IP Library Granted Patent US 10,214,141
Granted Patent B2
US 10,214,141 · App. 15/315,668 · Granted Feb 26, 2019

Headlight device and vehicle device using same

Inventor: Masahiko Yatsu (Ibaraki, JP)
Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
B60Q1/34B60Q1/04B60Q1/18F21S41/125F21S41/147F21S41/25F21S41/321F21S41/645G03B21/208G03B21/2066G09G3/001H04N5/74H04N9/3185H04N9/3188H04N9/3194B60Q2400/50G02B3/02G02B5/10G09G2340/045G09G2380/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,214,141
App. No.
15/315,668
Granted
Feb 26, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A headlight device ( 1 ) having a projection function includes a light source device ( 2 ), a lighting optical system ( 3 ), an image display element ( 4 ), an image signal controller ( 6 ), and a projection optical system ( 5 ). The projection optical system ( 5 ) includes a coaxial lens system ( 11 ) having a refractive action, a free-form surface lens ( 12 ), and a free-form surface mirror ( 13 ) from the image display element ( 4 ) side. In this way, an image that can be readily visually recognized by a driver or a pedestrian may be projected onto a road.

Claims (19)

1. A headlight device that projects an image onto a road surface, the headlight device comprising:

a light source device;

a lighting optical system that condenses light emitted from the light source device;

an image display element that forms an optical image by receiving the light condensed by the lighting optical system;

a projection optical system that includes a coaxial lens system having a refractive action, a free-form surface lens, and a free-form surface mirror from a side of the image display element, wherein the projection optical system:

enlarges the optical image formed by the image display element to form an enlarged image, and

projects the enlarged optical image onto the road surface to form a projection image,

wherein a vertical size of the projection image on the road surface viewed from the headlight device is set to Y 0 , and a horizontal size of the projection image is set to X 0 , and

an aspect ratio Y 0 /X 0 of the projection image on the road surface is larger than an aspect ratio (Y size/X size) of an image display range of the image display element.

2. The headlight device according to claim 1 , wherein an inequality of

a projection ratio=Z 0 /Y 0 <0.1

is satisfied when a length of a perpendicular line drawn from an emission position of the projection optical system to the road surface onto which the image is projected is set to Z 0 , and a length of a long side of a projection image on the road surface is set to Y 0 .

3. The headlight device according to claim 1 , wherein an inequality of

an aspect ratio=Y 0 /X 0 >2.

4. The headlight device according to claim 1 , wherein the optical image

is a predetermined optical image that is generated according to operation information of a driver, and

an aspect ratio of the projection image is determined according to running velocity information of a vehicle device, and changes the optical image supplied to the image display element.

5. The headlight device according to claim 4 , wherein, an aspect ratio of the projection image viewed from the is set to a vertical size of the projection image and a horizontal size of the projection image as viewed from the driver, wherein, when a running velocity of the vehicle device is slower than a predetermined velocity, the aspect ratio of the projection image viewed from the driver is adjusted down to a smaller value.

6. The headlight device according to claim 5 , wherein the aspect ratio of the projection image viewed from the driver is adjusted down to the smaller value corresponds to a case in which an optical image is generated indicating a right turn sign or a left turn sign.

Assignments (4)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 3, 2021
From: MAXELL HOLDINGS, LTD.
To: MAXELL, LTD.
Reel/Frame 058666/0407 →
MERGER Recorded Nov 29, 2021
From: MAXELL, LTD.
To: MAXELL HOLDINGS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 058255/0579 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 25, 2018
From: HITACHI MAXELL, LTD.
To: MAXELL, LTD.
Reel/Frame 045142/0208 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 2, 2016
From: YATSU, MASAHIKO
To: HITACHI MAXELL, LTD.
Reel/Frame 040493/0163 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170144591A1 · May 25, 2017
Cited By (1)
US 12,196,570