Image displaying apparatus

• US 5,515,122 A
• Filed: 06/29/1994
• Issued: 05/07/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nanba, Norihiro, Taniguchi, Naosato, Akiyama, Takeshi, Morishima, Hideki, Kobayashi, Shin, Kaneko, Tadashi, Sudo, Toshiyuki, Matsumura, Susumu, Yoshinaga, Yoko
• Primary Examiner(s): Dowling, William C.
• Application Number:
  US08/267,980
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 353/7, 353/10, 353/28, 353/98, 353/99, 359/13, 359/14, 359/462, 359/471, 359/472, 359/473, 359/475, 359/478, 359/479, 359/629, 359/630, 359/631, 359/633
• US Class Current: 353/98
• 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 2027/0134 of stereoscopic type
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0174 holographic
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/307 by helmet-mounted projector or display G09B9/36 takes precedence; optical parts of head-up displays G02B27/01

Abstract

An image displaying apparatus capable of displaying to an observer a more stereoscopic image with enhanced presence and realism. The apparatus has a display unit which irradiates a beam and an optical system which directs a light beam from said display to a pupil of an observer, a virtual image surface formed by said optical system being a curved surface.

Claims

1. An image displaying apparatus comprising:

a display unit, which irradiates a beam, and

an optical system, for directing a light beam from said display unit to an observer'"'"'s pupil, wherein a virtual image surface formed by said optical system includes a curved surface;

wherein a curvature radius of said virtual image surface is substantially equal to a reciprocal number of a Petzval'"'"'s sum of said optical system in a cross section having said curvature.

2. The image displaying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one each of said image displaying apparatus is respectively provided so as to correspond to a right pupil and a left pupil of said observer, whereby each of virtual image surfaces thereof is formed in the same curved surface.

3. The image displaying apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said virtual image surfaces are at least partially overlapped.

4. The image displaying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said curved surface includes a spherical surface.

5. The image displaying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said curved surface includes a cylindrical surface.

6. The image displaying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said curved surface includes a parabolic surface.

7. The image displaying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said optical system includes a hologram combiner.

8. An image displaying apparatus comprising:

a display unit, which irradiates a beam, and

an optical system, for directing a light beam from said display unit to an observer'"'"'s pupil, wherein a virtual image surface formed by said optical system includes a curved surface;

wherein said optical system has a relay optical system and a reflection surface having a shape which is not rotationally symmetric to an optical axis of said relay optical system and having an optical power along a light beam which travels from said display unit toward said pupil.

9. The image displaying apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said reflection surface is positioned in the vicinity of an intermediate image forming surface of said relay optical system.

10. The image displaying apparatus according to claim 8, wherein one each of said image displaying apparatus is respectively provided so as to correspond to a right pupil and a left pupil of said observer, whereby each of virtual image surfaces thereof is formed in the same curved surface.

11. The image displaying apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said virtual image surfaces are at least partially overlapped.

12. The image displaying apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said curved surface includes a spherical surface.

13. The image displaying apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said curved surface includes a cylindrical surface.

14. The image displaying apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said curved surface includes a parabolic surface.

15. The image displaying apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said optical system includes a hologram combiner.