Head-mounted image display

• US 5,392,158 A
• Filed: 10/30/1992
• Issued: 02/21/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega Enterprises
• Original Assignee: Sega Enterprises LTD.
• Inventors: Tosaki, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Sugarman, Scott J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THONG Q
• Application Number:
  US07/968,855
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 359/618, 359/629-633, 359/638-640, 351/158, 358/88, 358/236, 340/705, 340/980
• US Class Current: 359/633
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/011 comprising device for correcting geometrical aberrations, distortion
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0132 comprising binocular systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0136 with a single image source for both eyes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/167 Synchronising or controlling image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/189 Recording image signals; Reproducing recorded image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/194 Transmission of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/204 using stereoscopic image cameras stereoscopic photography G03B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/286 having separate monoscopic and stereoscopic modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/324 Colour aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof

Abstract

A head-mounted image display comprising a housing for covering both the eyes of the user, a support for mounting the housing on the head of the user, an image light emitting unit provided at a predetermined position in the housing for emitting image light, a pair of right and left convex lenses provided at both the eyes in the housing for enlarging the image produced by the image light emitting unit, and an optical system provided within the housing for guiding the image appearing on the image light emitting unit to the pair of right and left convex lenses.

Claims

1. A head-mounted image display comprising:

a housing having a configuration of a dimension for covering a user'"'"'s eye;

means for removably mounting the housing on a head of the user;

means provided at a predetermined position in the housing for emitting image light in a direction away from the user to form an image;

a pair of right and left convex lenses, respectively, provided in a line of sight of the right and left eye of the user in the housing for enlarging the image produced by the image light emitting means; and

optical means provided within the housing for guiding the image formed by the image light emitting means to the pair of right and left convex lenses for observation by the user.

2. A head-mounted image display according to claim 1, wherein the image light emitting means includes a liquid crystal display plate.

3. A head-mounted image display according to claim 1, wherein the image light emitting means is provided between the convex lenses in the housing.

4. A head-mounted image display according to claim 1, wherein the optical means comprises a prism disposed opposite to a light emitting surface of the image light emitting means and reflectors for guiding the image light emitted from the prism to the right and left convex lenses.

5. A head-mounted image display according to claim 1, wherein a convex lens is provided close to the light emitting surface of the image light emitting means.

6. A head-mounted image display according to claim 1, further including a small television tuner mounted on the user and operatively connected to the means for emitting image light.

7. A head-mounted image display according to claim 6, further including an image signal terminal on one side of the housing and a power terminal on the other side of the housing.

8. A head-mounted image display according to claim 6, wherein the means for emitting image light projects its image towards the user.

9. A head-mounted image display comprising:

a housing for covering a user'"'"'s eyes;

a means for removably mounting the housing on a head of the user;

means, fixed at a position that would be between both of the user'"'"'s eyes when mounted with the housing and having a directed forward light emitting surface for emitting image light to form an image;

a pair of right and left convex lenses provided at positions in front of the eyes in the housing for enlarging the image produced by the image light emitting means;

a prism having an isosceles-triangular cross-section fixed within the housing and having a bottom surface facing the light emitting surface of the image light emitting means; and

a pair of right and left reflector mirrors for guiding to the right and left convex lenses separately the image from the image light emitting means and exiting from left and right tilted surfaces of the prism so as to be perpendicular to those tilted surfaces.

10. A head-mounted image display comprising:

a housing for covering a user'"'"'s eyes;

means for removably mounting the housing on a head of the user;

means in the housing for emitting image light to form an image;

a pair of right and left convex lenses, respectively, providing in a line of sight of the right and left eye of the user in the housing for enlarging the image produced by the image light emitting means, the means for emitting image light is located within a plane containing the right and left convex lenses; and

a plurality of sets of right and left reflectors provided between a light emitting surface of the image light emitting means and the right and left convex lenses for guiding the image from the image light emitting means separately to the right and left convex lenses.

11. A head-mounted image display according to claim 10, wherein the image light emitting means is fixed within the housing such that the light emitting surface of the light emitting means faces the face of the user, and comprises a pair of first right and left reflector mirrors disposed in the form of a V opposite to the light emitting surface of the image light emitting means, and a pair of second right and left reflector mirrors for guiding the image in the image light emitting means reflected by the pair at first reflectors to the right and left convex lenses.