Vision Equipment Comprising an Optical Strip with a Controlled Coefficient of Light Transmission

• US 20110240834A1
• Filed: 10/05/2010
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beijing Voyager Technology Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Thales SA
• Inventors: Baudou, Joël, François, Jean-Michel, Laluque, Laurent
• Granted Patent: US 8,487,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/214.AL
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/012 comprising devices for attenuating parasitic image effects
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted

Abstract

The invention relates to vision equipment including a translucent optical strip covering all or some of the visual field of the user of the said equipment and a device for projecting images onto the said strip in at least one zone of the visual field of the user, called the image-projection zone. The optical strip includes a plurality of zones covered by a layer of material with a controlled coefficient of light transmission, a zone at least covering the image-projection zone and in that the vision equipment also comprises a means for controlling the coefficient of light transmission capable of receiving status information and of controlling the coefficient of light transmission of each of the zones and independently of one another as a function of the said status information. The invention preferably applies to helmet visor equipment or head-up displays for an aircraft cockpit and to vision equipment in the motor vehicle field.

Claims

1. Vision equipment comprising a translucent optical strip covering all or some of the visual field of the user of the said equipment and a device for projecting images onto the said strip in at least one zone of the visual field of the user, called the image-projection zone, wherein the optical strip comprises a plurality of zones covered by a layer of material with a controlled coefficient of light transmission of the photochromic type, a zone at least covering the image-projection zone and

the vision equipment further comprises a means for controlling the coefficient of light transmission comprising a means for activating the photochromic reaction onto at least one zone of the optical strip in order to control the coefficient of light transmission of the zone capable of receiving status information and of controlling the coefficient of light transmission of each of the zones and independently of one another as a function of the said status information.

2. The vision equipment according to claim 1, further comprising a device for detecting the posture of the user calculating status information relating to the direction of the gaze of the user so as to transit it to the control means in order to control the coefficient of light transmission of at least the projection zone as a function of the direction of gaze of the user.

3. The vision equipment according to claim 1, further comprising a manual control device calculating status information relating to levels of light transmission so as to transmit it to the control means in order to control the coefficient of light transmission of at least the projection zone according to a desired level.

4. The vision equipment according to claim 1, further comprising a photosensitive component determining status information relating to the luminosity level of the space around the optical strip so as to transmit it to the control means in order to control the coefficient of light transmission of at least the projection zone according to the luminosity level.

5. The vision equipment according to claim 1, wherein the means for activating the photochromic reaction is a system for projecting ultraviolet rays.

6. The vision equipment according to claim 5, wherein the system for projecting ultraviolet rays comprises a plurality of ultraviolet-ray light-emitting diodes.

7. The vision equipment according to claim 6, wherein the system for projecting ultraviolet rays comprises optical control means for delimiting the projection zones of ultraviolet rays and for controlling the time of exposure to the ultraviolet rays of the said zones.

8. The vision equipment according to claim 1, being mounted on a helmet and wherein the optical strip of the equipment is a visor of the said helmet.