Biocular viewing system with intermediate image planes for an electronic display device
First Claim
1. A biocular viewing system comprising:
- a single display device having a substantially planar display surface;
a first optical channel comprising a first light source, a first beam generated by said first light source, said first beam illuminating said display surface at an oblique angle;
a second optical channel comprising a second light source, a second beam generated by said second light source, said second beam illuminating said display surface at an oblique angle;
wherein said second optical channel and said first optical channel are mutually disposed such that said first beam and said second beam are angularly displaced from one another and intersect with one another at said display surface; and
wherein said second optical channel and said first optical channel are configured substantially similarly.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Low-cost complex plastic optics allow biocular viewing of video images generated by a single electro-optic display device, such as in a head-mounted display (HMD) for commercial or medical viewing applications. A dual off-axis configuration uses nearly collimated illumination optics and intermediate imaging optics to fill both eyepieces from a single display device without the need for a beamsplitter. Multiple illumination schemes are provided for either monochrome or color, and in either two-dimensional or time-sequential true stereographic presentation. Light from multicolor sources is superimposed, mixed, and homogenized by mixing light cones with diffractive collectors. Offsetting color overcorrection and undercorrection of individual optical elements achieves overall chromatic correction with minimal optical element complexity. A wireless video signal interface eliminates excess cabling. Additional features include lightweight achromatic eyepiece construction and interchangeable lenslets for peripheral vision correction. Multiple optical elements are injection-molded as a unitary plastic structure, thereby reducing cost and complexity.
140 Citations
80 Claims
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1. A biocular viewing system comprising:
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a single display device having a substantially planar display surface; a first optical channel comprising a first light source, a first beam generated by said first light source, said first beam illuminating said display surface at an oblique angle; a second optical channel comprising a second light source, a second beam generated by said second light source, said second beam illuminating said display surface at an oblique angle; wherein said second optical channel and said first optical channel are mutually disposed such that said first beam and said second beam are angularly displaced from one another and intersect with one another at said display surface; and wherein said second optical channel and said first optical channel are configured substantially similarly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method of producing a biocular video display, comprising:
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generating a collimated first beam of light; illuminating a video display device at an oblique angle with said collimated first beam of light in a first optical channel; spatially modulating said first beam with a video image at a display surface of said display device; propagating said first beam through said first optical channel; forming a first image of said display surface using a first eyepiece lens in said first optical channel, said first image being comfortably viewed adjacent said first eyepiece lens by a first eye of an observer; generating a collimated second beam of light; illuminating said video display device at an oblique angle with said collimated second beam of light in a second optical channel; spatially modulating said second beam with a video image at said display surface of said display device; propagating said second beam through said second optical channel; forming a second image of said display surface using a second eyepiece lens in said second optical channel, said second image being comfortably viewed adjacent said second eyepiece lens by a second eye of said observer; wherein said first and second optical channels are mutually disposed such that said first beam and second beam are angularly displaced from one another and intersect with one another at said display surface; and wherein said first and second optical channels are configured substantially similarly. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74)
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75. A head-mounted display viewing structure, comprising:
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a biocular viewing system centrally disposed within said structure, further comprising a single display device having a substantially planar display surface, a first optical channel having a first beam generated by a first light source, a second optical channel having a second beam generated by a second light source different from said first light source, said first and second optical channels being mutually disposed such that said first beam and said second beam are angularly displaced from one another and intersect with one another at said display surface; and peripheral vision means laterally displaced relative to said biocular viewing system, wherein said peripheral vision means comprises corrective eye lenses interchangeably attachable to said structure. - View Dependent Claims (76, 77)
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78. A method of producing a time-averaged true stereographic image display using a single display device, comprising:
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generating a first light beam from a first light source in a first optical channel; generating a second light beam from a second light source in a second optical channel; applying a video image signal to said single display device having a display surface disposed such that said first light beam and second light beam intersect one another at said display surface; and sequentially activating said first and second light sources in synchronism with corresponding sequential video signals to said display device for respective said first and second optical channels.
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79. A method of producing a time-averaged biocular color image display using a single display device, comprising:
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generating a first light beam from a first light source in a first optical channel; generating a second light beam from a second light source in a second optical channel; wherein said first and second light sources each comprise multiple light emitting diodes producing light of differing colors; applying a video image signal to said single display device having a display surface disposed such that said first light beam and second light beam intersect one another at said display surface; and sequentially activating said light emitting diodes producing light of differing colors in synchronism with corresponding sequential video color signals to said display device. - View Dependent Claims (80)
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Specification