Display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018146519-A1
Application number	US-201815876056-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 19, 2018
Priority date	Sep 1, 2015
Publication date	May 24, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A display device is configured to show an image inside a vehicle, and mounted inside the vehicle as an internal component. The display device has a light source configured to emit light, and a light guide element configured to guide incident light from the light source. The light guide element includes an emission surface configured to output incident light, and a plurality of light focusing portions configured to change the path of the incident light toward the emission surface, causing the light output to converge toward a convergence point or convergence line outside the light guide element or to radiate from a convergence point or convergence line outside the light guide element and thereby form an image outside the light guide element.

First claim

1 . A display device configured to show an image inside a vehicle, and mounted inside the vehicle as an internal component, the display device comprising:
a light source configured to emit light; and a light guide element configured to guide incident light from the light source, wherein the light guide element comprises:
an emission surface configured to output incident light, and
a plurality of light focusing portions configured to change the path of the incident light toward the emission surface, causing the light output to converge toward a convergence point or convergence line outside the light guide element or to radiate from a convergence point or convergence line outside the light guide element and thereby form an image outside the light guide element.

2 . The display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the light focusing portions are configured to form an image on a virtual plane oblique or orthogonal to the emission surface.

3 . The display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the light guide element is arranged at the upper part of a dashboard with the emission surface oriented upward, and wherein the light focusing portions are configured to form an image above the dashboard.

4 . The display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the light guide element is configured for arrangement on a window surface of the vehicle with the emission surface oriented toward inside the vehicle.

5 . The display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the light guide element is configured for arrangement on an internal component of the vehicle including at least one of a glove box, a center console, an arm rest, a door trim, a container trim, and a front seat.

6 . The display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the light focusing portions are configured to form an image at a position visible from a driver seat.

7 . The display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the light focusing portions are configured to form an image at a position visible from a seat behind the driver seat.

8 . The display device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the light focusing portions are configured to form an image for presentation of an image representing at least one of a vehicle state, a vehicle ridership state, and a vehicle operation state.

9 . A display device mounted in a conveyance and configured to show an image inside the conveyance; the display device comprising:
a light source configured to emit light; and a light guide element configured to guide incident light from the light source, wherein the light guide element comprises:
an emission surface configured to output incident light, and
a plurality of light focusing portions configured to change the path of the incident light toward the emission surface, causing the light output to converge toward a convergence point or convergence line outside the light guide element or to radiate from a convergence point or convergence line outside the light guide element and thereby form an image outside the light guide element.

10 . The display device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the light guide element is arranged at the upper part of a dashboard with the emission surface oriented upward, and wherein the light focusing portions are configured to form an image above the dashboard.

11 . The display device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the light guide element is configured for arrangement on a window surface of the vehicle with the emission surface oriented toward inside the vehicle.

12 . The display device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the light guide element is configured for arrangement on an internal component of the vehicle including at least one of a glove box, a center console, an arm rest, a door trim, a container trim, and a front seat.

13 . The display device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the light focusing portions are configured to form an image at a position visible from a driver seat.

14 . The display device according to claim 3 ,
wherein the light focusing portions are configured to form an image at a position visible from a driver seat.

15 . The display device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the light focusing portions are configured to form an image at a position visible from a driver seat.

16 . The display device according to claim 5 ,
wherein the light focusing portions are configured to form an image at a position visible from a driver seat.

17 . The display device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the light focusing portions are configured to form an image at a position visible from a seat behind the driver seat.

18 . The display device according to claim 3 ,
wherein the light focusing portions are configured to form an image at a position visible from a seat behind the driver seat.

19 . The display device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the light focusing portions are configured to form an image at a position visible from a seat behind the driver seat.

20 . The display device according to claim 5 ,
wherein the light focusing portions are configured to form an image at a position visible from a seat behind the driver seat.

Assignees

• Omron Tateisi Electronics Co

Inventors

• Osumi Yoshimasa
• Hirose Yuji
• Tanaka Keiichiro
• Yamasue Toshinori

Classifications

• G02B30/36

  using refractive optical elements, e.g. prisms, in the optical path between the images and the observer · CPC title

• G02B6/34

  utilising prism or grating {(G02B6/293 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G02B6/0036

  2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces · CPC title

• G03B29/00

  Combinations of cameras, projectors or photographic printing apparatus with non-photographic non-optical apparatus, e.g. clocks or weapons; Cameras having the shape of other objects (combinations with flash apparatus G03B15/03) · CPC title

• G03B21/62

  Translucent screens · CPC title