IP Library Granted Patent US 12,196,959
Granted Patent B2
US 12,196,959 · App. 18/503,780 · Granted Jan 14, 2025

Head-up display and moving body with head-up display mounted thereon

Inventors: Satoshi Kuzuhara (Osaka, JP); Hiroaki Okayama (Nara, JP)
Assignee: PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
G02B27/0101B60R11/0229B60R2011/0026B60R2300/205G02B2027/0183G02B2027/0187
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,196,959
App. No.
18/503,780
Granted
Jan 14, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A head-up display is configured to project an image on a transparent reflection member to cause an observer to visually recognize a virtual image, and includes a display device configured to display the image, and a projection optical system configured to project the image displayed by the display device as the virtual image for the observer. The projection optical system is configured to form an image as an intermediate image, and includes a first lens configured to condense light, and a first optical element configured to diffuse light. The first lens and the first optical element are disposed in this order along an optical path from the display device. The first lens is inclined with respect to a reference beam which is defined as a beam reaching a center of a viewpoint region of the observer and corresponding to a center of the virtual image.

Claims (33)

1. A head-up display configured to project a projection image formed from an original image on a transparent reflection member to cause an observer to visually recognize a virtual image, the head-up display comprising:

a device configured to emit beams for forming the projection image from the original image; and

a projection optical system configured to form the projection image from the original image and project the projection image as the virtual image for the observer,

wherein the projection optical system includes:

a first lens configured to have a refracting surface on which the beams emitted from the device are incident;

a fifth lens that has negative refractive power, the fifth lens having a concave surface facing the first lens;

a second mirror configured to reflect the beams; and

a third mirror configured to reflect the beams reflected by the second mirror to the transparent reflection member as the projection image, and

the fifth lens, the first lens, the second mirror, and the third mirror are disposed in this order along an optical path to the transparent reflection member.

2. The head-up display according to claim 1 , wherein

the concave surface of the fifth lens has a concave shape in a first axis direction and a free-form surface shape, and

a curvature of the concave surface in a second axis direction that is perpendicular to the first axis direction is less than a curvature of the concave surface in the first axis direction.

3. The head-up display according to claim 1 , wherein

the concave surface of the fifth lens faces the first lens in the optical path, and

the fifth lens has a planar surface opposite to the concave surface.

4. The head-up display according to claim 1 , wherein

the fifth lens is inclined with respect to a reference beam, the reference beam being defined as a beam reaching a center of a viewpoint region of the observer and corresponding to a center of the virtual image.

5. The head-up display according to claim 4 , wherein

the fifth lens is inclined so that an upper side of the fifth lens is closer to the second mirror than a lower side of the fifth lens is.

6. The head-up display according to claim 1 , wherein

the first lens is inclined with respect to a reference beam, the reference beam being defined as a beam reaching a center of a viewpoint region of the observer and corresponding to a center of the virtual image.

7. The head-up display according to claim 6 , wherein

the projection optical system is configured to form an intermediate image from the original image by the beams emitted from the device and form the projection image from the intermediate image.

8. The head-up display according to claim 6 , wherein

the optical path between the second mirror and the third mirror is a space, and

the intermediate image is an aerial image formed in the space on the optical path between the second mirror and the third mirror.

9. The head-up display according to claim 8 , wherein the intermediate image is formed at a position nearer to the second mirror than to the third mirror.

10. The head-up display according to claim 1 , wherein

the first lens is inclined with respect to the reference beam so that an upper side of the first lens is closer to the second mirror than a lower side of the first lens is.

11. The head-up display according to claim 10 , wherein

the first lens is inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the reference beam at an angle from 15 degrees to 30 degrees.

12. The head-up display according to claim 1 , wherein the third mirror is a concave mirror.

13. The head-up display according to claim 12 , wherein the third mirror has a free-form surface.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 19, 2024
From: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 069311/0723 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2017-236946 · Dec 11, 2017 · national
Continuity (4)
Continuation 18095313 · Jan 10, 2023
Continuation 16892397 · Jun 4, 2020
Continuation PCTJP2018039307 · Oct 23, 2018
Related Publication 20240077721A1 · Mar 7, 2024
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