Image display apparatus with mechanism for modifying the appearance of the periphery of a display device

• US 6,185,045 B1
• Filed: 01/05/1998
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Hanano, Kazunari
• Primary Examiner(s): MACK, RICKY LEVERN
• Application Number:
  US09/002,524
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 359/629, 359/630, 359/631, 359/632, 359/633, 359/636, 359/637, 359/639, 359/640, 345/7, 345/8
• US Class Current: 359/631
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features

Abstract

A head-mounted image display apparatus capable of displaying an image with dynamic presence even if the observation field angle is not wide, and which is easy to view and unlikely to cause the observer'"'"'s eye to be fatigued. An image display device (1) is disposed on one side of a projection lens (5′) at approximately the focal point of the lens (5′), and a stop (8) is disposed on the other side of the lens (5′) at approximately the focal point of the lens (5′), thereby projecting the image of the image display device (1). If the refracting power at the peripheral portion of the projection lens (5′) is larger than that at the principal (central) area thereof, the image-formation characteristics of the projected image are deteriorated at the periphery. Consequently, the projected image is blurred at the periphery thereof. Thus, it is possible to project an image in which the edges of the image, which hinder an improvement in dynamic presence, are not clearly displayed.

Claims

1. An image display apparatus comprising image display means that displays an image, and a projection optical system that projects said image, wherein said projection optical system has an edge portion having a refracting or reflecting action, said edge portion being arranged such that a refracting power for a periphery of any image display area is larger in a positive direction than a refracting power for a principal display area, wherein said projection optical system is an ocular optical system that projects said image onto a retina in an observer'"'"'s eyeball and that includes a surface which has both transmitting and reflecting actions and which is tilted with respect to both said image display device and a visual axis so as to project an enlarged image of said image displayed by said image display device;

wherein said ocular optical system has a concave mirror disposed to face said image display means and having a focal length f satisfying a condition of 15≦

f≦

60 millimeters so as to project an enlarged image of said image displayed by said image display means, said ocular optical system further having a semitransparent mirror disposed between said concave mirror and said image display means so as to lead light beams reflected by said concave mirror into said observer'"'"'s eyeball, and said concave mirror having a configuration in which a point of intersection between a line normal to a plane tangent to a peripheral area of said concave mirror and an optical axis of said concave mirror is closer to said concave mirror than a point of intersection between a line normal to a plane tangent to a principal area of said concave mirror and the optical axis of said concave mirror, so that a refracting power for light rays in said peripheral area is larger in a positive direction than a refracting power for light rays in said principal display area.

2. An image display apparatus comprising image display means that displays an image, and a projection optical system that projects said image, wherein said projection optical system has an edge portion having a refracting or reflecting action, said edge portion being arranged such that a refracting power for a periphery of any image display area is larger in a positive direction than a refracting power for a principal display area, wherein said projection optical system is an ocular optical system that projects said image onto a retina in an observer'"'"'s eyeball and that includes a surface which has both transmitting and reflecting actions and which is tilted with respect to both said image display device and a visual axis so as to project an enlarged image of said image displayed by said image display device;

wherein said ocular optical system has a concave mirror having an action by which said image displayed by said image display means is projected as an enlarged image, said concave mirror having a focal length f satisfying a condition of 15≦

f≦

60 millimeters and being disposed to face said observer'"'"'s eyeball such that an optical axis of said concave mirror intersects a line normal to said image display means, said ocular optical system further having a semitransparent mirror disposed between said observer'"'"'s eyeball and said concave mirror to lead light beams emitted from said image display means to said concave mirror and to lead light beams reflected by said concave mirror into said observer'"'"'s eyeball, and said concave mirror having a configuration in which a point of intersection between a line normal to a plane tangent to a peripheral area of said concave mirror and the optical axis of said concave mirror is closer to said concave mirror than a point of intersection between a line normal to a plane tangent to a principal area of said concave mirror and the optical axis of said concave mirror, so that a refracting power for light rays in said peripheral area is larger in a positive direction than a refracting power for light rays in said principal display area.

3. An image display apparatus comprising image display means that displays an image, and a projection optical system that projects said image, wherein said projection optical system has an edge portion having a refracting or reflecting action, said edge portion being arranged such that a refracting power for a periphery of any image display area is larger in a positive direction than a refracting power for a principal display area, wherein said projection optical system is an ocular optical system that projects said image onto a retina in an observer'"'"'s eyeball and that includes a surface which has both transmitting and reflecting actions and which is tilted with respect to both said image display device and a visual axis so as to project an enlarged image of said image displayed by said image display device;

wherein said ocular optical system has a concave mirror disposed to face said image display means and having a focal length f satisfying a condition of 15≦

f≦

60 millimeters so as to project an enlarged image of said image displayed by said image display means, said ocular optical system further having a cemented prism with a semitransparent portion disposed between said concave mirror and said image display means to light beams reflected by said concave mirror into said observer'"'"'s eyeball, said concave mirror having a configuration in which a point of intersection between a line normal to a plane tangent to a peripheral area of said concave mirror and an optical axis of said concave mirror is closer to said concave mirror than a point of intersection between a line normal to a plane tangent to a principal area of said concave mirror and the optical axis of said concave mirror, so that a refracting power for light rays in said peripheral area is larger in a positive direction than a refracting power for light rays in said principal display area.

4. An image display apparatus comprising image display means that displays an image, and a projection optical system that projects said image, wherein said projection optical system has an edge portion having a refracting or reflecting action, said edge portion being arranged such that a refracting power for a periphery of any image display area is larger in a positive direction than a refracting power for a principal display area, wherein said projection optical system is an ocular optical system that projects said image onto a retina in an observer'"'"'s eyeball and that includes a surface which has both transmitting and reflecting actions and which is tilted with respect to both said image display device and a visual axis so as to project an enlarged image of said image displayed by said image display device;

wherein said ocular optical system has a concave mirror having a focal length f satisfying a condition of 15≦

f≦

60 millimeters and disposed such that an optical axis of said concave mirror intersects a line normal to said image display means so as to project an enlarged image of said image displayed by said image display means, said ocular optical system further having a cemented prism with a semitransparent portion disposed between said concave mirror and said image display means to lead light beams reflected by said concave mirror into said observer'"'"'s eyeball, and said concave mirror having a configuration in which a point of intersection between a line normal to a plane tangent to a peripheral area of said concave mirror and the optical axis of said concave mirror is closer to said concave mirror than a point of intersection between a line normal to a plane tangent to a principal area of said concave mirror and the optical axis of said concave mirror, so that a refracting power for light rays in said peripheral area is larger in a positive direction than a refracting power for light rays in said principal display area.

5. An image display apparatus comprising:

image display device that displays an image,

a projection optical system that projects said image,

wherein said projection optical system comprises at least a prism, said prism having at least an entrance surface through which light from said image display enters said prism, a reflecting surface that reflects the light in said prism, and an exit surface through which the light exits from said prism, wherein said projection optical system has an edge portion having a refracting or reflecting action, said edge portion being arranged such that a refracting power for a periphery of any image display area is larger in a positive direction than a refracting power for a principal display area; and

a periphery bending optical device placed near said prism, said periphery bending optical device being arranged to distribute part of light beams from a periphery of said image display device to inner and outer portions of an image display area in an image field, wherein said periphery bending optical device is placed closer to said projection optical system than said image display device,

wherein said projection optical system is an ocular optical system that projects said image onto a retina in an observer'"'"'s eyeball,

wherein said periphery bending optical device is disposed in an optical path extending between said observer'"'"'s eyeball and an optical device having a principal refracting power, said periphery bending optical device being arranged such that a light beam-refracting power for the peripheral area of said image display area is larger in a positive direction than a light beam-refracting power for said principal display area, and

wherein said ocular optical system has a concave mirror disposed to face said image display device and having a focal length f satisfying a condition of 15≦

f≦

60 millimeters so as to project an enlarged image of said image displayed by said image display device, said ocular optical system further having a semitransparent mirror disposed between said concave mirror and said image display device so as to lead light beams reflected by said concave mirror into said observer'"'"'s eyeball, and said ocular optical system further having a periphery bending optical device disposed in an optical path extending between said semitransparent mirror and said observer'"'"'s eyeball, said periphery bending optical device being arranged such that a refracting power for a peripheral area of said image display device is larger in a positive direction than a refracting power for the principal display area.

6. An image display apparatus comprising image display device that displays an image;

a projection optical system that projects said image,

wherein said projection optical system comprises at least a prism, said prism having at least an entrance surface through which light from said image display device enters said prism, a reflecting surface that reflects the light in said prism, and an exit surface through which the light exits from said prism, wherein said projection optical system has an edge portion having a refracting or reflecting action, said edge portion being arranged such that a refracting power for a periphery of any image display area is larger in a positive direction than a refracting power for a principal display area; and

a periphery bending optical device placed near said prism, said periphery bending optical device being arranged to distribute part of light beams from a periphery of said image display device to inner and outer portions of an image display area in an image field, wherein said periphery bending optical device is placed closer to said projection optical system than said image display device,

wherein said projection optical system is an ocular optical system that projects said image onto a retina in an observer'"'"'s eyeball,

wherein said ocular optical system has an aspherical surface provided on a principal refracting surface thereof, said aspherical surface having a positive refracting power that weakens at a periphery thereof, said ocular optical system further comprising a periphery bending optical device having a large refracting power in a positive direction to lead light beams subjected to an action at the periphery of said aspherical surface to a pupil of said observer'"'"'s eyeball, and

wherein said ocular optical system has an optical system including a surface which has both transmitting and reflecting actions and which is tilted with respect to both said image display device and a visual axis so as to project an enlarged image of said image displayed by the image display device.

7. An image display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said ocular optical system has a concave mirror disposed to face said image display device and having a focal length f satisfying a condition of 15≦

f≦

60 millimeters so as to project an enlarged image of said image displayed by said image display device, said concave mirror having an aspherical surface in which a positive refracting power for a peripheral area of said image is weaker than a positive refracting power for a principal display area of said image, said ocular optical system further having a semitransparent mirror disposed between said concave mirror and said image display device so as to lead light beams reflected by said concave mirror into said observer'"'"'s eyeball, and said ocular optical system further having a periphery bending optical device disposed in an optical path extending between said semitransparent mirror and said observer'"'"'s eyeball, said periphery bending optical device being arranged such that a refracting power for said peripheral area of said image is larger in a positive direction than a refracting power for said principal display area.

8. An image display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said ocular optical system has a concave mirror having an action by which said image displayed by said image display device is projected as an enlarged image said concave mirror having a focal length f satisfying a condition of 15≦

f≦

60 millimeters and being disposed to face said observer'"'"'s eyeball such that an optical axis of said concave mirror intersects a line normal to said image display device, and said concave mirror having an aspherical surface in which a positive refracting power for a peripheral area of said image is weaker than a positive refracting power for a principal display area of said image, said ocular optical system further having a semitransparent mirror disposed between said observer'"'"'s eyeball and said concave mirror so as to lead light beams emitted from said image display device to said concave mirror and to lead light beams reflected by said concave mirror into said observer'"'"'s eyeball, and said ocular optical system further having a periphery bending optical device disposed in an optical path extending between said semitransparent mirror and said observer'"'"'s eyeball, said periphery bending optical device being arranged such that a refracting power for said peripheral area of said image is larger in a positive direction than a refraction power for said principal display area of said image.

9. An image display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said ocular optical system has a concave mirror disposed to face said image display device and having a focal length f satisfying a condition of 15≦

f≦

60 millimeters so as to project an enlarged image of said image displayed by said image display device, said concave mirror having an aspherical surface in which a positive refracting power for a peripheral area of said image is weaker than a positive refracting power for a principal display area of said image, said ocular optical system further having a cemented prism having a semitransparent portion disposed between said concave mirror and said image display device to lead light beams reflected by said concave mirror into said observer'"'"'s eyeball, and said ocular optical system further having a periphery bending optical device disposed in an optical path extending between said cemented prism and said observer'"'"'s eyeball, said periphery bending optical means being arranged such that a refracting power for said peripheral area of said image is larger in a positive direction than a refracting power for said principal display area of said image.

10. An image display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said ocular optical system has a concave mirror having a focal length f satisfying a condition of 15≦

f≦

60 millimeters and disposed such that an optical axis of said concave mirror intersects a line normal to said image display device so as to project an enlarged image of said image displayed by said image display device, and said concave mirror having an aspherical surface in which a positive refracting power for a peripheral area of said image is weaker than a positive refracting power for a principal display area of said image, said ocular optical system further having a cemented prism having a semitransparent portion disposed between said concave mirror and said image display device to lead light beams reflected by said concave mirror into said observer'"'"'s eyeball, and said ocular optical system further having a periphery bending optical device disposed in an optical path extending between said cemented prism and said observer'"'"'eyeball, said periphery bending optical device being arranged such that a refracting power for said peripheral area of said image is larger in a positive direction than a refracting power for said principal display area of said image.

11. An image display apparatus comprising:

image display device that displays an image; and

a projection optical system that projects said image;

wherein said projection optical system comprises at least a prism, said prism having at least an entrance surface through which light from said image display enters said prism, a reflecting surface that reflects the light in said prism, and an exit surface through which the light exits from said prism, wherein said projection optical system has an edge portion having a refracting or reflecting action, said edge portion being arranged such that a refracting power for a periphery of any image display area is larger in a positive direction than a refracting power for a principal display area; and

a periphery bending optical device placed near said prism, said periphery bending optical device being arranged to distribute part of light beams from a periphery of said image display device to inner and outer portions of an image display area in an image field, wherein said periphery bending optical device is placed closer to said projection optical system than said image display device,

wherein said edge portion is formed on an optical surface of said projection optical system that is closest to said image display device,

wherein said projection optical system is an ocular optical system that projects said image onto a retina in an observer'"'"'s eyeball,

wherein said ocular optical system is an optical system including a surface which has both transmitting and reflecting actions and which is tilted with respect to both said image display device and a visual axis so as to project an enlarged image of said image displayed by said image display device.

12. An image display apparatus, comprising image display device that displays an image;

a projection optical system that projects said image,

wherein said projection optical system comprises at least a prism, said prism having at least an entrance surface through which light from said image display device enters said prism, a reflecting surface that reflects the light in said prism, and an exit surface through which the light exits from said prism, wherein said projection optical system has an edge portion having a refracting or reflecting action, said edge portion being arranged such that a refracting power for a periphery of any image display area is larger in a positive direction than a refracting power for a principal display area; and

a periphery bending optical device placed near said prism, said periphery bending optical device being arranged to distribute part of light beams from a periphery of said image display device to inner and outer portions of an image display area in an image field, wherein said periphery bending optical device is placed closer to said projection optical system than said image display device,

wherein said projection optical system is an ocular optical system that projects said image onto a retina in an observer'"'"'s eyeball,

wherein said periphery bending optical device is disposed in an optical path extending between said observer'"'"'s eyeball and an optical device having a principal refracting power, said periphery bending optical device being arranged such that a light beam-refracting power for the peripheral area of said image display area is larger in a positive direction than a light beam-refracting power for said principal display area, and

wherein said ocular optical system is an optical system including a surface which has both transmitting and reflecting actions and which is tilted with respect to both said image display device and a visual axis so as to project an enlarged image of said image displayed by said image display device.

13. An image display apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said periphery bending optical device is a diffractive optical element.

14. An image display apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said ocular optical system has a concave mirror having an action by which said image displayed by said image display means is projected as an enlarged image, said concave mirror having a focal length f satisfying a condition of 15≦

f≦

60 millimeters and being disposed to face said observer'"'"'s eyeball such that an optical axis of said concave mirror intersects a line normal to said image display means, said ocular optical system further having a semitransparent mirror disposed between said observer'"'"'s eyeball and said concave mirror to lead light beams emitted from said image display means to said concave mirror and to lead light beams reflected by sad concave mirror into said observer'"'"'s eyeball, and said ocular optical system further having periphery bending optical means disposed in an optical path extending between said semitransparent mirror and said observer'"'"'s eyeball, said periphery bending optical means being arranged such that a refracting power for a peripheral area of said image display means is larger in a positive direction than a refracting power for the principal display area.

15. An image display apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said ocular optical system has a concave mirror disposed to face said image display means and having a focal length f satisfying a condition of 15≦

f≦

60 millimeters so as to project an enlarged image of said image displayed by said image display means, said ocular optical system further having a cemented prism with a semitransparent portion disposed between said concave mirror and said image display means to lead light beams reflected by said concave mirror into said observer'"'"'s eyeball, and wherein said periphery bending optical means is disposed in an optical path extending between said cemented prism and said observer'"'"'s eyeball, said periphery bending optical means being arranged such that a refracting power for a peripheral area of said image display means is larger in a positive direction than a refracting power for the principal display area.

16. An image display apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said ocular optical system has a concave mirror having a focal length f satisfying a condition of 15≦

f≦

60 millimeters and disposed such that an optical axis of said concave mirror intersects a line normal to said image display means so as to project an enlarged image of said image displayed by said image display means, said ocular optical system further having a cemented prism with a semitransparent portion disposed between sad concave mirror and said image display means to lead light beams reflected by said concave mirror into said observer'"'"'s eyeball, and wherein said periphery bending optical means is disposed in an optical path extending between said cemented prism and said observer'"'"'s eyeball, said periphery bending optical means being arranged such that a refracting power for a peripheral area of said image display means is larger in a positive direction than a refracting power for the principal display area.

17. An image display apparatus according to claim 15 or 16, wherein a final exit surface, which is closest to said observer'"'"'s eyeball, serves also as said periphery bending optical device.

18. An image display apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said periphery bending optical device has a distribution of refracting power in which the refracting power becomes stronger as a distance from a center of said periphery bending optical device increases toward a periphery thereof.

19. An image display apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said periphery bending optical device has an action by which, in backward ray tracing from an exit pupil, light rays passing through a peripheral portion of said periphery bending optical device, which has a large refracting power, reach one of a vicinity of an edge of said optical device having the principal refracting power and a vicinity of an edge of a display area of said image display device.

20. An image display apparatus according to claim 12, wherein, assuming that a light ray which exits perpendicularly from a center of said image display device and which reaches said observer'"'"'s eyeball is defined as an optical axis, and that a light ray passing through a center of an exit pupil or a light ray passing through a center of a pupil of said observer'"'"'s eyeball when an observer gazes at a center of an image field is defined as a principal ray, and periphery bending optical device is provided so that a refracting action thereof begins to work at a point within a range extending from a point 2.5 millimeters from a position where the principal ray exiting from a most peripheral portion of said image display device reaches a surface of said periphery bending optical device, on a side of said position that is closer to said optical axis, to a point 2.5 millimeters from said position on a side thereof that is remote from said optical axis, and said refracting action is available in an area extending from said point at which said refracting action begins on a side of said point that is remote from said optical axis.

21. An image display apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said point at which said refracting action begins is within a range extending from a point 0.5 millimeter from said position on a side thereof that is closer to said optical axis to a point 0.5 millimeter from said position on a side thereof that is remote from said optical axis.

22. An image display apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said point at which said refracting action begins is within a range extending from a point 1.5 millimeter from said position on a side thereof that is closer to said optical axis to a point 2.5 millimeter from said position on a side thereof that is remote from said optical axis.

23. An image display apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said periphery bending optical device is a Fresnel optical element.

24. An image display apparatus comprising

image display device that displays an image;

and

a projection optical system that projects said image,

wherein said projection optical system has an edge portion having a refracting or reflecting action, said edge portion being arranged such that a refracting power for a periphery of any image display area is larger in a positive direction than a refracting power for a principal display area, wherein said projection optical system is an ocular optical system that projects said image onto a retina in an observer'"'"'s eyeball,

wherein said ocular optical system includes a prism having at least three optical surfaces surrounding a medium that has a refractive index larger than 1, and wherein said prism has a third surface which is closest to said observer'"'"'s eyeball and transmits light beams from said image display means toward said observer'"'"'s eyeball;

a second surface which is a reflecting surface titled with respect to a visual axis of said observer'"'"'s eyeball to reflect light beams from said image display means toward said third surface; and

a first surface which is a transmitting surface for leading light beams from said image display means into said prism

wherein said first surface of said prism in said ocular optical system serves also as a periphery bending optical system in which a light beam-refracting power for a periphery of said image is larger in a positive direction than a light beam-refracting power for the principal display area.