Image display apparatus

• US 7,502,153 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2005
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Shimizu, Yoshie
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang; Audrey Y
• Application Number:
  US11/168,586
• Publication Number:
  US 20060001977A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,351 Days
• Field of Search: 359/13, 359/15, 359/630, 359/634
• US Class Current: 359/13
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0112 comprising device for genereting colour display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0174 holographic
• 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 27/0103 comprising holographic elements

Abstract

In an image display apparatus, two light sources emit illumination light having different wavelengths, with which a liquid crystal display device is illuminated. By modulating the illumination light, the liquid crystal display device produces a first and a second image light having different wavelengths. Two holographic optical elements respectively reflect the first and second image lights and direct them to the user'"'"'s eye so that virtual images of the images represented by the first and second image lights are formed at different positions. As the light source from which to obtain the illumination light is switched between the two, the dioptric power with which to present an image is changed.

Claims

1. An image display apparatus worn on a head of a user, comprising:

a display that operates either in a first state in which the display displays an image with a first light and a second state in which the display displays an image with a second light having a different wavelength from the first light;

a first holographic optical element that directs the first light from the display to an eye of the user so that a first virtual image of the image represented by the first light is presented at a first distance from the eye of the user, the first holographic optical element transmitting light from an outside world to the eye of the user;

a second holographic optical element that directs the second light from the display to the eye of the user so that a second virtual image of the image represented by the second light is presented at a second distance from the eye of the user, the second holographic optical element transmitting light from the outside world to the eye of the user;

a detector that detects an inclination of the user'"'"'s head; and

a controller that switches the display between the first and second states according to the inclination of the user'"'"'s head detected by the detector to provide one of the first and second virtual images with a corresponding dioptric power.

2. The image display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a holding member,

wherein the first and second holographic optical elements are provided on a same surface of the holding member.

3. The image display apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the second virtual image is located below a line connecting the eye of the user to the first virtual image.

10. An image display apparatus worn on a head of a user, of claim 1, comprising:

a display that operates either in a first state in which the display displays an image with a first light and a second state in which the display displays an image with a second light having a different wavelength from the first light;

a first holographic optical element that directs the first light from the display to an eye of the user so that a first virtual image of the image represented by the first light is presented at a first distance from the eye of the user, the first holographic optical element transmitting light from an outside world to direct the light to the eye of the user;

a second holographic optical element that directs the second light from the display to the eye of the user so that a second virtual image of the image represented by the second light is presented at a second distance from the eye of the user, the second holographic optical element transmitting light from the outside world to direct the light to the eye of the user;

a controller that switches the display between the first and second states to provide one of the first and second virtual images with a corresponding dioptric power;

a prism having a first surface and a second surface; and

a third holographic optical element that is provided on the first surface of the prism and acts only on the second light to make a size of the virtual image presented by the second holographic optical element equal to a size of the virtual image presented by the first holographic optical element,

wherein the first and second holographic optical elements are provided on the second surface of the prism.

11. The image display apparatus of claim 10,

wherein the second virtual image is located on a line connecting the eye of the user to the first virtual image.

4. An image display apparatus worn on a head of a user, comprising:

a display that operates either in a first state in which the display displays an image with a first light and a second state in which the display displays an image with a second light having a different wavelength from the first light;

a first holographic optical element that directs the first light from the display to an eye of the user so that a first virtual image of the image represented by the first light is presented at a first distance from the eye of the user, the first holographic optical element transmitting light from an outside world to direct the light to the eye of the user;

a second holographic optical element that directs the second light from the display to the eye of the user so that a second virtual image of the image represented by the second light is presented at a second distance from the eye of the user, the second holographic optical element transmitting light from the outside world to direct the light to the eye of the user;

a controller that switches the display between the first and second states to provide one of the first and second virtual images with a corresponding dioptric power;

a third holographic optical element that acts only on the second light to make a size of the virtual image presented by the second holographic optical element equal to a size of the virtual image presented by the first holographic optical element, the third holographic optical element being disposed away from the first and second holographic optical elements; and

a holding member,

wherein the first and second holographic optical elements are provided on a same surface of the holding member.

5. The image display apparatus of claim 4,

wherein the second virtual image is located on a line connecting the eye of the user to the first virtual image.

6. An image display apparatus worn on a head of a user, comprising:

a display that operates either in a first state in which the display displays a first color image that is comprised of a plurality of lights having different wavelengths representing different first color component images of the first color image and a second state in which the display displays a second color image that is comprised of a plurality of lights having different wavelengths representing different second color component images of the second color image, the wavelengths for the first color image lights and the second color image lights being different;

a first holographic optical element that superimposes the first color component images of the first color image and directs the first color component images of the first color image to an eye of the user so that a virtual image of the first color image is presented at a first distance from the eye of the user;

a second holographic optical element that superimposes the second color component images of the second color image and directs the second color component images of the second color image to the eye of the user so that a virtual image of the second color image is presented at a second distance from the eye of the user, the second distance being different from the first distance; and

a controller that switches the display between the first and second states.

7. The image display apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a holding member,

wherein the first and second holographic optical elements are provided on a same surface of the holding member.

8. The image display apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a detector that detects an inclination of the user'"'"'s head,

wherein the controller switches the display between the first and second states according to the inclination of the user'"'"'s head detected by the detector.

9. The image display apparatus of claim 6,

wherein the second virtual image is located below a line connecting the eye of the user to the first virtual image.

12. An image display apparatus worn on a head of a user, comprising:

display that operates either in a first state in which the display an image with a first light and a second state in which the display displays an image with a second light having a different wavelength from the first light;

a first holographic optical element that directs the first light from the display to an eye of the user so that a first virtual image of the image represented by the first light is presented at a first distance from the eye of the user, the first holographic optical element transmitting light from an outside world to direct the light to the eye of the user;

a second holographic optical element that directs the second light from the display to the eye of the user so that a second virtual image of the image represented by the second light is presented at a second distance from the eye of the user, the second holographic optical element transmitting light from the outside world to direct the light to the eye of the user;

a third holographic optical element that acts only on the second light to make a size of the virtual image presented by the second holographic optical element equal to a size of the virtual image presented by the first holographic optical element, the third holographic optical element being disposed away from the first and second holographic optical elements; and

a controller that switches the display between the first and second states to provide one of the first and second virtual images with a corresponding dioptric power.

13. The image display apparatus of claim 12,

wherein the second virtual image is located on a line connecting the eye of the user to the first virtual image.

14. An image display apparatus worn on a head of a user, comprising:

a display that operates either in a first state in which the display displays an image with a first light and a second state in which the display displays an image with a second light having a different wavelength from the first light;

a first holographic optical element that directs the first light from the display to an eye of the user so that a first virtual image of the image represented by the first light is presented at a first distance from the eye of the user, the first holographic optical element transmitting light from an outside world to direct the light to the eye of the user;

a second holographic optical element that directs the second light from the display to the eye of the user so that a second virtual image of the image represented by the second light is presented at a second distance from the eye of the user, the second holographic optical element transmitting light from the outside world to direct the light to the eye of the user; and

a controller that switches the display between the first and second states to provide one of the first and second virtual images with a corresponding dioptric power,

wherein the second virtual image is located below a line connecting the eye of the user to the first virtual image.

15. The image display apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a holding member,

wherein the first and second holographic optical elements are provided on a same surface of the holding member.