Head up display with an angled light pipe
AssigneeRockwell Collins, Inc.
InventorsRobert D. Brown, Eric P. Stratton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A head up display includes a light pipe and a waveguide combiner. The light pipe is configured to expand a pupil in a first direction and includes an input grating and an output put grating. The light pipe also includes four elongated surfaces, and the input grating and the output grating are provided in one or more planes parallel to two of the elongated surfaces. The waveguide combiner is configured to expand the pupil in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The first light pipe is disposed at an angle with respect to a waveguide combiner.
Claims20
A head up display, comprising:
- a light pipe configured to expand a pupil in a first direction and comprising an input grating and an output grating, the light pipe comprising four elongated surfaces comprising at least two elongated surfaces that are parallel to each other, wherein the input grating and the output grating are provided in one or more planes parallel to the two elongated surfaces or on at least one of the elongated surfaces;
- and
- a waveguide combiner in optical communication with the light pipe and comprising a main surface disposed at an angle with respect to the two elongated surfaces, the waveguide combiner being configured to expand the pupil in a second direction along the main surface perpendicular to the first direction.
A method of providing information to a user, the method comprising:
- providing light from a projector;
- providing the light from the projector to a light pipe and expanding a pupil in a first direction in the light pipe;
- and
- providing the light from the light pipe to a waveguide combiner having a main surface, wherein the light pipe has an elongated surface disposed at an angle and spaced apart from the main surface of the waveguide combiner.
A head up display system, comprising:
- at least one light pipe having four elongated surfaces, wherein a first pair of the elongated surfaces are parallel to each other and a second pair of the elongated surfaces are perpendicular to the first pair of the elongated surfaces;
- and
- a waveguide combiner having a main surface for viewing an image and an input grating, the waveguide combiner being disposed such that the first pair of the elongated surfaces are spaced apart from and disposed at an angle with respect to the main surface of the waveguide combiner, wherein the at least one light pipe is configured to expand a pupil in a first direction and provide light to the input grating of the waveguide combiner, the waveguide combiner being configured to expand the pupil in a second direction on the main surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.