IMAGE DISPLAY DEVICE AND IMAGE GENERATING DEVICE

• US 20130242555A1
• Filed: 02/27/2013
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Mukawa, Hiroshi
• Application Number:
  US13/779,008
• Publication Number:
  US 20130242555A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/237
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/007 Array of lenses or refractors for a cluster of light sources, e.g. for arrangement of multiple light sources in one plane combination of two or more refractors F21V5/008
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0006 Arrays G02B3/02, G02B5/188 take precedence

Abstract

There is provided an image display device including an image generating device, and a light guide unit. When a point at which light output from a center of the image generating device is incident is a point O, a normal line passing through the point O in a portion of the unit is an X axis, an axis of the unit passing through the point O is a Y axis, an optical axis of light incident at the point O among light beams output from a center of the image generating device is a ζ axis, and a virtual plane including the ζ axis and the Y axis is a ζY plane, light output from the image generating device and incident at a point (0,Y₁,Z₁) forms an angle θ_Z with the ζY plane and forms an angle θ_Y with an XZ plane, and when Z₁≠0, θ_Z≠0_Y is satisfied.

Claims

1. An image display device, comprising:

a plurality of light emitting units, arranged in an array comprising a plurality of rows extending in a first direction, each of the plurality of light emitting units having an optical axis; and

a plurality of microlenses, arranged in an array so that light emitted from each of the plurality of light emitting units passes through a corresponding one of the plurality of microlenses, each of the plurality of microlenses having an optical axis;

wherein the optical axis of light emitting units in at least one of the plurality of rows is offset from the optical axis of the corresponding microlenses in the at least one of the plurality of rows.

2. The image display device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of rows of light emitting units comprises at least one first row, and an offset between the optical axis of a light emitting unit in a particular row and the optical axis of a corresponding microlens varies as function of a distance between the particular row and the at least one first row.

3. The image display device of claim 2, wherein an offset between the optical axis of a light emitting unit in the particular row and the optical axis of a corresponding microlens increases as the distance between the particular row and the at least one first row increases.

4. The image display device of claim 3, wherein the plurality of rows of light emitting units comprises rows below the at least one first row in the array, and the optical axes of light emitting units in the rows below the at least one first row reside at an offset above the optical axis of corresponding microlenses.

5. The image display device of claim 3, wherein the plurality of rows of light emitting units comprises rows above the at least one first row in the array, and the optical axes of light emitting units in the rows above the at least one first row reside at an offset below the optical axis of corresponding microlenses.

6. The image display device of claim 2, wherein the at least one first row resides substantially in a center of the plurality of rows.

7. The image display device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of rows of light emitting units comprises a first row, a second row adjacent the first row in the array, and a third row adjacent the second row in the array, and a first distance between an optical axis of light emitting units in the first row and an optical axis of light emitting units in the second row is greater than a second distance between an optical axis of light emitting units in the second row and an optical axis of light emitting units in the third row.

8. The image display device of claim 7, wherein the first row resides substantially in a center of the plurality of rows.

9. The image display device of claim 7, wherein the second row resides above the first row in the array, and the third row resides above the second row in the array.

10. The image display device of claim 7, wherein the second row resides below the first row in the array, and the third row resides below the second row in the array.

11. The image display device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of rows comprises at least one edge row farthest away from the at least one first row in the array, and the at least one of the plurality of rows in which the optical axis of light emitting units is different than the optical axis of the corresponding microlenses comprises the at least one edge row.

12. The image display device of claim 11, wherein the at least one edge row comprises a row below the at least one first row in the array, and wherein the optical axis of light emitting units in the at least one edge row resides above the optical axis of the corresponding microlenses.

13. The image display device of claim 11, wherein the at least one edge row comprises a row above the at least one first row in the array, and wherein the optical axis of light emitting units in the at least one edge row resides below the optical axis of the corresponding microlenses.

14. The image display device of claim 1, wherein the array in which the plurality of light emitting units are arranged comprises a plurality of columns.

15. A head-mounted display, comprising:

an eyeglass type frame configured for mounting on a head; and

the image display device of claim 1, affixed to the eyeglass type frame.

16. The head-mounted display of claim 15, further comprising an optical waveguide configured to propagate light from the light emitting unit along the first direction.

17. The head-mounted display of claim 15, wherein the image display device is affixed to the eyeglass type frame so that, when the eyeglass type frame is mounted on a head, the first direction in which the plurality of rows extends is substantially horizontal.

18. The head-mounted display of claim 15, wherein the image display device is affixed to the eyeglass type frame so that, when the eyeglass type frame is mounted on a head, the first direction in which the plurality of rows extends is substantially vertical.

19. A head-mounted display, comprising:

an optical system;

an optical waveguide;

a first diffraction grating and a second diffraction grating, each residing on a portion of the optical waveguide;

a frame, configured for mounting on a head; and

the image display device of claim 1, affixed to the frame.

20. An image display device, comprising:

a plurality of light emitting units, arranged in an array comprising a plurality of rows, the plurality of rows comprising at least one first row; and

a plurality of microlenses, arranged in an array so that light emitted from each of the plurality of light emitting units passes through a corresponding one of the plurality of microlenses, each of the plurality of microlenses having an optical axis;

wherein light from a light emitting unit in a particular row passes through a corresponding microlens at an angle to the optical axis, and the angle varies as a function of a distance between the particular row and the at least one first row.