Single LCD for cluster and HUD
AssigneePananasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
InventorThomas Barron
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A combined head up display and instrument cluster arrangement for a motor vehicle includes a substantially planar liquid crystal display having a first side and a second side opposite the first side. A first area of the liquid crystal display is viewable as an instrument cluster display by a human viewer who is disposed closer to the first side than to the second side. A backlight is disposed closer to the first side than to the second side. The backlight is aligned with a second area of the liquid crystal display such that a light field is emitted by the backlight through the second area. Head up display optics are positioned to receive the light field.
Claims21
A combined head up display and instrument cluster arrangement for a motor vehicle, the arrangement comprising:
- a substantially planar liquid crystal display including a first side and a second side opposite the first side, a first area of the liquid crystal display being viewable as an instrument cluster display by a human viewer who is disposed closer to the first side than to the second side;
- a backlight disposed closer to the first side than to the second side, the backlight being aligned with a second area of the liquid crystal display such that a light field is emitted by the backlight through the second area;
- and
- head up display optics positioned to receive the light field.
A method of providing a head up display and an instrument cluster in a motor vehicle, the method comprising:
- providing a substantially planar liquid crystal display including a first side and a second side opposite the first side, a first area of the liquid crystal display being viewable as an instrument cluster display by a human viewer who is disposed closer to the first side than to the second side;
- providing a backlight disposed closer to the first side than to the second side, the backlight being aligned with a second area of the liquid crystal display;
- emitting a light field from the backlight through the second area;
- and
- placing head up display optics in position to receive the light field.
A motor vehicle, comprising:
- a substantially planar liquid crystal display including a first side and a second side opposite the first side, a first area of the liquid crystal display being viewable as an instrument cluster display by a human viewer who is disposed closer to the first side than to the second side;
- a backlight disposed closer to the first side than to the second side, the backlight being configured to emit a light field through the second area;
- head up display optics positioned to receive the light field after the light field has passed through the second area;
- and
- a windshield positioned to receive a first reflection of the light field from the head up display optics and provide a second reflection of the light field, the second reflection of the light field being visible to the human viewer as a virtual image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.