Vehicular vision system with head up display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10664115-B2
Application number	US-201816199496-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2018
Priority date	Jan 9, 2004
Publication date	May 26, 2020
Grant date	May 26, 2020

Abstract

A vehicular vision system includes a camera disposed at a vehicle having a field of view at least forward, rearward and/or exterior of the equipped vehicle. An image projection device is disposed in the vehicle and includes a biaxial microelectromechanical scanner and at least one light source operable to emit light. Light emitted by the at least one light source, when operated, is projected by the biaxial microelectromechanical scanner towards a windshield of the vehicle so as to form video images that are viewable by a driver of the vehicle viewing the windshield when driving the vehicle. The video images viewed by the driver viewing the windshield include video images derived from image data captured by the camera.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicular vision system, said vehicular vision system comprising:
a left-side camera disposed at a left side of a vehicle equipped with said vehicular vision system, wherein said left-side camera has a field of view at least forward of the equipped vehicle;
a right-side camera disposed at a right side portion of the equipped vehicle, wherein said right-side camera has a field of view at least forward of the equipped vehicle;
an image projection device disposed in the equipped vehicle, said image projection device comprising a biaxial microelectromechanical scanner and at least one light source operable to emit light;
wherein light emitted by said at least one light source, when operated, is projected by said biaxial microelectromechanical scanner towards a windshield of the equipped vehicle so as to form video images that are viewable by a driver of the equipped vehicle viewing the windshield when driving the equipped vehicle;
wherein the video images viewed by the driver viewing the windshield comprise video images derived from image data captured by said left-side camera and/or said right-side camera; and
wherein video images derived, at least in part, from image data captured by said left-side camera are displayed at a left side of the windshield, and wherein video images derived, at least in part, from image data captured by said right-side camera are displayed at a right side of the windshield.

2. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein said left-side camera and said right-side camera comprise night vision cameras.

3. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein said left-side camera and said right-side camera are disposed at and behind the windshield of the equipped vehicle and view through the windshield.

4. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein the video images viewed by the driver viewing the windshield are viewable at an optical combiner.

5. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein said image projection device comprises a thin film transistor liquid crystal element.

6. The vehicular vision system of claim 5 , wherein said image projection device comprises optics that direct light emitted by said at least one light source through said thin film transistor liquid crystal element and toward the windshield.

7. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one light source comprises a red-light emitting light source, a green-light emitting light source and a blue-light emitting light source.

8. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one light source comprises a red-light emitting diode, a green-light emitting diode and a blue-light emitting diode.

9. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein said image projection device comprises a laser-scanning image projection device.

10. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein the video images viewed by the driver viewing the windshield comprise virtual video images that appear to the driver to be in front of the equipped vehicle.

11. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein light emitted by said at least one light source, when operated, is projected by said biaxial microelectromechanical scanner towards the windshield so as to form video iconistic images for viewing by the driver viewing the windshield.

12. The vehicular vision system of claim 1 , wherein the equipped vehicle is equipped with an interior rearview mirror assembly disposed at the windshield, and wherein said image projection device is disposed at the interior rearview mirror assembly of the equipped vehicle.

13. The vehicular vision system of claim 12 , wherein the interior rearview mirror assembly comprises a mirror casing having a bezel, and wherein a plurality of actuatable elements are arranged along a portion of said bezel, and wherein the actuatable elements are integrally formed at the portion of the bezel during the molding operation that forms the bezel, the actuatable elements each comprising a molded plastic material body portion and a molded plastic material flexible portion, the molded plastic material flexible portion connecting the molded plastic material body portion to the remainder of the bezel so that the body portion is movable relative to the remainder of the bezel via flexing of the flexible portion when the actuatable element is actuated by a user pressing the body portion, and wherein circuitry is disposed within the mirror casing and has electrical actuation switches located generally proximate to and rearward of the body portions of the actuatable elements.

14. A vehicular vision system, said vehicular vision system comprising:
a left-side camera disposed at a left side portion of a vehicle equipped with said vehicular vision system, wherein said left-side camera has a field of view at least rearward of the equipped vehicle;
a right-side camera disposed at a right side portion of the vehicle equipped with said vehicular vision system, wherein said right-side camera has a field of view at least rearward of the equipped vehicle;
an image projection device disposed in the equipped vehicle, said image projection device comprising a biaxial microelectromechanical scanner and at least one light source operable to emit light;
wherein light emitted by said at least one light source, when operated, is projected by said biaxial microelectromechanical scanner towards a windshield of the equipped vehicle so as to form video images that are viewable by a driver of the equipped vehicle viewing the windshield when driving the equipped vehicle during a reversing maneuver;
wherein the video images viewed by the driver viewing the windshield comprise video images derived from image data captured by said left-side camera and/or said right-side camera; and
wherein video images derived, at least in part, from image data captured by said left-side camera are displayed at a left side of the windshield, and wherein video images derived, at least in part, from image data captured by said right-side camera are displayed at a right side of the windshield.

15. The vehicular vision system of claim 14 , wherein said left-side camera and said right-side camera comprise night vision cameras.

16. The vehicular vision system of claim 14 , wherein said at least one light source comprises a red-light emitting light source, a green-light emitting light source and a blue-light emitting light source.

17. The vehicular vision system of claim 14 , wherein said at least one light source comprises a red-light emitting diode, a green-light emitting diode and a blue-light emitting diode.

18. The vehicular vision system of claim 14 , wherein said image projection device comprises a laser-scanning image projection device.

19. The vehicular vision system of claim 14 , wherein the video images viewed by the driver viewing the windshield comprise virtual video images that appear to the driver to be in front of the equipped vehicle.

20. The vehicular vision system of claim 14 , wherein light emitted by said at least one light source, when operated, is projected by said biaxial microelectromechanical scanner towards the windshield so as to form video iconistic images for viewing by the driver viewing the windshield.

21. A vehicular vision system, said vehicular vision system comprising:
a left-side camera disposed at a left side portion of a vehicle equipped with said vehicular vision system, wherein said left-side camera has a field of view exterior of the equipped vehicle;
a right-side

Assignees

• Donnelly Corp

Inventors

• Lindahl John O
• Whitehead Peter J
• Lynam Niall R
• Uken John T
• Karner Lee
• Hook Richard R

Classifications

• B60R1/12 Primary

  Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks · CPC title

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/0488

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• B60R2001/1253

  with cameras, video cameras or video screens · CPC title

• B60R2300/205

  using a head-up display · CPC title