SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR SEE-THROUGH DISPLAY PANELS

• US 20110096100A1
• Filed: 04/08/2010
• Published: 04/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovega Inc.
• Original Assignee: Innovega Inc.
• Inventors: Sprague, Randall
• Granted Patent: US 8,922,897 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/690
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1006 for splitting or combining different wavelengths G02B27/1086, G02B27/141 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/286 for controlling or changing the state of polarisation, e.g. transforming one polarisation state into another G02B5/3083 takes precedence; light guide coupling means utilising polarising elements G02B6/34
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/1876 Diffractive Fresnel lenses; Zone plates; Kinoforms G02B5/1842, G02B5/1847 take precedence; optical systems having diffractive correction means G02B27/0037; Fresnel lenses operating by refraction G02B3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/20 Filters polarising elements G02B5/30
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/30 Polarising elements light-modulating devices with active elements G02F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2202/20 Diffractive and Fresnel lenses or lens portions
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/04 Contact lenses for the eyes disinfection or sterilisation of contact lenses A61L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/086 Auxiliary lenses located directly on a main spectacle lens or in the immediate vicinity of main spectacles
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/101 having an electro-optical light valve electro-optical elements per se G02F
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/102 Photochromic filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/12 Polarisers
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0478 related to liquid crystal pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3607 for displaying colours or for displaying grey scales with a specific pixel layout, e.g. using sub-pixels display of colours in flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; grey scales specific for television H04N3/127

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention provide for systems and apparatus directed toward using a contact lens and deflection optics to process display information and non-display information. In one embodiment of the invention, a display panel assembly is provided, comprising: a transparent substrate that permits light to pass through substantially undistorted; a reflector disposed on the transparent substrate; and a display panel aimed toward the reflector and substantially away from a human visual system, wherein the reflector reflects light emitted from the display panel toward the human visual system. The reflector may comprise a narrow band reflector or a polarization reflector.

Claims

1. A display panel assembly, comprising:

a transparent substrate that permits light to pass through substantially undistorted;

a reflector disposed on the transparent substrate; and

a display panel aimed toward the reflector and substantially away from a human visual system, wherein the reflector reflects light emitted from the display panel toward the human visual system.

2. The display panel assembly of claim 1, wherein the reflector comprises a narrow band reflector.

3. The display panel assembly of claim 2, further comprising a bandpass filter positioned adjacent to the display panel, wherein the bandpass filter limits bandwidths of light emitted from the display panel toward the narrow band reflector such that substantially no light passes through the narrow band reflector.

4. The display panel assembly of claim 2, further comprising a first polarization filter positioned adjacent to the transparent substrate on a side facing opposite the human visual system and a second polarization filter positioned adjacent to the display panel, wherein the second polarization filter limits the polarity of light emitted from the display panel toward the narrow band reflector and the first polarization filter such that substantially no light passes through the first polarization filter.

5. The display panel assembly of claim 1, wherein the reflector comprises a polarization reflector.

6. The display panel assembly of claim 5, further comprising a polarization filter positioned adjacent to the display panel, wherein the polarization filter limits the polarity of light emitted from the display panel toward the polarization reflector such that substantially no light passes through the first polarization reflector.

7. A display panel assembly, comprising:

an electro-luminescent display that is transparent;

a liquid crystal display that is transparent and segmented, wherein the liquid crystal display is mounted to the electro-luminescent display such that a segment of the liquid crystal display is substantially aligned with one or more pixels within the electro-luminescent display; and

a control mechanism that varies a liquid crystal pixel gray level for the segment in order to modify an amount of ambient light passed through the electro-luminescent display.

8. The display panel assembly of claim 7, wherein the electro-luminescent display comprises an organic light emitting diode display.

9. The display panel assembly of claim 7, wherein an algorithm modifies the liquid crystal pixel gray level based on a content of the electro-luminescent display.

10. The display panel assembly of claim 7, wherein an algorithm modifies the liquid crystal pixel gray level based on a brightness of the one or more pixels within the electro-luminescent display.

11. The display panel assembly of claim 7, wherein an algorithm modifies the liquid crystal pixel gray level based on a color of the one or more pixels within the electro-luminescent display.

12. The display panel assembly of claim 7, wherein an algorithm modifies the liquid crystal pixel gray level based on a gaze angle of an eye of a viewer.

13. The display panel assembly of claim 7, wherein an algorithm modifies the liquid crystal pixel gray level based on time periods.

14. A display system, comprising:

a display assembly disposed on a head-borne apparatus, wherein the display assembly is positioned in close proximity to an eye of a viewer such that the eye is unable to focus on the display assembly unassisted, and the display assembly comprises a transparent display panel having pixels configured without focusing optics, thereby allowing light emitted by the pixels to diverge unfocused; and

a contact lens having focusing optics that assists the eye in focusing on light emitted by the pixels of the transparent display panel.

15. A display panel assembly, comprising:

a transparent display panel having a viewable side, the transparent display panel comprising a display pixel;

a polarizer affixed to the viewable side;

a transparent pixelated liquid crystal array affixed to the polarizer, the transparent pixelated liquid crystal array comprising at least one liquid crystal pixel that substantially aligns to the display pixel; and

a control mechanism configured to electrically control the transparent display and the transparent pixelated liquid crystal array, wherein in a first time period, the control mechanism sets the display pixel to a predetermined brightness level and sets the liquid crystal pixel to a first orientation at every location where a display pixel is set to at least partially illuminated, and in a second time period, the control mechanism sets the display pixel to emit no light and sets the liquid crystal pixel to a second orientation.

16. A display panel assembly, comprising:

a transparent electroluminescent panel having a first electroluminescent panel side and second electroluminescent panel side;

a first transparent pixelated liquid crystal array having a first array side and a second array side, wherein a polarizer is affixed to both the first and second array sides, and the second array side with the polarizer is affixed to the first electroluminescent panel side, and;

a first transparent liquid crystal shutter panel having a first shutter panel side and a second shutter panel side, wherein the second shutter panel side is affixed to the first array side; and

a first control mechanism configured to electrically control the transparent electroluminescent panel, the first transparent pixelated liquid crystal array, and first transparent liquid crystal shutter panel, wherein in a first time period, the control mechanism sets the first transparent liquid crystal shutter to a first polarization orientation and sets the first transparent pixelated liquid crystal array to a first gray level orientation proper for forming a desired image, and in a second time period, the control mechanism turns off the transparent electroluminescent panel and sets the first transparent liquid crystal shutter panel to a second polarization orientation.

17. The display panel assembly of claim 16, further comprising:

a second transparent liquid crystal shutter panel affixed to the second electroluminescent panel side, wherein a polarizer is affixed to both sides of the second transparent liquid crystal shutter panel; and

a second control mechanism configured to electrically control the second transparent liquid crystal shutter panel, wherein in a third time period, the second transparent liquid crystal shutter panel is set to block light from transmitting, and in a fourth time period, the second transparent liquid crystal shutter panel is set to allow light to transmit.

18. The display panel assembly of claim 16, further comprising:

a second transparent pixelated liquid crystal array affixed to the second electroluminescent panel side, wherein a polarizer is affixed to both sides of the second transparent pixelated liquid crystal array; and

a second control mechanism configured to electrically control the second transparent pixelated liquid crystal array, wherein in a third time period, the second transparent pixelated liquid crystal array is set to a second gray level orientation proper for forming a second desired image, and in a fourth time period, the second transparent pixelated liquid crystal array is set to allow light to transmit.

19. The display panel assembly of claim 16, wherein the transparent electroluminescent panel comprises a multi-color array that substantially aligns to pixels in the first transparent pixelated liquid crystal array.

20. The display panel assembly of claim 16, wherein the transparent electroluminescent panel comprises a plurality of colored transparent electroluminescent panels, and the first time period comprises a plurality of sub-periods such that:

each colored transparent electroluminescent panel is of a different color, each colored transparent display is turned on during a different sub-period, and the first transparent liquid crystal shutter panel is set to a different orientation during each sub-period.

21. A display panel assembly, comprising:

a transparent substrate having a semi-reflective surface that reflects light in multiple directions;

a transparent cover bonded to the semi-reflective surface using an adhesive having a refraction coefficient similar to that of the transparent substrate; and

an image projector configured to project an image onto the semi-reflective surface.

22. The display panel assembly of claim 21, wherein the semi-reflective surface is a narrow spectral band reflector.

23. The display panel assembly of claim 22, wherein the image projector comprises a narrow spectral band filter configured to project light that is narrower in wavelength than light reflected from the narrow spectral band reflector.

24. The display panel assembly of claim 21, wherein the semi-reflective surface is a polarization reflector that reflects light of a first polarization and passes light of a second polarization.

25. The display panel assembly of claim 24, wherein the image projector comprises a polarization filter configured to project light of a first polarization.

26. A display panel assembly, comprising:

a transparent substrate having a semi-reflective surface that reflects light in multiple directions;

a transparent cover bonded to the semi-reflective surface using an adhesive, wherein the adhesive has a refraction coefficient similar to that of the transparent substrate;

a polarizer affixed to the transparent cover;

a liquid crystal pixel array affixed to the polarizer; and

a polarized illumination source having a first polarization orientation, wherein the polarized illumination source illuminates the semi-reflective surface through the liquid crystal pixel array.

27. The display panel assembly of claim 26, wherein the semi-reflective surface is a narrow spectral band reflector.

28. A display panel assembly, comprising:

a transparent substrate having a semi-reflective surface that reflects light in multiple directions;

a transparent cover bonded to the semi-reflective surface using an adhesive, wherein the adhesive has a refraction coefficient similar to that of the transparent substrate;

a light spreading relay configured to relay in a uniform manner light entering from a first relay side onto the semi-reflective surface;

a liquid crystal pixel array affixed nearer the viewer;

a polarizer affixed to the liquid crystal pixel array nearest the viewer; and

a polarized illumination source having a first polarization orientation, wherein the polarized illumination source illuminates the semi-reflective surface through the light spreading relay.

29. The display panel assembly of claim 28, wherein a second polarizer is affixed to the transparent substrate and has a second polarization orientation.

30. The display panel assembly of claim 28, wherein the semi-reflective surface is a narrow spectral band reflector.