Vehicle HUD Faceted Dashboard Reflection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wide-area heads-up displays for vehicles face issues with insufficient brightness for daytime use and potential eye safety concerns due to high power ultraviolet lasers, and previous solutions like microlenses inside windshields can degrade transmittance and cause a hazy appearance.

Innovation Solution

A heads-up display system that projects an image onto a faceted reflective surface on the dashboard, which then reflects it onto the vehicle window, using a standard window and an optical image projector, with the option of electrically controlled reflective facets to enhance visibility and reduce glare, allowing for a wider image projection without degrading the windshield's clarity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If a fluorescent film is used in the front windshield with UV laser excitation, then wide-area display is achieved, but brightness is insufficient for daytime use and eye safety concerns arise

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisplay areaVSAvoiddisplay brightness

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a dashboard surface as an intermediary reflective element between the image projector and the windshield. The projector displays the image on the dashboard, which then reflects it onto the windshield, allowing wide-area display without requiring high-power UV lasers directly in the passenger compartment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system separates the projection function from the display surface function. The projector remains in the dashboard while the display occurs on the windshield, allowing independent optimization of each component's location and characteristics.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Area of stationary object

If microlenses are placed inside the windshield, then wide-area display is achieved, but transmittance is degraded and hazy appearance occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisplay areaVSAvoidwindshield transmittance

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the light scattering elements (microlenses) from inside the windshield and replaces them with a reflective dashboard surface. This extraction eliminates the degradation of windshield transmittance and hazy appearance while maintaining wide-area display capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of using light scattering elements inside the windshield to achieve wide-area display, the patent uses a reflective surface on the dashboard that redirects light to the windshield, inverting the approach from internal scattering to external reflection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Area of stationary object

If high power UV laser is used to excite fluorescent film, then wide-area display is achieved, but eye safety concerns arise

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisplay areaVSAvoideye safety

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The dashboard surface acts as an intermediary that allows the use of lower power visible light projectors instead of high-power UV lasers, eliminating the eye safety concerns while achieving wide-area display through reflection onto the windshield.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 adequate visibility with lower power consumption, improves eye safety, and maintains windshield clarity by projecting a wide, virtual image on the windshield without the need for additional coatings or layers, enhancing the driver's view without distracting them from the outside scene.

Implementation Method 1

The faceted reflective surface is configured to reflect the image from the optical image projector onto a window surface of the standard vehicle window

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectReflection: Reflection

Implementation Method 2

The window surface is oriented to reflect the image from the faceted reflective surface toward an occupant

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectReflection: Reflection

Data Source

PatentUS8553334B2Heads-up display system utilizing controlled reflections from a dashboard surface

Publication Date: 2013.10.08 APTIV TECHNOLOGIES AG

AI summary

A heads-up display system is configured for use in a vehicle. The system includes a standard vehicle window (i.e. no special coatings), an image projector, and a vehicle dashboard equipped with a faceted reflective surface. The image projector is configured to project an image onto the faceted reflective surface. The faceted reflective surface is configured to reflect the image from the image projector onto a window surface of the standard vehicle window. The window surface is oriented to reflect the image from the faceted reflective surface toward an occupant. The faceted reflective surface may be disposed within a plurality of troughs separated by a plurality of diffuse reflecting partitions. The plurality of troughs may be configured to shield the occupant from extraneous reflections. The faceted reflective surface may include a plurality of electrically controlled facets. The plurality of electrically controlled reflective facets may be an array of electrowetting cells.