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Coni
Holographic Grating to Improve the Efficiency of Windshield HUD
Philippe Coni, Jean-Luc Bardon, Natacha Damamme
Seth Coe-Sullivan*, Fedor I. Dimov*
Thales Avionics, Mérignac, France
*Luminit LCC, Torrance, CA, USA
Abstract
A Windshield Head-Up Display (WHUD) using an
embedded optical thin film to improve the system efficiency
is presented.
Most of today’s WHUDs, including the most advanced
devices, use the windshield as a simple half-mirror, so that
the main part of the optical flow is not reflected toward the
eye-box.
Even with recent work, aiming to increase the optical
efficiency of the Picture Generating Unit, or the set of
mirrors or light-guides, reflectance efficiency is not greater
than 20%.
Experiments performed on the first prototype using
Transparent Holographic Optical Components show an
optical efficiency of 85%.
This result will open the way for a more compact green
product device (with a huge reduction in power
consumption).
1. Objective
Head-Up Displays (HUDs) have been used in aircraft for
several decades, and now in automotive. Initially designed
for military applications as a means of targeting, they are
now used to improve situational awareness, thanks to the
ability to superimpose information in conformity with the
external landscape. In a way, the HUD was the first
application of what is now called Augmented Reality (AR).
In order to reduce accommodation time, eye strain, and to
reduce parallax issues, images are collimated, so that
symbols are perceived as being far away.
On aircraft, a combiner is used to reflect the image toward
the pilot eye-box, overlaid on the external scenery.
On automotive vehicles, such a combiner can be used, but
the trend is to use the windshield.
Several issues are raised by this solution. Mainly, the
windshield is used as a partly reflective mirror, but with a
weak reflection ratio, typically less than 20%.
Our objective is to increase the reflection ratio for the virtual
image above 80% while minimizing the see-through effects,
in order to save power and obtain a “greener” product.
2. Background
Most of the activity in the HUD domain is currently focused
on the optical architecture and on the installation within the
cockpit, trying to enhance the user’s experience, with a
larger image presented, or accessible from a larger EyeBox,
or making a more compact system, less intrusive in the
cockpit [1]. Holographic projection, using laser and spatial
light modulator displaying a thick phase-only hologram, is
another promising technology [2].
ISSN 0097-996X/18/4702-0729-$1.00 © 2018 SID
But much less activity has been deployed on the Combiner.
The Combiner is an essential part of a HUD, as it combines
the virtual HUD image with the direct view of the external
world. Its impact on this direct view (transmission,
coloration, distortion) has to be minimized, as defined in
AS8055 [3] for aerospace applications.
In its simplest shape, the combiner is a thin sheet of glass,
flat or curved depending on the optical architecture. As a
basic component, without any coating, Fresnel’s laws will
enable a minimal reflection ratio, from a few percent to
about 15 to 20% depending on the angle of incidence on the
surface, as seen in some automotive HUDs. To go further,
thin film coatings will be required, from a single layer
metallic coating to multilayer dielectric coatings.
With high see-through transmission requirements, it is
possible to take advantage of the different spectral
characteristics of the image and of the outside world. With a
narrow spectrum image source (or narrow bands for color
applications), a notch type coating (or multiple notch),
suitably adjusted, will enable a very high reflection
efficiency for the HUD image, while ensuring high
transmission of the see-through image outside the notch. [4].
This kind of coating is well suitable for a combiner based
HUD, but if we want to use the windshield as a combiner,
complying with Snell / Descartes reflection law, it may be
impossible to find a suitable position for the projector: the
local orientation of the windshield is constrained by
aerodynamics. Another aspect is the cost of the coating,
applied to a large piece of glass, such as a car windshield.
3. Holographic approach
3.1 HUD box
Automotive HUD field of view (FOV) is currently limited by
the size of the HUD box. This limitation is coming from the
necessary large mirror to reflect the image on the windshield,
as shown on figure 1.
With such an optical architecture, the HUD box size will
vary with the FOV as shown in figure 2, mainly due to
horizontal (X) and vertical (Y) mirror dimensions.
Typically, a HUD with a field of view of 14°x6° will require
a mirror size of 325 mm x175 mm.
But Augmented Reality applications will require the ability
to present images in much a larger field of view,
corresponding roughly to 35° in horizontal and 25° in
vertical, as in commercial aircraft. HUD box architecture
would then require mirrors larger than 500 mm, not
compatible with car or aircraft cockpit installation
constraints.
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Figure 1. Field of view is limited by the HUD box size (Source:
[5])
Figure 2. Field of view and HUD box mirror size (Source: [6])
Another approach could be a HUD box as described on
figure 1, without the issue of very large mirror.
To overcome this geometric issue, it is possible to use
Transparent Holographic Optical Elements (THOEs). The
optical function of a HOE can be different from the optical
function of its substrate, enabling new degrees of freedom in
HUD installation [7]. For instance, we can record a
paraboloid mirror on a flat substrate as per figure 3.
Figure 3. Optical function of HOE / Principle
With an ordinary mirror as used today on HUD boxes, the
size of optical elements depends on ray’s incidence that
follows Snell-Descartes reflection laws.
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But with a THOE, it is possible to use a diffraction order that
will not follow the Cartesian condition, and reflect the light
at higher incidences. Figure 4 shows a simple schematic
example, showing an outstanding reduction of the HUD box
size.
If we combine optical power and off axis reflection recorded
on a single THOE, we can reduce the HUD box size and
increase the optical efficiency by a factor of 5.
With
THOE
Figure 4: HUD mirror size reduction by using THOE reflecting
the light at high incidence and magnifying
As for the Figure 4, in the regular HUD shown on the left we
need a Large HUD Mirror, because the windshield doesn’t
provide enough optical power to create a virtual image at a
convenient location. A Holographic Windshield can provide
the required optical power, so we won’t need anymore the
large mirror, as depicted on the right.
With a very narrowband HUD image source (laser), the
THOE will need to be recorded at that same wavelength to
avoid chromatic aberration. In the case of a wideband
illumination source (as with LED), chromatic dispersion will
occur in proportion with the diffractive angle (distance to
Cartesian reflection).
To overcome this chromatic dispersion with a LED source
and enable a large FOV, an elegant solution is use two
THOEs working in reverse, as represented in figure 5 [8].
HOE1
HOE2
Figure 5. Z architecture, to compensate chromatism
Chromatic dispersion generated by THOE1 is strongly
reduced by THOE2. Grating vector at THOE2, uniform on
the whole surface of the component is the opposite of the
grating vector at the center of THOE1. This compensation
scheme can be generalized to more complex architectures,
using more than two THOEs.
3.2 Combiner
Modern HUD uses the windshield as a combiner, for a better
user experience and a more integrated system. But the
windshield needs to have specific properties to reflect images
as we see on §2.
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Another issue is the double image, as the picture is reflected

both by the inner and the outer side of the glass. A solution is
to wedge the glass, and so, align the two images. It needs a
specific and expensive windshield, increasing the cost of the
system.
An intermediate approach is to integrate in the windshield
the optical function of a concave mirror, as presented by
Okumura et al in paper [9]. This will result in wider field-of-
view capability for the HUD within a constrained space
envelope. The Fresnel reflector can be seen as an
intermediate step towards a fully holographic combiner: the
active pattern dimensions of the Fresnel component are
sufficiently small to minimize see-through adverse effects,
but sufficiently large to work only in classical Snell-
Descartes reflection.
Figure 6. Experimental setup
An outstanding improvement could be the use of Transparent
Holographic Optical Elements. Such devices include a
surface or volume grating with optical properties like
reflecting light in a specific direction, or adding an optical
power. Such optical components are today used on
Augmented Reality helmets, with a huge reduction of weight
and size [10].
With the use of THOE, we work on the spectral dimension of
light and can then take advantage of a narrow bandwidth
illumination source for the HUD by adjusting the reflection
efficiency of the screen to this specific narrow bandwidth.
When the HUD illumination spectrum is adapted with this
reflection peak (both in position and width), then most of the
energy coming from the HUD box will be reflected towards
the pilot, with limited loss in transmission. Figure 7. Measurement setup (EMB/FOV measurement)
With a THOE, it is possible to direct the light beams without 3.4 Results
the constraint of Snell Descartes reflection laws, and
avoid/reduce the need for complex traditional optics. The mean spectral transmission is 85%, with a photopic
For a car windshield, the use of THOE as combiner increases value of 78% on a reference white background (D65), with a
efficiency by a factor of 5 (and reduces the power THOE laminated on a bare glass, without AR coatings. This
consumption in the same way), and avoids the need for is representative of what we can get through a windshield
complex optical design to eliminate double images (Wedged with an embedded THOE.
glass). The reflection ratio at 540 nm (measured bandwidth 535-540
nm at FWHM) is 85%, more than 4 times the reflection ratio
3.3 Experiment of a current HUD windshield (Figure 8).
The goal of our experiment was to evaluate the optical
performances of a windshield using a THOE as a
transparent/reflective element.
The set-up comprises (Figure 6):
 A transparent/reflective THOE
 A Lens THOE
 A Picture Generation Unit (PGU)
The PGU is made up of a DLP engine unit [11] and a holographic
projection screen that shapes the light toward the THOE lens.
The light source is adapted to the working spectrum of the THOE,
with the capability to tune the wavelength [12]
The following performances were measured:
 Spectral transmission
 Luminance/Contrast
 Eye Motion Box (EMB)
Figure 8. THOE Spectral Transmission
 Field of View(FOV)
 Collimation distance The peak luminance, in the center of the EMB, was measured
 Parallax error at 13000 Cd/m², with a mean value of 7000 Cd/m² inside the
These measurements were performed using a theodolite and a FOV.
spectro-radiometer (Figure 7).

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The FOV was measured at 18°H and 13°V, and the EMB was
200x200 mm. These values are compliant with the use of
augmented reality in automotive applications, but avionics
applications will require at least an FOV of 35°H and 26°V.
This could be achieved by using larger THOEs, but with a
larger volume, estimated at 35 liters.
The most important point for augmented reality application is
the parallax error for long distance objects (> 20m), such as
roads or runways. The collimation distance is by construction
adjustable from 5 to 100 meters, at 50 m, the parallax error at
the center of the image was measured less than 1 mrad (Near
the human visual acuity), and so was not perceptible. This is
an important point for the user experience in augmented
reality application; the virtual symbol stays locked with the
real landscape, whatever the head motion inside the EMB
and the FOV.
4. Discussion
The unifying idea of this paper is the use of the vehicle
windshield as a combiner.
Such architecture improves the user experience and brings
new concepts of use like Augmented Reality [8].
The use of Transparent Holographic Optical Elements is a
promising way to improve the performance of current HUDs,
specially the WHUD, which integrates the windshield in their
optical architecture [9].
But it requires a specific layer embedded inside the glass,
increasing the cost of this piece. It is actually the case of
HUD windshield, they need a specific wedged glass to avoid
parasitic image on the outer side of the glass. And even with
this specific layer, the optical efficiency of the image
reflection remains very poor.
Adding a photopolymer layer with a holographic record is a
less delicate manufacturing task than wedging the glass, and
considerably improves reflection ratio, without degrading the
outside world transmission.
The main drawback of the design as presented here is the
ability to display color images: THOE is wavelength
selective. Future works are pending, using wavelength
multiplexing [10], to get both color images and lightfield
displays, over the course of the next five to ten years.
5. Impact
An approach of HUD architecture using transparent HOEs
was presented.
Today, the design of efficient HUD is limited by the poor
reflective efficiency of the windshield, used as combiner, and
the need of powerful and expensive HUD box, to compensate
the fact that up to 80% of optical power is lost and passes
through the windshield.
The use of Transparent Holographic Optical Elements is the
answer to these issues, and could be the future enabler of a
green product that uses five times less power, in a more
compact size, lighter weight and longer lifetime.
6. Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to Tim PIKE for his careful review
of the manuscript.
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