Integrated retinal display

• US 6,474,816 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2000
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Kapur, Rakesh, Butler, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): MANUEL, GEORGE C
• Application Number:
  US09/751,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20020085175A1
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 351/205, 351/211, 351/216, 351/221, 250/235, 382/115, 382/117, 382/128
• US Class Current: 351/221
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted

Abstract

A retinal display includes a single integrated circuit that incorporates a light source, conditioning optics, a scanner and the drive electronics. The drive electronics may include a processor-based system and further may include the electronics to enable wireless communication with other processor-based systems. As a result, a head-mounted retinal display or a mobile device (cell phone or PDA or similar) integrated retinal display may provide compact computer functionality.

Claims

1. A retinal display comprising:

a light source;

a scanner to scan light from said source directly into the eye of a user;

an optical device to condition said light; and

an integrated circuit including drive electronics, a microactuator in the form of an integrated stepper motor, and integrated connections to said scanner and said optical device.

2. The display of claim 1 wherein said integrated circuit includes a microactuator to operate said scanner.

3. The display of claim 2 wherein said integrated circuit includes a microactuator to operate an optical device to condition said light.

4. The display of claim 3 wherein said optical device includes a lens and said stepper motor positions said lens.

5. The display of claim 1 wherein said scanner includes a mirror to deflect light from said light source and said stepper motor drives said mirror.

6. A method comprising:

mounting a light source on an integrated circuit;

mounting a scanner on said integrated circuit to scan light from said light source directly into the eye of a user;

mounting an optical device to condition said light on said integrated circuit;

positioning a mirror in said scanner using said microactuator; and

developing signals in said integrated circuit to control said scanner and said optical device.

7. The method of claim 6 including operating an microactuator formed in said integrated circuit to control said scanner and said optical device.

8. The method of claim 6 including positioning a mirror in said scanner using said microactuator.

9. A retinal display comprising:

an integrated circuit including drive electronics;

a light source mounted on said integrated circuit and electrically coupled to said integrated circuit;

a scanner to scan light from said source directly into the eye of the user, said scanner including a mirror and a microactuator electrically coupled to said integrated circuit; and

an optical device to condition said light, said optical device including a lens and a microactuator, said microactuator electrically coupled to said integrated circuit to control the position of said lens.

10. The display of claim 9 wherein said light source produces red, green and blue light.

11. The display of claim 9 wherein said light source is surface mounted on said integrated circuit.

12. The display of claim 9 wherein said microactuator is a linear stepper motor.

13. The display of claim 9 wherein said integrated circuit includes drive electronics with signal processing.

14. The display of claim 9 wherein said integrated circuit includes a radio frequency receiver that receives a signal from a remote device, said signal including commands for said scanner and optical device.