IP Library Granted Patent US 12,436,388
Granted Patent B2
US 12,436,388 · App. 18/802,672 · Granted Oct 7, 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.
G02B27/0101G02B2027/013G02B2027/0183G02B2027/0187
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,436,388
App. No.
18/802,672
Granted
Oct 7, 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 the image as an intermediate image, and includes a first optical element configured to condense light, a first lens configured to condense light, and a second optical element configured to diffuse light. The first optical element, the first lens, and the second optical element are disposed in this order along an optical path from the display device.

Claims (18)

1. A head-up display comprising:

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

a first mirror configured to reflect the beams emitted from the device;

a first lens configured to condense the beams reflected by the first mirror;

a second mirror configured to reflect the beams and form an intermediate image; and

a third mirror configured to reflect the beams that form the intermediate image to a windshield as the projection image, wherein:

the first mirror, the first lens, the second mirror, and the third mirror are disposed in this order along an optical path to the windshield, and

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

2. The head-up display according to claim 1 , wherein the intermediate image is formed at a position nearer to the second mirror than to the third mirror.

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

4. The head-up display according to claim 3 , wherein the third mirror has a free-form surface.

5. The head-up display according to claim 1 , wherein the second mirror has a free-form surface.

6. The head-up display according to claim 1 , further comprising a second lens disposed between the device and the first mirror, the second lens being configured to condense the beams emitted from the device.

7. The head-up display according to claim 1 , wherein the first mirror is configured to change a direction of a reference beam reflected toward the first lens with respect to the reference beam incident on the first mirror, the reference beam reaching a center of a viewpoint region of an observer and corresponding to a center of the projection image.

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

the optical path between the first mirror and the first lens is a space, and

the beams reflected by the first mirror is directly incident on the first lens.

9. The head-up display according to claim 7 , wherein the second mirror is configured to change a direction of the reference beam reflected toward the third mirror with respect to a direction of the reference beam reflected by the first mirror.

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 2017-236940 · Dec 11, 2017 · national
Continuity (4)
Continuation 17846888 · Jun 22, 2022
Continuation 16892386 · Jun 4, 2020
Continuation PCTJP2018039306 · Oct 23, 2018
Related Publication 20240402492A1 · Dec 5, 2024
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