Side Head-Up Display for Vehicle Situational Awareness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current head-up displays primarily project information onto the front windshield, limiting the amount of information that can be conveyed to drivers and not addressing the need for additional safety features, particularly for vehicles with automatic driving systems.
Innovation Solution
A side head-up display system that projects virtual images onto the side windows of a vehicle, using an image generator and controller to provide information about surrounding vehicles, such as speed and location, through a side display surface, which can be intermittently activated to conserve power and reduce heat generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If head-up display information is projected onto the front windshield, then the driver can see the information in the line of sight, but the amount of information that can be conveyed is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a single front windshield display to multi-dimensional display by adding side windows and rear window as display surfaces. This allows information to be distributed across multiple spatial dimensions (front, sides, rear), dramatically increasing the total display area and information capacity without congesting any single location.
Solution Approach 2:
The display system is segmented into multiple independent display zones: front windshield, left side window, right side window, and rear window. Each zone can independently display different types of information, allowing parallel presentation of multiple data streams without interference, thus overcoming the limitation of single-area display.
2Reliability
If the image generator is continuously on to provide constant information, then the driver receives continuous updates, but the system consumes more energy and generates more heat
Solution Approach 1:
The image generator operates periodically rather than continuously, activating only when there is new information to display or when safety conditions require updates. This pulsed operation mode maintains information reliability while dramatically reducing average power consumption and heat generation compared to continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the operational state of the image generator based on real-time driving conditions, information priority, and safety requirements. High-priority safety-critical information triggers immediate display, while routine updates are batched or deferred, creating a dynamic balance between information continuity and energy conservation.
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
Enhances driver safety by providing critical information about surrounding vehicles on both sides of the vehicle, improving situational awareness without the need for large heat sinks, thus allowing for a more compact and energy-efficient system.
Implementation Method 1
an image generator configured to emit a generated image to create a virtual image for viewing by a vehicle occupant
Implementation Method 2
A virtual image based on the generated image is viewable through the side display surface
Data Source
AI summary
A side head-up display system is provided. The side head-up display system has an image generator configured to emit a generated image to create a virtual image for viewing by a vehicle occupant. In some forms, a side display surface is disposed along a vehicle side of the motor vehicle, and the virtual image is viewable through the side display surface. In some versions, a controller is provided and configured to cause the generated image to be generated intermittently while the first motor vehicle is running so that the image generator is off at least part of the time while the motor vehicle is running. The controller may be configured to cause the image generator to create the generated image to show information about another vehicle outside of the motor vehicle, such as speed information and/or distance and location information.