Viewing System for Augmented Reality Head Mounted Display with Rotationally Symmetric Aspheric Lenses

• US 20090051879A1
• Filed: 06/13/2008
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eyes Of God, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Eyes Of God, Inc.
• Inventors: Carer, James A. III, Vitale, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 7,952,059 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 353/28
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/28 Reflectors in projection beam in illumination beam G03B21/2066

Abstract

The method and system focuses a projected image with a multiple rotationally symmetric aspheric surfaces and an ellipsoidal reflector-relay onto or in a user'"'"'s eye. The image is projected from the first elliptical foci and is focused on the eye at the second foci. A peripherally mounted outboard projector unit uses three lenses and a substantially flat projector surface. Alternatively, an inboard mounted projector unit uses two lenses with non-rotationally symmetric aspheric surfaces and a biconic projector surface (organic light emitting diode (OLED) or curved silicon). The image projector-lens system and the ellipsoid pupil relay are correctly positioned on the head of the user by a head mount system which may be goggles, eye glasses worn by the user, or screens or shields depending from a head piece or helmet worn by the user.

Claims

1. A method of viewing a projected image with a head mounted display worn by a user comprising:

focusing said projected image with a multi-element lens system with rotationally symmetric aspheric surfaces;

using an ellipsoid as a pupil relay as part of said head mounted display;

projecting, from a first foci of the ellipsoid relay, said projected image through said multi-element lens system; and

,

focusing said projected image at a second foci of said ellipsoid relay, said second foci at or near (i) a pupil of said user'"'"'s eye, or (ii) a center of said user'"'"'s eye.

2. A method of viewing a projected image as claimed in claim 1 wherein the focusing of said projected image with said multi-element lens system includes refraction of said projected image through three lens elements adjacent said first foci.

3. A method of viewing a projected image as claimed in claim 1 wherein the focusing of said projected image with said multi-element lens system includes refraction of said projected image through two lens elements adjacent said first foci.

4. A method of viewing a projected image as claimed in claim 1 wherein said projected image is projected from a projection surface which is either substantially flat or is slightly curved and said projected image is transmitted directly said multi-element lens system includes refraction of said projected image through three lens elements, said projected image being projected from said projection surface substantially at said first foci.

5. A method of viewing a projected image as claimed in claim 1 wherein said projected image is projected from a projection surface which is a biconical surface substantially at said first foci and wherein said projected image is transmitted directly, said multi-element lens system includes refraction of said projected image through a two lens system having two non-rotationally symmetric aspheric surfaces.

7. A method of viewing a projected image as claimed in claim 3 wherein projecting said projected image from said first foci includes projecting said image from an inboard position of said user'"'"'s eye, intermediate said user'"'"'s eye and a user'"'"'s nose.

6. A method of viewing a projected image with a head mounted display worn by a user comprising:

focusing said projected image with a multi-element lens system with rotationally symmetric aspheric surfaces;

using an ellipsoid as a pupil relay as part of said head mounted display;

projecting, from a first foci of the ellipsoid relay, said projected image through said multi-element lens system, wherein projecting said projected image from said first foci includes projecting said image from an outboard position of said user'"'"'s eye; and

,

focusing said projected image at a second foci of said ellipsoid relay, said second foci at or near (i) a pupil of said user'"'"'s eye, or (ii) a center of said user'"'"'s eye.

8. A head mounted display worn by a user to view a projected image comprising:

an image projector with an adjacent multi-element lens system with rotationally symmetric aspheric surfaces focusing said projected image at an ellipsoid as a pupil relay as part of said head mounted display;

said image projector substantially fixed at a first foci of the ellipsoid relay by said head mounted display;

said ellipsoid relay focusing said projected image at a second foci of said ellipsoid relay, said second foci at or near (i) a pupil of said user'"'"'s eye, or (ii) a center of said user'"'"'s eye.

9. A head mounted display to view a projected image as claimed in claim 8 wherein said a multi-element lens system with rotationally symmetric aspheric surfaces includes three lens elements adjacent said image projector.

10. A head mounted display to view a projected image as claimed in claim 9 wherein said image projector is either flat or substantially flat.

11. A head mounted display to view a projected image as claimed in claim 8 wherein said image projector is fixed by said head mounted display at a position outboard of said user'"'"'s eye.

12. A head mounted display to view a projected image as claimed in claim 10 wherein said image projector is fixed by said head mounted display at a position outboard of said user'"'"'s eye.

15. A head mounted display to view a projected image as claimed in claim 8 wherein said image projector is an organic light emitting diode or a curved silicon light emitting diode.

13. A head mounted display worn by a user to view a projected image comprising:

an image projector with an adjacent multi-element lens system with non-rotationally symmetric aspheric surfaces focusing said projected image at an ellipsoid as a pupil relay as part of said head mounted display;

said image projector substantially fixed at a first foci of the ellipsoid relay by said head mounted display;

said ellipsoid relay focusing said projected image at a second foci of said ellipsoid relay, said second foci at or near (i) a pupil of said user'"'"'s eye, or (ii) a center of said user'"'"'s eye;

wherein said symmetric aspheric surfaces includes two lens elements adjacent said image projector fixed by said head mounted display at a position inboard of said user'"'"'s eye intermediate said user'"'"'s eye and a user'"'"'s nose.

14. A head mounted display to view a projected image as claimed in claim 13 wherein image projector has a biconical surface.

16. A head mounted display to view a projected image as claimed in claim 14 wherein said image projector is an organic light emitting diode or a curved silicon light emitting diode.

17. A method of viewing a projected image with a head mounted display worn by a user comprising:

using an ellipsoid as a pupil relay as part of said head mounted display;

projecting, from a first foci of the ellipsoid relay, a projected image through a multi-element lens system;

focusing projected image rays with a multi-element lens system at a second foci of said pupil relay wherein the rays emitted from the lens systems are collimated by said relay producing an image that appears at infinity.

18. A method of viewing a projected image with a head mounted display as claimed in claim 17 wherein said lens system includes rotationally symmetric aspheric surfaces mounted outboard of a nose of said user.

19. A method of viewing a projected image with a head mounted display as claimed in claim 17 wherein said lens system includes non-rotationally symmetric aspheric surfaces mounted inboard with respect to a nose of said user.