See-through near-eye display glasses including a partially reflective, partially transmitting optical element

• US 8,477,425 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2012
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• 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:
  US13/429,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20120212398A1
• Time in Patent Office: 464 Days
• Field of Search: 359630-634, 359 13- 14, 353 11- 12, 353/28, 353/119, 340/438, 340/980, 340/995.1, 340/815.47, 340/815.74, 310/49.R, 310/156.32, 310/156.33, 310/156.34, 310266-268, 310/156.35, 310/156.02
• 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 2027/0134 of stereoscopic type
• 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: 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/028 associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H

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 optical assembly comprises a partially reflective, partially transmitting optical element that reflects a portion of image light from the image source and transmits scene light from a see-through view of the surrounding environment, so that a combined image comprised of portions of the reflected image light and the transmitted scene light is provided to a user'"'"'s eye.

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 and 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 integrated image source directs light to a single curved polarizing film, said single curved polarizing film comprising at least one layer, that reflects a portion of the light to illuminate a reflective image display that transmits illuminating light through the single curved polarizing film to provide image light, and

wherein the optical assembly comprises a partially reflective, partially transmitting optical element that reflects a portion of the image light from the integrated image source and transmits scene light from a see-through view of the surrounding environment, so that a combined image comprised of portions of the reflected image light and the transmitted scene light is provided to a user'"'"'s eye.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the partially reflective, partially transmitting optical element is a beam splitter layer, disposed at an angle in front of a user'"'"'s eye.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the partially reflective, partially transmitting optical element is a curved partially reflecting mirror.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the integrated image source further comprises an LCoS reflective image display.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the image source comprises an auto-brightness control that controls the brightness of the displayed content based on the brightness in the environment.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the integrated image source further comprises a half wave film for changing the polarization state 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 the light a plurality of times in the integrated image by the prepolarizer, the reflective image display, the single curved polarizing film and the half wave film to provide image light.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a polarizing beam splitter in series with the curved single 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 single curved polarizing film is flexible.

17. 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 LCOS, where the S polarized light is reflected and converted to P polarized light depending on image content, and then to pass the P polarized light through the single curved polarizing film to provide P polarized image light.

18. The system of claim 2 wherein the beam splitter layer is a polarizing beam splitter.