Windshield Display System with Dual Virtual Image Distances
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional non-voice information display systems mounted on vehicle dashboards require drivers to lower their heads, leading to reduced attention and increased fatigue, which compromises driving safety.
Innovation Solution
A display system comprising a display device with a light combining device that forms two virtual images at different distances, allowing drivers to quickly focus on one, reducing response time and fatigue by deflecting light beams from multiple display regions to create adjustable virtual images.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a non-voice information display apparatus is mounted on a dashboard, then information can be displayed to the driver, but the driver must lower their head to watch the apparatus, reducing driving safety
Solution Approach 1:
The patent projects the display interface from the traditional dashboard plane onto the windshield, utilizing the three-dimensional space in front of the driver. This dimensional transition allows information to be displayed in the driver's forward viewing zone without requiring head movement, thereby maintaining driving safety while ensuring information accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a projection system as an intermediary between the information source and the driver's eyes. This intermediary projects virtual images onto the windshield, serving as a mediator that delivers information to the driver without requiring the driver to shift attention from the road to a separate display device.
2Reliability
If a display device is mounted on the dashboard, then information can be displayed, but the driver experiences increased fatigue due to repeated head lowering and focusing
Solution Approach 1:
By projecting information onto the windshield in the driver's forward viewing zone, the system eliminates the need for repeated head movements and focus adjustments between the dashboard display and the road. This dimensional relocation reduces the duration and frequency of attention shifts, thereby decreasing driver fatigue over extended driving periods.
3Productivity
If a single virtual image is formed at a fixed distance, then the display structure is simple, but the driver cannot quickly focus on information at appropriate distances during different driving conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic projection system that can adjust the focal distance of virtual images based on driving conditions. The projection lens or optical system can change the convergence point of projected light, allowing virtual images to be formed at different distances (e.g., near for navigation, far for speed information). This dynamic adjustment enables drivers to quickly focus on information at appropriate distances without manual intervention, while the system automatically adapts to different driving scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The projection system is designed to display multiple types of information (navigation, speed, warnings, media controls) at different virtual distances simultaneously or sequentially. This multi-functional capability allows the single projection device to serve various information needs without requiring separate display units, balancing functionality with structural efficiency.
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 system enables drivers to rapidly focus on virtual images at appropriate distances, thereby reducing fatigue and enhancing driving safety by shortening response time and improving attention.
Implementation Method 1
The light combining device has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. At least one part of a first light beam from the first display region is reflected by the first surface to an observing region so as to form a first virtual image.
Data Source
AI summary
A display system including a display device and a light combining device is provided. The display device includes a first display region and a second display region. The light combining device has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The first surface is capable of reflecting a first light beam from the first display region to an observing region for forming a first virtual image. The second surface is capable of reflecting a second light beam from the second display region to the observing region for forming a second virtual image. A curvature of the first surface is different from a curvature of the second surface, and a position of the first virtual image is different from a position of the second virtual image.