Image display apparatus

• US 5,703,605 A
• Filed: 12/05/1995
• Issued: 12/30/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Iba, Yoichi, Takahashi, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): SARAS, STEVEN J
• Application Number:
  US08/567,231
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 345/7-9, 348/51-54, 340/980, 349/11, 434/40, 434/44, 359/13, 359/14, 359/629-634, 359/738-740, 359/798-803
• US Class Current: 345/8
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/011 comprising device for correcting geometrical aberrations, distortion
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features

Abstract

An image display apparatus which has a stable field angle independently of each individual observer and the observer'"'"'s eye point, and which is capable of correcting distortion of an observation image, or which allows the corners of an image display device to be relatively bright. The apparatus has an image display device (3), a device (4) for illuminating it, and an ocular optical system (2) for leading the image of the image display device (3) to an observer'"'"'s eyeball (1). A field stop (5) is provided in the ocular optical system (2) or between the ocular optical system (2) and the image display device (3), and a light-blocking device (6) is provided between the image display device (3) and the illuminating device (4) such that the distance from the field stop (5) to the image display device (3) and the distance from the image display device (3) to the light-blocking device (6) are approximately equal to each other. Thus, the size of the observation image area determined by the field stop (5) and the size of the observation image area determined by the light-blocking device (6) are made approximately equal to each other, thereby obtaining a stable field angle independently of each individual observer and the observer'"'"'s eye point.

Claims

1. An image display apparatus having an image display device for displaying an image, means for illuminating said image display device, and an ocular optical system for projecting an image formed by said image display device and for leading the projected image to an observer'"'"'s eyeball, said image display apparatus comprising:

a field stop provided in said ocular optical system or between said ocular optical system and said image display device; and

light-blocking means provided between said image display device and said illuminating means such that a distance from said field stop to said image display device and a distance from said image display device to said light-blocking means are approximately equal to each other.

2. An image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a field angle determined by an aperture of said field stop and a field angle determined by said light-blocking means are approximately equal to each other.

3. An image display apparatus having an image display device for displaying an image, means for illuminating said image display device, and an ocular optical system for projecting an image formed by said image display device and for leading the projected image to an observer'"'"'s eyeball, said image display apparatus comprising:

light-blocking means provided between said image display device and said illuminating means a distance away from said image display device, said light-blocking means having an aperture with a shape which is distorted in inverse relation to image distortion produced by said ocular optical system.

4. An image display apparatus having an image display device for displaying an image, means for illuminating said image display device, and an ocular optical system for projecting an image formed by said image display device and for leading the projected image to an observer'"'"'s eyeball, said image display apparatus comprising:

said ocular optical system being a coaxial optical system which is approximately telecentric on an entrance side, and which produces pincushion image distortion; and

a light-blocking plate provided between said image display device and said ocular optical system, said light-blocking plate having a barrel-shaped aperture.

5. An image display apparatus having an image display device for displaying an image, means for illuminating said image display device, and an ocular optical system for projecting an image formed by said image display device and for leading the projected image to an observer'"'"'s eyeball, said image display apparatus comprising:

light-blocking means provided between said image display device and said illuminating means, said light-blocking means having enlarged areas for illuminating corners of said image display device.

6. An image display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said illuminating means has an illuminating surface area which is larger than a display surface area of said image display device.