Optical device, and virtual image display device

• US 8,073,296 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2011
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Mukawa, Hiroshi, Akutsu, Katsuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Healy, Brian M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANDERSON, GUY G
• Application Number:
  US13/102,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20110211239A1
• Time in Patent Office: 214 Days
• Field of Search: 385/31, 359 15- 17, 359/19, 359 32- 34, 235/462
• US Class Current: 385/31
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/18 with lenses having one or more non-spherical faces, e.g. for reducing geometrical aberration G02B13/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/004 Systems comprising a plurality of reflections between two or more surfaces, e.g. cells, resonators multipass arrangements for optical cuvettes G01N21/031; laser resonators H01S3/05
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/006 Systems in which light light is reflected on a plurality of parallel surfaces, e.g. louvre mirrors, total internal reflection [TIR] lenses Fresnel mirrors G02B5/09, Fresnel lenses G02B3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/0856 comprising a refractive element with a reflective surface, the reflection taking place inside the element, e.g. Mangin mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0116 comprising devices for correcting chromatic aberration
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0125 Field-of-view increase by wavefront division
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0174 holographic
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0081 with means for altering, e.g. enlarging, the entrance or exit pupil
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0103 comprising holographic elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/144 using partially transparent surfaces without spectral selectivity G02B27/147 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/4272 having plural diffractive elements positioned sequentially along the optical path
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/18 Diffraction gratings holographic optical elements G02B5/32, G03H; integrally combined with optical fibres G02B6/02057; for coupling light guides G02B6/34; integrally combined with optical integrated light guides G02B6/12; grating systems G02B27/44
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/1842 Gratings for image generation G02B5/1847 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/00 Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0026 Wavelength selective element, sheet or layer, e.g. filter or grating
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0033 Means for improving the coupling-out of light from the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/005 : provided by one optical element, or plurality thereof, placed on the light output side of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/2848 : having refractive means, e.g. imaging elements between light guides as splitting, branching and/or combining devices, e.g. lenses, holograms
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/43 : Arrangements comprising a plurality of opto-electronic elements and associated optical interconnections

Abstract

A virtual image display device which displays a two-dimensional image for viewing a virtual image in a magnified form by a virtual optical system. The virtual image display device includes an optical waveguide to guide, by internal total reflection, parallel pencil groups meeting a condition of internal total reflection, a first reflection volume hologram grating to diffract and reflect the parallel pencil groups incident upon the optical waveguide from outside and traveling in different directions as they are so as to meet the condition of internal total reflection inside the optical waveguide and a second reflection volume hologram grating to project the parallel pencil groups guided by internal total reflection inside the optical waveguide as they are from the optical waveguide by diffraction and reflection thereof so as to depart from the condition of internal total reflection inside the optical waveguide. Some of the parallel pencil groups guided through the optical waveguide being totally reflected different numbers of times for a period from external incidence upon the optical waveguide until outgoing from the optical waveguide.

Claims

1. An image display device comprising:

a image display element,

a collimating optical system,

a optical waveguide, and

a first reflection volume hologram grating and a second reflection volume hologram grating provided on the optical waveguide,

wherein,

the collimating optical system receives an incident pencil light beam from each pixel of the image display element and forms parallel pencil light beam groups different from each other in field angle, and

the parallel pencil light beam groups projected from the collimating optical system and different from each other in field angle are incident upon the optical waveguide.

2. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein some parallel pencil light beams of the parallel pencil groups guided through the optical waveguide are totally reflected different numbers of times for a period from an external incidence upon the optical waveguide until an outgoing from the optical waveguide.

3. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein the length and thickness of the optical waveguide are set to provide such an optical path length that parallel light beams different from each other in field angle and traveling inside the optical waveguide are totally reflected different numbers of times correspondingly to their field of view angles until they arrive at the second reflection volume hologram grating.

4. An image display device comprising:

a image display element,

a collimating optical system forming a parallel pencil light beam groups different from each other in field angle,

a optical waveguide, and

a first reflection volume hologram grating and a second reflection volume hologram grating provided on the optical waveguide,

wherein,

the parallel pencil light beam groups projected from the collimating optical system and different from each other in field angle are incident upon the optical waveguide, and

some parallel pencil light beams of the parallel pencil light beam groups guided through the optical waveguide are reflected different numbers of times.