A head up display device includes a pancake lens and a picture generation unit. The pancake lens includes a half transmittive concave mirror and a reflective polarizer. The half transmittive concave mirror has a light incident surface and a reflective surface. The reflective polarizer is disposed next to the half transmittive concave mirror at the side of the reflective surface for forming a reflective space therebetween. The picture generation unit is disposed in the direction of the pancake lens opposite to the user's eyes. The picture generation unit generates image light and the image light enters the reflective space from the light incident surface. After the reflection, the image light is directed towards the user's eyes to form a virtual image. The optical path of the virtual image and the image light has an off-axis angle.

A head up display device includes a pancake lens and a picture generation unit. The pancake lens includes a half transmittive concave mirror and a reflective polarizer. The half transmittive concave mirror has a light incident surface and a reflective surface. The reflective polarizer is disposed next to the half transmittive concave mirror at the side of the reflective surface for forming a reflective space therebetween. The picture generation unit is disposed in the direction of the pancake lens opposite to the user's eyes. The picture generation unit generates image light and the image light enters the reflective space from the light incident surface. After the reflection, the image light is directed towards the user's eyes to form a virtual image. The optical path of the virtual image and the image light has an off-axis angle.

A method for displaying travel path graphics in a vehicle includes determining a slope of the ground ahead of a vehicle, determining a steering angle of the vehicle, and providing a travel path graphic on a display of the vehicle. The travel path graphic is provided as a function of the steering angle and the slope of the ground ahead of the vehicle.

A method for displaying travel path graphics in a vehicle includes determining a slope of the ground ahead of a vehicle, determining a steering angle of the vehicle, and providing a travel path graphic on a display of the vehicle. The travel path graphic is provided as a function of the steering angle and the slope of the ground ahead of the vehicle.

A method of displaying information on a head-up display of a vehicle comprises determining a direction of gaze of a driver of the vehicle and selecting a display mode from a group of display modes based on the direction of gaze. Each display mode of the group of display modes defines information to be displayed on the head-up display. The group of display modes comprises at least a normal mode and an extended mode. Information displayed in the extended mode differs from information displayed in the normal mode. The method further comprises displaying the information on the head-up display according to the selected display mode.

A method of displaying information on a head-up display of a vehicle comprises determining a direction of gaze of a driver of the vehicle and selecting a display mode from a group of display modes based on the direction of gaze. Each display mode of the group of display modes defines information to be displayed on the head-up display. The group of display modes comprises at least a normal mode and an extended mode. Information displayed in the extended mode differs from information displayed in the normal mode. The method further comprises displaying the information on the head-up display according to the selected display mode.

In relation to a HUD apparatus having an AR function, the shift between an object and a virtual image (AR image) is reduced. The HUD apparatus extracts a predetermined object based on an image taken by an external camera, acquires object information including an object position in space, viewpoint position information of a driver and the amount of movement of the viewpoint position in space based on an image taken by an internal camera, and information including a position of a virtual image region in space. The HUD apparatus generates the image to be superimposed on the object, and corrects a display position of the image in the virtual image region including at least a position in a horizontal direction, and performs conversion processing at the time of the correction so that a virtual image region is set as a display position of the image after correction.

In relation to a HUD apparatus having an AR function, the shift between an object and a virtual image (AR image) is reduced. The HUD apparatus extracts a predetermined object based on an image taken by an external camera, acquires object information including an object position in space, viewpoint position information of a driver and the amount of movement of the viewpoint position in space based on an image taken by an internal camera, and information including a position of a virtual image region in space. The HUD apparatus generates the image to be superimposed on the object, and corrects a display position of the image in the virtual image region including at least a position in a horizontal direction, and performs conversion processing at the time of the correction so that a virtual image region is set as a display position of the image after correction.

A picture generation unit emits a light field. A mirror reflects the light field toward a windshield of a motor vehicle such that the light field is reflected off of the windshield and is visible to the driver as a virtual image. An infrared emitter transmits infrared energy through the mirror such that the infrared energy is substantially co-axial with the light field, and such that the infrared energy is reflected off of the windshield toward the human driver. An infrared camera captures infrared images based on the transmitted infrared energy reflected off of the human driver and received by the infrared camera. Eye tracking is performed based on the captured infrared images. The infrared energy is transmitted at a higher power level at a beginning of the eye tracking than after the beginning of the eye tracking.

A picture generation unit emits a light field. A mirror reflects the light field toward a windshield of a motor vehicle such that the light field is reflected off of the windshield and is visible to the driver as a virtual image. An infrared emitter transmits infrared energy through the mirror such that the infrared energy is substantially co-axial with the light field, and such that the infrared energy is reflected off of the windshield toward the human driver. An infrared camera captures infrared images based on the transmitted infrared energy reflected off of the human driver and received by the infrared camera. Eye tracking is performed based on the captured infrared images. The infrared energy is transmitted at a higher power level at a beginning of the eye tracking than after the beginning of the eye tracking.