Image display apparatus

• US 6,124,977 A
• Filed: 11/10/1998
• Issued: 09/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia
• Assistant Examiner(s): Spector, David N.
• Application Number:
  US09/188,566
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• Field of Search: 359/627, 359/629, 359/630, 359/631, 359/633, 359/638, 359/636, 359/640, 359/738
• US Class Current: 359/636
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/0816 off-axis or unobscured systems in which not all of the mirrors share a common axis of rotational symmetry, e.g. at least one of the mirrors is warped, tilted or decentered with respect to the other elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/086 wherein the system is made of a single block of optical material, e.g. solid catadioptric systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/012 comprising devices for attenuating parasitic image effects
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features

Abstract

An image display apparatus using a modified prism as an ocular optical system, in which unwanted light caused by reflection or transmission at an area outside the effective area of a reflecting or transmitting surface is reduced to provide a favorable image of high resolution, which is free from flare or ghost. The prism member (10), which is used as an ocular optical system, includes a first surface (1) having an action through which a light beam enters the prism member, a second surface (2) having an action by which the light beam is reflected in the prism member, and a third surface (3) having an action through which the light beam exits from the prism member. A black coating (12), which is an antireflection member having a flare- or ghost-preventing action, is provided over a part of a non-effective reflecting area of at least the second surface (2), exclusive of an effective reflecting area (an area reflecting an effective light beam that forms the virtual image).

Claims

1. An image display apparatus, comprising:

an image display device and an ocular optical system that leads an image formed by said image display device so that said image is observed as a virtual image,

wherein said ocular optical system comprises a prism member formed from a medium having a refractive index (n) larger than 1 (n>

1),

said prism member comprising;

a first surface having an action through which a light beam enters said prism member;

a second surface having an action by which the light beam is reflected in said prism member; and

a third surface having an action through which the light beam exits from said prism member,

wherein an antireflection member having a flare- or ghost-preventing action is provided over a part of a non-effective reflecting area of at least said second surface, exclusive of an effective reflecting area, said effective reflecting area being an area reflecting an effective light beam that forms said virtual image, and

wherein the effective reflecting area of said second surface is formed from a mirror reflecting surface provided with a reflective mirror coating, and said antireflection member is provided over a part of a non-effective reflecting area of at least said second surface on a side of said mirror reflecting surface closer to said image display device.

4. An image display apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said antireflection member is an antireflection coating of a medium having a refractive index larger than 1.

5. An image display apparatus according to any one of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said antireflection member is a light-absorbing member having an absorptance higher than a reflectivity thereof for light rays.

6. an image display apparatus according to any one of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said antireflection member is a rough surface having a higher degree of surface roughness than said effective reflecting area.

7. An image display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said antireflection member is a corrugated surface that scatters reflected light to reduce an intensity of light rays that would otherwise become flare or ghost.

8. An image display apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the non-effective reflecting area of said second surface is formed from a discontinuous surface that is discontinuous with said effective reflecting area, said antireflection member being formed from said discontinuous surface.

9. An image display apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the non-effective reflecting area of said second surface is formed from a tilted surface having a tilt different from a tilt of said effective reflecting area, said antireflection member being formed from said tilted surface.

17. An image display apparatus according to claim 1, 2, 3, 10, 12, 13 or 14, wherein said third surface of said prism member has an action through which the light beam exits from said prism member and further has an action by which the light beam entering said prism member is reflected in an optical path between said first surface and said second surface.

18. An image display apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said prism member consists of three surfaces each having a light beam-transmitting or reflecting optical action, said three surfaces including said first surface, said second surface and said third surface, said prism member being arranged such that a light beam entering said prism member through said first surface is reflected by said third surface and thereafter reflected by said second surface and exits from said prism member through said third surface.

19. An image display apparatus according to claim 1, 2, 3, 10, 12, 13 or 14, wherein said prism member further has a fourth surface placed in an optical path between said first surface and said third surface, said fourth surface having an action by which a light beam is reflected in said prism member.

20. A head-mounted image display apparatus according to claim 1, 2, 3, 10, 12, 13 or 14, wherein a support member is provided to support said image display apparatus on a head of an observer so as to hold said image display apparatus in front of an eye of the observer.

21. An image display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said light-absorbing member is formed by bonding a black coating material.

2. An image display apparatus, comprising:

an image display device and an ocular optical system that leads an image formed by said image display device so that said image is observed as a virtual image,

wherein said ocular optical system comprises a prism member formed from a medium having a refractive index (n) larger than 1 (n>

1),

said prism member comprising;

a first surface having an action through which a light beam enters said prism member;

a second surface having an action by which the light beam is reflected in said prism member; and

a third surface having an action through which the light beam exits from said prism member,

wherein an antireflection member having a flare- or ghost-preventing action is provided over a part of a non-effective reflecting area of at least said second surface, exclusive of an effective reflecting area, said effective reflecting area being an area reflecting an effective light beam that forms said virtual image, and

wherein the effective reflecting area of said second surface is formed from a mirror reflecting surface provided with a reflective mirror coating, and said antireflection member is provided over a part of a non-effective reflecting area of at least said second surface on a side of said mirror reflecting surface remote from said image display device.

3. An image display apparatus, comprising:

an image display device and an ocular optical system that leads an image formed by said image display device so that said image is observed as a virtual image,

wherein said ocular optical system comprises a prism member formed from a medium having a refractive index (n) larger than 1 (n>

1),

said prism member comprising;

a first surface having an action through which a light beam enters said prism member;

a second surface having an action by which the light beam is reflected in said prism member; and

a third surface having an action through which the light beam exits from said prism member,

wherein an antireflection member having a flare- or ghost-preventing action is provided over a part of a non-effective reflecting area of at least said second surface, exclusive of an effective reflecting area, said effective reflecting area being an area reflecting an effective light beam that forms said virtual image, and

wherein an identical surface serves as both said first surface and said third surface.

10. An image display apparatus, comprising:

an image display device and an ocular optical system that leads an image formed by said image display device so that said image is observed as a virtual image,

wherein said ocular optical system comprises a prism member formed from a medium having a refractive index (n) larger than 1 (n>

1),

said prism member comprising;

a first surface having an action through which a light beam enters said prism member;

a second surface having an action by which the light beam is reflected in said prism member; and

a third surface having an action through which the light beam exits from said prism member,

wherein a light-blocking member having a flare- or ghost-preventing action is provided over a part of a non-effective transmitting area of at least said first surface, exclusive of an effective transmitting area, said effective transmitting area being an area transmitting an effective light beam that forms said virtual image, and

wherein said first surface is placed to face opposite to said image display device, and said light-blocking member is formed from a light-blocking wall extending from said first surface toward said image display device between the effective transmitting area and non-effective transmitting area of said first surface.

11. An image display apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said light-blocking wall has a ridge configuration approximately coincident with a contour of a display area of said image display device.

15. An image display apparatus according to claim 10, 12, 13, or 14, wherein said light-blocking member is a light-absorbing member having an absorptance higher than a transmittance thereof for light rays.

16. An image display apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said light-absorbing member is formed by bonding a black coating material.

12. An image display apparatus, comprising:

an image display device and an ocular optical system that leads an image formed by said image display device so that said image is observed as a virtual image,

wherein said ocular optical system comprises a prism member formed from a medium having a refractive index (n) larger than 1 (n>

1),

said prism member comprising;

a first surface having an action through which a light beam enters said prism member;

a second surface having an action by which the light beam is reflected in said prism member; and

a third surface having an action through which the light beam exits from said prism member,

wherein a light-blocking member having a flare- or ghost-preventing action is provided over a part of a non-effective transmitting area of at least said first surface, exclusive of an effective transmitting area, said effective transmitting area being an area transmitting an effective light beam that forms said virtual image, and

wherein said light-blocking member is provided over at least a part of said non-effective transmitting area of said first surface on each of left and right sides of said effective transmitting area.

13. An image display apparatus, comprising:

an image display device and an ocular optical system that leads an image formed by said image display device so that said image is observed as a virtual image,

wherein said ocular optical system comprises a prism member formed from a medium having a refractive index (n) larger than 1 (n>

1),

said prism member comprising;

a first surface having an action through which a light beam enters said prism member;

a second surface having an action by which the light beam is reflected in said prism member; and

a third surface having an action through which the light beam exits from said prism member,

wherein a light-blocking member having a flare- or ghost-preventing action is provided over a part of a non-effective transmitting area of at least said first surface, exclusive of an effective transmitting area, said effective transmitting area being an area transmitting an effective light beam that forms said virtual image, and

wherein said light-blocking member is provided over a whole of said non-effective transmitting area of said first surface.

14. An image display apparatus, comprising:

an image display device and an ocular optical system that leads an image formed by said image display device so that said image is observed as a virtual image,

wherein said ocular optical system comprises a prism member formed from a medium having a refractive index (n) larger than 1 (n>

1),

said prism member comprising;

a first surface having an action through which a light beam enters said prism member;

a second surface having an action by which the light beam is reflected in said prism member; and

a third surface having an action through which the light beam exits from said prism member,

wherein a light-blocking member having a flare- or ghost-preventing action is provided over a part of a non-effective transmitting area of at least said first surface, exclusive of an effective transmitting area, said effective transmitting area being an area transmitting an effective light beam that forms said virtual image, and

wherein an identical surface serves as both said first surface and said third surface.