Substrate-Guided Optical Device Particularly for Vision Enhanced Optical Systems

• US 20080186604A1
• Filed: 02/08/2006
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lumus Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Lumus Ltd.
• Inventors: Amitai, Yaakov
• Granted Patent: US 7,751,122 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/850
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0123 comprising devices increasing the field of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0134 of stereoscopic type
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0081 with means for altering, e.g. enlarging, the entrance or exit pupil
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/10 of the optical waveguide type G02B6/02, G02B6/24 take precedence; devices or arrangements for the control of light by electric, magnetic, electro-magnetic or acoustic means G02F1/00; transferring the modulation of modulated light G02F2/00; optical logic elements G02F3/00; optical analogue/digital converters G02F7/00

Abstract

There is provided an optical system, including a mechanical body (110), a light-transmitting substrate (20) having two major surfaces and edges, embedded in the mechanical body, an optical element (90) for coupling light into the substrate by total internal reflection and a plurality of partially reflecting surfaces (22) carried by the substrate, wherein the partially reflecting surfaces are parallel to each other and are not parallel to any of the edges of the substrate. The system also includes an image capturing device (112), a display source (4), and an image-processing unit (114). The image-capturing device (112) is connected via the image-processing unit (114) to the display source (4).

Claims

1. An optical system, comprising:

a mechanical body;

a light-transmitting substrate having at least two major surfaces and edges, embedded in said mechanical body;

optical means for coupling light into said substrate by total internal reflection;

a plurality of partially reflecting surfaces carried by said substrate wherein said partially reflecting surfaces are parallel to each other and are not parallel to any of the edges of said substrate;

at least one image-capturing device;

at least one display source, and

an image-processing unit,

characterized in that the image-capturing device is connected via the image-processing unit to the display source.

2. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said two major surfaces are parallel.

3. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said display source produces image light waves which are coupled by said optical means into said substrate by total internal reflection.

4. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said image capturing device is a digital video camera.

5. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said image capturing device is a star-light amplifier.

6. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said image capturing device is a thermal camera.

7. The optical system according to claim 6, wherein said thermal camera is utilizing an uncooled detector.

8. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said image capturing device is a millimeter light-wave detector.

9. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said image capturing device has optical zoom capabilities.

10. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of partially reflecting surfaces couples the light waves trapped by total internal reflection out of said substrate.

11. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said display light source is a liquid crystal display (LCD).

12. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said display light source is an organic light emitting diode display (OLED).

13. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said substrate is partially transparent.

14. The optical system according to claim 1, further comprising an opaque layer attached to the surface of said substrate, for blocking the entrance of light waves from the external scene.

15. The optical system according to claim 1, further comprising a variable transmittance layer attached to the surface of said substrate, for controlling the brightness of light waves passing through said device from the external scene.

16. The optical system according to claim 15, wherein the transmittance of said variable transmittance layer is determined automatically according to the brightness of the external scene.

17. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said image capturing device is attached to said mechanical body.

18. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said display source is attached to said mechanical body.

19. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said image processing unit is attached to said mechanical body.

20. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said mechanical body is a spectacle frame.

21. The optical system according to claim 20, wherein at least two different light-transmitting substrates are embedded inside said spectacle frame.

22. The optical system according to claim 21, wherein a single display source is attached to said spectacle frame and wherein the image from said display sources is split into said two light-transmitting substrates.

23. The optical system according to claim 21, wherein two different display sources are attached to said spectacle frame.

24. The optical system according to claim 23, wherein two identical images are projected from said two different display sources.

25. The optical system according to claim 23, wherein two different images are projected from said two different display sources.

26. The optical system according to claim 25, wherein said two different display sources project two different parts of the same image, with some overlap between the two parts.

27. The optical system according to claim 25, wherein said two different display sources project two different scenes in order to create a stereoscopic image.

28. The optical system according to claim 25, wherein a single image-capturing device is connected via said image processing unit to said two different display sources.

29. The optical system according to claim 25, wherein at least two different image-capturing devices are connected via said image processing unit to said two different display sources.

30. The optical system according to claim 20, wherein said system functions as a digital video camera having dynamic optical zoom capability.

31. The optical system according to claim 20, wherein said system functions as night vision goggle.

32. The optical system according to claim 31, wherein said system has unity optical magnification.

33. The optical system according to claim 20, wherein said device functions as low-vision aid.

34. The optical system according to claim 20, wherein said mechanical body is a hand-held device.

35. The optical system according to claim 34, wherein said system is a part of a cellular phone.

36. The optical system according to claim 34, wherein said system is a part of an entertainment device.

37. The optical system according to claim 34, wherein said system functions as a digital video camera.

38. The optical system according to claim 34, wherein said system functions as a surveillance system.

39. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said system is a part of a head-up display system.

40. The optical system according to claim 39, further comprising an external sensor unit which is aligned with said image capturing device.

41. The optical system according to claim 40, wherein said external sensor unit is a RADAR system.

42. The optical system according to claim 40, wherein said external sensor unit is a tracking mechanism of a missile.

43. The optical system according to claim 40, wherein said external sensor unit is a navigation system.

44. The optical system according to claim 39, wherein said system functions as a friend-foe-identification system.

45. The optical system according to claim 39, wherein said system functions as a safety warning system.

46. The optical system according to claim 39, wherein said system functions as a enhanced vision system.

47. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said partially reflecting surfaces is coated with thin-film angular-sensitive material.

48. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said partially reflecting surfaces is an anisotropic surface.

49. The optical device according to claim 48, wherein said at least one anisotropic surface has a major axis parallel to the surface plane characterized in that the reflection and transmission properties of the surface substantially depend on the orientation of the polarization of the incident light wave in relation to the major axis of the surface.

50. The optical device according to claim 49, wherein said anisotropic surface reflects the incident light waves with its electrical field vector parallel to said major axis and transmits incident light waves with its electrical field vector perpendicular to said major axis.

51. The optical device according to claim 48, wherein said anisotropic partially reflecting surface is a wire grid polarizing beamsplitter.

52. The optical device according to claim 51, wherein said wire grid polarizing beamsplitter comprising an array of thin parallel conductors supported by a transparent substrate, characterized in that the major axis of the wire grid polarizing beamsplitter is parallel to the array of conductors.