IP Library Granted Patent US 11,586,040
Granted Patent B2
US 11,586,040 · App. 17/423,478 · Granted Feb 21, 2023

In-vehicle information display system and information display apparatus

Inventors: Koji Hirata (Kyoto, JP); Koji Fujita (Kyoto, JP); Eiji Takagi (Kyoto, JP); Toshinori Sugiyama (Kyoto, JP)
Assignee: MAXELL, LTD.
G02B27/0101B60K35/00G09G3/002B60K2370/1526B60K2370/1529B60K2370/785G02B2027/011G02B2027/0118G02B2027/0147G09G2360/04G09G2380/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,586,040
App. No.
17/423,478
Granted
Feb 21, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

An information display apparatus that displays image information on a vehicle includes a HUD apparatus projecting a large-scale virtual image onto a distant position and serving as a first information display apparatus 100 arranged between a windshield glass 6 of the vehicle and an instrument panel, and effectively displays a plurality of pieces of the image information by making coordination with a second information display apparatus 48 close to the windshield glass 6 , the second information display apparatus causing a transparent dispersion sheet in the windshield glass to directly reflect a screen of a large-scale high-resolution image display panel so that the screen is observed by the driver.

Claims (40)

1. An information display apparatus for use in configuring a display information system causing a windshield glass of a vehicle to reflect image it to display image information for an Observer, comprising, inside an enclosure partially having an opening:

a light source configured to generate image light for use in displaying the image information;

an optical structure configured to perform a predetermined optical process to the image light output from the light source; and

a light projector configured to project the image light output from the optical structure so that the observer recognizes the image information as a virtual image on a forward part of the windshield glass through the opening of the enclosure,

wherein a glare stop is arranged so as to be rotatable in the opening of the enclosure.

2. The information display apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein a light polarizing layer having a λ/4 plate, a λ/8 plate, or a λ/16 plate to transmit S-polarized light is arranged on one-side surface of the glare stop.

3. An information display apparatus for use in configuring an information display system causing a windshield glass of a vehicle to reflect image light to display image information for an observer, comprising:

a backlight apparatus configured to generate illumination light flux;

a display panel configured to modulate the illumination light flux of the backlight apparatus in accordance with the image information and emitting the light to the windshield glass;

a light-direction converting panel arranged on a part of the windshield glass and configured to convert the image light of the display panel so that the observer recognizes a reflected image overlapped with a foreground external scenery of the windshield glass; and

a protection cover made of a substantially transparent base member in contact with an image display surface,

wherein a black stripe is arranged in a part of a light outgoing side of the protection cover, or a film or a membrane configured to absorb or reflect a P-polarized wave component of a light flux is arranged in a light incident side of the protection cover.

4. The information display apparatus according to claim 3 ,

wherein the backlight apparatus partially includes a Fresnel lens.

5. The information display apparatus according to claim 3 ,

wherein the light-direction converting panel partially includes a linear Fresnel lens configured to refract a light flux in a desirable direction.

6. The information display apparatus according to claim 3 ,

wherein an antireflection film is further arranged between the black stripes that are adjacent to each other in the protection cover.

7. The information display apparatus according to claim 3 ,

wherein, in the light-direction converting panel, a transparent diffusing sheet and a polarizer are sequentially arranged in this order from an image-light incident surface toward the windshield glass.

8. The information display apparatus according to claim 7 ,

wherein the polarizer configuring the light-direction converting panel absorbs S-polarized image light.

9. The information display apparatus according to claim 7 ,

wherein the polarizer configuring the light-direction converting panel reflects S-polarized image light.

10. An information display apparatus for use in configuring an information display system causing a windshield glass of a vehicle to reflect image light to display image information for an observer, comprising:

a backlight apparatus configured to generate illumination light flux;

a display panel configured to modulate the illumination light flux of the backlight apparatus in accordance with the image information and emitting the light to the windshield glass;

a light-direction converting panel arranged on a part of the windshield glass and configured to convert the image light of the display panel so that the observer recognizes a reflected image overlapped with a foreground external scenery of the windshield glass; and

a protection cover made of a substantially transparent base member in contact with an image display surface and having a linear Fresnel sheet on its one-side surface.

11. The information display apparatus according to claim 10 ,

wherein the backlight apparatus partially includes a Fresnel lens.

12. The information display apparatus according to claim 10 ,

wherein the light-direction converting panel partially includes a linear Fresnel lens configured to refract a light flux in a desirable direction.

13. The information display apparatus according to claim 10 ,

wherein, in the light-direction converting panel, a transparent diffusing sheet and a polarizer are sequentially arranged in this order from an image-light incident surface toward the windshield glass.

14. The information display apparatus according to claim 13 ,

wherein the polarizer configuring the light-direction converting panel absorbs S-polarized image light.

15. The information display apparatus according to claim 13 ,

wherein the polarizer configuring the light-direction converting panel reflects S-polarized image light.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 3, 2021
From: MAXELL HOLDINGS, LTD.
To: MAXELL, LTD.
Reel/Frame 058666/0407 →
MERGER Recorded Nov 29, 2021
From: MAXELL, LTD.
To: MAXELL HOLDINGS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 058255/0579 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 10, 2021
From: HIRATA, KOJI; FUJITA, KOJI; TAKAGI, EIJI; SUGIYAMA, TOSHINORI
To: MAXELL, LTD.
Reel/Frame 057131/0051 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2019-005873 · Jan 17, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220075189A1 · Mar 10, 2022
Cited By (4)
US 12,325,302 US 12,344,093 US 12,601,967 US 12,643,405