Compact image display system for eyeglasses or other head-borne frames

• US 6,204,974 B1
• Filed: 03/17/1999
• Issued: 03/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MicroOptical Corporation
• Inventors: Spitzer, Mark B.
• Primary Examiner(s): MACK, RICKY LEVERN
• Application Number:
  US09/271,597
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 359/630, 359/631, 359/633, 359/638, 345/7, 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 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0196 having transparent supporting structure for display mounting, e.g. to a window or a windshield
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0198 System for aligning or maintaining alignment of an image in a predetermined direction
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1066 for enhancing image performance, like resolution, pixel numbers, dual magnifications or dynamic range, by tiling, slicing or overlapping fields of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1073 characterized by manufacturing or alignment methods
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/144 using partially transparent surfaces without spectral selectivity G02B27/147 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/30 Polarising elements light-modulating devices with active elements G02F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/06 Hearing aids construction of hearing aids H04R25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/086 Auxiliary lenses located directly on a main spectacle lens or in the immediate vicinity of main spectacles
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/101 having an electro-optical light valve electro-optical elements per se G02F
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/12 Polarisers

Abstract

A head-mountable image display system provides an image to a user'"'"'s eye separate from ambient light. The system includes an optical relay having an optical pathway to receive light from a display element. The optical relay also permits passage of ambient light toward the user'"'"'s eye. An eyepiece assembly is disposed to redirect light on the optical pathway to the user'"'"'s eye. The system is highly compact, allowing the integration of the display system with eyeglasses, a face mask, such as a diver'"'"'s mask, a head set, or the like.

Claims

1. An image display system for use with a user'"'"'s eye, the image display system comprising:

a support frame configured to be supported by the user'"'"'s head;

a display assembly supported by the support frame in front of an eye of the user comprising;

a display element operative to provide an image separate from ambient light;

an optical relay having two optical surfaces arranged to permit passage of ambient light through the two optical surfaces toward the user'"'"'s eye;

an optical pathway disposed internally within the optical relay to receive light from the display element, the optical pathway having at least a portion disposed along and between the two optical surfaces of the optical relay; and

an eyepiece assembly disposed internally within the optical relay and comprising an interface disposed to redirect light, which has passed along at least the portion of the optical pathway, out of the optical relay to the user'"'"'s eye.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the eyepiece assembly comprises two materials having different indices of refraction, the two materials separated by the interface.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the eyepiece assembly comprises a beam combiner.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the beam combiner comprises a reversed beam splitter.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the eyepiece assembly comprises a polarizing beam splitter.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface is totally internally reflecting.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the eyepiece assembly comprises a semi-transmitting mirror.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface is planar.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface is curved to provide a preselected optical power.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface includes an interference coating to combine light paths.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the eyepiece assembly comprises at least one reflecting surface disposed to redirect light toward the user'"'"'s eye and a lens located before the user'"'"'s eye.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the support frame comprises an eyeglass frame.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the display assembly is mounted to a temple of the eyeglass frame.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the temple includes a plurality of mounting surfaces and the display assembly is mountable to one or more of the mounting surfaces.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the mounting surfaces comprise openings in the temple.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the optical relay is integrally formed within a lens supported in the eyeglass frame.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the support frame comprises a face mask having a frame supporting a visor, and the display element is mounted to the frame.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the optical relay extends between the visor and the user'"'"'s eye.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the face mask includes a second visor, a cavity defined between the visor and the second visor, the optical relay disposed within the cavity.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the optical relay is integrally formed within the visor.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the display assembly is adjustably mounted to the face mask.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the display assembly is mounted with a rotatable and translatable adjustment mechanism.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the display assembly is remountably attached to the face mask.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the support frame comprises a head set.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the head set includes a head frame and a padded portion configured to be worn on a user'"'"'s head.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the display assembly is mounted on a boom attached to the head frame of the head set.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the boom is adjustably mounted to the head frame.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the display assembly is mounted with a rotatable and translatable adjustment mechanism.

29. The system of claim 24, further comprising an ear cup mounted to the head set in a position to be worn adjacent a user'"'"'s ear, and an audio transducer element is disposed in the ear cup.

30. The system of claim 24, further comprising a microphone mounted to the head set and located to pick up spoken sounds from the user.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the microphone is mounted on a microphone boom mounted to the head set.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the microphone is mounted adjacent to the display element.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the microphone comprises a differential noise cancelling or phased array microphone.

34. The system of claim 1, wherein the display element comprises a transmissive or reflective active matrix liquid crystal display, an active matrix electroluminescent display, or a scanning display.

35. The system of claim 1, wherein the display element is disposed within a display housing.

36. The system of claim 1, wherein the display assembly is remountably attached to the support frame.

37. The system of claim 1 wherein the optical relay is formed from glass.

38. The system of claim 1 wherein the optical relay is formed from a plastic material such as polycarbonate resin, allyl diglycol carbonate monomer, polymethyl methacrylate, or epoxy resin.

39. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the optical surfaces of the optical relay is provided with a curvature preselected to correct the user'"'"'s vision.

40. The image display system of claim 1, further comprising an audio transducer supported on the support frame.

41. The image display system of claim 40, wherein the display assembly further comprises a housing remountably attached to the support frame and the audio transducer is supported by the housing.

42. The image display system of claim 40, wherein the audio transducer is supported by the housing in acoustic communication with the ear.

43. The image display system of claim 1, further comprising a microphone supported on the support frame.

44. The image display system of claim 43, wherein the display assembly further comprises a housing remountably attached to the support frame and the microphone is supported by the housing.

45. The image display system of claim 1, further comprising an audio transducer and a microphone supported on the support frame.

46. An image display system for use with a user'"'"'s eye, the image display system comprising:

a head-borne eyewear assembly comprising a support frame configured to be supported by the user'"'"'s head and a lens system supported by the support frame in front of the eye of the user, the lens system comprising;

at least a first lens having two optical surfaces arranged to permit passage of some ambient light by the first lens through the two optical surfaces;

an optical pathway disposed internally within the first lens to receive light from a source separate from the ambient light, the optical pathway having at least a portion disposed along and between the two optical surfaces of the first lens; and

an insert disposed internally within the first lens, the insert comprising an interface disposed to redirect light, which has passed along at least the portion of the optical pathway, out of the first lens to a user'"'"'s eye; and

a display assembly supported by the head-borne eyewear assembly comprising an image source operative to provide an image, and a further portion of the optical pathway disposed to direct light from the image source to the portion of the optical pathway disposed internally in the lens system.

47. The image display system of claim 46, wherein the display assembly further includes an illumination source.

48. The image display system of claim 46, wherein the display assembly further includes an optical or mechanical element to provide focusing.

49. The image display system of claim 46, wherein the display assembly further includes an optical element to provide a preselected optical power.

50. The image display system of claim 46, wherein the display assembly is supported by the support frame.

51. The image display system of claim 46, wherein the display assembly is detachably supported by the support frame.

52. The image display system of claim 46, wherein the support frame includes a temple and the display assembly is supported by the temple.

53. The image display system of claim 46, wherein the support frame includes a boom and the display assembly is supported by the boom.

54. The image display system of claim 46, wherein the display. assembly is supported by the lens system.

55. The image display system of claim 46, wherein the image source comprises a liquid crystal display, a flat panel active matrix electroluminescent display, a flat panel field emission display, a cathode ray tube, or an array of light emitting diodes.