Display apparatus

• US 5,414,544 A
• Filed: 12/20/1993
• Issued: 05/09/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kimura, Toshio, Aoyagi, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Gross, Anita Pellman
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dudek, James A.
• Application Number:
  US08/169,362
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 359/36, 359/53, 359/40, 359/49, 359/83, 359/900, 359/630, 345/8, 351/158
• US Class Current: 349/13
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0112 comprising device for genereting colour display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0132 comprising binocular systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/10 Beam splitting or combining systems polarising systems G02B27/28; mixing and splitting light signals using optical waveguides G02B6/28; beam shaping, e.g. changing the cross-sectional area, by dividing or superposing multiple light beams G02B27/0905
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/144 using partially transparent surfaces without spectral selectivity G02B27/147 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/145 having sequential partially reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/02 Diffusing elements; Afocal elements
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/05 the view from a vehicle being simulated G09B9/052, G09B9/058 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/307 by helmet-mounted projector or display G09B9/36 takes precedence; optical parts of head-up displays G02B27/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7441 the modulator being an array of liquid crystal cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/10 Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable H04N7/12 takes precedence

Abstract

Disclosed is a head-mount type display apparatus having an optical system which is of the back-irradiation type by which the user can see an extremely high-quality video image and by which the user makes only in-focus adjustment thereby improving operation convenience. The head-mount type display apparatus includes at least two optical systems each including a light source, a LCD through which the light from the light source is passed, a reflecting plate which reflects the light passing through the LCD, a screen on the back side of which the reflected light from the reflecting plate is focused to form an image and a lens by which the light from the screen is focused to form an image at a viewing point, and a head-mount type member for supporting the two optical systems which are opposed to left and right eyes. According to the preferred embodiment, interference and distortion in the projected images arising from the image of the edges of the LCDs is substantially reduced.

Claims

1. A head mounted display apparatus for displaying a video image comprising:

a display member including;

light source means for emitting light;

a pair of liquid crystal displays, each receiving light from said light source means and passing therethrough a part of the received light on the basis of the desired video image thereby projecting a corresponding pair of light images which correspond to said video image;

reflecting means for receiving the pair of light images projected from the pair of said liquid crystal displays and reflecting the same;

a single screen having first and second sides, said first side receiving the pair of light images reflected by said reflecting means and said second side projecting said pair of light images; and

means for focusing the pair of light images projected from said single screen onto the eyes of a user; and

holding means for securing said display member to the head of the user.

2. The head mounted display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a headphone attached to said, holding means.

3. The head mounted display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an input terminal operative to connect signal lines of a seat of a vehicle for receiving the video image and a power supply therethrough.

4. The head mounted display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each said pair of liquid crystal displays has three liquid crystal display devices each for projecting red, green and blue images, respectively so that a color video image is displayed on the screen.

5. The head mounted display apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising light shielding means provided between said light source and each said liquid crystal display for separating the light from said light source so that each separated light is made incident to each said liquid crystal displays.

6. The head mounted display apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising means for splitting and transmitting said light from said light source, said means for splitting and transmitting being positioned in an optical path between said light source and each said pair of liquid crystal displays and splitting said light such that a substantially equal amount of light is incident on each of said three liquid display devices.