SEE-THROUGH COMPUTER DISPLAY SYSTEMS

• US 20160018644A1
• Filed: 06/17/2015
• Published: 01/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Osterhout Design Group
• Original Assignee: Osterhout Design Group
• Inventors: Border, John N., Bietry, Joseph, Haddick, John D.
• Application Number:
  US14/741,451
• Publication Number:
  US 20160018644A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2037/1253 curable adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/416 Reflective
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/42 Polarizing, birefringent, filtering
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2551/00 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2551/08 Mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/1284 Application of adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/24 with at least one layer not being coherent before laminating, e.g. made up from granular material sprinkled onto a substrate B32B37/15 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/0008 Electrical discharge treatment, e.g. corona, plasma treatment; wave energy or particle radiation heat treatment B32B38/0036
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0116 comprising devices for correcting chromatic aberration
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0174 holographic
• 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 27/142 Coating structures, e.g. thin films multilayers
• 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 5/04 Prisms
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/30 Polarising elements light-modulating devices with active elements G02F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0001 specially adapted for lighting devices or systems lighting or signalling on vehicles using light guides B60Q1/00; lighting devices for vehicle dashboards B60Q3/10; lighting devices for vehicle interior using light guides B60Q3/62; lighting devices mounted on the vehicle rear part using light guides F21S43/235; measuring arrangements having light conducting pointers G01D13/265; illumination of liquid crystal displays G02F1/1336; illuminated signs G09F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133602 : Direct backlight
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 : Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 : Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 : Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 : in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 : Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 : for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention relate to providing see-through computer display with improved optics.

Claims

1. A compact head-worn display with display optics that have an optical axis that is multiply folded, providing displayed images overlaid onto a see-through view of a surrounding environment comprising:

a. an image source that provides image light associated with the displayed images;

b. an upper optics module including multiple optical elements that provide optical power and a first fold of the optical axis;

c. a lower optics module that including a combiner that provides a second fold of the optical axis to direct the image light towards a user'"'"'s eye while also allowing light from the surrounding environment to pass through to the user'"'"'s eye so that the displayed images are seen by the user as overlaid onto a see-through view of a surrounding environment; and

d. wherein, the upper optics include a solid prism that provides optical power and a mirror to fold the optical axis and direct the image light toward the lower optics module.

2. The compact head-worn display of claim 1 wherein, the image source is a self-luminous microdisplay.

3. The compact head-worn display of claim 1 wherein, the image source is an OLED microdisplay.

4. The compact head-worn display of claim 1 wherein, the image source is a backlit LCD microdisplay.

5. The compact head-worn display of claim 3 wherein, the mirror of the solid element is a partial mirror and a camera for capturing images of the user'"'"'s eye is positioned behind the partial mirror.

6. The compact head-worn display of claim 5 wherein, the partial mirror is a cold mirror that reflects visible light and transmits infrared light, and the camera captures infrared images of the user'"'"'s eye.

7. The compact head-worn display of claim 2 wherein, the image source is a reflective microdisplay.

8. The compact head-worn display of claim 2 wherein, the image source is an LCOS or FLCOS

9. The compact head-worn display of claim 2 wherein, the image source is a DLP.

10. The compact head-worn display of claim 8 wherein, the mirror of the solid prism is a partial mirror with a backlight positioned behind the partial mirror to provide illuminating light to the image source.

11. The compact head-worn display of claim 10 wherein, the partial mirror is a reflective polarizer that transmits a portion of the illuminating light and a polarization state of the illuminating light is changed when reflected by the image source to provide image light so that the image light is reflected by the partial mirror.

12. The compact head-worn display of claim 2 wherein, the material of the solid prism has a different index of refraction than the materials of the other optical elements in the upper optics module.

13. The compact head-worn display of claim 12 wherein, the materials and optical power associated with the multiple optical elements of the upper optical module are selected to reduce lateral color in the displayed images provided to the user'"'"'s eye.

14. The compact head-worn display of claim 13 wherein, the material of the solid prism has a higher refractive index than the materials of the other optical elements in the upper optics module.

15. The compact head-worn display of claim 14 wherein, the optical power of the solid prism is selected to reduce the overall size of the upper optics module.

16. The compact head-worn display of claim 2 wherein, the upper optics module further comprises a field lens adjacent to the image source and a power lens adjacent to the lower optics module.

17. The compact head-worn display of claim 16 wherein, a fold angle associated with the solid prism is selected to reduce the overall size of the upper optics module.

18. The compact head-worn display of claim 16 wherein, the solid prism is selected to reduce the overall height of the upper optics module.