Head mount display device

• US 6,040,945 A
• Filed: 01/25/1999
• Issued: 03/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Corporation (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Karasawa, Joji
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lucas, Michael A
• Application Number:
  US09/236,442
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 359/630, 359/632, 359/633, 345/8
• US Class Current: 359/630
• 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 2027/0159 with mechanical means other than scaning means for positioning the whole image
• 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 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/30 Polarising elements light-modulating devices with active elements G02F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7491 of head mounted projectors

Abstract

An optical unit 1 includes a liquid crystal panel 2, a back light 3, a reflecting mirror 4, a lens 5, and a casing 6 for accommodating these constituents therein. The optical unit 1 can be arranged in front of either the left eye or the right eye of the user. A half mirror 8 disposed below the optical unit 1 reflects an image beam emitted from the optical unit 1 toward an eye 10 of the user and transmits a light beam from the background view. The eye of the user which observes a virtual image is changed by shifting the optical unit 1 to the left eye or to the right eye.

Claims

1. A head mount display, comprising:

an image display device;

a magnifying optical device configured to refract a first light beam representing an image formed on the image display device and thereby magnifying the image to create a magnified virtual image which is to be observed with one of the eyes of a user;

an image combining device for making the first light beam representing the virtual image enter the eye of the user simultaneously with a second light beam from a background view, thereby combining the virtual image with the background view to form a composite image; and

a switching device configured to shift at least two among the image display device, the magnifying optical device, and the image combining device, in order to make a switch between a first state in which the composite image of the virtual image and the background view is observed with one eye of the user and a second state in which the composite image is observed with the other eye of the user.