Adaptive Anti-Stray Light Screen for Vehicle Head-Up Displays

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional head-up displays for motor vehicles suffer from glare issues due to reflective and refractive effects of protective glass, which can distract drivers and interfere with the readability of projected information.

Innovation Solution

An adaptive anti-stray light screen system that uses an actuator to deflect or diffuse reflected light rays, controlled by sensors and a computer to adjust its position and curvature based on sunlight direction and intensity, ensuring minimal disruption to the driver's view.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a protective glass is installed in the main window to prevent objects and dust from entering the housing, then the protection of internal components is improved, but light reflection and refraction increase causing glare and reducing readability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotection of internal componentsVSAvoidglare and light reflection
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

An anti-stray light screen is introduced as an intermediary element positioned between the protective glass and the image generation device. This screen acts as a mediator that selectively blocks reflected and refracted light rays while allowing the projected image to pass through, thereby eliminating glare without compromising the protective function of the glass.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The harmful function of the protective glass (causing glare through reflection and refraction) is separated from its useful function (protecting internal components). The anti-stray light screen extracts and eliminates only the harmful light rays, allowing the protective glass to maintain its protective role without the adverse optical effects.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the anti-stray light screen is made movable and deformable to dynamically adjust light deflection, then glare reduction effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveglare reduction effectivenessVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The anti-stray light screen is designed with movable and deformable characteristics, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position and curvature in response to varying sunlight conditions. This dynamic capability enables optimal glare reduction across different driving scenarios without requiring a completely complex mechanical system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The screen's physical parameters (position, curvature radius, orientation) are made variable to adapt to changing environmental conditions. By adjusting these parameters dynamically, the system achieves effective glare reduction for different sun positions and intensities while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Effectively reduces glare and maintains the readability of projected information by dynamically managing light reflections, enhancing driving safety and comfort.

Implementation Method 1

Thanks to the actuator 60, it is possible to deflect the light rays reflected off the stray light screen 50

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight reflection: Reflection

Implementation Method 2

it is possible to deflect these light rays away from the driver's face or diffuse them in multiple directions to reduce their intensity

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight diffraction: Diffraction

Implementation Method 3

a projection system adapted to deflect the light beam emitted by the image generation device to project said images

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight reflection: Reflection

Data Source

PatentEP3542207B1Head-up display for a motor vehicle
Publication Date: 2021.04.21 VALEO COMFORT & DRIVING ASSISTANCE
  • EP3542207B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3542207B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3

AI summary

The invention relates to a head-up display (10) for a motor vehicle, which comprises: - a housing (20), - an image generation device (30) housed in the interior of the housing, - a projection system (40) suitable for diverting the light beam emitted by the image generation device to project the images into the field of vision of the driver of the motor vehicle, and - a transparent anti-interfering light screen (50) that is situated on the path of the light beam and that entirely closes a window (21) made in the housing. According to the invention, an actuator (60) is provided to move or deform the anti-interfering light screen.