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- Rynard Ford has filed a patent for a new head-up display that is implemented through a car’s sun visor.
- The new design aims to solve problems with traditional displays, such as being difficult to read in strong glare.
- Potential features include motion detectors, Bluetooth connectivity, UV detectors, and more.
The inventor, whose last name is Ford, wants to literally put a head-up display on the driver’s face.
Inventor Lynard Ford filed for patent no. 20260001397 was filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on January 1 for a new version of heads-up displays that are implemented through a car’s sun visor. This means the driver can deploy the head-up display by lowering the visor and putting it in direct line of sight.
In most modern cars, a heads-up display is projected onto a screen near the windshield and shows the driver all relevant information such as vehicle speed, vehicle status, and in some cases map settings. The idea is to put information right in front of the driver so he can keep his eyes on the road in front of him.
However, Rynard Ford said in the patent that traditional head-up displays have several drawbacks, including “they are cumbersome and complex to assemble and use, are difficult to transport, and cannot be moved from vehicle to vehicle. HUD systems that project onto the windshield can be difficult to read when the windshield is dirty or in strong glare.”
According to the patent application, the visor head-up display eliminates the need to project images onto the windshield or install a projector on the vehicle’s dashboard. In some cases, this head-up display visor is portable and “clips onto the driver’s traditional sun visor, allowing the driver to move the device from one vehicle to another.”
Visor head-up displays can be used for a variety of purposes, providing drivers with motion detectors that sense movement outside of the driver’s peripheral vision, Bluetooth connectivity, microphones, digital cameras, blood pressure readers, and UV detectors that dim the visor when it detects increased ultraviolet light.
Jamie L. Lareau is senior auto writer for USA Today and covers Ford Motor Company for the Detroit Free Press. Contact Jamie at jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @Jalalean. To sign up for our automotive newsletter. become a subscriber.
