Virtual image display device

• US 8,976,087 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2013
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Takeda, Takashi, Totani, Takahiro, Komatsu, Akira, Takagi, Masayuki, Miyao, Toshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H
• Application Number:
  US13/768,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20130222214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 345/7, 345/8, 345/32, 359/630, 359/726
• US Class Current: 345/8
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0152 involving arrangement aiming to get lighter or better balanced devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/10 Scanning systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• 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

Abstract

A light emitting device, which is a main body, is arranged to be located closer to the nose NS side than the eye EY of a wearer during wearing of a virtual image display device. Therefore, the light emitting device is prevented from excessively projecting to the side of the face of the wearer. The light emitting device is arranged between the eye EY of the wearer and the virtual-image forming member. Therefore, the light emitting device is prevented from excessively projecting further to the front side than the virtual image forming member, i.e., the front side of the face of the wearer. Further, a combined-light forming unit is a unit small in size and light in weight. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the center of gravity of the entire virtual image forming member from deviating to the side and the front side.

Claims

1. A virtual image display device comprising:

a signal-light modulating unit configured to emit a signal light modulated according to an image;

a scanning optical system configured to scan the signal light made incident from the signal-light modulating unit and emit the signal light as scanning light; and

a virtual-image forming member configured to receive irradiation of the scanning light from the scanning optical system and form a virtual image, wherein

the scanning optical system is located closer to a nose side than an eye of a wearer during wearing of the virtual image display device, and

the virtual-image forming member is arranged to be located in front of the eye of the wearer and further on a far side than the scanning optical system with respect to the wearer during wearing of the virtual image display device.

2. The virtual image display device according to claim 1, wherein the virtual-image forming member is arranged in a state in which the virtual-image forming member inclines in a direction from the nose side to an ear side of the wearer during wearing of the virtual image display device.

3. The virtual image display device according to claim 1, wherein the virtual-image forming member includes a semitransparent reflection film that reflects the scanning light irradiated from the scanning optical system to form the virtual image, allows external light to pass, and enables observation of the virtual image formed by the scanning light and observation of the external light.

4. The virtual image display device according to claim 1, wherein the virtual-image forming member is a transparent base material in which a diffraction grating for forming the virtual image with the scanning light irradiated from the scanning optical system is arranged, the transparent base material allowing the external light to pass.

5. The virtual image display device according to claim 1, further comprising a nose pad section for wearing the virtual image display device in the nose of the wearer during wearing of the virtual image display device, wherein

the scanning optical system is integrated with the nose pad section.

6. The virtual image display device according to claim 1, wherein the virtual image display device further includes an eye-width adjusting section configured to enable, according to eye width of the wearer, the scanning optical system and the virtual-image forming member to integrally move with respect to a position of the eye of the wearer during wearing of the virtual image display device.

7. The virtual image display device according to claim 1, wherein the signal-light modulating unit includes:

a combined-light forming unit configured to form, as signal light, combined light obtained by combining R light, G light, and B light; and

an optical fiber configured to propagate the signal light formed by the combined-light forming unit to the scanning optical system.

8. The virtual image display device according to claim 7, wherein, in the signal-light modulating unit, the combined-light forming unit is arranged in a position corresponding to an ear side, and the optical fiber extends along a path from a periphery of the ear to a periphery of the nose through a periphery of the eye along a face shape of the wearer during wearing of the virtual image display device to propagate the modulated signal light from the combined-light forming unit to the scanning optical system.

9. The virtual image display device according to claim 1, wherein the scanning optical system includes a MEMS scanner configured to irradiate the signal light, a state of a light beam of which is adjusted, to the virtual-image forming member as the scanning light.