See-through display

• US 20080018555A1
• Filed: 07/21/2006
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Hubby, Laurence M., Kuo, Huei Pei, Birecki, Henryk, Naberhuis, Steven L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,212,744 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/8
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/006 Systems in which light light is reflected on a plurality of parallel surfaces, e.g. louvre mirrors, total internal reflection [TIR] lenses Fresnel mirrors G02B5/09, Fresnel lenses G02B3/08

Abstract

In a particular embodiment, a see-through display includes a screen having transparent layer of material with a front side and a back side. At least one plurality of shaped louver members is disposed between the front side and the back side. The plurality of the louver members allow transmission of a fraction of light through the screen with minimum scattering within a range of incident angles. The plurality of the louvers also redirect image signal light from an image source into a range of angles centered about a normal to the screen. The louver members combine the image signal light with the light emitted from background objects located on the backside of the screen. The background image light is transmitted through the display screen with minimal scattering. For embodiments providing two sets of louver members, the image signal light may be redirected to observers on either side of the screen, such that the observers may see each other as well as the intended image.

Claims

1. A see-through display, comprising:

a see-through screen having a front side and opposite thereto a back side, the screen structured and arranged to receive an image signal light and redirect the image signal light into a range of angles, the range centered about a normal to the screen, background image light transmitted generally through the screen with minimal scattering.

2. The display of claim 1, wherein the background image light incident upon the back side is generally transmitted through the see-through screen without redirection.

3. The display of claim 1, wherein the screen is a louver screen, the louver screen having a transparent layer of material and a plurality of solid light reflective louver members at least partially disposed therein.

4. The display of claim 1, wherein the screen is structured and arranged to combine the image signal light with background image light from behind the screen.

5. The display of claim 1, wherein the image signal light is evenly divided, a first portion redirected into a range of angles centered about a normal to the front side, the second portion redirected into a range of angles centered about a normal to the back side, the same image signal light therefore provided to observers on either side of the see-through screen.

6. The display of claim 1, wherein the background image light originates as illumination light passing through the see-through screen from the front side to strike a background object, the background object reflecting the illumination light as background image light viewable from the front side.

7. A see-through display, comprising:

a louver screen having a front side and opposite thereto a back side, the louver screen structured and arranged to receive an image signal light presented from an origin direction at a single angle and redirect the image signal light into a range of angles relative to the front side;

the louver screen further structured and arranged to transmit a majority of background image light incident upon the back side through the front side with minimal scattering.

8. The display of claim 7, wherein the louver screen includes a transparent layer of material and a plurality of shaped light reflective louver members at least partially disposed within the transparent layer, the louver members arranged in non-overlapping rows relative to a normal to the front side.

9. The display of claim 8, wherein the louver members combine the image signal light with the majority of background image light from behind the screen, the majority of background image light passing between the louver members.

10. The display of claim 8, wherein the louver members are arranged in parallel rows.

11. The display of claim 8, wherein the louver members are arranged in curved rows with equal spacing therebetween, the curved rows are concentric to an image signal source.

12. The display of claim 8, wherein each louver member has a light reflecting side and a light absorbing side.

13. The display of claim 12, wherein the light absorbing side is achieved with materials selected from the group consisting of:

chromium oxide, carbon, a carbon die, titanium, and combinations thereof.

14. The display of claim 7, wherein the louver screen is structured and arranged to be placed in intimate contact with a background object.

15. The display of claim 7, wherein the screen imparts no appreciable parallax error to the background image light passing through the louver screen.

16. The display of claim 7, wherein the image signal light is provided by an image source, the image source hidden behind the louver screen.

17. A see-through display, comprising:

a transparent layer of material having a first side and parallel thereto a second side;

at least one set of light reflective louver members at least partially disposed within the transparent layer;

wherein the louver members are structured and arranged to receive a collimated image signal light from an image signal origin and redirect the image signal light into a range of angles relative to at least one side, the image signal light combined with a background image light passing through the transparent layer and between the louver members.

18. The display of claim 17, wherein the display has a front side and a back side, the image signal light received at a low delivery angle relative to the transparent layer and redirected into a range of angles, the range centered about a normal to the front side.

19. The display of claim 17, wherein the louver members are shaped.

20. The display of claim 17, wherein the louver members are arranged in curved rows with equal spacing therebetween, the curved rows concentric to an image signal source.

21. The display of claim 17, wherein each louver member has a light reflecting side and a light absorbing side.

22. The display of claim 21, wherein the light absorbing side is achieved with materials selected from the group consisting of:

chromium oxide, carbon, a carbon die, titanium, and combinations thereof.

23. The display of claim 17, wherein the display is flexible.

24. The display of claim 17, wherein the background image light originates as illumination light passing through the transparent layer to strike a background object, the background object reflecting the illumination light as background image light viewable by an observer in front of the transparent layer.

25. The display of claim 17, having a first set of louver members proximate to the first side and a second set of louver members proximate to the second side, the first set of louver members structured and arranged to receive an image signal light and redirect the image signal light into a range of angles centered about a normal to the first side, the second set of louver members structured and arranged to receive an image signal light and redirect the image signal light into a range of angles centered about a normal to the second side.

26. The display of claim 25, wherein the same image signal light is provided from an image source to the first and second sets of louver members.

27. The display of claim 25, wherein a first image signal light is provided by a first image source to the first set of louver members and a second image signal light is provided by a second image source to the second set of louver members.

28. A see-through display, comprising:

a transparent layer of material having a first side and parallel thereto a second side;

a first plurality of reflective louver members at least partially disposed within the transparent layer and adjacent to the first side;

a second plurality of reflective louver members at least partially disposed within the transparent layer and adjacent to the second side;

wherein the first plurality of louver members are structured and arranged to receive a first image signal light from an image signal origin and combine the image signal light with a background image light passing through the transparent layer from the second side to the first side and between the louver members to provide a combined image to an observer proximate to the first side; and

wherein the second plurality of louver members are structured and arranged to receive a second image signal light from an image signal origin and combine the image signal light with a background image light passing through the transparent layer from the first side to the second side and between the louver members to provide a combined image to an observer proximate to the first side.

29. The display of claim 28, wherein the first image signal light and the second image signal light are portions of a single collimated image signal light provided from a single origin.

30. The display of claim 28, wherein the first image signal light is provided by a first image source, the second image signal light provided by a second image signal source physically separate from the first image source.

31. The display of claim 28, wherein the first image signal source is proximate to the first side, the second image signal source is proximate to the second side.

32. The display of claim 28, wherein each louver member has a light reflecting side and a light absorbing side.

35. The display of claim 28, having a first set of louver members proximate to the first side and a second set of louver members proximate to the second side, the first set of louver members structured and arranged to receive an image signal light and redirect the image signal light into a range of angles centered about a normal to the first side, the second set of louver members structured and arranged to receive an image signal light and redirect the image signal light into a range of angles centered about a normal to the second side.

36. The display of claim 35, wherein the same image signal light is provided from an image source to the first and second sets of louver members.

37. The display of claim 35, wherein a first image signal light is provided by a first image source to the first set of louver members and a second image signal light is provided by a second image source to the second set of louver members.

33. The display of claim 33, wherein the light absorbing side is achieved with materials selected from the group consisting of:

chromium oxide, carbon, a carbon die carbon, titanium, and combinations thereof.

34. A see-through display, comprising:

a louver screen having a first side and opposite thereto a second side, the louver screen structured and arranged to receive collimated image signal light presented from an origin direction at a single angle and redirect the image signal light into a range of angles relative to at least one side, the image signal light combined with a background image light passing through the transparent layer and between the louver members with minimal scattering, the louver screen including;

a transparent layer of material;

at least one set of shaped light reflective louver members at least partially disposed within the transparent layer; and

at least one image source optically coupled to the louver screen, the image source operable to provide the collimated image signal light to the louver screen.