Display apparatus having curved image forming apparatus

• US 9,952,435 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2014
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Eiichi, Tatsuta, Hirokazu, Hasegawa, Shin, Hasegawa, Yuichi, Kawamoto, Kenta
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOW, JEFFREY J
• Application Number:
  US14/655,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20150346494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,439 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/011 comprising device for correcting geometrical aberrations, distortion
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0132 comprising binocular systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0147 comprising a device modifying the resolution of the displayed image
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/015 involving arrangement aiming to get less bulky devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0159 with mechanical means other than scaning means for positioning the whole image
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/02 Viewing or reading apparatus stereoscopic systems G02B30/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/00 Image enhancement or restoration
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/80 Geometric correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/64 Constructional details of receivers, e.g. cabinets or dust covers furniture aspects of television cabinets A47B81/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7491 of head mounted projectors

Abstract

A display apparatus includes a frame, an image display apparatus attached to the frame, and a distortion correction apparatus. The image display apparatus includes an image forming apparatus and an optical system configured to guide an image from the image forming apparatus to a pupil of an observer. When it is assumed that a direction, which corresponds to a first direction of the image, of the image forming apparatus is an X-direction and a direction, which corresponds to a second direction of the image which direction is different from the first direction, of the image forming apparatus is a Y-direction, the image forming apparatus is curved in the X-direction and/or in the Y-direction. The distortion correction apparatus corrects an input image signal to correct a distortion of an image to be observed.

Claims

1. A display apparatus comprising:

(1) a frame;

(2) an image display apparatus attached to the frame; and

(3) a distortion correction apparatus,

wherein the image display apparatus includes

(A) a curved image forming apparatus configured to generate an image and mounted to the frame out of a line of sight of an observer and

(B) an optical system configured to guide the image from the curved image forming apparatus to a pupil of the observer, the optical system including a reflecting mirror which reflects the image and a lens group on which the image reflected by the reflecting mirror is incident, wherein the reflecting mirror is disposed in the line of sight of the observer and reflects the image from the curved image forming apparatus through the lens group to the pupil of the observer,

when it is assumed that a direction, which corresponds to a first direction of the image, of the image forming apparatus is an X-direction and a direction, which corresponds to a second direction of the image which direction is different from the first direction, of the image forming apparatus is a Y-direction, the image forming apparatus is curved in the X-direction or the Y-direction, or in the X-direction and the Y-direction, and

the distortion correction apparatus corrects an input image signal to correct a distortion of the image to be observed.

2. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the distortion correction apparatus corrects the input image signal in such a manner that a barrel distortion or a pincushion distortion is applied to an input image signal to be corrected.

3. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the distortion correction apparatus corrects, with respect to the input image signal, at least an image signal corresponding to both ends of the image forming apparatus and a part nearby to correct at least a distortion of an image at both of the ends of the image forming apparatus and the part nearby.

4. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image display apparatus further includes a supporting member configured to support the image forming apparatus, and

a supporting surface of the supporting member configured to support the image forming apparatus is curved in the X-direction or the Y-direction, or in the X-direction and the Y-direction, whereby the image forming apparatus is curved.

5. The display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the supporting member includes a pressing member,

an outer shape of the image forming apparatus is a rectangular shape, and

an outer peripheral part of the image forming apparatus which part is extended in the X-direction is fixed to the supporting member by the pressing member.

6. The display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein an outer shape of the image forming apparatus is a rectangular shape, and

an outer peripheral part of the image forming apparatus which part is extended in the X-direction is sandwiched by the supporting member.

7. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image display apparatus includes an apparatus of adjusting a distance between an image forming apparatus and an optical system which apparatus is configured to adjust a distance between the image forming apparatus and the optical system.

8. The display apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a display control apparatus configured to control a size of a whole image from the image forming apparatus according to the distance between the image forming apparatus and the optical system.

9. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image display apparatus includes an apparatus of adjusting a distance between a pupil and the optical system which apparatus is configured to adjust a distance between the optical system and the pupil of the observer.

10. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when it is assumed that an axis which passes through a predetermined point of the image forming apparatus and which is parallel in the X-direction is an X-axis and an axis which passes through a predetermined point of the image forming apparatus and which is parallel in the Y-direction is a Y-axis, the image display apparatus further includes a rotation apparatus configured to rotate the image forming apparatus with at least one of the X-axis, the Y-axis, and a Z-axis as a center.

11. The display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a moving apparatus configured to move the image forming apparatus in the X-direction with respect to the optical system.

12. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an image display apparatus for a left eye and an image display apparatus for a right eye are attached to the frame, and

each image display apparatus includes (A) an image forming apparatus and (B) an optical system configured to guide the image from the image forming apparatus to the pupil of the observer.

13. The display apparatus according to claim 12, wherein each of the optical systems includes a reflecting mirror configured to reflect the image from the image forming apparatus and a lens group which is arranged between the pupil of the observer and the reflecting mirror and into which the image reflected by the reflecting mirror becomes incident, and

a normal of the reflecting mirror included in the optical system of the image display apparatus for a left eye and a normal of the reflecting mirror included in the optical system of the image display apparatus for a right eye intersect with each other in a space on an opposite side of the observer with respect to the reflecting mirrors.

14. The display apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the normal of the reflecting mirror included in the optical system of the image display apparatus for a left eye and the normal of the reflecting mirror included in the optical system of the image display apparatus for a right eye intersect with each other in a space lower than a virtual plane including both pupils of the observer and an infinite distance.

15. The display apparatus according to claim 14, wherein when it is assumed that the virtual plane including both of the pupils of the observer and the infinite distance is an xy plane, a straight line which connects both of the pupils of the observer is an x-axis, an optical axis of a right eye of the observer is an y-axis, a point on the reflecting mirror at which point an optical axis of the lens group included in the optical system of the image display apparatus for a right eye collides with the reflecting mirror is a collision point of a reflecting mirror for a right eye and an optical axis, and the reflecting mirror included in the optical system of the image display apparatus for a right eye is arranged in parallel with an xz plane, and when it is further assumed that an axis on the reflecting mirror which axis passes through the collision point of a reflecting mirror for a right eye and an optical axis and is in parallel with the xy plane is a ζ

-axis and an axis on the reflecting mirror which axis passes through the collision point of a reflecting mirror for a right eye and an optical axis and is orthogonal to the ζ

-axis is an η

-axis,

a plane mirror included in the optical system of the image display apparatus for a right eye is rotated for an angle θ

₁=45°

±

5°

with the ζ

-axis as a center and with an upper part of the plane mirror being rotated in a direction away from the observer and is also rotated for an angle θ

₂=7°

to 21°

with the η

-axis as a center and with a right end of the plane mirror being rotated in the direction away from the observer, and

the image forming apparatus and the optical system of the image display apparatus for a left eye and the image forming apparatus and the optical system of the image display apparatus for a right eye are arranged in a mirror-symmetrical manner with respect to a virtual plane which passes through a midpoint of a line segment to connect both of the pupils of the observer and is in parallel with a yz plane.

16. The display apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the image forming apparatus is arranged in an upper part of the reflecting mirror.

17. The display apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising an apparatus of adjusting a distance between image display apparatuses which apparatus is configured to adjust a distance between the image display apparatus for a left eye and the image display apparatus for a right eye.

18. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus includes an organic electroluminescence display apparatus.

19. A display apparatus comprising:

(1) a frame; and

(2) an image display apparatus attached to the frame,

wherein the image display apparatus includes

(A) a curved image forming apparatus configured to generate an image and mounted to the frame out of a line of sight of an observer and

(B) an optical system configured to guide the image from the curved image forming apparatus to a pupil of the observer, the optical system including a reflecting mirror which reflects the image and a lens group on which the image reflected by the reflecting mirror is incident, wherein the reflecting mirror is disposed in the line of sight of the observer and reflects the image from the curved image forming apparatus through the lens group to the pupil of the observer,

when it is assumed that a direction, which corresponds to a first direction of the image, of the image forming apparatus is an X-direction and a direction, which corresponds to a second direction of the image which direction is different from the first direction, of the image forming apparatus is a Y-direction, the image forming apparatus is curved in the X-direction or the Y-direction, or in the X-direction and the Y-direction, and

the optical system is arranged in such a manner that the image displayed on the image forming apparatus reaches the pupil of the observer in a defocus state.

20. The display apparatus according to claim 19, wherein resolution in a horizontal direction of the image is uniformed by the optical system being arranged in such a manner that the image displayed on the image forming apparatus reaches the pupil of the observer in the defocus state.