COLLIMATING DISPLAY WITH PIXEL LENSES

• US 20120154920A1
• Filed: 12/15/2011
• Published: 06/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2010
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 9,720,228 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/619
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0147 comprising a device modifying the resolution of the displayed image
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0056 arranged along two different directions in a plane, e.g. honeycomb arrangement of lenses G02B3/0043 takes precedence; miniaturised objectives for electronic devices employing wafer level optics G02B13/0085

Abstract

A display assembly (515) includes: (a) an image display system (10) which includes an array of pixels (120) and (b) an array of pixel lenses (115). The array of pixel lenses has each lens positioned to collimate or substantially collimate light from a corresponding single pixel of the array of pixels. The display assembly (515) is used in a head-mounted display apparatus (500) which includes a frame (510) to support the display assembly (515) a desired distance from a user'"'"'s eyes. The head-mounted display apparatus may also include a beam splitter (520) to reflect images from the display assembly (515) to the user'"'"'s eyes. The head-mounted display apparatus may provide a wide field of view to the user and may be of the augmented-reality or immersive type.

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 having a light-emitting surface which comprises an array of light-emitting pixels, said image display system being supported by the frame; and

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

wherein;

(a) the apparatus comprises an array of pixel lenses located between the array of light-emitting pixels and the reflective optical surface, one pixel lens for each of the light-emitting pixels, said one pixel lens being aligned with and receiving light from its associated light-emitting pixel during use of the apparatus; and

(b) the array of pixels lenses either alone or in combination with the reflective optical surface collimates or substantially collimates the light emitted from the array of light-emitting pixels during use of the apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the reflective optical surface is flat and the array of pixel lenses alone collimates or substantially collimates the light emitted from the array of light-emitting pixels during use of the apparatus.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the reflective optical surface is curved and the array of pixel lenses and the reflective optical surface in combination collimate or substantially collimate the light emitted from the array of light-emitting pixels during use of the apparatus.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the reflective optical surface is a continuous surface that is not rotationally symmetric about any coordinate axis of a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the image display system and the array of pixel lenses form a display assembly which is convexly curved towards the reflective optical surface.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein during use of the apparatus:

(i) the reflective optical surface and the array of pixel lenses produce spatially-separated virtual images of spatially-separated portions of the 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

(ii) 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.

7. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 6 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.

8. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 6 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.

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

10. A head-mounted display apparatus comprising:

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

(II) an image display system having a light-emitting surface which comprises an array of light-emitting pixels, said image display system being supported by the frame; and

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

wherein;

(a) the apparatus comprises an array of pixel lenses located between the array of light-emitting pixels and the free-space, ultra-wide angle, reflective optical surface, one pixel lens for each of the light-emitting pixels, said one pixel lens being aligned with and receiving light from its associated light-emitting pixel during use of the apparatus; and

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

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the array of pixel lens in combination with the free-space, ultra-wide angle, reflective optical surface collimates or substantially collimates the light emitted from the array of light-emitting pixels during use of the apparatus.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the array of pixel lenses alone collimates or substantially collimates the light emitted from the array of light-emitting pixels during use of the apparatus.

13. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 10 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.

14. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 10 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.

15. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 10 wherein the free-space, ultra-wide angle, reflective optical surface is semi-transparent.

16. A head-mounted display apparatus comprising:

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

(II) a display assembly supported by the frame, said display assembly comprising;

(a) an image display system having a light-emitting surface which comprises an array of light-emitting pixels; and

(b) an array of pixel lenses, one pixel lens for each of the light-emitting pixels, said one pixel lens being aligned with and receiving light from its associated light-emitting pixel during use of the apparatus;

wherein during use of the apparatus, the array of pixel lenses is the only component of the apparatus with optical power between the light-emitting surface and a user'"'"'s eye.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the display assembly has a concave surface which faces a user'"'"'s eye during use of the apparatus.

18. A head-mounted display apparatus comprising:

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

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

wherein;

(a) the image display system comprises a light-emitting surface which comprises an array of light-emitting pixels;

(b) the apparatus comprises an array of spherically-shaped pixel lenses, one spherically-shaped pixel lens for each of the light-emitting pixels, said array of spherically-shaped, pixel lenses being located, between the array of light-emitting pixels and a users eye during use of the apparatus.

19. A method comprising the steps of:

generating an image by an image display system having a light-emitting surface which comprises an array of light-emitting pixels;

independently collimating or substantially collimating light from each respective one light-emitting pixel of the array of light-emitting pixels by a respective one pixel lens of an array of pixel lenses aligned with the array of light-emitting pixels;

providing the collimated or substantially collimated light from the array of pixel lenses to a reflector positioned relative to an eye of a user; and

reflecting the collimated or substantially collimated light from the reflector to the user'"'"'s eye.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the reflector comprises a beam splitter and the method further comprises passing external light through the reflector to provide a view of an environment external to the reflector to the user'"'"'s eye.

21. A method comprising the steps of:

(a) producing light from an array of light-emitting pixels;

(b) receiving the light produced by the array of light-emitting pixels at an array of pixel lenses positioned such that light from each light-emitting pixel is collimated or substantially collimated by a corresponding pixel lens in the array of pixel lenses; and

(c) providing the collimated or substantially collimated light directly to an eye of a user.