Personal video viewing apparatus

• US 5,034,809 A
• Filed: 07/07/1989
• Issued: 07/23/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Palca Incorporated 3-18 Shibuya Shibuya-Ku Tokyo Japan
• Original Assignee: Palca Incorporated
• Inventors: Katoh, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Application Number:
  US07/376,668
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 358/88, 358/250, 358/236, 358/91, 358/92, 350/137, 350/143, 350/133, 350/130
• US Class Current: 348/53
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0132 comprising binocular systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/34 Stereoscopes providing a stereoscopic pair of separated images corresponding to parallactically displaced views of the same object, e.g. 3D slide viewers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/35 using reflective optical elements in the optical path between the images and the observer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/339 using spatial multiplexing H04N13/337 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays

Abstract

A video display apparatus has a pair of displaying devices for displaying, by using television signals, images to be respectively viewed with left and right eyes; a pair of magnifying lenses for the left and right eyes; and a frame for supporting the displays and the magnifying lenses so that left and right virtual images formed by the magnifying lens, when images on the screens of the displays are viewed with the left and right eyes, coincide with each other. This video display apparatus enables stereoscopic vision by displaying video images on the displays on the basis of the principle of binocular parallax. half mirrors may be disposed between the magnifying lens and the eyes to enable images on the displays or the outside scenery to be selectively viewed. A shutter may also be provided between the half mirrors and the outside scenery to facilitate viewing of the displayed image.

Claims

1. A video display apparatus comprising:

left and right display means for displaying images to be respectively viewed with left and right eyes by using television signals;

left and right magnifying lenses interposed between the left and right eyes and said left and right display means respectively; and

a frame supporting said display means and said magnifying lenses, left and right virtual images being formed at a virtual image distance from the left and right eyes by said magnifying lens and coinciding with each other, said virtual image distance being greater than the distance between said lenses and said display means, and when the left and right eyes are directed to the respective virtual images, the eyes are converged at a convergence angle corresponding to an angle determined by said virtual image distance.

2. A video display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display means includes a liquid crystal display.

3. A video display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein stereoscopic vision is enabled by displaying on said left and right image display means by using left and right video signals prepared on the basis of the principle of three-dimensional display relating to binocular parallax.

4. A video display apparatus comprising:

left and right display means for display images to be respectively viewed with left and right eyes by using television signals;

left and right magnifying lenses interposed between the left and right eyes and said left and right display means respectively; and

a frame supporting said display means and said magnifying lenses, left and right virtual images being formed by said magnifying lens at a virtual image distance greater than the distance between said lenses and said display means and when images on said left and right display means are viewed with said left and right eyes, said virtual images coinciding with each other; and

at least one half mirror disposed between said magnifying lenses and the eyes, wherein said magnifying lenses and said display means are disposed on the reflection sides of said at least one half mirror, and the amount of light transmitted through said display means is controlled so that images displayed on said display means and the outside scenery transmitted through said at least one half mirror selectively can be viewed by said right and left eyes of a viewer, said images being selected if the amount of light transmitted from said display means is higher than the outside light being transmitted through said at least one half mirror, and said images and outside scenery being simultaneously superposed on each other if the outside light is brighter than that of the light transmitted from the display means.

5. A video display apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a shutter disposed between said half mirror and the outside scenery in the direction of transmission through said half mirror, wherein, even if the brightness on the outside is high as compared with the amount of light emitted from said display means, images displayed on the display screens can be viewed alone by closing said shutter to shut off light transmitted through said half mirror.

6. A video display device for viewing electronic images of external images, comprising:

a frame adapted to be worn on a user'"'"'s head;

a pair of display means, mounted in said frame, for receiving video signals and displaying electronic images on respective right and left mounted display means, said right and left display means being associated with the respective right and left eyes of the user;

a right magnifying lens disposed in front of the right eye of the user; and

a left magnifying lens disposed in front of the left eye of the user, said magnifying lenses being supported in said frame to form left and right enlarged virtual images of the images displayed on said display means at a virtual image distance greater than the distance between said lenses and display means when the left and right eyes of a user view the images on the display means, said virtual images coinciding with each other.

7. A video display apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising at least one-half mirror disposed between each said magnifying lens and the associated eye of the user, each said at least one-half mirror being arranged to reflect light transmitted from said display means and to transmit outside light defining the external images;

and means for controlling the amount of light transmitted from said display means, wherein said magnifying lenses and said display means are disposed on the reflection sides of said at least one-half mirrors and the outside light is disposed on the non-reflection sides of the half mirror so that said means for controlling the amount of light from said display means determines the selection of at least one of the group comprising the electronic images being viewed by a user and the external images.

8. A video display apparatus according to claim 7 further comprising a shutter disposed between said at least one-half mirrors and the outside light in the direction of light transmission through said at least one-half mirrors, wherein, even if the amount of outside light is higher than the amount of light emitted from said display means, images displayed on the display screens can be viewed alone by closing said shutter to shut-off the outside light transmitted through said at least one-half mirrors.