Head mounted display with eye accommodation

• US 20080049152A1
• Filed: 06/01/2007
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InnoLux Corporation
• Original Assignee: Toppoly Optoelectronics Corporation (InnoLux Corporation), University of Central Florida Research Foundation Inc. (State University System of Florida)
• Inventors: Wu, Thomas, Hong, Qi, Lu, Ruibo, Wu, Shin-Tson
• Granted Patent: US 7,667,783 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/11
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0127 comprising devices increasing the depth of field
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/14 of variable focal length
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/50 the image being built up from image elements distributed over a 3D volume, e.g. voxels
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/29 for the control of the position or the direction of light beams, i.e. deflection
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/294 Variable focal length devices

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus and devices for head mounted stereoscopic 3-D display devices using the tunable focus liquid crystal micro-lens array eye to produce eye accommodation information. A liquid crystal display panel displays stereoscopic images and uses tunable liquid crystal micro-lens array to change the diopter of the display pixels to provide eye accommodation information. The head mounted display device includes a planar display screen, planar tunable liquid crystal micro-lens array and planar black mask. The display device may optionally include a bias lens. In an embodiment, the display device also includes a backlight and a prism sheet for displaying the images on the display screen. The display screen, tunable liquid crystal micro-lens array, black mask and optional backlight and prism may be flat or curved.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A head mounted visual display system for producing a 3-dimensional visual image for a viewer comprising:

a curved display screen for displaying images;

a curved tunable focus liquid crystal micro-lens array having plural liquid crystal micro-lenses aligned with display pixels of the curved display screen, wherein the curved tunable focus liquid crystal micro-lens array alternates a diopter of the display pixels; and

a first curved black mask having plural apertures aligned with the plural liquid crystal micro-lenses to prevent light from passing through the intervals between the plural liquid crystal micro-lenses of the tunable focus liquid crystal micro-lens array.

23. The head mounted visual display system of claim 22, wherein the first curved black mask is located between the curved display screen and the curved tunable focus liquid crystal micro-lens array.

24. The head mounted visual display system of claim 22, wherein the first curved black mask is located between the curved tunable focus liquid crystal micro-lens array the viewer.

25. The head mounted visual display system of claim 22, further comprising:

a second curved black mask, wherein the curved black mask is located between the curved display screen and the curved tunable focus liquid crystal micro-lens array and the second curved black mask is located between the curved tunable focus liquid crystal micro-lens array and the viewer.

26. The visual display device of claim 22, wherein the curved display screen comprises:

a curved emissive liquid crystal display screen.

27. The head mounted visual display system of claim 22, wherein the curved display screen comprises:

a curved transmissive liquid crystal display screen.

28. The head mounted visual display system of claim 22, wherein the curved display screen comprises:

a curved reflective liquid crystal display screen.

29. The head mounted visual display system of claim 22, wherein the curved display screen comprises:

a curved reflective display screen.

30. The head mounted visual display system of claim 29, further comprising:

an image projector for producing and projecting the image displayed on the curved reflective liquid crystal display screen, wherein curved tunable focus liquid crystal micro-lens array and adjacent first curved black mask are located between the curved reflective display screen and an eye of the viewer.

31. The head mounted visual display device of claim 29, further comprising:

an image projector for producing and projecting the image displayed on the curved reflective liquid crystal display screen, wherein curved tunable focus liquid crystal micro-lens array and adjacent first curved black mask are located between the curved reflective liquid crystal display screen and the image projector.