IP Library Granted Patent US 12,352,957
Granted Patent B2
US 12,352,957 · App. 18/004,269 · Granted Jul 8, 2025

Projection assembly for a head-up display (HUD) with p-polarized radiation comprising a projector oriented toward a HUD region

Inventors: Antoine Diguet (Paris, FR); Jan Hagen (Bonn, DE)
Assignee: SAINT-GOBAIN GLASS FRANCE
G02B27/0101
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,352,957
App. No.
18/004,269
Granted
Jul 8, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A projection assembly for a head-up display (HUD), includes a composite pane with an electrically conductive coating, and a projector. The radiation of the projector is predominantly p-polarized. The electrically conductive coating has a first surface region within a HUD region and a second surface region outside the HUD region. The electrically conductive coating has at least one sub-region within the first surface region. The electrically conductive coating in the first surface section within the HUD region can be obtained from the electrically conductive coating in the second surface section using a subtractive method.

Claims (43)

1. A projection assembly for a head-up display (HUD), at least comprising:

a composite pane with an electrically conductive coating, comprising an outer pane and an inner pane that are joined to one another via a thermoplastic intermediate layer, and

a projector that is oriented toward a HUD region;

wherein

radiation of the projector is predominantly p-polarized,

the electrically conductive coating has a first surface region within the HUD region and a second surface region outside the HUD region,

the electrically conductive coating has at least one sub-region within the first surface region, in which the electrically conductive coating consists of, in the following order, a first dielectric layer or first dielectric layer sequence, a first electrically conductive layer based on silver, and a second dielectric layer or second dielectric layer sequence and is adapted to reflect p-polarized radiation,

the electrically conductive coating within the second surface region comprises, in the following order, at least the first dielectric layer or first dielectric layer sequence, the first electrically conductive layer based on silver, the second dielectric layer or second dielectric layer sequence, a second electrically conductive layer based on silver, and a third dielectric layer or third dielectric layer sequence

and wherein the electrically conductive coating in the first surface section within the HUD region is obtainable from the electrically conductive coating in the second surface section using a subtractive method.

2. The projection assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive coating within the entire first surface region consists of, in the following order, the first dielectric layer or first dielectric layer sequence, the first electrically conductive layer based on silver, and the second dielectric layer or second dielectric layer sequence and is adapted to reflect p-polarized radiation.

3. The projection assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive coating within the first surface region has a regular or irregular grid of first regions, in which the electrically conductive coating consists of, in the following order, the first dielectric layer or first dielectric layer sequence, the first electrically conductive layer based on silver, and the second dielectric layer or second dielectric layer sequence and is adapted to reflect p-polarized radiation, and of second regions, in which the electrically conductive coating corresponds to the electrically conductive coating in the second surface region.

4. The projection assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive coating in the first surface region has at least one sub-region, in which the first dielectric layer or first dielectric layer sequence has a refractive index of at least 1.9 and/or the second dielectric layer or second dielectric layer sequence has a refractive index of at least 1.9.

5. The projection assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive coating in the first surface region has at least one sub-region, in which a ratio of an optical thickness of the second dielectric layer or second dielectric layer sequence to an optical thickness of the first dielectric layer or first dielectric layer sequence is at least 1.7.

6. The projection assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the composite pane with the electrically conductive coating in the HUD region has, in a spectral range from 400 nm to 680 nm, an averaged reflectance for p-polarized radiation of at least 10%.

7. The projection assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive coating includes no dielectric layers of which the refractive index is less than 1.9.

8. The projection assembly according to claim 1 , wherein

the first dielectric layer sequence comprising a first anti-reflection layer, and a first matching layer is arranged below the first electrically conductive layer, and the first dielectric layer sequence has a refractive index of at least 1.9, and/or

the second dielectric layer sequence comprising a second anti-reflection layer, and a second matching layer is arranged above the first electrically conductive layer, and the second dielectric layer sequence has a refractive index of at least 1.9.

9. The projection assembly according to claim 1 , wherein

the first dielectric layer sequence comprising a first anti- reflection layer, a first matching layer, and a first refractive-index-enhancing layer, is arranged below the first electrically conductive layer, and the first dielectric layer sequence has a refractive index of at least 1.9, and/or

the second dielectric layer sequence comprising a second anti- reflection layer, a second matching layer, and a second refractive-index-enhancing layer, is arranged above the first electrically conductive layer, and the second dielectric layer sequence has a refractive index of at least 1.9.

10. The projection assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive coating comprises at least one metallic blocking layer, which is arranged above and/or below the first and second electrically conductive layers and has a geometric thickness of less than 1 nm.

11. The projection assembly according to claim 1 , wherein external surfaces of the composite pane are arranged substantially parallel to one another.

12. The projection assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive coating is arranged on a surface of the outer pane or of the inner pane facing the thermoplastic intermediate layer or within the intermediate layer.

13. A method for producing a projection assembly according to claim 1 , comprising:

a) providing an outer pane having an exterior-side surface and an interior-side surface or an inner pane having an interior-side surface and an exterior-side surface is provided,

b) depositing an electrically conductive coating comprising, in the following order, at least a first dielectric layer or first dielectric layer sequence, a first electrically conductive layer based on silver, a second dielectric layer or second dielectric layer sequence, a second electrically conductive layer based on silver, and a third dielectric layer or third dielectric layer sequence on the interior-side surface of the outer pane or the interior-side surface of the inner pane,

c) removing layers of the electrically conductive coating within a first surface region, wherein after removal at least in one sub-region of the first surface region the electrically conductive coating consists of, in the following order, the first dielectric layer or first dielectric layer sequence, the first electrically conductive layer based on silver, and the second dielectric layer or second dielectric layer sequence,

d) placing a thermoplastic intermediate layer on the interior-side surface of the outer pane or the interior-side surface of the inner pane and the layer stack ends with an inner pane or an outer pane,

e) laminating the layer stack composed of at least the inner pane, the thermoplastic intermediate layer, and the outer pane to form a composite pane,

f) providing a projector, whose radiation is predominantly p-polarized, and

g) orienting the projector such that its radiation is adapted to strike the electrically conductive coating of the composite pane in the first surface region.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein in step c), layers of the electrically conductive coating are removed by laser.

15. A method comprising providing a projection assembly according to claim 1 for a head-up display of a motor vehicle, wherein the composite pane is the windshield of the motor vehicle.

16. The projection assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the ratio is at least 1.8.

17. The projection assembly according to claim 16 , wherein the ratio is at least 1.9.

18. The projection assembly according to claim 6 , wherein averaged reflectance for p-polarized radiation is at least 15%.

19. The projection assembly according to claim 8 , wherein

the first anti-reflection layer is based on silicon nitride, and the first matching layer is based on zinc oxide, and/or

the second anti-reflection layer is based on silicon nitride, and the second matching layer is based on zinc oxide.

20. The projection assembly according to claim 9 , wherein

the first anti-reflection layer is based on silicon nitride, the first matching layer is based on zinc oxide, and the first refractive-index-enhancing layer is based on a mixed silicon-metal nitride, and/or

the second anti-reflection layer is based on silicon nitride, the second matching layer is based on zinc oxide, and the second refractive-index-enhancing layer is based on a mixed silicon-metal nitride.

Assignments (2)
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded May 16, 2025
From: SAINT-GOBAIN GLASS FRANCE
To: SAINT-GOBAIN SEKURIT FRANCE
Reel/Frame 071969/0743 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 4, 2023
From: DIGUET, ANTOINE; HAGEN, JAN
To: SAINT-GOBAIN GLASS FRANCE
Reel/Frame 062275/0448 →
Priority Claims (1)
EP 20197086 · Sep 21, 2020 · regional
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230280588A1 · Sep 7, 2023
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