Image display apparatus and object apparatus

• US 10,663,721 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2016
• Issued: 05/26/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Ichii, Daisuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Michaud, Robert J
• Application Number:
  US15/141,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20160320616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0112 comprising device for genereting colour display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0145 creating an intermediate 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 2027/0181 Adaptation to the pilot/driver
• 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 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0149 characterised by mechanical features G02B27/0176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0179 Display position adjusting means not related to the information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/20 Linear translation of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. panning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

An image display apparatus (1000) mounted on an object or attached to a human body, includes: an image forming unit (200) to form an image with light; an optical system including a curved mirror (9) that reflects the light forming the image toward a bent transmission and reflection member; and a rotator (310) to rotate the curved mirror (9) about a prescribed axis. A first projection image, which is a projection image on an XY plane of the image, forms an angle θ1 with respect to an X direction. A second projection image, which is a projection image on an XY plane of the prescribed axis, forms an angle θ2 with respect to the X direction. The X denotes a lateral direction of the object or the human body and the Y direction denotes a vertical direction of the object or the human body.

Claims

1. An image display apparatus mounted on an object or attached to a human body, the image display apparatus comprising:

an image forming unit configured to form an image with light, the image forming unit including a to-be-scanned surface;

an optical system including a curved mirror that reflects the image from the image forming unit toward a bent transmission and reflection member; and

a rotator configured to rotate the curved mirror about a prescribed axis, wherein

a first projection image, which is a projection image on an XY plane of the to-be-scanned surface, has a longer side that forms an angle θ

1 of tilt with respect to an X axis of the XY plane of the to-be-scanned surface, and

a second projection image, which is a projection image on an XY plane of the curved mirror, has a longer side that forms an angle θ

2 of tilt with respect to the X axis of the XY plane of the curved mirror,

where the X denotes a lateral direction of the object or the human body and the Y direction denotes a vertical direction of the object or the human body, and the angle θ

1 and the angle θ

2 satisfy the condition |θ

1|≠

|θ

2|.

2. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first projection image and the second projection image have the same oblique directions with respect to the X direction.

3. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the angle θ

1 and the angle θ

2 satisfy the condition 0<

|θ

1|<

|θ

2|.

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

1 satisfies the condition 5°

<

θ

1<

30°

.

5. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the angle θ

2 satisfies the condition 10°

<

θ

2<

40°

.

6. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a processing device configured to adjust a position of the image in the X direction in response to rotation of the curved mirror about the prescribed axis by the rotator.

7. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to adjust the angle θ

2 in response to the rotation of the curved mirror about the prescribed axis by the rotator.

8. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein X1/X2>

Y1/Y2>

10 is established, where X1 denotes a length of the X direction of a virtual image of the image visually recognized through the transmission and reflection member, Y1 denotes a length of the Y direction, X2 denotes a length of the X direction of the image, and Y2 denotes a length of the Y direction.

9. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical system is arranged on an optical path between the image forming unit and the curved mirror, and further includes a mirror that folds back the optical path.

10. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the curved mirror is a concave mirror.

11. The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the object is a mobile object, and the transmission and reflection member is a windshield of the mobile object.

12. An object apparatus comprising:

the image display apparatus according to claim 1;

wherein

the object is equipped with the image display apparatus.

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

the image forming unit includes a two-dimensional deflector, or a spatial light modulator.

14. An image display apparatus mounted on an object or attached to a human body, the image display apparatus comprising:

an image forming unit configured to form an image with light, the image forming unit including a to-be-scanned surface;

an optical system including a curved mirror that reflects the image from the image forming unit toward a bent transmission and reflection member;

a rotator configured to rotate the curved mirror about a prescribed axis; and

a processing device configured to adjust a position of the image in an X direction in response to rotation of the curved mirror about the prescribed axis by the rotator, wherein

a projection image on an XY plane of the to-be scanned surface has a longer side that forms an angle θ

1 of tilt of the first projection image with respect to an X axis of the XY plane of the to-be-scanned surface, where the X denotes a lateral direction of the object or the human body and the Y direction denotes a vertical direction of the object or the human body, and

the prescribed axis forms an angle θ

2 of tilt of the second projection image with respect to the X axis of the XY plane of the curved mirror, and the angle θ

1 and the angle θ

2 satisfy the condition |θ

1|≠

|θ

2|.

15. The image display apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the angle θ

1 and the angle θ

2 satisfy the condition 0<

|θ

2|<

|θ

1|.

16. The image display apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the angle θ

1 satisfies the condition 5°

<

θ

1<

30°

.

17. An object apparatus comprising:

the image display apparatus according to claim 14;

wherein

the object is equipped with the image display apparatus.

18. The image display apparatus according to claim 14, wherein

the image forming unit includes a two-dimensional deflector, or a spatial light modulator.

19. An image display apparatus mounted on an object or attached to a human body, the image display apparatus comprising:

an optical system including a to-be-scanned surface and a curved mirror that reflects light forming an image received from the to-be-scanned surface toward a bent transmission and reflection member; and

a rotator configured to rotate the curved mirror about a prescribed axis, wherein

a first projection image, which is a projection image on an XY plane of the to-be-scanned surface, has a longer side that forms an angle θ

1 of tilt with respect to an X axis of the XY plane of the to-be-scanned surface, and

a second projection image, which is a projection image on an XY plane of the curved mirror, has a longer side that forms an angle θ

2 of tilt with respect to the X axis of the XY plane of the curved mirror,

where the X denotes a lateral direction of the object or the human body and the Y direction denotes a vertical direction of the object or the human body, and the angle θ

1 and the angle θ

2 satisfy the condition |θ

1|≠

|θ

2|.