Imaging device and data eyeglasses

• US 10,114,223 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2015
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tooz Technologies GmbH
• Original Assignee: Tooz Technologies GmbH
• Inventors: Rudolph, Guenter, Davidkov, Momchil, Jabbour, Toufic
• Primary Examiner(s): Alexander, William R
• Application Number:
  US15/500,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20170219832A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: 359630
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0154 with movable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0185 Displaying image at variable distance
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0179 Display position adjusting means not related to the information to be displayed

Abstract

An imaging device includes at least one eyeglass lens to be worn in front of the eye and a display device arranged in the edge region of the eyeglass lens, said display device including an image generator and an imaging optics arranged between the image generator and the eyeglass lens. The image generator is the start point of an imaging beam path which generates the virtual image having an image distance on the basis of the output image and which penetrates into the eyeglass lens by means of the imaging optics via the edge region of the eyeglass lens. An outcoupling device for outcoupling the imaging beam path in the direction of the eye is provided in the eyeglass lens. The display device comprises a device for adjusting the image distance of the virtual image. The invention also relates to data eyeglasses comprising an imaging device.

Claims

1. An imaging device for displaying a virtual image, comprising:

at least one eyeglass lens to be worn in front of the eye lens;

a display device arranged on the edge region of the eyeglass lens, comprising;

an image generator for displaying an outlet image; and

imaging optics arranged between the image generator and the eyeglass lens for producing the virtual image from the output image,

wherein the image generator defines the start point of an imaging beam path producing the virtual image with an image distance from the output image,

wherein the imaging beam path undergoes incoupling into the eyeglass lens due to the imaging optics via the edge region; and

an outcoupling device present in the eyeglass lens for outcoupling of the imaging beam path in the direction of the eye,

wherein the display device comprises a device for adjusting the imaging device of the virtual image, the display device for adjusting the imaging device of the virtual image including at least three actuators connected to the image generator for effecting displacement of the image generator, each of the at least three actuators arranged at the corners of a notional triangle, and each of the at least three actuators connected to the image generator.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1 in which at least the at last one actuator is a mechanical or electromechanical actuator.

3. The imaging device according to one of claim 1, further comprising a device for tipping of the image generator.

4. The imaging device according to claim 3, in which the image generator comprises a rectangular image generator, and at least one actuator is disposed on each corner of the rectangular image generator.

5. The imaging device according to one of claim 1, in which the display device as the device for adjusting the image distance comprises at least one wavefront manipulator arranged between the image generator and the edge region of the eyeglass lens for manipulating the focal length of the imaging optics.

6. The imaging device according to claim 5, in which the wavefront manipulator comprises a first optical component with at least one first freeform surface and at least one second optical component with at least one second freeform surface, wherein the first optical component and the second optical component are arranged along the optical axis of the imaging beam path behind one another and are movably arranged with respect to one another in a direction of motion perpendicular to the optical axis.

7. The imaging device according to claim 6, in which the freeform surfaces are defined in a Cartesian coordinate system with an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis, wherein the z-axis represents the optical axis of the imaging beam path and the z-coordinates of a freeform surface depending on the x- and y-coordinates are described by a polynomial expansion in the form

8. The imaging device according to claim 7, in which the direction of motion runs parallel to the y-axis and only polynomials with odd order n and even order m have expansion coefficients different from zero.

9. The imaging device according to claim 8, in which at least the expansion coefficients of the polynomials x²y and y³ are different from zero.

10. The imaging device according to claim 9, in which additionally at least the expansion coefficients of the polynomials x⁴y, x²y³ and y⁵ are different from zero.

11. The imaging device according to claim 10, in which additionally at least the expansion coefficients of the polynomials x⁶y, x⁴y³, x²y⁵ and y⁷ are different from zero.

12. The imaging device according to claim 7, in which the values of the z-coordinates differ by no more than ±

0.1 mm from a median value of the z-coordinate.

13. The imaging device according to claim 7, in which the values of the z-coordinates differ by no more than ±

50 μ

m from a median value of the z-coordinate.

14. The imaging device according to claim 7, in which the values of the z-coordinates differ by no more than ±

30 μ

m from a median value of the z-coordinate.

15. The imaging device according to one of claim 6, in which the values of the maximal displacement of the first optical component and the second optical component are each no more than 5 mm.

16. Data eyeglasses, comprising:

an imaging device according to claim 1.

17. An imaging device for displaying a virtual image, comprising:

at least one eyeglass lens to be worn in front of the eye lens;

a display device arranged on the edge region of the eyeglass lens, comprising;

an image generator for displaying an outlet image; and

imaging optics arranged between the image generator and the eyeglass lens for producing the virtual image from the output image

wherein the image generator defines the start point of an imaging beam path producing the virtual image with an image distance from the output image,

wherein the imaging beam path undergoes incoupling into the eyeglass lens due to the imaging optics via the edge region; and

an outcoupling device present in the eyeglass lens for outcoupling of the imaging beam path in the direction of the eye,

wherein the display device comprises a device for adjusting the imaging device of the virtual image, the display device for adjusting the imaging device of the virtual image including at least one actuator connected to the image generator for effecting displacement of the image generator,

wherein the image generator comprises a rectangular image generator, and

wherein an actuator is disposed on each corner of the rectangular image generator.

18. An imaging device for displaying a virtual image, comprising:

at least one eyeglass lens to be worn in front of the eye lens;

a display device arranged on the edge region of the eyeglass lens, comprising;

an image generator for displaying an outlet image; and

imaging optics arranged between the image generator and the eyeglass lens for producing the virtual image from the output image

wherein the image generator defines the start point of an imaging beam path producing the virtual image with an image distance from the output image,

wherein the imaging beam path undergoes incoupling into the eyeglass lens due to the imaging optics via the edge region; and

an outcoupling device present in the eyeglass lens for outcoupling of the imaging beam path in the direction of the eye,

wherein the display device comprises a device for adjusting the imaging device of the virtual image,

wherein the display device as the device for adjusting the image distance comprises at least one wavefront manipulator arranged between the image generator and the edge region of the eyeglass lens for manipulating the focal length of the imaging optics,

wherein the wavefront manipulator comprises a first optical component with at least one first freeform surface and at least one second optical component with at least one second freeform surface, wherein the first optical component and the second optical component are arranged along the optical axis of the imaging beam path behind one another and are movably arranged with respect to one another in a direction of motion perpendicular to the optical axis,

wherein the freeform surfaces are defined in a Cartesian coordinate system with an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis, wherein the z-axis represents the optical axis of the imaging beam path and the z-coordinates of a freeform surface depending on the x- and y-coordinates are described by a polynomial expansion in the form