In-Vehicle Virtual Image Projection for Binocular Parallax
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing in-vehicle information display technologies on windshields fail to provide clear and comfortable visual notification of information to drivers, as the projected patterns can appear flat and are affected by binocular parallax, leading to discomfort and reduced visibility.
Innovation Solution
The use of a virtual image generator that projects images in specific modes, such as varying brightness or grayscale from the lower to upper portions, and adjusting the projection to match the vehicle's width and lane lines, preventing horizontal overlap due to binocular parallax, enhancing the sense of depth and visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a pattern is provided on the windshield by printing or engraving, then the pattern can be visually recognized, but the pattern appears flat and visibility is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the flat two-dimensional pattern into a three-dimensional virtual image that appears to float in space. This is achieved by using a projection system that creates a holographic or stereoscopic effect, giving the information display depth and spatial presence, thereby resolving the contradiction between visibility and flat appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a projection system as an intermediary between the information source and the driver's eyes. This intermediary creates a virtual image that can be positioned at various depths in the driver's field of view, transforming the flat pattern into a three-dimensional display without requiring physical modification of the windshield.
2Ease of operation
If the driver looks at a distant scene through the windshield, then the driver can see the road, but the pattern on the windshield is multiplied due to binocular parallax causing discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different visual properties to different parts of the displayed information. The virtual image is designed with specific brightness, contrast, and depth characteristics that make it perceptually distinct from the background road scene. This local differentiation helps the driver's visual system separate the information display from the road view, reducing the discomfort caused by binocular parallax.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite visual display that combines the virtual information image with the real road scene view. The projection system overlays the virtual image at a specific depth plane, creating a layered composite where the information and road scene coexist without excessive multiplication effects, improving ease of operation while minimizing harmful parallax.
3Illumination intensity
If the virtual image is projected with uniform brightness, then the projection is simple, but the sense of three-dimensionality and depth is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies non-uniform brightness distribution to the virtual image, with varying intensity across different spatial locations. This local variation in illumination creates depth perception and three-dimensional appearance, as different brightness levels correspond to different perceived distances, resolving the contradiction between projection simplicity and three-dimensionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts brightness parameters of the projected virtual image based on spatial position and depth information. By changing the illumination intensity parameter across different regions of the display, the system creates a three-dimensional effect while maintaining a relatively simple projection mechanism, balancing both requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
An in-vehicle information display apparatus including a virtual image generator that projects a virtual image on a windshield of a vehicle. The virtual image generator projects the virtual image on a windshield in at least one of the following projection modes: a first projection mode and a second projection mode. In the first projection mode, the virtual image is projected on the windshield in such a way that the virtual image gradually becomes darker from bottom to top. In the second projection mode, the virtual image is projected on the windshield in such a way that the virtual image gradually becomes more lightly grayed from bottom to top.