Hand held computer with see-through display

• US 6,597,346 B1
• Filed: 10/02/1998
• Issued: 07/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honeywell Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Havey, Gary D., Lewis, Steven A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZAMANI, ALI A
• Application Number:
  US09/165,766
• Time in Patent Office: 1,754 Days
• Field of Search: 345/8, 345/9, 348/60, 348/61, 348/333, 348/751, 348/214, 348/333.06, 348/376, 348/333.02, 396/374
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/002 Specific input/output arrangements not covered by G06F3/01 - G06F3/16 other optical apparatus G02B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation

Abstract

The present invention is a fully functional hand held computer having a see through display. An external viewing arrangement, such as a monocular scope, is used to view the operator'"'"'s immediate surroundings. Optical images from the scope are superimposed with digital images from a miniature computer display. The resultant image allows the operator to look through the device and view his surrounding while simultaneously viewing and operating the software based applications. The entire device is held like a pair of binoculars and mouse like controls are located adjacent the operator'"'"'s gripping position.

Claims

1. A hand held computer having a see through display, allowing simultaneous viewing of a computer display and an operator'"'"'s surroundings, comprising:

a housing;

an optical system coupled to the housing;

a computer mounted in the housing;

a display coupled to the computer and mounted in the housing; and

a viewing assembly connected to the housing which allows an operator to view through the optical system and view the display simultaneously.

2. The hand held computer having a see through display of claim 1, further comprising an input device mounted on the housing and coupled to the computer, wherein the input device is used to control the functions of the computer.

3. The hand held computer having a see through display of claim 2, wherein the input device includes a first control mounted on a first side of the housing and a second control mounted on a second side of the housing, wherein the first and the second controls perform identical functions.

4. The hand held computer having a see through display of claim 2, wherein the input device includes a first control mounted on a first side of the housing and a second control mounted on a second side of the housing, wherein the first and the second controls perform different functions.

5. The hand held computer having a see through display of claim 1, wherein the optical system includes an objective lens mounted to the housing, wherein the viewing assembly includes an eye piece lens mounted to said housing, and further wherein light transmitted through the objective lens is directed through the eye piece lens.

6. The hand held computer having a see through display of claim 5, further including a beam splitter mounted in the housing and interposed between the objective lens and the eye piece lens and adjacent to the display, wherein light from the display and light transmitted through the objective lens is directed through the beam splitter and combined, the combined light subsequently being directed through the eye piece lens.

7. The hand held computer having a see through display of claim 6, wherein the display includes:

a high resolution color sequential display;

a focusing lens mounted adjacent the high resolution color sequential display; and

an LCD color filter coupled to the high resolution color sequential display to produce the sequential elements of a full colored image.

8. The hand held computer having a see through display of claim 6, further including a pentaprism disposed between the beam splitter and the eye piece lens, wherein the pentaprism inverts the image directed through the beam splitter.

9. The hand held computer having a see through display of claim 6, having a monocular arrangement.

10. The hand held computer having a see through display of claim 6, having a binocular arrangement.

11. The hand held computer having a see through display of claim 1, further including an image combination system mounted in the housing for superimposing an image produced by the optical system with an image produced by the display, wherein the superimposed images are viewable through the viewing assembly.

12. The hand held computer having a see through display of claim 11, having a monocular arrangement.

13. The hand held computer having a see through display of claim 11, having a binocular arrangement.

14. The hand held computer having a see through display of claim 11, wherein the image combination system includes a beam splitter.

15. The hand held computer having a see through display of claim 11, wherein the image combination system includes a beam splitter optically aligned with a pentaprism.

16. The hand held computer having a see through display of claim 1 wherein the computer includes a microprocessor, a hard drive and a plurality of expansion slots.

17. The hand held computer having a see through display of claim 16, further including, a global positioning system card interfaced to the computer via one of the plurality of expansion slots.

18. The hand held computer having a see through display of claim 16, further including a modem interfaced to the computer via one of the plurality of expansion slots.

19. The hand held computer having a see through display of claim 1, having a monocular arrangement.

20. The hand held computer having a see through display of claim 1, having a binocular arrangement.

21. A hand held computer having a see through display allowing simultaneous viewing of a computer display and an operator'"'"'s surroundings, comprising;

a housing;

an optical system, the optical system including an objective lens fixed to the housing, a pentaprism mounted in the housing for receiving light directed through the objective lens, and an eye piece lens system connected to the housing for viewing light directed through the pentaprism;

a beam splitter mounted in the housing and optically aligned with the objective lens and the pentaprism;

a computer mounted in the housing;

a display driver coupled to the computer;

a video display coupled to the display driver and mounted in the housing so that light projected from the video display is directed to the beam splitter;

a LCD color filter coupled to the video display and mounted in the housing between the video display and the beam splitter; and

a user input device mounted to the housing and coupled to the computer for allowing operation of various functions of the computer.

22. The hand held computer having a see through display of claim 21 wherein the computer includes a microprocessor, a hard drive and a plurality of expansion slots.

23. The hand held computer having a see through display of claim 22, further including a global positioning system card interfaced to the computer via one of the plurality of expansion slots.

24. The hand held computer having a see through display of claim 22, further including a modem interfaced to the computer via one of the plurality of expansion slots.

25. The hand held computer having a see through display of claim 21, having a monocular arrangement.

26. The hand held computer having a see through display of claim 21, having a binocular arrangement.

27. A hand held computer having a see through display allowing simultaneous viewing of a computer display and an operator'"'"'s surroundings, comprising:

a housing;

an optical system mounted to the housing;

a computer mounted in the housing;

a computer display operably coupled to the computer and mounted in the housing for producing an image;

an image combination system mounted in the housing and coupled to both the optical system and the computer display for producing a composite image from an image produced by the optical system and the image produced by the computer display; and

a viewing assembly connected to the housing and coupled to the image combination system, wherein the viewing assembly allows for viewing of the composite image produced by the image combination system.

28. The hand held computer having a see through display of claim 27, having a monocular arrangement.

29. The hand held computer having a see through display of claim 27, having a binocular arrangement.

30. A hand held computer having a see through display allowing simultaneous viewing of a computer display and an operator'"'"'s surroundings, comprising:

a housing;

optical system means for forming an optical image, the optical system mounted to the housing;

a computer mounted in the housing;

display means coupled to the computer for displaying an electronic image, the display means mounted in the housing;

image combining means for producing a composite image from an image produced by the optical system means and the image produced by the display means; and

viewing means for viewing the composite image produced by the image combining means.

31. The hand held computer having a see through display of claim 30, having a monocular arrangement.

32. The hand held computer having a see through display of claim 30, having a binocular arrangement.