Device For Presenting Information Near The Eyes

• US 20120326949A1
• Filed: 02/03/2011
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hans-Peter Haar, Jean-Michel Asfour
• Original Assignee: Hans-Peter Haar, Jean-Michel Asfour
• Inventors: Asfour, Jean-Michel, Haar, Hans-Peter
• Granted Patent: US 9,746,670 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/8
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0132 comprising binocular systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/08 with discontinuous faces, e.g. Fresnel lens diffractive Fresnel lenses G02B5/1876
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0006 Coupling light into the fibre in general G02B6/4298
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0008 the light being emitted at the end of the fibre

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for presenting information near the eyes, comprising a support (12) that can be carried on the head (10) of a user and comprising a monocular display unit (16) which is disposed on the support (12) and is positioned in a peripheral region of the field of vision of a first eye (14) of the user during use. According to a first aspect of the invention, a light-collecting unit (18, 20) on which ambient light can impinge is disposed on the support (12), and the light-collecting unit (18, 20) is coupled to the display unit (16) in order to illuminate same.

Claims

1. A device for presenting information near the eyes, having a holder (12) that can be worn on the head (10) of a user, preferably designed as headgear or eyeglasses, and a monocular display unit (16) disposed on the holder (12) and, when in use, positioned in a peripheral visual field of a first eye (14) of the user, characterized in that a light collecting unit (18, 20) that can be loaded by ambient light is disposed on the holder (12), and that the light collecting unit (18,20) is coupled with the display unit (16) for the illumination of said display unit.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the light collecting unit (18, 20) comprises a light conductor structure (32) which collects the ambient light on a preferably upward-facing entry surface (34) and emits the collected light onto an exit surface (50) coupled to the display unit (16).

3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the light collecting unit (18, 20) contains a fluorescent or phosphorescent coloring excitable by the collected ambient light in the green to yellow wavelength range for illumination.

4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the light collecting unit (18, 20) comprises a solar cell (20) for the operation of the display unit illumination, or a display unit that is self-lighting in accordance with the ambient light intensity.

5. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the display unit (16) comprises an auxiliary lighting source (52), powered by a battery, a storage capacitor and/or a solar cell (20), preferably coupled via the light conductor structure (32).

6. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the light collecting unit (18, 20) penetrates with transmitted light, or irradiates with incident light, one of the display surfaces (36) of the display unit (16) that displays information.

7. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the display unit (16) comprises a LCD module (40).

12. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the display unit (16) faces the first eye (14) of a user, comprising an optical lens (48), particularly in the form of a Fresnel lens.

13. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the display unit (16) is disposed as a structural unit with the optical lens (48) in a casing (46) that can be attached to the holder (12) in a fixed manner.

14. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the display unit (16) is disposed at an angle of more than 15°

with respect to the central axis of the monocular visual field of the first eye (14) preferably displaced upwards.

15. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the display unit (16) and, if applicable, the protective shield (22) on the lower surface of the part of the holder (12) protruding, when in use, above the eyes (14, 24), on the forehead of the user, disposed in particular on the visor (30) of a headgear.

16. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that information can be transmitted onto the display unit (16) via a control unit (56) and can be presented there visually via alphanumeric or graphic symbols (42, 44), and that the control unit (56) is preferably connected with an external information source (60) via a wireless data transmission path (62).

17. The device according to claim 16, characterized in that the control unit (56) is disposed on or in a part of the holder (12), in particular on a visor (30) of a head covering.

18. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that a switch unit (28) is disposed on the holder (12) for activating and/or toggling to the display unit (16).

8. A device for presenting information near the eyes, having a holder that can be worn on the head (10) of a user, preferably as a head covering, or eyeglasses (12), and a monocular display unit disposed on the holder (12) and positioned within a peripheral visual field of a first eye (14) of a user when in use, thus masking a first section of the visual field, characterized in that a protective shield (22) is disposed on the holder (12) in a peripheral visual field of the second eye (24) thus masking a second segment, such that the masked sections are adjusted to each other for the quick detection of the displayed information.

9. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that the contour and position of the protective shield (22) determined in such a way that the field of vision segments masked by the display unit (16) and the segments masked by the protective shield (22) correspond substantially in size and position relative to the respective eye (14, 24).

10. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that the position of a protective shield (22), preferably designed as a black light-absorbing aperture, and/or the display unit (16) can be adjusted on the holder (12), in particular in a guide.

11. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that the display unit (16) is located in a viewing axis of a first eye (14) and the protective shield (22) is located in a viewing axis of the second eye (24), and that the two viewing axes are substantially parallel to each other.