IP Library Granted Patent US 8,830,141
Granted Patent B2
US 8,830,141 · App. 12/726,541 · Granted Sep 9, 2014

Full-windshield head-up display enhancement: anti-reflective glass hard coat

Inventors: Thomas A. Seder (Northville, MI); Joseph F. Szczerba (Grand Blanc, MI); Dehua Cui (Northville, MI)
Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
B32B17/10036G01S13/723G01S13/867G01S17/023B60K35/00B32B17/10761G01S13/87G01S13/931G02B27/0101G02B1/105B60K2350/2052G02B5/208G01S13/86G02B27/0018G02B2027/0118
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,830,141
App. No.
12/726,541
Granted
Sep 9, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A substantially transparent windscreen head-up display of a vehicle is configured to display graphical images from a light source. The windscreen head-up display includes multiple layers having an outer layer including a transparent substrate. The multiple layers further include a second transparent substrate layer including light emitting material, wherein the light emitting material emits visible light in response to absorption of ultraviolet light from the light source, and wherein the light emitting material includes a plurality of light emitting particles. The multiple layers further include an inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer.

Claims (30)

1. A substantially transparent windscreen head-up display of a vehicle configured to display graphical images from a light source within the vehicle, the windscreen head-up display comprising multiple layers including:

an outer layer comprising a transparent substrate configured on the exterior of the vehicle;

an inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer configured on the interior of the vehicle, the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer comprising a plurality of ultraviolet anti-reflective sub layers configured to refract ultraviolet light received from the light source without purposely reflecting any portion of the received ultraviolet light back toward the light source, wherein an index of refraction is attenuated from an outermost ultraviolet anti-reflective sub layer of the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer to an innermost ultraviolet anti-reflective sub layer of the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer, and wherein the ultraviolet light from the light source within the interior of the vehicle is sequentially refracted by the plurality of ultraviolet anti-reflective sub layers beginning at the outermost ultraviolet anti-reflective sub layer adjacent to the interior of the vehicle and ending at the innermost ultraviolet anti-reflective sub layer;

a second transparent substrate layer disposed between the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer and the outer layer and configured to receive the refracted ultraviolet light exiting the plurality of sub layers, the second transparent substrate layer comprising light emitting material, wherein the light emitting material emits visible light in response to absorption of the refracted ultraviolet light exiting each sub layer of the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer from the light source, and wherein the light emitting material comprises a plurality of light emitting particles.

2. The windscreen head-up display of claim 1 , further comprising:

an ultraviolet blocking layer between the outer layer and the second transparent substrate layer.

3. The windscreen head-up display of claim 1 , wherein the second transparent substrate layer further comprises a first, second, and third layer comprising light emitting material, wherein light emitting material in the first layer comprises red phosphor material, wherein light emitting material in the second layer comprises green phosphor material, and wherein light emitting material in the third layer comprises blue phosphor material.

4. The windscreen head-up display of claim 1 , wherein the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer protects inner layers of the windscreen.

5. The windscreen head-up display of claim 1 , wherein the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer reduces ultraviolet reflection back towards the light source.

6. The windscreen head-up display of claim 1 , wherein the outer sub layer of the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer protects inner layers of the windscreen.

7. The windscreen head-up display of claim 1 , wherein the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective sub layers comprise at least one of SiO2, Si3N4, TiO2, and SiOxNy.

8. The windscreen head-up display of claim 1 , wherein the outermost one of the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective sub layers comprises SiOxNy.

9. The windscreen head-up display of claim 1 , wherein the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer comprises MgF 2 .

10. The windscreen head-up display of claim 1 , wherein the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer is deposited on the windscreen using at least one of magnetron sputtering, physical vapor deposition, and chemical vapor deposition.

11. A substantially transparent full-screen windscreen head-up display of a vehicle configured to display graphical images from a light source within the vehicle, the windscreen head-up display comprising multiple layers including:

an outer layer comprising a transparent substrate configured on the exterior of the vehicle;

an inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer comprising three ultraviolet anti-reflective sub layers configured on the interior of the vehicle, the three ultraviolet anti-reflective sub layers configured to refract ultraviolet light received from the light source without purposely reflecting any portion of the received ultraviolet light back toward the light source, wherein an index of refraction is attenuated from an outermost one of the three anti-reflective sub layers of the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer to an innermost one of the three anti-reflective sub layers of the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer, and wherein the ultraviolet light from the light source within the interior of the vehicle is sequentially refracted by the three ultraviolet anti-reflective sub layers beginning at the outermost one of the three ultraviolet anti-reflective sub-layers adjacent to the interior of the vehicle and ending at the innermost one of the three ultraviolet anti-reflective sub-layers;

a second transparent substrate layer disposed between the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer and the outer layer and configured to receive the refracted ultraviolet light exiting the plurality of sub layers, the second transparent sub layer comprising light emitting material, wherein the light emitting material emits visible light in response to absorption of the refracted ultraviolet light exiting each of the three ultraviolet anti-reflective sub layers from the light source, and wherein the light emitting material comprises a plurality of light emitting particles.

12. Method to represent graphical images upon a substantially transparent full-screen windscreen head-up display of a vehicle configured to display graphical images from a light source, the method comprising:

monitoring informational inputs describing an operational environment for the vehicle;

processing the informational inputs to synthesize an operational environment model;

monitoring an occupant eye location;

converting the environmental model into the graphical images based upon the monitored occupant eye location; and

displaying the graphical images upon the substantially transparent full-screen windscreen head-up display, wherein the windscreen head-up display comprises multiple layers including:

an outer layer comprising a transparent substrate configured on the exterior of the vehicle;

an inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer configured on the interior of the vehicle, the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer comprising a plurality of ultraviolet anti-reflective sub layers configured to refract ultraviolet light received from the light source without purposely reflecting any portion of the received ultraviolet light back toward the light source, wherein an index of refraction is attenuated from an outermost ultraviolet anti-reflective sub layer of the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer to an innermost ultraviolet anti-reflective sub layer of the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer, and wherein the ultraviolet light from the light source within the interior of the vehicle is sequentially refracted by the plurality of ultraviolet anti-reflective sub layers beginning at the outermost ultraviolet anti-reflective sub layer adjacent to the interior of the vehicle and ending at the innermost ultraviolet anti-reflective sub layer;

a second transparent substrate layer disposed between the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer and the outer layer and configured to receive the refracted ultraviolet light exiting the plurality of sub layers, the second transparent substrate layer comprising light emitting material, wherein the light emitting material emits visible light in response to absorption of the refracted ultraviolet light exiting each sub layer of the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective layer from the light source, and wherein the light emitting material comprises a plurality of light emitting particles.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the windscreen head-up display further comprises an ultraviolet blocking layer between the outer layer and the second transparent substrate layer.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the ultraviolet anti-reflective sub layers comprise at least one of SiO2, Si3N4, TiO2, and SiOxNy.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the outermost one of the inner ultraviolet anti-reflective sub layers comprises SiOxNy.

Assignments (4)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 7, 2014
From: WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 034287/0001 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 10, 2011
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 025781/0333 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 8, 2010
From: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY
Reel/Frame 025327/0156 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 18, 2010
From: SEDER, THOMAS A.; SZCZERBA, JOSEPH F.; CUI, DEHUA
To: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 024099/0681 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation In Part 12417077 · Apr 2, 2009
Related Publication 20100253600A1 · Oct 7, 2010