Substrate-guided optical device particularly for vision enhanced optical systems

• US 7,751,122 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2006
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lumus Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Lumus Ltd.
• Inventors: Amitai, Yaakov
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh; Jack
• Application Number:
  US11/815,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20080186604A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,609 Days
• Field of Search: 359/630, 359/633, 385/129, 385/132, 385/133
• US Class Current: 359/630
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0123 comprising devices increasing the field of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0134 of stereoscopic type
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0081 with means for altering, e.g. enlarging, the entrance or exit pupil
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/10 of the optical waveguide type G02B6/02, G02B6/24 take precedence; devices or arrangements for the control of light by electric, magnetic, electro-magnetic or acoustic means G02F1/00; transferring the modulation of modulated light G02F2/00; optical logic elements G02F3/00; optical analogue/digital converters G02F7/00

Abstract

There is provided an optical system, including a mechanical body (110), a light-transmitting substrate (20) having two major surfaces and edges, embedded in the mechanical body, an optical element (90) for coupling light into the substrate by total internal reflection and a plurality of partially reflecting surfaces (22) carried by the substrate, wherein the partially reflecting surfaces are parallel to each other and are not parallel to any of the edges of the substrate. The system also includes an image capturing device (112), a display source (4), and an image-processing unit (114). The image-capturing device (112) is connected via the image-processing unit (114) to the display source (4).

Claims

1. An optical system, comprising:

a mechanical body;

a light-transmitting substrate having at least two major surfaces and edges, embedded in the mechanical body, the light-transmitting substrate having a plurality of partially reflecting surfaces parallel to each other and not parallel to any of the edges of the substrate;

an optical means for coupling light into the substrate by total internal reflection;

at least one display source;

at least one image processing unit connected to the display source; and

at least one image capturing device connected to the image processing unit;

the image capturing device, the display source, and the image processing unit being attached to the mechanical body.

2. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said display source produces image light waves which are coupled by said optical means into said substrate by total internal reflection.

3. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of partially reflecting surfaces couples the light waves trapped by total internal reflection out of said substrate.

4. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said substrate is partially transparent.

5. The optical system according to claim 1, further comprising an opaque layer attached to the surface of said substrate, for blocking the entrance of light waves from the external scene.

6. The optical system according to claim 1, further comprising a variable. transmittance layer attached to the surface of said substrate, for controlling the brightness of light waves passing through said device from the external scene.

7. The optical system according to claim 6, wherein the transmittance of said variable transmittance layer is determined automatically according to the brightness of the external scene.

8. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said mechanical body is a spectacle frame.

9. The optical system according to claim 8, wherein at least two different light-transmitting substrates are embedded inside said spectacle frame.

10. The optical system according to claim 9, wherein a single display source is attached to said spectacle frame and wherein the image from said display sources is split into said two light-transmitting substrates.

11. The optical system according to claim 9, wherein two different display sources are attached to said spectacle frame.

12. The optical system according to claim 11, wherein two different images are projected from said two different display sources.

13. The optical system according to claim 12, wherein said two different display sources project two different parts of the same image, with some overlap between the two parts.

14. The optical system according to claim 12, wherein said two different display sources project two different scenes in order to create a stereoscopic image.

15. The optical system according to claim 8, wherein said device functions as low-vision aid.

16. The optical system according to claim 8, wherein said system functions as a surveillance system.

17. The optical system according to claim 1, further comprising an external sensor unit which is aligned with said image capturing device.

18. The optical system according to claim 17, wherein said external sensor unit is a RADAR system.

19. The optical system according to claim 17, wherein said external sensor unit is a tracking mechanism of a missile.

20. The optical system according to claim 17, wherein said external sensor unit is a navigation system.

21. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said system functions as a friend-foe-identification system.

22. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said system functions as a safety warning system.

23. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein said system functions as an enhanced vision system.

24. The optical device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said partially reflecting surfaces is coated with thin-film, angular-sensitive material.