Head mounted display and viewing system using a remote retro-reflector and method of displaying and viewing an image
First Claim
1. A head mounted display system for providing images for viewing by at least one eye of a viewer, comprisinga mounting structure for mounting on the head of a viewer,a liquid crystal display image source carried by the mounting structure for providing images for viewing by one eye of a viewer,a retro-reflector remotely located relative to said image source and the viewer and having a characteristic of providing a conjugate optical path leading to said eye of a viewer,focusing optics carried by the mounting structure in position to receive light from the image source to form a real image,said mounting structure including means for holding said beamsplitter and focusing optics with respect to the head of a viewer to orient said focusing optics and said beamsplitter with respect to said eye of the viewer such that said focusing optics and said beamsplitter are in substantially the same relation to each other as the pupil of said eye of a viewer stands in relation to said beamsplitter to permit said eye to view an image from said image source when light representing that image is reflected in said conjugate optical path.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A head mounted display system includes focusing optics to focus light from an image source, retro-reflector and beamsplitter, the image source and beamsplitter directing light toward the retro-reflector to focus a real image, and the light reflected from the retro-reflector being directed via the beamsplitter for viewing, thereby to use conjugate optics effectively to place the viewing eye or detector in relation to the image source the same as the relation of the focusing optics to the image source. The retro-reflector may be mounted on a common housing or support with the beamsplitter and focusing optics or it may be remotely located. A method for forming an image using conjugate optics in which light from a source is focused to form a real image at a retro-reflector and is reflected for viewing.
157 Citations
42 Claims
-
1. A head mounted display system for providing images for viewing by at least one eye of a viewer, comprising
a mounting structure for mounting on the head of a viewer, a liquid crystal display image source carried by the mounting structure for providing images for viewing by one eye of a viewer, a retro-reflector remotely located relative to said image source and the viewer and having a characteristic of providing a conjugate optical path leading to said eye of a viewer, focusing optics carried by the mounting structure in position to receive light from the image source to form a real image, said mounting structure including means for holding said beamsplitter and focusing optics with respect to the head of a viewer to orient said focusing optics and said beamsplitter with respect to said eye of the viewer such that said focusing optics and said beamsplitter are in substantially the same relation to each other as the pupil of said eye of a viewer stands in relation to said beamsplitter to permit said eye to view an image from said image source when light representing that image is reflected in said conjugate optical path.
-
4. A method of display, comprising
forming a real image from an image source, and reflecting the image to an eye of an observer such that the size of the area of the image on the retina of that eye is approximately the size of the display area of the image source.
-
5. A head mounted display for presenting an image for viewing by a viewer, comprising
a mounting structure mountable on the head of a viewer, a liquid crystal display image source carried by the mounting structure and providing an image output for viewing by one eye of a viewer, focusing optics carried by the mounting structure in position to receive light from the image source to form a real image, a retro-reflector having a characteristic of providing a conjugate optical path leading to said eye of a viewer, a beamsplitter carried by the mounting structure in position to receive light from the focusing optics and image source and to direct the light toward said retro-reflector, and said mounting structure including means for holding said beamsplitter and focusing optics with respect to the head of a viewer to orient said focusing optics and said beamsplitter with respect to said eye of the viewer such that said focusing optics and said beamsplitter are in substantially the same relation to each other as the pupil of said eye of a viewer stands in relation to said beamsplitter to permit said eye to view an image from said image source when light representing that image is reflected in said conjugate optical path, and said retro-reflector being located remotely relative to '"'"'said focusing optics and beamsplitter.
-
34. A method for viewing an image, comprising
directing light from a liquid crystal display image source for viewing by an eye of a viewer, the image source being mountable with respect to the head of a viewer, said directing including directing light via focusing optics and a beamsplitter toward a remotely located retro-reflector which has a characteristic of reflecting incident light along a conjugate light path, said directing including forming a real image, reflecting light by the retro-reflector along such a conjugate light path for viewing by a viewer, and positioning the pupil of the eye of a viewer to stand in the same relation to the beamsplitter as the focusing optics stands in relation to the beamsplitter to view an image from the image source when light is reflected in the conjugate light path.
-
41. A method for viewing an image, comprising
directing light from a liquid crystal display image source mountable with respect to the head of a viewer via focusing optics and a beamsplitter to form a real image for viewing by one eye of a viewer, the focusing optics and beamsplitter being positioned in relation to each other and said directing light comprising directing light along a conjugate light path, using a retro-reflector that is remotely located relative to the beamsplitter and focusing optics, reflecting light along the conjugate light path via the beamsplitter to said eye of a viewer, said directing light via focusing optics comprising directing light via focusing optics which has a focal length about the same or smaller than the focal length of said eye of the viewer, and positioning the focusing optics and beamsplitter relative to the viewer such that the pupil of said eye stands in the same relation to the beamsplitter as the focusing optics stands in relation to the beamsplitter to view an image from the image source when light is reflected in the conjugate light path.
-
42. An optical display, comprising
an optical system and a liquid crystal display image source, and means for forming a conjugate optical path, including a retro-reflector that is remotely located relative to the liquid crystal display image source, leading to one eye of an observer to provide an image on the retina of said eye that is the same or smaller in size as the size of the image at the image source such that the size of the area of the image from the image source is bounded by the size of the retina.
Specification