Display device and wearable glasses

• US 9,612,448 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2013
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo (Beijing) Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.), Lenovo Company Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo (Beijing) Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.), Lenovo Company Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Zheng, Xiaopan, Weng, Feijun, Wu, Fei
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOWDHURY, SULTAN U.
• Application Number:
  US14/652,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20150316780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/283 used for beam splitting or combining
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/25 using polarisation techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/30 Polarising elements light-modulating devices with active elements G02F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/3083 Birefringent or phase retarding elements G02B5/3008, G02B5/3016 take precedence; systems for polarisation control G02B27/286; manufacturing phase modulating patterns by lithographic processes G03F7/001
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/337 using polarisation multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays

Abstract

A display device and wearable glasses that includes a fixing unit for maintaining the relative position between the display device and a user wearing same; an image source for generating corresponding image light according to image data; a first optical component for receiving the image light and transmitting the polarized light having a first polarization direction in the image light; and a second optical component for receiving and changing the polarized light having the first polarization direction into the polarized light having a second polarization direction perpendicular to the first polarization direction, and transmitting the polarized light having the second polarization direction to the first optical component, such that the polarized light having the second polarization direction is reflected to the eyes of the user by the first optical component.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a holding unit for holding a relative position relationship between the display device and a user when the user wears the display device;

an image source for generating image light corresponding to image data according to the image data;

a first optical component for receiving and filtering the image light and only making polarized light having a first polarization direction in the image light to pass through; and

a second optical component for receiving the polarized light having the first polarization direction which has passed through the first optical component and converting it to a polarized light having a second polarization direction which is perpendicular to the first polarization direction, and propagating the polarized light having the second polarization direction to the first optical component, to make the polarized light having the second polarization direction to be reflected to eyes of the user by the first optical component.

2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein,

the first optical component is a polarization light splitter;

the second optical component includes a quarter-wave plate and a reflector; and

the quarter-wave plate receives the polarized light having the first polarization direction passing through the first optical component, and the reflector receives light passing through the quarter-wave plate and reflects it back to the quarter-wave plate, and then the quarter-wave plate propagates the polarized light having the second polarization direction to the first optical component.

3. The display device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a third optical component which is between the image source and the first optical component and is used for propagating the image light generated by the image source to the first optical component; and

a fourth optical component which is between the first optical component and the second optical component and is used for propagating the polarized light having the first polarization direction passing through the first optical component to the second optical component and is used for propagating the polarized light having the second polarization direction from the second optical component to the first optical component.

4. The display device according to claim 3, wherein,

the third optical component includes a first optical part and a second optical part;

the first optical part is a columnar body, and the image source is jointed with a first end surface of the first optical part, so that the image light generated by the image source vertically incident on the first end surface of the first optical part;

the second optical part is a triangular prism, and a first edge of the second optical part is overlapped with a second end surface of the first optical part; and

the polarization light splitter is adhered to a second edge of the triangular prism of the second optical part.

5. The display device according to claim 3, wherein,

the first optical component includes a first optical part, a second optical part, a third optical part and a second reflector,

the third optical part is a triangular prism, and the image source is jointed with a first edge of the third optical part, so that the image light generated by the image source is incident to a second edge of the third optical part from the first edge of the third optical part;

the second reflector is adhered to the second edge of the third optical part, and reflects the image light incident to the second edge of the third optical part to a third edge of the third optical part;

the first optical part is a columnar body, and the third edge of the third optical part is overlapped with a first end surface of the first optical part, so that the image light reflected by the second reflector is vertically incident on the first end surface of the first optical part;

the second optical part is a triangular prism, and a first edge of the second optical part is overlapped with a second end surface of the first optical part; and

the polarization light splitter is adhered to a second edge of the triangular prism of the second optical part.

6. The display device according to claim 3, wherein,

the fourth optical component is a triangular prism, and the quarter-wave plate is adhered to a first edge of the fourth optical component, and the polarization light splitter is adhered to a second edge of the fourth optical component, and light transmitted from a third edge of the fourth optical component is incident to the eyes of the user.

7. The display device according to claim 1, wherein,

the first optical component, the third optical component and the fourth optical component satisfy predetermined light transmittance, so that the user can not only see an image corresponding to the image data by the display device and also see surrounding environment of the user through the display device.

8. The display device according to claim 7, wherein,

the third optical component and the fourth optical component are made of resin material, and a refractivity and a transmittance of the resin material is similar to those of glasses.

9. The display device according to claim 4, wherein,

the first edge of the triangular prism of the first optical part is perpendicular to the third edge thereof, and an angle between the first edge and the second edge is 45 degrees.

10. The display device according to claim 5, wherein,

the first edge of the triangular prism of the first optical part is perpendicular to the third edge thereof, and an angle between the first edge and the second edge is 45 degrees;

and

the first edge of the triangular prism of the third optical part is perpendicular to the third edge thereof, and an angle between the first edge and the second edge is 45 degrees.

11. The display device according to claim 4, wherein,

the first edge of the triangular prism of the fourth optical component is perpendicular to the third edge thereof, and an angle between the first edge and the second edge is 45 degrees.

12. The display device according to claim 1, wherein,

the image source projects the polarized light having the first polarization direction.

13. A wearable glasses apparatus comprising:

a holding unit for holding a relative position relationship between wearable glasses apparatus and a user when the user wears the wearable glasses apparatus;

a left display unit; and

a right display unit,

wherein, the left display unit comprising;

a left image source for generating left image light which is corresponding to left image data and being watched by a left eye of the user according to the left image data;

a first left optical component for receiving the left image light and making polarized light having a first polarization direction in the left image light to pass through; and

a second left optical component for receiving the polarized light having the first polarization direction and converting it to a polarized light having a second polarization direction which is perpendicular to the first polarization direction, and propagating the polarized light having the second polarization direction to the first left optical component, to make the polarized light having the second polarization direction to be reflected to the left eye of the user by the first left optical component;

and, the right display unit comprising;

a right image source for generating right image light which is corresponding to right image data and being watched by the right eye of the user according to the right image data;

the first right optical component for receiving the right image light and making polarized light having a third polarization direction in the right image light to pass through; and

a second right optical component for receiving the polarized light having the third polarization direction and converting it to a polarized light having a fourth polarization direction which is perpendicular to the third polarization direction, and propagating the polarized light having the fourth polarization direction to the first right optical component, to make the polarized light having the fourth polarization direction to be reflected to the right eye of the user by the first right optical component,

the left image data is same as or different from the right image data, and the first polarization direction is same as or different from the third polarization direction, and the second polarization direction is same as or different from the fourth polarization direction.

14. The wearable glasses apparatus according to claim 13, wherein,

the first left optical component is a left polarization light splitter and the first right optical component is a right polarization light splitter;

and

the second left optical component includes a left quarter-wave plate and a left reflector, and the second right optical component includes a right quarter-wave plate and a right reflector,

wherein the left quarter-wave plate receives the polarized light having the first polarization direction passing through the first left optical component, and the left reflector receives light passing through the left quarter-wave plate and reflect it back to the left quarter-wave plate, and then, the left quarter-wave plate propagates the polarized light having the second polarization direction to the first left optical component; and

the right quarter-wave plate receives the polarized light having the third polarization direction passing through the first right optical component, and the right reflector receives light passing through the right quarter-wave plate and reflect it back to the right quarter-wave plate, and then the right quarter-wave plate propagates the polarized light having the fourth polarization direction to the first right optical component.

15. The wearable glasses apparatus according to claim 14,

wherein, the left display unit further comprising:

a third left optical component which is between the left image source and the first left optical component and is used for propagating the left image light generated by the left image source to the first left optical component; and

a fourth left optical component which is between the first left optical component and second left optical component and is used for propagating the polarized light having the first polarization direction passing through the first left optical component to the second left optical component and is used for propagating the polarized light having the second polarization direction from second left optical component to the first left optical component;

wherein, the right display unit further comprising;

a third right optical component which is between the right image source and the first right optical component and is used for propagating the right image light generated by the right image source to the first right optical component; and

a fourth right optical component which is between the first right optical component and the second right optical component and is used for propagating the polarized light having the first polarization direction passing through the first right optical component to the second right optical component and is used for propagating the polarized light having the second polarization direction from the second right optical component to the first right optical component.

16. The wearable glasses apparatus according to claim 13, wherein,

the holding unit holds the left display unit and the right display unit in front of a left eye and a right eye of the user respectively, and holds the left display unit at a first position of a first predetermined distance from the left eye of the user, and holds the right display unit at a second position of a second predetermined distance from the right eye of the user;

wherein, the first predetermined distance is approximately equal to the second predetermined distance.