Head-up display apparatus for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9874746-B2
Application number	US-201314768604-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2013
Priority date	Feb 22, 2013
Publication date	Jan 23, 2018
Grant date	Jan 23, 2018

Abstract

Proper display is performed in consideration of a characteristic that a vehicle head-up display device 1 is mounted in a vehicle. The vehicle head-up display device 1 for displaying a virtual image displays plural virtual images which are different in focal distance.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle head-up display device comprising:
a projection unit projecting light to form an upper virtual image display area formed in an area corresponding to an upper area of a front windshield or a projection face formed on a member that is provided so as to correspond to the front windshield, and a lower virtual image display area formed in an area corresponding to a lower area of the front windshield or the projection face formed on the member that is provided so as to correspond to the front windshield and display a virtual image in a front windshield corresponding area as an area corresponding to the front windshield; and
a controller
setting a focal distance of a virtual image to be displayed in the upper virtual image display area to be longer than a focal distance of a virtual image to be displayed in the lower virtual image display area,
setting the focal distance of the virtual image to be displayed in the upper virtual image display area to be a focal distance corresponding to a focal point of vehicle occupant's eyes when the vehicle occupant visually recognizes a target through the area corresponding to the upper virtual image display area,
setting the focal distance of the virtual image to be displayed in the lower virtual image display area to be a focal distance corresponding to a focal point of the vehicle occupant's eyes when the vehicle occupant visually recognizes a target through the area corresponding to the lower virtual image display area,
displaying a virtual image associated with information other than information relating to driving in the upper virtual image display area during stopping of a vehicle, and
prohibiting display of the virtual image associated with the information other than the information relating to the driving in the upper virtual image display area during not stopping of the vehicle,
wherein the controller is connected with an illuminance sensor to detect brightness of surrounding of the vehicle,
when the brightness is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, and when the vehicle is traveling, the virtual image associated with the information relating to the driving is displayed in the upper virtual image display area,
the focal distance of the virtual image in the upper virtual image display area is long when the virtual image is displayed in a condition that the brightness is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold value,
wherein the front windshield is divided at a center in a lateral direction into a right area and a left area of the front windshield,
wherein the controller forms a right-side virtual image display area in an area corresponding to the right area of the front windshield and a left-side virtual image display area in an area corresponding to the left area of the front windshield which are away from one another, and virtual images to be displayed in the right-side virtual image display area and the left-side virtual image display area are different in focal distance.

2. The vehicle head-up display device according to claim 1 , wherein with respect to a plurality of virtual image display areas formed in the front windshield corresponding area, the projection unit for projecting light is provided for each of the areas.

3. A vehicle head-up display device comprising:
a projection unit projecting light to form an upper virtual image display area formed in an area corresponding to an upper area of a front windshield or a projection face formed on a member that is provided so as to correspond to the front windshield, and a lower virtual image display area formed in an area corresponding to a lower area of the front windshield or the projection face formed on the member that is provided so as to correspond to the front windshield and display a virtual image in a front windshield corresponding area as an area corresponding to the front windshield;
a blind spot image projection unit projecting light to form a virtual image display area formed in the lower virtual image display area of the front windshield corresponding area so as to display a blind spot image for compensating a vehicle occupant's blind spot; and
a controller
setting a focal distance of a virtual image to be displayed in the upper virtual image display area to be longer than a focal distance of a virtual image to be displayed in the lower virtual image display area,
setting the focal distance of the virtual image to be displayed in the upper virtual image display area to be a focal distance corresponding to a focal point of vehicle occupant's eyes when the vehicle occupant visually recognizes a target through the area corresponding to the upper virtual image display area,
setting the focal distance of the virtual image to be displayed in the lower virtual image display area to be a focal distance corresponding to a focal point of the vehicle occupant's eyes when the vehicle occupant visually recognizes a target through the area corresponding to the lower virtual image display area,
displaying a virtual image associated with information other than information relating to driving in the upper virtual image display area during stopping of a vehicle, and
prohibiting display of the virtual image associated with the information other than the information relating to the driving in the upper virtual image display area during not stopping of the vehicle,
wherein the controller is connected with an illuminance sensor to detect brightness of surrounding of the vehicle,
when the brightness is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, and when the vehicle is traveling, the virtual image associated with the information relating to the driving is displayed in the upper virtual image display area,
the focal distance of the virtual image in the upper virtual image display area is long when the virtual image is displayed in a condition that the brightness is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold value,
wherein the controller is connected with at least one camera device, which is mounted in the vehicle, and the blind spot image for compensating the vehicle occupant's blind spot is transmitted from the camera device to the blind spot image projection unit, and
the blind spot image projection unit displays the blind spot image for compensating for the vehicle occupant's blind spot in the lower virtual image display area of the front windshield corresponding area.

4. The vehicle head-up display device according to claim 3 , wherein the front windshield corresponding area as area corresponding to the front windshield is divided at a center in a lateral direction into a left area and a right area,
the blind spot image projection unit displays the blind spot image in the left area of the lower virtual image display area, and
a focal distance of the blind spot image displayed in the left area of the lower virtual image display area is set to be shorter than a focal distance of the right area of the front windshield corresponding area.

Assignees

• Clarion Co Ltd

Inventors

• Matsubara Takashi
• Furugori Hiroshige

Classifications

• B60K35/22

  Display screens · CPC title

• B60K35/10

  Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor · CPC title

• B60K35/50

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

• B60K35/60

  Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles (arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10) · CPC title

• B60K35/23

  Head-up displays [HUD] (optical aspects of head-up displays G02B27/01) · CPC title