See-through near-eye display glasses with a small scale image source

• US 8,472,120 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2012
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Osterhout Design Group
• Inventors: Border, John N., Haddick, John D., Osterhout, Ralph F.
• Primary Examiner(s): PINKNEY, DAWAYNE
• Application Number:
  US13/429,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20120218172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 457 Days
• Field of Search: 359630-634, 359 13- 14, 310/49.R, 310/156.32, 310/156.33, 310/156.34, 310266-268, 310/156.35, 310/156.02, 353 11- 12, 353/28, 353/119, 340/438, 340/980, 340/995.1, 340/815.47, 340/815.74
• US Class Current: 359/630
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0093 with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/30 Polarising elements light-modulating devices with active elements G02F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

This disclosure concerns an interactive head-mounted eyepiece with an integrated processor for handling content for display and an integrated image source for introducing the content to an optical assembly through which the user views a surrounding environment and the displayed content, wherein the image source comprises a lighting system that directs light from a light source to a curved polarizing film that reflects a portion of the light to a reflective image display. The ratio of the height of the curved polarizing film to the width of the reflective image display is less than 1:1.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an interactive head-mounted eyepiece worn by a user, wherein the eyepiece includes an optical assembly through which the user views a surrounding environment combined with displayed content, an integrated processor for handling content for display to the user, and an integrated image source for introducing the content to the optical assembly,

wherein the image source comprises a lighting system that directs light from a light source to a single curved polarizing film, the single curved polarizing film comprising at least one layer, that reflects a portion of the light to a reflective image display which reflects the light and transmits the light through the single curved polarizing film as image light,

wherein a ratio of the height of the curved polarizing film to the width of the reflective image display is less than 1;

1.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the curve on the single polarizing film determines the width of the illuminated area on the reflective display, and the tilt of the curved area determines the positioning of the illuminated area on the reflective display.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the single curved polarizing film reflects illumination light of a first polarization state onto the reflective display, which reflects the illumination light and changes the polarization of the illumination light based on displayed image content and generates image light after passing through the single curved polarizing film.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the single curved polarizing film comprises a portion that is parallel to the reflective display over the light source.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the single curved polarizing film is flexible.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the integrated image source further comprises a half wave film for converting the polarization of the image light.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the integrated image source comprises an LED light source for directing light to the single curved polarizing film.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the integrated image source further comprises a diffuser between the LED light source and the single curved polarizing film.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the integrated image source further comprises a prepolarizer between the LED light source and the single curved polarizing film.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the single curved polarizing film comprises a single curved wire grid polarizer.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the single curved polarizing film reflects a portion of the light to illuminate the reflective image display without a diffraction element.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the single curved polarizing film reflects a portion of the light to illuminate the reflective image display without a holographic element.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a half wave film in series with a prepolarizer, the reflective image display and the single curved polarizing film, wherein the system is adapted to change the polarization of light a plurality of times in the integrated image source by the prepolarizer, the reflective image display, the single curved polarizing film and the half wave film.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a polarizing beam splitter in series with the single curved polarizing film, the polarizing beam splitter reflecting and transmitting portions of the image light and transmitting a portion of scene light to provide a combined image to the user.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the single curved polarizing film is a polarizing beam splitter film.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the integrated image source provides S polarized light and the single curved polarizing film is adapted to first reflect the S polarized light toward the reflective image display, where the S polarized light is reflected and converted to P polarized light depending on displayed image content, and then to pass the P polarized light through the single curved polarizing film to provide P polarized image light.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a half wave filter in series with the single curved polarizing film, the half wave filter adapted to change a polarization state of the image light.