Head-mounted matrix display

• US 6,448,944 B2
• Filed: 07/20/1998
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kopin Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kopin Corporation
• Inventors: Ronzani, Peter A., Pombo, Stephen, Jacobsen, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): WU, XIAO MIN
• Application Number:
  US09/119,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20020005819A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,513 Days
• Field of Search: 345/87, 345/88, 345/89, 345/7, 345/8, 345/9, 345/76, 345/92, 345/103, 348/51, 348/52, 348/53, 348/54, 349/11, 349/15
• US Class Current: 345/8
• 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 2027/0143 the two eyes not being equipped with identical nor symmetrical optical devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0154 with movable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0156 with optionally usable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0158 with adjustable nose pad
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0159 with mechanical means other than scaning means for positioning the whole image
• 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 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 5/18 Diffraction gratings holographic optical elements G02B5/32, G03H; integrally combined with optical fibres G02B6/02057; for coupling light guides G02B6/34; integrally combined with optical integrated light guides G02B6/12; grating systems G02B27/44
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/30 Polarising elements light-modulating devices with active elements G02F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/12 Adjusting pupillary distance of binocular pairs

Abstract

A compact, light weight head mounted display in which a pair of matrix display elements are mounted within a housing. The display utilizes a pair of arms or stems that are rotatable mounted to the housing such that the user can pivot each arm from a folded position into an open position. The arms can be spring mounted onto the housing to secure the display to the user'"'"'s head and can also incorporate earphones that can be retracted into each arm when not in use.

Claims

1. A head mounted display device comprising:

a first matrix display assembly and a second matrix display assembly, each matrix display assembly including a light source, a matrix display element having a display area with a diagonal length no greater than 1.654 inches, the display element generating an image along a first optical path, only one mirror to reflect the image from the respective matrix display element from the first optical path to a second optical path and a viewing lens positioned along the second optical path in a line of sight of a viewer, the first optical path being vertically aligned with the second optical path such that the mirror transposes the image between the first and second optical paths;

a housing for holding the first matrix display assembly and the second matrix display assembly relative to the head of a display user, the housing having a first aperture through which the user can view the transposed image from the matrix display element of the first matrix display assembly and a second aperture through which the user can view the transposed image from the matrix display element of the second matrix display assembly;

a mounting frame on which the first matrix display assembly and the second matrix display assembly are mounted such that each matrix display assembly can slide along the mounting frame;

a headband on which the mounting frame is mounted with a hinge such that the mounting frame can be rotated relative to the headband, and the headband having a sizing mechanism to expand or contract the size of the headband;

a mechanism coupled to the sizing mechanism for controlling the length of a cable within the headband during expansion or contraction of the headband; and

a focus adjust mechanism that controls a distance between each matrix display element and the respective lens by varying the length of the optical paths and maintaining the first optical path of the first matrix display assembly parallel to the first optical path of the second matrix display.

2. The head mounted display device of claim 1 further comprising a second hinge mounted support to mount a pair of audio transducers to the headband.

3. The head mounted display device of claim 1 wherein the matrix display elements are both active matrix liquid crystal displays.

4. The head mounted display device of claim 1 wherein the matrix display elements both comprise active matrix electroluminescent displays.

5. The head mounted display device of claim 1 further comprising a pair of audio transducers.

6. The head mounted display device of claim 1 further comprising a moveable nose bridge mounted to the housing.

7. The head mounted display device of claim 1 wherein the matrix display elements are both passive matrix displays.

8. The head mounted display device of claim 1 further comprising a video control circuit mounted within the display device, the video control circuit transposing a received signal representing a video image.

9. The head mounted display device of claim 8 further comprising a manually adjustable controller mounted on the display device to adjust a control signal delivered by the video control circuit to the matrix display elements.

10. The head mounted display device of claim 1 further comprising a display controller for adjusting a distance between the first and second apertures.

11. The head mounted display device of claim 1 wherein the matrix display is an active matrix liquid crystal display.

12. The head mounted display device of claim 1 wherein the sizing mechanism comprises a first rail and a second rail wherein the first rail and the second rail are moveable relative to each other to expand or contract the size of the headband.

13. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein the mechanism comprises a rotating member.

14. A head mounted display device comprising:

a matrix display assembly including a light source, a matrix display element having a display area with a diagonal length no grater than 1.654 inches, the display element forming images of a first orientation, only one mirror and a lens, the mirror reflecting the formed images through the lens such that the lens magnifies a reflected image from the display element;

a housing for holding the matrix display assembly relative to the head of a display user, the housing having an aperture through which the user can view images in a second orientation;

a mounting frame on which the matrix display assembly is mounted such that the matrix display assembly can slide along a first axis across the user'"'"'s field of view relative to the mounting frame;

a hinge that connects the housing to a headband such that the matrix display assembly can be rotated about a second axis, the second axis being parallel to the first axis, the headband having a sizing mechanism to expand or contract the size of the headband; and

a mechanism coupled to the sizing mechanism for controlling the length of a cable within the headband during expansion or contraction of the headband.

15. The head mounted display device of claim 14 wherein the matrix display element comprises an active matrix liquid crystal display.

16. The head mounted display device of claim 14 wherein the matrix display element comprises an active matrix electroluminescent display.

17. The head mounted display device of claim 14 further comprising a pair of audio transducers.

18. The head mounted display device of claim 14 further comprising a moveable nose bridge mounted on the housing.

19. The head mounted display device of claim 14 wherein the matrix display element is a passive matrix display.

20. The head mounted display device of claim 14 further comprising a video control circuit mounted within the display device, the video control circuit converting a video image to the first orientation.

21. The head mounted display device of claim 14 wherein the sizing mechanism comprises a first rail and a second rail wherein the first rail and the second rail are moveable relative to each other to expand or contract the size of the headband.

22. The head mounted display of claim 14 wherein the mechanism comprises a rotating member.

23. A head mounted display device comprising:

a matrix display assembly including a light source, a horizontally oriented matrix display element having a display area with a diagonal length no greater than 1.654 inches, only one mirror to reflect light from the display element from a first optical path to a second optical path and a lens positioned along the second optical path, the first optical path being vertically oriented relative to an eye of a user and the second optical path being oriented along the optical axis of the eye of the user such that the lens magnifies a reflected image from the display element;

a housing for holding the matrix display assembly relative to the head of the user, the housing having an aperture through which the user can view the matrix display element;

a mounting frame on which the matrix display assembly is mounted such that the matrix display assembly can slide along the mounting frame;

a headband on which the mounting frame is mounted with a hinge such that the mounting frame can be rotated relative to the headband, the headband having a sizing mechanism to expand or contract the size of the headband;

a mechanism coupled to the sizing mechanism for controlling the length of a cable within the headband during expansion or contraction of the headband; and

a focus adjust mechanism that controls a distance between the matrix display element and the lens by movement of the matrix display element in the vertical direction.

24. The head mounted display device of claim 23 wherein the focus adjust mechanism moves the matrix display element in the vertical direction.

25. The head mounted display device of claim 23 wherein the mounting frame includes three longitudinal members to which the matrix display assembly is coupled.

26. The head mount display device of claim 23 wherein the matrix display assembly further includes a diffractive optic element.

27. The head mounted display device of claim 23 wherein the lens has a focal length of about one inch.

28. The head mounted display device of claim 23 wherein matrix display element has an apparent distance from the user of at least about fifteen feet.

29. The head mounted display device of claim 28 wherein the apparent distance is adjustable by the user.

30. The head mounted display device of claim 23 wherein the sizing mechanism comprises a first rail and a second rail wherein the first rail and the second rail are moveable relative to each other to expand or contract the size of the headband.

31. The head mounted display of claim 23 wherein the mechanism comprises a rotating member.

32. A head mounted display device comprising:

a matrix display assembly including a light source, a matrix display element having a diagonal length no greater than 1.654 inches, the display element forming images of a first orientation, only one mirror and a lens, the mirror reflecting the formed images through the lens such that the lens magnifies a reflected image from the display element;

a housing for holding the matrix display assembly relative to the head of a display user, the housing having an aperture through which the user can view images in a second orientation;

a mounting frame on which the matrix display assembly is mounted such that the matrix display assembly can slide along a first axis across the user'"'"'s field of view relative to the mounting frame;

a headband on which the mounting frame is mounted, the headband having a sizing mechanism to expand or contract the size of the headband; and

a mechanism coupled to the sizing mechanism for controlling the length of a cable within the headband during expansion or contraction of the headband.

33. The head mounted display device of claim 32 wherein the matrix display element comprises an active matrix liquid crystal display having an active area with a diagonal of 0.820 inches or less.

34. The head mounted display device of claim 32 wherein the matrix display element comprises an active matrix electroluminescent display.

35. The head mounted display device of claim 32 further comprising a pair of audio transducers.

36. The head mounted display device of claim 32 further comprising a moveable nose bridge mounted on the housing.

37. The head mounted display device of claim 32 wherein the matrix display element is a passive matrix display.

38. The head mounted display device of claim 32 further comprising a video control circuit mounted within the display device, the video control circuit converting a video image to the first orientation.

39. The head mounted display device of claim 32 wherein the sizing mechanism comprises a first rail and a second rail wherein the first rail and the second rail are moveable relative to each other to expand or contract the size of the headband.

40. The head mounted display of claim 32 wherein the mechanism comprises a rotating member.