Optical system for a head mounted display using a retro-reflector and method of displaying an image
First Claim
1. A head mounted display for presenting an image for viewing by a viewer, comprisinga 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, andsaid 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.
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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 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 or it may be remotely located. A method for forming an image using conjugate optics which light from a source is focused to form a real image at a retro-reflector and is reflected for viewing.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. 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.
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33. A method for viewing an image, comprising
directing light from a liquid crystal display image source for viewing by one eye of a viewer, the image source being mountable with respect to the head of a viewer, said directing including directing light from the liquid crystal display image source via focusing optics and a beamsplitter toward a 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.
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40. A method for viewing an image, comprising
directing light from liquid crystal display image source for viewing by one eye of a viewer, the image source being mountable with respect to the head of a viewer, said directing including directing the light from the liquid crystal display image source via focusing optics and a beamsplitter to form a real image, the focusing optics and beamsplitter being positioned in relation to each other and said directing light comprising directing light along a conjugate light path, reflecting light along the conjugate light path via the beamsplitter to the 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 the eye of the viewer, and positioning the focusing optics and beamsplitter relative to the viewer such that the pupil of the 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.
Specification