Depixelated visual display
First Claim
1. A depixelated head-mounted visual display, which comprises:
- a crossed diffraction grating located parallel to the pixel plane of an image generator to receive, diffract, and transmit, and thereby depixelate, the image light from an image generator;
a fold mirror positioned to receive the depixelated image light from the crossed diffraction grating and to reflect such depixelated image light; and
a reflective combiner situated to receive the depixelated image light from the fold mirror, reflect such depixelated image light, combine such depixelated image light with light rays transmitted through the reflective combiner from the surrounding environment, and transmit the combined environmental light rays and depixelated image light through the fold mirror to the eye position of the user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The depixelated visual display relates to visual displays which combine generated images with the view of the environment surrounding a user and transmit such combined visual information to the eye position of the user. Image generators, such as a cathode ray tube and a liquid crystal display, produce an image composed of a multiplicity of pixels in a plane. The dark area between pixels becomes more prominent in a visual display. To eliminate this dark area while conserving photons, the depixelated visual display has a crossed diffraction grating (1) placed parallel to the pixel plane of the image generator on the side from which light exits the pixels. Prior techniques for depixelation had not controlled the direction into which image light is diffracted, as does the crossed diffraction grating (1), and, unlike the crossed diffraction grating (1), required sources of light which create heat that can be detrimental to a liquid crystal display.
77 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A depixelated head-mounted visual display, which comprises:
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a crossed diffraction grating located parallel to the pixel plane of an image generator to receive, diffract, and transmit, and thereby depixelate, the image light from an image generator; a fold mirror positioned to receive the depixelated image light from the crossed diffraction grating and to reflect such depixelated image light; and a reflective combiner situated to receive the depixelated image light from the fold mirror, reflect such depixelated image light, combine such depixelated image light with light rays transmitted through the reflective combiner from the surrounding environment, and transmit the combined environmental light rays and depixelated image light through the fold mirror to the eye position of the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 8)
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3. A depixelated head-mounted display, which comprises:
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a crossed diffraction grating located parallel to the pixel plane of an image generator to receive, diffract, and transmit, and thereby depixelate, the image light from an image generator; a plano convex correction lens placed, with its flat surface oriented toward the pixel plane of the image generator, to receive, optically to correct, and to transmit the depixelated image light from the crossed diffraction grating; a fold mirror positioned to receive the depixelated image light from the correction lens and to reflect such depixelated image light; and a reflective combiner situated to receive the depixelated image light from the fold mirror, reflect such depixelated image light, combine such depixelated image light with light rays transmitted through the reflective combiner from the surrounding environment, and transmit the combined environmental light rays and depixelated image light through the fold mirror to the eye position of the user. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6)
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7. A process for producing a depixelated head-mounted visual display image, which comprises:
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locating a crossed diffraction grating parallel to the pixel plane of an image generator to receive, diffract, and transmit, and thereby depixelate, the image light from an image generator; positioning a fold mirror to receive the depixelated image light from the crossed diffraction grating and to reflect such depixelated image light; and situating a reflective combiner to receive the depixelated image light from the fold mirror, reflect such depixelated image light, combine such depixelated image light with light rays transmitted through the reflective combiner from the surrounding environment, and transmit the combined environmental light rays and depixelated image light through the fold mirror to the eye position of the user.
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9. A process for producing a depixelated head-mounted visual display image, which comprises:
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locating a crossed diffraction grating parallel to the pixel plane of an image generator to receive, diffract, and transmit, and thereby depixelate, the image light from an image generator; placing a plano convex correction lens, with its flat surface oriented toward the pixel plane of the image generator, to receive, optically to correct, and to transmit the depixelated image light from the crossed diffraction grating; positioning a fold mirror to receive the depixelated image light from the correction lens and to reflect such depixelated image light; and situating a reflective combiner to receive the depixelated image light from the fold mirror, reflect such depixelated image light, combine such depixelated image light with light rays transmitted through the reflective combiner from the surrounding environment, and transmit the combined environmental light rays and depixelated image light through the fold mirror to the eye position of the user. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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- 13. In a head-mounted display having an image generator which generates a pixelated image wherein at least some pixels are spaced from adjacent pixels, depixelating apparatus comprising crossed diffraction grating placed along an optic path between said image generator and a user'"'"'s eye.
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18. In a head-mounted display having an image generator which generates a pixelated image wherein at least some pixels are spaced from adjacent pixels, depixelating apparatus comprising crossed diffraction grating placed along an optic path between said image generator and a user'"'"'s eye, wherein a modulation depth of said crossed diffraction grating is between about 80% and about 120%.
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21. In a head-mounted display having an image generator which generates a pixelated image wherein at least some pixels are spaced from adjacent pixels, depixelating apparatus comprising crossed diffraction grating placed along an optic path between said image generator and a user'"'"'s eye, wherein said crossed diffraction grating provides a central image and a plurality of orders of generated images, and wherein said crossed diffraction grating is configured such that substantially the majority of power in said plurality of orders is in the plus one and minus one orders.
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27. In a head-mounted display having an image generator which generates a pixelated image wherein at least some pixels are spaced from adjacent pixels, depixelating apparatus comprising crossed diffraction grating placed along an optic path between said image generator and a user'"'"'s eye, wherein said crossed diffraction grating produces, for each pixel, at least a central image, a plurality of first order images and a plurality of second order images, wherein said first order shape is substantially the same as a pixel shape.
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30. In a head-mounted display having an image generator which generates a pixelated image wherein at least some pixels are spaced from adjacent pixels, depixelating apparatus comprising crossed diffraction grating placed along an optic path between said image generator and a user'"'"'s eye, wherein said crossed diffraction grating is formed as part of a quarter wave plate.
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35. A head-mounted display comprising:
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an image generator which generates a pixelated image wherein at least some pixels are spaced from adjacent pixels; and means for depixelating said image output by said image generator substantially in the absence of a diffuser plate. - View Dependent Claims (36)
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37. A method for depixelating an image comprising:
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providing a head-mounted image generator which generates a pixelated image wherein at least some pixels are spaced from adjacent pixels; and depixelating said image using a crossed diffraction grating.
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Specification