IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,794,719
Granted Patent B2
US 10,794,719 · App. 15/565,431 · Granted Oct 6, 2020

Vehicle image projection apparatus that projects an image in the front and back of a vehicle based on sensor information

Inventors: Yasuhiko Kunii (Kyoto, JP); Takuya Shimizu (Kyoto, JP); Hiroyuki Nakamura (Kyoto, JP); Nobuyuki Kaku (Kyoto, JP)
Assignee: MAXELL, LTD.
G01C21/365B60Q1/08B60Q1/085B60Q1/14B60Q1/1423B60Q1/26B60Q2400/50F21W2103/60
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,794,719
App. No.
15/565,431
Filed
Oct 10, 2017
Granted
Oct 6, 2020
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2882
USPC
353/13
Abstract

Information related to a vehicle can be displayed by projecting an image based on the information on a road surface or the like. An image projection apparatus that projects an image includes: a sensor unit that acquires information related to a vehicle; and an image projection unit that projects the image based on the information acquired by the sensor unit.

Claims (32)

1. An image projection apparatus that improves safety of a vehicle, the image projection apparatus comprising:

one or more sensors that acquire information related to the vehicle;

an external light sensor that detects light brightness outside the vehicle;

a projector having at least one first light source that projects an image in front of the vehicle; and

a controller that is communicatively coupled to headlights of the vehicle, the one or move sensors, the external light sensor, and the projector, the headlights each having at least one second light source, wherein the controller:

controls a relative brightness of the image projected by the at least one first light source of the projector with respect to a brightness of light emitted by the at least one second light source of the headlights of the vehicle based on the light brightness detected by the external sensor, wherein the image is projected by the projector within a projection region of the headlights of the vehicle,

wherein the at least one first light source of the projector and the at least one second light source of the projector are provided separately.

2. The image projection apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the one or more sensors include a vehicle speed sensor that detects vehicle speed, and

the controller further controls the brightness of the image based on the vehicle speed detected.

3. The image projection apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the one or more sensors include a headlight sensor that acquires information related to the brightness of the light emitted by the at least one second light source of the headlights of the vehicle, and

the controller further controls the brightness of the image based on the headlight sensor information.

4. The image projection apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the controller further controls the brightness the light emitted by the at least one second light source of the headlights based on the information acquired by the one or more sensors and the external light sensor.

5. An image projection apparatus that improves safety of a vehicle, the image projection apparatus comprising:

one or more sensors that acquire information related to the vehicle;

an external light sensor that detects light brightness outside the vehicle;

a projector having at least one first light source that projects an image in front of the vehicle; and

a controller that is communicatively coupled to headlights of the vehicle, the one or more sensors, the external light sensor, and the projector, the headlights each having at least one second light source, wherein the controller:

controls the at least one second light source of the headlights of the vehicle to limit an illumination region of an illumination light of the vehicle in order that a brightness of the image projected by the at least one first light source becomes relatively high with respect to the illumination light of the vehicle based on the external light sensor,

controls a shade member that blocks a part of the illumination light from the headlights, thereby separately forming a display region within a projection region of the headlights of the vehicle, and

controls the projector to project the image in the display region,

wherein the at least one first light source of the projector and the at least one second light source of the projector are provided separately.

6. The image projection apparatus according to claim 5 ,

wherein the controller controls selectively forms the display region in a near region ahead of the vehicle or in a far region farther than the near region by controlling the headlights.

7. The image projection apparatus according to claim 5 ,

wherein the projector displays the image to be projected by a black-out image on a white background.

8. The image projection apparatus according to claim 5 ,

wherein the controller controls a shape of the shade member to form the display region.

9. The image projection apparatus according to claim 5 ,

wherein a boundary portion between the display region of the illumination light and the projection region of the headlights is formed by overlapping both of the regions with each other.

Assignments (3)
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 Oct 23, 2017
From: KUNII, YASUHIKO; SHIMIZU, TAKUYA; NAKAMURA, HIROYUKI; KAKU, NOBUYUKI
To: MAXELL, LTD.
Reel/Frame 043927/0242 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2015-080724 · Apr 10, 2015 · national
JP 2015-155165 · Aug 5, 2015 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180118095A1 · May 3, 2018
Cited By (3)
US 12,377,777 US 12,465,865 US 12,686,330