Collimating display with pixel lenses

• US 9,720,228 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2011
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Smith, David Alan, Harrison, Gregory A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sugarman, Scott J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Vipin
• Application Number:
  US13/327,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20120154920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,056 Days
• Field of Search: 359629-633, 359619
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0147 comprising a device modifying the resolution of the displayed image
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• 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

Abstract

A display assembly (515) includes: (a) an image display system (10) which includes an array of pixels (120) and (b) an array of pixel lenses (115). The array of pixel lenses has each lens positioned to collimate or substantially collimate light from a corresponding single pixel of the array of pixels. The display assembly (515) is used in a head-mounted display apparatus (500) which includes a frame (510) to support the display assembly (515) a desired distance from a user'"'"'s eyes. The head-mounted display apparatus may also include a beam splitter (520) to reflect images from the display assembly (515) to the user'"'"'s eyes. The head-mounted display apparatus may provide a wide field of view to the user and may be of the augmented-reality or immersive type.

Claims

1. A head-mounted display apparatus comprising:

a frame adapted to be mounted on a nominal user'"'"'s head;

a display assembly comprising;

an image display system having a light-emitting surface which comprises an array of light-emitting pixels; and

an array of pixel lenses;

said display assembly being supported by the frame;

a reflective optical surface supported by the frame; and

the array of pixel lenses facing the reflective optical surface and having a different one pixel lens for each light-emitting pixel of the array of light-emitting pixels, said one pixel lens being aligned with and configured to receive light from its associated light-emitting pixel wherein the array of pixel lenses either alone or in combination with the reflective optical surface is configured to collimate or substantially collimate the light emitted from the array of light-emitting pixels, wherein the display assembly is convexly curved towards the reflective optical surface and is supported by the frame at a position that is outside a light path from the reflective optical surface to an eye of the nominal user.

2. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 1 wherein the reflective optical surface is flat and the array of pixel lenses alone is configured to collimate or substantially collimate the light emitted from the array of light-emitting pixels.

3. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 1 wherein the reflective optical surface is curved and the array of pixel lenses and the reflective optical surface in combination are configured to collimate or substantially collimate the light emitted from the array of light-emitting pixels.

4. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 1 wherein the reflective optical surface is a continuous surface that is not rotationally symmetric about any coordinate axis of a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system.

5. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the reflective optical surface and the array of pixel lenses produce different spatially-separated virtual images of spatially-separated portions of the light-emitting surface, at least one of the spatially-separated virtual images being angularly separated from at least one other of the spatially-separated virtual images by an angular separation of at least 100 degrees, said angular separation being measured from the center of rotation of the eye of the nominal user.

6. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 5 wherein:

the at least one of the spatially-separated virtual images is angularly separated from the at least one other of the spatially-separated virtual images by at least 150 degrees; and

the at least one point of the reflective optical surface is angularly separated from the at least one other point of the reflective optical surface by at least 150 degrees.

7. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 5 wherein:

the at least one of the spatially-separated virtual images is angularly separated from the at least one other of the spatially-separated virtual images by at least 200 degrees; and

the at least one point of the reflective optical surface is angularly separated from the at least one other point of the reflective optical surface by at least 200 degrees.

8. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 1 wherein the reflective optical surface is semi-transparent.

9. A head-mounted display apparatus comprising:

a frame adapted to be mounted on a user'"'"'s head;

an image display system having a light-emitting surface which comprises an array of light-emitting pixels, said image display system being supported by the frame;

a free-space, ultra-wide angle, reflective optical surface supported by the frame; and

an array of pixel lenses located between the array of light-emitting pixels and the free-space, ultra-wide angle, reflective optical surface, the array having a different one pixel lens for each light-emitting pixel of the array of light-emitting pixels, each said one pixel lens being aligned with and configured to receive light from its associated light-emitting pixel wherein the free-space, ultra-wide angle, reflective optical surface and the array of pixel lenses produce different spatially-separated virtual images of spatially-separated portions of the light-emitting surface, at least one of the spatially-separated virtual images being angularly separated from at least one other of the spatially-separated virtual images by an angular separation of at least 100 degrees, the angular separation being measured from a center of rotation of a nominal user'"'"'s eye.

10. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 9 wherein the array of pixel lenses in combination with the free-space, ultra-wide angle, reflective optical surface collimates or substantially collimates the light emitted from the array of light-emitting pixels.

11. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 9 wherein the array of pixel lenses alone collimates or substantially collimates the light emitted from the array of light-emitting pixels.

12. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 9 wherein the at least one of the spatially-separated virtual images is angularly separated from the at least one other of the spatially-separated virtual images by at least 150 degrees.

13. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 9 wherein the at least one of the spatially-separated virtual images is angularly separated from the at least one other of the spatially-separated virtual images by at least 200 degrees.

14. The head-mounted display apparatus of claim 9 wherein the free-space, ultra-wide angle, reflective optical surface is semi-transparent.

15. A method comprising the steps of:

generating an image by a display assembly comprising an image display system having a light-emitting surface which comprises an array of light-emitting pixels, and an array of pixel lenses, the display assembly being convexly curved towards a reflector and being supported by a frame at a position that is outside a light path from the reflector to an eye of a user;

independently collimating or substantially collimating light from each respective one light-emitting pixel of the array of light-emitting pixels by a different respective one pixel lens of the array of pixel lenses aligned with the array of light-emitting pixels;

providing the collimated or substantially collimated light from the array of pixel lenses to a reflector positioned relative to the eye of the user; and

reflecting the collimated or substantially collimated light from the reflector to the eye of the user.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the reflector comprises a beam splitter and the method further comprises passing external light through the reflector to provide a view of an environment external to the reflector to the eye of the user.