IP Library Granted Patent US 11,187,897
Granted Patent B2
US 11,187,897 · App. 16/466,561 · Granted Nov 30, 2021

Head-up display

Inventors: Wolff von Spiegel (Bad Homburg, DE); Rudolf Mitsch (Frankfurt am Main, DE); Daniel Krüger (Michelstadt, DE); Ulf Stabenow (Mühltal, DE); Dirk Brömme-Jártimová (Stegen, DE)
Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
G02B27/0101G02B3/0056G02B5/021G02B5/045G02B27/0179G02B30/26G02B2027/014G02B2027/0134G02B2027/0187G02B2027/0198
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,187,897
App. No.
16/466,561
Granted
Nov 30, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A head-up display for a vehicle includes: a display panel, a deflector having a plurality of microlenses, and an image generator. The image generator is configured to generate a plurality of primary elementary images which are multiplied by an optical multiplier into elementary images, which are in turn assigned in each case to a respective one of the plurality of microlenses.

Claims (49)

1. A head-up display for a vehicle, comprising:

a display panel configured to produce a plurality of primary elementary images for display and to project first light rays corresponding to each of the plurality of primary elementary images in a downstream direction;

an optical multiplier having a plurality of n×m lens matrices connected downstream of the display panel, each n×m lens matrix being configured to optically multiply the first light rays received from the display panel corresponding to each respective one of the plurality of primary elementary images into a plurality of n×m elementary images and to project second light rays corresponding to each of the plurality of n×m elementary images in a downstream direction downstream of the optical multiplier;

a deflector having a plurality of microlenses, the deflector being arranged and configured downstream of the optical multiplier and of the display panel, such that the corresponding second light rays of the n×m elementary images are incident on, in each case, one of the plurality of microlenses, the deflector having a number of the microlenses that corresponds to the number of the elementary images; and

an image generator that generates an image signal that actuates the display panel, the image generator being configured to generate the image signal by which the display panel represents a plurality of elementary images, such that each of the plurality of elementary images is assigned to a respective one of the plurality of microlenses, wherein the display panel produces for display the plurality of primary elementary images,

wherein the optical multiplier is further configured to cause, in addition to the multiplication, one or more selected from the group of: a displacement and a distortion, to compensate for a change in a position of an eye of a viewer of the head-up display.

2. The head-up display as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the image generator comprises a calculator.

3. The head-up display as claimed in claim 1 , wherein lens elements of the n×m lens matrix are decomposed into lens partial elements which are arranged interleaved to form each n×m lens matrix.

4. The head-up display as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the optical multiplier has a plurality of n×m prism matrices.

5. The head-up display as claimed in claim 4 , wherein prism elements of the n×m prism matrix have a diffuser.

6. The head-up display as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

a position detector; and

an image displacer configured to receive a position signal detected by the position detector.

7. The head-up display as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising an image alternator.

8. The head-up display as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the image generator has a calculator, and, in the optical multiplier: the lens elements of each n×m lens matrix are decomposed into lens partial elements arranged interleaved to form the respective n×m lens matrix; and

the optical multiplier has a plurality of n×m prism matrices, the prism elements of each n×m prism matrix having a diffuser,

the head-up display further comprising:

a position detector, and an image displacer configured to receive a position signal detected by the position detector, and

an image alternator.

9. A method for operating a head-up display for a vehicle, having a display panel, an optical multiplier having a plurality of n×m lens matrices connected downstream of the display panel, a deflector having a grid of microlenses connected downstream of the display panel and the optical multiplier, and a mirror, the method comprising:

generating a plurality of primary elementary images each of which corresponds to an image of a respective one of a plurality of adjacently arranged elementary cameras;

producing for display the primary elementary images located one next to the other on the display panel and projecting first light rays corresponding to each of the plurality of primary elementary images in the downstream direction;

optically multiplying the first light rays received from the display panel corresponding to each respective one of the plurality of primary elementary images into a plurality of elementary images, such that each of the plurality of primary elementary images is multiplied into n×m elementary images, and projecting second light rays corresponding to each of the plurality of n×m elementary images in a downstream direction downstream of the optical multiplier and toward the deflector; and

one or more selected from the group of: displacing and distorting, to compensate for a change in a position of the head or the eyes of a viewer of the head up display.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising:

calculating the plurality of primary elementary images.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising one of:

displacing individual multiplied elementary images, which were formed from the primary elementary images, with a respectively adapted absolute value in the direction toward an optical axis of the head-up display, and

displacing and distorting individual multiplied elementary images, which were formed from the primary elementary images, with a respectively adapted absolute value in the direction toward the optical axis of the head-up display.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising:

detecting the position of the head or of the eyes of the viewer, and

displacing the images, presented on the display panel, in accordance with a detected change in the position.

13. The method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising:

presenting the images for the right and the left eye on the display panel in alternating fashion; and

creating access for the respective eye.

14. The method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising:

calculating a plurality of primary elementary images,

displacing individual multiplied elementary images, which were formed from the primary elementary images, with a respectively adapted absolute value in the direction toward the optical axis of the head-up display,

detecting the position of one of the head and the eyes of the viewer,

displacing the images, presented on the display panel, in accordance with a detected change in the position,

presenting the images for the right and the left eye on the display panel in alternating fashion, and

creating access for the respective eye.

15. The method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising:

calculating a plurality of primary elementary images,

displacing and distorting individual multiplied elementary images, which were formed from the primary elementary images, with a respectively adapted absolute value in the direction toward the optical axis of the head-up display,

detecting the position of one of the head and the eyes of the viewer,

displacing the images, presented on the display panel, in accordance with a detected change in the position,

presenting the images for the right and the left eye on the display panel in alternating fashion, and

creating access for the respective eye.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 7, 2025
From: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
To: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGIES GMBH
Reel/Frame 070441/0899 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 23, 2020
From: KRÜGER, DANIEL; BRÖMME-JÄRTIMOVÄ, DIRK; MITSCH, RUDOLF; STABENOW, ULF
To: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
Reel/Frame 052194/0490 →