HEAD-MOUNTED DISPLAY APPARATUS EMPLOYING ONE OR MORE FRESNEL LENSES

• US 20120120498A1
• Filed: 08/17/2011
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Harrison, Gregory A., Smith, David Alan, Wiese, Gary E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,632,315 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/630
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/012 comprising devices for attenuating parasitic image effects
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0123 comprising devices increasing the field of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/013 comprising a combiner of particular shape, e.g. curvature
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0093 with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/30 Collimators
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/08 with discontinuous faces, e.g. Fresnel lens diffractive Fresnel lenses G02B5/1876
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00

Abstract

Head-mounted displays (100) are disclosed which include a frame (107), an image display system (110) supported by the frame (107), and a Fresnel lens system (115) supported by the frame (107). The HMD (100) can employ a reflective optical surface, e.g., a free-space, ultra-wide angle, reflective optical surface (a FS/UWA/RO surface) (120), supported by the frame (107), with the Fresnel lens system (115) being located between the image display system (110) and the reflective optical surface (120). The Fresnel lens system (115) can include at least one curved Fresnel lens element (820). Fresnel lens elements (30) for use in HMDs are also disclosed which have facets (31) separated by edges (32) which lie along radial lines (33) which during use of the HMD pass through a center of rotation (34) of a nominal user'"'"'s eye (35) or through the center of the eye'"'"'s lens (36) or are normal to the surface of the eye'"'"'s cornea.

Claims

1. A head-mounted display apparatus comprising:

(I) a frame adapted to be mounted on a user'"'"'s head;

(II) an image display system supported by the frame;

(III) a reflective optical surface supported by the frame, the reflective optical surface being a continuous surface that is not rotationally symmetric about any coordinate axis of a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system; and

(IV) a Fresnel lens system supported by the frame, the Fresnel lens system being located between the image display system and the reflective optical surface;

wherein;

(a) the image display system includes at least one light-emitting surface;

(b) during use, the reflective optical surface produces spatially-separated virtual images of spatially-separated portions of the at least one light-emitting surface, at least one of the spatially-separated virtual images being angularly separated from at least one other of the spatially-separated virtual images by at least 100 degrees, said angular separation being measured from the center of rotation of a nominal user'"'"'s eye; and

(c) during use, at least one point of the reflective optical surface is angularly separated from at least one other point of the reflective optical surface by at least 100 degrees, said angular separation being measured from the center of rotation of a nominal user'"'"'s eye.

2. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

at least one of the spatially-separated virtual images is angularly separated from at least one other of the spatially-separated virtual images by at least 150 degrees; and

at least one point of the reflective optical surface is angularly separated from at least one other point of the reflective optical surface by at least 150 degrees.

3. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

at least one of the spatially-separated virtual images is angularly separated from at least one other of the spatially-separated virtual images by at least 200 degrees; and

at least one point of the reflective optical surface is angularly separated from at least one other point of the reflective optical surface by at least 200 degrees.

4. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 1 wherein during use:

the at least one of the spatially-separated virtual images is located along a direction of gaze which passes through the at least one point of the reflective optical surface; and

the at least one other of the spatially-separated virtual images is located along a direction of gaze which passes through the at least one other point of the reflective optical surface.

5. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 1 wherein the reflective optical surface is semi-transparent.

6. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus has one and only one reflective optical surface.

7. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus has two and only two reflective optical surfaces, one for each of the user'"'"'s eyes.

8. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 1 wherein the Fresnel lens system has one and only one Fresnel lens element.

9. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 1 wherein the Fresnel lens system has two and only two Fresnel lens elements, one for each of the user'"'"'s eyes.

10. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 1 wherein the Fresnel lens system at least partially collimates light emitted from the image display system'"'"'s at least one light-emitting surface.

11. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 1 wherein the reflective optical surface is configured to partially collimate light emitted from the image display system'"'"'s at least one light-emitting surface.

12. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 1 wherein the Fresnel lens system comprises at least one curved Fresnel lens element.

13. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 12 wherein the at least one curved Fresnel lens element is concave towards the reflective optical surface.

14. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 1 wherein the Fresnel lens system comprises a plurality of Fresnel lens elements in a stacked configuration.

15. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 1 wherein the Fresnel lens system comprises at least one Fresnel lens element having a plurality of facets that are separated from another by edges wherein during use of the head-mounted display apparatus, at least some of the edges lie along radial lines that (i) pass through a center of rotation of a nominal user'"'"'s eye, or (ii) pass through the center of a nominal user'"'"'s natural lens, or (iii) are normal to the surface of a nominal user'"'"'s cornea.

16. A head-mounted display apparatus comprising:

(I) a frame adapted to be mounted on a user'"'"'s head;

(II) an image display system supported by the frame;

(III) a free-space, ultra-wide angle, reflective optical surface supported by the frame; and

(IV) a Fresnel lens system supported by the frame, the Fresnel lens system being located between the image display system and the free-space, ultra-wide angle, reflective optical surface;

wherein;

(a) the image display system comprises at least one light-emitting surface;

(b) during use, the free-space, ultra-wide angle, reflective optical surface and the Fresnel lens system produce spatially-separated virtual images of spatially-separated portions of the at least one light-emitting surface, at least one of the spatially-separated virtual images being angularly separated from at least one other of the spatially-separated virtual images by at least 100 degrees, the angular separation being measured from a center of rotation of a nominal user'"'"'s eye.

17. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 16 wherein at least one of the spatially-separated virtual images is angularly separated from at least one other of the spatially-separated virtual images by at least 150 degrees.

18. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 16 wherein at least one of the spatially-separated virtual images is angularly separated from at least one other of the spatially-separated virtual images by at least 200 degrees.

19. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 16 wherein the free-space, ultra-wide angle, reflective optical surface is semi-transparent.

20. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 16 wherein the Fresnel lens system at least partially collimates light emitted from the image display device'"'"'s light-emitting surface.

21. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 16 wherein the free-space, ultra-wide angle, reflective optical surface is configured to partially collimate light emitted from the image display device'"'"'s light-emitting surface.

22. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 16 wherein the Fresnel lens system comprises at least one curved Fresnel lens element.

23. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 22 wherein the at least one curved Fresnel lens element is concave towards the free-space, ultra-wide angle, reflective optical surface.

24. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 16 wherein the Fresnel lens system comprises a plurality of Fresnel lens elements in a stacked configuration.

25. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 16 wherein the Fresnel lens system comprises at least one Fresnel lens element having a plurality of facets that are separated from another by edges wherein during use of the head-mounted display apparatus, at least some of the edges lie along radial lines that (i) pass through a center of rotation of a nominal user'"'"'s eye, or (ii) pass through the center of a nominal user'"'"'s natural lens, or (iii) are normal to the surface of a nominal user'"'"'s cornea.

26. A head-mounted display apparatus comprising:

(I) a frame adapted to be mounted on a user'"'"'s head;

(II) an image display system supported by the frame;

(III) a reflective surface supported by the frame; and

(IV) a Fresnel lens system supported by the frame, the Fresnel lens system being located between the image display system and the reflective optical surface;

wherein the Fresnel lens system comprises at least one Fresnel lens element that is curved.

27. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 26 wherein the reflective surface and the Fresnel lens system provide a field of view to a nominal user of at least 100°

.

28. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 26 wherein the reflective surface is semi-transparent.

29. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 26 wherein the Fresnel lens system at least partially collimates light emitted from the image display system during use of the apparatus.

30. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 26 wherein the reflective surface is configured to partially collimate light emitted from the image display system during use of the apparatus.

31. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 26 wherein the at least one curved Fresnel lens element is concave towards the reflective surface.

32. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 26 wherein the Fresnel lens system comprises a plurality of curved Fresnel lens elements in a stacked configuration.

33. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 26 wherein the curved Fresnel lens element comprises a plurality of facets that are separated from another by edges wherein during use of the head-mounted display apparatus, at least some of the edges lie along radial lines that (i) pass through a center of rotation of a nominal user'"'"'s eye, or (ii) pass through the center of a nominal user'"'"'s natural lens, or (iii) are normal to the surface of a nominal user'"'"'s cornea.

34. A head-mounted display apparatus comprising:

(I) a frame adapted to be mounted on a user'"'"'s head;

(II) an image display system supported by the frame; and

(III) a Fresnel lens system supported by the frame;

wherein;

during use, the Fresnel lens system is located between the image display system and a nominal user'"'"'s eye; and

the Fresnel lens system comprises at least one Fresnel lens element having a plurality of facets that are separated from another by edges wherein during use of the head-mounted display apparatus, at least some of the edges lie along radial lines that (i) pass through a center of rotation of a nominal user'"'"'s eye, or (ii) pass through the center of a nominal user'"'"'s natural lens, or (iii) are normal to the surface of a nominal user'"'"'s cornea.

35. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 34 wherein during use of the head-mounted display apparatus, all of the edges lie along radial lines that (i) pass through a center of rotation of a nominal user'"'"'s eye, or (ii) pass through the center of a nominal user'"'"'s natural lens, or (iii) are normal to the surface of a nominal user'"'"'s cornea.

36. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 34 wherein the Fresnel lens system is located between the image display system and a reflective optical surface.