Nested Laser Light Source Unit for Compact HUD Beam Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current head-up display (HUD) systems, particularly those using laser scanning technology, face challenges in minimizing their size while maintaining high display quality and efficiency, which affects their integration into vehicles without compromising performance.
Innovation Solution
The design of a light source unit that includes semiconductor laser elements emitting red, green, and blue light, coupled with specific lenses and aperture-formed members to synthesize and converge the light beams efficiently, reducing beam waist diameter and size, and utilizing a micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) light deflector for two-dimensional scanning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a laser scanning system is used in HUD, then high display quality and resolution are achieved, but the size of the light source unit and apparatus increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements nesting by placing the green laser element inside the blue laser element housing, and positioning the red laser element within the green laser element structure. This nested arrangement allows multiple laser elements to occupy overlapping spatial volumes, significantly reducing the overall footprint of the light source unit while maintaining all necessary light-emitting components for high-quality display
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes three-dimensional spatial arrangement by positioning laser elements at different depths and angles within the compact housing. The beam combining optics are arranged in a layered configuration that exploits the third dimension (depth) to separate optical paths, allowing multiple laser beams to be combined without requiring large lateral separation distances
2Measurement precision
If beam waist diameter is reduced to improve resolution, then display resolution increases, but light use efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs parameter changes by using wavelength-specific optical parameters for each laser color. The beam combining optics are designed with focal lengths and aperture sizes optimized for specific wavelengths (red ~650nm, green ~532nm, blue ~450nm), allowing each beam to be focused to a tight waist appropriate for its wavelength while maximizing the collection and utilization of available light from each laser source
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
This configuration allows for a compact HUD system with enhanced light use efficiency, reduced size, and higher resolution, effectively addressing the size constraints while maintaining or improving display quality and reducing manufacturing errors.
Implementation Method 1
a first laser element 111R that emits red light, a second laser element 111G that emits green light, and a third laser element 111B that emits blue light
Implementation Method 2
a first coupling lens 112R, a second coupling lens 112G, and a third coupling lens 112B
Implementation Method 3
a first synthesizing element 115G, and a second synthesizing element 115R
Implementation Method 4
a micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) light deflector 21 for two-dimensional scanning
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
A light source unit (10) mountable to an image display apparatus (1, 100) for irradiating scan light to an optical scanning system (20) to generate an image includes a plurality of light emitters (111R, 111G, 111B) to emit corresponding lights having different wavelengths, a plurality of coupling lenses (112R, 112G, 112B) respectively disposed for the plurality of light emitters (111R, 111G, 111B) to respectively pass through the lights emitted from the plurality of light emitters (111R, 111G, 111B); and a plurality of aperture-formed members (113R, 113G, 113B) respectively disposed for the plurality of coupling lenses (112R, 112G, 112B) to respectively pass through the lights coming from the coupling lenses (112R, 112G, 112B), each of the plurality of aperture-formed members (113R, 113G, 113B) formed of an aperture having an aperture size set differently depending on the wavelengths of the lights emitted from the plurality of light emitters (111R, 111G, 111B).