Optical correction for virtual reality and heads up displays
First Claim
1. A method for controlling the size of the energy window of a catadioptric HMD where the refractive relay lenses have been replaced with a fiber optic faceplate, comprising:
- placing a first fiber optic faceplate to receive the image from the image generator;
locating a second fiber optic faceplate, which has smaller fibers with a higher numerical aperture than those of said first fiber optic faceplate, to receive the image from said first fiber optic faceplate; and
grinding the output surface of said second fiber optic faceplate finer to increase the angle at which it will scatter light.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention eliminates the relay lens systems found in conventional helmet mounted displays (HMDs) by removing field distortions and aberrations with a contoured fiber optic faceplate placed in close proximity to a liquid crystal display (LCD) or cathode ray tube. The optical system typically consists of a spherical dielectric or holographically made collimator - combiner, a dielectric or holographically made fold mirror, and a contoured fiber optic faceplate. The fold mirror is flat, and the collimator - combiner is made by coating a spherical eye glass blank. The system is configured as a folded and tilted catadioptric projector with the novel feature being the contoured faceplate. There are no dispersive elements in the imaging assembly which means it can be completely polychromatic (full color) without the need for additional color correction optics as found in all refractive color systems. When designed for full color, highest brightness, and see through capability it must be made with two or three narrow spectral and angular sensitive coatings on the fold mirror and on the collimator - combiner. These coatings allow the use of a tilt of the collimator - combiner with respect to the fold mirror which induces a small amount of astigmatism and keystone distortion but at the same time allows image light to pass through the folded optics to the eye with a minimum of loss. The elimination of a corrective refractive lens relay system makes this design polychromatic, less expensive, and lighter in weight, compared to a similar system with an achromatized and corrected refractive lens.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A method for controlling the size of the energy window of a catadioptric HMD where the refractive relay lenses have been replaced with a fiber optic faceplate, comprising:
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placing a first fiber optic faceplate to receive the image from the image generator; locating a second fiber optic faceplate, which has smaller fibers with a higher numerical aperture than those of said first fiber optic faceplate, to receive the image from said first fiber optic faceplate; and grinding the output surface of said second fiber optic faceplate finer to increase the angle at which it will scatter light.
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2. A method for providing a head-mounted display device comprising:
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providing an image generator for generating image light; placing a first plate having fibers defining an input surface and an output surface with said input surface adjacent said image generator to receive said image light and provide said image light to said output surface; positioning a second plate having an input surface and an output surface with the input surface of said second plate adjacent the output surface of the said first plate, wherein said second plate comprises fibers which are smaller in diameter than the fibers of the first plate. - View Dependent Claims (3)
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4. A method for providing a head-mounted display device comprising:
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providing an image generator for generating image light; placing a first plate having fibers defining an input surface and an output surface with said input surface adjacent said image generator to receive said image light and provide said image light to said output surface; positioning a second plate having an input surface and an output surface with the input surface of said second plate adjacent the output surface of the said first plate, wherein said second plate comprises fibers which are smaller in diameter than the fibers of the first plate; treating said output surface of said second plate to provide surface roughness sufficiently great to achieve a desired energy window, but sufficiently smooth to avoid substantially degrading image resolution.
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5. Head-mounted display apparatus comprising:
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an image generator which outputs image light; a first means for receiving image light from said image generator, said first means comprising fibers having a first diameter; a second means for receiving image light output by said first means comprising a plurality of fibers having a diameter greater than said first diameter; a fold mirror for receiving light output by said second means and reflecting said light in a first direction away from the eye of the user; a reflector for receiving said image light transmitted in said first direction and redirecting said image light toward the eye of the user. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. Head-mounted display apparatus comprising:
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an image generator; a first plate positioned to receive image light from said image generator and having fiber optic means; means for controlling the size of the energy window comprising a plurality of fibers adjacent said first plate wherein the diameter of said plurality of fibers is greater than the diameter of the fiber optic means in said first plate.
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Specification