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EP-4649350-B1 - PROJECTION ARRANGEMENT

EP4649350B1EP 4649350 B1EP4649350 B1EP 4649350B1EP-4649350-B1

Inventors

  • CAPPUCCILLI, Michele
  • GREVERATH, Julian
  • REUFSTECK, Gabriele
  • ARNDT, MARTIN

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240306

Claims (15)

  1. Projection assembly (100) for displaying a virtual image (9a, 9b, 9c) for a viewer whose eye position is located in an eyebox (10a, 10b, 10c), at least comprising: - a laminated pane (1) having a projection region (P), a main see-through region (H), an upper edge (O), a lower edge (U), and two lateral pane edges (S), wherein the projection region (P) is arranged outside the main see-through region (H), and the laminated pane (1) comprises an outer pane (2) having an outer surface (I) and an interior surface (II), an inner pane (3) having an outer surface (III) and an interior surface (IV), and a thermoplastic intermediate layer (4) arranged between the outer pane (2) and the inner pane (3), and has an opaque masking layer (5) outside the main see-through region (H), at least in the projection region (P), - an image display device (6) arranged on the interior side, which is directed towards the projection region (P), wherein the image display device (6) is a matrix display, and - a control element (7) that is suitable for selectively controlling different matrices (8a, 8b, 8c) of the image display device (6) for displaying the virtual image (9a, 9b, 9c) for different positions of the eyebox (10a, 10b, 10c).
  2. Projection assembly (100) according to claim 1, wherein the control element (7) is suitable for controlling at least a first matrix (8a) for an upper position of the eyebox (10a), a second matrix (8b) for a middle position of the eyebox (10b) and a third matrix (8c) of the image display device (6) for a lower position of the eyebox (10c).
  3. Projection assembly (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the opaque masking layer (5) is arranged in a peripheral edge region and, in particular in a section which overlaps with the projection region (P) has a greater width than in sections different therefrom.
  4. Projection assembly (100) according to any of claims 1 to 3, additionally comprising an adaptation unit that ascertains the position of the eyebox (10a, 10b, 10c) corresponding to the eye position from information entered by the viewer regarding his eye position and outputs an electrical signal to the control element (7) for selectively controlling the matrix (8a, 8b, 8c) corresponding to the ascertained position of the eyebox (10a, 10b, 10c).
  5. Projection assembly (100) according to any of claims 1 to 4, additionally comprising a detection device (11) for detecting the eye position of the viewer and an electronic control device (12) that is configured to ascertain the position of the eyebox (10a, 10b, 10c) corresponding to the eye position on the basis of the eye position ascertained by means of the detection device (11), and to output an electrical signal to the control element (7) for selectively controlling the matrix (8a, 8b, 8c) corresponding to the ascertained position of the eyebox (10a, 10b, 10c).
  6. Projection assembly (100) according to claim 5, wherein the detection device (11) performs infrared detection and has a radiation source for emitting infrared radiation and a radiation receiver for receiving infrared radiation.
  7. Projection assembly (100) according to claim 6, wherein the laminated pane (1) additionally has a functional layer reflecting infrared radiation, and the radiation source and the radiation receiver are arranged so that infrared radiation emitted by the radiation source can be reflected by the functional layer onto the face of the viewer as first reflection radiation, the first reflection radiation can be reflected by the face of the viewer onto the functional layer as second reflection radiation, and the second reflection radiation reflected by the functional layer as third reflection radiation can be reflected to the radiation receiver and received by the radiation receiver.
  8. Projection assembly (100) according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the image display device (6) is curved in plan view.
  9. Projection assembly (100) according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the laminated pane (1) is bent.
  10. Projection assembly (100) according to claim 8 or 9, additionally comprising a distortion element.
  11. Projection assembly (100) according to any of claims 1 to 10, wherein the opaque masking layer (5) is formed as a coating of the interior surface (II) of the outer pane (2) or of the outer surface (III) of the inner pane (3), as an opaque insert element arranged between the outer pane (2) and the inner pane (3), or as an opaque colored region of the thermoplastic intermediate layer (4).
  12. Projection assembly (100) according to any of claims 1 to 11, wherein a reflective element (13) for reflecting visible light is arranged in the projection region (P) between the outer pane (2) and the inner pane (3) or on the interior surface (IV) of the inner pane (3), and wherein the reflective element (13) is arranged spatially in front of the opaque masking layer (5) when viewed through the laminated pane (1).
  13. Motor vehicle having a projection assembly (100) according to any of claims 1 to 12.
  14. Method for operating a projection assembly (100) for displaying a virtual image (9a, 9b, 9c) for a viewer whose eye position is located in an eyebox (10a, 10b, 10c), wherein the projection assembly (100) comprises a laminated pane (1), an image display device (6) and a control element (7), the laminated pane (1) has a projection region (P), a main see-through region (H), an upper edge (O), a lower edge (U) and two lateral pane edges (S), wherein the projection region (P) is arranged outside the main see-through region (H), and the laminated pane (1) comprises an outer pane (2) having an outer surface (I) and an interior surface (II), an inner pane (3) having an outer surface (III) and an interior surface (IV), and a thermoplastic intermediate layer (4) arranged between the outer pane (2) and the inner pane (3), and has an opaque masking layer (5) outside the main see-through region (H), at least in the projection region (P), wherein the image display device (6) is arranged on the interior side, is directed towards the projection region (P) and is a matrix display, and wherein the position of the eyebox (10a, 10b, 10c) is ascertained and the control element (7) selectively controls the matrix (8a, 8b, 8c) of the image display device (6) corresponding to the ascertained position of the eyebox (10a, 10b, 10c) for displaying the virtual image (9a, 9b, 9c).
  15. Use of a projection assembly (100) according to any of claims 1 to 12 in vehicles for traffic on land, in the air, or on water, wherein the laminated pane (1) is preferably a windshield.

Description

The invention relates to a projection arrangement for a vehicle, a motor vehicle with a projection arrangement and a method for operating a projection arrangement. Modern cars are increasingly equipped with so-called head-up displays (HUDs). A projector, typically located in the dashboard area, projects images onto the windshield, where they are reflected and perceived by the driver as a virtual image (from their perspective) behind the windshield. This allows important information to be projected into the driver's field of vision, such as current speed, navigation instructions, or warnings, which the driver can see without taking their eyes off the road. Head-up displays can thus significantly contribute to improving road safety. Head-up displays often suffer from the problem that the area of the windshield intended to reflect the light projected by the projector must have a high transparency, typically at least 70%. This means the reflected light from the projector is superimposed on ambient light, which, depending on the lighting conditions, can lead to a reduction in the contrast of the virtual image and thus to poorer visual perception for the driver. Sufficient visual perception of safety-relevant information, such as lane guidance, speedometer, or engine speed, should be ensured in all weather and lighting conditions. To achieve a projection setup based on head-up display technology that avoids unwanted background images and provides good visibility with sufficient brightness and contrast of the displayed image information, the contrast in the windshield's reflective area can be increased. This contrast enhancement can be achieved, for example, by making the background of the reflective area largely or completely opaque. WO 2022/161894 A1 Disclosing a vehicle windscreen for a head-up display, comprising at least one transparent screen, at least one first masking strip in an edge area of the screen and at least one light-directing device for directing light into the vehicle interior or at least one image display device for displaying image information, which is arranged in the area of the masking strip, on the vehicle interior side of the masking strip. The virtual image is typically generated within a so-called eyebox. The eyebox describes an area inside the vehicle where the viewer's eyes must be positioned to see the virtual image. Thus, an eyebox is defined as an area whose height and width correspond to a theoretical viewing window. A viewer whose eyes are positioned within the eyebox can perceive the virtual image; all elements of the virtual image are visible to the viewer. If the eyes move outside the eyebox, the viewer can only perceive the virtual image partially or not at all. The corners of the eyebox and the virtual image define the cone of vision. The path of light connecting the center of the eyebox to the center of the display is called the central ray. The projector beam direction in head-up displays can typically be varied using mirrors, particularly vertically, to adjust the projection to the viewer's height and thus their vertical eye position. The area within which the viewer's eyes must be positioned to perceive the virtual image, given the mirror position, is called the eyebox, as described above. This eyebox can be shifted vertically by adjusting the mirrors. DE 10 2015 104 834 A1 Disclosing a method for setting a relative position between a head-up display device of a motor vehicle and the eye position of a user of the motor vehicle, in which optical information is generated by an image generation unit of the head-up display device, which is reflected by a combination mirror of the head-up display device movably arranged on a housing of the head-up display device within a viewing zone in the direction of the user, wherein, depending on the eye position of the user, the housing with the combination mirror as a complete unit is positionally adjusted such that the viewing zone is directed towards the eye position. DE 10 2015 109 027 A1 Disclosing a head-up display unit for a vehicle for generating a virtual image of the vehicle environment in the driver's field of vision, wherein the display unit comprises an emission unit for generating and emitting an image signal that is projected onto a multiply folded projection path into the driver's field of vision, and wherein the display unit comprises at least one movable reflector that influences a part of the projection path, and wherein the display of the virtual image is influenced by a controlled change in the orientation of the movable reflector. as well as by modifying the emitted image signal compared to a raw image signal, among other things to compensate for distortions due to the curvature of the windscreen and a shift in eye position as well as vehicle movement. In DE 10 2017 130 376 A1 A display device as a head-up display for a vehicle is disclosed, comprising a lighting unit designed to emit light to display a virtual im