Apparatus for presenting an image

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11275237-B2
Application number	US-201815945830-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2018
Priority date	Apr 5, 2017
Publication date	Mar 15, 2022
Grant date	Mar 15, 2022

Abstract

An apparatus for presenting an image for a heads-up display includes three arrays of light-emitting diodes, wherein the light-emitting diodes of an array are arranged and output electromagnetic beams in an emission direction of an emission side of the array, the light-emitting diodes output an electromagnetic beam with a first opening angle in the emission direction, a collimation apparatus provided on the emission side at a specified spacing in front of the array of the light-emitting diodes, wherein the collimation apparatus reduces the first opening angles of the beams of the light-emitting diodes downstream of the collimation apparatus in the emission direction to a second opening angle, the second opening angle is smaller than the first opening angle, and a combination optical unit arranged downstream of the collimation apparatus in the emission direction, the combination optical unit superposes the electromagnetic rays from the three arrays to form an image for the head-up display.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for presenting an image for a heads-up di splay comprising:
three arrays of light-emitting diodes, wherein the light-emitting diodes of an array are arranged and output electromagnetic beams in an emission direction of an emission side of the array, the light-emitting diodes output an electromagnetic beam with a first opening angle in the emission direction,
a collimation apparatus provided on the emission side at a specified spacing in front of the array of the light-emitting diodes, wherein the collimation apparatus reduces the first opening angles of the beams of the light-emitting diodes downstream of the collimation apparatus in the emission direction to a second opening angle, the second opening angle is smaller than the first opening angle, and
a combination optical unit arranged downstream of the collimation apparatus in the emission direction, the combination optical unit superposes the electromagnetic rays from the three arrays to form an image for the head-up display,
wherein the collimation apparatus has a reflection structure that tapers as viewed in the emission direction to an emission opening, and the reflection structure has an inner side,
the inner side of the reflection structure ends directly at the emission opening of the reflection structure,
the end of the inner side of the reflection structure surrounds and defines the emission opening of the reflection structure,
the reflection structure has a cross section perpendicular to the emission direction that tapers in the emission direction of the electromagnetic radiation from the light-emitting diodes to the emission opening of the reflection structure, and
the inner side of the reflection structure is reflective or scattering such that the electromagnetic beams of the light-emitting diodes are either emitted directly via the emission openings or, upon incidence on the inner side of the reflection structure, are reflected back and subsequently directed in a direction of the emission opening and emitted via the emission opening (of the reflection structure).

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the combination optical unit has a diffractive structure, and the diffractive structure superposes the electromagnetic rays from the three arrays to form the image.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a control circuit that actuates the light-emitting diodes of an array is provided, and the control circuit does not actuate at least some of the light-emitting diodes of an array during operation, wherein, optionally, the control circuit has a memory, information is stored in the memory, and the information indicates which light-emitting diodes may be actuated during operation to avoid an overlap of electromagnetic radiation of an array beyond a specified image.

4. A method of adjusting a control circuit for presenting an image for the heads-up display according to claim 1 , comprising:
providing at least two arrays of light-emitting diodes, wherein the light-emitting diodes of each array are individually actuable by a control circuit, and the light-emitting diodes of an array output electromagnetic beams in an emission direction of an emission side of the array,
providing a combination optical unit in the emission directions of the arrays, wherein the combination optical unit superposes the electromagnetic rays of the three arrays to form an image for a heads-up display,
wherein generating a test image with at least two arrays,
performing a check as to whether a partial image of an array projects beyond a specified image, and, upon detecting an overlap of the partial image beyond the image,
setting the control circuit of the apparatus in a way such that the light-emitting diodes that cause the overlap are not actuated.

5. A method of operating an apparatus for presenting an image for the heads-up display according to claim 1 , comprising:
providing three arrays of light-emitting diodes, wherein the light-emitting diodes of each array are individually actuable by a control circuit, and the light-emitting diodes of an array output electromagnetic beams in an emission direction of an emission side of the array,
providing a combination optical unit in the emission directions of the arrays, wherein the combination optical unit superposes the electromagnetic rays of the three arrays to form an image for a head-up display, and
causing the control circuit to actuate the light-emitting diodes of the arrays such that an overlap of a partial image of an array beyond the image is prevented.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the reflection structure comprises a cylinder cone, the reflection structure exhibits a rotational symmetry with respect to a central axis, wherein, as viewed in the emission direction, the cylinder cone has the emission opening, and the emission opening is arranged perpendicular to the central axis.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the reflection structure comprises a pyramid cone, the reflection structure exhibits a symmetry with respect to a central axis, wherein, as viewed in the emission direction, the pyramid cone has the emission opening, and the emission opening is arranged perpendicular to the central axis.

8. An apparatus for presenting an image for a heads-up di splay comprising:
three arrays of light-emitting diodes, wherein the light-emitting diodes of an array are arranged and output electromagnetic beams in an emission direction of an emission side of the array, the light-emitting diodes output an electromagnetic beam with a first opening angle in the emission direction,
a collimation apparatus provided on the emission side at a specified spacing in front of the array of the light-emitting diodes, wherein the collimation apparatus reduces the first opening angles of the beams of the light-emitting diodes downstream of the collimation apparatus in the emission direction to a second opening angle, and the second opening angle is smaller than the first opening angle, and
a combination optical unit arranged downstream of the collimation apparatus in the emission direction, and the combination optical unit superposes the electromagnetic rays from the three arrays to form an image for the head-up display,
wherein the combination optical unit is an imaging optical unit, the imaging optical unit focuses the electromagnetic rays from the three arrays in an intermediate plane to form an intermediate image, an optical expanding element is provided in the intermediate plane, and the expanding element expands the intermediate image for an image plane, and
the collimation apparatus has a pinhole plate and a sub-lens array, the pinhole plate has a plurality of holes, the sub-lens array has a plurality of sub-lenses, and one sub-lens is associated with each hole in the pinhole plate.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the collimation apparatus has a plurality of collimation lenses, one collimation lens is provided for a beam from a maximum of three light-emitting diodes, and the collimation lens decreases the first opening angle of the beams from the light-emitting diodes to the second opening angle.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the collimation apparatus has a spacing from the light-emitting diodes shorter than an edge length of a light-emitting diode.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the collimation apparatus has a pinhole plate and a sub-lens array, the pinhole plate has a plurality of holes, the sub-lens array has a plurality of sub-lenses, and one sub-lens is associated with each hole in the pinhole plate.

12. An apparatus for presenting an image for a heads-up

Assignees

• Osram Opto Semiconductors Gmbh
• Osram Oled Gmbh

Inventors

• Brick Peter
• Hiller Uli
• Morgott Stefan

Classifications

• G02B19/0066

  in the form of an LED array · CPC title

• G02B19/0014

  at least one surface having optical power · CPC title

• G02B27/0101 Primary

  characterised by optical features (G02B27/0172 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B27/0961

  Lens arrays (lens arrays per se G02B3/0006) · CPC title

• G02B27/30

  Collimators · CPC title