Light modulating eyewear assembly

• US 6,760,080 B1
• Filed: 08/19/1999
• Issued: 07/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Garret R. Moddel, Stephen C. Shear
• Original Assignee: Garret R. Moddel, Stephen C. Shear
• Inventors: Shear, Stephen C., Moddel, Garret R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Robert H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HOAN C
• Application Number:
  US09/377,680
• Time in Patent Office: 1,783 Days
• Field of Search: 349/13, 349/29, 349/66, 359/237, 359/227
• US Class Current: 349/13
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/101 having an electro-optical light valve electro-optical elements per se G02F
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13306 Circuit arrangements or driving methods for the control of single liquid crystal cells G02F1/132, G02F1/133382 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13318 Circuits comprising a photodetector

Abstract

The present invention, in accordance with one embodiment, provides for a light modulating cell assembly especially suitable as eyewear including a detector and a light blocking arrangement at least partially surrounding a detector for allowing only light from a limited range of ambient directions to directly reaching said detector. In accordance with another embodiment there is a light transmissivity control arrangement including auxiliary means for controlling the state of said light modulating medium.

Claims

1. A light modulating cell assembly for use in eyewear to be worn over at least one eye of a user, comprising:

(a) a closed looped frame adapted to be positioned over an eye of the user of the eyewear and a light modulating cell arrangement located within said frame and defining a closed looped edge substantially adjacent said closed looped shaped frame, said cell arrangement including at least one layer of a light modulating medium extending continuously within and to said edge so as to close the area within the frame, said cell arrangement being positionable in front of the eye of a user and configured so as to be able to vary the transmissivity of its continuously extending light modulating medium in a way which varies the transmissivity of light passing through the light modulating medium from the ambient surroundings before reaching the eye;

(b) a light transmissivity control arrangement including a light detector for varying the transmissivity of the entire continuous extent of said light modulating medium at least in part, in response to and as an inverse function of the level of light reaching said detector from the ambient surroundings; and

(c) a light blocking arrangement at least partially surrounding said detector for allowing only light from a limited range of ambient directions to directly reach said detector.

2. A light modulating cell assembly especially suitable for use for eyewear and for use with a head mounted display or a computer display having its own light intensity, comprising:

(a) a light modulating cell arrangement defining a closed looped edge and including at least one layer of a light modulating medium extending continuously within and to said edge so as to close the area within the edge, said cell arrangement being positionable in front of the eye of a user and configured so as to be able to vary the transmissivity of its continuously extending light modulating medium in a way which varies the transmissivity of light passing through the light modulating medium from the ambient surroundings before reaching the eye; and

(b) a light transmissivity control arrangement including auxiliary means for controlling the state of the entire continuous extent of said light modulating medium substantially uniformly throughout said entire continuous extent such that the light passing through the light modulating medium from the ambient surroundings is maintained at an controlled intensity, at least in part, in response to and as a function of the light intensity of said display and so long as the ambient light which would otherwise reach said light detector does not drop below the intensity of the display.

3. A liquid crystal cell assembly for use in eyewear to be worn over at least one eye of a user, comprising:

(a) a closed looped frame adapted to be positioned over an eye of the user of the eyewear and a liquid crystal cell arrangement located within said frame and defining a closed looped edge substantially adjacent said closed looped shaped frame, said cell arrangement including at least one layer of a liquid crystal medium extending continuously within and to said edge so as to close the area within the frame, said cell arrangement being positionable in front of the eye of a user and configured so as to be able to vary the transmissivity of its continuously extending liquid crystal medium in a way which varies the transmissivity of light passing through the liquid crystal medium from the ambient surroundings before reaching the eye;

(b) a light transmissivity control arrangement including a light detector for varying the transmissivity of the entire continuous extent of said liquid crystal, at least in part, in response to and as inverse function of the level of light reaching said detector from the ambient surroundings; and

(c) a light blocking arrangement at least partially surrounding said detector for allowing only light from a limited range of ambient directions to directly reaching said detector.

4. An assembly according to claim 3 wherein said light detector includes a light detecting surface and wherein said light blocking arrangement cooperates with said light detector so as to define a central axis extending to said surface from the ambient surroundings, said light blocking arrangement being configured so as to allow only light within a predetermined acceptance angle to impinge on said light detecting surface directly.

5. An assembly according to claim 4 wherein said central axis is generally normal to said light detecting surface.

6. An assembly according to claim 4 wherein said central axis defines an acute angle with said light detecting surface.

7. An assembly according to claim 4 wherein said predetermined acceptance angle is about 40°

.

8. An assembly according to claim 7 wherein said central axis is tilted downwards and defines an acute angle of about 10°

with said light detecting surface.

9. An assembly according to claim 3 wherein said light blocking arrangement is a cone shaped light blocking member.

10. An assembly according to claim 3 wherein said light blocking arrangement is a set of louver shaped members.

11. An assembly according to claim 3 wherein said light transmissivity control arrangement includes auxiliary means for controlling the state of said liquid crystal such that the light passing through the liquid crystal from the ambient surroundings is of an overall generally constant intensity so long as the ambient light which would otherwise reach said light detector does not drop below said generally constant intensity.

12. An assembly according to claim 11 wherein the assembly is especially suitable for use with a head mounted display or computer display having its own overall generally constant intensity and wherein the auxiliary means controls the light passing through the liquid crystal from the ambient surroundings such that the latter is of an overall generally constant intensity substantially equal to that of said head mounted display.

13. An assembly according to claim 3 wherein the assembly is especially suitable for use with a head mounted display or a computer display having its own light intensity and wherein said light transmissivity control arrangement includes auxiliary means for controlling the state of said liquid crystal such that the light passing through the liquid crystal from the ambient surroundings is an intensity substantially equal to that of said head mounted display so long as the ambient light which would otherwise reach said light detector does not drop below that intensity.

14. A liquid crystal cell assembly especially suitable for use for eyewear and for use with a head mounted display or a computer display having its own light intensity, comprising:

(a) a liquid crystal cell arrangement defining a closed looped edge and including at least one layer of liquid crystal extending continuously within and to said edge so as to close the area within the edge, said cell arrangement being positionable in front of the eye of a user and configured so as to be able to vary the transmissivity of the entire continuous extent of its liquid crystal in a way which varies the transmissivity of light passing through the liquid crystal from the ambient surroundings before reaching the eye;

(b) a light transmissivity control arrangement including auxiliary means for varying the transmissivity of the continuous extent of said liquid crystal substantially uniformly throughout said entire continuous extent such that the light passing through the liquid crystal from the ambient surroundings is maintained at a controlled intensity, at least in part, in response to and as a function of the light intensity of said display and so long as the ambient light which would otherwise reach said light detector does not drop substantially below the intensity of the display.

15. An assembly according to claim 14 wherein said controlled intensity is substantially equal to that of said display.

16. An assembly according to claim 14 including a light blocking arrangement at least partially surrounding said detector for allowing only light from a limited range of ambient directions to directly reaching said detector.

17. A liquid crystal cell assembly especially suitable as eyewear, comprising:

(a) a liquid crystal cell arrangement defining a closed looped edge and including at least one layer of liquid crystal extending continuously within and to said edge so as to close the area within the edge, said cell arrangement being positionable in front of the eye of a user and configured so as to be able to vary the transmissivity of the entire continuous extent of its liquid crystal in a way which varies the transmissivity of light passing through the liquid crystal from the ambient surroundings before reaching the eye;

(b) a light transmissivity control arrangement including a light detector for varying the transmissivity of the entire continuous extent of said liquid crystal substantially uniformly throughout said entire continuous extent, at least in part, in response to and as an inverse function of the level of light reaching said detector from the ambient surroundings; and

(c) circuitry including a delay circuit for delaying any variation in transmissivity of said liquid crystal with changes in the level of light reaching said detector.

18. A liquid crystal cell assembly especially suitable as eyewear, comprising:

(a) a liquid crystal cell arrangement defining a closed looped edge and including at least one layer of liquid crystal extending continuously within and to said edge so as to close the area within the edge, said cell arrangement being positionable in front of the eye of a user and configured so as to be able to vary the transmissivity of the entire continuous extent of its liquid crystal in a way which varies the transmissivity of light passing through the liquid crystal from the ambient surroundings before reaching the eye;

(b) a light transmissivity control arrangement including a light detector for varying the transmissivity of the entire continuous extent of liquid crystal substantially uniformly throughout said entire continuous extent, at least in part, in response to and as an inverse function of the level of light reaching said detector from the ambient surroundings; and

(c) circuitry including a delay circuit for integrating over time the light that reaches said detector and causing the transmissivity of said liquid crystal to remain constant depending on the amount of light integrated over time.

19. A liquid crystal cell assembly forming part of eyewear including a closed looped frame configured to extend around and in front of the eye of a user, comprising:

(a) a liquid crystal cell arrangement defining a closed looped edge substantially adjacent said frame and including at least one layer of liquid crystal extending continuously within and to said edge so as to close the area within the edge, said cell arrangement being positionable in front of the eye of a user and configured so as to be able to vary the transmissivity of the entire continuous extent of its liquid crystal in a way which varies the transmissivity of light passing through the liquid crystal from the ambient surroundings before reaching the eye;

(b) a light transmissivity control arrangement including a light detector for varying the transmissivity of the entire continuous extent of said liquid crystal substantially uniformly throughout said entire continuous extent, at least in part, in response to and as an inverse function of the level of light reaching said detector from the ambient surroundings; and

(c) a light blocking arrangement positioned relative to said detector for allowing only light from a limited range of ambient directions to reach said detector.