the light (including the varying light and the fixed light) emitted from the HUD main body 521 as a virtual image (predetermined image) formed at a predetermined distance in front of the windshield 18. In this way, the image displayed by the HUD 520 is superimposed on the real space in front of the vehicle 1 through the windshield 18, and as a result, the occupant can visually recognize the virtual image object I formed by the predetermined image as floating above the road located outside the vehicle.

[0073] The distance of the virtual image object I (the distance from the occupant's viewpoint E to the virtual image) can be adjusted as appropriate by adjusting the distance from the varying image generation unit 524 and the fixed image generation unit 527 to the occupant's viewpoint E. For example, the distance from the occupant's viewpoint E to the varying image can be adjusted by adjusting the distance between the varying image generation unit 524 and the concave mirror 526. Furthermore, for example, the distance from the occupant's viewpoint E to the fixed image can be adjusted by adjusting the distance between the fixed image generation unit 527 and the windshield 18.

[0074] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the static image generating unit 527. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 13, the fixed image generating unit 527 has a light source 501, an optical element 502 arranged diagonally above the light source 501, a shading element 503 arranged diagonally above the optical element 502 (on the opposite side of the optical element 502 from the light source 501), a diffusion sheet 504 arranged diagonally above the shading element 503, and a lens 505 arranged diagonally above the diffusion sheet 504.

[0075] The light source 501 is, for example, a laser light source or an LED light source. The laser light source is, for example, an RGB laser light source configured to emit red laser light, green laser light, and blue laser light, respectively.

[0076] The optical member 502 may be composed of at least one of a prism, a lens, a reflector, a diffuser, a magnifying glass, etc. In this example, the optical member 502 is composed of, for example, a lens formed in a predetermined shape that can increase the utilization efficiency of the light emitted from the light source 501. The optical member 502 is configured to transmit or reflect the light emitted from the light source 501 and emit the light uniformly toward the light-blocking member 503.

[0077] The light blocking member 503 is composed of, for example, a synthetic resin film and a light blocking film (shade) formed on at least one surface of the synthetic resin film. The light blocking member 503 has cutouts 514 formed therein to correspond to the shape of the fixed image. The cutouts 514 have a square bracket pattern, similar to the cutouts 114 of the light blocking member 113 in the first embodiment ( FIG. 3B ). The light blocking member 503 is configured to radiate light from the light source 501 toward the lens 505 through the cutouts 514. That is, the light blocking member 503 transmits the light from the light source 501 in a manner corresponding to the shape of the fixed image. The light blocking member 503 is detachably provided in the fixed image generating unit 527. The shape of the light blocking member 503 in a front view is not limited to the circular shape shown in FIG. 3B and may be, for example, rectangular. The pattern of the cutouts 514 formed in the light blocking member 503 is not limited to the square bracket pattern shown in FIG. 3B .

[0078] The diffusion sheet 504 is, for example, a film to which a light diffusing agent is added for diffusing light. The diffusion sheet 504 is configured to uniformly send light emitted from the cutouts 514 of the light blocking member 503 toward the lens 505. Note that instead of adding a light diffusing agent to the diffusion sheet 504, fine steps for diffusing light may be formed on the surface of the diffusion sheet 504 facing the lens 505.

[0079] The lens 505 is a lens for adjusting the optical path length of the light emitted from the fixed image generation unit 527. That is, the lens 505 is used to adjust the focus of the light that generates the fixed image and to appropriately form the fixed image as a part of the virtual image object I.

[0080] Although not shown, the transition image generating unit 524 includes a light source, an optical member disposed in front of the light source, and a display device disposed in front of the optical member. The light source is, for example, a laser light source or an LED light source, similar to the light source 501. The optical member can be composed of at least one of a prism, a lens, a reflector, a diffuser, a magnifying glass, etc., similar to the optical member 502. The optical member is configured to transmit or reflect light emitted from the light source and emit the light toward the display device.

[0081] As in the first embodiment, in the fourth embodiment, the transition image 31 shown in Fig. 4 is generated by the light emitted from the transition image generation unit 524. In addition, the fixed image 32 shown in Fig. 4 is generated by the light emitted from the fixed image generation unit 527.

[0082] Note that a plurality of types of patterns of notches 514 may be prepared for static image generation unit 527 to form in light blocking member 503. Static image generation unit 527 may have a drive mechanism (not shown) and be configured to switch the patterns of notches 514 in light blocking member 503 based on a control signal transmitted from control unit 525.

[0083] As in the first embodiment, in the fourth embodiment, the information displayed by the changing image 33 generated by the changing image generation unit 524 and the information displayed by the fixed image 32 generated by the fixed image generation unit 527 may be configured to be mutually associated information (Figure 5).

[0084] In the fourth embodiment, a configuration has been described in which one fixed image generating unit 527 is attached to each side of concave mirror 526, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a plurality of fixed image generating units 527 may be attached in parallel to each other on both sides of concave mirror 526. Furthermore, for example, the fixed image generating units 527 may be attached to the upper and / or lower sides of concave mirror 526 instead of on both sides of concave mirror 526.

[0085] For example, when two fixed image generating units 527 are attached in parallel to each other on both sides of the concave mirror 526, the virtual image object I may be displayed in the following form. The fixed image generating unit 527 turns on the light sources of the fixed image generating units 527, for example, in sequence, when generating the fixed image 32 shown in FIG. 5. The varying image generating unit 524 generates the varying image 33 so as to be associated with the lighting of the light sources by the fixed image generating unit 527. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, the virtual image object I is displayed lit up in a form in which, for example, angle bracket patterns move sequentially from both the left and right ends toward the center.

[0086] As described above, the HUD 520 according to the fourth embodiment includes a varying image generating unit 524 that emits light for generating a varying image 31 of a virtual image object I (an example of a predetermined image) that changes depending on the situation of the vehicle 1, a concave mirror 526 (an example of a reflecting unit) that reflects the light emitted by the varying image generating unit 524 so that the light is irradiated onto the windshield 18, and a fixed image generating unit 527 that generates a fixed image 32 of the virtual image object I that remains fixed regardless of the situation of the vehicle 1. The fixed image generating unit 527 includes a light source 501, an optical member 502 that transmits or reflects the light emitted from the light source 501, and a light-shielding member 503 that is provided on the opposite side of the optical member 502 from the light source 501 and transmits the light of the light source 501 in accordance with the shape of the fixed image 32. With this configuration, the virtual image object I can be formed by adding the fixed image 32 generated by the fixed image generating unit 527 to the varying image 31 generated by the varying image generating unit 524. Therefore, the display range of the virtual image object I (an example of a predetermined image) can be widened without increasing the size of the expensive transformation image generating unit 524.

[0087] Furthermore, fixed image generation unit 527 is composed of light source 501, optical member 502, and light blocking member 503, and is attached to concave mirror 526. This allows fixed image generation unit 527 to be provided with a simple configuration, thereby reducing costs. Furthermore, since the fixed image 32 can be generated by providing the notch 514 in the light blocking member 503, the cost of the fixed image generating unit 527 can be further reduced.

[0088] Furthermore, the HUD 520 can generate the fixed image 32 by sequentially lighting up a plurality of light sources arranged in parallel, thereby making it possible to display a good-looking fixed image 32 as the virtual image object I. Furthermore, by combining the fixed image 32 with the changing image 33, it is possible to create an even better-looking virtual image object I.

[0089] (Second Modification) FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a HUD 620 according to the second modified example. As shown in FIG. 14 , a HUD 620 according to the second modified example includes a HUD main body 521 and a combiner 19. The combiner 19 is irradiated with varying light emitted from a varying image generation unit 524 and reflected by a concave mirror 526, and fixed light emitted from a fixed image generation unit 527, instead of the windshield 18. As a result, similar to the case where light is irradiated onto the windshield 18, a portion of the light irradiated from the HUD main body 521 to the combiner 19 is reflected toward the occupant's viewpoint E. As a result, the occupant can recognize the light (predetermined image) emitted from the HUD main body 521 as a virtual image object I formed at a predetermined distance forward of the combiner 19 (and the windshield 18). The HUD 620 equipped with such a combiner 19 can also achieve the same effects as the HUD 520 described above.

[0090] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the technical scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited by the description of the present embodiments. The present embodiments are merely examples, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications of the embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims. The technical scope of the present invention should be determined based on the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

[0091] In the above embodiment, the vehicle driving modes are described as including the fully automated driving mode, the advanced driving assistance mode, the driving assistance mode, and the manual driving mode. However, the vehicle driving modes should not be limited to these four modes. The vehicle driving modes may include at least one of these four modes. For example, the vehicle driving modes may be executable in only one of the four modes.

[0092] Furthermore, the classification and display format of the vehicle's driving modes may be changed as appropriate in accordance with the laws, regulations, or rules related to autonomous driving in each country. Similarly, the definitions of "fully autonomous driving mode," "advanced driving assistance mode," and "driving assistance mode" described in the description of this embodiment are merely examples, and these definitions may be changed as appropriate in accordance with the laws, regulations, or rules related to autonomous driving in each country.

[0093] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-183648 filed on October 4, 2019, Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-183649 filed on October 4, 2019, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-212305 filed on November 25, 2019, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A head-up display provided in a vehicle and configured to display a predetermined image toward an occupant of the vehicle, an image generating unit that emits light for generating the predetermined image; a reflecting unit that reflects the light emitted by the image generating unit so that the light is irradiated onto a windshield or a combiner, the image generation unit includes a changing image generation unit that generates a changing image of the predetermined image that changes depending on the situation of the vehicle, and a fixed image generation unit that generates a fixed image of the predetermined image that remains fixed regardless of the situation, A head-up display, wherein the fixed image generating unit comprises one light source, an optical element that transmits or reflects light emitted from the light source, and a light-shielding element that is arranged on the reflecting unit side of the optical element and transmits the light in accordance with the shape of the fixed image.

2. 2. The head-up display according to claim 1, wherein a distance from the windshield or the combiner to the variable image and a distance from the windshield or the combiner to the fixed image are substantially the same, and the fixed images are disposed on the left and right of the variable image, respectively.

3. 2. The head-up display of claim 1, wherein the optical path length of the light between the surface in the changing image generating unit that generates the changing image and the reflecting unit is different from the optical path length of the light between the surface in the fixed image generating unit that generates the fixed image and the reflecting unit.

Images