See-through computer display systems

• US 10,001,644 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2014
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mentor Acquisition One, LLC (Magic Leap, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Osterhout Design Group
• Inventors: Border, John N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mack, Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): Manikeu, Daniele
• Application Number:
  US14/562,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20150205107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: 359630, 359633, 345 7, 345 8
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/015 involving arrangement aiming to get less bulky devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0152 involving arrangement aiming to get lighter or better balanced devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0174 holographic
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0194 with combiner of laminated type, for optical or mechanical aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0833 the reflecting element being a micromechanical device, e.g. a MEMS mirror, DMD G02B26/0825 takes precedence; micromechanical devices in general B81B
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0093 with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/10 Beam splitting or combining systems polarising systems G02B27/28; mixing and splitting light signals using optical waveguides G02B6/28; beam shaping, e.g. changing the cross-sectional area, by dividing or superposing multiple light beams G02B27/0905
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1033 having a single light modulator for all colour channels
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/144 using partially transparent surfaces without spectral selectivity G02B27/147 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/283 used for beam splitting or combining
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention relate to providing see-through computer display optics.

Claims

1. A see-through head mounted display with controllable light blocking comprising:

a. an optics module comprising a light source, an image source, and an angled partially-reflective surface, wherein the light source and the image source are positioned opposite one another on opposite sides of the angled partially-reflective surface, wherein the light source projects light through the angled partially-reflective surface to the image source, the image source projects image light to the angled partially-reflective surface, and the angled partially-reflective surface reflects the image light towards a flat combiner;

b. the flat combiner positioned to reflect the image light while simultaneously transmitting more than 50% of incident light from an environment, along an optical axis that proceeds to a user'"'"'s eye to provide a view of a displayed image overlaid onto a see-through view of the environment;

c. an eye imaging camera positioned to image the user'"'"'s eye directly through the angled partially-reflective surface, wherein the eye imaging camera is positioned to capture an image of the user'"'"'s eye that has a perspective from directly in front of the user'"'"'s eye to provide an undistorted image of the user'"'"'s eye; and

d. a controllable light blocking element to block incident light from the environment incident on the same optical axis as the image light.

2. The see-through head mounted display of claim 1, wherein the optics module includes a DLP image source.

3. The see-through head mounted display of claim 1, wherein the optics module includes an LCoS image source.

4. The see-through head mounted display of claim 1, wherein the optics module includes an emissive image source.

5. The see-through head mounted display of claim 1, wherein the image light proceeds along a multiply folded optical axis in the optics module to provide the optics module with reduced thickness and height.

6. The see-through head mounted display of claim 3, wherein at least one of a multiple of folds of the multiply folded optical axis occurs in a plane that is perpendicular to the optical axis that proceeds to the user'"'"'s eye.

7. The see-through head mounted display of claim 1, wherein the flat combiner is a partial mirror.

8. The see-through head mounted display of claim 1, wherein the flat combiner is a notch mirror.

9. The see-through head mounted display of claim 1, wherein the controllable light blocking element comprises at least one of an electrochromic element, a polymer stabilized liquid crystal and a ferroelectric liquid crystal.

10. The see-through head mounted display of claim 1, wherein the controllable light blocking element is attached to a lower surface of the flat combiner.

11. The see-through head mounted display of claim 1, wherein the controllable light blocking element is attached to a sidewall of the optics module adjacent to the flat combiner.

12. The see-through head mounted display of claim 1, wherein the controllable light blocking element is segmented to provide an array of areas that are separately selectably controlled.

13. The see-through head mounted display of claim 12, wherein the array of areas are selectably controlled to block portions of the flat combiner that correspond to high contrast areas in the displayed image.

14. The see-through head mounted display of claim 12, wherein the array of areas are selectably controlled to block portions of the flat combiner that correspond to areas where information or objects are displayed.