Image projection apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10434933-B2
Application number	US-201816148824-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2018
Priority date	Apr 10, 2015
Publication date	Oct 8, 2019
Grant date	Oct 8, 2019

Abstract

An image projection apparatus that can be attached to a vehicle and can be effectively utilized for acquisition of road surface condition information, detection of a hidden vehicle, and the like is provided. The image projection apparatus that projects an image includes: an acquisition unit that acquires information related to a vehicle; an image projection unit that projects an image based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit; and imaging means that acquires an image outside the vehicle, the image projection unit projects light in a wavelength band centered on a wavelength of 1.4 μm, and the imaging means provides the information related to the vehicle by imaging an image projected based on the light in the wavelength band centered on the wavelength of 1.4 μm.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle having an image projection system for projecting an image on a road surface, comprising:
a controller configured to connect at least one of a sensor or communication circuitry and to input a signal including information related to the vehicle from the at least one of the sensor or the communication circuitry; and
an image projection system comprises a plurality of projectors including an information image projector and a sensing light projector; and
a camera configured to image an outside of the vehicle,
wherein the information image projector is configured to comprise:
a light source configured to irradiate light;
a light modulator configured to modulate the light from the light source based on the information related to the vehicle input by the controller and generate an information image; and
a projection optical system configured to project the information image generated by the light modulator on a road surface;

wherein the sensing light projector is further configured to project a predetermined wavelength light for sensing on the road surface,
wherein the camera is further configured to image the sensing of the road surface by using the predetermined wavelength light projected on the road surface, and
wherein the controller is further configured to:
calculate or detect a road surface condition or a presence of another vehicle based on the image imaged by the camera; and
control the information image projector to change the information image based on the detected road surface condition or the presence of another vehicle.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the predetermined wavelength light for sensing is light of a wavelength of 1.4 μm.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the light modulator is a transmissive liquid crystal panel, reflective liquid crystal panel, or a digital micromirror device.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the light source is a high pressure mercury lamp, a xenon lamp, a LED light source, or a laser light source.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is further configured to control the information image to compensate for the road surface condition.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is further configured to input a signal including information related to steering wheel angle of the vehicle and to control the information image projector to change the information image based on the information related to the steering wheel angle of the vehicle.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein,
the plurality of projectors are configured to comprises:
a first projector mounted on a front right side of the vehicle; and
a second projector mounted on a front left side of the vehicle.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein,
the first projector is arranged near a right side headlight of the vehicle; and
the second projector is arranged near a left side headlight of the vehicle.

9. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein,
the information image projector is further configured to project the information image backward from the vehicle.

10. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein,
the information image projector is further configured to project the information image forward from the vehicle.

Assignees

• Maxell Ltd

Inventors

• Kunii Yasuhiko
• Sugiyama Toshinori
• Shimizu Takuya

Classifications

• G01S17/04

  Systems determining the presence of a target · CPC title

• G03B17/54

  with projector · CPC title

• B60Q2300/32

  Road surface or travel path · CPC title

• H04N9/3188

  Scale or resolution adjustment (scaling in general G06T3/40; resolution modifying circuits for displays in general G09G5/391) · CPC title

• B60Q1/143

  combined with another condition, e.g. using vehicle recognition from camera images or activation of wipers · CPC title