Area of interest head-mounted display using low resolution, wide angle; high resolution, narrow angle; and see-through views

• US 6,222,675 B1
• Filed: 12/01/1998
• Issued: 04/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kaiser Electro-Optics, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Kaiser Electro-Optics, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Fontaine, Jean-Jacques, Mall, Benedict J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia
• Assistant Examiner(s): Spector, David N.
• Application Number:
  US09/203,293
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 359/630-633, 359/738-739, 359/478, 359/629, 345/7-9, 345/32
• US Class Current: 359/630
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/002 to project the image of a two-dimensional display, such as an array of light emitting or modulating elements or a CRT
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/003 to produce spatial visual effects

Abstract

Different viewing mechanisms are used for left and right eyes. One of the eyes is presented with an image from a single image source that occupies the entire field of view of the eye. The view presented by this first image source is a wide field of view with a relatively low resolution. A second image source presents a second view to the other eye of the user. The second view is a narrower-field-of-view, higher resolution depiction of the same view or scene as presented by the first image source. Additionally, the second image source includes a direct see-through path so that the user can view the real outside surroundings. The combination of low resolution, wide field of view in one eye combined with a high resolution, narrow field of view with see-through in the other eye allows the user to be presented with a computer-generated simulation view having both wide field of view with specific, high resolution at the viewer'"'"'s visual center of interest. Additionally, since a partial view of the real outside surroundings is presented to one of the user'"'"'s eyes, the user also has access to real-world information.

Claims

1. A viewing apparatus allowing a user to view a scene, the viewing apparatus comprising:

a first viewer including a first image source presenting a first-resolution, first angle view of the scene to a first eye of the user;

a second viewer including a second image source presenting a higher resolution, narrower angle view of the scene to a second eye of the user; and

a see-through pathway in the second viewer so that the second eye of the user is simultaneously presented with a non-imaged view along with the view presented by the second image source.

2. The viewing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the see-through pathway comprises a direct view of the user'"'"'s surroundings.

3. The viewing apparatus of claim 2, wherein projected light is emitted by the second image source in a linear direction to create a projected view of the scene, the second viewer further comprising:

a dual reflecting/combining lens;

a beamsplitter;

a sight guide for securing the beamsplitter and dual reflecting/combining lens in position, and for orienting the second eye of the user so that light from the user'"'"'s surroundings passes through the dual reflecting/combining lens and the beamsplitter to impinge on the second eye, wherein the projected light emitted by the second image source reflects from the beamsplitter to the dual reflecting/combining lens which reflects the projected light back through the beamsplitter to impinge on the second eye thus presenting the second eye with simultaneous imaged and non-imaged views.

4. The viewing apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a head mounted display for securing the first and second viewers to the user'"'"'s head.

5. The viewing apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a digital image interface coupled to the first and second image sources for accepting signals representing predetermined scenes for presentation to the user'"'"'s eyes through the image sources.

6. The viewing apparatus of claim 5, further comprising

a computer coupled to the digital image interface, wherein the computer is used to generate images of the scene for display by the image sources;

a position tracking mechanism fixedly coupled to the head mounted display for tracking the position of the head mounted display and for providing position information to the computer; and

software executing on the computer for generating scene images for display on the image sources in response to the position information.

7. The viewing apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

multiple image sources arranged in a tiled manner in one or more of the viewers.

8. The viewing apparatus of claim 5, wherein at least one of the viewers includes

a retinal display device.

9. A head mounted display system comprising:

a first viewer including a first image source presenting a first-resolution, first angle imaged view of the scene to a first eye of the user;

a second viewer including a second image source presenting a higher resolution, narrower angle imaged view of the scene to a second eye of the user; and

a see-through pathway in the second viewer so that the second eye of the user is simultaneously presented with a direct view of the user'"'"'s surroundings along with the imaged view presented by the second image source.