Vision equipment comprising an optical strip with a controlled coefficient of light transmission

• US 8,487,233 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2010
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beijing Voyager Technology Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Thales SA
• Inventors: Baudou, Joel, Francois, Jean-Michel, Laluque, Laurent
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, JOHN R
• Application Number:
  US12/898,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20110240834A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 250/214.AL, 250/205, 345/7, 345/8, 345/9, 345/84
• US Class Current: 250/214.AL
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/012 comprising devices for attenuating parasitic image effects
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted

Abstract

The invention relates to vision equipment including a translucent optical strip covering all or some of the visual field of the user of the said equipment and a device for projecting images onto the said strip in at least one zone of the visual field of the user, called the image-projection zone. The optical strip includes a plurality of zones covered by a layer of material with a controlled coefficient of light transmission, a zone at least covering the image-projection zone and in that the vision equipment also comprises a means for controlling the coefficient of light transmission capable of receiving status information and of controlling the coefficient of light transmission of each of the zones and independently of one another as a function of the said status information. The invention preferably applies to helmet visor equipment or head-up displays for an aircraft cockpit and to vision equipment in the motor vehicle field.

Claims

1. Vision equipment, comprising:

a translucent optical strip covering all or some of a visual field of a user of the equipment; and

a device for projecting images onto the strip in at least one zone of the visual field of the user, called an image-projection zone, wherein

the optical strip comprises a plurality of zones covered by a layer of photochromic material with a variable coefficient of light transmission, one of the plurality of zones covering at least the image-projection zone,

the vision equipment further comprises a variable coefficient of light transmission controller including a photochromic reaction activator that activates at least one of the plurality of zones of the optical strip in order to control the variable coefficient of light transmission of a zone configured to receive status information and to control the variable coefficient of light transmission of each of the plurality of zones independently of one another as a function of the status information, and

the photochromic reaction activator includes a plurality of ultra-violet light-emitting diodes arranged to control the variable coefficient of light transmission of the plurality of zones simultaneously and independently.

2. The vision equipment according to claim 1, further comprising a device for detecting a posture of the user by calculating status information relating to a direction of a gaze of the user so as to transmit the status information relating to the direction of the gaze of the user to the variable coefficient of light transmission controller in order to control the variable coefficient of light transmission of at least the image-projection zone as a function of the direction of the gaze of the user.

3. The vision equipment according to claim 1, further comprising a manual control device calculating status information relating to levels of light transmission so as to transmit the status information relating to levels of light transmission to the variable coefficient of light transmission controller in order to control the variable coefficient of light transmission of at least the image-projection zone according to a desired level.

4. The vision equipment according to claim 1, further comprising a photosensitive component determining status information relating to a luminosity level of a space around the optical strip so as to transmit the status information relating to the luminosity level to the variable coefficient of light transmission controller in order to control the variable coefficient of light transmission of at least the image-projection zone according to the luminosity level.

5. The vision equipment according to claim 1, further comprising optical control means for delimiting projection zones of ultraviolet rays and for controlling a time of exposure to the ultraviolet rays of the at least one zone of the visual field of the user.

6. The vision equipment according to claim 1, being mounted on a helmet, wherein the optical strip of the equipment is a visor of the helmet.

7. The vision equipment according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of ultra-violet light-emitting diodes includes a first ultra-violet light-emitting diode and a second ultra-violet light-emitting diode, such that

the first ultra-violet light-emitting diode irradiates a first zone of the visual field of the user, and

the second ultra-violet light-emitting diode irradiates a second zone of the visual field of the user.

8. The vision equipment according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of ultra-violet light-emitting diodes includes a third ultra-violet light-emitting diode and a fourth ultra-violet light-emitting diode, such that

the third ultra-violet light-emitting diode irradiates a first portion of the image-projection zone disposed within the first zone of the visual field of the user, and

the fourth ultra-violet light-emitting diode irradiates a second portion of the image-projection zone disposed within the second zone of the visual field of the user.