System and Method for Adjusting a Projected Image

• US 20110157707A1
• Filed: 12/21/2010
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elbit Systems of America LLC (Elbit Systems Limited)
• Original Assignee: Elbit Systems of America LLC (Elbit Systems Limited)
• Inventors: Wolfe, Richard S., Cielinski, Martin M., Krylov, Vladimir G., Eshed, Tomer, Tilleman, Michael M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,982,480 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/630
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/14 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/142 Adjusting of projection optics
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/28 Reflectors in projection beam in illumination beam G03B21/2066

Abstract

In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, a system comprises a projection system. The system further includes an image generator disposed in the projection system. The image generator is operable to generate a plurality of rays. The system further includes an objective lens disposed in the projection system. The objective lens is operable to refract the plurality of rays. The system further includes a component operable to reflect the refracted rays onto a target in order to form an image. The image is operable to be moved in relation to the target. The movement of the image is independent of any displacement of the projection system in relation to the target.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a projection system;

an image generator disposed in the projection system, the image generator operable to generate a plurality of rays;

an objective lens disposed in the projection system, the objective lens operable to refract the plurality of rays;

a component operable to reflect the refracted rays onto a target in order to form an image; and

wherein the image is operable to be moved in relation to the target, the movement of the image being independent of any displacement of the projection system in relation to the target.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the movement of the image comprises a rotation of the image.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the system further comprises a rotating prism disposed in the projection system, the rotating prism operable to rotate inside of the projection system, and, as the rotating prism rotates, the rotating prism is further operable to rotate the image by rotating the refracted rays.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the rotating prism is selected from one of:

a Pechan prism;

a dove prism;

an Abbe prism;

an Abbe-Koenig prism;

a Schmidt prism;

a delta prism;

a right-angle prism;

a penta prism; and

a Porro prism.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the image generator is operable to rotate inside of the projection system, and, as the image generator rotates, the image generator is further operable to rotate the image by rotating the plurality of rays.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the image generator is further operable to rotate the image by reassigning the one or more pixels in the plurality of rays.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the movement of the image comprises a vertical displacement of the image, wherein the system further comprises a steering mirror disposed in the projection system, the steering mirror operable to vertically displace the image by vertically displacing the refracted rays.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the movement of the image comprises a horizontal displacement of the image, wherein the system further comprises a steering mirror disposed in the projection system, the steering mirror operable to horizontally displace the image by horizontally displacing the refracted rays.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the objective lens comprises a plurality of lenses, wherein at least one of the lenses is operable to translatably move in relation to at least a second of the lenses, and wherein the movement of the at least one of the lenses is operable to focus the image.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the projection system comprises a Head-Up Display (HUD) projection system and the target comprises an eye of a user.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the component is further operable to transmit illumination from outer scenery to the target so as to form an overlapping image that includes the image and the outer scenery.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the image comprises wavelengths of 525 nanometers with a broadband spectrum of 50 nm Full-Width Half-Maximum, and the outer scenery comprises wavelengths anywhere within a visible spectrum.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein both the image and the outer scenery comprise wavelengths anywhere within a visible spectrum, wherein the wavelengths of the image are complementary to the wavelengths of the outer scenery.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the image comprises multiple wavelengths having different bandwidths.

15. A method comprising:

generating, by an image generator disposed in a projection system, a plurality of rays;

refracting, by an objective lens disposed in the projection system, the plurality of rays;

reflecting, by a component, the refracted rays onto a target in order to form an image; and

moving the image in relation to the target, wherein the moving the image is independent of any displacement of the projection system in relation to the target.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the moving the image comprises rotating the image.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the rotating the image comprises rotating the refracted rays by rotating a rotating prism disposed inside of the projection system.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the rotating prism is selected from one of:

a Pechan prism;

a dove prism;

an Abbe prism;

an Abbe-Koenig prism;

a Schmidt prism;

a delta prism;

a right-angle prism;

a penta prism; and

a Porro prism.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the rotating the image comprises rotating the plurality of rays by rotating the image generator.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the rotating the image comprises reassigning, by the image generator, the one or more pixels in the plurality of rays.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the moving the image comprises vertically displacing the image by vertically displacing the refracted rays using a steering mirror disposed in the projection system.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the moving the image comprises horizontally displacing the image by horizontally displacing the refracted rays using a steering mirror disposed in the projection system.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the objective lens comprises a plurality of lenses;

and

the method of claim 15 further comprises focusing the image by translatably moving at least one of the lenses in relation to at least a second of the lenses.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the projection system comprises a Head-Up Display (HUD) projection system and the target comprises an eye of a user.

25. The method of claim 15, further comprising transmitting, by the component, illumination from outer scenery to the target so as to form an overlapping image that includes the image and the outer scenery.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the image comprises wavelengths of 525 nanometers with a broadband spectrum of 50 nm Full-Width Half-Maximum, and the outer scenery comprises wavelengths anywhere within a visible spectrum.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein both the image and the outer scenery comprise wavelengths anywhere within a visible spectrum, wherein the wavelengths of the image are complementary to the wavelengths of the outer scenery.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the image comprises multiple wavelengths having different bandwidths.

29. A system, comprising:

a projection system;

an image generator disposed in the projection system, the image generator operable to generate a plurality of rays;

an objective lens disposed in the projection system, the objective lens operable to refract the plurality of rays;

a component operable to reflect the refracted rays onto a target in order to form an image, wherein the component is further operable to transmit illumination from outer scenery to the target so as to form an overlapping image that includes the image and the outer scenery, wherein both the image and the outer scenery comprise wavelengths anywhere within a visible spectrum, wherein the wavelengths of the image are complementary to the wavelengths of the outer scenery, wherein the image is operable to be moved in relation to the target, the movement of the image being independent of any displacement of the projection system in relation to the target, wherein the movement of the image comprises a rotation of the image.

a rotating prism disposed in the projection system, the rotating prism operable to rotate inside of the projection system, and, as the rotating prism rotates, the rotating prism is further operable to rotate the image by rotating the refracted rays, wherein the rotating prism is selected from one of;

a Pechan prism;

a dove prism;

an Abbe prism;

an Abbe-Koenig prism;

a Schmidt prism;

a delta prism;

a right-angle prism;

a penta prism; and

a Porro prism;

wherein the movement of the image further comprises a vertical displacement of the image, wherein the system further comprises a steering mirror disposed in the projection system, the steering mirror operable to vertically displace the image by vertically displacing the refracted rays;

wherein the movement of the image further comprises a horizontal displacement of the image, wherein the steering mirror is further operable to horizontally displace the image by horizontally displacing the refracted rays;

wherein the objective lens comprises a plurality of lenses, wherein at least one of the lenses is operable to translatably move in relation to at least a second of the lenses, and wherein the movement of the at least one of the lenses is operable to focus the image; and

wherein the projection system comprises a Head-Up Display (HUD) projection system and the target comprises an eye of a user.