Method and devices for displaying images for viewing with varying accommodation

• US 7,108,378 B1
• Filed: 10/11/2005
• Issued: 09/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Susan C. Maguire
• Original Assignee: Francis J. Maguire
• Inventors: Maguire, Jr., Francis J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Perkey, W. B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cruz, Magda
• Application Number:
  US11/248,898
• Time in Patent Office: 343 Days
• Field of Search: 353/30, 353/38, 345/7, 345/9, 348/756, 348/758, 348/345, 348/333.01, 348/240.2, 359/618, 359/629, 359/630, 359/637
• US Class Current: 353/38
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/142 Adjusting of projection optics
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/2053 Intensity control of illuminating light controlled by video signal processing H04N5/74 or H04N9/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/74 Projection arrangements for image reproduction, e.g. using eidophor

Abstract

Light (22) is projected from an image projector (20), in response to an image information signal (18) and is controllably refracted in response to a first control signal (26), for projecting refracted light (27) onto a screen (28). The screened light is for providing viewable images of varying size occupying all or part of the screen. The viewable images are refracted in response to a second control signal (64) for viewing the images of increasingly smaller size with correspondingly increasing magnification.

Claims

1. Apparatus for collecting video images of a scene illuminated by a light source, comprising:

an optic control, responsive to a sensed eye signal indicative of changes in a sensed eye, for providing a camera optic control signal;

a camera optic, responsive to the camera optic control signal, for focusing on the scene at differing focal lengths according to the changes in the sensed eye so as to project light with details of said scene over a widest field of view when focusing at infinity and over correspondingly narrower fields of view when focusing at various distances closer than infinity;

an image sensor with available pixels for sensing said scene, responsive to light projected from said camera optic with details of said scene over said widest field of view and over said correspondingly narrower fields of view spread over the available pixels, for providing a video image signal; and

a combiner, responsive to said video image signal and to said sensed eye signal for providing a video data signal with said video images collected by said apparatus formed for display with a largest size corresponding to said widest field of view and with decreasing sizes corresponding to increasingly narrower fields of view and with said sensed eye signal formed for control of said video images for said display such that particular objects in said scene are viewable with increasing granularity with decreasing focal length.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an eye sensor for sensing an eye of a user of the apparatus and for providing said sensed eye signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said eye sensor is for sensing accommodation of said eye of said user.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said eye sensor is for sensing said eye of said user while said user is viewing objects in said scene and while said apparatus is collecting images of said objects in said scene.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a control, responsive to said video data signal, for providing an image information signal, a first control signal, and a second control signal;

an image projector for projecting light in response to said image information signal;

a first optic for controllably refracting said projected light in response to said first control signal, for providing light rays of varying extent; and

a second optic for controllably refracting said light rays in response to a second control signal for providing light rays for forming said video images with increasingly smaller extent at correspondingly decreasing focal length.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said video data signal is transmitted over a network.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said eye sensor is for sensing an eye of a user viewing said video images.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said video data signal is transmitted over a network.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said eye sensor is for sensing accommodation of said eye of said user viewing said video images.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said video data signal is transmitted over a network.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a control, responsive to said video data signal, for providing an image information signal, a first control signal, and a second control signal;

a projector, responsive to said image information signal, for providing first light rays;

a first optic, responsive to the first light rays and to said first control signal, for providing second light rays;

a screen, responsive to the second light rays, for providing third light rays indicative of images of varying size; and

a second optic, responsive to the third light rays and to said second control signal, for providing fourth light rays as said video images for viewing.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said video data signal is transmitted over a network.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said eye sensor is for sensing an eye of a user viewing said video images.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said eye sensor is for sensing accommodation of said eye of said user viewing said video images.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said video data signal is transmitted over a network.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said eye sensor is for sensing accommodation of said eye of said user viewing said video images.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said video data signal is transmitted over a network.