Abstract: A noise suppressing arrangement in the form of an interface is provided between a data transfer circuit and a driver associated with a display unit vacuum fluorescent display (VFD) tube. The driver and power supply circuits associated with the display unit feature improved arrangements which attenuate surges and spikes. The voltage appearing on the grid of the VFD is controlled by a circuit which is responsive to a signal produced by a microcomputer which controls the illumination and which induces changes in the voltages applied across the filament of the VFD. The level of illumination can be automatically controlled by light sensor and illumination levels above default values which are automatically reset to optimal values each time the system is initially energized.

Abstract: A heads up display arrangement for a vehicle comprises a combiner arranged on a front window panel, and a projector arranged for projecting a value of a frequency received by a radio receiver. During operation of an automatic tuning mechanism of the radio receiver, the value of received frequency is not outputted to the projector.

Abstract: An indication display unit for a vehicle provides a driver with a circular meter indication by an analog meter having a scale disposed along with a circumference and an indication needle disposed inside the circumference, which is made in consideration not only from the function's point of view as is conventionally done, but also from the view point of the decorative design as well so as to produce many user's long-awaited new type of interesting meter indication.

Abstract: The present invention has disclosed an indication display unit for a vehicle enabling a driver to sight an indicated image on a windshield thereof comprising, a display device for indicating an image thereon, a light source for projecting light to the above display device, a lens through which the indicated image is projected on the windshield, a light conducting means provided between the display device and the lens, having a light detecting element and a window portion therein, a shutter means for intercepting incident sunbeams or the like rotatably arranged near said light conducting means, and a control means for controlling the shutter means.

Abstract: An indication display unit for a vehicle according to the present invention comprises an indicator secured to a ceiling in a car room for displaying images indicated thereon, and a reflecting means disposed forwardly of a driver seat and formed with a reflecting surface for reflecting the above indicated image, characterized in that the ratio of the forwardly side length of an indicated pattern on the indicator to the rearwardly side length thereof is settled equal to that of the distance between a predetermined visual position on the driver seat side and the forwardly side length of the indicated pattern to the distance between the visual position and the rearwardly side length of the indicated pattern respectively through the reflective surface therebetween so as to acquire the indicated image without distortion.

Abstract: A display for a vehicle arranged such that displays indicating driving information such as engine speeds, water temperatures and so on are disposed in the portion other than the dash board of the vehicle whereby information form the displays can be visibly recognized form the driver's seat by projecting the same to a reflecting member disposed in the portion of the instrument panel in the dash board wherein semi-transmissable cover plates are provided on the front surfaces of the displays confornting the reflecting member as to reduce an influence of light from outside of vehicle through the windshield glass, to prevent reduction in the contrast of the display image for the purpose of obtaining a display image exhibiting excellent visibility and quality.

Abstract: An indication display unit for vehicles according to the present invention includes a reflecting member having a reflecting surface directed to a driver's seat, and an indicating device having an indicating surface directed to the reflecting surface of the reflecting member. Information concerning driving operation of the vehicle indicated on the indicating surface is projected directly or indirectly through a reflecting mirror to the reflecting member so as to be visually observed by the driver by way of the reflection thereon. The invention also includes a drive mechanism for shifting the position of the reflecting member in upward or downward to adjust the height thereof and a solenoid for pivotally shifting the reflecting mirror, when it is used, in response to the movement of the reflecting member for reflecting the information in the most effective angle toward the driver in accordance with the vehicle speed.

Abstract: A head-up display having an image source for producing imaging illumination, an optical combiner for partially reflecting the imaging illumination to produce a virtual image of the image source that is viewable by the operator of the vehicle, and a polarizer which can be controllably interposed between the image source and the optical combiner for nighttime use. The polarizer tends to block the illumination that otherwise would produce objectionable ghost images.

Abstract: In a head up display apparatus for an automotive vehicle including a projector unit disposed at the ceiling of the automotive vehicle to project display images and a half-mirror reflector unit for reflecting the projected display images to the driver, the height of the half-mirror reflector unit and the angular position of the projector unit are automatically adjusted according to vehicle speed, so that virtual display images can be appropriately seen by the driver ahead of the half mirror reflector unit along the driver's eye direction variable according to vehicle speed, by use of a relatively small half-mirror reflector unit.

Abstract: In a display apparatus for an automotive vehicle including a projector disposed at the ceiling of the automotive vehicle to project display images and a half mirror for reflecting projected display images to the driver, an angular position of the half mirror surface from the lateral direction of the vehicle is automatically adjusted according to vehicle lateral acceleration. Therefore, the driver can appropriately see virtual display images ahead of the half mirror along the driver's eye direction variable according to vehicle lateral acceleration.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a head-up display for a motor vehicle having a dashboard with a top surface, which comprises a projector enclosed in the dashboard, the projector including a light source, an object from which visual information is to be displayed and a lens, an aperture formed on the top surface of the dashboard which is covered by the lens or a transparent member for preventing dust or the like from entering thereinto, a reflecting member provided in front of a driving seat on which light projected from the projector through the aperture is reflected to produce the image of the visual information thereon, and a reflection preventing member for preventing the reflection of light entering from the outside of the vehicle on the lens of the projector or on the transparent member. An antireflection coating such as a black paint is applied on the upper surface of the reflection preventing member.

Abstract: A display apparatus for a vehicle comprises a unit for projecting display pattern provided by a display unit onto a projecting face in front of a driver's seat, the projecting unit having first and second display devices respectively forming virtual images in positions different from each other in front of the projecting race; and a unit for visually overlapping an outer landscape in front of a front glass and the virtual images of the display patterns provided by the projecting unit. The display apparatus further comprises a half mirror for making a display pattern of the first display device penetrate therethrough, and reflecting a display pattern of the second display device.

Abstract: A display apparatus for a vehicle comprises a unit for projecting display patterns provided by a display unit onto a projecting face in front of a driver's seat, the projecting unit having first and second display devices respectively forming virtual images in positions different from each other in front of the projecting face; and a unit for visually overlapping an outer landscape in front of a front glass and the virtual images of the display patterns provided by the projecting unit. The display apparatus further comprises a half mirror for making a display pattern of the first display device penetrate therethrough, and reflecting a display pattern of the second display device.

Abstract: A display apparatus for an automotive vehicle for displaying a vehicular driving information, such as vehicle speed, fuel amount, engine coolant temperature and so forth, includes a light shield interpositioned between a semi-transparent projector panel, on which information containing virtual image is formed, and a transparent panel which covers a cavity formed in an instrument panel for receiving an optical image projector device. The transparent panel is so designed as to reflect lights, such as sun beam toward the light shield. With this construction, the sun beam and so forth reflected by the transparent panel can be absorbed by the light shield to maintain contrast of the virtual image formed on the projector panel satisfactorily high and thus may not affect to visibility of the displayed image.

Abstract: A display apparatus for an automotive vehicle comprises a projector disposed at the ceiling of a vehicle passenger compartment to project display images and a reflecting member pivotally disposed in a dashboard of the vehicle to reflect the display images projected by the projector toward the driver. The reflecting member is a mirror or a hologram plate. The display images are stable without being subjected to the influence of external sunlight, while increasing the field of vision on the front windshield. Further, when the hologram plate is used, it is possible to obtain large display images in spite of a small-sized projector and to improve the visual recognizability of display images.

Abstract: An indication display unit for vehicles which enables a driver to sight an indication image comprises an image projector device including an indicating means, a light source and an optical system for the image projector, a projecting surface means having a concave surface in front of driver's seat with a predetermined interval, and means for making an image of indications projected from the image projector at the point of driver's eyes.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a multiple exposure hologram includes an object beam cut out mask 24 and reference beam cut out mask 60. Different segments of the masks are left uncovered during each exposure step and operate to shape the reference 18 and object 16 beams so that they illuminate selected areas of the photosensitive plate 12. The angle of incidence of the object beam 16 remains constant during each exposure step while the reference beam 18 illuminates the plate 12 at different angles during each exposure step. During playback, a plurality of lamps 94-106 project reconstruction beams at the hologram 12 to individually or collectively render the holographic segments viewable with a minimum of crosstalk between each segment. In the preferred embodiment, the reference beam mask includes diamond-shaped cut outs 62-74 which are selectively used with associated object beam mask cut outs 28-40 to generate a hologram in the form of a seven-segment display.

Abstract: To display various vehicle images or TV programs to a driver taking a front seat or to a passenger taking a rear seat by a head-up display apparatus for an automotive vehicle, the head-up display apparatus comprises a driver half mirror disposed on the dashboard, a passenger mirror disposed on a console box disposed between two front seats, and a projector unit having a CRT and a pivotal reflecting mirror driven by a motor from a first driver position to a second passenger position or vice versa in response to control signals from a control circuit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a multiple exposure hologram includes an object beam cut out mask 24 and reference beam cut out mask 60. Different segments of the masks are left uncovered during each exposure step and operate to shape the reference 18 and object 16 beams so that they illuminate selected areas of the photosensitive plate 12. The angle of incidence of the object beam 16 remains constant during each exposure step while the reference beam 18 illuminates the plate 12 at different angles during each exposure step. During playback, a plurality of lamps 94-106 project reconstruction beams at the hologram 12 to individually or collectively render the holographic segments viewable with a minimum of crosstalk between each segment.

Abstract: A display apparatus for a vehicle of the type wherein a display image of a display device located near a focus of an optical system is projected on a front glass of the vehicle so that a virtual image of the display image may be focused at a position forwardly of the front glass. In the display apparatus, when external light entering the optical system has an intensity higher than a predetermined level, a light intercepting means prevents the external light from being received by the display device, thereby preventing thermal destruction of the display device which may possibly be caused by heat given to the display device by intense external light such as the sunlight which is condensed by the optical system.

Abstract: In a display apparatus for an automotive vehicle including a projector disposed at the ceiling of the automotive vehicle to project display images and a half mirror for reflecting projected display images to the driver, an angular position of the half mirror surface from the lateral direction of the vehicle is automatically adjusted according to vehicle lateral acceleration. Therefore, the driver can appropriately see virtual display images ahead of the half mirror along the driver's eye direction variable according to vehicle lateral acceleration.

Abstract: In a head up display apparatus for an automotive vehicle including a projector unit disposed at the ceiling of the automotive vehicle to project display images and a half-mirror reflector unit for reflecting the projected display images to the driver, the height of the half-mirror reflector unit and the angular position of the projector unit are automatically adjusted according to vehicle speed, so that virtual display images can be appropriately seen by the driver ahead of the half-mirror reflector unit along the driver's eye direction variable according to vehicle speed, by use of a relatively small half-mirror reflector unit.

Abstract: Segmented displays are provided on an automobile windshield by stacked or linearly arrayed holograms containing separate display segments selectively illuminatable by different wavelengths of light to provide a variable display. Each hologram is edge illuminated by a wavelength which differs from the wavelength used to illuminate adjacent holograms to provide, for example, a seven segment or bar graph display. A second embodiment provides a single hologram containing a seven segment digit with light beams selectively directed on the digits to display desired numerals.

Abstract: A head-up display for use in an automotive or other vehicle having limited space. The optical path from display symbol generator to a collimating lens is folded to fit in a relatively compact housing. Also shown is the use of the automobile windshield as a combiner glass for the display. Corrective lenses, and in particular crossed linear fresnel lenses, are used to correct for the astigmatism introduced by the geometry of the windshield. This provides a combination of optical powers for the display lens and the windshield which has the resultant effect of projecting an image from the image source to the driver's eye. The source is a high light output array of light-emitting diodes. A microprocessor based controller for detecting the status of inputs from the automobile is shown. Data is periodically loaded into a random access memory dedicated to controlling the display.

Abstract: A display system according to the present invention is provided with a projective display unit for projecting a display image of a display device which displays various data, onto a front glass of the vehicle and forming a virtual image of the display image in front of the front glass, and a position adjusting means for adjusting the position of the virtual image formed in front of the front glass by shifting a projective optical axis of the display image extending to the front glass, whereby the whole surface of the front glass in front of the driver can be utilized as a display image projection surface and hence the virtual image of the display image can be formed in a desired position aligned with the line of vision of the driver without obstructing the front sight of the driver.

Abstract: A reflecting apparatus for use with vehicle instrument panels to permit the operator of the vehicle to view instrument indicia when direct viewing thereof is obstructed by the vehicle steering column and/or wheel. A reflecting member is aligned substantially parallel to the instrument panel. The reflecting member has a semicircular profile, the radius of the reflecting member being substantially uniform along the longitudinal length thereof. The reflecting member is pivotal about a point along the longitudinal axis thereof, the pivoting point of the reflecting member being other than the center of curvature of the reflecting member. The reflecting member is typically mounted below the instrument indicia and intermediate the operator of the vehicle and the instrument panel. The relative position of the reflecting member with respect to the instrument indicia provides a noninverted image when viewed by the vehicle operator.