Image display apparatus, image generating device, and transmissive spatial light modulating device

• US 9,658,456 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2013
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Mukawa, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Chwasz, Jade R
• Application Number:
  US14/758,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20150338660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,295 Days
• Field of Search: 359 10, 359 11, 359 13, 359 15
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0123 comprising devices increasing the field of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0174 holographic
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0056 arranged along two different directions in a plane, e.g. honeycomb arrangement of lenses G02B3/0043 takes precedence; miniaturised objectives for electronic devices employing wafer level optics G02B13/0085
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0278 used in transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/1842 Gratings for image generation G02B5/1847 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/30 Polarising elements light-modulating devices with active elements G02F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/32 Holograms used as optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0035 provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0096 the lights guides being of the hollow type

Abstract

An image display apparatus 100 includes: (A) an image generating device 111 including a light source 160 and a transmissive spatial light modulating device 150 formed with pixels 152 arranged in a two-dimensional matrix; and (B) a light guiding unit 120 that guides light from the image generating device 111, and emits the light toward an eye 21 of a viewer 20, wherein the transmissive spatial light modulating device 150 includes, on a light emitting side thereof, a microlens array 170 including a microlens corresponding to each pixel, and when an incident solid angle of light entering a pixel from the light source 160 is assumed to be ω_in, and an emitting solid angle of light that passes through the pixel and is emitted from the microlens corresponding to the pixel is assumed to be ω_out, ω_out>ω_in is satisfied.

Claims

1. An image display apparatus comprising:

(A) an image generating device including a light source and a transmissive spatial light modulating device formed with pixels arranged in a two-dimensional matrix; and

(B) a light guiding unit that guides light from the image generating device and emits the light toward an eye of a viewer,

wherein

the transmissive spatial light modulating device includes, on a light emitting side thereof, a microlens array including a microlens corresponding to each pixel, and

when an incident solid angle of light entering a pixel from the light source is assumed to be ω

_in, and an emitting solid angle of light that passes through the pixel and is emitted from the microlens corresponding to the pixel is assumed to be ω

_out, ω

_out>

ω

_in is satisfied;

wherein when a point at which light emitted from center of the image generating device enters the light guiding unit is assumed to be a point O, a normal in a portion of the light guiding unit passing through the point O is assumed to be an X-axis, an axis line of the light guiding unit in the portion of the light guiding unit passing through the point O is assumed to be a Y-axis, an optical axis of the light that is emitted from the center of the image generating device and enters the light guiding unit at the point O is assumed to be a ζ

-axis, and a virtual plane including the ζ

-axis and the Y-axis is assumed to be a ζ

-Y plane, light that is emitted from the image generating device and enters the light guiding unit at a point (0, Y₁, Z₁) forms an angle θ

_Z with the ζ

-Y plane and forms an angle θ

_Y with an X-Z plane, and

in a case of Z₁≠

0, θ

_Z≠

θ

_Y is satisfied,

a value of θ

_Y is constant, regardless of a value of Y₁, and,

as an absolute value of Z₁ increases, an absolute value of θ

_Z increases.

2. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the transmissive spatial light modulating device includes, on a light incident side thereof, a second microlens array including a second microlens corresponding to each pixel, and

when an incident solid angle of light entering the second microlens from the light source is assumed to be ω

_in-2, and an emitting solid angle of light emitted from the second microlens is assumed to be ω

_out-2, ω

_out>

ω

_in=ω

_out-2>

ω

_in-2 is satisfied.

3. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmissive spatial light modulating device includes a light diffuser panel on the light incident side thereof.

4. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the image generating device further includes a light pipe, and

light emitted from the light source enters the transmissive spatial light modulating device via the light pipe.

5. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, as the absolute value of Z₁ increases, the absolute value of θ

_Z increases monotonically or increases stepwise.

6. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an amount of deviation of an optical axis of a pixel from an optical axis of the microlens corresponding to the pixel is defined based on a value of (0, Y₁, Z₁).

7. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the microlens array is formed with a cylindrical lens array or an anamorphic lens array.

8. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light guiding unit includes:

(B-1) a light guide panel that propagates incident light therein by total reflection and then emits the light;

(B-2) a first deflecting unit that deflects light that has entered the light guide panel so that the light that has entered the light guide panel is totally reflected inside the light guide panel; and

(B-3) a second deflecting unit that deflects, more than once, the light propagated inside the light guide panel by total reflection so that the light propagated inside the light guide panel by total reflection is emitted from the light guide panel.

9. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmissive spatial light modulating device is formed with a transmissive liquid crystal display device.