Head mounted type image display device

• US 20020158813A1
• Filed: 01/09/2002
• Published: 10/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Kiyokawa, Izuru, Ishizawa, Takanori, Atsumi, Motohiro
• Application Number:
  US09/958,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20020158813A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/7
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0132 comprising binocular systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/30 Polarising elements light-modulating devices with active elements G02F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3611 Control of matrices with row and column drivers

Abstract

The pixel number of an image display is increased through the optical shift of the positions of the pixels of the image display, that is, pixel shift. Therefore, a high resolution image can be observed using a low cost image display with a relatively few pixel number.

Claims

1. A head wearable image displaying device to observe a displayed image in a head wearing use-condition, comprising

an image display having two-dimensionally arranged pixels to display an image corresponding to an image signal supplied,

a flat luminescence-type illumination to emit and illuminate a white illumination light for the image display,

a first optical system to introduce to the eyes of a user to be observed the optical flux related to said image emitted from the pixels of the image display through the illumination of the flat luminescence-type illumination,

a second optical system having a polarized light-controlling element and a birefringence to optically increase pixel number of the image display by refracting with time series the optical beams emitted from the pixels of the image display and disposed in between the image display and the first optical system, and

a switch for an analog RGB signal, a composite video signal or a S-image signal as an image signal to be supplied to the image display,

wherein the polarized light-controlling element of the second optical system is operated on said image signal to be supplied to the image display via the switch.

4. A head wearable image displaying device as defined in any one of claims 1-3, wherein the first optical system has a prism optical system with two reflecting surfaces including a free curved surface.

5. A head wearable image displaying device as defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein the image display, the flat luminescence-type illumination, the first optical system and the second optical system are provided for each of the left and right eyes of a user.

2. A head wearable image displaying device to observe a displayed image in a head wearing use-condition, comprising

an image display having two-dimensionally arranged pixels to display an image corresponding to an image signal supplied,

a flat luminescence-type illumination to emit and illuminate a white illumination light for the image display,

a first optical system to introduce to the eyes of a user to be observed the optical flux related to said image emitted from the pixels of the image display through the illumination of the flat luminescence-type illumination,

a second optical system having a polarized light-controlling element and a birefringence to optically increase pixel number of the image display by refracting with time series the optical beams emitted from the pixels of the image display and disposed in between the image display and the first optical system, and

an optical system-supporting member to support the image display, the first optical system and the second optical system which are disposed in their respective suitable positions.

3. A head wearable image displaying device to observe a displayed image in a head wearing use-condition, comprising

an image display having two-dimensionally arranged pixels to display an image corresponding to an image signal supplied,

a flat luminescence-type illumination to emit and illuminate a white illumination light for the image display,

a first optical system to introduce to the eyes of a user to be observed the optical flux related to said image emitted from the pixels of the image display through the illumination of the flat luminescence-type illumination,

a second optical system having a polarized light-controlling element and a birefringence to optically increase pixel number of the image display by refracting with time series the optical beams emitted from the pixels of the image display and disposed in between the image display and the first optical system,

an electric power supply-voltage detector to detect an electric power supply-voltage,

a controlling data storage to store the controlling data for the flat luminescence-type illumination corresponding to said electric power supply-voltage, and

a controller to operate the flat luminescence-type illumination on said controlling data, stored in the controlling data storage, corresponding to said electric power supply-voltage detected at the electric power supply-voltage detector.

6. A head wearable image displaying device as defined in claim 3, wherein the image display, the flat luminescence-type illumination, the first optical system and the second optical system are provided for each of the left and right eyes of a user, and all of the controlling data corresponding to the electric power supply-voltages for the flat luminescence-type illumination are stored in the controlling data storage, and then, a given electric power supply-voltage is selected on a predetermined electric power supply-voltage to drive the flat luminescence-type illumination by the controller.