Goggle type display apparatus

• US 5,506,705 A
• Filed: 09/01/1994
• Issued: 04/09/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ishii, Yutaka, Yamamoto, Yoshitaka, Funada, Fumiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Gross, Anita Pellman
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abraham, Fetsum
• Application Number:
  US08/299,355
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 359/59, 359/40, 359/83, 359/98, 359/68, 359/630, 345/7, 345/8
• US Class Current: 349/13
• 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 2027/0143 the two eyes not being equipped with identical nor symmetrical optical devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0154 with movable elements
• 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 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 5/30 Polarising elements light-modulating devices with active elements G02F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof

Abstract

The goggle type display apparatus of this invention comprises a first image generating unit for providing an image for the left eye and a second image generating unit for providing an image for the right eye, each of the first image generating unit and the second image generating unit comprising: a polarization beam splitter for polarizing light emitted from a light source; and a reflection type display device including a substrate, a switching circuit formed on the substrate, a display medium for modulating the light polarized by the polarization beam splitter to provide the light with image information, and an electrode layer electrically connected to the switching circuit for applying a voltage to the display medium, the electrode layer reflecting the light incident thereto after passing through the display medium.

Claims

1. A goggle type display apparatus having first image formation means for providing an image for the left eye and second image formation means for providing an image for the right eye, each of the first image formation means and the second image formation means comprising:

light polarization means for polarizing light emitted from a light source;

reflection type display means including a substrate, switching means formed on the substrate, a display medium for modulating the light polarized by the light polarization means to provide the light with image information, and an electrode layer electrically connected to the switching means for applying a voltage to the display medium, the electrode layer reflecting the light incident thereto after passing through the display medium; and

a screen on which the light carrying the image information supplied from the reflection type display means is projected.

2. A goggle type display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display medium of the reflection type display means is liquid crystal.

3. A goggle type display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate of the reflection type display means is made of single crystal silicon.

4. A goggle type display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the first image formation means and the second image formation means further comprises light converging means for converging the light projected onto the screen.

5. A goggle type display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the first image formation means and the second image formation means further comprises light collimating means for collimating the light emitted from the light source.

6. A goggle type display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the first image formation means and the second image formation means further comprises light selection means selectively converting the light emitted from the light source to red color light, green color light, and blue color light.

7. A goggle type display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the light selection means includes a liquid crystal layer containing a cyan dichroic pigment, a liquid crystal layer containing a magenta dichroic pigment, and a liquid crystal layer containing a yellow dichroic pigment.

8. A goggle type display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the light selection means includes a first filter allowing red color light to pass therethrough, a second filter allowing green color light to pass therethrough, a third filter allowing blue color light to pass therethrough, a first optical fiber for guiding the light emitted from the light source to the first, second, and third filters, and a second optical fiber for guiding the light after having passed the first, second, and third filters to the light polarization means.

9. A goggle type display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the light selection means includes a mechanical RGB rotation filter.

10. A goggle type display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the first image formation means and the second image formation means further comprises reflection means for reflecting the light carrying the image information supplied from the reflection type display means to the screen.

11. A goggle type display apparatus according to claim 10, wherein each of the first image formation means and the second image formation means further comprises an optical fiber for guiding the light carrying the image information supplied from the reflection type display means to the reflection means.

12. A goggle type display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the light polarization means of the first and the second image formation means is a polarization beam splitter.

13. A goggle type display apparatus having first image formation means for providing an image for the left eye and second image formation means for providing an image for the right eye, each of the first image formation means and the second image formation means comprising:

light polarization means for polarizing light emitted from a light source;

reflection type display means including a substrate, switching means formed on the substrate, a display medium for modulating the light polarized by the light polarization means to provide the light with image information, and an electrode layer electrically connected to the switching means for applying a voltage to the display medium the electrode layer reflecting the light incident thereto after passing through the display medium; and

projection means for magnifying and projecting the light reflected from the electrode layer of the reflection type display means.

14. A goggle type display apparatus having first image formation means for providing an image for the left eye and second image formation means for providing an image for the right eye, each of the first image formation means and the second image formation means comprising:

light polarization means for polarizing light emitted from a light source;

reflection type display means including a substrate, switching means formed on the substrate, a display medium for modulating the light polarized by the light polarization means to provide the light with image information, and an electrode layer electrically connected to the switching means for applying a voltage to the display medium, the electrode layer reflecting the light incident thereto after passing through the display medium; and

wherein at least one of the first image formation means and the second image formation means includes means for bending a direction in which the light carrying the image information supplied from the reflection type display means travels.

15. A goggle type display apparatus according to claim 14, one of the first image formation means and the second image information means includes the means for bending the direction of the light from the reflection type display, and the other serves as a direct-view type display.

16. A goggle type display apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the light source is a single light source used commonly to the first image formation means and the second image formation means, and the light polarization means of one of the first image formation means and the second image formation means splits the light from the single light source into two light beams, and one of the two light beams is supplied to the first image information means, while the other is supplied to the second information means.

17. A goggle type display apparatus according to claim 14, wherein each of the first image formation means and the second image formation means includes an optical system for projecting the image directly onto the respective eye.

18. A goggle type display apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the substrate of the reflection type display means is made of single crystal silicon.