Display device

• US 6,563,626 B1
• Filed: 02/24/2000
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Iwasaki, Takeo
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia
• Assistant Examiner(s): THOMPSON, TIMOTHY J
• Application Number:
  US09/511,996
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 359/292, 359/630, 359/633, 359/636, 359/631, 348/14.16, 348/14.01, 348/373
• US Class Current: 359/292
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features

Abstract

A display device has a white point light source, a condenser lens, a liquid crystal display, and an imaging lens. The white point light source has a substantial conjugate relationship with a user'"'"'s pupil that is located on the front surface of the user'"'"'s eyeball. The liquid crystal display has a substantial conjugate relationship with the user'"'"'s retina. The scattering plate is further provided to broaden the bundle width of the light at a location in the vicinity of the user'"'"'s pupil.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising:

a point light source that emits white light;

a spatial light modulator spatially modulating the light emitted from the point light source to produce an imaging light; and

an optical imaging lens receiving the imaging light modulated by the spatial light modulator and focusing the imaging light to produce an image, wherein the point light source has a light emitting area of less than or equal to 1 mm² and the spatial light modulator emits the modulated imaging light at a small angle of emission such that almost all of the modulated imaging light falls incident on the optical imaging lens.

2. A display device, comprising:

a point light source that emits white light;

an optical light-collecting system gathering the light from the point light source;

a spatial light modulator spatially modulating the light emitted from the point light source to produce an imaging light; and

an optical imaging system receiving the imaging light modulated by the spatial light modulator and producing an image, wherein the point light source has a light emitting area of less than or equal to 1 mm² and the spatial light modulator receives the light collected by the optical light-collecting system and spatially modulates the light to produce the imaging light.

3. A display device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the optical imaging system is located at a position to cause the spatial light modulator and a retina of a user'"'"'s eye to have substantially a conjugate relationship with each other.

5. A display device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the point light source includes a blue light emission diode provided with a fluorescent material at its outside portion.

6. A display device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the point light source includes an ultraviolet light emission diode provided with a fluorescent material at its outside portion.

7. A display device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a scattering plate located between the point light source and the spatial light modulator.

10. A display device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a casing that houses therein the point light source, the optical light-collecting system, the spatial light modulator, and the optical imaging system.

12. A display device as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a holding portion that enables a user to transport the casing.

13. A display device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the holding portion includes a portion for being supported by at least one hand of a user, the casing having a window allowing the user to observe the image formed by the optical imaging system.

14. A display device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the holding portion includes a portion for being attached to a user'"'"'s head.

15. A display device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the optical imaging system functions to reflect the light modulated by the spatial light modulator in a direction toward a face of the user.

16. A display device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the holding portion includes a portion for being attached to a frame of a pair of glasses.

17. A display device as claimed in claim 12, further comprising an image pick up device for picking up an image of the user'"'"'s face.

19. A display device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the image pick up device picks up an image within a predetermined image pickup range, the spatial light modulator being located outside the predetermined image pickup range.

20. A display device as claimed in claim 17, further comprising a communication unit that transmits data of the image picked up by the image pick up device to a remote communication unit and that receives data of an image to be displayed by the spatial light modulator from the remote communication unit.

21. A display device as claimed in claim 20, wherein the communication unit includes a telephone device including a call reception device, a microphone, and a speaker.

22. A display device as claimed in claim 20, wherein the communication unit includes a moving picture encoder and a moving picture decoder.

23. A display device as claimed in claim 20, wherein the communication unit includes a wireless communication device.

4. A display device, comprising:

a point light source that emits white light;

a spatial light modulator spatially modulating the light emitted from the point light source to produce an imaging light;

an optical imaging system receiving the imaging light modulated by the spatial light modulator and producing an image; and

an optical light-collecting system gathering the light from the point light source, the spatial light modulator receiving the light collected by the optical light-collecting system and spatially modulating the light to produce the imaging light, wherein the optical imaging system is located to cause the point light source and a first position that is located behind the optical imaging system and that is separated from the optical imaging system by a desired distance to have substantially a conjugate relationship and to cause the spatial light modulator and a second position that is located behind the first position and that is separated from the first position by a distance substantially equal to a distance between a pupil and a retina of a user'"'"'s eye to have substantially a conjugate relationship.

8. A display device, comprising:

a point light source that emits white light;

a spatial light modulator spatially modulating the light emitted from the point light source to produce an imaging light;

an optical imaging system receiving the imaging light modulated by the spatial light modulator and producing an image;

an optical light-collecting system gathering the light from the point light source, the spatial light modulator receiving the light collected by the optical light-collecting system and spatially modulating the light to produce the imaging light; and

a scattering plate located between the point light source and the spatial light modulator, wherein the optical imaging system is located to cause the point light source and a first position that is located behind the optical imaging system and that is separated from the optical imaging system by a desired distance to have substantially a conjugate relationship and to cause the spatial light modulator and a second position that is located behind the first position and that is separated from the first position by a distance substantially equal to a distance between a pupil and a retina of a user'"'"'s eye to have substantially a conjugate relationship.

9. A display device, comprising:

a point light source that emits white light;

a spatial light modulator spatially modulating the light emitted from the point light source to produce an imaging light;

an optical imaging system receiving the imaging light modulated by the spatial light modulator and producing an image;

an optical light-collecting system gathering the light from the point light source, the spatial light modulator receiving the light collected by the optical light-collecting system and spatially modulating the light to produce the imaging light; and

a scattering plate located between the point light source and the spatial light modulator, wherein the scattering plate scatters the light with a luminous intensity distribution of I(θ

)=cosⁿθ

where I is the luminous intensity and θ

is a deviation angle from a predetermined reference direction normal to the scattering plate and where n is greater than or equal to three and less than or equal to 100.

11. A display device, comprising:

a point light source that emits white light;

a spatial light modulator spatially modulating the light emitted from the point light source to produce an imaging light;

an optical imaging system receiving the imaging light modulated by the spatial light modulator and producing an image;

an optical light-collecting system gathering the light from the point light source, the spatial light modulator receiving the light collected by the optical light-collecting system and spatially modulating the light to produce the imaging light; and

a casing that houses therein the point light source, the optical light-collecting system, the spatial light modulator, and the optical imaging system, wherein the casing has a portion for being mounted on a stand.

18. A display device, comprising:

a point light source that emits white light;

a spatial light modulator spatially modulating the light emitted from the point light source to produce an imaging light;

an optical imaging system receiving the imaging light modulated by the spatial light modulator and producing an image;

an optical light-collecting system gathering the light from the point light source, the spatial light modulator receiving the light collected by the optical light-collecting system and spatially modulating the light to produce the imaging light;

a casing that houses therein the point light source, the optical light-collecting system, the spatial light modulator, and the optical imaging system;

a holding portion that enables a user to transport the casing; and

an image pick up device for picking up an image of the user'"'"'s face, wherein the optical imaging system includes a half mirror for allowing the light from the spatial light modulator to reflect thereat to reach the user'"'"'s eye, while allowing the light from the user'"'"'s face to pass therethrough to reach the image pick up device.

24. A display device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the half mirror has optical power in at least one of its light reflecting characteristic and its light transmitting characteristic.

25. A display device, comprising:

a point light source that emits white light;

a spatial light modulator spatially modulating the light emitted from the point light source to produce an imaging light; and

an optical imaging system receiving the imaging light modulated by the spatial light modulator and producing an image, wherein the point light source includes a blue light emission diode provided with a fluorescent material at its outside portion.

26. A display device as claimed in claim 25 further comprising:

an optical light-collecting system gathering the light from the point light source, the spatial light modulator receiving the light collected by the optical light-collecting system and spatially modulating the light to produce the imaging light; and

a scattering plate located between the point light source and the spatial light modulator.

27. A display device, comprising:

a point light source that emits white light;

a spatial light modulator spatially modulating the light emitted from the point light source to produce an imaging light; and

an optical imaging system receiving the imaging light modulated by the spatial light modulator and producing an image, wherein the point light source includes an ultraviolet light emission diode provided with a fluorescent material at its outside portion.

28. A display device as claimed in claim 27 further comprising:

an optical light-collecting system gathering the light from the point light source, the spatial light modulator receiving the light collected by the optical light-collecting system and spatially modulating the light to produce the imaging light; and

a scattering plate located between the point light source and the spatial light modulator.