Image generation systems and image generation methods

• US 9,076,368 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2012
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• 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 T.
• Primary Examiner(s): GIESY, ADAM
• Application Number:
  US13/714,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20130201081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/02 characterised by the way in which colour is displayed details of colour display specific for CRTs G09G1/28; specific for flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607

Abstract

Image generation systems and image generation methods are described. In one aspect, an image generation system includes an attachment system configured to secure the image generation system to a head of a user in a position to be observed by the user; an illumination system having an exit pupil located at infinity and configured to emit light; a light modulator configured to receive the light from the illumination system and to selectively reflect at least some of the received light which corresponds to an image; a control system coupled with the light modulator and 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 light modulator to control the selective reflection of at least some of the received light; and an output optical system configured to direct the selectively reflected light towards an observer'"'"'s eye to be observed by the observer.

Claims

1. An image generation system comprising:

an attachment system configured to secure the image generation system to a head of an observer in a position to be observed by the observer;

an illumination system having an exit pupil located at least substantially at infinity and configured to emit at least substantially collimated light;

a light modulator configured to receive the light from the illumination system and to selectively reflect at least some of the received light which corresponds to an image;

a control system coupled with the light modulator and 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 light modulator to control the selective reflection of at least some of the received light;

an output optical system configured to direct the selectively reflected light towards an eye of the observer to be observed by the observer; and

wherein the output optical system is configured to direct the selectively reflected light as a plurality of at least substantially collimated light beams in parallel towards the observer'"'"'s eye.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the output optical system is configured to convey the image at least substantially to infinity to be observed by the observer.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the selectively reflected light directed by the output optical system is focused by a lens of the observer'"'"'s eye to directly form the image upon the retina of the observer'"'"'s eye.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the selectively reflected light directed by the output optical system is directly perceived by the observer as the image.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the output optical system is configured to direct the selectively reflected light towards the observer'"'"'s eye which directly forms the image upon a retina of the observer'"'"'s eye without the formation of an intermediate real image which the observer focuses upon.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the output optical system directs the selectively reflected light towards the observer'"'"'s eye to form a plurality of pixels of the image in parallel upon the retina of the observer'"'"'s eye.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the output optical system directs the selectively reflected light towards the observer'"'"'s eye to simultaneously form a plurality of pixels of the image which is a two-dimensional image upon the retina of the observer'"'"'s eye.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the output optical system comprises an objective lens comprising an input surface which receives the selectively reflected light and an output surface which outputs the selectively reflected light towards the observer'"'"'s eye, and wherein the input surface has an increased curvature compared with a curvature of the output surface.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising a TIR prism configured to receive the light from the illumination system, to direct the light from the illumination system to the light modulator, and to direct the selectively reflected light towards the output optical system.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the illumination system is a telecentric optical system.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the output optical system directs the selectively reflected light to the observer'"'"'s eye without further reflection before being received within the observer'"'"'s eye.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the output optical system directs the selectively reflected light to only one eye of the observer.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the illumination system comprises a diffuser.

14. An image generation system comprising:

an attachment system configured to secure the image generation system to a head of an observer in a position to be observed by the observer;

an illumination system configured to emit light;

a light modulator configured to selectively reflect at least some of the light to provide reflected light;

an output optical system configured to receive the reflected light and to output the reflected light towards a lens of an eye of the observer which focuses the reflected light to directly form an image upon a retina of the observer'"'"'s eye; and

a TIR prism comprising;

a first surface configured to receive the light from the illumination system;

a second surface configured to output the light from the illumination system which was received at the first surface of the TIR prism to the light modulator and to receive the reflected light from the light modulator; and

a third surface configured to output the reflected light which was received at the second surface of the TIR prism towards the output optical system.

15. An image generation method comprising:

emitting at least substantially collimated light using an illumination system having an exit pupil located at least substantially at infinity;

accessing data content regarding an image;

using the accessed data content regarding the image, reflecting the light corresponding to a plurality of pixels of the image; and

conveying the reflected light of the image as a plurality of at least substantially collimated light beams in parallel in a direction towards an eye of the observer, the conveyed light being focused by a lens of the observer'"'"'s eye to form the image upon a retina of the observer'"'"'s eye.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising providing the light using an illumination system having an exit pupil located at least substantially at infinity.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the pixels of the image are formed in parallel upon the retina of the observer'"'"'s eye.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the reflecting comprises reflecting using a light modulator which comprises a plurality of reflective mirrors which correspond to the pixels.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the conveying comprises:

receiving the light of the pixels of the image after the reflecting; and

directing the light of the pixels towards the observer'"'"'s eye without further reflection after the reflecting.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the conveying comprises conveying the light of the pixels of the image to the observer'"'"'s eye without forming an intermediate image which the observer focuses upon.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein the reflecting comprises reflecting using a light modulator, and further comprising:

directing the light from the illumination system to the light modulator using a TIR prism; and

using the TIR prism, directing the light from the light modulator to an output optical system which conveys the reflected light of the image at least substantially to infinity.

22. The method of claim 15 wherein the conveying comprises conveying the reflected light of the image at least substantially to infinity in the direction towards the observer'"'"'s eye.