Retinal display scanning of image with plurality of image sectors

• US 6,639,570 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2001
• Issued: 10/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: University of Washington
• Original Assignee: University of Washington
• Inventors: Furness, Thomas Adrian III, Kollin, Joel S.
• Primary Examiner(s): BRIER, JEFFERY A
• Application Number:
  US09/918,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20010043208A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 345/7-9, 345/32, 348/53, 348/750, 340/980, 359/630, 359/631
• US Class Current: 345/8
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0116 comprising devices for correcting chromatic aberration
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• 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 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0198 System for aligning or maintaining alignment of an image in a predetermined direction
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/003 to produce spatial visual effects
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/02 by tracing or scanning a light beam on a screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/025 with scanning or deflecting the beams in two directions or dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3129 scanning a light beam on the display screen scanning a light beam on a screen in displays other than projection devices G09G3/02; scanning systems in general G02B26/10; projectors using laser light sources in general H04N9/3161

Abstract

A scanning display produces an image having a plurality of image sectors for viewing by an eye. A first beam set is directed along a first beam path and modulated according to a first of the image sectors. A second beam set is directed along a second beam path and modulated according to a second of the image sectors. A biaxial scanning device receives the first beam set and the second beam set, and scans light from the first beam set along two axes toward a first region of a display field to produce the first image sector, and concurrently scans light from the second beam set along two axes toward a second region of the display field to produce the second image sector. The first region and second region are adjacent, substantially non-overlapping regions of the display field. The image is scanned within the display field.

Claims

1. A scanning display for producing an image for viewing by an eye, the image including a plurality of image sectors, comprising:

a first beam set modulated according to a first of the image sectors;

a second beam set modulated according to a second of the image sectors, the second sector being different from the first sector;

a biaxial scanning device receiving the first beam set and second beam set, the scanning device scanning light in parallel from the first beam set and the second beam set along two axes in a manner which reduces system bandwidth, wherein light from the first beam set is directed toward a first region of a display field to produce the first image sector and light from the second beam set is directed toward a second region of the display field to produce the second image sector, wherein the first region and second region are different regions of the display field;

a lensing system receiving light generated by the first beam set and light generated by the second beam set, the lensing system defining a first optical path from an input toward an output, the lensing system output adapted for transmitting light to and receiving light from the viewer'"'"'s eye, wherein the light transmitted to the viewer'"'"'s eye forms the image;

an optical detector receiving a portion of light reflected from the viewer'"'"'s eye;

means for indicating from the detected received portion of light a position of the viewer'"'"'s eye; and

means for altering the image as a function of the indicated position of the viewer'"'"'s eye.

2. The scanning display of claim 1, further comprising a frame buffer which stores data representing a panoramic image field, and wherein the altering means comprises means for selecting a visible window portion of the data within the frame buffer based on the indicated position of the viewer'"'"'s eye, wherein the light forming the image displayed within the display field corresponds to the selected visible window portion of the panoramic image field.

3. The scanning display of claim 1, further comprising:

a source of tracking light output from the lensing system, the optical detector detecting the tracking light reflected from the viewer'"'"'s eye.

4. A method for scanning an image onto a viewer'"'"'s eye, comprising the steps of:

generating a first beam set of light modulated according to a first image sector of the image;

in parallel with the first beam set generation, generating a second beam set of light modulated according to a second image sector of the image;

receiving the first beam set and second beam set at a common scanning device;

scanning light from the first beam set along two axes to a first region of the display field;

scanning light from the second beam set along two axes to a second region of the display field, wherein light from of the first beam set and light from the second beam set is scanned in parallel reducing display bandwidth, the first region and second region being different regions of the display field;

receiving light generated by the first beam set and light generated by the second beam set at an input of a lensing system, the lensing system defining a first optical path from the input toward an output, the lensing system output adapted for transmitting light to and receiving light from the viewer'"'"'s eye, wherein the light transmitted to the viewer'"'"'s eye forms the image;

receiving, at the lensing system, light reflected from the viewer'"'"'s eye;

directing a portion of the light reflected from the viewer'"'"'s eye toward an optical detector;

deriving from the directed portion of light an electrical signal which is indicative of the viewer'"'"'s eye position; and

altering the image as a function of the indicated position of the viewer'"'"'s eye.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of storing data representing a panoramic image field in a frame buffer, and wherein the step of altering comprises selecting a visible window portion of the data within the frame buffer, the visible window portion determined from the electrical signal which is indicative of the viewer'"'"'s eye position, wherein the light forming the image displayed within the display field corresponds to the selected visible window portion of the panoramic image field.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of outputting tracking light from the lensing system, and wherein the step of directing comprises directing a portion of reflected tracking light toward the optical detector.