What are the special requirements?
Displays are found in vehicles both as driver instruments and as screens for infotainment in the mid console or passenger area. Some manufacturers combine the individual displays in one display element. These devices are similar in design and function to the displays of tablet computers. However, they are permanently installed in the vehicle. This places higher demands on their durability. Another requirement is that the content must be reliably recognizable under a wide variety of lighting conditions and from different viewing angles.
More specialized displays are used as projection devices in head-up displays. Here, a virtual image is generated, for example for navigation. Either a partially transparent mirror is used for this purpose, or the windshield is used as an optical element. Holographically generated images are also possible. The optical elements of these displays have defined constants in the respective wavelength ranges that are used for image generation. A high number of functional layers (>12 layers) is required for this effect.
Even the formerly passive rearview mirror is now actively used for display functions. It can also vary its reflectivity and thus react to strong glare from following vehicles. Such rear-view mirrors are known as smart mirrors. They also require a complex structure with a sequence of multifunctional opto-electronic layers. These layers must also be very uniform.
