Image display apparatus

• US 5,777,794 A
• Filed: 09/25/1996
• Issued: 07/07/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakaoka, Masaya
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia Y.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lester, Evelyn A.
• Application Number:
  US08/719,445
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 359/630-633, 345/7-9
• US Class Current: 359/632
• 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 27/0172 characterised by optical features

Abstract

A compact and lightweight head- or face-mounted image display apparatus in which curvature of field is reduced to improve visibility without using a relay optical system or a prism. The image display apparatus has an image display device (1) and an optical system for leading an image displayed by the image display device (1) to an observer'"'"'s eyeball (5) without effecting image formation on the way to the observer'"'"'s eyeball (5). The image display device (1) and the optical system are retained on an observer'"'"'s head or face by a retaining device. Light rays from the image display device (1) are reflected by a semitransparent surface (2) and then reflected by a reflecting surface (4) of a back-coated mirror (3). Thereafter, the light rays pass through the semitransparent surface (2) to enter the observer'"'"'s pupil (5).

Claims

1. A head- or face-mounted image display apparatus, comprising:

an image display device;

an optical system for leading an image displayed by said image display device to an observer'"'"'s eyeball without effecting image formation on the way to said observer'"'"'s eyeball; and

means for retaining said image display device and said optical system on an observer'"'"'s head or face,

said optical system comprising a back-coated mirror and a plane-parallel plate having a semitransparent surface,

wherein said back-coated mirror satisfies the following condition;

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">0<

R/r<

0.5 (4)

where R is a radius of curvature of a reflecting surface of said back-coated mirror, and r is a radius of curvature of a transmitting surface of said back-coated mirror at an obverse side thereof, and where curvature in a direction away from said observer'"'"'s eyeball is defined as being positive.

2. A head- or face-mounted image display apparatus, comprising:

an image display device;

an optical system for leading an image displayed by said image display device to an observer'"'"'s eyeball without effecting image formation on the way to said observer'"'"'s eyeball, and

means for retaining said image display device and said optical system on an observer'"'"'s head or face,

said optical system comprising a back-coated mirror and a plane-parallel plate having a semitransparent surface,

wherein said optical system includes an optical element having a positive refracting power between said plane-parallel plate and said observer'"'"'s eyeball, and

said optical element, which has a positive refracting power, is a plano-convex lens having a plane surface directed toward said observer'"'"'s eyeball.

3. A head- or face-mounted image display apparatus, comprising:

an image display device;

an optical system for leading an image displayed by said image display device to an observer'"'"'s eyeball without effecting image formation on the way to said observer'"'"'s eyeball; and

means for retaining said image display device and said optical system on an observer'"'"'s head or face,

said optical system comprising a back-coated mirror and a plane-parallel plate having a semitransparent surface,

wherein said optical system has a cover glass between said plane-parallel plate and said observer'"'"'s eyeball, and

said cover glass is tilted with respect to an optical axis.

4. A head- or face-mounted image display apparatus, comprising

an image display device;

two, left and right, optical systems for leading an image displayed by said image display device to an observer'"'"'s left and right eyes, respectively;

means for retaining said image display device and said two optical systems on an observer'"'"'s head or face;

wherein the following condition is satisfied;

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">d<

L<

∞

(7)

where L is a vergence distance (image fusing position) given by optical axes of said two optical systems, and d is a distance to a virtual image of said image display device formed by said optical systems.

5. A head- or face-mounted image display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the following condition is satisfied:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">1.5d<

L<

4d (8).

6. A head- or face-mounted image display apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein said image display device is shifted sideways such that a center of a virtual image of said image display device formed by each of said left and right optical systems shifts horizontally inward relative to a forward direction of said observer.

7. A head- or face-mounted image display apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein said left and right optical systems and image display device are tilted inward.

8. A head- or face-mounted image display apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein a center of said image display device and a center of the image displayed thereon are displaced relative to each other.

9. A head- or face-mounted image display apparatus wherein said optical element, which has a positive refracting power, is a plano-convex lens having a plane surface directed toward said observer'"'"'s eyeball, comprising:

an image display device;

an optical system for leading an image displayed by said image display device to an observer'"'"'s eyeball without effecting image formation on the way to said observer'"'"'s eyeball; and

means for retaining said image display device and said optical system on an observer'"'"'s head or face,

said optical system comprising a back-coated mirror and a plane-parallel plate having a semitransparent surface, and

said optical system includes an optical element having a positive refracting power between said plane-parallel plate and said observer'"'"'s eyeball,

wherein the positive refracting power φ

of said optical element satisfies the following condition;

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">0.3<

φ

/φ

.sub.t <

0.45 (9)

where φ

_t is a refracting power of the entire optical system.