US 5,142,274 AGranted

Silhouette illuminated vehicle head-up display apparatus

AssigneeDelco Electronics Corporation

InventorsMorgan D. Murphy, James M. Clem

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Abstract

An improved vehicle head-up display apparatus in which both the display and pointer of the image source are illuminated for low ambient driver viewing by a back lighting means mounted on the rear face of the display. A generally opaque applique includes a translucent region in registry with the backlit area, and bright opaque graphic symbols painted or deposited onto a surface of the applique wihin the translucent region. A pointer disposed in proximity to the front surface of the applique is provided with juxtaposed bright opaque and transparent regions. In high ambient lighting conditions when the back lighting means is not lit, a front lighting means illuminates the bright opaque graphic symbols and pointer stripes so that a viewer of the projected display perceives an image of the bright opaque graphic symbols and pointer stripes. In low ambient lighting conditions when the back lighting means is lit, the viewer perceives a projection of the opaque graphic symbols and pointer stripes in silhouette against the relatively bright translucent regions of the applique and pointer, respectively.

Claims9

Dependent claims

Motor vehicle head-up display apparatus adapted to project a display to be viewed by a vehicle occupant during both high and low ambient lighting conditions, comprising:

means for sourcing an image to be projected;
means for backlighting the image sourcing means during low ambient lighting conditions, the back lighting means mounted in proximity of a rear surface of the image sourcing means, the rear surface facing opposite a direction of an image projection path;
and
front lighting means for lighting the image source from the front during high lighting conditions, the front lighting means not being lit when the back lighting means is lit and the back lighting means not being lit when the front lighting means is lit;
the image sourcing means including a film means with a translucent display region and bright opaque graphic symbols forced on a surface of said display region which faces in the direction of the image projection path so that when the front lighting means is illuminating the front of the image source, the occupant perceives a projection of the bright opaque graphic symbols, and so that when the back lighting means is back-lighting the image source the occupant perceives the graphic symbols in silhouette against the lighted translucent display region of said film means.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.