JP7780574B2 - Head-up display - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a head-up display.

In the future, it is expected that public roads will have a mixture of vehicles operating in autonomous mode and vehicles operating in manual mode.

In the future autonomous driving society, visual communication between vehicles and humans is expected to become increasingly important. For example, visual communication between a vehicle and its occupants is expected to become increasingly important. In this regard, visual communication between a vehicle and its occupants can be achieved using a head-up display (HUD). A head-up display projects images or videos onto a windshield or combiner, and then superimposes the images on real space through the windshield or combiner for the occupants to view, thereby achieving what is known as augmented reality (AR).

As an example of a head-up display, Patent Document 1 discloses a display device equipped with an optical system for displaying a three-dimensional virtual image using a transparent display medium. The display device projects light onto the windshield or combiner into the driver's field of vision. Some of the projected light passes through the windshield or combiner, while other light is reflected by the windshield or combiner. This reflected light is directed toward the driver's eyes. The driver perceives the reflected light as a virtual image that appears to be an object on the other side of the windshield or combiner (outside the vehicle), against the background of real objects visible through the windshield or combiner.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-45103

However, with existing head-up displays, there is room for improvement in the configuration that expands the display range of the virtual image.

Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a head-up display that can expand the image display range at low cost.

In order to achieve the above object, a head-up display according to one aspect of the present invention comprises:
A head-up display provided in a vehicle and configured to display a predetermined image toward an occupant of the vehicle,
an image generating unit that emits light for generating the predetermined image;
a reflecting unit that reflects the light emitted by the image generating unit so that the light is irradiated onto a windshield or a combiner,
The image generation unit has a changing image generation unit that generates a changing image from the specified image that changes depending on the situation of the vehicle, and a fixed image generation unit that generates a fixed image from the specified image that remains fixed regardless of the situation.

With the above configuration, a fixed image can be generated by adding it to a changing image, thereby expanding the image display range without increasing the size of the costly changing image generation unit.

In order to achieve the above object, a head-up display according to another aspect of the present invention comprises:
A head-up display provided in a vehicle and configured to display a predetermined image toward an occupant of the vehicle,
a varying image generating unit that emits light for generating a varying image of the predetermined image that changes depending on the situation of the vehicle;
a reflecting unit that reflects the light emitted by the transition image generating unit so that the light is irradiated onto a windshield or a combiner;
a fixed image generating unit that generates a fixed image from among the predetermined images regardless of the situation,
The fixed image generation unit
A light source and
an optical member that transmits or reflects light emitted from the light source;
The image display device further includes a light-shielding member that is provided on the opposite side of the optical member from the light source and transmits the light in accordance with the shape of the fixed image.

With the above configuration, a fixed image can be generated by adding it to a changing image, thereby expanding the image display range without increasing the size of the costly changing image generation unit.

This invention makes it possible to provide a head-up display that can expand the image display range at low cost.

1 is a block diagram of a vehicle system including a head-up display (HUD) according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a HUD. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of an image generating unit. FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram of a fixed image generating unit that constitutes the image generating unit of FIG. 3A. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of a changing image and a fixed image that form a virtual image object. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating other examples of changing images and fixed images that form a virtual image object. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an image generating unit according to a second embodiment. FIG. 6B is a schematic diagram of a fixed image generating unit that constitutes the image generating unit of FIG. 6A. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a HUD according to a first modified example. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an image generating unit according to a third embodiment. 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a changing image and a fixed image forming a virtual image object generated by an image generating unit according to the third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an image generating unit according to a modified example of the third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a vehicle system including a head-up display (HUD) according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the HUD in FIG. 11 . FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a fixed image generating unit included in the HUD of FIG. 11 . FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a HUD according to a second modified example.

An embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as this embodiment) will be described below with reference to the drawings. For the sake of convenience, the dimensions of each component shown in the drawings may differ from the actual dimensions of each component.

Furthermore, for the sake of convenience, the description of this embodiment may refer to the "left-right direction," "up-down direction," and "front-rear direction" as appropriate. These directions are relative directions set for the HUD (Head-Up Display) 20 shown in FIG. 2. Here, the "left-right direction" includes the "left direction" and the "right direction." The "up-down direction" includes the "upward direction" and the "downward direction." The "front-rear direction" includes the "forward direction" and the "rearward direction." Although not shown in FIG. 2, the left-right direction is a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and the front-rear direction.

A vehicle system 2 equipped with a HUD 20 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a block diagram of the vehicle system 2. A vehicle 1 equipped with the vehicle system 2 is a vehicle (automobile) capable of running in autonomous driving mode.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle system 2 includes a vehicle control unit 3, a sensor 5, a camera 6, a radar 7, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 8, a GPS (Global Positioning System) 9, a wireless communication unit 10, and a storage device 11. The vehicle system 2 also includes a steering actuator 12, a steering device 13, a brake actuator 14, a brake device 15, an accelerator actuator 16, and an accelerator device 17. The vehicle system 2 also includes a HUD 20.

The vehicle control unit 3 is configured to control the driving of the vehicle 1. The vehicle control unit 3 is configured, for example, by at least one electronic control unit (ECU). The electronic control unit includes a computer system (e.g., a SoC (System on a Chip)) equipped with one or more processors and memory, and an electronic circuit composed of active elements such as transistors and passive elements such as resistors. The processor includes, for example, at least one of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and a TPU (Tensor Processing Unit). The CPU may be configured by multiple CPU cores. The GPU may be configured by multiple GPU cores. The memory includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). A vehicle control program may be stored in the ROM. For example, the vehicle control program may include an artificial intelligence (AI) program for autonomous driving. The AI program is a program (trained model) constructed by supervised or unsupervised machine learning (particularly, deep learning) using a multi-layer neural network. The RAM may temporarily store the vehicle control program, vehicle control data, and/or surrounding environment information indicating the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1. The processor may be configured to load a program specified from various vehicle control programs stored in the ROM onto the RAM and execute various processes in cooperation with the RAM. The computer system may also be composed of non-von Neumann computers such as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) and FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays). Furthermore, the computer system may be composed of a combination of von Neumann and non-von Neumann computers.

Sensor 5 includes at least one of an acceleration sensor, a speed sensor, and a gyro sensor. Sensor 5 is configured to detect the driving state of vehicle 1 and output driving state information to vehicle control unit 3. Sensor 5 may further include a seating sensor that detects whether the driver is sitting in the driver's seat, a face direction sensor that detects the direction of the driver's face, an external weather sensor that detects external weather conditions, and a human presence sensor that detects whether there is a person inside the vehicle.

The camera 6 is a camera including an imaging element such as a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor), etc. The camera 6 includes one or more external cameras 6A and an internal camera 6B.
The external camera 6A is configured to acquire image data showing the environment surrounding the vehicle 1 and then transmit the image data to the vehicle control unit 3. The vehicle control unit 3 acquires surrounding environment information based on the transmitted image data. Here, the surrounding environment information may include information about objects (pedestrians, other vehicles, signs, etc.) present outside the vehicle 1. For example, the surrounding environment information may include information about the attributes of the objects present outside the vehicle 1 and information about the distance and position of the objects relative to the vehicle 1. The external camera 6A may be configured as a monocular camera or a stereo camera.

The internal camera 6B is disposed inside the vehicle 1 and is configured to acquire image data showing the occupant. The internal camera 6B functions, for example, as an eye-tracking camera that tracks the occupant's viewpoint E (described later in FIG. 2). The internal camera 6B is disposed, for example, near the rearview mirror or inside the instrument panel.

The radar 7 includes at least one of a millimeter-wave radar, a microwave radar, and a laser radar (e.g., a LiDAR unit). For example, the LiDAR unit is configured to detect the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1. In particular, the LiDAR unit is configured to acquire 3D mapping data (point cloud data) indicating the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1 and then transmit the 3D mapping data to the vehicle control unit 3. The vehicle control unit 3 identifies surrounding environment information based on the transmitted 3D mapping data.

The HMI 8 is composed of an input unit that accepts input operations from the driver, and an output unit that outputs driving information and the like to the driver. The input unit includes a steering wheel, accelerator pedal, brake pedal, and a driving mode selector switch that switches the driving mode of the vehicle 1. The output unit is a display (excluding the HUD) that displays various driving information.

The GPS 9 is configured to acquire current location information of the vehicle 1 and output the acquired current location information to the vehicle control unit 3.

The wireless communication unit 10 is configured to receive information about other vehicles around the vehicle 1 (e.g., driving information, etc.) from the other vehicles and transmit information about the vehicle 1 (e.g., driving information, etc.) to the other vehicles (vehicle-to-vehicle communication). The wireless communication unit 10 is also configured to receive infrastructure information from infrastructure facilities such as traffic lights and marker lights and transmit vehicle 1 driving information to the infrastructure facilities (road-to-vehicle communication). The wireless communication unit 10 is also configured to receive pedestrian information from portable electronic devices (smartphones, tablets, wearable devices, etc.) carried by pedestrians and transmit vehicle 1 driving information to the portable electronic devices (pedestrian-to-vehicle communication). The vehicle 1 may communicate directly with other vehicles, infrastructure facilities, or portable electronic devices in ad hoc mode, or via an access point. The vehicle 1 may also communicate with other vehicles, infrastructure facilities, or portable electronic devices via a communication network (not shown). The communication network includes at least one of the Internet, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and a radio access network (RAN). Examples of wireless communication standards include Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), LPWA, DSRC (registered trademark), and Li-Fi. Vehicle 1 may also communicate with other vehicles, infrastructure equipment, or portable electronic devices using a fifth-generation mobile communication system (5G).

The storage device 11 is an external storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD). The storage device 11 may store two-dimensional or three-dimensional map information and/or a vehicle control program. For example, the three-dimensional map information may be composed of 3D mapping data (point cloud data). The storage device 11 is configured to output the map information and vehicle control program to the vehicle control device 3 in response to a request from the vehicle control device 3. The map information and vehicle control program may be updated via the wireless communication device 10 and a communication network.

When vehicle 1 is traveling in autonomous driving mode, vehicle control unit 3 automatically generates at least one of a steering control signal, an accelerator control signal, and a brake control signal based on driving condition information, surrounding environment information, current position information, map information, etc. Steering actuator 12 is configured to receive a steering control signal from vehicle control unit 3 and control steering device 13 based on the received steering control signal. Brake actuator 14 is configured to receive a brake control signal from vehicle control unit 3 and control brake device 15 based on the received brake control signal. Accelerator actuator 16 is configured to receive an accelerator control signal from vehicle control unit 3 and control accelerator device 17 based on the received accelerator control signal. In this way, vehicle control unit 3 automatically controls the traveling of vehicle 1 based on driving condition information, surrounding environment information, current position information, map information, etc. In other words, in autonomous driving mode, the traveling of vehicle 1 is automatically controlled by vehicle system 2.

On the other hand, when vehicle 1 is traveling in manual driving mode, vehicle control unit 3 generates steering control signals, accelerator control signals, and brake control signals in accordance with the driver's manual operation of the accelerator pedal, brake pedal, and steering wheel. In this way, in manual driving mode, the steering control signals, accelerator control signals, and brake control signals are generated by the driver's manual operation, so the traveling of vehicle 1 is controlled by the driver.

As described above, the driving modes include an automated driving mode and a manual driving mode. The automated driving modes include, for example, a fully automated driving mode, an advanced driving assistance mode, and a driving assistance mode. In the fully automated driving mode, the vehicle system 2 automatically performs all driving control, including steering, braking, and acceleration, and the driver is not in a state where he or she can drive the vehicle 1. In the advanced driving assistance mode, the vehicle system 2 automatically performs all driving control, including steering, braking, and acceleration, and the driver is in a state where he or she can drive the vehicle 1 but does not drive the vehicle 1. In the driving assistance mode, the vehicle system 2 automatically performs some driving control, including steering, braking, and acceleration, and the driver drives the vehicle 1 with the driving assistance of the vehicle system 2. On the other hand, in the manual driving mode, the vehicle system 2 does not automatically perform driving control, and the driver drives the vehicle 1 without the driving assistance of the vehicle system 2.

HUD 20 is configured to display predetermined information (hereinafter referred to as HUD information) as an image to the occupants of vehicle 1 so that the HUD information is superimposed on the real space outside vehicle 1 (particularly the surrounding environment ahead of vehicle 1). The HUD information displayed by HUD 20 includes, for example, vehicle driving information related to the driving of vehicle 1 and/or surrounding environment information related to the surrounding environment of vehicle 1 (particularly information related to objects present outside vehicle 1). HUD 20 is an AR display that functions as a visual interface between vehicle 1 and the occupants.

The HUD 20 includes an image generation unit (PGU) 24 and a control unit 25. The image generation unit 24 includes a changing image generation unit 24A and a fixed image generation unit 24B.
The image generating unit 24 is configured to emit light for generating a predetermined image to be displayed toward the occupants of the vehicle 1. The variable image generating unit 24A emits light for generating a variable image, among the predetermined images, that changes depending on the situation of the vehicle 1. The fixed image generating unit 24B emits light for generating a fixed image, among the predetermined images, that remains fixed regardless of the situation of the vehicle 1.

The control unit 25 controls the operation of each unit of the HUD 20. The control unit 25 is connected to the vehicle control unit 3 and controls the operation of, for example, the changing image generation unit 24A and the fixed image generation unit 24B based on vehicle driving information, surrounding environment information, etc. transmitted from the vehicle control unit 3. Note that in this embodiment, the vehicle control unit 3 and the control unit 25 are provided as separate components, but the vehicle control unit 3 and the control unit 25 may also be configured as an integrated unit. For example, the vehicle control unit 3 and the control unit 25 may be configured as a single electronic control unit.

(First embodiment)
2 is a schematic diagram of the HUD 20 according to the first embodiment as viewed from the side of the vehicle 1. At least a portion of the HUD 20 is located inside the vehicle 1. Specifically, the HUD 20 is installed in a predetermined location inside the vehicle 1. For example, the HUD 20 may be disposed inside the dashboard of the vehicle 1.

As shown in FIG. 2, the HUD 20 includes a HUD main body 21. The HUD main body 21 has a housing 22 and an exit window 23. The exit window 23 is made of a transparent plate that transmits visible light. Inside the housing 22, the HUD main body 21 has an image generation unit 24 (changing image generation unit 24A, fixed image generation unit 24B), a control unit 25, and a concave mirror 26 (an example of a reflecting unit).

The concave mirror 26 is arranged on the optical path of the light emitted from the image generation unit 24 (changing image generation unit 24A, fixed image generation unit 24B). The concave mirror 26 is configured to reflect the light emitted from the image generation unit 24 toward the windshield 18 (e.g., the front window of the vehicle 1). The concave mirror 26 has a reflective surface that is concavely curved to form a predetermined image, and reflects the light image emitted and focused from the image generation unit 24 at a predetermined magnification. The concave mirror 26 may have a drive mechanism 27 and be configured to rotate the orientation of the concave mirror 26 based on a control signal sent from the control unit 25.

The control unit 25 is equipped with a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and memory, and the processor executes a computer program read from the memory to control the operation of the image generation unit 24 (changing image generation unit 24A, fixed image generation unit 24B). For example, the control unit 25 generates a control signal for controlling the operation of the image generation unit 24 based on vehicle driving information and surrounding environment information transmitted from the vehicle control unit 3, and transmits the generated control signal to the image generation unit 24. The control unit 25 may also control the concave mirror 26 to change its orientation.

Light emitted from the image generation unit 24 (changing image generation unit 24A, fixed image generation unit 24B) is reflected by the concave mirror 26 and emitted from the exit window 23 of the HUD main body 21. The light emitted from the exit window 23 of the HUD main body 21 is irradiated onto the windshield 18. A portion of the light irradiated from the exit window 23 onto the windshield 18 is reflected toward the occupant's viewpoint E. As a result, the occupant perceives the light emitted from the HUD main body 21 as a virtual image (predetermined image) formed at a predetermined distance in front of the windshield 18. In this way, the image displayed by the HUD 20 is superimposed on the real space in front of the vehicle 1 through the windshield 18, and the occupant can visually perceive a virtual image object I formed by the predetermined image as floating above the road outside the vehicle.

Here, the occupant's viewpoint E may be either the viewpoint of the occupant's left eye or the viewpoint of the right eye. Alternatively, viewpoint E may be defined as the midpoint of the line segment connecting the viewpoints of the left eye and the right eye. The position of the occupant's viewpoint E is identified, for example, based on image data acquired by the internal camera 6B. The position of the occupant's viewpoint E may be updated at a predetermined interval, or may be determined only once when the vehicle 1 is started.

When forming a 2D image (planar image) as the virtual image object I, a predetermined image is projected so as to become a virtual image at a single, arbitrarily determined distance. When forming a 3D image (stereoscopic image) as the virtual image object I, multiple predetermined images, which may be the same or different from one another, are projected so as to become virtual images at different distances. Furthermore, the distance of the virtual image object I (the distance from the occupant's viewpoint E to the virtual image) can be adjusted as appropriate by adjusting the distance from the image generation unit 24 to the occupant's viewpoint E (for example, by adjusting the distance between the image generation unit 24 and the concave mirror 26).

Figures 3A and 3B are schematic diagrams showing the configuration of the image generation unit 24 according to the first embodiment. Figure 3A is a schematic diagram of the image generation unit 24 (changing image generation unit 24A, fixed image generation unit 24B) viewed from above. Figure 3B is a schematic diagram of the fixed image generation unit 24B viewed from the front.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the change image generation unit 24A has a light source 101, an optical element 102 arranged in front of the light source 101, and a display device 103 arranged in front of the optical element 102. The light source 101 is, for example, a laser light source or an LED light source. The laser light source is, for example, an RGB laser light source configured to emit red laser light, green laser light, and blue laser light, respectively. The optical element 102 may be composed of at least one of a prism, a lens, a diffuser, a magnifying glass, etc. For example, in this example, the optical element 102 is composed of a plano-convex lens. The optical element 102 is configured to transmit or reflect light emitted from the light source 101 and emit it toward the display device 103. The display device 103 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, a DMD (Digital Mirror Device), etc. The drawing method of the transition image generation unit 24A may be a raster scan method, a DLP (Digital Light Processing) method, or an LCOS (Liquid Crystal On Silicon) method. If the DLP method or LCOS method is used, the light source 101 of the transition image generation unit 24A may be an LED light source. Note that if the liquid crystal display method is used, the light source 101 of the transition image generation unit 24A may be a white LED light source.

The fixed image generating unit 24B includes a light source 111, an optical element 112 disposed in front of the light source 111, and a light-blocking element 113 disposed in front of the optical element 112 (closer to the concave mirror 26 than the optical element 112). The light source 111, like the light source 101, is, for example, a laser light source or an LED light source. The optical element 112 may be composed of at least one of a reflector, a prism, a lens, a diffuser, a magnifying glass, etc. In this example, the optical element 112 is, for example, a lens formed in a predetermined shape to increase the utilization efficiency of the light emitted from the light source 111. The optical element 112 is configured to transmit or reflect the light emitted from the light source 111 and uniformly emit it toward the light-blocking element 113. The light-blocking element 113 is, for example, composed of a synthetic resin film and a light-blocking film (shade) formed on at least one side of the synthetic resin film. A light-diffusing agent may be added to the synthetic resin film that constitutes part of the light-blocking element 113. As shown in FIG. 3B , the light-blocking member 113 has cutouts 114 formed therein as light-transmitting portions that transmit light from the light source 111 and correspond to the shape of the fixed image. The light-blocking member 113 is configured to radiate light from the light source 111 forward through the cutouts 114. The fixed-image generating units 24B are disposed on the left and right of the variable-image generating unit 24A. Note that the shape of the light-blocking member 113 in a front view is not limited to a circular shape as in this embodiment. Furthermore, the position of the fixed-image generating units 24B is not limited to the left and right of the variable-image generating unit 24A; for example, they may be disposed above or below the variable-image generating unit 24A. Instead of adding a light diffusing agent to the synthetic resin film, a synthetic resin film may be provided behind the light-blocking film (shade) (on the optical element 112 side), and fine steps for diffusing light may be formed on the front surface of the synthetic resin film.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a changing image and a fixed image that form the virtual image object I.
4, varying image 31 is an image generated by light emitted from varying image generation unit 24A. Fixed image 32 is an image generated by light emitted from fixed image generation unit 24B. The positions at which varying image 31 and fixed image 32 are recognized are configured to be substantially the same in front of vehicle 1. In other words, the distance from windshield 18 to varying image 31 and the distance from windshield 18 to fixed image 32 are configured to be substantially the same.

The fixed images 32 are displayed alongside the changing image 31 around it. In this example, the fixed images 32 are displayed on the left and right of the changing image 31 as seen by the occupants of the vehicle 1. The changing images 31 are images that change depending on the situation of the vehicle 1. In this example, the changing images 31 displayed are a road image notifying the occupants that the vehicle 1 will turn right up ahead, and a speed image notifying the occupants that the current traveling speed is 50 km/h. The fixed images 32 are images that remain fixed regardless of the situation of the vehicle 1. In this example, the fixed images 32 displayed are warning images (angle brackets) that alert the occupants of the vehicle 1. Warning images are images that are generated only when necessary, and can be displayed for purposes such as notifying the occupants of the vehicle 1 of the presence of a pedestrian or speeding. The range R of the image visually recognized as the virtual image object I is the sum of the display range R1 of the changing image 31 formed by the light emitted from the changing image generation unit 24A and the display range R2 of the fixed image 32 formed by the light emitted from the fixed image generation unit 24B.

Note that multiple types of patterns may be prepared for the cutouts 114 made in the light-blocking member 113 of the fixed image generating unit 24B to form the fixed image. For example, the fixed image may be a human-shaped mark in the shape of a child to alert people to children running out into the street. The fixed image generating unit 24B may have, for example, a drive mechanism (not shown) and be configured to switch the pattern of the cutouts 114 in the light-blocking member 113 based on a control signal sent from the control unit 25.

Furthermore, the fixed image 32 displayed around the changing image 31 may be distorted differently due to reflection from the concave mirror 26 depending on its display position. Therefore, it is preferable that the control unit 25 adjusts the pattern of the notches 114 made in the light-shielding member 113 so as to change the degree of distortion of the fixed image 32 generated by the fixed image generation unit 24B in advance, depending on the display position at which the fixed image 32 is displayed. It is also preferable that the control unit 25 controls the image generated by the changing image generation unit 24A so that the display mode of the changing image 31 is an appropriate display mode without distortion.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a changing image and a fixed image forming the virtual image object I. In FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5 , the information displayed by the changing image 33 and the information displayed by the fixed image 32 may be configured to be mutually associated. In this example, the changing image 33 and the fixed image 32 are both displayed with the same pattern (angle brackets) as attention-calling images that call attention to the driving of the vehicle 1. Furthermore, the fixed images 32 are displayed side by side with the changing image 31 on the left and right sides of the changing image 31. Note that in this example, the changing image 33 is displayed as a fixed angle bracket pattern, but, for example, the changing image 33 may be displayed as an image that changes sequentially depending on the situation of the vehicle 1 while being associated with the fixed image 32. For example, a child-shaped mark may be displayed as a fixed image, and a changing image that evokes a child jumping out may be displayed in association with the human-shaped mark.

As described above, the HUD 20 according to this embodiment includes an image generation unit 24 that emits light to generate a virtual image object I (a predetermined image), and a concave mirror 26 (an example of a reflector) that reflects the light emitted by the image generation unit 24 so that the light is irradiated onto the windshield 18. The image generation unit 24 includes a changing image generation unit 24A that generates a changing image 31 of the virtual image object I that changes depending on the situation of the vehicle 1, and a fixed image generation unit 24B that generates a fixed image 32 of the virtual image object I that remains fixed regardless of the situation. With this configuration, the virtual image object I can be formed by adding the fixed image 32 generated by the fixed image generation unit 24B to the changing image 31 generated by the changing image generation unit 24A. This allows the display range of the virtual image object I (an example of a predetermined image) to be expanded without increasing the size of the costly changing image generation unit 24A.

Furthermore, with the HUD 20, as shown in FIG. 5, the information displayed by the variable image 33 and the fixed image 32 may be associated with each other. This allows the variable image 33 and the fixed image 32 to work together to provide various types of information to the occupants.

Furthermore, according to the HUD 20, the fixed image generation unit 24B is composed of a light source 111, an optical member 112, and a light-blocking member 113. This allows the fixed image generation unit 24B to be configured with a simple structure, thereby reducing costs.

While the above embodiment is configured such that light emitted from the image generating unit 24 is directly irradiated onto the concave mirror 26, this is not a limitation. Alternatively, a reflecting unit (e.g., a flat mirror) different from the concave mirror 26 may be disposed between the image generating unit 24 and the concave mirror 26, and the light emitted from the image generating unit 24 may be reflected by the flat mirror and irradiated onto the concave mirror 26. Furthermore, when a flat mirror is disposed on the optical path between the image generating unit 24 and the concave mirror 26, for example, the light emitted from the variable image generating unit 24A may be irradiated onto the concave mirror 26 via the flat mirror, i.e., reflected twice between the variable image generating unit 24A and the windshield 18, while the light emitted from the fixed image generating unit 24B may be irradiated directly onto the concave mirror 26 without passing through the flat mirror, i.e., reflected once between the fixed image generating unit 24B and the windshield 18. This allows for costs to be reduced as much as possible while still employing a flat mirror as an additional component.

Second Embodiment
6A and 6B are schematic diagrams showing the configuration of the image generation unit 124 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 6A is a schematic diagram showing the image generation unit 124 (changing image generation unit 124A, fixed image generation unit 124B) as viewed from above. Fig. 6B is a schematic diagram showing the fixed image generation unit 124B as viewed from the front.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the change-image generating unit 124A has a light source 101, an optical element 102, and a display device 103. The change-image generating unit 124A according to the second embodiment has the same configuration as the change-image generating unit 24A in the HUD 20 according to the first embodiment, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The fixed image generating unit 124B has multiple (two in this example) light sources 111a, 111b arranged in parallel, optical members 112a, 112b arranged in front of the light sources 111a, 111b, respectively, and light-blocking members 113a, 113b arranged in front of the optical members 112a, 112b, respectively. The light sources 111a, 111b, optical members 112a, 112b, and light-blocking members 113a, 113b have the same configurations as the light source 111, optical member 112, and light-blocking member 113 in the fixed image generating unit 24B of the first embodiment, respectively. The light sources 111a, 111b are mounted, for example, on a single substrate (not shown). The optical elements 112a and 112b are, for example, lenses formed in a predetermined shape that improves the efficiency of light utilization from the light sources 111a and 111b and allows light to be uniformly emitted toward the light-blocking elements 113a and 113b. The light-blocking elements 113a and 113b are, for example, formed of a synthetic resin film containing a light-diffusing agent and a light-blocking film (shade) formed on at least one side of the film. As shown in FIG. 6B , each light-blocking element 113a and 113b has a notch 114a or 114b formed to correspond to the shape of the fixed image 32. The fixed image generating unit 124B is disposed on the left and right of the variable image generating unit 124A. The fixed image generating unit 124B may be disposed, for example, above or below the variable image generating unit 124A.

In the image generation unit 124, for example, if the changing image and fixed image forming the virtual image object I are the changing image 33 and fixed image 32 shown in FIG. 5, the virtual image object I is displayed in the following form. The fixed image generation unit 124B turns on the light sources 111a and 111b, for example, in sequence, when generating the fixed image 32. The changing image generation unit 124A generates the changing image 33 so as to be associated with the lighting of the light sources 111a and 111b by the fixed image generation unit 124B. As a result, the virtual image object I in FIG. 5 is displayed lit in a form such that, for example, a pattern of angle brackets moves sequentially from both the left and right ends toward the center. Note that the lighting timing of the light sources 111a and 111b that generate the fixed image 32 and the information content displayed in the changing image 33 can be changed as appropriate.

In this way, the image generation unit 124 according to the second embodiment can generate a fixed image 32 by individually turning on and off multiple light sources 111a, 111b arranged in parallel. This makes it possible to display a fixed image 32 that looks good as a virtual image object I. Note that in this example, the multiple light sources 111a, 111b for generating the fixed image 32 are arranged in parallel in the left-right direction, but the multiple light sources for generating the fixed image may also be arranged in parallel in the up-down direction. In this case, the marks included in the fixed image are displayed in parallel in the up-down direction.

In the second embodiment described above, the light source 101 of the varying image generation unit 124A and the light sources 111a and 111b of the fixed image generation unit 124B are arranged at different positions in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1, but this is not limited to this example. The light source 101 and the light sources 111a and 111b may be arranged at approximately the same position in the longitudinal direction, and these light sources 101 and 111a and 111b may be mounted on a single board. This facilitates control when, for example, the varying image generation unit 124A generates a varying image 33 associated with the lighting of light sources 111a and 111b by the fixed image generation unit 124B.

(First Modification)
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a HUD 220 according to a first modified example.
As shown in FIG. 7 , a HUD 220 according to the first modified example includes a HUD main body 21 and a combiner 19. The combiner 19 is a separate structure from the windshield 18 and is provided inside the windshield 18. The combiner 19 is, for example, a transparent plastic disk, and light reflected by a concave mirror 26 is irradiated onto the combiner 19 instead of the windshield 18. As a result, a portion of the light irradiated from the HUD main body 21 onto the combiner 19 is reflected toward the occupant's viewpoint E, similar to the case where light is irradiated onto the windshield 18. As a result, the occupant can recognize the light (predetermined image) emitted from the HUD main body 21 as a virtual image object I formed at a predetermined distance in front of the combiner 19 (and the windshield 18).
The HUD 220 including such a combiner 19 can also achieve the same effects as the HUD 20 described above.

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an image generating unit 224 according to the third embodiment.
8 , the image generation unit 224 according to the third embodiment includes a changing-image generation unit 224A and a fixed-image generation unit 224B. The changing-image generation unit 224A includes a plurality of light sources 101, a plurality of optical members 102 arranged corresponding to the light sources 101, and a display device 103. The light sources 101 are mounted on, for example, a single substrate 225. The remaining configuration of the changing-image generation unit 224A according to the third embodiment is similar to that of the changing-image generation unit 24A in the HUD 20 according to the first embodiment, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The fixed image generating unit 224B includes a light source 211, an optical element 212 disposed in front of the light source 211, and a light-shielding element 213 disposed in front of the optical element 212. The light source 211 is mounted, for example, on a substrate 226 separate from the substrate 225. The optical element 212 is composed, for example, of a lens formed in a predetermined shape that improves the efficiency of light utilization from the light source 211 and enables uniform light emission toward the light-shielding element 213. In the example of FIG. 8, a biconvex lens is illustrated as an example of the optical element 212, but this example is not limiting. The lens used for the optical element 212 may also be a Fresnel lens, for example. By using a Fresnel lens, which is a normal lens divided into concentric regions to reduce its thickness, the optical element 212 can be made thinner than when a plano-convex lens, biconvex lens, or the like is used. The optical element 212 may also be a combination of a vertical cylindrical lens and a horizontal cylindrical lens. Alternatively, a vertical cylindrical lens and a horizontal cylindrical lens may be formed on the exit surface and entrance surface of a single lens. When a cylindrical lens is used, the cylindrical lens may be formed as a so-called linear Fresnel lens, which has a Fresnel shape.

A light diffusion sheet 215 made of, for example, a synthetic resin film with a light diffusing agent added is attached to the surface of the light blocking member 213 facing the optical member 212. Similar to the light blocking member 113 shown in FIG. 3B, the light blocking member 213 has a cutout corresponding to the shape of the fixed image 32. Note that while FIG. 8 shows the fixed image generating unit 224B only to the left of the varying image generating unit 224A, the fixed image generating unit 224B may be disposed on both the left and right of the varying image generating unit 224A.

The housing 224B1, which houses the components of the fixed image generation unit 224B, is positioned adjacent to the right side of the housing 224A1, which houses the components of the changing image generation unit 224A. The housing 224B1 of the fixed image generation unit 224B is positioned so that its front end is further forward in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1 than the front end of the housing 224A1 of the changing image generation unit 224A. In other words, the light-shielding member 213 of the fixed image generation unit 224B is positioned forward of the display device 103 of the changing image generation unit 224A.

As described above, with the configuration of the image generation unit 224 according to the third embodiment, the surface of the fixed image generation unit 224B that generates the fixed image 32 is positioned further forward than the surface of the changing image generation unit 224A that generates the changing image 31. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9 , the optical path length of light between the surface of the fixed image generation unit 224B that generates the fixed image 32 and the concave mirror 26 is shorter than the optical path length of light between the surface of the changing image generation unit 224A that generates the changing image 31 and the concave mirror 26. Therefore, the distance between the fixed image 32 and the occupant's viewpoint E is shorter than the distance between the changing image 31 that constitutes the virtual image object and the occupant's viewpoint E. In this way, by displaying the fixed image 32 closer to the occupant's viewpoint E than the changing image 31, the fixed image 32 can be made to stand out, making it easier for the occupant to notice the fixed image 32.

In the third embodiment described above, the light-blocking member 213 of the changing image generating unit 224A is arranged to be forward of the display device 103 of the changing image generating unit 224A, but this is not limited to this example. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the light-blocking member 213 of the fixed image generating unit 324B may be arranged rearward of the display device 103 of the changing image generating unit 324A in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1. Specifically, the housing 324B1 of the fixed image generating unit 324B is arranged so as to be in contact with the right side of the housing 324A1 of the changing image generating unit 324A, and the front end of the housing 324B1 is arranged rearward of the front end of the housing 324A1. In this case, the light sources 101, 101 of the changing image generating unit 324A and the light source 211 of the fixed image generating unit 324B may be mounted on a single substrate 325. Mounting the light sources 101, 101, and 211 on a single substrate 325 improves the mountability of the light sources and also reduces the cost of the image generation unit 324.

According to the configuration of the image generation unit 324 shown in FIG. 10, the surface of the changing image generation unit 324A that generates the changing image 31 is positioned further forward than the surface of the fixed image generation unit 324B that generates the fixed image 32. This allows the changing image 31 to be displayed at a position closer to the occupant's viewpoint E than the fixed image 32. In this way, by differentiating the distance (optical path length) between the changing image generation unit and the concave mirror 26 and the distance (optical path length) between the fixed image generation unit and the concave mirror 26, it is possible to draw the occupant's attention to either the changing image 31 or the fixed image 32 rather than the other.

(Fourth embodiment)
A vehicle system 500 including a HUD 520 according to the fourth embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a block diagram of the vehicle system 500. Duplicate descriptions of components that are the same as or correspond to those of the vehicle system 2 according to the first embodiment will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 11 , the HUD 520 according to the fourth embodiment includes a changing image generating unit 524 , a fixed image generating unit 527 , and a control unit 525 .
The changing image generating unit 524 emits light for generating a changing image, which changes depending on the situation of the vehicle 1, from among the predetermined images to be displayed to the occupants of the vehicle 1. The fixed image generating unit 527 emits light for generating a fixed image, which remains fixed regardless of the situation of the vehicle 1, from among the predetermined images to be displayed to the occupants of the vehicle 1.

The control unit 525 controls the operation of each unit of the HUD 520. The control unit 525 is connected to the vehicle control unit 3, and controls the operation of the changing image generation unit 524, the fixed image generation unit 527, etc. based on vehicle driving information, surrounding environment information, etc. transmitted from the vehicle control unit 3. Note that in this embodiment, the vehicle control unit 3 and the control unit 525 are provided as separate components, but the vehicle control unit 3 and the control unit 525 may also be configured as an integrated unit. For example, the vehicle control unit 3 and the control unit 525 may be configured as a single electronic control unit.

As shown in FIG. 12 , the HUD main body 521 of the HUD 520 has, inside the housing 22, a variable image generating unit 524, a concave mirror 526 (an example of a reflecting unit), a fixed image generating unit 527, and a control unit 525. The fixed image generating unit 527 is attached to the concave mirror 526. For example, one fixed image generating unit 527 is attached to each side of the concave mirror 526, sandwiching the concave mirror 526 in the left-right direction of the vehicle 1.

The concave mirror 526 is disposed on the optical path of the light emitted from the changing image generating unit 524. The concave mirror 526 is configured to reflect the light emitted from the changing image generating unit 524 toward the windshield 18 (e.g., the front window of the vehicle 1).

The control unit 525 is equipped with a processor such as a CPU and memory, and the processor executes a computer program read from the memory to control the operation of the changing image generation unit 524 and the fixed image generation unit 527. For example, the control unit 525 generates a control signal for controlling the operation of the changing image generation unit 524 based on vehicle driving information, surrounding environment information, etc. transmitted from the vehicle control unit 3, and transmits the generated control signal to the changing image generation unit 524. The control unit 525 also generates a control signal for controlling the operation of the fixed image generation unit 527 based on vehicle driving information, surrounding environment information, etc. transmitted from the vehicle control unit 3, and transmits the generated control signal to the fixed image generation unit 527. When the orientation of the concave mirror 526 is changed by the control unit 525, the orientation of the fixed image generation unit 527 attached to the concave mirror 526 may also be changed by the control unit 525. The orientation of the fixed image generation unit 527 may also be changed individually by the control unit 525. By adjusting the orientation of the fixed image generation unit 527, the emission angle of the light emitted from the fixed image generation unit 527 is controlled so that the fixed image formed by the light emitted from the fixed image generation unit 527 is displayed at a predetermined position relative to the changing image formed by the light emitted from the changing image generation unit 524.

Light emitted from the varying image generating unit 524 (hereinafter also referred to as varying light) is reflected by the concave mirror 526 and emitted from the exit window 23 of the HUD main body 521. The varying light emitted from the exit window 23 of the HUD main body 521 is irradiated onto the windshield 18. A portion of the varying light irradiated from the exit window 23 onto the windshield 18 is reflected towards the occupant's viewpoint E. Furthermore, light emitted from the fixed image generating unit 527 (hereinafter also referred to as fixed light) is emitted from the exit window 23 of the HUD main body 521. The fixed light emitted from the exit window 23 of the HUD main body 521 is irradiated onto the windshield 18. A portion of the fixed light irradiated from the exit window 23 onto the windshield 18 is reflected towards the occupant's viewpoint E. As a result, the occupant perceives the light (including varying light and fixed light) emitted from the HUD main body 521 as a virtual image (predetermined image) formed at a predetermined distance in front of the windshield 18. In this way, the image displayed by the HUD 520 is superimposed on the real space in front of the vehicle 1 through the windshield 18, allowing the occupant to visually perceive the virtual image object I formed by the predetermined image as floating above the road outside the vehicle.

The distance of the virtual image object I (the distance from the occupant's viewpoint E to the virtual image) can be adjusted as appropriate by adjusting the distance from the varying image generation unit 524 and the fixed image generation unit 527 to the occupant's viewpoint E. For example, the distance from the occupant's viewpoint E to the varying image can be adjusted by adjusting the distance between the varying image generation unit 524 and the concave mirror 526. Also, for example, the distance from the occupant's viewpoint E to the fixed image can be adjusted by adjusting the distance between the fixed image generation unit 527 and the windshield 18.

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the fixed image generating unit 527.
As shown in Figure 13, the fixed image generation unit 527 has a light source 501, an optical element 502 arranged diagonally above the light source 501, a light-shielding element 503 arranged diagonally above the optical element 502 (on the opposite side of the optical element 502 from the light source 501), a diffusion sheet 504 arranged diagonally above the light-shielding element 503, and a lens 505 arranged diagonally above the diffusion sheet 504.

The light source 501 is, for example, a laser light source or an LED light source. The laser light source is, for example, an RGB laser light source configured to emit red laser light, green laser light, and blue laser light, respectively.

The optical element 502 may be composed of at least one of a prism, a lens, a reflector, a diffuser, a magnifying glass, etc. In this example, the optical element 502 is composed of, for example, a lens formed in a predetermined shape that can increase the utilization efficiency of the light emitted from the light source 501. The optical element 502 is configured to transmit or reflect the light emitted from the light source 501 and emit it uniformly toward the light-blocking element 503.

The light-shielding member 503 is composed of, for example, a synthetic resin film and a light-shielding film (shade) formed on at least one side of the synthetic resin film. The light-shielding member 503 has cutouts 514 formed therein that correspond to the shape of the fixed image. The cutouts 514 have a square bracket pattern, similar to the cutouts 114 of the light-shielding member 113 in the first embodiment ( FIG. 3B ). The light-shielding member 503 is configured to radiate light from the light source 501 toward the lens 505 through the cutouts 514. That is, the light-shielding member 503 transmits the light from the light source 501 in a manner that corresponds to the shape of the fixed image. The light-shielding member 503 is detachably provided in the fixed image generating unit 527. Note that the shape of the light-shielding member 503 in a front view is not limited to a circular shape as shown in FIG. 3B , and may be, for example, a rectangular shape as seen from the front. Furthermore, the pattern of the cutouts 514 formed in the light-shielding member 503 is not limited to a square bracket pattern as shown in FIG. 3B .

The diffusion sheet 504 is, for example, a film to which a light diffusing agent has been added to diffuse light. The diffusion sheet 504 is configured to uniformly direct the light emitted from the cutouts 514 of the light blocking member 503 toward the lens 505. Instead of adding a light diffusing agent to the diffusion sheet 504, fine steps for diffusing light may be formed on the surface of the diffusion sheet 504 facing the lens 505.

Lens 505 is a lens for adjusting the optical path length of the light emitted from the fixed image generation unit 527. In other words, lens 505 is used to adjust the focus of the light that generates the fixed image and appropriately form the fixed image as part of virtual image object I.

Although not shown in the figures, the change-image generating unit 524 has a light source, an optical element arranged in front of the light source, and a display device arranged in front of the optical element. The light source is, like the light source 501 described above, for example, a laser light source or an LED light source. The optical element, like the optical element 502 described above, can be composed of at least one of a prism, a lens, a reflector, a diffuser, a magnifying glass, etc. The optical element is configured to transmit or reflect light emitted from the light source and emit it toward the display device.

As in the first embodiment, in the fourth embodiment, the changing image 31 shown in FIG. 4 is generated by the light emitted from the changing image generation unit 524. In addition, the fixed image 32 shown in FIG. 4 is generated by the light emitted from the fixed image generation unit 527.

Note that multiple types of patterns of notches 514 may be prepared for the fixed image generation unit 527 to form in the light-shielding member 503. The fixed image generation unit 527 may have a drive mechanism (not shown) and be configured to switch the patterns of the notches 514 in the light-shielding member 503 based on a control signal transmitted from the control unit 525.

As in the first embodiment, in the fourth embodiment, the information displayed by the changing image 33 generated by the changing image generation unit 524 and the information displayed by the fixed image 32 generated by the fixed image generation unit 527 may be configured to be mutually associated information (Figure 5).

In the fourth embodiment described above, a configuration in which one fixed image generating unit 527 is attached to each side of the concave mirror 526 has been described, but this is not limited to this. For example, multiple fixed image generating units 527 may be attached in parallel to each other on both sides of the concave mirror 526. Furthermore, for example, instead of being attached to both sides of the concave mirror 526, they may be attached to the upper and/or lower sides of the concave mirror 526.

For example, if two fixed image generating units 527 are attached in parallel to each other on both sides of the concave mirror 526, the virtual image object I may be displayed in the following form. When generating the fixed image 32 shown in FIG. 5, the fixed image generating unit 527 turns on the light sources of each fixed image generating unit 527, for example, in sequence. The changing image generating unit 524 generates the changing image 33 so as to be associated with the lighting of the light sources by the fixed image generating unit 527. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, the virtual image object I is displayed lit up in a form in which, for example, angle bracket patterns move in sequence from both the left and right ends toward the center.

As described above, the HUD 520 according to the fourth embodiment includes a changing image generating unit 524 that emits light to generate a changing image 31 of a virtual image object I (an example of a predetermined image) that changes depending on the situation of the vehicle 1; a concave mirror 526 (an example of a reflecting unit) that reflects the light emitted by the changing image generating unit 524 so that the light is irradiated onto the windshield 18; and a fixed image generating unit 527 that generates a fixed image 32 of the virtual image object I that remains fixed regardless of the situation of the vehicle 1. The fixed image generating unit 527 includes a light source 501, an optical element 502 that transmits or reflects the light emitted from the light source 501, and a light-shielding element 503 that is disposed on the opposite side of the optical element 502 from the light source 501 and transmits the light of the light source 501 in accordance with the shape of the fixed image 32. With this configuration, the virtual image object I can be formed by adding the fixed image 32 generated by the fixed image generating unit 527 to the changing image 31 generated by the changing image generating unit 524. This makes it possible to expand the display range of the virtual image object I (an example of a predetermined image) without increasing the size of the costly change image generation unit 524.

Furthermore, fixed image generating unit 527 is composed of light source 501, optical member 502, and light blocking member 503, and is attached to concave mirror 526. This allows fixed image generating unit 527 to be provided with a simple configuration, thereby reducing costs.
Furthermore, since the fixed image 32 can be generated by providing the notch 514 in the light blocking member 503, the cost of the fixed image generating unit 527 can be further reduced.

Furthermore, the HUD 520 can generate a fixed image 32 by sequentially lighting up multiple light sources arranged in parallel, making it possible to display a good-looking fixed image 32 as the virtual image object I. Furthermore, by combining the fixed image 32 with the variable image 33, it is possible to create an even better-looking virtual image object I.

(Second Modification)
FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a HUD 620 according to a second modified example.
14 , a HUD 620 according to the second modified example includes a HUD main body 521 and a combiner 19. The combiner 19 is irradiated with varying light emitted from a varying-image generating unit 524 and reflected by a concave mirror 526, and fixed light emitted from a fixed-image generating unit 527, instead of the windshield 18. As a result, similar to the case where light is irradiated onto the windshield 18, a portion of the light irradiated from the HUD main body 521 to the combiner 19 is reflected toward the occupant's viewpoint E. As a result, the occupant can recognize the light (predetermined image) emitted from the HUD main body 521 as a virtual image object I formed at a predetermined distance in front of the combiner 19 (and the windshield 18).
The HUD 620 including such a combiner 19 can also achieve the same effects as the HUD 520 described above.

Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it goes without saying that the technical scope of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited by the description of this embodiment. This embodiment is merely an example, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications to the embodiment are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims. The technical scope of the present invention should be determined based on the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

In the above embodiment, the vehicle's driving modes are described as including a fully automated driving mode, an advanced driving assistance mode, a driving assistance mode, and a manual driving mode, but the vehicle's driving modes should not be limited to these four modes. The vehicle's driving modes may include at least one of these four modes. For example, the vehicle may be capable of executing only one of the driving modes.

Furthermore, the classification and display format of the vehicle's driving modes may be changed as appropriate in accordance with the laws, regulations, or rules related to autonomous driving in each country. Similarly, the definitions of "fully autonomous driving mode," "advanced driving assistance mode," and "driving assistance mode" described in the description of this embodiment are merely examples, and these definitions may be changed as appropriate in accordance with the laws, regulations, or rules related to autonomous driving in each country.

This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-183648 filed on October 4, 2019, Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-183649 filed on October 4, 2019, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-212305 filed on November 25, 2019, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims (3)

A head-up display provided in a vehicle and configured to display a predetermined image toward an occupant of the vehicle,
an image generating unit that emits light for generating the predetermined image;
a reflecting unit that reflects the light emitted by the image generating unit so that the light is irradiated onto a windshield or a combiner,
the image generating unit has a changing image generating unit that generates a changing image of the predetermined image that changes depending on the situation of the vehicle, and a fixed image generating unit that generates a fixed image of the predetermined image that remains fixed regardless of the situation,
A head-up display, wherein the fixed image generating unit comprises one light source, an optical element that transmits or reflects light emitted from the light source, and a light-shielding element that is arranged on the reflecting unit side of the optical element and transmits the light in accordance with the shape of the fixed image. A head-up display as described in claim 1, wherein the distance from the windshield or the combiner to the varying image and the distance from the windshield or the combiner to the fixed image are substantially the same, and the fixed images are disposed to the left and right of the varying image. A head-up display as described in claim 1, wherein the optical path length of the light between the reflecting unit and the surface of the varying image generating unit that generates the varying image is different from the optical path length of the light between the reflecting unit and the surface of the fixed image generating unit that generates the fixed image.