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US-12627778-B2 - Reduced incidental projection of in-dash projector

US12627778B2US 12627778 B2US12627778 B2US 12627778B2US-12627778-B2

Abstract

A vehicle-integrated projector projects an image onto a window of a vehicle including a layer of holographic film. Upon detecting a sensed condition indicative of a possible projection of the image onto a surface beyond the window, projection of the image is adjusted to diminish a visibility of the projection of the image beyond the window independent of headlight actuation.

Inventors

  • John Robert Van Wiemeersch
  • Ryan Joseph Gorski
  • Brendan Francis DIAMOND
  • Haibo Zhao
  • Janice Lisa Tardiff

Assignees

  • FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20230316

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A computing device, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the processor such that the computing device is programmed to: project an image from a vehicle-integrated projector for a heads-up display onto a window of a vehicle including a layer of holographic film; and upon detecting a sensed condition indicative of a possible projection of the image onto a surface beyond the window, adjusting projection of the image to diminish a visibility of the projection of the image beyond the window independent of headlight actuation.
  2. 2 . The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to suppress diminishing the visibility of the projection of the image beyond the window when potential viewers of the projection of the image beyond the window outside of the vehicle are not detected within a predetermined distance from the vehicle.
  3. 3 . The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the condition indicative of the possible projection of the image onto the surface beyond the window includes a predetermined light level outside of the vehicle.
  4. 4 . The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the condition indicative of the possible projection of the image onto the surface beyond the window includes a sensing of the surface in a path of the projection of the image from the vehicle.
  5. 5 . The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the condition indicative of the possible projection of the image onto the surface beyond the window includes a sensing of a geographic location of the vehicle in a diminished light location.
  6. 6 . The computing device of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the image includes dimming the image.
  7. 7 . The computing device of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the image includes blurring a focus of the image beyond the window exceeding any inherent blurring.
  8. 8 . The computing device of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the image includes selectively blurring protected image content of the image.
  9. 9 . The computing device of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the image includes stopping projection of the image from the projector.
  10. 10 . The computing device of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the image includes stopping projection of the image and wirelessly communicating the image to a user device of a passenger for viewing on the user device.
  11. 11 . The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the window includes an electronically tintable layer disposed between the layer of holographic film and an exterior glass layer in at least a portion of the window that the projection of the image impinges on and adjusting the image includes adjusting the tintable layer to a substantially opaque setting to substantially block the projection of the image beyond the tintable layer.
  12. 12 . A method of restricting viewing of an image from a HUD projector projecting beyond a window, the method comprising the steps of: projecting an image from a vehicle-integrated projector for a heads-up display onto a window of a vehicle including a layer of holographic film; and upon detecting a sensed condition indicative of a possible projection of the image onto a surface beyond the window, adjusting projection of the image to diminish a visibility of the projection of the image beyond the window independent of headlight actuation.
  13. 13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the visibility of the projection of the image beyond the window is suppressed when potential viewers of the projection of the image beyond the window outside of the vehicle are not detected within a predetermined distance from the vehicle.
  14. 14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the condition indicative of the possible projection of the image onto the surface beyond the window includes a predetermined light level outside of the vehicle.
  15. 15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the condition indicative of the possible projection of the image onto the surface beyond the window includes a sensing of the surface in a path of the projection of the image from the vehicle.
  16. 16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the condition indicative of the possible projection of the image onto the surface beyond the window includes a sensing of a geographic location of the vehicle in a diminished light location.
  17. 17 . The method of claim 12 , wherein adjusting the image includes dimming the image.
  18. 18 . The method of claim 12 , wherein adjusting the image includes blurring a focus of the image beyond the window exceeding any inherent blurring.
  19. 19 . The method of claim 12 , wherein adjusting the image includes stopping projection of the image from the projector.
  20. 20 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the window includes an electronically tintable layer disposed between the layer of holographic film and an exterior glass layer in at least a portion of the window that the projection of the image impinges on and adjusting the image includes adjusting the tintable layer to a substantially opaque setting to substantially block the projection of the image beyond the tintable layer.

Description

BACKGROUND Vehicles may be equipped with heads-up displays (HUDs) providing a field of view limited to a first occupant having their eyes or eye disposed in an eye-box. The eye-box is a geometrically defined space inside the vehicle from which the first occupant may view the images projected by the HUD. Occupants other than the first occupant, seated in design intent positions within the vehicle, are not able to see the images projected by the HUD associated with the first occupant. Similarly, the other occupants may have their seating positions associated with a HUD that projects images such that the other occupants, but not the first occupant, can see when their eyes or eye are in the eye-box for the associated HUD. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example image projection control system for a vehicle. FIG. 2 is a more detailed block diagram of the example image projection control system of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of first example layers of a laminated windshield. FIG. 4 is a side view of a driver in an example seated position in an example vehicle illustrating both an example image projection angle and an example viewing angle associated with an example projector. FIG. 5 is a side view of an example vehicle with an example projector illustrating an example image projection angle. FIG. 6 illustrates an example incidental projection of the example projection system of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. FIG. 7 illustrates an example positioning of an example vehicle that may result in an incidental projection of the example projection system of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. FIG. 8 illustrates an example relative positioning of vehicles that may be within a viewing range of an incidental projection. FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration of second example layers of a laminated windshield. FIG. 10 is an example flow chart of an example process for reducing incidental projection of the example projector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION As described herein, a vehicle image projection control system may, upon detecting a condition indicative of a possible incidental projection of an image beyond a window of the vehicle, adjust the projection of the image to diminish a visibility of the incidental projection image beyond the window. Conditions indicative of such a possible incidental projection may include an ambient light level below a predetermined light level, and sensing a surface that may serve as a projection surface. Adjusting the projection of the incidental projection image may include dimming the image, blurring the image, and stopping projection of the image. Advantageously, as described herein, a computing device comprises a processor and a memory. The memory of the vehicle image projection control system stores instructions executable by the processor such that the computer is programmed to execute such instructions. Such instructions may include the following. An image is projected from a vehicle-integrated projector for a heads-up display onto a window of a vehicle including a layer of holographic film, e.g., a layer of photopolymer film bearing one or more holographic optical elements. Upon detecting a sensed condition indicative of a possible projection of the image onto a surface beyond the window, projection of the image is adjusted to diminish a visibility of the projection of the image beyond the window independent of headlight actuation. The computing device may be further programmed to consider additional factors prior to scheduling the sending of any message or messages to the user device as per the below clauses. To the extent that such features are not mutually exclusive, they may be combined with each other. The diminishing of the visibility of the projection of the image beyond the window may be suppressed when potential viewers of the projection of the image beyond the window outside of the vehicle are not detected within a predetermined distance from the vehicle. The condition indicative of the possible projection of the image onto the surface beyond the window may include a predetermined light level outside of the vehicle. The condition indicative of the possible projection of the image onto the surface beyond the window may include a sensing of the surface in a path of the projection of the image from the vehicle. The condition indicative of the possible projection of the image onto the surface beyond the window may include a sensing of a geographic location of the vehicle in a diminished light location. Adjusting the image may include dimming the image. Adjusting the image may include blurring a focus of the image beyond window, the blurring exceeding any inherent blurring. Adjusting the image may include blurring being selectively applied to protected image content. Adjusting the image may include stopping projection of the image from the projector. Adjusting the image may include stopping projection of the image from the projector and wirelessly communicating