Binocular head mounted display system

• US 6,232,934 B1
• Filed: 04/10/1995
• Issued: 05/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Chemical Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Virtual Vision, Inc. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Heacock, Gregory Lee, Shimasaki, Kevin W., Kuenster, Gordon B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US08/419,064
• Time in Patent Office: 2,227 Days
• Field of Search: 345/7, 345/8, 345/9, 358/88, 358/92, 359/13, 359/630, 359/631, 359/632, 359/633, 359/466, 359/472
• US Class Current: 345/8
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0132 comprising binocular systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0136 with a single image source for both eyes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0143 the two eyes not being equipped with identical nor symmetrical optical devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/10 reflecting into the field of view additional indications, e.g. from collimator
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• 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 5/04 Prisms
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/12 Adjusting pupillary distance of binocular pairs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0221 Arrangements for reducing keyboard size for transport or storage, e.g. foldable keyboards, keyboards with collapsible keys G06F3/0216 takes precedence; for keyboards integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/1666
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/86 characterised by the casing, e.g. sealed casings or casings reducible in size
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2223/05 composed of hingedly connected sections

Abstract

A binocular head mounted display unit utilizing a single display and binocular optical system is shown for projecting an enlarged image of displayed information in the direct line of sight and central field of view of each of the user'"'"'s eyes, while maintaining the user'"'"'s peripheral vision free from obstruction to allow the user to selectively focus on the virtual image or not. The binocular optical system directs the user'"'"'s eyes inward at an angle that is natural for a person viewing an object at a distance that is less than infinity. Further, the binocular optical system automatically compensates for variations in the interpupillary distances of various users, wherein those variations may be as great as one inch. This head mounted display unit is suitable for a variety of applications, including virtual reality applications, as well as a display for a compact portable computer.

Claims

1. A head mounted display system comprising

a support to mount the display system on a user'"'"'s head;

a single display mounted on said support for displaying video information;

a binocular optical system for projecting an enlarged virtual image of said displayed video at a distance from the user that is less than infinity, said optical system including a right-eye optical centerline path and a left-eye optical centerline path having at least one optical element in each of said paths wherein said right-eye and left-eye optical centerline paths are angled in towards said virtual image.

2. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 1 wherein said binocular optical system projects said virtual image in the central field of view of each of the user'"'"'s eyes, said optical system and support maintaining at least a portion of the peripheral view of each of the user'"'"'s eyes free from obstruction to allow the user to selectively focus on said virtual image or not.

3. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 1 wherein said binocular optical system automatically compensates for approximately one inch variations in the interpupillary distance of different users.

4. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 1 wherein said binocular optical system includes a semi-transparent reflector into which the user looks to view said virtual image and said display includes a brightness control to allow the brightness of the display to be varied such that the virtual image can be controlled to block that portion of the user'"'"'s field of view in which the image is projected, to be superimposed on the real world in said portion of the user'"'"'s field of view so that both the image and the real world in said portion of the view can be simultaneously seen or to be extinguished from said portion of the user'"'"'s field of view.

5. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 1 wherein said display is a left-handed liquid crystal display.

6. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 1 wherein said display is coupled to a remote device for receiving video input signals therefrom representing alphanumeric information to drive said display, said optical system being mounted on said support to maintain the lower peripheral view of each of the user'"'"'s eyes free from obstruction to allow said user to look downward to view said remote device.

7. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 1 including an alphanumeric keyboard in communication with said display to allow alphanumeric information input on said keyboard to be depicted on said display.

8. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 7 wherein said keyboard includes a foldable housing.

9. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 7 wherein said keyboard includes a surface contoured for mounting said support for said binocular optical system and display on said keyboard.

10. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 1 wherein said support includes an outermost surface disposed in front of the user'"'"'s face, said outermost surface extending no more than two and one-half inches from the user'"'"'s head.

11. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 1 wherein said optical system includes at least one optical element having a magnification power associated therewith wherein said optical element is no closer than 20 mm from the user'"'"'s eye.

12. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 1 wherein said optical system includes at least one optical element having a magnification power associated therewith wherein said optical element is within 20 mm to 70 mm of the user'"'"'s eye.

13. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 1 wherein said virtual image has at least a 20°

field of view.

14. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 1 wherein said optical centerline paths are angled in towards said virtual image by approximately 2°

to 3°

.

15. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 1 wherein said binocular optical system includes at least one prism disposed along each of said right-eye and left-eye centerline paths to bend the respective paths towards a central area on a concave reflector having an optical centerline that intersects the center of the display.

16. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 1 wherein said binocular optical system includes at least one mirror disposed along each of said right-eye and left-eye centerline paths to direct the respective paths to the same point and a lens disposed along each of the optical paths adjacent the user'"'"'s eye.

17. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 1 wherein said binocular optical system includes a beam splitter intersecting both said right-eye and left-eye paths.

18. A head mounted display system comprising

a support to mount the display on a user'"'"'s head;

a single display mounted on said support for displaying video information;

a binocular optical system mounted on said support for projecting an enlarged image of said video at a distance from the user in the central field of view of each of the user'"'"'s eyes such that said image blocks the user'"'"'s view in said central field, said optical system and support maintaining at least a portion of the peripheral view of each of the user'"'"'s eyes free from obstruction to allow the user to selectively focus on said enlarged image or not, said optical system projecting said enlarged image at a distance that is less than infinity and includes at least one optical element in each of a right eye optical path and a left eye optical path for directing a user'"'"'s eyes to angle inward towards the location of said enlarged image.

19. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 18 wherein said binocular optical system automatically compensates for approximately one inch variations in the interpupillary distance of different users.

20. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 18 wherein said binocular optical system includes a semi-transparent reflector into which the user looks to view said virtual image and said display includes a brightness control to allow the brightness of the display to be varied such that the virtual image can be controlled to completely block that portion of the user'"'"'s field of view in which the image is projected, to be superimposed on the real world in said portion of the user'"'"'s field of view so that both the image and the real world in said portion of the view can be simultaneously seen or to be extinguished from said portion of the user'"'"'s field of view.

21. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 18 wherein said display is coupled to a remote device for receiving video input signals therefrom representing alphanumeric information to drive said display, said optical system being mounted on said support to maintain the lower peripheral view of each of the user'"'"'s eyes free from obstruction to allow said user to look downward to view said remote device.

22. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 18 including an alphanumeric keyboard in communication with said display to allow alphanumeric information input on said keyboard to be depicted on said display.

23. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 22 wherein said keyboard includes a foldable housing.

24. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 22 wherein said keyboard includes a surface contoured for mounting said support for said binocular optical system and display on said keyboard.

25. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 18 wherein said support includes an outermost surface disposed in front of the user'"'"'s face, said outermost surface extending no more than approximately two and one-half inches from the user'"'"'s head.

26. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 18 wherein said optical system includes at least one optical element having a magnification power associated therewith wherein said optical element is no closer than 20 mm from the user'"'"'s eye.

27. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 18 wherein said optical system includes at least one optical element having a magnification power associated therewith wherein said optical element is within 20 mm to 70 mm of the user'"'"'s eye.

28. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 18 wherein said binocular optical system includes at least one prism disposed along each of said right-eye and left-eye centerline paths to bend the respective paths towards a central area on a concave reflector having an optical centerline that intersects the center of the display.

29. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 18 wherein said binocular optical system includes at least one mirror disposed along each of said right-eye and left-eye centerline paths to direct the respective paths to the same point and a lens disposed along each of the optical paths adjacent the user'"'"'s eye.

30. A head mounted display system comprising

a support to mount the display system on a user'"'"'s head;

a single display mounted on said support for displaying video information;

a binocular optical system having a right-eye optical path and a left-eye optical path for projecting an enlarged virtual image of said displayed video a distance from the user, said optical system including in each of said paths at least one element for directing light along the path so that the path extends from the user'"'"'s respective eye towards the same point on the display and at least one optical element for focusing and magnifying the video on said display, wherein said binocular optical system automatically compensates for approximately one inch variations in the interpupillary distance of various users.

31. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 30 wherein said at least one element for directing light in each of said paths is a prism.

32. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 30 wherein said at least one element for directing light in each of said paths is a mirror.

33. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 30 wherein said at least one element for focusing and magnifying is a concave reflector.

34. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 33 wherein said reflector is semi-transparent.

35. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 30 wherein said at least one element for focusing and magnifying is a lens.

36. A head mounted display system comprising

a support to mount the display system on a user'"'"'s head;

a single image source of video information mounted on said support;

a binocular optical system for projecting an enlarged virtual image of said video from said image source at a distance from the user that is less than infinity, said optical system including a right-eye optical centerline path and a left-eye optical centerline path having at least one optical element in each of said paths wherein said right-eye and left-eye optical centerline paths are angled in towards the apparent location of said virtual image.

37. A head mounted display system comprising

a support to mount the display system on a user'"'"'s head;

a single image source of video information mounted on said support;

a binocular optical system having a right-eye optical path and a left-eye optical path for projecting an enlarged virtual image of said displayed video a distance from the user, said optical system including in each of said paths at least one element for directing light from the user'"'"'s eye towards the same point on the display and at least one optical element for focusing and magnifying the video on said display, wherein said binocular optical system automatically compensates for approximately one inch variations in the interpupillary distance of various users.

38. A head mounted display system comprising:

a support to mount the display system on a user'"'"'s head;

a first prism mounted on said support in a right-eye optical path;

a second prism mounted on said support in a left-eye optical path;

a single display mounted on said support for displaying video information; and

a single reflector shaped to project an enlarged image of said video at a distance from the user, said reflector being mounted on said support in each of said right-eye and left-eye optical paths, wherein said first and second prisms bend the right-eye and left-eye optical paths from a user'"'"'s eye towards each other and said reflector in each path focuses light traveling along the respective optical paths onto the same point relative to said display.

39. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 38 wherein said reflector is semi-reflective.

40. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 38 wherein said reflector is a single optical element intersecting both of said right-eye and left-eye optical paths.

41. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 38 wherein said first and second prisms are integrally formed into a single optical element.

42. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 38 wherein said display is mounted on said support so as to face said reflector.

43. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 42 wherein said display is a left-handed liquid crystal display.

44. A head mounted display system as recited in claim 38 wherein said display is mounted on said support so as to face a non-magnifying reflector that reflects said video into said image enlarging reflector.

45. A monocular head mounted display system comprising:

a support to mount the display system on a user'"'"'s head;

a first prism mounted on said support in a right-eye optical path;

a second prism mounted on said support in a left-eye optical path;

a single display mounted on said support for displaying video information;

a reflector shaped to project an enlarged image of said video at a distance from the user, said reflector being mounted on said support in each of said right-eye and left-eye optical paths, wherein said first and second prisms bend the right-eye and left-eye optical paths from a user'"'"'s eye towards each other and said reflector in each path focuses light traveling along the respective optical paths onto the same point relative to said display; and

a light block capable of being mounted adjacent either a first side of said display or adjacent a second side of said display opposite said first side and extending to said reflector from the side of the display adjacent to which said block is mounted to block light from said display from entering one of the user'"'"'s eyes to provide a single monocular head mounted display system for right-eye dominant users and left-eye dominant users.