Worn display system and method without requiring real time tracking for boresight precision

• US 9,274,339 B1
• Filed: 12/17/2013
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Brown, Robert D., Robbins, Steven J., Raynal, Francois
• Primary Examiner(s): Font, Frank
• Application Number:
  US14/109,551
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 359/402, 359/403, 359/566, 359/567, 359/630, 359/634, 359/636
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/08 Periscopes arrangements on floating structures of underwater viewing devices B63C11/49; arrangement of visual watch equipment on submarines B63G8/38
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/14 operating by reflection only
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/4205 having a diffractive optical element [DOE] contributing to image formation, e.g. whereby modulation transfer function MTF or optical aberrations are relevant
• 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 worn display, includes a projector and at least one wearable diffraction grating member. The member includes an input end for receiving an image from a projector and a combiner end for receiving light from a scene and providing the image received at the input end and the light received from the outside scene to the user. The worn display can be used in aircraft applications to provide guidance information to a pilot. The diffraction grating member can have periscopic characteristics.

Claims

1. A worn display for a user having eyes, the worn display comprising:

a projector; and

at least one diffraction grating member configured to be wearable and physically separate from the projector and physically free from the projector across rotational movement of the at least one diffraction grating member, the diffraction grating member having an input end for receiving a collimated image from the projector, and a combiner end for providing the collimated image received at the input end to the eyes of the user and wherein the light received from an outside scene is viewable through the combiner end, the at least one diffraction grating member extending from the input end to the combiner end, wherein the input end is configured to be disposed to receive the collimated image from the projector in a position unobstructed by the user and the combiner end is configured to be disposed in front of the eyes.

2. The display of claim 1, wherein the diffraction grating member is a periscopic system comprising two separate diffraction grating members, each diffraction grating member being disposed in front of a respective one of the eyes at the combiner end;

wherein the diffraction grating members are elongated rectangles extending longitudinally from the input end to the combiner end.

3. The display of claim 2, wherein each diffraction grating member comprises at least one diffraction grating having a spatial frequency of 2000-4000 gratings per millimeter.

4. The display of claim 3, wherein the diffraction grating is etched or printed.

5. The display of claim 4, wherein the diffraction grating members are each a unitary piece of plastic material.

6. The display of claim 5, wherein the diffraction grating members are bendable.

7. The display of claim 6, wherein the diffraction grating members have a thin rectangular prismatic shape.

8. The display of claim 7, wherein the projector is a micro display.

9. The display of claim 2, wherein an intermediate section of the diffraction grating members is disposed between the combiner end and the input end and does not include a grating.

10. A worn device for use with a display projector providing a collimated or near collimated image to at least one eye of a user, the worn device comprises:

a diffraction grating member configured so that a first end of the diffraction grating member can be provided in front of an eye of a user and a second end of the diffraction grating member receives the collimated or near collimated image, wherein the first end receives light from a real world scene, wherein the second end is disposed in a position unobstructed by the user, wherein the diffraction grating member is physically separate from the display projector and physically free from the display projector across rotational movement of the diffraction grating member when worn by the user.

11. The worn device of claim 10, wherein the diffraction grating member provides a periscopic effect.

12. The worn device of claim 11, wherein the diffraction grating member includes markings at a spatial frequency between 2000 and 4000 gratings per millimeter.

13. The worn device of claim 12, wherein the member is a unitary piece comprised of flexible plastic material.

14. The worn device of claim 10, wherein the diffraction grating member has a first flat planar side and a second flat planar side, where the first side is opposite the second side and is closer to the respective eye than the second side and the collimated or near collimated image is received from the display projector on the first side, and the light from the real world scene is received on the second side.

15. The worn device of claim 10, wherein the diffraction grating member is flat and flexible.

16. The worn device of claim 15, wherein the display for providing the collimator or near collimated image is provided behind a user.

17. A method of providing guidance information to at least one eye of a user using a display projector comprising a display and a worn device, the method comprising:

providing a collimated or near collimated image indicative of the guidance information from the display using a diffraction grating member of the worn device configured so that a first end of the diffraction grating member of the worn device can be provided in front of the eye of the user and a second end of the diffraction grating member receives the collimated or near collimated image, wherein the first end receives light from a real world scene, wherein the second end is disposed in a position unobstructed by the user, wherein the diffraction grating member is physically separate from the display projector and physically free from the display projector across rotational movement of the diffraction grating member when worn by the user; and

combining light received from a real world scene at the first end with the collimated or near collimated light using the diffraction grating member.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the diffraction grating member comprises a pair of passive elements.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the diffraction grating member comprises a thin plastic waveguide substrate.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the diffraction grating member is attached to a hat or to temple frames.