Vehicle Display Floating Images Without Hood Reflections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle information displaying apparatuses with protruded hoods limit cabin design flexibility due to reflections on the front glass and require additional space for hood installation.
Innovation Solution
An information displaying apparatus featuring a translucent cover panel with displays and imaging optical elements that form real, floating images on the opposite side of the panel, eliminating the need for a hood and allowing flexible cabin design by displaying information at arbitrary positions within the cabin.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a hood is protruded from the instrument panel toward the driver, then window reflections are prevented and display visibility is improved, but cabin design flexibility is limited and available space is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the hood component from the instrument panel assembly. By removing this protruding structure, the patent achieves both goals: preventing window reflections is accomplished through the optical imaging system instead, while cabin design flexibility and available space are significantly improved without the hood's spatial constraints
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical hood structure with an optical system consisting of imaging optical elements and display units. Instead of using a physical barrier (hood) to prevent reflections, the system uses optical imaging to form floating images that are naturally free from window reflection interference, thereby eliminating the need for the hood's mechanical space occupation
2Reliability
If a hood is protruded from the instrument panel, then meter images are protected from front glass reflection, but device complexity and installation requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the hood component entirely from the system. The function of protecting meter images from front glass reflection is achieved through the optical imaging system that creates floating images in space, eliminating the need for the hood's physical presence and its associated installation complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates optical copies (floating images) of the display content in three-dimensional space using imaging optical elements. These floating images serve as virtual replicas that are naturally free from front glass reflection issues, replacing the need for the hood's protective function
3Ease of manufacture
If displays are positioned on the instrument panel, then vehicle information can be shown, but the design flexibility for arbitrary positioning within the cabin is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions the display system from a two-dimensional panel-mounted configuration to a three-dimensional floating image system. By using imaging optical elements to project images into space, the system enables arbitrary positioning within the cabin volume, not just limited to the instrument panel surface, thereby achieving both ease of manufacture and high positioning flexibility
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 enhances visibility by preventing window reflections, broadens cabin space, and maintains display integrity through smoky-colored resin molding, enabling multiple information items to be displayed as floating images for improved observation.
Implementation Method 1
an imaging optical element which is placed beside the display along a surface of the cover panel, the surface being on the one side of the cover panel, and is configured to form a real image of a screen of the display as a floating image on the other side of the cover panel
Data Source
AI summary
An information displaying apparatus for a vehicle includes a translucent cover panel, first and second displays which are placed in erect positions located on one side of the cover panel, and imaging optical elements which are placed beside the first and second displays along a surface of the cover panel on the one side of the cover panel, and are configured to form real images of screens of the first and second displays as floating images in a region located on the other side of the cover panel.