Floating-Information Display Using Reflective Polarizer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern digital instrument panels face limitations in brightness due to internal reflections, which affect the visibility and clarity of information displayed, particularly in environments where ambient light is a concern.
Innovation Solution
A floating-information display system utilizing an optical plate, a quarter-wave retarder, and a reflective polarizer to redirect and polarize images, creating a dual display concept that projects information in front of the regular cluster without obstructing the view, with the option of a transmissive dihedral corner reflector array to enhance image projection and minimize ghost images.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If modern digital gauges use transducers and microprocessors to display information, then information presentation capability is improved, but light brightness is reduced due to internal reflections
Solution Approach 1:
A polarizing beam splitter is introduced as an intermediary optical element between the display and the viewer. This beam splitter separates light based on polarization states, allowing the display to present information while maintaining high brightness by directing light efficiently to the viewer and minimizing internal reflections that previously reduced brightness.
2Illumination intensity
If a reflective polarizer is used to redirect images, then information visibility is improved, but ghost images are generated by internal reflections
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the optical system are assigned different polarization characteristics. The polarizing beam splitter and associated polarizing filters create localized polarization zones that control light paths differently in different areas, allowing the system to redirect images for visibility while suppressing ghost image formation through selective polarization filtering at specific locations.
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 system provides high-resolution, non-obstructive, and clear information display with reduced ghost image intensity, enhancing user experience by projecting information in a three-dimensional manner without direct line-of-sight dependency on the display, thus improving visibility and usability in various lighting conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a first quarter-wave retarder... configured to polarize light from the first display and change a polarization state of the polarized light
Implementation Method 2
The reflective polarizer is configured to redirect the first image along a second axis through the first quarter-wave retarder toward a viewer
Implementation Method 3
the optical plate is configured to generate a ghost image by an internal reflection of the first image on the first side of the optical plate
Data Source
AI summary
A floating-information display includes a first quarter-wave retarder disposed on a side of an optical plate. A reflective polarizer is disposed between the first quarter-wave retarder and the optical plate. A first display is configured to transmit a first image along a first axis through the first quarter-wave retarder to the reflective polarizer. The reflective polarizer redirects the first image along a second axis through the first quarter-wave retarder toward a viewer. The first image appears to the viewer to be oriented normal to the second axis and at a first location. A second display is configured to transmit a second image to the optical plate. The second image is transferred through the first quarter-wave retarder along the second axis toward the viewer. The second image appears to the viewer to be oriented normal to the second axis and at a second location.