Head mount type image display unit

• US 5,801,885 A
• Filed: 10/25/1995
• Issued: 09/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Togino, Takayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia Y.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MACK, RICKY LEVERN
• Application Number:
  US08/547,871
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: 359/630, 359/631, 359/632, 359/633, 359/638, 359/639, 359/640, 359/737, 359/717, 359/729, 359/730, 359/731
• US Class Current: 359/630
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/30 Polarising elements light-modulating devices with active elements G02F1/00

Abstract

The invention provides an optical system which is well corrected in terms of both curvature of field and coma at a field angle of about 120° and a pupil diameter of about 15 mm and may be applied to both image pickup and ocular systems. Dioptric elements 11 are located the pupil plane side E and/or image plane side I of a concentric element 12 including two semitransparent surfaces 121 and 122, said two semitransparent surfaces 121 and 122 being concave on the pupil plane side E and located such that they transmit light at least once and reflect light at least once.

Claims

1. A head mount type of image display unit including an image display unit body having an image display device for displaying an image and an ocular system for guiding an image displayed on said image display device to the eyeballs of a viewer, and a support member mounted over the head of the viewer while it is in contact therewith, so that said image display unit body is held just before the face of the viewer, characterized in that:

said ocular system includes, in order from the eye side of the viewer along the visual axis,

a first prism having a first surface concave on the eye side and a second surface located on the side of said first prism opposite to the first surface thereof and concave on the eye side with a medium having a refractive index (n) larger than 1 (n>

1) interposed therebetween, and

a second prism having a third surface concave on the eye side and located on the side of said second prism opposite to the eye side and a medium having a refracti ve index (n) larger than 1 (n>

1),

said first prism being designed such that a beam of rays leaving said image display device is reflected at at least said first surface and then propagates through the medium of said first prism in a direction opposite to the eye side, while a beam of rays reflected at said second surface propagates through the medium of said first prism and then transmits through said first surface,

wherein said first and said second prisms are cemented together.

5. The head mount type of image display unit as recited in claims 1-4, characterized in that the center of curvature of a surface portion of said first surface intersecting the visual axis and the center of curvature of a surface portion of said third surface intersecting the visual axis lie on the same optical axis.

6. The head mount type of image display unit as recited in one of claims 1-4, characterized in that the radius of curvature of a surface portion of said first surface intersecting the visual axis is substantially identical in shape with the radius of curvature of a surface portion of said third surface intersecting the visual axis.

7. The head mount type of image display unit as recited in one of claims 1-4, characterized in that a surface portion of said second surface intersecting the visual axis is stronger in power (or smaller in the radius of curvature) than a surface portion of said third surface intersecting the visual axis.

8. The head mount type of image display unit as recited in one of claims 1-4, characterized in that a dioptric element having power is located on the pupil plane side of said first prism, said image display unit conforming to the following conditions (1 ) and (2):

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">f.sub.1 >

0 (1)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">|1/R.sub.01 |<

|1/R.sub.02 |(2)

where f₁ is the focal length of the dioptric element having power, R₀₁ is the radius of curvature thereof on the pupil plane side, and R₀₂ is the radius of curvature thereof on the image surface side.

9. The head mount type of image display unit as recited in one of claims 1-4, characterized in that a dioptric element having power is located on the image plane side of said first prism, said image display unit conforming to the following conditions (3), (4 ) and (5):

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">1/R.sub.11 <

0 (3)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">1/R.sub.12 <

0 (4)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">|1/R.sub.12 |<

|1/R.sub.3 |(5)

where R₁₁ is the radius of curvature of the dioptric element having power on the pupil plane side, R₁₂ is the radius of curvature thereof on the image plane side, and R₃ is the radius of curvature of the semitransparent curved surface of the first prism located on the image plane side.

10. The head mount type of image display unit as recited in one of claims 1-4, characterized by conforming to the following condition (6):

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

f.sub.2 /f.sub.1 <

0.42 (6)

where f₂ is the focal length of the first prism.

11. The head mount type of image display unit as recited in one of claims 1-4, characterized by conforming to the following condition (7):

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">-0.4<

f.sub.2 /f.sub.3 <

0.2 (7)

where f₃ is the focal length of the dioptric element having power, and f₂ is the focal length of the first prism.

12. The head mount type of image display unit as recited in one of claims 1-4, characterized in that dioptric elements having power are located on the pupil and image plane sides of said first prism, said image display unit conforming to the following conditions (8 ) and (9):

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

f.sub.2 /f.sub.1 <

1.0 (8)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">-1.2<

f.sub.2 /f.sub.3 <

0 (9)

where f₁ is the focal length of the dioptric element having power, which is located on the pupil plane side, f₂ is the focal length of the first prism, and f₃ is the focal length of the dioptric element having power, which is located on the image plane side.

2. A head mount type of image display unit including an image display unit body having an image display device for displaying an image and an ocular system for guiding an image displayed on said image display device to the eyeballs of a viewer, and a support member mounted over the head of the viewer while it is in contact therewith, so that said image display unit body is held just before the face of the viewer, characterized in that:

said ocular system includes, in order from the eye side of the viewer along the visual axis,

a first prism having a first surface which has a shape concave on the eye side and has an action on both reflecting and transmitting a beam of rays, a second surface located on the side of said first prism opposite to the first surface thereof, which has a shape concave on the eye side and has an action on both reflecting and trans mitting a beam of rays and a medium interposed between said first and second surfaces and having a refractive index (n) larger than 1 (n>

1), and

a second prism having a third surface concave on the eye side and located on the side of said second prism opposite to the eye side and a medium having a refractive index (n) larger than 1 (n>

1),

wherein said first and second prisms are cemented together.

3. A head mount type of image display unit including an image display unit body having an image display device for displaying an image and an ocular system for guiding an image displayed on said image display device to the eyeballs of a viewer, and a support member mounted over the head of the viewer while it is in contact therewith, so that said image display unit body is held just before the face of the viewer, characterized in that:

said ocular system includes, in order from the eye side of the viewer along the visual axis,

a first prism having a first surface concave on the eye side and a second surface located on the side of said first prism opposite to the first surface thereof and concave on the eye side with a medium having a refractive index (n) larger than 1 (n>

1) interposed therebetween, and

a second prism having a third surface concave on the eye side and located on the side of said second prism opposite to the eye side and a medium having a refractive index (n) larger than 1 (n>

1),

said first prism being designed such that a beam of rays leaving said image display device is reflected at at least said first surface and then propagates through the medium of said first prism in a direction opposite to the eye side, while a beam of rays reflected at said second surface propagates through the medium of said first prism and then transmits through said first surface,

wherein said prism has a total reflection action, so that a beam of rays leaving said image display device undergo total reflection at said first surface and then at said second surface.

4. A head mount type of image display unit including an image display unit body having an image display device for displaying an image and an ocular system for guiding an image displayed on said image display device to the eyeballs of a viewer, and a support member mounted over the head of the viewer while it is in contact therewith, so that said image display unit body is held just before the face of the viewer, characterized in that:

said ocular system includes, in order from the eye side of the viewer along the visual axis,

a first prism having a first surface which has a shape concave on the eye side and has an action on both reflecting and transmitting a beam of rays, a second surface located on the side of said first prism opposite to the first surface thereof, which has a shape concave on the eye side and has an action on both reflecting and transmitting a beam of rays and a medium interposed between said first and second surfaces and having a refractive index (n) larger than 1 (n>

1), and

a second prism having a third surface concave on the eye side and located on the side of said second prism opposite to the eye side and a medium having a refractive index (n) larger than 1 (n>

1),

wherein said prism has a total reflection action, so that a beam of rays leaving said image display device undergo total reflection at said first surface and then at said second surface.