JP6642103B2 - Head-up display device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a head-up display device.

  2. Description of the Related Art As a vehicle display device, a head-up display (HUD) device, which is a projection device, as disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. The head-up display device disclosed in Patent Literature 1 uses two displays and a half mirror to display light that is emitted from one display and passes through a half mirror and half that is emitted from the other display. The display light reflected by the mirror is projected onto a projection target such as a windshield. The viewer receives the display light reflected from the projection member, and can visually recognize two virtual images having different distances from the viewer.

JP 2007-264529 A

  By the way, in the head-up display device of Patent Document 1, for example, in order to give a stronger impression to a viewer, it is assumed that display brightness of a virtual image is improved. However, in order to improve the luminance, it is necessary to increase the maximum output related to the display light in the display by employing a light emitting element with higher luminance.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a head-up display device in which display luminance is improved without increasing the output of a display.

A head-up display device according to the present invention for achieving the above object,
A first display that displays a first virtual image by emitting first display light to the projection target member;
A second display that displays a second virtual image at a distance different from the first virtual image when viewed from a driver by emitting second display light to the projection target member;
A control unit that controls the first display and the second display,
The control unit displays the first display symbol as the first virtual image and the second display symbol as the second virtual image so as to be superimposed when viewed from a driver, thereby displaying the second display symbol. One display symbol is displayed as one highlight symbol.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a head-up display device in which the display brightness is improved without increasing the output of the display.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a HUD device according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control relationship of the HUD device according to one embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a flowchart of a display process of the HUD device according to one embodiment. 1A is a diagram showing a scene in front of a vehicle equipped with a HUD device according to an embodiment, FIG. 1A is a diagram showing a state in which a distance from a vehicle traveling ahead is longer than a certain distance, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state in which the distance from a vehicle traveling ahead is approaching a certain distance or more. It is the conceptual diagram which looked at the state which superimposed each warning symbol and displayed to the driver from the vehicle side. It is a figure for explaining a virtual image which a HUD device concerning a modification displays.

  Hereinafter, a display device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the head-up display device 100 (hereinafter, HUD device) according to the present embodiment is mounted on a vehicle 300 such as an automobile. The HUD device 100 is built in, for example, a dashboard of the vehicle 300 and emits display lights N1 and N2 toward a windshield 310 which is an example of a projection target member, as shown in FIG. The viewer (mainly the driver E) receives the display lights N1 and N2 reflected on the windshield 310, and can visually recognize the first virtual image V1 and the second virtual image V2. When viewed from the driver E, the virtual image V1 extends in a vertical direction perpendicular to the line of sight of the driver E. When viewed from the driver E, the virtual image V2 extends in the horizontal direction along the road surface. The two virtual images V1 and V2 are displayed so as to overlap each other when viewed from the driver E, and to be different in distance as viewed from the driver E.

  The HUD device 100 includes a housing 110 that houses each member, a first display 120 that emits the display light L1, a second display 130 that emits the display light L2, and the display light L1, L2. The first screen 140 and the second screen 150 for emitting display light N1 and N2 corresponding to the formed display image, and the first plane mirror 160 and the second screen 150 for reflecting the display light N1. A first plane mirror 170, a half mirror 180 that reflects the display light N1 and transmits the display light N2, a concave mirror 190 that reflects the display lights N1 and N2 arriving from the half mirror 180 to the windshield 310, A control unit 200 that controls the display 120 and the second display 130.

  The housing 110 has a substantially box-like shape. An opening (not shown) is provided in a part of the housing 110, and display lights N1 and N2 from the first screen 140 and the second screen 150 pass through the opening. The opening is covered with a translucent cover (not shown).

  The first display 120 and the second display 130 include a reflective display element such as a DMD (Digital Micro Mirror Device) and an LCOS (registered trademark: Liquid Crystal On Silicon), and a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) liquid crystal panel. It has a transmissive display element. The first display 120 and the second display 130 emit display light L1 and L2 according to a control signal input from the control unit 200.

  The first screen 140 and the second screen 150 are transmission screens including a holographic diffuser, a microlens array, a diffusion plate, and the like. The first screen 140 is arranged so that its display surface is orthogonal to the display light L1, and the second screen 150 is arranged so that its display surface is orthogonal to the display light L2. When the display light L1 is incident on one surface of the first screen 140 from the first display 120, an image is displayed on the other surface. Accordingly, display light N1 corresponding to an image displayed on first screen 140 is emitted toward first plane mirror 160. When the display light L2 is incident on one surface of the second screen 150 from the second display 130, an image is displayed on the other surface. Accordingly, display light N2 corresponding to an image displayed on second screen 150 is emitted toward half mirror 180.

  The first plane mirror 160 and the second plane mirror 170 are each formed by forming a metal reflective film on one surface of a flat base material made of synthetic resin or glass. The first plane mirror 160 and the second plane mirror 170 are arranged to guide the display light N1 to the half mirror 180. That is, the first plane mirror 160 is disposed so as to reflect the display light N1 emitted from the first screen toward the second plane mirror 170, and the second plane mirror 170 enters from the first plane mirror 160. The display light N1 is disposed so as to be reflected toward the half mirror 180.

  The half mirror 180 is formed by forming a metal reflection film on one surface of an organic glass such as a plate glass or acrylic. The reflection film of the half mirror 180 is formed to be much thinner than the reflection films of the first plane mirror 160 and the second plane mirror 170 in order to allow light incident on one surface to pass through as it is. Light incident on the other surface of the half mirror 180 is reflected. In the present embodiment, half mirror 180 is arranged so as to transmit display light N2 incident on one surface and reflect display light N1 incident on the other surface toward concave mirror 190.

  The concave mirror 190 reflects the two incident display lights N1 and N2 toward the windshield 310. The concave mirror 190 has a metal reflective film formed on one surface of a base material made of synthetic resin, glass, or the like. The concave mirror 190, the first plane mirror 160, the second plane mirror 170, and the half mirror 180 constitute an optical system for guiding the display lights N1 and N2 to the windshield 310. The display light incident on the windshield 310 is reflected toward the driver E (eye box). Thereby, the driver E can visually recognize the first virtual image V1 and the second virtual image V2 on the other side of the windshield 310.

  As shown in FIG. 2, vehicle 300 on which HUD device 100 is mounted includes a vehicle speed detection unit 320 that detects a vehicle speed during driving and transmits a signal indicating the vehicle speed to control unit 200 of HUD device 100. . In addition, an imaging device 400 is provided in front of the vehicle 300.

  The imaging device 400 includes an imaging unit 410 that captures an image of the front of the vehicle 300, and an inter-vehicle distance detection unit 420 that detects a distance from a vehicle traveling ahead. The imaging unit 410 includes a stereo camera, and transmits a signal indicating a captured image to the control unit 200. The signal indicating the captured image is also transmitted to the following distance detecting section 420. Based on this signal, inter-vehicle distance detection section 420 specifies inter-vehicle distance D indicating the distance between vehicle 300 and the vehicle traveling ahead, and transmits a signal indicating the specified result to control section 200. Note that the imaging unit 410 is not limited to a stereo camera, and may be configured by, for example, an infrared camera. Further, an inter-vehicle distance measurement device such as a millimeter wave radar may be provided instead of the imaging unit 410, and the inter-vehicle distance detection unit 420 may specify the inter-vehicle distance D based on the detection result of the inter-vehicle distance measurement device. .

  The control unit 200 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and the like, and performs control stored in a storage unit (not shown) based on various signals transmitted from the vehicle speed detection unit 320 of the vehicle 300 and the imaging device 400. The program is executed to control display on the first display 120 and the second display 130. Details of the control will be described later.

  Next, the display processing of the HUD device 100 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 3 and FIG. The flowchart of FIG. 3 is repeatedly executed while the vehicle 300 is traveling.

  First, the control unit 200 acquires an image in front of the vehicle 300 based on a signal transmitted from the imaging device 400 (Step S11).

  Next, the control unit 200 controls the first display 120 based on the image acquired in step S11, and generates a first virtual image V1 as a vehicle information symbol I2n as illustrated in FIG. Is displayed (step S12). In the present embodiment, the vehicle information symbol I2n indicates the vehicle speed and the legal speed of the road on which the vehicle is currently traveling. Also, the second display 130 is controlled to display the road information symbol I1n as the second virtual image V2. In the present embodiment, the road information symbol I1n is located so as to be superimposed on the white line 600 of the road, which is a real view seen through the windshield 310, and makes it easier for the driver E to recognize the white line 600, thereby assisting driving. is there.

  Next, the control unit 200 determines whether or not there is a vehicle 500 traveling ahead of the vehicle 300 in the image acquired in step S11 (step S13).

  When it is determined that there is no vehicle 500 traveling ahead in the image acquired in step S11 (step S13; NO), the control unit 200 returns to step S11 and repeats a series of control processes.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that there is a vehicle 500 traveling ahead in the image acquired in step S11 (step S13; YES), control unit 200 specifies the center coordinates and size of vehicle 500 (step S14). .

  Subsequently, control unit 200 specifies inter-vehicle distance D between vehicle 300 and vehicle 500 based on the image acquired in step S11 (step S15).

  The control unit 200 determines whether or not the inter-vehicle distance D specified in step S15 is less than a predetermined threshold D1 (step S16).

  When determining that inter-vehicle distance D is less than threshold value D1 (step S16; YES), control unit 200 controls first indicator 120 based on the center coordinates and size of vehicle 500 specified in step S15. Then, as shown in FIG. 4B, a warning symbol I1e, which is an example of a display symbol, is displayed as the first virtual image V1. At the same time, the second display 130 is controlled to display the warning symbol I2e, which is an example of the display symbol, as the second virtual image V2 so as to overlap the warning symbol I1e as viewed from the driver E (step S17). . Then, the process returns to step S11 to repeat a series of control processes. The warning symbol I1e and the warning symbol I2e are for causing the driver to recognize that the distance between the vehicle 300 and the vehicle 500 is closer than a predetermined value and is in a dangerous state (emergency state), and has a hollow circular shape. And is displayed so as to surround the vehicle 500 as viewed from the driver E.

  Note that the second warning symbol I2e is horizontally inclined with respect to the first warning symbol I1e. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 200 takes the inclination into account and, as viewed from the driver E, overlaps with each other so that the size of the warning symbol I1e and the size of the warning symbol I2e match. The second display 130 is controlled as described above. As a result, the warning symbol I1e and the warning symbol I2e are displayed to the driver E as highlighting symbols, and the display brightness is improved as compared with the case where only one of them is displayed, giving a stronger impression to the driver E. be able to.

  Returning to step S16, when the control unit 200 determines that the inter-vehicle distance D is equal to or greater than the threshold D1 (step S16; NO), the control unit 200 displays the road information symbol I1n and controls the second display 130 at the same time. The vehicle information symbol I2n is displayed (step S18). Then, returning to step S11, a series of control processes is repeated.

  Hereinabove, one embodiment of the present invention has been described.

  The HUD device 100 according to the present embodiment is characterized in that when displaying a warning symbol I1e and a warning symbol I2e indicating danger, they are displayed so as to be superimposed when viewed from the driver E. By displaying the warning symbol I1e and the warning symbol I2e in a superimposed manner, the display luminance is improved, so that the visibility of the driver E with respect to the emergency information is improved. Further, by employing high-luminance elements as the display elements of the first display 120 and the second display 130, the output of each of the displays 120 and 130 does not need to be increased, and the HUD device 100 can be configured at low cost. can do.

  In addition, it is desirable that the display lights L1 and L2 have the same emission color in order to improve emission luminance.

  As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and applications are possible.

In the present embodiment, the warning symbol I1e and the warning symbol I2e for calling attention are given to the driver E when the inter-vehicle distance D with the vehicle 500 traveling ahead approaches a certain value or more. The present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to, for example, a car navigation system. As an example, the control unit 200 displays an arrow symbol indicating a guidance route as a virtual image V2 so as to overlap with a road viewed through the windshield 310. This arrow symbol is displayed by superimposing a warning symbol I1e and a warning symbol I2e as highlighting symbols. This makes it easier for the driver E to visually recognize the direction in which the vehicle should proceed, and can drive more smoothly.
In addition, the control unit 200 may determine that the vehicle is in an emergency state when the vehicle speed exceeds a predetermined speed or a legal speed, and display the vehicle information symbol I2n as a highlighting symbol after improving the brightness.

  In the present embodiment, the warning symbol I1e and the warning symbol I2e constituting the highlighting symbol have been described by way of example having a circular shape, but the shape is not limited to this. For example, an exclamation point as shown in FIG. It may have a shape that surrounds a mark with a triangle.

  In the present embodiment, control unit 200 may display warning symbol I1e and warning symbol I2e with an animation operation. More specifically, for example, the warning symbol I1e and the warning symbol I2e may be vibrated, or the magnitudes thereof may be continuously changed. Thereby, the driver E can be given a strong impression by the warning symbol I1e and the warning symbol I2e.

  In HUD device 100 according to the present embodiment, control unit 200 may cause warning symbol I1e and / or warning symbol I2e to blink when displaying warning symbol I1e and warning symbol I2e. The control unit 200 can blink the warning symbol I2e through the second display 130, for example, while displaying the warning symbol I1e through the first display 120. In this case, the first display 120 Since there is no need to control the blinking of the driver E, a strong impression can be given to the driver E while the processing load on the control unit 200 is suppressed.

  By attaching an actuator to concave mirror 190 of HUD device 100 according to the present embodiment, the emission directions of display lights N1 and N2 may be adjusted.

  Although the HUD device 100 according to the present embodiment has been described using the example including the first screen 140 and the second screen 150, these may be omitted. In this case, each of the displays 120 and 130 may have a built-in screen.

100 Head-up display device (HUD device)
110 housing 120 first display 130 second display 140 first screen 150 second screen 160 first plane mirror 170 second plane mirror 180 half mirror 190 concave mirror 200 control unit 300 vehicle 310 windshield 320 vehicle Speed detector 400 Imager 410 Imager 420 Inter-vehicle distance detector 500 Vehicle V1, V2 Virtual image I1n Road information symbol I2n Vehicle information symbol I1e, I2e Warning symbol L1, L2, N1, N2 Display light E Driver

Claims (5)

A first display that displays a first virtual image by emitting first display light to the projection target member;
By emitting the second display light to the projection target member, a second virtual image tilted in a horizontal direction with respect to the first virtual image is displayed at a different distance from the first virtual image as viewed from a driver. A second indicator to
A control unit that controls the first display and the second display,
The control unit is configured to view a first display symbol as the first virtual image and a second display symbol as the second virtual image from a driver in consideration of a tilt of the second virtual image. By displaying them so as to be superimposed, the two display symbols are displayed as one highlighting symbol.
Head-up display device. The control unit displays one of the first display symbol and the second display symbol while displaying one of the first display symbol and the second display symbol when displaying the highlighting symbol. Flashing the other, or flashing both the first display symbol and the second display symbol,
The head-up display device according to claim 1. The control unit, when displaying the highlighting symbol, displays with an animation operation,
The head-up display device according to claim 1. The control unit displays the first display symbol and the second display symbol in the same color,
The head-up display device according to claim 1. The control unit determines whether or not the vehicle is in an emergency state when driving the vehicle, and when determining that the vehicle is in an emergency state, displays the highlighting symbol.
The head-up display device according to claim 1.

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