WEARABLE DISPLAY FOR STEREOSCOPIC VIEWING

• US 20150338658A1
• Filed: 05/22/2015
• Published: 11/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2014
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Amalgamated Vision LLC
• Original Assignee: Amalgamated Vision LLC
• Inventors: Davis, Adam J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,268,041 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/332 Displays for viewing with the aid of special glasses or head-mounted displays [HMD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/365 using digital micromirror devices [DMD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2213/001 Constructional or mechanical details

Abstract

A wearable display apparatus for displaying an image has a source of modulated laser light and a scanning apparatus energizable to scan the modulated laser light from the source in a raster pattern and into the eye for forming an image. The scanning apparatus directs light into the eye of the viewer from a distance to the eye that is within the object focal length of the eye, positioned below the horizontal line of sight of the viewer, and disposed within a lower portion of the vertical peripheral field of view and substantially outside of the normal vertical field of view of the viewer. An optical fiber is disposed to direct the modulated laser light from the source to the scanning apparatus. A retaining band grips against the sides of the viewer'"'"'s head and that seats the scanning apparatus against the viewer'"'"'s face along or below the cheekbone.

Claims

1. A wearable display apparatus for displaying an image to an eye of a viewer comprising:

a) a source of modulated laser light;

b) a scanning apparatus that is energizable to scan the modulated laser light from the source in a raster pattern and into the eye of the viewer for forming an image,

wherein the scanning apparatus for the eye is;

(i) disposed to direct light into the eye of the viewer from a distance to the eye that is within the object focal length of the eye of the viewer;

(ii) positioned below the horizontal line of sight of the viewer; and

(iii) disposed within a lower portion of the vertical peripheral field of view of the viewer and substantially outside of the normal vertical field of view of the viewer;

c) an optical fiber disposed to direct the modulated laser light from the source to the scanning apparatus;

and

d) a retaining band that grips against the sides of the viewer'"'"'s head and that seats the scanning apparatus against the viewer'"'"'s face along or below the cheekbone.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the optical fiber is coupled to the retaining band.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the source of modulated light, the scanning apparatus, and the optical fiber form a left optical system that forms an image for a left eye and wherein the left optical system is duplicated to form a right optical system that forms a corresponding image for a right eye.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein a central portion of the retaining band between the scanning apparatus for the left and right eyes extends over the nasion.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the laser light includes red, green, and blue primary colors.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the scanning apparatus comprises a microelectromechanical system device that is positioned within the object focal length of the eye of the viewer.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the scanning apparatus further comprises a folding mirror that lies along a light path to a scanning mirror.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the scanning apparatus comprises a plurality of folding mirrors.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the scanning apparatus further comprises a beam expander that expands a width of a beam of the modulated laser light.

10. A wearable display apparatus for displaying a stereoscopic image pair to the left and right eyes of a viewer comprising:

a) a source of modulated laser light for each eye;

b) a scanning apparatus for each eye that is energizable to scan the modulated light from the source in a raster pattern and into the eye of the viewer for forming an image,

wherein the scanning apparatus for each eye is;

(i) disposed to direct light into the eye from a distance to the eye that is within the object focal length of the eye of the viewer;

(ii) positioned below the horizontal line of sight of the viewer;

(iii) disposed within a lower portion of the vertical peripheral field of view of the viewer and substantially outside of the normal vertical field of view of the viewer;

c) a corresponding right eye optical fiber and left eye optical fiber disposed to direct the modulated laser light from each corresponding source to each corresponding scanning apparatus;

and

d) a retaining band that grips against the sides of the viewer'"'"'s head and that seats each scanning apparatus against the viewer'"'"'s face along or below the cheekbone.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising a sensor fitted into the band and configured to provide a signal that is indicative of a gaze direction of the viewer'"'"'s eye relative to the band.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the signal is sensed to energize or de-energize the scanning apparatus for each eye.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising an optical relay element that directs light from the scanning apparatus into the eye of the viewer.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the optical relay element is a lens.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the optical relay element has a reflective surface.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the optical relay element is a refractive optical element.

17. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the optical scanning apparatus further comprises a beam expander that is disposed to provide beamwidth expansion of the modulated laser light.

18. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the optical element of the scanning apparatus that directs the light into the eye of the viewer and that is within the object focal length of the eye of the viewer is a microelectromechanical system device.

19. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the optical element of the scanning apparatus that directs the light into the eye of the viewer and that is within the object focal length of the eye of the viewer is an optical relay element.

20. A wearable display apparatus for forming a stereoscopic pair of virtual images to the left and right eyes of a viewer, the apparatus comprising, for forming each image of the stereoscopic pair:

a) a source of modulated laser light that is energizable to direct light having a first beam width into an optical fiber;

c) the optical fiber disposed to direct the modulated laser light from the source to a beam expander;

d) the beam expander comprising two or more lens elements that expand the modulated laser light to a second beam width that is larger than the first beam width;

e) a scanning apparatus that is disposed to direct the modulated light of the second beam width to a microelectromechanical systems device that is energizable to scan the modulated light in a raster pattern and toward the eye of the viewer for forming an image,

wherein the scanning apparatus for the eye is disposed within a retaining band that grips against the sides of the viewer'"'"'s head and that seats the scanning apparatus against the viewer'"'"'s face along or below the cheekbone; and

f) a relay lens element in the path of light from the microelectromechanical systems device and disposed within the object focal length of the eye of the viewer.