Image display apparatus and vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10783606-B2
Application number	US-201615346133-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2016
Priority date	Nov 27, 2015
Publication date	Sep 22, 2020
Grant date	Sep 22, 2020

Abstract

An image display apparatus includes an image forming unit and a vehicle provided with the image display apparatus. The image forming unit includes a light source unit configured to emit light, an optical scanner configured to scan the light emitted from the light source unit two-dimensionally in a main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction, and an intermediate image forming unit configured to form an intermediate image by the light scanned by the optical scanner. The image forming unit satisfies 0.3<Rm/L<3, where Rm denotes a radius of curvature of the intermediate image forming unit in the main scanning direction, and L denotes distance between a reference point when the optical scanner deflects and scans the light and a center of the intermediate image formed on the intermediate image forming unit. In the vehicle, the image display apparatus indicates the intermediate image to a driver as a virtual image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image display apparatus comprising:
an image forming unit comprising:
a light source unit to emit light;
an optical scanner to scan the light emitted from the light source unit two-dimensionally in a main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction: and
an intermediate image forming unit to form an intermediate image by the light

scanned by the optical scanner,
wherein
the image forming unit satisfies
0.3<Rm/L<3,

where
Rm denotes a radius of curvature of the intermediate image forming unit in the main scanning direction, and
L denotes distance between a reference point when the optical scanner deflects and scans the light and a center of the intermediate image formed on the intermediate image forming unit, and
the image forming unit satisfies
0.5×10 −2 <Φm/L< 3×10 −2 ,

where Φm denotes width of an effective optical deflection area of the optical scanner in the main scanning direction.

2. The image display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the image forming unit satisfies
0.5< Bm/Φm< 0.9,

where Bm denotes a beam spot diameter of the light emitted from an effective optical deflection area of the optical scanner in the main scanning direction, and
Φm denotes width of an effective optical deflection area of the optical scanner in the main scanning direction.

3. The image display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the intermediate image forming unit is a microlens array.

4. The image display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the optical scanner includes a micromirror having a reflection plane directed to the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction.

5. The image display apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a flat reflector disposed between the optical scanner and the intermediate image forming unit.

6. The image display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the image forming unit is free of an optical element with power between the optical scanner and the intermediate image forming unit.

7. An image display apparatus comprising:
an image forming unit comprising:
a light source unit to emit light;
an optical scanner to scan the light emitted from the light source unit two-dimensionally in a main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction; and
an intermediate image forming unit to form an intermediate image by the light

scanned by the optical scanner,
wherein
the image forming unit satisfies
0.3<Rm/L<3,

where
Rm denotes a radius of curvature of the intermediate image forming unit in the main scanning direction, and
L denotes distance between a reference point when the optical scanner deflects and scans the light and a center of the intermediate image formed on the intermediate image forming unit
the image forming unit satisfies
0.5< Bm/Φm< 0.9,

where Bm denotes a beam spot diameter of the light emitted from an effective optical deflection area of the optical scanner in the main scanning direction.

8. The image display apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the intermediate image forming unit is a microlens array.

9. The image display apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the optical scanner includes a micromirror having a reflection plane directed to the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction.

10. The image display apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising
a flat reflector disposed between the optical scanner and the intermediate image forming unit.

11. A vehicle comprising:
an image display apparatus comprising:
an image forming unit comprising:
a light source unit to emit light;
an optical scanner to scan the light emitted from the light source unit two-dimensionally in a main scanning direction and a sub-scanning direction; and
an intermediate image forming unit to form an intermediate image by the light scanned by the optical scanner,

wherein the image forming unit satisfies
0.3< Rm/L< 3,

where
Rm denotes a radius of curvature of the intermediate image forming unit in the main scanning direction, and
L denotes distance between a reference point when the optical scanner deflects and scans the light and a center of the intermediate image formed on the intermediate image forming unit,
wherein the image forming unit satisfies
0.5×10 −2 <Φm/L<3×10 −2 ,

where Φm denotes width of an effective optical deflection area of the optical scanner in the main scanning direction, and
wherein the image display apparatus indicates the intermediate image to a driver as a virtual image.

12. The vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein
the image forming unit is free of an optical element with power between the optical scanner and the intermediate image forming unit.

Assignees

• Atsuumi Hiromichi
• Hayashi Yuki
• Ichii Daisuke
• Nakamura Naoki
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Atsuumi Hiromichi
• Hayashi Yuki
• Ichii Daisuke
• Nakamura Naoki

Classifications

• G02B26/105 Primary

  with one or more pivoting mirrors or galvano-mirrors (G02B26/101 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60K35/28

  characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver · CPC title

• B60K35/50

  Instruments characterised by their means of attachment to or integration in the vehicle (B60K35/231 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60K35/234

  controlling the brightness, colour or contrast of virtual images depending on the driving conditions or on the condition of the vehicle or the driver · CPC title

• G02B27/106

  for splitting or combining a plurality of identical beams or images, e.g. image replication · CPC title