Head mounted image display apparatus

• US 6,046,857 A
• Filed: 12/30/1996
• Issued: 04/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Morishima, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): Font, Frank G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ratliff, Reginald A.
• Application Number:
  US08/777,540
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• Field of Search: 359/630, 359/434, 359/728
• US Class Current: 359/630
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/011 comprising device for correcting geometrical aberrations, distortion
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features

Abstract

This invention relates to a head mounted image display apparatus to be mounted on a head portion of an observer.

The apparatus is constructed by image generation means for displaying an image by radiating light and an optical system which has a plurality of optical elements for guiding light from said image generation means to a pupil of the observer, wherein, of said plurality of optical elements, a first decentered curved surface mirror based on an ellipsoidal surface and a second decentered curved surface mirror based on a hyperboloidal surface are arranged in turn from the pupil side of the observer, said first decentered curved surface mirror has a first focal point at a predetermined pupil position of the observer, and a second focal point at a focal point position of said second decentered curved surface mirror.

Claims

1. An head mounted image display apparatus to be mounted on a head portion of an observer, comprising:

image generation means for displaying an image by radiating light; and

an optical system which has a plurality of optical elements for guiding light from said image generation means to a pupil of the observer, wherein, of said plurality of optical elements, a first decentered curved surface mirror based on an ellipsoidal surface and a second decentered curved surface mirror based on a hyperboloidal surface are arranged in turn from the pupil side of the observer, said first decentered curved surface mirror has a first focal point at a predetermined pupil position of the observer, and a second focal point at a focal point position of said second decentered curved surface mirror.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said optical system is constituted by four decentered curved surface mirrors.

2. A head mounted image display apparatus to be mounted on a head portion of an observer, comprising:

image generation means for displaying an image by radiating light; and

an optical system which has a plurality of optical elements for guiding light from said image generation means to a pupil of the observer;

wherein, of said plurality of optical elements, a first decentered curved surface, mirror based on an ellipsoidal surface and a second decentered curved surface mirror based on a hyperboloidal surface are arranged in turn from the pupil side of the observer, said first decentered curved surface mirror having a first focal point at a predetermined pupil position of the observer, and a second focal point at a focal point position of said second decentered curved surface mirror;

wherein the optical element, arranged at the first position counted from the side of said image generation means, of said plurality of optical elements comprises at third decentered curved surface mirror based on a paraboloidal surface, and a plurality of principal rays perpendicularly emanating from a display surface of said image generation means are reflected by said third decentered curved surface mirror and are then focused at a focal point of said third decentered curved surface mirror.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the optical element, arranged at the second position counted from the side of said image generation means, of said plurality of optical elements comprises a fourth decentered curved surface mirror, which is located at a focal point position of said third decentered curved surface mirror.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said fourth decentered curved surface mirror is based on a spherical surface.

6. A head mounted image display apparatus to be mounted on a head portion of an observer, comprising:

image generation means for displaying an image by radiating light; and

an optical system which has a plurality of optical elements for guiding light from said image generation means to a pupil of the observer;

wherein, of said plurality of optical elements, a first decentered curved surface mirror based on an ellipsoidal surface and a second decentered curved surface mirror based on a hyperboloidal surface are arranged in turn from the pupil side of the observer, said first decentered curved surface mirror having a first focal point at a predetermined pupil position of the observer, and a second focal point at a focal point position of said second decentered curved surface mirror;

wherein said optical system is constituted by four decentered curved surface mirrors;

wherein said four decentered curved surface mirrors are arranged in a plane in a direction with a smaller display field angle of said optical system.

7. An optical system for a head mounted image display apparatus to be mounted on a head portion of an observer, comprising:

a plurality of optical members for introducing an image to a pupil of observer, said plurality of optical members having two continuous decentered mirrors, both of which are non-spherical mirrors based on two quadratic surfaces;

wherein a position of a focal point of one of said two decentered mirrors matches a position of a focal point of the other one thereof.