Head-up display apparatus, head-up display system and vehicle

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a head-up display apparatus, a head-up display system and a vehicle. In one aspect, the head-up display apparatus comprises: a first image generation unit, configured to emit first image light rays; a second image generation unit, the second image generation unit having a first transflective surface, and the second image generation unit being configured to emit second image light rays transmitting through the first transflective surface thereof, and to reflect, by means of the first transflective surface thereof, the first image light rays that are emitted from the first image generation unit and propagated to the second image generation unit; and a first imaging amplification unit, configured to reflect the second image light rays that are emitted from the second image generation unit and propagated to the first imaging amplification unit and the first image light rays that are reflected by the second image generation unit and propagated to the first imaging amplification unit. The present disclosure can form virtual images at different distances so as to achieve fusion of virtual images and corresponding real scenes, thus improving driving safety and driving experience.

Description

Head-up display device, head-up display system and vehicle CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on December 14, 2023, with application number 202311730404.1 and titled “Head-up display device, head-up display system and vehicle”. The entire contents of the patent application are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the field of display technology, and in particular, to a head-up display device, a head-up display system including the head-up display device, and a vehicle including the head-up display device or the head-up display system. Background Art

[0003] Head-up displays (HUDs) are widely used in vehicles and other transportation vehicles. They display information such as vehicle and road conditions on the vehicle's windshield, mirror, or other device, placing this information directly in the driver's field of vision. This allows the driver to maintain a constant focus on road conditions while receiving this information, thereby improving driving safety and providing a better driving experience.

[0004] Existing HUDs display a virtual image in front of the driver's line of sight at a fixed distance from the driver's naked eye. However, the real scenes viewed by the driver, for example through the windshield, are at different distances. The fixed-distance virtual image cannot be integrated with the real scenes at different distances. As a result, the driver's focus must switch between the virtual image at different distances and the corresponding real scene during driving. This causes problems such as ghosting and visual fatigue, affecting driving safety and experience. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

[0006] The present disclosure aims to provide a head-up display device capable of forming virtual images at different distances to achieve fusion of the virtual images with corresponding real scenes, a head-up display system including the head-up display device, and a vehicle including the head-up display device or the head-up display system.

[0007] In order to achieve the above objectives, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, a head-up display device is provided, comprising:

[0008] a first image generating unit configured to emit a first image light;

[0009] a second image generating unit having a first transflective surface, the second image generating unit being configured to emit a second image light through its first transflective surface and to reflect the first image light emitted by the first image generating unit and propagating to the second image generating unit through its first transflective surface; and

[0010] The first imaging amplification unit is configured to reflect the second image light emitted by the second image generation unit and transmitted to the first imaging amplification unit and the first image light reflected by the second image generation unit and transmitted to the first imaging amplification unit.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first imaging and magnification unit may be a reflecting mirror.

[0012] In some embodiments, the first imaging magnification unit may include a first reflector and a second reflector, the first reflector having a second transflective surface, the first reflector being configured to reflect one of the first image light reflected by the second image generating unit and propagated to the first imaging magnification unit and the second image light emitted by the second image generating unit and propagated to the first imaging magnification unit through its second transflective surface, and to transmit the other through its second transflective surface, and the second reflector being configured to reflect the other transmitted by the first reflector.

[0013] In some embodiments, the first reflector and the second reflector may both be curved reflectors, and the curvature radius of the second reflector may be smaller than the curvature radius of the first reflector.

[0014] In some embodiments, a second imaging amplification unit may also be included, the second imaging amplification unit being configured to reflect the first image light reflected by the second image generation unit and propagated to the second imaging amplification unit and the second image light emitted by the second image generation unit and propagated to the second imaging amplification unit, and the first imaging amplification unit being configured to reflect the first image light and the second image light reflected by the second imaging amplification unit and propagated to the first imaging amplification unit.

[0015] In some embodiments, the second imaging magnification unit may include a third reflective mirror and a fourth reflective mirror, the third reflective mirror having a third transflective surface, the third reflective mirror being configured to reflect one of the first image light reflected by the second image generating unit and propagated to the second imaging magnification unit and the second image light emitted by the second image generating unit and propagated to the second imaging magnification unit through its third transflective surface, and transmit the other through its third transflective surface, and the fourth reflective mirror being configured to reflect the other transmitted by the third reflective mirror.

[0016] In some embodiments, the second imaging magnification unit may be a reflecting mirror.

[0017] In some embodiments, a third image generating unit may be further included, the third image generating unit being configured to emit a third image light, and the second imaging magnification unit having a fourth transflective surface, the second imaging magnification unit being configured to transmit the third image light emitted by the third image generating unit and propagating to the second imaging magnification unit through its fourth transflective surface, and the first imaging magnification unit being configured to reflect the third image light transmitted by the second imaging magnification unit.

[0018] In some embodiments, the principal optical axes of the first image light and the second image light may coincide on the first transflective surface, and the principal optical axes of the first image light, the second image light, and the third image light may coincide on the second imaging magnification unit.

[0019] In some embodiments, the principal optical axes of the first image light and the second image light may coincide on the first transflective surface.

[0020] In some embodiments, the second image generating unit may include an image generating body and a transflective film, the image generating body being configured to emit the second image light from an exit surface thereof, and the transflective film being disposed on the exit surface to form a first transflective surface.

[0021] In some embodiments, the first transflective surface may be planar or curved.

[0022] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a head-up display system is provided, comprising:

[0023] a reflective imaging portion; and

[0024] In the head-up display device as described above, the image light reflected by the first imaging magnification unit of the head-up display device is projected onto the reflective imaging portion to form a virtual image.

[0025] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle is provided, comprising the head-up display device as described above, or comprising the head-up display system as described above.

[0026] According to the above technical solution, by providing a second image generating unit having a first transflective surface, and by having the first transflective surface reflect the first image light emitted by the first image generating unit and propagating toward it, and by having the second image light emitted by the second image generating unit be transmitted through the first transflective surface, the first image light and the second image light can be caused to form light propagation paths of different lengths relative to their respective image sources after emitting from the second image generating unit. This allows for the production of first and second virtual images at different virtual image distances. By forming virtual images at different distances, the virtual image and the corresponding real scene can be integrated, allowing the user to clearly see the virtual image and the corresponding real scene without switching their visual focus. Furthermore, the virtual image can accurately indicate the corresponding real scene in terms of position, thereby improving driving safety and the driving experience. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] The features and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure will become more readily understood through the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings are not drawn to scale and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of specific components. In the drawings:

[0028] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a head-up display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a head-up display system including the head-up display device shown in FIG. 1 .

[0030] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of a second image generating unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a head-up display device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of a head-up display device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of a head-up display device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of a head-up display device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of a head-up display device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] FIG. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of a head-up display system including the head-up display device shown in FIG. 8 .

[0037] In the drawings, the same or corresponding technical features or components are represented by the same or corresponding reference numerals. Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0038] The present disclosure is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings by means of exemplary embodiments. It should be noted that the following detailed description of the present disclosure is only for illustrative purposes and is by no means limiting of the present disclosure.

[0039] It should be noted that, for the sake of clarity, not all features of a specific embodiment are described and shown in the specification and drawings. Moreover, in order to avoid unnecessary details that obscure the technical solution focused on by the present disclosure, only the device structure closely related to the technical solution of the present disclosure is described and shown in the specification and drawings, while other details that are not closely related to the technical content of the present disclosure and are known to those skilled in the art are omitted.

[0040] As mentioned earlier, existing head-up display devices project image light onto the vehicle's windshield, composite mirror, or the like to form a virtual image. This virtual image is located at a fixed distance from the driver's naked eye. For example, information such as vehicle speed, fuel consumption, lane, distance to the vehicle ahead, and turn prompts displayed via the virtual image are located at a fixed distance in front of the driver's line of sight. However, the various real scenes observed by the driver through, for example, the windshield are often at different distances. For example, real scenes such as the lane, the rear of the vehicle ahead, and the turning position are located at different distances from the human eye, and these distances continue to change as the driving process progresses. Therefore, the virtual image at a fixed distance cannot be integrated with the real scenes at different distances. As a result, in order to clearly see a specific virtual image and the corresponding real scene, the driver's visual focus must constantly switch between virtual images of varying distances and the corresponding real scene during driving. This can cause problems such as ghosting and visual fatigue, affecting driving safety and the driving experience.

[0041] The above problems can be solved by a head-up display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Hereinafter, the head-up display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG1 to FIG9 .

[0042] First, referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , they respectively illustrate a head-up display device 10 and a head-up display system 1 including the head-up display device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] The head-up display device 10 includes a first image generating unit 100 , a second image generating unit 200 and a first imaging magnification unit 300 .

[0044] The first image generating unit 100 is configured to emit a first image light ray A. The second image generating unit 200 has a first transflective surface 200 a. The second image generating unit 200 is configured to emit a second image light ray B through its first transflective surface 200 a, and to reflect the first image light ray A emitted by the first image generating unit 100 and propagating to the second image generating unit 200 via its first transflective surface 200 a. The first imaging and magnifying unit 300 is configured to reflect the second image light ray B emitted by the second image generating unit 200 and propagating to the first imaging and magnifying unit 300, and the first image light ray A reflected by the second image generating unit 200 and propagating to the first imaging and magnifying unit 300.

[0045] Specifically, the first transflective surface 200a is the outer surface of the second image generating unit 200 and is light-transmissive and light-reflective. In other words, the first transflective surface 200a is both light-transmissive and light-reflective. In this embodiment, the second image generating unit 200 is arranged such that its first transflective surface 200a faces the first image light A emitted and transmitted from the first image generating unit 100. The first transflective surface 200a includes opposing outer and inner side surfaces, with the outer side surface facing the exterior of the second image generating unit 200 and the inner side surface facing the interior of the second image generating unit 200. The first image light A emitted by the first image generating unit 100 is incident on the outer side surface of the first transflective surface 200a, and the second image light B emitted by the second image generating unit 200 is incident on the inner side surface of the first transflective surface 200a. The first transflective surface 200a is configured to reflect the first image light A incident on the outer side surface and transmit the second image light B incident on the inner side surface.

[0046] The first imaging magnifying unit 300 is arranged so that its reflective surface faces the first image light A reflected and transmitted by the first transflective surface 200a and the second image light B transmitted through the first transflective surface 200a, so as to receive and reflect the first image light A and the second image light B, thereby forming different virtual images.

[0047] Referring to Figure 2 , the virtual image formation process is clearly illustrated. Reflected by the first imaging magnification unit 300, the first image light beam A and the second image light beam B are projected onto the reflective imaging unit 20 and reflected by the reflective imaging unit 20 toward the eyebox 30. As a result, the rearward extensions of the reflected first image light beam A and second image light beam B intersect on the left side of the reflective imaging unit 20 (i.e., in front of the reflective imaging unit 20 in the vehicle's fore-and-aft direction), forming a first virtual image A' and a second virtual image B', respectively.

[0048] It should be noted that the reflective imaging unit 20 can be a vehicle windshield, a composite mirror, or the like, and is used to reflect the image light emitted by the head-up display device 10 while transmitting ambient light. Furthermore, the eye box 30 refers to the range within which a user (e.g., a driver) can move their eyes while maintaining a clear and complete image.

[0049] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a second image generating unit 200 having a first transflective surface 200 a is provided, and the first transflective surface 200 a is made to reflect the first image light A emitted by the first image generating unit 100 and transmit the second image light B emitted by the second image generating unit 200 , so that the first image light A and the second image light B form light propagation paths of different lengths relative to their respective image sources (i.e., the first image generating unit 100 and the second image generating unit 200) after being emitted from the second image generating unit 200.

[0050] Specifically, upon emitting from the second image generating unit 200, the propagation distance of the first image light ray A includes the propagation distance from the exit surface of the first image generating unit 100 to the first transflective surface 200a, and the propagation distance during which it is reflected by the first transflective surface 200a and emitted from the first transflective surface 200a. Meanwhile, the propagation distance of the second image light ray B essentially consists of the propagation distance during which it transmits through the first transflective surface 200a and emits from the first transflective surface 200a. Therefore, the propagation distance of the first image light ray A and the propagation distance of the second image light ray B are different in length. Compared to the propagation distance of the second image light ray B, the propagation distance of the first image light ray A is substantially longer than the propagation distance of the second image light ray B, extending from the exit surface of the first image generating unit 100 to the first transflective surface 200a. In this case, the propagation distance of the first image light ray A from its image source to the eye box 30 is also greater than the propagation distance of the second image light ray B from its image source to the eye box 30.

[0051] A longer image light propagation distance results in a longer object-space distance for the head-up display image. Since the object-space distance is proportional to the virtual image distance (the distance from the eyepoint to the virtual image), a longer object-space distance also results in a longer virtual image distance. Consequently, due to the different propagation distances of the first image light A and the second image light B, the resulting first virtual image A' and second virtual image B' have different virtual image distances, thereby forming virtual images at different distances. Furthermore, the virtual image distance of the first virtual image A' is greater than that of the second virtual image B'. As shown in Figure 2, the first virtual image A' is located in front of the second virtual image B' in the vehicle's fore-aft direction. This allows the virtual image to be positioned at the same distance from its corresponding real scene, achieving fusion between the virtual image and the corresponding real scene. This allows the user to clearly see both the virtual image and the corresponding real scene without having to switch their visual focus. Furthermore, the virtual image accurately indicates the corresponding real scene, thereby improving driving safety and the driving experience.

[0052] Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the transflective properties of the image light are achieved through the first transflective surface 200a, which serves as the outer surface of the second image generating unit 200. An image generating unit typically serves only as a device or element that generates and emits image light. By providing a transflective surface from which the image light is emitted, the need for a separate transflective element to be provided separately from the image generating unit can be eliminated. This can reduce the space occupied by the unit, facilitating, for example, the structural design within the head-up display device or contributing to a reduction in the size of the head-up display device. On the other hand, by making the exit surface of the second image generating unit 200 have a transflective property, it is only necessary to arrange the second image generating unit 200 so that its exit surface (i.e., the first transflective surface 200a) can receive and reflect the first image light A emitted by the first image generating unit 100, so that propagation paths of different lengths can be created between the first image light A and the second image light B, thereby ultimately forming virtual images of different distances, without the need to set up a complex optical structure; and it is only necessary to adjust the propagation path of the first image light A from the exit surface of the first image generating unit 100 to the first transflective surface 200a to achieve adjustment of the distance of the first virtual image relative to the second virtual image, making the control process simpler.

[0053] It is conceivable that multiple first image generating units 100 and multiple second image generating units 200 may be provided in the head-up display device 10. For example, each first image generating unit 100 may correspond to one second image generating unit 200, thereby forming more virtual images at different distances.

[0054] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 2 and 9 , the principal optical axes of the first image light A and the second image light B can coincide on the first transflective surface 200a. That is, the principal optical axes of the first image light A reflected by the first transflective surface 200a and the second image light B transmitted by the first transflective surface 200a coincide. In this way, the centers of the first virtual image A' and the second virtual image B' are coaxial with the center of the eye box 30 (i.e., the first virtual image A' and the second virtual image B' are coaxially arranged), allowing the first virtual image A' and the second virtual image B' to remain in the same focal plane. As a result, the head-up display device 10 can provide a clearer and more consistent visual experience.

[0055] However, it is conceivable that the first virtual image A' and the second virtual image B' may also be arranged coaxially. In this case, the principal optical axes of the first image light A and the second image light B do not coincide on the first transflective surface 200a.

[0056] Next, the second image generating unit 200 having the first transflective surface 200 a will be described.

[0057] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG3 , the second image generating unit 200 may include an image generating body 210 and a transflective film 220 , wherein the image generating body 210 is configured to emit the second image light B from an exit surface 210 a thereof, and the transflective film 220 is disposed on the exit surface 210 a to form a first transflective surface 200 a .

[0058] The image generation body 210 can be a thin film transistor (TFT) display screen, a diffusion screen based on digital light processing (DLP) micro-projection, a diffusion screen based on liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) micro-projection, a diffusion screen based on micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) micro-projection, etc.

[0059] The transflective film 220 can be a coating film coated on the output surface 210a of the image generating body 210, or a laminating film laminated on the output surface 210a. The transflective film 220 can be a semi-transparent semi-reflective film or a polarizing film. The semi-transparent semi-reflective film has the ability to reflect and transmit light at the same time, so as to achieve partial reflection and partial transmission of light. For example, the transmittance can be 50% and the reflectance can be 50%, or the transmittance can be 70% and the reflectance can be 30%, and so on. The sum of the transmittance and reflectance is close to 100%. In the case where the transflective film 220 is a polarizing film, the polarization of the incident light can be used to achieve the surface transflective property. For example, the first image light A can be a light with a first polarization characteristic, such as S-polarized light, and the second image light B can be a light with a second polarization characteristic, such as P-polarized light, and the polarizing film can be made to reflect the first polarization characteristic light and transmit the second polarization characteristic light.

[0060] Other structural forms of the second image generating unit 200 are also conceivable. For example, the second image generating unit 200 may be merely an image generating body, without a transflective film provided on the exit surface of the image generating body. Instead, the exit surface of the image generating body may be directly manufactured to have transflective properties, for example, by using an element having transflective properties to constitute the exit surface of the image generating body.

[0061] In some embodiments, the first transflective surface 200a may be planar or curved. The curved surface may be, for example, cylindrical, spherical, or free-form. The focal length of the virtual image projected into the user's field of view may be adjusted by adjusting the optical power of the curved surface, thereby adjusting the imaging effect.

[0062] Next, other embodiments of the head-up display device 10 according to the present disclosure will be described in detail.

[0063] As shown in FIG2 , the first imaging magnification unit 300 can be a reflector. The reflector can reflect the second image light B emitted by the second image generation unit 200 and propagated to the reflector, and the first image light A reflected by the second image generation unit 200 and propagated to the reflector, onto the reflective imaging portion 20. It is contemplated that the reflector can be a plane reflector or a curved reflector, such as a concave mirror.

[0064] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG4 , the first imaging magnification unit 300 may include a first reflector 301 and a second reflector 302, the first reflector 301 having a second transflective surface 301 a, the first reflector 301 being configured to reflect the first image light A reflected by the second image generating unit 200 and propagating to the first imaging magnification unit 300 through its second transflective surface 301 a, and to transmit the second image light B emitted by the second image generating unit 200 and propagating to the first imaging magnification unit 300 through its second transflective surface 301 a, and the second reflector 302 being configured to reflect the second image light B transmitted by the first reflector 301.

[0065] In this manner, the first reflector 301 and the second reflector 302 are arranged so that their reflective surfaces both face the first image light A reflected and propagated from the second image generating unit 200 and the second image light B emitted and propagated from the second image generating unit 200. As shown in FIG4 , the second reflector 302 is located in front of the first reflector 301 in the vehicle front-to-rear direction, and the first reflector 301 and the second reflector 302 are arranged parallel to each other. However, it is conceivable that the first reflector 301 and the second reflector 302 may also be arranged non-parallel.

[0066] Through the above-described structure, the propagation distances of the first image light A and the second image light B change as they pass through the first imaging and magnifying unit 300. Specifically, from the time the light enters the first imaging and magnifying unit 300 to the time it exits the first imaging and magnifying unit 300, more specifically, from the time the light enters the first reflector 301 to the time it exits the first reflector 301, the propagation distance of the first image light A is only the distance it travels after being reflected by the first reflector 301 and exiting from the first reflector 301. In contrast, the propagation distance of the second image light B includes the distance it travels after passing through the first reflector 301 and entering the second reflector 302, the distance it travels after being reflected by the second reflector 302 and entering the first reflector 301, and the distance it travels after passing through the first reflector 301 and exiting from the first reflector 301. Therefore, from the time the light enters the first imaging and magnifying unit 300 to the time the light exits the first imaging and magnifying unit 300, the propagation distance of the first image light A is shorter than the propagation distance of the second image light B. In this case, the relative distance between the propagation path of the first image light ray A from its image source to the eye box 30 and the propagation path of the second image light ray B from its image source to the eye box 30 is reduced. Thus, based on the aforementioned principle for determining the virtual image distance, the relative distance between the first virtual image A' and the second dotted line B' is reduced. Therefore, the relative distance between the first virtual image A' and the second dotted line B' can be adjusted by adjusting the distance between the first reflector 301 and the second reflector 302.

[0067] It is conceivable that the first reflector 301 can also be configured to reflect the second image light B emitted by the second image generating unit 200 and propagated to the first imaging magnification unit 300 through its second reflective surface 301a, and transmit the first image light A reflected by the second image generating unit 200 and propagated to the first imaging magnification unit 300 through its second reflective surface 301a, and the second reflector 302 is configured to reflect the first image light A transmitted by the first reflector 301.

[0068] In this case, it can be understood that, in the process of entering the first reflector 301 and exiting the first reflector 301, the propagation distance of the first image light A is greater than that of the second image light B, so that the relative distance between the propagation distance of the first image light A from its image source to the eye box 30 and the propagation distance of the second image light B from its image source to the eye box 30 is increased. Therefore, based on the principle of determining the virtual image distance mentioned above, the relative distance between the first virtual image A' and the second dotted line B' is increased.

[0069] It is conceivable that the second transflective surface 301a can be formed by a transflective film. For example, the second transflective surface 301a can be formed by coating the reflective surface of the reflector body of the first reflector 301. The transflective film can be, for example, a polarizing film. The polarizing film can be configured to reflect the first polarization characteristic light and transmit the second polarization characteristic light. The reflectivity of the polarizing film can be, for example, 70% to 95%.

[0070] It is conceivable that the first reflector 301 and the second reflector 302 can be plane reflectors, or can be curved reflectors, such as concave mirrors. In the case where the first reflector 301 and the second reflector 302 are both curved reflectors, the imaging effect of the formed virtual image can be adjusted by adjusting the curvature of the first reflector 301 and the second reflector 302 and the distance therebetween.

[0071] In some embodiments, when both the first reflector 301 and the second reflector 302 are curved reflectors, the curvature radius of the second reflector 302 may be smaller than the curvature radius of the first reflector 301 .

[0072] A relatively small radius of curvature means that the second reflector 302 is relatively more curved, which reduces the vertical length of the second reflector 302, thereby leaving more space in the lower region of the second reflector 302. When the difference in distance between the first virtual image A' and the second virtual image B' is small—in other words, when the relative distance between the first virtual image A' and the second virtual image B' is small—the propagation distance from the exit surface of the first image generating unit 100 to the first transflective surface 200a can be increased by increasing the distance between the first image generating unit 100 and the second image generating unit 200, thereby increasing the relative distance between the first virtual image A' and the second virtual image B'. The larger space in the lower region of the second reflector 302 allows the first image generating unit 100 to move further away from the second image generating unit 200 without the first image generating unit 100 being restricted in its movement and potentially obstructing the optical path from the second image generating unit 200 to the first reflector 301.

[0073] When only the first image magnification unit 300 is provided for image magnification, as shown in Figures 1 and 4 , the distance between the second image generation unit 200 and the first image magnification unit 300 (for example, in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle) is generally required to be large to achieve a good image magnification effect. However, this large distance results in a larger occupied space, which adversely affects the internal structural design and performance of the head-up display device.

[0074] In this regard, in some embodiments, referring to Figures 5 to 8, the head-up display device 10 may further include a second imaging magnification unit 400, which is configured to reflect the first image light A reflected by the second image generation unit 200 and propagated to the second imaging magnification unit 400 and the second image light B emitted by the second image generation unit 200 and propagated to the second imaging magnification unit 400, and the first imaging magnification unit 300 is configured to reflect the first image light A and the second image light B reflected by the second imaging magnification unit 400 and propagated to the first imaging magnification unit 300.

[0075] In this way, the reflective surfaces of the first and second image magnification units 300 and 400 are arranged facing each other, so that the first image light A reflected by the second image generation unit 200 and the second image light B emitted by the second image generation unit 200 are reflected between the first and second image magnification units 300 and 400, thereby forming a folded optical path. This achieves a better imaging magnification effect and makes the entire structure, including the first and second image magnification units 300, 400, and the first and second image generation units 100 and 200, more compact, for example, occupying less space in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle.

[0076] As shown in FIG5 , the second imaging magnification unit 400 can be a reflector. The reflector can reflect the second image light B emitted by the second image generation unit 200 and propagated to the reflector, and the first image light A reflected by the second image generation unit 200 and propagated to the reflector, to the first imaging magnification unit 300. It is contemplated that the reflector can be a plane reflector or a curved reflector, such as a concave mirror.

[0077] It is understood that, when the second imaging magnification unit 400 is provided, the first imaging magnification unit 300 can still be configured according to the above discussion. For example, as shown in FIG5 , the first imaging magnification unit 300 can be only a single reflector, or, as shown in FIG6 , the first imaging magnification unit 300 can include a first reflector 301 and a second reflector 302.

[0078] Furthermore, it is understood that, when the first imaging and magnifying unit 300 includes a first reflecting mirror 301 and a second reflecting mirror 302, and both the first reflecting mirror 301 and the second reflecting mirror 302 are curved reflecting mirrors, substantially the same effect as described above can still be achieved by making the curvature radius of the second reflecting mirror 302 smaller than the curvature radius of the first reflecting mirror 301. Specifically, when the distance between the first image generating unit 100 and the second image generating unit 200 is increased, as shown in FIG6 , the second image generating unit 200 can be moved toward a larger space below the second reflecting mirror 302, thereby preventing the optical path from the second imaging and magnifying unit 400 to the first imaging and magnifying unit 300 from being blocked due to the restricted movement of the second image generating unit 200.

[0079] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG7 , the second imaging magnification unit 400 may include a third reflector 401 and a fourth reflector 402, the third reflector 401 having a third transflective surface 401 a, the third reflector 401 being configured to reflect the first image light A reflected by the second image generating unit 200 and propagated to the second imaging magnification unit 400 through its third transflective surface 401 a, and to transmit the second image light B emitted by the second image generating unit 200 and propagated to the second imaging magnification unit 400 through its third transflective surface 401 a, and the fourth reflector 402 being configured to reflect the second image light B transmitted by the third reflector 401.

[0080] In this manner, the third reflector 401 and the fourth reflector 402 are arranged so that their reflective surfaces face the first image light A reflected and propagated from the second image generating unit 200 and the second image light B emitted and propagated from the second image generating unit 200. As shown in FIG7 , the fourth reflector 402 is located behind the third reflector 401 in the vehicle front-to-rear direction, and the third reflector 401 and the fourth reflector 402 are arranged parallel to each other. However, it is conceivable that the third reflector 401 and the fourth reflector 402 may also be arranged non-parallel.

[0081] Through the above-described structure, the propagation distances of the first image light A and the second image light B change as they pass through the second imaging magnification unit 400. Specifically, from the time the light enters the third reflector 401 to the time it exits the third reflector 401, the propagation distance of the first image light A is only the distance it travels after being reflected by the third reflector 401 and exiting the third reflector 401. In contrast, the propagation distance of the second image light B includes the distance it travels after transmitting through the third reflector 401 and entering the fourth reflector 402, the distance it travels after being reflected by the fourth reflector 402 and entering the third reflector 401, and the distance it travels after transmitting through the third reflector 401 and exiting the third reflector 401. Therefore, from the time the light enters the third reflector 401 to the time the light exits the third reflector 401, the propagation distance of the first image light A is shorter than the propagation distance of the second image light B. In this case, the relative distance between the propagation distance of the first image light A from its image source to the eye box 30 and the propagation distance of the second image light B from its image source to the eye box 30 is reduced. Therefore, based on the above-mentioned principle for determining the virtual image distance, the relative distance between the first virtual image A' and the second virtual line B' is reduced. Therefore, the relative distance between the first virtual image A' and the second virtual image B' can be adjusted by adjusting the distance between the third reflector 401 and the fourth reflector 402, so that the relative distance between the first virtual image A' and the second virtual image B' is reduced.

[0082] Similar to the first imaging magnification unit 300 including the first reflecting mirror 301 and the second reflecting mirror 302, it is conceivable that the third reflecting mirror 401 may also be configured to reflect the second image light B emitted by the second image generating unit 200 and propagated to the second imaging magnification unit 400 through its third transflective surface 401a, and transmit the first image light A reflected by the second image generating unit 200 and propagated to the second imaging magnification unit 400 through its third transflective surface 401a, and the fourth reflecting mirror 402 may be configured to reflect the first image light A transmitted by the third reflecting mirror 401. The effects of such an arrangement will not be further described herein.

[0083] It can be understood that the third transflective surface 401 a is similar to the second transflective surface 301 a , and the above description of the second transflective surface 301 a is applicable, which will not be repeated here.

[0084] Considering the image magnification effect of the image magnification unit, when both the first image magnification unit 300 and the second image magnification unit 400 are provided, the range (or size) of light to be received by the reflector of the first image magnification unit 300 is larger than that of the second image magnification unit 400. Therefore, it is conceivable that the size of the reflector of the second image magnification unit 400 can be smaller than that of the reflector of the first image magnification unit 300. For example, in the scenario shown in FIG7 , the size of the third reflector 401 and the fourth reflector 402 can be smaller than that of the reflector of the first image magnification unit 300. In this case, the production cost of the head-up display device can be reduced. In particular, when the second image magnification unit 400 includes two reflectors, the production cost can be further reduced.

[0085] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the head-up display device 10 may further include a third image generating unit 500, the third image generating unit 500 is configured to emit a third image light C, and the second imaging magnification unit 400 is a reflector and has a fourth transflective surface 400a, the second imaging magnification unit 400 is configured to transmit the third image light C emitted by the third image generating unit 500 and propagated to the second imaging magnification unit 400 through its fourth transflective surface 400a, and the first imaging magnification unit 300 is configured to reflect the third image light C transmitted by the second imaging magnification unit 400.

[0086] 8 , the fourth transflective surface 400 a of the second imaging magnifying unit 400 is opposite to the surface of the second imaging magnifying unit 400 that receives and reflects the first image light A and the second image light B. The third image light C emitted by the third image generating unit 500 transmits the second imaging magnifying unit 400 from the fourth transflective surface 400 a of the second imaging magnifying unit 400 and enters the first imaging magnifying unit 300 together with the first image light A and the second image light B reflected by the second imaging magnifying unit 400.

[0087] As shown in FIG9 , by adjusting the distance between the third image generating unit 500 and the fourth transflective surface 400a, the third image light C can have a different propagation distance from the first image light A and the second image light B when emitted from the second imaging magnification unit 400. This allows the third virtual image C' formed by the third image light C being projected onto the reflective imaging portion 20 by the first imaging magnification unit 300 to have a different virtual image distance from the first virtual image A' and the second virtual image B'. Thus, three virtual images at different distances can be obtained.

[0088] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG9 , the principal optical axes of the first image light A and the second image light B can be made to coincide on the first transflective surface 200 a, and the principal optical axes of the first image light A, the second image light B, and the third image light C can be made to coincide on the second imaging magnification unit 400. In this way, the centers of the first virtual image A′, the second virtual image B′, and the third virtual image C′ are coaxial with the center of the eye box 30 (i.e., the first virtual image A′, the second virtual image B′, and the third virtual image C′ are coaxially arranged), so that the first virtual image A′, the second virtual image B′, and the third virtual image C′ remain on the same focal plane. As a result, the head-up display device 10 can provide a clearer and more consistent visual experience.

[0089] However, it is conceivable that the first virtual image A', the second virtual image B', and the third virtual image C' may also be arranged non-coaxially. In this case, the principal optical axes of the first image light A and the second image light B do not coincide on the first transflective surface 200a, and the principal optical axes of the first image light A, the second image light B, and the third image light C do not coincide on the second imaging magnification unit 400.

[0090] It is understandable that the fourth transflective surface 400a is similar to the second transflective surface 301a and can also be implemented by a transflective film, which will not be described in detail here.

[0091] In addition, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 9 , the present disclosure further provides a head-up display system 1 , comprising a reflective imaging unit 20 and the head-up display device 10 as described above.

[0092] The image light reflected by the first imaging magnification unit 300 of the head-up display device 10 is projected onto the reflective imaging unit 20 to form a virtual image. For example, the image light is a first image light A, a second image light B, and a third image light C, and the virtual images are a first virtual image A', a second virtual image B', and a third virtual image C'.

[0093] In addition, the present disclosure also provides a vehicle, including the head-up display device 10 as described above, or including the head-up display system 1 as described above.

[0094] In this disclosure, the terms "first," "second," "front," "back," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as limiting. Furthermore, while the present disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described and illustrated in detail herein. Various modifications to the exemplary embodiments may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims.

[0095] The features mentioned and / or illustrated in the above description of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be incorporated into one or more other embodiments in the same or similar manner, combined with features in other embodiments, or substituted for corresponding features in other embodiments. The technical solutions obtained by such combination or substitution shall also be deemed to be included within the scope of protection of the present disclosure. Industrial Applicability

[0096] In the present disclosure, by forming virtual images at different distances, the fusion of the virtual image and the corresponding real scene is achieved, so that the user can clearly see the virtual image and the corresponding real scene without switching the focus of the vision, and the virtual image can also accurately indicate the corresponding real scene in terms of position, thereby improving driving safety and driving experience.

Claims

1. A head-up display device, characterized in that: include: A first image generating unit configured to emit a first image light; A second image generating unit having a first transflective surface, the second image generating unit being configured to emit a second image light through its first transflective surface, and to reflect the first image light emitted by the first image generating unit and propagating to the second image generating unit through its first transflective surface; as well as The first imaging and magnifying unit is configured to reflect the second image light emitted by the second image generating unit and propagated to the first imaging and magnifying unit and the first image light reflected by the second image generating unit and propagated to the first imaging and magnifying unit.

2. The head-up display device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first imaging and magnifying unit is a reflecting mirror.

3. The head-up display device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first imaging and magnifying unit includes a first reflector and a second reflector, the first reflector having a second transflective surface, the first reflector being configured to reflect one of the first image light reflected by the second image generating unit and propagated to the first imaging and magnifying unit and the second image light emitted by the second image generating unit and propagated to the first imaging and magnifying unit through its second transflective surface, and to transmit the other through its second transflective surface, and the second reflector being configured to reflect the other transmitted by the first reflector.

4. The head-up display device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first reflector and the second reflector are both curved reflectors, and a curvature radius of the second reflector is smaller than a curvature radius of the first reflector.

5. The head-up display device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The present invention also includes a second imaging magnifying unit, which is configured to reflect the first image light reflected by the second image generating unit and propagated to the second imaging magnifying unit and the second image light emitted by the second image generating unit and propagated to the second imaging magnifying unit, and the first imaging magnifying unit is configured to reflect the first image light and the second image light reflected by the second imaging magnifying unit and propagated to the first imaging magnifying unit.

6. The head-up display device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The second imaging magnification unit includes a third reflective mirror and a fourth reflective mirror, the third reflective mirror having a third transflective surface, the third reflective mirror being configured to reflect one of the first image light reflected by the second image generating unit and propagated to the second imaging magnification unit and the second image light emitted by the second image generating unit and propagated to the second imaging magnification unit through its third transflective surface, and to transmit the other through its third transflective surface, and the fourth reflective mirror being configured to reflect the other one transmitted by the third reflective mirror.

7. The head-up display device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The second imaging and magnifying unit is a reflecting mirror.

8. The head-up display device according to claim 7, characterized in that: It also includes a third image generating unit, which is configured to emit a third image light, and the second imaging magnifying unit has a fourth transflective surface, the second imaging magnifying unit is configured to transmit the third image light emitted by the third image generating unit and propagated to the second imaging magnifying unit through its fourth transflective surface, and the first imaging magnifying unit is configured to reflect the third image light transmitted by the second imaging magnifying unit.

9. The head-up display device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The principal optical axes of the first image light and the second image light coincide on the first transflective surface, and the principal optical axes of the first image light, the second image light and the third image light coincide on the second imaging magnification unit.

10. The head-up display device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The principal optical axes of the first image light and the second image light coincide on the first transflective surface.

11. The head-up display device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second image generating unit includes an image generating body and a transflective film, the image generating body is configured to emit the second image light from an exit surface thereof, and the transflective film is disposed on the exit surface to form the first transflective surface.

12. The head-up display device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first transflective surface is in a planar shape or a curved shape.

13. A head-up display system, characterized in that: include: Reflective imaging unit; as well as According to any one of claims 1 to 12, the image light reflected by the first imaging magnification unit of the head-up display device is projected onto the reflective imaging portion to form a virtual image.

14. A means of transport, characterized in that: The device comprises the head-up display device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, or comprises the head-up display system according to claim 13.

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