Vehicle Head-Up Display Sunlight Deflection via Selective Layer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Head-up displays (HUDs) in vehicles face challenges with sunlight reflections, which can cause glare and damage components, limiting their integration into dashboards due to space constraints and image quality issues.
Innovation Solution
A dynamically reconfigurable HUD system using a laser-based image generator and a spatial light modulator to create holographic images, combined with a flat cover glass and a wavelength- and angularly-selective layer to deflect sunlight reflections, reducing the volume and complexity of the system while maintaining image quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a curved cover glass is used to deflect sunlight, then sunlight reflections are reduced, but the volume and complexity of the HUD system increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the sunlight deflection function into two separate components: a flat cover glass and a dedicated light shield layer. This segmentation allows each component to have a simple, optimized structure while collectively achieving the sunlight deflection function, thereby reducing overall system complexity compared to a single curved cover glass
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the sunlight deflection function from the cover glass itself and implements it through a separate light shield layer. This extraction allows the cover glass to remain simple and flat while the light shield layer specifically handles sunlight reflection mitigation, reducing the complexity burden on the overall system
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a curved cover glass is used to deflect sunlight, then sunlight reflections are reduced, but the volume of the HUD system increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the sunlight deflection function into a flat cover glass and a light shield layer, the patent eliminates the need for the bulky curved glass structure, thereby reducing the overall volume of the HUD system while maintaining effective sunlight reflection mitigation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the sunlight deflection capability from the cover glass and implements it through a thin light shield layer, significantly reducing the volume required for sunlight management compared to a curved cover glass design
3Reliability
If shutters or baffles are employed to block sunlight, then sunlight damage is prevented, but the device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a light shield layer as an intermediary component between the cover glass and the internal HUD components. This layer selectively blocks harmful sunlight while allowing necessary optical paths to remain clear, providing protection without the complexity of shutters or baffles
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the optical parameters of the light shield layer to achieve wavelength-selective blocking. By modifying the layer's optical properties rather than using mechanical blocking structures, the system achieves component protection with reduced complexity
4Manufacturing precision
If the HUD orientation is optimized to reduce sunlight reflections, then image quality is maintained, but the adaptability to different sun positions is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the optical parameters of the light shield layer to achieve wavelength-selective and angular-selective filtering. This allows the system to maintain image quality while adapting to different sun positions, as the layer can be designed to block sunlight from multiple angles without compromising the display image
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 solution effectively reduces sunlight reflections, minimizing glare and component damage, allowing for more compact and efficient integration of HUDs into vehicle dashboards without compromising image quality or adding significant design complexity.
Implementation Method 1
any sunlight reflected by the cover glass is deflected away from the eye-box
Implementation Method 2
The layer is arranged to change the trajectory of light such that any sunlight reflected by the cover glass is deflected away from the eye-box
Implementation Method 3
Light scattered from an object contains both amplitude and phase information. This amplitude and phase information can be captured on, for example, a photosensitive plate by well-known interference techniques to form a holographic recording
Implementation Method 4
A CGH may be encoded on a spatial light modulator, 'SLM', arranged to modulate the amplitude and/or phase of incident light
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a head-up display for a vehicle. The head-up display has a first housing and a second housing. The first housing comprises a picture generating unit and optical system. The second housing comprises a substantially flat cover glass and a layer. The picture generating unit is arranged to output pictures. The picture generating unit comprises a light source and a spatial light modulator. The light source is arranged to emit light. The spatial light modulator is arranged to receive the light from the light source and spatially-modulate the light in accordance with computer-generated light-modulation patterns displayed on the spatial light modulator to form a holographic reconstruction corresponding to each picture. The optical system is arranged to receive the pictures output by the picture generating unit and relay the pictures using an optical combiner to form a virtual image of each picture. The optical combiner combines light output by the picture generating unit with light from a real-world scene to present combined images to a viewer within an eye-box. The second housing is disposed between the first housing and optical combiner. The substantially flat cover glass is arranged to protect the first housing. The layer is arranged to change the trajectory of light such that any sunlight reflected by the cover glass is deflected away from the eye-box.