Dynamic Head-Up Display Projection for Driver Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Head-up displays in vehicles require constant accommodation, fixation, and adaptation processes due to fixed virtual distances, distracting drivers and increasing safety risks, especially in dynamic traffic environments.
Innovation Solution
A method to dynamically adjust the projection unit's distance, position, and size based on real-time situation analysis using vehicle, environment, and driver data to minimize eye accommodation, fixation, and adaptation times, ensuring the virtual image aligns with the driver's current and future focal planes, thereby preventing safety-critical occlusions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a fixed virtual distance is used in head-up displays, then the display structure is simple, but the driver experiences constant accommodation, fixation, and adaptation processes that distract attention and reduce safety
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment of the virtual image distance based on the driver's current focus plane. The projection unit modifies projection parameters (distance, position, size) in real-time to match the driver's focal plane, transforming the static display into a dynamic system that adapts to changing driving conditions and driver attention states.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes key optical parameters of the projected image including virtual distance, position, and size. These parameter adjustments are controlled based on situation analysis and driver eye position detection, allowing the display to optimize accommodation requirements and minimize driver distraction while maintaining safety.
2Loss of time
If the virtual image distance is dynamically adjusted to match the driver's focal plane, then accommodation and fixation times are minimized, but the device complexity increases due to additional sensors and control systems
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs feedback mechanisms by detecting the driver's eye position and current focus plane using sensors, then using this information to dynamically adjust the projection parameters. This closed-loop control ensures the virtual image remains optimally positioned to minimize accommodation time while the driver monitors the road environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The display system serves itself by automatically detecting driver state and adjusting parameters without manual intervention. The situation analysis device and projection unit work autonomously to maintain optimal display conditions, reducing the need for manual adjustment mechanisms and simplifying the overall control architecture.
3Ease of operation
If the projection parameters are dynamically changed to align with the driver's focus, then driver distraction is reduced, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring the driver's focal plane increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an intermediary approach by detecting eye position and inferring focal plane information indirectly through situation analysis rather than directly measuring the focal plane itself. This intermediary method uses readily available sensor data (eye position, vehicle speed, distance to objects) to estimate and track the driver's focus plane, avoiding the complexity of direct focal plane measurement.
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
The dynamic adjustment of the head-up display's projection parameters ensures minimal eye accommodation and fixation times, maintaining the driver's focus on the real environment, reducing distractions and safety risks by aligning the virtual image with the driver's focal planes, even in changing traffic conditions.
Implementation Method 1
the combiner reflects the image content projected onto it by the projection unit in the direction of the driver's eye
Implementation Method 2
The projection unit consists of an imager and imaging optics, with the latter containing a number of optical elements such as lenses and mirrors
Data Source
AI summary
Method and arrangement for displaying optical information in vehicles within the driver's central field of vision such that a combiner (8, 8') superimposes this display (virtual image) onto the real traffic environment. It is proposed to provide a projection device (1) whose projection distance and/or display size and/or display position is dynamically variable, such that the virtual image (10, 10', 10") of the displayed information perceived by the driver (32) can be displayed at a dynamically variable virtual distance (11, 11', 11'', 11'") relative to the position of the driver's eye (9) and/or a dynamically variable position in the driver's field of vision (32) and/or at a dynamically variable display size.Furthermore, it is provided that the determination of the virtual distance (11, 11', 11", 11'"), the position in the driver's field of vision (32) and the display size, which is to be considered ideal in each situation, is based on situation recognition carried out by means of a situation analysis device (16), in which vehicle data, vehicle environment data and driver data are taken into account to determine the projection distance and/or position in the driver's field of vision and/or display size.The situation analysis device (16) then determines the display-determining criteria from the vehicle data, vehicle environment data and driver data, translates these into a projection distance and/or a projection position in the driver's field of vision and/or a projection size and thus supplies the projection device (1) with control information, so that a virtual distance (11, 11', 11", 11'") and/or a position and/or a size is set for the virtual image (10, 10', 10"), such that the required accommodation, fixation and adaptation times of the driver's eye (9) are minimized and safety-critical occlusions of the real environment are prevented.