Vehicular display apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9678340-B2
Application number	US-201414435815-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2014
Priority date	Jan 23, 2013
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

A vehicular display apparatus includes a light source unit that emits laser light; a first optical system that uses a first projection surface, onto which a display image is projected, to make a virtual image discernible; a second optical system that uses a second projection surface, onto which the display image is projected, to make a real image discernible; a controller; and a switching mechanism that switch the two optical systems. The distance between the light source unit and first projection surface is smaller than the distance between the light source unit and second projection surface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicular display apparatus that is installed in a vehicle and provides a display image, comprising:
a light source unit that emits laser light;
a first optical system that projects a display image from the light source unit onto a first projection surface, and performs a first display of a virtual image of the display image so that the virtual image is discerned inside the vehicle;
a second optical system that projects a display image from the light source unit onto a second projection surface, and performs a second display of a real image of the display image so that the real image is discerned inside the vehicle; and
a switching section that switches the first display by the first optical system and the second display by the second optical system to selectively perform either the first display of the virtual image or the second display of the real image by changing an optical path of the laser light emitted by the light source unit,
wherein
a distance between the light source unit and the first projection surface is smaller than a distance between the light source unit and the second projection surface.

2. The vehicular display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
during the first display by the first optical system, the first projection surface is disposed within a focus-free range with respect to laser light that emanates from the light source unit and enters the first optical system; and
during the second display by the second optical system, the second projection surface is disposed within a focus-free range with respect to laser light that emanates from the light source unit and enters the second optical system.

3. The vehicular display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
a size of the second projection surface is larger than a size of the first projection surface.

4. The vehicular display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first optical system includes a magnifying glass that magnifies the display image projected from the light source unit onto the first projection surface.

5. The vehicular display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
an energy efficiency of laser light in the first optical system is higher than an energy efficiency of laser light in the second optical system.

6. The vehicular display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the switching section switches display by the first optical system and display by the second optical system based on a vehicle speed of the vehicle.

7. The vehicular display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the switching section drives and turns the light source unit.

8. The vehicular display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the switching section drives and turns a member which forms the first projection surface.

9. The vehicular display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the light source unit that emits laser light is configured to be turned to change a direction in which the light source unit emits laser light; and
the switching section controls the light source unit that emits the laser light to be turned by a predetermined angle, to change the optical path of the laser light emitted by the light source unit and thereby switch between the first display of the virtual image and the second display of the real image.

10. The vehicular display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the virtual image is discerned inside the vehicle as being formed outside the vehicle; and
said distance between the light source unit and the first projection surface of the virtual image onto which the display image is projected, is smaller than said distance between the light source unit and the second projection surface of the real image.

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Kanamori Naohito

Classifications

• G09G2380/10

  Automotive applications · CPC title

• G02B27/01

  Head-up displays · CPC title

• G09G3/025

  with scanning or deflecting the beams in two directions or dimensions · CPC title

• G02B2027/0198

  System for aligning or maintaining alignment of an image in a predetermined direction · CPC title

• G02B2027/0141

  characterised by the informative content of the display · CPC title