Head-mounted display by integration of phase-conjugate material

• US 6,963,454 B1
• Filed: 04/19/2003
• Issued: 11/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: University of Central Florida (State University System of Florida)
• Original Assignee: Research Foundation of The University of Central Florida
• Inventors: Ha, Yonggang, Rolland, Jannick, Martins, Ricardo F.
• Primary Examiner(s): MACK, RICKY LEVERN
• Application Number:
  US10/418,623
• Time in Patent Office: 934 Days
• Field of Search: 359/630, 359/631, 359/636, 359/638, 359/640, 345 7- 9
• US Class Current: 359/630
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/16 for use in conjunction with image converters or intensifiers , or for use with projectors, e.g. objectives for projection TV
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/011 comprising device for correcting geometrical aberrations, distortion
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• 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 27/42 Diffraction optics , i.e. systems including a diffractive element being designed for providing a diffractive effectG02B27/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/4216 correcting geometrical aberrations
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/08 with discontinuous faces, e.g. Fresnel lens diffractive Fresnel lenses G02B5/1876

Abstract

This invention has incorporated projective optics and phase conjugate material thus eliminating the requisite use of an external phase conjugate material to provide a see-through head mounted projective display. A key component of the invention is the use of optical imaging technology in combination with projective optics to make this revolutionary technology work. In previous head mounted projective displays the phase conjugate material had to be placed in the environment to display images, but in this invention one is not limited to the use of an external phase conjugate material but further extends its use to outdoor see-through augmented reality to produce images using the see-through head mounted projective display system. Furthermore, this invention extends the use of projective head mounted displays to clinical guided surgery, surgery medical, an outdoor augmented see-through virtual environment for military training and wearable computers.

Claims

1. A head mounted projection display (HMPD) optical compact lens assembly for monocular use comprising:

(a) a display for displaying a computer generated image;

(b) a projection lens for projecting virtual images and said computer generated image to a user'"'"'s eye in a monocular setting;

(c) only one phase conjugate component for receiving and projecting said virtual images; and

(d) an optical lens for imaging of said phase conjugate component, wherein the display, projection lens, phase conjugate component and the lens are within the HMPD optical compact lens assembly.

2. The HMPD assembly of claim 1 wherein said optical lens for imaging is a Fresnel lens.

3. The HMPD assembly of claim 1 wherein said optical lens for imaging is a microlenslet array.

4. The HMPD assembly of claim 1 wherein said optical lens for imaging is a prism.

5. The HMPD assembly of claim 1 wherein said optical lens for imaging is a flat mirror.

6. The HMPD assembly of claim 1 wherein said optical lens for imaging is a curved mirror.

7. The HMPD assembly of claim 1 wherein said optical lens for imaging is a phase plate.

8. The HMPD assembly of claim 1 wherein said optical lens for imaging is an adaptive optics component.

9. The HMPD assembly of claim 1 wherein said optical lens for imaging is a micro-optics component.

10. The HMPD assembly of claim 1 wherein said optical lens for imaging is a micro-phase plate.

11. The HMPD assembly of claim 1 wherein said optical lens is selected from at least one of:

Fresnel lens;

microlenslet array;

prism;

flat mirror;

curved mirror;

phase plate;

adaptive optics component;

micro-optics components; and

, micro-phase plate.

12. The HMPD assembly of claim 1, wherein said assembly includes a folding of the optical means.

13. The HMPD assembly of claim 1 wherein said display is approximately 0.6 inch diagonal.

14. A head mounted projection display (HMPD) optical compact lens assembly for binocular use comprising:

(a) a means for displaying a computer generated image onto a micro display;

(b) optical means for projecting virtual images and said computer generated display to a user'"'"'s eye in a binocular setting to provide a see-through augmented reality;

(c) only one phase conjugate material component within the HPMD assembly for receiving and projecting said virtual images; and

(d) optical means for imaging of said phase conjugate material component wherein the displaying means, optical projection means, phase conjugate component and the optical imaging means are within the HPMD assembly.

15. The HMPD assembly of claim 14 wherein said optical means for imaging is a Fresnel lens.

16. The HMPD assembly of claim 14 wherein said optical means for imaging is a microlenslet array.

17. The HMPD assembly of claim 14 wherein said optical means for imaging is a prism.

18. The HMPD assembly of claim 14 wherein said optical means for imaging is a flat mirror.

19. The HMPD assembly of claim 14 wherein said optical means for imaging is a curved mirror.

20. The HMPD assembly of claim 14 wherein said optical means for imaging is a phase plate.

21. The HMPD assembly of claim 14 wherein said optical means for imaging is an adaptive optics component.

22. The HMPD assembly of claim 14 wherein said optical means for imaging is a micro-optics component.

23. The HMPD assembly of claim 14 wherein said optical means for imaging is a micro-phase plate.

24. The HMPD assembly of claim 14 wherein said optical means is selected from at least one of:

Fresnel lens;

microlenslet array;

prism;

flat mirror;

curved mirror;

phase plate;

adaptive optics component;

micro-optics component; and

, micro-phase plate.

25. The HMPD assembly of claim 14 wherein said assembly includes a folding of the optical means.

26. The HMPD assembly of claim 14 wherein said micro display is approximately 0.6 inch diagonal.

27. A method of viewing internally generated virtual images in a head mounted projection display (HMPD) using an optical lens assembly comprising the steps of:

(a) positioning a HMPD helmet on a user'"'"'s head;

(b) displaying virtual images to a user'"'"'s eye by optical display means disposed within said helmet;

(c) providing only one phase conjugation material component below the eyes of the user for reflecting said virtual images from a micro display source integrated with an interior surface of said helmet to said user'"'"'s eye; and

(d) providing a lens means for magnification of said phase conjugate material component whereby said magnified screen means is further projected to the user'"'"'s eyes.

28. A method of viewing internally generated virtual images in a head mounted projection display (HMPD) using an optical lens assembly comprising the steps of:

(a) positioning a HMPD helmet on a head of a user;

(b) displaying virtual images to an eye of the user by optical display means disposed within said helmet;

(c) incorporating only one phase conjugate component for receiving and projecting said virtual images from a miniature display inside the helmet; and

(d) incorporating a lens inside the helmet for imaging of said projected virtual images from said phase conjugate component, wherein said virtual image are further projected to said eye of said user.

29. A head mounted projection display (HMPD) assembly comprising:

(a) a miniature display for displaying an image;

(b) a projection lens for projecting said image from said miniature display;

(c) only one phase conjugate component below said projection lens for receiving and reflecting said projected image from said projection lens; and

(d) an imaging lens within the focal plane of said phase conjugate component for magnifying of said phase conjugate component, wherein a reflected virtual image is projected to an eye of a user.