Image display optical system, image display unit, illuminating optical system, and liquid crystal display unit
First Claim
1. An image display optical system, comprising:
- a prism-shaped substrate having at least three lateral faces and being transparent to an image-carrying light flux to be projected to a viewing eye;
an introduction unit that turns said image-carrying light flux into a light flux that propagates in the substrate while being internally reflected at the at least three lateral faces by deflecting said image-carrying light flux entering the substrate from outside said substrate; and
an output unit that guides said image-carrying light flux, being internally reflected inside the substrate at the at least three lateral faces, from said substrate to said viewing eye.
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Abstract
Image display optical systems are disclosed that extend the angle of view longitudinally and transversely while saving space. The image display optical system includes a prism-shaped substrate transparent to an image-carrying light flux to be projected to a viewing eye, an introduction unit that guides the image-carrying light flux to a propagation path through which the image-carrying light flux propagates in a direction in which the image-carrying light flux from the outside enables internal reflection at least at three surfaces including at least one side of the substrate, and an output unit that guides the image-carrying light flux propagating through the substrate from the substrate to the viewing eye. By internally reflecting the image-carrying light flux at all the sides, i.e., three or more sides of the prism-shaped substrate, the propagation path is folded to be smaller and extends the opening angle of the light ray included in the image-carrying light flux longitudinally and transversely without increasing the substrate'"'"'s size.
137 Citations
17 Claims
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1. An image display optical system, comprising:
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a prism-shaped substrate having at least three lateral faces and being transparent to an image-carrying light flux to be projected to a viewing eye; an introduction unit that turns said image-carrying light flux into a light flux that propagates in the substrate while being internally reflected at the at least three lateral faces by deflecting said image-carrying light flux entering the substrate from outside said substrate; and an output unit that guides said image-carrying light flux, being internally reflected inside the substrate at the at least three lateral faces, from said substrate to said viewing eye. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An illuminating optical system, comprising:
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a prism-shaped substrate having at least three lateral faces and being transparent to an illumination light flux to illuminate a region to be illuminated; an introduction unit that turns said illumination light flux that propagates while being internally reflected at the at least three lateral faces by deflecting said illumination light flux entering the substrate from outside said substrate; and an output unit that guides said illumination light flux being internally reflected at the at least three lateral faces from said substrate to said region to be illuminated. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification