Display optical system, image display apparatus, image taking optical system, and image taking apparatus

• US 20030107816A1
• Filed: 11/12/2002
• Published: 06/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Inoguchi, Kazutaka, Yamazaki, Shoichi, Takagi, Akinari, Morishima, Hideki, Matsunaga, Motomi
• Granted Patent: US 7,012,756 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/631
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/004 Systems comprising a plurality of reflections between two or more surfaces, e.g. cells, resonators multipass arrangements for optical cuvettes G01N21/031; laser resonators H01S3/05
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/0848 off-axis or unobscured systems in which not all of the mirrors share a common axis of rotational symmetry, e.g. at least one of the mirrors is warped, tilted or decentered with respect to the other elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/0856 comprising a refractive element with a reflective surface, the reflection taking place inside the element, e.g. Mangin mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/086 wherein the system is made of a single block of optical material, e.g. solid catadioptric systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features

Abstract

A display optical system for guiding light from an original picture to an eye of an observer or a surface to have an image projected thereon is provided with a first optical system and a second optical system. The first optical system is provided with a first surface that is formed on a transparent body and has at least a reflecting action, a second surface for reflecting light reflected on the first surface toward the first surface again, and a third surface that is formed on the transparent body in the same manner as the first surface and transmits the light from the original picture. The light transmitted through the third surface travels toward the first surface and reflected for the first time on the first surface. In addition, a principal ray at central angle of view to be reflected for the last time on the first surface is reflected and travels to a side opposite to a side of the first reflection on the first surface with respect to a normal line of a surface on a hit point thereof. With such a structure, a small display optical system that is capable of widening an angle of view is realized.

Claims

1. A display optical system for guiding light from an original image to an eye of an observer or a surface to have an image projected thereon, comprising:

a first optical system including;

a first surface that is formed on a transparent body and has at least a reflecting action;

a second surface for reflecting light reflected on said first surface toward said first surface again; and

a third surface for transmitting the light from the original image, which is formed on said transparent body,

wherein the light transmitted through said third surface travels toward said first surface and is reflected for the first time on said first surface, and a principal ray at central angle of view to be reflected for the last time on said first surface is reflected and travels to a side opposite to a side of the first reflection on said first surface with respect to a normal line of a surface on a hit point thereof; and

a second optical system for guiding the light from the original image to said third surface.

2. A display optical system according to claim 1,

wherein said display optical system forms an intermediate image of the original image in said first optical system.

3. A display optical system according to claim 1,

wherein at least one of said first to third surfaces is a surface of a rotation asymmetrical shape.

4. A display optical system according to claim 1,

wherein at least said second surface is formed on said transparent body.

5. A display optical system according to claim 1,

wherein said second surface is formed on a member different from said transparent body.

6. A display optical system according to claim 1,

wherein the light is subjected to total internal reflection on said first surface.

7. A display optical system according to claim 1,

wherein the light made incident on said first optical system follows an optical path in order in which the light is transmitted through said third surface, reflected on said first surface, reflected on said second surface, reflected on said first surface, reflected on said third surface and transmitted through said first surface to exit said first optical system.

8. A display optical system according to claim 1,

wherein the light made incident on said first optical system follows an optical path in order in which the light is transmitted through said third surface, reflected on said first surface, reflected on said second surface, reflected on said first surface, reflected on said second surface, reflected on said first surface, reflected on said third surface and transmitted through said first surface to exit said first optical system.

9. An image display apparatus comprising:

a display for displaying an original image; and

said display optical system of claim 1 that guides a ray from said display to an eye of an observer or a surface to have an image projected thereon.

10. An image taking optical system for guiding light from a subject to an image taking surface, comprising:

a first optical system including;

a first surface that is formed on a transparent body and has at least a reflecting action;

a second surface for reflecting light reflected on said first surface toward said first surface again; and

a third surface for transmitting the light from the subject, which is formed on said transparent body,

wherein the light reflected for the first time on said first surface travels toward said third surface and is transmitted through said third surface, and a principal ray at central angle of view to be reflected for the last time on said first surface is reflected and travels to a side opposite to a side of the first reflection on said first surface with respect to a normal line of a surface on a hit point thereof; and

a second optical system for guiding the light from the subject which has been transmitted through said third surface to said image taking surface.

11. An image taking optical system according to claim 10,

wherein said image taking optical system forms an intermediate image of the subject in said first optical system.

12. An image taking optical system according to claim 10,

wherein at least one of said first to third surfaces is a surface of a rotation asymmetrical shape.

13. An image taking optical system according to claim 10,

wherein at least said second surface is formed on said transparent body.

14. An image taking optical system according to claim 10,

wherein said second surface is formed on a member different from said transparent body.

15. An image taking optical system according to claim 10,

wherein the light is subjected to total internal reflection on said first surface.

16. An image taking optical system according to claim 10,

wherein the light made incident on said first optical system follows an optical path in order in which the light is transmitted through said first surface, reflected on said third surface, reflected on said first surface, reflected on said second surface, reflected on said first surface and transmitted through said third surface to exit said first optical system.

17. An image taking optical system according to claim 10,

wherein the light made incident on said first optical system follows an optical path in order in which the light is transmitted through said first surface, reflected on said third surface, reflected on said first surface, reflected on said second surface, reflected on said first surface, reflected on said second surface, reflected on said first surface, and transmitted through said third surface to exit said first optical system.

18. An image taking apparatus comprising:

an photoelectric conversion element; and

said image taking optical system of claim 10 that forms an object image on said photoelectric conversion element.