Windshield Projection System Rear Vehicle Caution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle information projecting systems face challenges in efficiently projecting vehicle information, such as limited display range on the windshield, increased manufacturing costs, and reduced information visibility for drivers, particularly in regards to rear-side vehicle caution and lane changes.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle information projecting system that overlays virtual images of rear-side vehicle caution and lane change information onto the windshield, using a processing unit to determine display formats based on relative speed, distance, and steering angle, allowing for efficient projection of caution and warning information within a limited display area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the display range on the windshield is expanded to show more vehicle information, then the driver's awareness and information visibility are improved, but the space required for the projector increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the vertical dimension of the windshield by projecting information at different heights and depths. Virtual images are displayed at various distances from the driver (e.g., 500mm to 2000mm), effectively using the Z-axis to expand information capacity without increasing horizontal or vertical footprint on the windshield surface.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple pieces of information are nested within a compact projection area. The system displays layered information including rear vehicle caution, lane change warnings, and trajectory guidance simultaneously within the same physical projector space, allowing one information element to be contained within another's visual field.
2Loss of information
If the display range is increased to show comprehensive vehicle information, then the driver's situational awareness is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The projector system is designed to perform multiple functions using a single device. It displays various types of information (caution warnings, lane guidance, trajectory prediction) and adapts to different driving scenarios (rear vehicle detection, lane change assistance), eliminating the need for multiple specialized display devices and reducing overall manufacturing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes display parameters (brightness, size, position, depth) dynamically based on the type of information being displayed and driving conditions. This allows a single projector to adapt its output characteristics rather than requiring separate optimized displays for each information type, reducing manufacturing complexity.
3Ease of manufacture
If the display area is limited to a small region on the windshield, then the projector size and cost are reduced, but the driver's recognition of the displayed information becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent compensates for limited display area by utilizing the depth dimension. Virtual images are projected at multiple distances from the driver's viewpoint, creating a three-dimensional information space. This allows compact projection while maintaining large apparent information size through depth perception, improving recognition without requiring larger physical display area.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the projection display are optimized for different information types. Critical caution information is displayed with higher brightness and larger apparent size in prominent locations, while secondary information uses smaller, less prominent areas. This local optimization ensures important information is easily recognized despite overall display area constraints.
Data Source
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AI summary
The objective of the invention is to provide a vehicle information projecting system capable of efficiently projecting vehicle information of a vehicle to the rear. This vehicle information projecting system is provided with: an image-capturing unit 103 capable of capturing an image of a road present in front of a vehicle; a display mechanism 100 which projects vehicle information WR onto a display region set as a portion of a windshield 101 of the vehicle, and which is capable of displaying the vehicle information WR in the display region in such a way that a virtual image V of the vehicle information overlaps the actual landscape from the viewpoint of the vehicle driver; a rear vehicle information acquiring unit 360 capable of acquiring rear vehicle information representing the fact that a rear vehicle is present at the rear of the vehicle; lane change information acquiring units 320, 330, 340 and 370 capable of acquiring lane change information representing the fact that the vehicle is changing lanes from the vehicle traveling lane to an adjacent lane which is adjacent to the traveling lane; and a processing unit P which assesses the degree to which attention should be paid to the rear vehicle, on the basis of the rear vehicle information and the lane change information. The vehicle information WR includes the degree to which attention should be paid, and the virtual image of the vehicle information WR overlaps a boundary line WL2 between the traveling lane L2 and the adjacent lane L1.