KR20100009227A - Head up display apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A head up display device is provided to enable a driver to easily check driving information of a vehicle regardless of external environment. CONSTITUTION: A controller(250) controls the luminance of the light which a light source emits using a PWM(Pulse Width Modulation) mode. According to the luminance and the temperature of the external light, the controller controls the luminance of the light which the light source emits. The controller controls the luminance of the light which the light source emits in order to compare the luminance with the luminance of the external light. An image part(210) displays images by the light which a light source emits.

Description

Head Up Display Apparatus

The present invention relates to a head up display device.

The head-up display device may be used to effectively transmit driving information or surrounding situation information to the driver while driving an aircraft or a vehicle.

The head-up display device provides driving information and surrounding situation information within the front of the driver, that is, within the range of the driver's line of sight, while driving the aircraft or vehicle, thereby allowing the driver to drive the aircraft or vehicle more safely. It is possible.

On the other hand, the conventional head-up display device has a problem that it is difficult for the driver to easily grasp various information such as driving information when the illuminance of light irradiated from the outside is relatively high.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a head-up display device that allows a driver to more easily check various information such as driving information of an aircraft or a vehicle regardless of an external environment.

The head-up display device according to the present invention includes a light source, a control unit for adjusting the brightness of light emitted by the light source using a pulse width modulation (PWM) scheme, and an image unit for implementing an image with light emitted by the light source. can do.

In addition, the controller may adjust the luminance of the light emitted by the light source according to the illuminance and the temperature of the external light.

In addition, the controller may adjust the luminance of light emitted by the light source to be proportional to the illuminance of the external light.

In addition, the control unit adjusts the luminance of light emitted by the light source in a first order function proportionally to the illuminance of the external light in an environment lower than the reference temperature. Can be adjusted proportionally.

In addition, the light source may use an LED or a LASER.

In addition, the imaging unit may change the gamma value according to the luminance of light emitted from the light source.

In addition, another head-up display device according to the present invention adjusts the brightness of the light emitted by the light source by using a light source and a pulse width modulation (PWM) method, and the brightness level of the light emitted by the light source is 100 or more steps It may include a control unit for adjusting within a range of less than 4000 steps and an image unit for implementing an image with the light emitted by the light source.

In addition, the frequency of the pulse width modulation scheme may be 80 kHz or more and 120 kHz or less.

In addition, the luminance difference between two consecutive stages of brightness of light emitted by the light source may be 2nit or more and 5nit or less.

In addition, another head-up display device according to the present invention, when the illuminance of the light source and the external light is the first illuminance, the luminance of the light emitted by the light source is the first luminance, and the second illuminance with the external illuminance higher than the first illuminance When the luminance of the light emitted by the light source is a second luminance higher than the first luminance, when the illuminance of the external light is a third illuminance higher than the second illuminance, the luminance of the light emitted by the light source is a third luminance higher than the second luminance And, if the illuminance of the external light is a fourth illuminance higher than the third illuminance, the controller may include a controller for setting the luminance of the light emitted by the light source to a fourth luminance higher than the third luminance and an image unit for implementing an image with the light emitted by the light source. have.

In addition, when the temperature is the first temperature lower than the reference temperature, the control unit changes the luminance change rate of the light emitted from the light source between the first and second illuminances between the third and fourth illuminances. The light source can be made substantially the same as the rate of change of luminance of light generated.

In addition, when the temperature is a second temperature higher than the reference temperature, the control unit changes the luminance change rate of the light emitted from the light source between the first and second illuminances between the third and fourth illuminances. The light source can be different from the rate of change of luminance of light generated.

In addition, when the difference between the second luminance and the first luminance is referred to as a first value, and the difference between the fourth luminance and the third luminance is referred to as a second value, the controller is configured to generate a first temperature when the temperature is a first temperature lower than the reference temperature. The first value is smaller than the first value when the temperature is the second temperature higher than the reference temperature, and the second value when the temperature is the first temperature lower than the reference temperature is the second value when the temperature is higher than the reference temperature. It can be made larger than the second value.

The head-up display apparatus according to the present invention adjusts the luminance of light emitted by using a pulse width modulation (PWM) scheme, thereby allowing the driver to operate the aircraft or vehicle even when the illumination intensity from the outside is relatively high. There is an effect that makes it easier to check a variety of information.

Hereinafter, a head-up display device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a head-up display device.

Referring to FIG. 1, in a general head-up display apparatus 100, an image unit (not shown) implements a predetermined image by using light emitted from a light source (not shown), and a windshield of the vehicle displays an image implemented by the image unit. You can project in the direction of (Windshield).

Then, the driver 110 may see the virtual image 120 formed on the outside of the windshield of the vehicle. In this manner, the head-up display apparatus 100 may provide the driver 110 with various information required.

In addition, the driver 110 may perform a more stable driving by easily checking the information provided by the head-up display apparatus 100 in a state where the driver 110 does not greatly deviate from the driving direction of the vehicle.

2 is a view for explaining the configuration of the head-up display device in more detail.

Referring to FIG. 2, the head up display apparatus according to the present invention may include a light source 200, an image unit 210, and a controller 250. In addition, the head-up display apparatus may further include an external light detector 26, a temperature detector 270, and a lens unit 220.

The light source 200 emits light for displaying an image. Such light sources may preferably use LEDs or LASERs.

The imaging unit 210 may implement an image with light emitted from the light source 200.

For example, when the light source 200 emits light, the light emitted by the light source 200 may implement a predetermined image while passing through the image unit 210. To this end, the imaging unit 210 may be an LCD, LCOS or DMD.

The image implemented by the image unit 210 may be reflected by the lens unit 220 and projected onto a combiner 230 disposed in the windshield 240.

Then, the driver may check the virtual image formed on the outside of the windshield 240.

Here, the combiner 230 may be omitted, and the windshield 240 may replace the role of the combiner 230.

The external light detector 260 may detect illuminance of light incident from the outside.

The temperature detector 270 may detect the ambient temperature. Preferably, the temperature sensor 270 may detect a temperature inside the head-up display device.

The controller 250 may adjust the luminance of light emitted from the light source 200 by using a pulse width modulation (PWM) scheme. In detail, the controller 250 may adjust the luminance of the light emitted by the light source 200 according to the illuminance of the external light detected by the external light detector 260 and the temperature detected by the temperature detector 250.

3 to 5 are views for explaining the configuration and operation of the controller in more detail.

First, referring to FIG. 3, the controller 250 controls the brightness of the light emitted by the light source 200 using a pulse width modulation scheme, as shown in FIG. 3, as shown in FIG. 3. It may include.

When the PWM signal generator 300 generates a PWM signal for selecting the luminance of light emitted by the light source, the driver 310 converts the PWM signal generated by the PWM signal generator 300 into a drive signal for operation of the light source. Can be converted and output. When the driving signal output by the driver 310 is supplied to the light source, the light source may emit light having a predetermined luminance.

For example, when the PWM signal generator 300 supplies the PWM signal Ps having a pulse width of W1 as shown in FIG. 4A, the light source emits light having a luminance corresponding to W1. In the case where the PWM signal Ps having the pulse width of W2 is supplied as shown in FIG. 4B, the light source can emit light having a luminance corresponding to W2. Here, comparing the case of (a) and the case of (b), the luminance of the light emitted by the light source in the case of (b) is higher than the luminance of the light emitted by the light source in the case of (a).

As described above, when the brightness of light emitted from the light source is adjusted by the PWM method, the brightness of the light emitted by the light source can be controlled by a simple method of adjusting the pulse width of the PWM signal, thereby the brightness of the light emitted by the light source. The adjustment of can be easy.

In addition, the PWM signal generator 300 may increase the pulse width of the generated PWM signal when the illuminance of light incident from the outside is relatively high.

Then, as in the case of FIG. 5, when the illuminance of light incident from the outside is between A and B, the luminance of the light emitted by the light source may vary from the first to the Nth stages.

For example, when the illuminance of the external light is the first illuminance a, the luminance of the light emitted by the light source is the first luminance a1, and the illuminance of the external light is the second illuminance b higher than the first illuminance a. In this case, the luminance of light emitted by the light source is the second luminance b1 higher than the first luminance a1, and the luminance of the light emitted by the light source when the illuminance of the external light is the third illuminance c higher than the second illuminance b). Is the third luminance c1 higher than the second luminance b1, and when the illuminance of the external light is the fourth illuminance d higher than the third illuminance c, the luminance of the light emitted by the light source is the third luminance c1. It is higher fourth luminance d1.

That is, as in the case of FIG. 5, the controller 250 may adjust the luminance of the light emitted by the light source 200 to be proportional to the illuminance of the external light.

Then, even when the illuminance of the light incident from the outside is relatively high, the driver can easily check various information provided by the head-up display device.

In the present invention, the number of luminance steps of light emitted by the light source may be sufficiently large. Preferably, the brightness level of the light emitted by the light source may be adjusted within a range of 100 to 4000 steps. Then, even if the external environment changes abruptly, the driver can easily check various information necessary for driving. Looking at this in more detail as shown in FIG.

6 is a view for explaining in detail the luminance step of the light emitted by the light source.

FIG. 6 shows data of sensory evaluation of whether or not the driving information displayed by the head-up display device is read when the number of luminance steps of light emitted by the light source is between 30 and 5000, and difficulty in controlling luminance of light emitted by the light source. The data for evaluating is shown.

Here, when the sensory evaluation whether or not the driving information displayed by the head-up display device is read is performed in a sensory manner, in the state where the driving information is displayed at the maximum brightness, the illuminance of light incident from the outside is set from zero to the maximum of the headlight of the vehicle. Increasingly to the level of brightness, a large number of observers have taken into account the sensory evaluation of whether the driving information is easy to read.

In addition, the luminance difference between two consecutive steps is set to about 3 nits, and the X mark indicates that the driving information is not easy to read, and the ◎ mark indicates that most observers can easily read the driving information. It is very good at indicating that the mark is relatively good.

First, in terms of reading the driving information, it can be seen that when the number of luminance steps of light emitted by the light source is 30 to 80, it is very poor.

In such a case, the maximum luminance of the light emitted by the light source may be excessively low. For example, assuming that the minimum luminance of light emitted by the light source is approximately 3 nits, the maximum luminance is 3+ (29 ㅧ 3) = 90 nits. As such, since the maximum luminance of the light emitted by the light source is excessively low, when the illuminance of the light irradiated from the outside is relatively high, it may be very difficult to read the travel information displayed by the head-up display device.

On the other hand, it can be seen that when the number of luminance steps of light emitted by the light source in terms of reading the driving information is 900 to 5000, it is very good.

For example, when the number of luminance steps of light emitted by the light source is 3000, the maximum luminance of the light emitted by the light source may be sufficiently high. For example, if the lowest luminance of light emitted by the light source is approximately 3 nits, the maximum luminance is 3+ (2999 x 3) = 9000 nits. In this case, since the maximum luminance of the light emitted by the light source is sufficiently high, the driver may easily read the driving information displayed by the head-up display device even when the illuminance of the light radiated from the outside is relatively high.

In addition, it can be seen that when the number of luminance steps of light emitted by the light source in terms of reading the driving information is 100 to 400, it is relatively good.

On the other hand, in view of the difficulty of control, it can be seen that when the number of luminance steps of light emitted by the light source is 5000, it is very poor.

In such a case, the maximum luminance of the light emitted by the light source may be excessively high. For example, if the lowest luminance of light emitted by the light source is approximately 3 nits, the maximum luminance is 3+ (4999 x 3) = 15,000 nits. In order to implement the 15000 nits, excessive power consumption may be caused. In addition, in order to set the number of luminance steps to 5000, the pulse width of the PWM signal must be controlled differently over 5000 steps. Control can be overly difficult.

On the other hand, in view of the difficulty of control, it can be seen that when the number of luminance steps of light emitted by the light source is 30 to 3000, it is very good.

In this case, it is not very difficult to control the pulse width of the PWM signal over 3000 steps, and the maximum luminance in this case is 3+ (2999 ㅧ 3) = 6000 nit, which is a light source using such a 6000 nit luminance LED or LASER. Can be easily generated.

In terms of difficulty of control, it can be seen that when the number of luminance steps of light emitted by the light source is 3500 to 4000, it is relatively good.

In consideration of the above, the number of luminance steps of light emitted by the light source may be preferably between 100 and 4000, and more preferably between 900 and 3000.

In addition, it may be desirable that the luminance difference between two consecutive stages of brightness of light emitted by the light source is 2 nits or more. In this case, even when the maximum brightness of the light is sufficiently high and the illuminance of the light incident from the outside is excessively high, the driver can easily read the driving information displayed by the head-up display device. In addition, in order to prevent the maximum brightness of the light emitted by the light source from being excessively high, it may be desirable that the luminance difference between two consecutive steps among the brightness levels of the light emitted by the light source is 5 nits or less.

In addition, in order to change the pulse width of the PWM signal in as many steps as possible while preventing the occurrence of flicker, the frequency of the pulse width modulation method used to adjust the luminance of the light emitted by the light source is 80 Hz or more and 120 Hz or less. It may be desirable. For example, when the frequency of the pulse width modulation method is less than 80 kHz, the frequency of light emitted by the light source is excessively low, so that the driver can recognize the flicker phenomenon, and the frequency of the pulse width modulation method is 120. If larger than n, the number of luminance steps of light emitted by the light source cannot be sufficiently increased. More specifically, when the frequency of the pulse width modulation method is 130 Hz, it may be very difficult to set the number of luminance steps of the light emitted by the light source to 3000.

Therefore, it may be preferable that the frequency of the pulse width modulation scheme used for adjusting the luminance of the light emitted by the light source is 80 kHz or more and 120 kHz or less.

7 to 8 are diagrams for explaining an example of a method of adjusting the brightness of the light emitted by the light source according to the temperature.

First, referring to FIG. 7, in an environment lower than the reference temperature, for example, the first temperature, the luminance of light emitted by the light source may be adjusted to be linearly proportional to the illuminance of the external light as shown at 700. Here, when the temperature is the first temperature lower than the reference temperature as shown in (700), the rate of change of the luminance of light emitted by the light source between the first and second illuminance (a) and the second illuminance (b) is the illuminance of the external light. Between the third roughness (c) and the fourth roughness (d) may be substantially the same as the rate of change of the luminance of light generated by the light source.

On the other hand, in an environment higher than the reference temperature, for example, the second temperature, it is possible to adjust the luminance of the light emitted by the light source to be exponentially proportional to the illuminance of the external light as shown in 710.

Here, the first temperature is room temperature, may be from about 0 ℃ to about 40 ~ 70 ℃, the second temperature may be higher than the first temperature. Thus, the reference temperature can be determined at approximately 40-70 ° C.

On the other hand, when the temperature is the second temperature higher than the reference temperature as shown in 710, the rate of change in the luminance of light emitted by the light source between the first and second illuminance (a) and the second illuminance (b) is the illuminance of the external light. Between the third illuminance (c) and the fourth illuminance (d) may be different from the rate of change of the luminance of light generated by the light source. Here, the rate of change of the luminance of light emitted from the light source between the first illuminance (a) and the second illuminance (b) is that the illuminance of the external light is between the third illuminance (c) and the fourth illuminance (d). It may be larger than the rate of change of luminance of light to be generated.

That is, the difference between the second luminances b1 and b2 and the first luminances a1 and a2 is referred to as the first values b1-a1 and b2-a2, and the fourth luminances d1 and d2 and the third luminance ( When the difference between c1 and c2 is referred to as the second values d1-c1 and d2-c2, the first value b1-a1 when the temperature is the first temperature lower than the reference temperature as shown in (700) is ( As shown in 710, the temperature is smaller than the first value b2-a2 when the temperature is the second temperature higher than the reference temperature.

In addition, the second value d1-c1 when the temperature is the first temperature lower than the reference temperature as shown in 700, and the second value d2 when the temperature is the second temperature higher than the reference temperature as shown in 710. -c2).

As described above, when the temperature is a relatively high second temperature, as shown in 710, when the luminance of light emitted by the light source is adjusted to be proportionally exponentially with the illuminance of the external light, the light is controlled using the LED or the LASER. It is possible for the light source to generate to perform stable operation irrespective of temperature.

For example, when the temperature is a relatively high temperature, the light source using the LED or the LASER may be different from the case where the light emission characteristic is a relatively low room temperature. At room temperature, the light source can increase the brightness of light generated in response to the increase rate of the pulse width of the PWM signal, but at high temperature, the light source reacts more sensitively to the increase rate of the pulse width of the PWM signal at a lower brightness level. While the luminance of light is increased relatively quickly, the luminance of light generated by reacting insensitively to the increase rate of the pulse width of the PWM signal can be increased relatively slowly at a high luminance level.

Therefore, in consideration of the light emission characteristics of the light source described above, it may be desirable to adjust the luminance of the light emitted by the light source to be exponentially proportional to the illuminance of the external light when the second temperature is relatively high as shown in 710. It is.

Alternatively, as in the case of FIG. 8, a change in luminance of light may be variously changed according to a change in temperature.

For example, when the temperature is the first temperature, the luminance of the light emitted by the light source is adjusted in the form of ①, and when the temperature is the second temperature higher than the first temperature, the luminance of the light emitted by the light source is adjusted in the form of ②. If the temperature is a third temperature higher than the second temperature, the luminance of the light emitted by the light source is adjusted in the form of ③, and when the temperature is the fourth temperature higher than the third temperature, the light source is emitted in the form of ④. It is possible to adjust the brightness of the light.

9 is a diagram for describing an example of a method of adjusting a gamma value according to luminance.

Referring to FIG. 9, in the head-up display device according to the present invention, it is possible to differently adjust a gamma value according to the luminance of light emitted from a light source. That is, the image unit may change the gamma value according to the luminance of the light emitted by the light source so that the driver may more easily read the displayed driving information even if the luminance of the light emitted by the light source changes abruptly.

As such, the technical configuration of the present invention described above can be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features of the present invention.

Therefore, the exemplary embodiments described above are to be understood as illustrative and not restrictive in all respects, and the scope of the present invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing detailed description, and the meaning and scope of the claims are as follows. And all changes or modifications derived from the equivalent concept should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention.

1 is a view for schematically explaining a head-up display device.

2 is a view for explaining the configuration of a head-up display device in more detail.

3 to 5 are views for explaining the configuration and operation of the controller in more detail.

6 is a view for explaining in detail the luminance step of the light emitted by the light source.

7 to 8 are diagrams for explaining an example of a method of adjusting the brightness of light emitted by a light source according to temperature.

9 is a diagram for explaining an example of a method of adjusting a gamma value according to luminance.

<Description of the numbers for the main parts of the drawings>

200: light source 210: image part

220: lens unit 230: combiner

240: windshield 250: control unit

260: external light detection unit 270: temperature detection unit

Claims (13)

Light source; A control unit controlling a brightness of light emitted from the light source using a pulse width modulation (PWM) scheme; And An image unit for implementing an image with light emitted from the light source; Head-up display device comprising a. The method of claim 1, The control unit The head-up display device for adjusting the brightness of the light emitted by the light source in accordance with the illuminance and temperature of the external light. The method of claim 2, The control unit And a brightness of the light emitted from the light source to be proportional to the illuminance of the external light. The method of claim 3, wherein The control unit In an environment lower than a reference temperature, the luminance of the light emitted by the light source is adjusted to be linearly proportional to the illuminance of the external light. And a head-up display apparatus for controlling the luminance of light emitted by the light source to be exponentially proportional to the illuminance of external light in an environment higher than the reference temperature. The method of claim 2, The light source is a head-up display device using the LED or LASER. The method of claim 1, The image unit is a head-up display device for changing the gamma value according to the brightness of the light emitted by the light source. Light source; A control unit for controlling the brightness of the light emitted by the light source by using a pulse width modulation (PWM) method, and controlling a brightness level of the light emitted by the light source within a range of 100 to 4000 steps; And An image unit for implementing an image with light emitted from the light source; Head-up display device comprising a. The method of claim 7, wherein And a frequency of the pulse width modulation method is 80 Hz or more and 120 Hz or less. The method of claim 7, wherein The brightness difference of two consecutive stages of the brightness stage of the light emitted by the light source is 2nit more than 5nit less head-up display device. Light source; When the illuminance of the external light is the first illuminance, the brightness of the light emitted by the light source is the first brightness, and when the illuminance of the external light is the second illuminance higher than the first illuminance, the brightness of the light emitted by the light source is the first brightness. A second luminance higher than the luminance is set, and when the illuminance of the external light is a third illuminance higher than the second illuminance, the luminance of the light emitted by the light source is a third luminance higher than the second luminance, and the illuminance of the external light is A controller configured to set the luminance of light emitted by the light source to a fourth luminance higher than the third luminance when the fourth illuminance is higher than the third illuminance; And An image unit for implementing an image with light emitted from the light source; Head-up display device comprising a. The method of claim 10, The control unit When the temperature is the first temperature lower than the reference temperature, the luminance change rate of the light emitted by the light source between the first illuminance and the second illuminance may be determined by the illuminance of the external light being the third illuminance and the fourth illuminance. The head-up display device which is made substantially the same as the rate of change of the luminance of light generated by the light source between the illuminance. The method of claim 10, The control unit When the temperature is a second temperature higher than a reference temperature, the rate of change of the luminance of light emitted by the light source between the first illuminance and the second illuminance is equal to the third illuminance and the fourth illuminance. The head-up display device which is different from the luminance change rate of light generated by the light source between the illuminance. The method of claim 10, The difference between the second luminance and the first luminance is referred to as a first value, When the difference between the fourth brightness and the third brightness is a second value, The control unit The first value when the temperature is a first temperature lower than the reference temperature is made smaller than the first value when the temperature is a second temperature higher than the reference temperature, And the second value when the temperature is the first temperature lower than the reference temperature is greater than the second value when the temperature is the second temperature higher than the reference temperature.

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