Image generation systems and image generation methods

• US 8,982,014 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2012
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Original Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Inventors: Evans, Allan T., Bernacki, Bruce E.
• Primary Examiner(s): GIESY, ADAM
• Application Number:
  US13/367,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20130201080A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/8
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0833 the reflecting element being a micromechanical device, e.g. a MEMS mirror, DMD G02B26/0825 takes precedence; micromechanical devices in general B81B
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/105 with one or more pivoting mirrors or galvano-mirrors G02B26/101 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted

Abstract

Image generation systems and image generation methods are described. According to one aspect, an image generation system includes an imaging system configured to transmit light towards an observer'"'"'s eye to form a plurality of pixels of an image upon the retina of the observer'"'"'s eye at a moment in time; and a control system coupled with the imaging system and wherein the control system is configured to access data content regarding the image, to generate a plurality of control signals according to the accessed data content, and to output the control signals to the imaging system to control the transmission of the light by the imaging system towards the observer'"'"'s eye to form the plurality of pixels of the image upon the retina of the observer'"'"'s eye at the moment in time.

Claims

1. An image generation system comprising:

an imaging system configured to transmit light towards an observer'"'"'s eye to form a plurality of pixels of a plurality of two-dimension color images upon a retina of the observer'"'"'s eye at respective ones of a plurality of different moments in time;

a control system coupled with the imaging system and wherein the control system is configured to access data content regarding the images, to generate a plurality of control signals according to the accessed data content, and to output the control signals to the imaging system to control the provision of a plurality of light beams of the light which correspond to respective ones of the pixels of one of the two-dimension color images in parallel towards the observer'"'"'s eye to simultaneously form the pixels of the one of the two-dimension color images upon the retina of the observer'"'"'s eye at one of the moments in time; and

wherein the imaging system comprises;

a light source configured to emit the light having different colors at the different moments in time; and

a light modulator optically coupled with the light source, wherein the light modulator comprises a plurality of mirrors which are individually configured to move between a plurality of positions, and wherein the control system is configured to generate the control signals to control different sets of the mirrors to move to one of the positions to reflect the light from the light source to the observer'"'"'s eye at the different moments in time to form the two-dimension color images upon the retina of the observer'"'"'s eye at the different moments in time.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the imaging system is configured to reflect the light from the light source to the observer'"'"'s eye from a plurality of different angles to enhance peripheral vision of the observer.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the imaging system is configured to reflect the light beams in parallel towards the observer'"'"'s eye.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the imaging system directs the light from the light source and reflected from the different sets of mirrors without further reflection to the observer'"'"'s eye.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the control system is configured to generate the control signals to control other sets of the mirrors to reflect some of the light from the light source away from the observer'"'"'s eye at the different moments in time.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the light source is an LED.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the light source is a laser.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the mirrors are configured to reflect an image of the observer'"'"'s eye to an eye monitoring system.

9. An image generation system comprising:

a data generation system configured to generate data content of a two-dimension color image;

an imaging system configured to transmit light towards an observer'"'"'s eye to simultaneously form a plurality of pixels of the two-dimension image upon the retina of the observer'"'"'s eye;

a control system coupled with the data generation system and the imaging system, wherein the control system is configured to access the data content of the image, to generate a plurality of control signals according to the accessed data content, and to output the control signals to the imaging system to control the transmission of a plurality of light beams of the light and corresponding to respective ones of the pixels in parallel towards the observer'"'"'s eye to simultaneously form the pixels of the two-dimension color image upon the retina of the observer'"'"'s eye;

an eye monitoring system coupled with the control system, wherein the eye monitoring system is configured to monitor actions of the observer'"'"'s eye;

wherein the imaging system is configured to form a plurality of different color frames of the two-dimension color image at respective ones of a plurality of different moments in time, and the imaging system comprises;

a light source configured to emit the light having different colors at the different moments in time;

an optical fiber optically coupled with the light source and configured to homogenize the light; and

a light modulator optically coupled with the light source and the optical fiber, wherein the light modulator comprises a plurality of mirrors which are configured to move between a plurality of positions, and wherein the control system is configured to generate the control signals to control different sets of the mirrors to move to one of the positions to reflect the light from the light source to the observer'"'"'s eye at the different moments in time to form the different color frames of the two-dimension color image upon the retina of the observer'"'"'s eye at the different moments in time and to reflect an image of the observer'"'"'s eye to the eye monitoring system at an additional moment in time; and

wherein the control system is configured to control at least one operation of the imaging system as a result of the reflection of the image of the observer'"'"'s eye to the eye monitoring system.

10. An image generation method comprising:

accessing data content regarding a plurality of two-dimension color images;

using the data content, generating a plurality of control signals;

using a light source of an imaging system, emitting light having different colors at a plurality of different moments in time;

using the imaging system, transmitting the light towards an observer'"'"'s eye to form a plurality of pixels of a plurality of two-dimension color images upon a retina of the observer'"'"'s eye at respective ones of a plurality of different moments in time;

outputting the control signals to the imaging system to control provision of a plurality of light beams of the light which correspond to respective ones of the pixels of one of the two-dimension color images in parallel towards the observer'"'"'s eye to simultaneously form the pixels of the one of the two-dimension color images upon the retina of the observer'"'"'s eye at one of the moments in time;

using the control signals, controlling a light modulator of the imaging system which is optically coupled with the light source, wherein the light modulator comprises a plurality of mirrors which are individually configured to move between a plurality of positions, and the control signals control different sets of the mirrors to move to one of the positions to reflect the light from the light source to the observer'"'"'s eye at the different moments in time to form the two-dimension color images upon the retina of the observer'"'"'s eye at the different moments in time.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the light modulator reflects the light beams of the light in parallel.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

using the optical modulator, reflecting an image of the observer'"'"'s eye at another moment in time; and

monitoring the image of the observer'"'"'s eye.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising controlling some of the mirrors to be in a second of the different positions to reflect some of the light of the light source away from the observer'"'"'s eye at the different moments in time.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the imaging system forms the image upon the retina of the observer'"'"'s eye without forming a real image which the observer focuses upon.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the reflecting the light from the light source to the observer'"'"'s eye comprises reflecting the different colors of the light corresponding to the two-dimension color images at the different moments in time.