Waveguide holographic telltale display

Claim 2

A waveguide holographic telltale display for projecting images via a vehicle windshield comprising inner and outer windshield singlets, comprising: means for injecting light into the base of said inner windshield singlet; a telltale image hologram disposed at a predetermined area between said singlets for diffracting light injected into said inner singlet out toward the vehicle driver; and a holographic mirror disposed between said inner and outer singlets for confining said injected light from entering said outer singlet, and wherein said holographic mirror does not extend over said predetermined area.

Claim 3

The display of claim 1 further comprising means for blocking infrared light from entering said vehicle through said windshield.

Claim 4

The display of claim 2 wherein said infrared blocking means comprises tinting means for tinting said outer singlet.

Claim 5

The display of claim 2 wherein said infrared blocking means comprises a dielectric solar coating applied between said outer and inner singlets.

Claim 6

The display of claim 1 wherein said means for injecting light into said singlet base comprises a light source and a light collimating means for collimating the light from said source.

Claim 7

The display of claim 5 wherein said means for injecting light into said singlet base further comprises a wedged prism attached to lower singlet base for directing said collimated light into said base.

Claim 8

The display of claim 1 wherein said holographic mirror comprises a photopolymer zero-degree reflection hologram.

Claim 9

The display of claim 1 further comprising a polyvinyl butyral (PVB) layer disposed between said singlets, and wherein said halfwave plate comprises a polyvinyl alcohol halfwave film disposed between said PVB layer and said holographic mirror and image hologram.

Claim 10

The display of claim 1 wherein said holographic mirror and said telltale image hologram are fabricated within a single hologram layer.

Claim 11

A waveguide holographic telltale display for projecting images via a vehicle windshield comprising inner and outer windshield singlets, comprising: means for injecting light into the base of said inner windshield singlet; a telltale image hologram disposed at a predetermined area between said singlets for diffracting light injected into said inner singlet out toward the vehicle driver; a holographic mirror disposed between said inner and outer singlets for confining said injected light from entering said outer singlet, and wherein said holographic mirror does not extend over said predetermined area; and a halfwave plate disposed between said hologram and said inner singlet for reduction of ghost telltale images.

Claim 12

A waveguide holographic telltale display for projecting images via a vehicle windshield comprising inner and outer windshield singlets, comprising: means for injecting light into the base of said inner windshield singlet; a telltale image hologram disposed at a predetermined area between said singlets for diffracting light injected into said inner singlet out toward the vehicle driver; a holographic mirror disposed between said inner and outer singlets for confining said injected light from entering said outer singlet, and wherein said holographic mirror does not extend over said predetermined area; and a halfwave plate disposed between said hologram and said inner singlet for reduction of ghost telltale images.

Claim 13

The display of claim 10 further comprising means for blocking infrared light from entering said vehicle through said windshield.

Claim 14

The display of claim 11 wherein said infrared blocking means comprises tinting means for tinting said outer singlet.

Claim 15

The display of claim 11 wherein said infrared blocking means comprises a dielectric solar coating applied between said outer and inner singlets.

Claim 16

The display of claim 10 wherein said means for injecting light into said singlet base comprises a light source and a light collimating means for collimating the light from said source.

Claim 17

The display of claim 14 wherein said means for injecting light into said singlet base further comprises a wedged prism attached to lower singlet base for directing said collimated light into said base.

Claim 18

The display of claim 10 wherein said holographic mirror comprises a photopolymer zero-degree reflection hologram.

Claim 19

The display of claim 10 wherein said halfwave plate comprises a polyvinyl alcohol halfwave film.

Claim 20

The display of claim 10 further comprising a PVB layer disposed between said singlets, and wherein said halfwave plate comprises a polyvinyl alcohol halfwave film disposed between said PVB layer and said holographic mirror and image hologram.

Claim 21

The display of claim 10 wherein said holographic mirror and said telltale image hologram are fabricated within a single hologram layer.

Claim 22

A waveguide holographic display, comprising: a vehicle windshield comprising a clear inner singlet and an outer singlet; means for injecting light into said inner singlet; an image hologram disposed at a predetermined display area between said singlets for diffracting light injected into said inner singlet toward a vehicle occupant to form an image; holographic mirror means disposed between said inner and outer singlets between said light injecting means and said display area for confining said light from entering said outer singlet, wherein light travels within said inner singlet by total internal reflection from said light injecting means to said display area; and a halfwave layer disposed between said image hologram and said inner singlet for reduction of ghost images.

Claim 23

A waveguide holographic display, comprising: a vehicle windshield comprising a clear inner singlet and an outer singlet; means for injecting light into said inner singlet; an image hologram disposed at a predetermined display area between said singlets for diffracting light injected into said inner singlet toward a vehicle occupant to form an image; holographic mirror means disposed between said inner and outer singlets between said light injecting means and said display area for confining said light from entering said outer singlet, wherein light travels within said inner singlet by total internal reflection from said light injecting means to said display area; and a halfwave layer disposed between said image hologram and said inner singlet for reduction of ghost images.

Claim 24

The display of claim 20 further comprising means for blocking infrared light from entering said vehicle through said windshield.

Claim 25

The display of claim 21 wherein said infrared blocking means comprises tinting means for tinting said outer singlet.

Claim 26

The display of claim 21 wherein said infrared blocking means comprises a dielectric reflective solar coating applied between said outer and inner singlets.

Claim 27

The display of claim 21 wherein said infrared blocking means comprises a infrared reflective hologram layer disposed between said singlets.

Claim 28

The display of claim 20 wherein said means for injecting light into said singlet comprises a light source and a light collecting means for directing the light from said source toward said singlet.

Claim 29

The display of claim 25 wherein said light collecting means further comprises a wedged prism attached to a base of said inner singlet for directing said collected light into said base.

Claim 30

The display of claim 25 wherein said light source comprises an incandescent lamp.

Claim 31

The display of claim 20 wherein said image hologram comprises a photopolymer zero-degree reflection hologram layer.

Claim 32

The display of 28 further comprising a polyvinyl butyral (PVB) layer disposed between said halfwave layer and said image hologram.

Claim 33

The display of 28 further comprising a polyvinyl butyral (PVB) layer disposed between said halfwave layer and said image hologram.

Claim 34

The display of claim 20 wherein said halfwave layer comprises a polyvinyl alcohol halfwave film.

Claim 35

The display of claim 20 wherein said holographic mirror and said image hologram are fabricated within a single hologram layer.

Claim 36

The display of claim 20 further comprising an infrared reflective solar control hologram means disposed between said singlets outside said image region, and wherein said infrared reflective hologram means, said image hologram and said mirror hologram are fabricated as a single hologram layer.

Claim 37

The display of claim 20 wherein said image comprises a telltale image indicative of vehicle status information.

Claim 38

A waveguide holographic display, comprising: a transparent light waveguide for transmitting light by total internal reflection along the interior of said waveguide from a light input area to an image area, said waveguide having opposed first and second surfaces for creating opposed air/waveguide interfaces which are capable of totally reflecting light incident on said interfaces from within said waveguide; a light source for injecting light into said waveguide at said light input area, wherein said injected light propagates along the interior of said waveguide from said input area to said image area; an image hologram disposed against said first waveguide surface at said image area for diffracting light injected into said waveguide toward said second surface at angles to permit said diffracted light to transmit through said second surface and out of said waveguide; and a halfwave layer disposed adjacent said second surface at said image area for reduction of ghost images.

Claim 39

A waveguide holographic display, comprising: a transparent light waveguide for transmitting light by total internal reflection along the interior of said waveguide from a light input area to an image area, said waveguide having opposed first and second surfaces for creating opposed air/waveguide interfaces which are capable of totally reflecting light incident on said interfaces from within said waveguide; a light source for injecting light into said waveguide at said light input area, wherein said injected light propagates along the interior of said waveguide from said input area to said image area; an image hologram disposed against said first waveguide surface at said image area for diffracting light injected into said waveguide toward said second surface at angles to permit said diffracted light to transmit through said second surface and out of said waveguide; and a halfwave layer disposed adjacent said second surface at said image area for reduction of ghost images.

Claim 40

The display of claim 34 wherein said waveguide first surface is disposed adjacent the inner surface of a vehicle windshield, with an air gap between said inner surface and said first surface.

Claim 41

The display of claim 34 wherein said light source comprises an incandescent lamp, a reflector and a wedged prism attached to said waveguide at said input area for directing light generated by said lamp into said waveguide.

Claim 42

The display of claim 34 wherein said waveguide comprises a transparent plastic waveguide member.