Apparatus for viewing data in a vehicle

Abstract: Apparatus (1) for viewing data in a vehicle, in which there is an emitter-projector unit (3) for at least two separate blocks of images corresponding to respective blocks of data to be viewed, deflector units (6,7) for the image blocks disposed along the paths of the image blocks themselves and operable to make these paths diverge, restrictor devices (13,14) for the light beams corresponding to the image blocks coming from the deflector units (6,7), and respective reflecting devices (17;19,20), disposed along the paths of these light beams and operable to direct the blocks of images coming from the deflector units (6,7) towards the eyes (19') of the vehicle driver.

Description: The present invention relates to apparatus for viewing data in a vehicle. A prior art device is known from DE-A-33 47 271. In particular the present invention relates to an apparatus allowing displaying in predetermined zones disposed in front of the driver of a vehicle, of virtual images disposed at a greater distance than that between the driver's eyes and the zones. As is known, much information useful for the correct driving of a vehicle is visible by observation of the various indicators and instruments disposed on the vehicle's instrument panel. Such observation is inconvenient and somewhat tiring because of the fact that, during driving, the driver continuously observes the external environment and the road, focusing his vision substantially at infinity whilst, when it is necessary to observe the instruments on the instrument panel, this focusing must be modified rapidly to allow extremely close objects to be brought into focus. The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for viewing data in a vehicle, able to eliminate or, at least significantly attenuate, the disadvantages described with reference to the known art. According to the present invention, which is defined in claim 1, there is provided an apparatus for viewing data in a vehicle, comprising an emitter-projector unit for at least two separate blocks of images corresponding to respective blocks of data to be displayed, deflector units for deflecting the said blocks of images disposed along the paths of the blocks of images themselves, and operable to render such paths divergent, and respective reflecting means, disposed along these paths, operable to direct the blocks of images coming from the said deflector units towards the eyes of the vehicle driver. The present invention will now be described, purely by way of non-limitative example, with reference to the attached drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic view of a viewing apparatus formed according to the principles of the present invention; and Figure 2 is a detail on an enlarged scale, of Figure 1. With reference to Figure 1, the reference numeral 1 generally indicates a data viewing apparatus disposed in a vehicle, not illustrated. The apparatus 1 comprises a central processing unit 2 adapted to send data constituted by images such as numbers, letters or symbols, to a display 3, for example of the back-lit liquid crystal type illuminated by illuminator means 4 disposed rearwardly thereof. As illustrated in Figure 2, in front of the display 3, which, as will become clear hereinbelow, constitutes an emitter-projector unit for at least two separate blocks of images corresponding to respective blocks of data to be displayed, there is disposed a microprism screen 5 of type known per se, operable to divert the light rays which traverse it, in the specific example the luminous images coming from the display 3, through a determined angle. This microprism screen 5 is divided vertically into lower and upper sections or directional microprism filters 6 and 7, which hereinafter will also be termed "deflector units" and are respectively illustrated to the left and right of Figure 2, in which the microprisms, defining in combination with one another in the region of each section 6 and 7, a substantially saw tooth surface, are disposed respectively in such a manner as to deflect the light rays upwardly and downwardly respectively as the light traverse the sections 6 and 7. Consequently, still with reference to Figure 2, an image emitted by the display 3 and intersecting the section 7 in the form of a light ray or lobe 8, after having traversed the section 7 itself, has the form of a light ray or lobe 9 inclined upwardly (towards the right in Figure 2) whilst an image emitted by the display 3 and intersecting, in the form of a light ray or lobe 10 the section 6, after having traversed the section 6 itself presents the form of a light ray or lobe 11 inclined downwardly (towards the left in Figure 2). In front of the microprism screen 5, on the opposite side of the microprism screen 5 from the display 3, there is disposed an obscuring screen 12 of type known per se, divided vertically into two "venetian blind" screens 13 and 14, a lower and an upper screen respectively, illustrated to the left and right respectively in Figure 2. The shape of the venetian screens 13 and 14, which will also hereinafter be termed "restrictor means" for the light rays corresponding to the image blocks coming from the microprism screen 5, is such as to restrict the said light rays or lobes 11 and 19 to give rise to respective light rays or lobes 15 and 16 of reduced dimensions. It is to be noted that the function of the said directional microprism filters 6 and 7 and of the venetian screens 13 and 14 is to prevent the said images corresponding to the light rays or lobes 10 and 8 from being even partially superimposed. The light lobe 16, coming from the directional microprism filter 7 and the venetian screen 14 arrives at a mirror 17 which, in practice, is constituted by the instrument panel or dashboard of the vehicle, and from this mirror 17 is reflected through a transparent protective panel or dashboard cover 18, towards the eyes 19' of the vehicle driver. It will be noted that this mirror 17, if desired, could also be adapted to enlarge the images coming from the display 3 in known manner. The light lobe 15, coming from the directional microprism filter 6 and the venetian shutter 13, arrives at a reflecting screen 19 and, from this reflecting screen 19, is reflected towards the internal surface of the vehicle windscreen 20 which in turn reflects it towards the eyes 19' of the vehicle driver. It is to be noted that the reflecting screen 19 also, if desired, can be adapted to enlarge images coming from the display 3 in known manner. In use, the light lobes or rays 15 and 16, corresponding to the images emitted from different regions, upper and lower regions respectively, of the display 3, are restricted and made to diverge from one another by passage in succession through the directional microprism filters 6 and 7 and through the venetian shutters 13 and 14, and give rise to corresponding images which can be seen by the driver of the said vehicle on the said mirror 17 and on a portion of the internal surface of the vehicle windscreen 20 respectively. The first of these images is a virtual image which, to the eyes 19' of the vehicle driver, comes not from a distance equal to that separating the eyes 19' from the mirror 17, but rather from a distance, for example 1.2 metres, equal to this plus the length of the path the light ray or lobe 15 travels to reach the mirror 17 from the display 3. Similarly, the second of the said images is a virtual image which, to the eyes 19' of the vehicle driver, comes not from a distance equal to that separating the eyes 19' from the said portion of the inner surface of the windscreen 20, but rather from a distance, for example 2 metres, corresponding to this distance plus the length of the path the light ray or lobe 16 travels to reach the reflecting screen 19 from the display 3, in turn increased by the length of the path the light ray or lobe 16 travels to reach the windscreen 20 from the reflecting screen 19. Consequently, the vehicle driver, in order to view, for example information of vital importance to the driving of the vehicle, such as the alarm signals relating to the functioning of the engine, must displace his view only slightly from the road, bringing it to the lower part of the windscreen 20, and has no need significantly to modify his focusing in that the information which can be viewed in this part of the windscreen 20 comes, in practice, from a distance of at least two metres. In this way the images relating to the information viewed are superimposed to those of the road. On the other hand, for the purpose of viewing information of lesser importance, such as, for example, the direction indicators, with a modest effort to bring it into focus, the driver must displace his view onto the mirror 17, that is to say onto the vehicle dash board, with this act gathering images coming from a distance substantially equal to 1.2 metres. It is noted that, naturally, by replication of one and/or the other of the optical units described, there could be more than two data-viewing zones, on the condition that the display 3 emits, from different zones, different blocks of images to be treated with the various optical units envisaged. It is moreover noted that the said microprism directional filters 6 and 7 and the said venetian screens 13 and 14 could be replaced by other technically equivalent optical units.

Claims: Apparatus for presenting image data to a person driving a vehicle, comprising: a display panel (3) connected to a central processing unit (2) such that first and second blocks of image data (8, 10) can be displayed in respective first and second separated regions of said display panel (3), and means (4) for projecting the displayed image data in a direction substantially perpendicular to the main surface of said panel (3), first and second deflector elements (7, 6), each one located in front of a respective one of said first and second panel regions, for deflecting image light from said regions into respective first and second optical paths (9, 11) whose main directions are divergent with respect to each other, and first and second reflecting means (17, 19, 20) respectively disposed in said first and second optical paths (9, 11) for directing said first and second blocks of image data towards the position of the eyes (19') of the person driving the vehicle. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first reflecting means (17) includes a first reflecting screen (17) disposed on the vehicle dash board for receiving said first block of image data from said first panel region and for directing it directly towards the eyes (19') of the person driving the vehicle, and said second reflecting means (19, 20) includes a second reflecting screen (19) for receiving said second block of image data from the said second panel region and a third reflecting screen (20) located for receiving the said second block of image data from the said second reflecting screen (19) and for directing it towards the eyes (19') of the person driving the vehicle. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said third reflecting screen (20) is constituted by an internal portion of the vehicle windscreen. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said deflector elements include directional microprism filters (6,7). An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, further including restrictor means (13,14) disposed in said first and second optical paths (9, 11) between said deflector elements (6,7) and said reflecting means (19, 17), for restricting the dimensions of each of the light lobes corresponding to said first and second blocks of image data. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said restrictor means include venetian screens (13, 14).

Inventors: CARUSO PIETRO, PAIRETTI BARTOLOMEO, VARALDA GIUSEPPE, CARUSO, PIETRO
Applicants: MAGNETI MARELLI SPA, MAGNETI MARELLI S.p.A.
Application year: 1992
Main classification: G02B27
IPC codes: G02B27