Line of sight display apparatus

• US 4,257,691 A
• Filed: 01/05/1979
• Issued: 03/24/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Philip A. Brooks
• Original Assignee: Philip A. Brooks
• Inventors: Brooks, Philip A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Corbin, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): de los Reyes, B. Wm.
• Application Number:
  US06/001,219
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 351/41, 351/51, 351/158, 350/319, 350/351, 350/96.24, 350/150, 350/112, 350/145, 350/182, 350/185, 350/214, 350/220, 350/173, 46/15 R, D34/15, 40/15, 40/448, 40/619, 40/586, 40/46, 128/25, D57/1, 30/225
• US Class Current: 351/158
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/02 Ornaments, e.g. exchangeable
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/12 using special optical effects

Abstract

An apparatus for providing a display of information or a source of light to a viewer or an object along the line of sight between a user of the apparatus and the viewer or object without preventing the user'"'"'s normal vision. The apparatus generally includes an element which provides visible images to the viewer, a member which blocks the visible image from the user, and an activating device which provides oscillating activation signals to the imaging element and the blocking member. The apparatus may also include prisms associated with each other to reflect certain images or light to the viewer or object.

Claims

1. A line of sight display apparatus for displaying visually perceptible matter by a displayer to a viewer while obscuring said displayed matter from the sight of said displayer without preventing normal vision by said displayer, comprising:

light-emitting imaging means disposed along the line of sight of said displayer between said viewer and said displayer for providing said visually perceptible matter;

blocking means disposed along the line of sight of said displayer between said imaging means and said displayer for providing an obscuring shield to prevent the observation of said visually perceptible matter by said displayer when said imaging means is providing said visually perceptible matter; and

electrical activating means associated with said imaging means and said blocking means for periodically electrically activating said imaging means to provide said visually perceptible matter and for simultaneously periodically electrically activating said blocking means to provide said obscuring shield.

2. The display apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein said blocking means includes two occluding members associated with said activating means for being electrically activated thereby at differing times.

3. The display apparatus recited in claim 2, wherein:

said imaging means includes two displaying members associated with said activating means for being electrically activated thereby at differing times, a first one of said displaying members being associated with one eye of said displayer and a second one of said displaying members being associated with the other eye of said displayer;

said occluding members include a first member associated with said first one of said displaying members and a second member associated with said second one of said displaying members; and

said activating means includes a first electrical connection associated with said first displaying member and said first occluding member for providing simultaneous activation thereof and a second electrical connection associated with said second displaying member and said second occluding member for providing simultaneous activation thereof at a time different from the time said first connection provides simultaneous activation to said first displaying and occluding members.

4. The display apparatus recited in claim 3 wherein said occluding members include ferroelectric ceramic layers.

5. The display apparatus recited in claim 4 wherein said displaying members include neon gas-filled lamps configured in the shape of the image to be displayed.

6. The display apparatus recited in claim 5 wherein said display apparatus is removably connected to a pair of glasses.

7. A display apparatus for emitting light to a viewer and for simultaneously blocking the direct rays of light from the vision of one who is positioned opposite the viewer while retaining substantially normal vision of the one so oppositely positioned, said display apparatus comprising:

a light-emitting member, responsive to a first electrical activation signal having a frequency, for providing said light;

a light-occluding member, responsive to a second electrical activation signal having the same frequency as the first electrical activation signal, disposed adjacent that side of said light-emitting member which is opposite said viewer; and

electrical activating means electrically connected to said light-emitting member and to said light-occluding member for simultaneously providing said first and second electrical activation signals to said light-emitting member and said light-occluding member, respectively, so that the direct rays of light from said light-emitting member are occluded from said one positioned opposite said viewer, but further so that the otherwise normal vision of said one is substantially retained.

8. An apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein:

said light-occluding member includes a frequency responsive liquid crystal member.

9. An optical device for illuminating a subject to be seen by a viewer, comprising:

illuminating means for lighting said subject;

blocking means associated with said illuminating means between said illuminating means and said viewer for inhibiting said viewer'"'"'s perception of said illuminating means; and

electrical activating means associated with said illuminating means and said blocking means for periodically electrically activating said illuminating means and for simultaneously periodically electrically activating said blocking means for blocking said activated illuminating means from said viewer'"'"'s vision.

10. The optical device recited in claim 9 wherein said illuminating means includes:

a first lighting member for providing illumination to said subject; and

a second lighting member associated with said first lighting member for providing illumination to said subject at a time different from the time said first member provides illumination.

11. The optical device recited in claim 10 wherein said blocking means includes:

a first obscuring member associated with said first lighting member for preventing said viewer from seeing said first lighting member during the time said first lighting member provides illumination; and

a second obscuring member associated with said second lighting member for preventing said viewer from seeing said second lighting member during the time said second lighting member provides illumination.

12. The optical device recited in claim 11 further comprising:

a fiber optic member connected to said illuminating means on the side opposite said blocking means.

13. An optical device for illuminating a subject which is located at a first end of said device so that the subject may be observed by a viewer located at a second end of said device, said device comprising:

a fiber optic member having a viewer end and a subject end;

illuminating means for lighting said subject, said illuminating means including;

a first lighting member disposed adjacent a first portion of said viewer end of said fiber optic member; and

a second lighting member disposed adjacent a second portion of said viewer end of said fiber optic member;

blocking means for occluding the direct light from said illuminating means when said illuminating means is activated to light said subject, said blocking means including;

a first obscuring member, disposed adjacent said first lighting member opposite said fiber optic member, for preventing said viewer from seeing said first lighting member during the time said first lighting member provides illumination; and

a second obscuring member, disposed adjacent said second lighting member opposite said fiber optic member, for preventing said viewer from seeing said second lighting member during the time said second lighting member provides illumination; and

electrical activating means electrically associated with said illuminating means and said blocking means for alternately periodically electrically activating said first lighting member simultaneously with said first obscuring member and then said second lighting member simultaneously with said second obscuring member so the viewer can first see through said second lighting member and second obscuring member that portion of said subject lighted by said first lighting member and can next see through said first lighting member and said first obscuring member that portion of said subject lighted by said second lighting member.

14. A headgear for displaying images to a viewer at substantially the eye level of a wearer of said headgear, while the wearer retains substantially normal vision therethrough, comprising:

a support member for attaching said headgear to said wearer'"'"'s head;

a display member connected to said support member in overlay association with said wearer'"'"'s eyes for projecting said images to said viewer, said display member including;

a first right-triangular prism having a first hypotenuse side and a first perpendicular side adjoining said first hypotenuse side;

a second right-triangular prism having a second hypotenuse side and a second perpendicular side adjoining said second hypotenuse side, said second hypotenuse side being connected to said first prism adjacent said first hypotenuse side so that said second perpendicular side is opposite said first perpendicular side;

a third right-triangular prism having a third hypotenuse side and a third perpendicular side adjoining said third hypotenuse side, said third perpendicular side connected to said second perpendicular side for placing said third hypotenuse side in parallel relationship to said connected first and second hypotenuse sides; and

a first image member associated with said third hypotenuse side of said third right-triangular prism for providing a first image to be projected by said display member to said viewer so that said wearer retains substantially normal vision.

15. The headgear as recited in claim 14 wherein:

said display member further includes;

a fourth right-triangular prism having a fourth hypotenuse side and a fourth perpendicular side adjoining said fourth hypotenuse side; and

said headgear further comprises;

a second image member associated with said first perpendicular side for providing a second image to be projected by said display member to said viewer so that said wearer retains substantially normal vision;

a third image member disposed adjacent said second image means, and associated with said fourth perpendicular side of said fourth right-triangular prism so that said fourth hypotenuse is perpendicular to said joined first and second hypotenuse sides, for providing a third image to be projected by said display member to said viewer so that said viewer retains substantially normal vision; and

a fourth image member associated with said fourth hypotenuse side of said fourth right-triangular prism for providing a fourth image to be projected by said display member to said viewer so that said wearer retains substantially normal vision.

16. The headgear as recited in claim 15 further comprising means for illuminating said image members.