Ergonomic head mounted display device and optical system
First Claim
1. An image display system, comprising:
- a freeform optical waveguide prism having a first major surface and a second major surface, the first major surface of the optical waveguide prism which in use is positioned to at least one of receive actively projected images into the optical waveguide prism from an active image source or emit the actively projected images out of the optical waveguide prism and the second major surface of the optical waveguide prism which in use is positioned to receive images of a real-world ambient environment into the optical waveguide prism, which real-world ambient environment is external to the image display system, at least some portions of the first and the second major surfaces of the optical waveguide prism being refractive surfaces that internally propagate light entering the optical waveguide prism along at least a portion of a length of the optical waveguide prism;
a freeform compensation lens having a first major surface and a second major surface, the first major surface of the compensation lens having a shape that at least approximately matches a shape of the second major surface of the optical waveguide prism, the freeform compensation lens positioned relatively outwardly of the second major surface of the optical waveguide toward the real-world ambient environment to form a gap between the first major surface of the compensation lens and the second major surface of the optical waveguide prism; and
at least one coupling lens located between an image display unit and the freeform optical waveguide prism, the at least one coupling lens to guide light from the image display unit into the optical waveguide prism and correct for optical aberrations, the at least one coupling lens comprising a liquid lens which is selectively adjustable to adjust a focal plane of the image display system.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Optical systems such as image display systems include a freeform optical waveguide prism and a freeform compensation lens spaced therefrom by a gap of air or index cement. The compensation lens corrects for aberrations which the optical waveguide prism will introduce in light or images from an ambient real-world environment. The optical waveguide prism receives actively projected images at an entry location, and emits the projected images at an exit location after internally reflecting the images along an optical path therein. The image display system may include an image source and coupling optics. The approach permits design of an optical viewing device, for example in optical see-through HMDs, achieving an eyeglass-form appearance and a wide see-through field of view (FOV).
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. An image display system, comprising:
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a freeform optical waveguide prism having a first major surface and a second major surface, the first major surface of the optical waveguide prism which in use is positioned to at least one of receive actively projected images into the optical waveguide prism from an active image source or emit the actively projected images out of the optical waveguide prism and the second major surface of the optical waveguide prism which in use is positioned to receive images of a real-world ambient environment into the optical waveguide prism, which real-world ambient environment is external to the image display system, at least some portions of the first and the second major surfaces of the optical waveguide prism being refractive surfaces that internally propagate light entering the optical waveguide prism along at least a portion of a length of the optical waveguide prism; a freeform compensation lens having a first major surface and a second major surface, the first major surface of the compensation lens having a shape that at least approximately matches a shape of the second major surface of the optical waveguide prism, the freeform compensation lens positioned relatively outwardly of the second major surface of the optical waveguide toward the real-world ambient environment to form a gap between the first major surface of the compensation lens and the second major surface of the optical waveguide prism; and at least one coupling lens located between an image display unit and the freeform optical waveguide prism, the at least one coupling lens to guide light from the image display unit into the optical waveguide prism and correct for optical aberrations, the at least one coupling lens comprising a liquid lens which is selectively adjustable to adjust a focal plane of the image display system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An image display system, comprising:
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a freeform optical waveguide prism of a material having an index greater than one, a first major surface, a second major surface, and a peripheral edge that extends between a perimeter of the first major surface and a perimeter of the second major surface of the optical waveguide prism, the optical waveguide prism having an entry location on the first major surface of the optical waveguide prism at which actively projected images enter into the optical waveguide prism and an exit location on the first major surface of the optical waveguide prism at which the actively projected images exit the optical waveguide prism after a plurality of internal reflections along an optical path within the optical waveguide prism, the exit location is spaced along a length of the optical waveguide prism from the entry location; an image display unit positioned and oriented to provide images into the optical waveguide prism; and at least one coupling lens located between an image display unit and the freeform optical waveguide prism, the at least one coupling lens to guide light from the image display unit into the optical waveguide prism and correct for optical aberrations, the at least one coupling lens comprising a liquid lens that adjusts a focus of the at least one coupling lens at a speed sufficient to create two or more focal planes that are free from humanly perceptible conflicts between convergence and accommodation. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method for at least one image display comprising a freeform optical waveguide prism of a material having an index greater than one, a first major surface, a second major surface, and a peripheral edge that extends between a perimeter of the first major surface and a perimeter of the second major surface of the optical waveguide prism, the optical waveguide prism having an entry location on the first major surface of the optical waveguide prism and an exit location on the first major surface of the optical waveguide prism, the exit location being spaced along a length of the optical waveguide prism from the entry location, the method comprising:
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actively projecting, by at least one image display unit positioned and oriented to provide images into the optical waveguide prism, images at the entry location on the first major surface of the optical waveguide prism such that the actively projected images exit the optical waveguide prism at the exit location on the first major surface of the optical waveguide prism after a plurality of internal reflections along an optical path within the optical waveguide prism; guiding, by at least one coupling lens comprising a liquid lens located between the image display unit and the optical waveguide prism, light from the image display unit into the optical waveguide prism; and adjusting, by the liquid lens, a focus of the at least one coupling lens at a speed sufficient to create two or more focal planes that are free from humanly perceptible conflicts between convergence and accommodation. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification