Display apparatus

• US 6,243,207 B1
• Filed: 12/03/1999
• Issued: 06/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakatsue, Takeshiro, Tanaka, Yoshinori, Matsui, Takeshi, Hashimoto, Shunichi, Kawamura, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lester, Evelyn A.
• Application Number:
  US09/453,293
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 359/462, 359/464, 359/466, 359/471, 359/472, 359/476, 359/477, 359/630-633, 248/917, 345/7, 345/8, 345/32, 348/46, 348/121, 434/4
• US Class Current: 359/630
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0125 Field-of-view increase by wavefront division
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0154 with movable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0156 with optionally usable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0149 characterised by mechanical features G02B27/0176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/30 Polarising elements light-modulating devices with active elements G02F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/111 Transformation of image signals corresponding to virtual viewpoints, e.g. spatial image interpolation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/158 Switching image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/167 Synchronising or controlling image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/189 Recording image signals; Reproducing recorded image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/194 Transmission of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/204 using stereoscopic image cameras stereoscopic photography G03B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/289 Switching between monoscopic and stereoscopic modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/322 using varifocal lenses or mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/324 Colour aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/337 using polarisation multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/341 using temporal multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/363 : using image projection screens volumetric display H04N13/388
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/366 : using viewer tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 : Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/597 : specially adapted for multi-view video sequence encoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7491 : of head mounted projectors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/917 : Video display screen support

Abstract

A semi-spherical system holding mechanism 8 such as to cover the head portion of the user is provided in the upper portion of a user holding mechanisms 9 such as chair, sofa, or the like. A display apparatus 7 is fixed in the system holding mechanism 8. In the display apparatus 7, a video image displayed on a display panel 14 is enlarged by a lens 13, so that a virtual image is formed. The virtual images which are observed by the right and left eyes of the user are arranged at the same position in a space.

Claims

1. A display apparatus having a video image providing apparatus for providing a video image to a user, said video image providing apparatus comprising:

display means for displaying the video image;

an enlargement optical system for forming a virtual image by enlarging the video image displayed on said display means and for arranging a right-eye virtual image which is observed by the right eye and a left-eye virtual image which is observed by the left eye of the user at a same position in a space; and

fixing means for fixing said video image providing apparatus to a predetermined object other than the user, wherein among said plurality of lenses constructing said enlargement optical system, the lens arranged at the position that is the closest to said display means has a refractive power larger than those of the other lenses.

2. A display apparatus having a video image providing apparatus for providing a video image to a user, said video image providing apparatus comprising:

display means for displaying the video image;

an enlargement optical system for forming a virtual image by enlarging the video image displayed on said display means and for arranging a right-eye virtual image which is observed by the right eye and a left-eye virtual image which is observed by the left eye of the user at a same position in a space; and

fixing means for fixing said video image providing apparatus to a predetermined object other than the user, wherein among said plurality of lenses constructing said enlargement optical system, the lens arranged at the position that is the farthest from said display means has a refractive power smaller than those of the other lenses.

3. A display apparatus having a video image providing apparatus for providing a video image to a user, said video image providing apparatus comprising:

display means for displaying the video image;

an enlargement optical system for forming a virtual image by enlarging the video image displayed on said display means and for arranging a right-eye virtual image which is observed by the right eye and a left-eye virtual image which is observed by the left eye of the user at a same position in a space; and

fixing means for fixing said video image providing apparatus to a predetermined object other than the user, wherein

said enlargement optical system is constructed by sequentially arranging first to fourth lens groups in accordance with this order from the pupil side,

said first lens group is constructed by sequentially joining a positive lens and a negative lens,

said second and third lens groups are constructed by positive lenses,

said fourth lens group is constructed by a negative lens, and

at least one of surfaces in said third or fourth lens group is formed by an aspherical surface.

4. A display apparatus according to claim 3, characterized by that

in the case where only the surface on the pupil side of said third lens group is formed by the aspherical surface,

now assuming that a quartic asperical coefficient of the surface on the pupil side of said third lens group is set to a and a focal distance of the whole system of said first to fourth lens groups is set to f and a predetermined coefficient is set to k, respectively, the following relational expression is satisfied

5. A display apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that

in the case where only the surface on the side opposite to the pupil side of said third lens group is formed by the aspherical surface,

now assuming that a quartic aspeherical coefficient of the surface on the side opposite to the pupil side of said third lens group is set to a and a focal distance of the whole system of said first to fourth lens groups is set to f and a predetermined coefficient is set to k, respectively, the following relational expression is satisfied

6. A display apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that

in the case where only the surface on the pupil side of said fourth lens group is set formed by the aspherical surface,

now assuming that a quatric aspherical coefficient of the surface on the pupil side of said fourth lens group is set to a and a focal distance of the whole system of said first to fourth lens groups is set to f and a predetermined coefficient is set to k, respectively, the following relational expression is satisfied

7. A display according to claim 3, characterized in that

in the case where only the surface on the side opposite to the pupil side of said fourth lens group is formed by the aspherical surface,

now assuming that a quartic aspherical coefficient of the surface on the side opposite to the pupil side of said fourth lens group is set to a and a focal distance of the whole system of said first to fourth lens group is set to f and a predetermined coefficient is set to k, respectively, the following relational expression is satisfied

8. A display apparatus having a video image providing apparatus for providing a video image to a user, said video image providing apparatus comprising:

display means for displaying the video image;

an enlargement optical system for forming a virtual image by enlarging the video image displayed on said display means and for arranging a right-eye virtual image which is observed by the right eye and a left-eye virtual image which is observed by the left eye of the user at a same position in a space; and

fixing means for fixing said video image providing apparatus to a predetermined object other than the user, wherein a shape coefficient of said second lens group is larger than 0.5.

9. A display apparatus having a video image providing apparatus for providing a video image to a user, said video image providing apparatus comprising:

display means for displaying the video image;

an enlargement optical system for forming a virtual image by enlarging the video image displayed on said display means and for arranging a right-eye virtual image which is observed by the right eye and a left-eye virtual image which is observed by the left eye of the user at a same position in a space; and

fixing means for fixing said video image providing apparatus to a predetermined object other than the user, wherein

said enlargement optical system is constructed by sequentially arranging first and second lens groups in accordance with this order from the pupil side,

said first lens group is constructed by sequentially joining a positive and a negative lens,

said second lens group is constructed by sequentially joining a negative lens and a positive lens, and

at least one of surfaces in said first or second lens group is formed by an aspherial surface.

10. A display apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that said enlargement optical system forms a virtual image of an image in which an image surface is a curved surface.

11. A display apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that

in the case where only the surface on the pupil side of said first lens group is formed by the aspherical surface,

now asumming that a quatric aspherical coefficient of the surface on the pupil side of said first lens group is set to a and a focal distance of the whole system of said first and second lens groups is set to f and a predetermined coefficient is set to k, respectively, the following relational expression is satisfied

12. A display apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that

in the case where only the surface on the side opposite to the pupil side of said first lens group is formed by the aspherical surface,

now assuming that a quatric aspherical coefficient of the surface on the side opposite to the pupil side of said first lens group is set to a and a focal distance of the whole system of said first and second lens groups is set to f and a predetermined coefficient is set to k, respectively, the following relational expression is satisfied

13. A display apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that

in the case where only the surface on the pupil side of said second lens group is formed by the aspherical surface,

now assuming that a quatric aspherical coefficient of the surface on the pupil side of said second lens group is set to a and a focal distance of the whole system of said first and second lens groups is set to f and a predetermined coefficient is set to k, respectively, the following relational expression is satisfied

14. A display apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that

in the case where only the surface on the side opposite to the pupil side of said second lens group is formed by the aspherical surface,

now assuming that a quatric aspherical coefficient of the surface on the side opposite to the pupil side of said second lens group is set to a and a focal distance of the whole system of said first and second lens groups is set to f and a predetermined coefficient is set to k, respectively, the following relational expression is satisfied

15. A display apparatus comprising:

display means for displaying a video image; and

an enlargement optical system, constructed by a plurality of lenses, for forming a virtual image by enlarging the video image displayed on said display means, characterized in that

among said plurality of lenses constructing said enlargement optical system, the lens arranged at the position that is the closest to said display means has a refractive power larger than those of the other lenses, and the lens arranged at the position that is the farthest from said display means has a refractive power smaller than those of the other lenses.