Visual display apparatus
First Claim
1. A visual display apparatus comprising:
- an image display means for displaying an image; and
an ocular optical system for projecting an image formed by said image-display means and for leading the projected image to an observer'"'"'s eyeball;
said image-display means having means for limiting a viewing angle;
said ocular optical system having at least two semitransparent surfaces being defined as first and second semitransparent surfaces in order from the observer'"'"'s eyeball side,said second semitransparent surface being a curved surface which is concave toward the observer'"'"'s eyeball side, so that light rays emanating from said image display means first pass through said second semitransparent curved surface, and are reflected by said first semitransparent surface, and the reflected light rays are further reflected by said second semitransparent curved surface, and then pass through said first semitransparent surface to enter the observer'"'"'s eyeball, andsaid at least two semitransparent surfaces being disposed such that at least said first semitransparent surface is decentered with respect to an observer'"'"'s visual axis directed to see a center of the projected image,wherein said means for limiting a viewing angle is a louver optical system.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A small-sized, lightweight and inexpensive visual display apparatus which enables observation of a full-color image at a wide field angle, which is clear and flat as far as the edges thereof, without using a costly element such as a polarizing element. The visual display apparatus has an image display device (4), and an ocular optical system for projecting an image formed by the image display device (4) and for leading the projected image to an observer'"'"'s eyeball. The image display device (4) has a louver (10) for limiting the viewing angle. The ocular optical system has two semitransparent surfaces (2 and 3). The second semitransparent surface (3) is a curved surface which is concave toward the observer'"'"'s eyeball side, so that light rays emanating from the image display device (4) first pass through the second semitransparent curved surface (3), and are reflected by the first semitransparent surface (2). The reflected light rays are further reflected by the second semitransparent curved surface (3), and then pass through the first semitransparent surface (2) to enter the observer'"'"'s eyeball. Further, the two semitransparent surfaces (2 and 3) are disposed such that at least the first semitransparent surface (2) is decentered with respect to the observer'"'"'s visual axis directed to see the center of the projected image.
106 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A visual display apparatus comprising:
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an image display means for displaying an image; and an ocular optical system for projecting an image formed by said image-display means and for leading the projected image to an observer'"'"'s eyeball; said image-display means having means for limiting a viewing angle; said ocular optical system having at least two semitransparent surfaces being defined as first and second semitransparent surfaces in order from the observer'"'"'s eyeball side, said second semitransparent surface being a curved surface which is concave toward the observer'"'"'s eyeball side, so that light rays emanating from said image display means first pass through said second semitransparent curved surface, and are reflected by said first semitransparent surface, and the reflected light rays are further reflected by said second semitransparent curved surface, and then pass through said first semitransparent surface to enter the observer'"'"'s eyeball, and said at least two semitransparent surfaces being disposed such that at least said first semitransparent surface is decentered with respect to an observer'"'"'s visual axis directed to see a center of the projected image, wherein said means for limiting a viewing angle is a louver optical system. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A visual display apparatus comprising:
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an image display means for displaying an image; and an ocular optical system for projecting an image formed by said image display means and for leading the projected image to an observer'"'"'s eyeball, said ocular optical system having at least two semitransparent surfaces, said at least two semitransparent surfaces being defined as first and second semitransparent surfaces in order from the observer'"'"'s eyeball side, said second semitransparent surface being a curved surface which is concave toward the observer'"'"'s eyeball side, so that light rays emanating from said image display means first pass through said second semitransparent curved surface, and are reflected by said first semitransparent surface, and then reflected light rays are further reflected by said second semitransparent surface to enter the observer'"'"'s eyeball, said image display means being tilted with respect to an axial principal ray which emanates from a center of said image display means, and which is incident on an approximately central point of an observer'"'"'s eyeball-side exit pupil which is formed by said ocular optical system, wherein both the at least two semitransparent surfaces of said ocular optical system are curved surfaces which are concave toward the observer'"'"'s eyeball side. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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6. A visual display apparatus comprising:
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an image display means for displaying an image; and an ocular optical system for projecting an image formed by said image display means and for leading the projected image to an observer'"'"'s eyeball, said ocular optical system having at least two semitransparent surfaces, said at least two semitransparent surfaces being defined as first and second semitransparent surfaces in order from the observer'"'"'s eyeball side, said second semitransparent surface being a curved surface which is concave toward the observer'"'"'s eyeball side, so that light rays emanating from said image display means first pass through said second semitransparent curved surface, and are reflected by said first semitransparent surface, and then reflected light rays are further reflected by said second semitransparent surface to enter the observer'"'"'s eyeball, said image display means being tilted with respect to an axial principal ray which emanates from a center of said image display means, and which is incident on an approximately central point of an observer'"'"'s eyeball-side exit pupil which is formed by said ocular optical system, said image display means is also tilted with respect to an observer'"'"'s visual axis directed to see a center of the projected image, said image display means is at least 45°
tilted with respect to the observer'"'"'s visual axis directed to see a center of the projected image,wherein a tilt angle θ
1 of said first semitransparent surface with respect to said visual axis and a tilt angle θ
i of said image display means with respect to said visual axis satisfy the following condition;0.1<
θ
1 /θ
i <
0.9
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7. A visual display apparatus comprising:
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an image display means for displaying an image; and an ocular optical system for projecting an image formed by said image display means and for leading the projected image to an observer'"'"'s eyeball, said ocular optical system having at least two semitransparent surfaces, said at least two semitransparent surfaces being defined as first and second semitransparent surfaces in order from the observer'"'"'s eyeball side, said second semitransparent surface being a curved surface which is concave toward the observer'"'"'s eyeball side, so that light rays emanating from said image display means first pass through said second semitransparent curved surface, and are reflected by said first semitransparent surface, and then reflected light rays are further reflected by said second semitransparent surface to enter the observer'"'"'s eyeball, said image display means being tilted with respect to an axial principal ray which emanates from a center of said image display means, and which is incident on an approximately central point of an observer'"'"'s eyeball-side exit pupil which is formed by said ocular optical system, said image display means is also tilted with respect to an observer'"'"'s visual axis directed to see a center of the projected image, said image display means is at least 45°
tilted with respect to the observer'"'"'s visual axis directed to see a center of the projected image,wherein a tilt angle θ
1 of said first semitransparent surface with respect o said visual axis and a tilt angle θ
i of said image display means with respect to said visual axis satisfy the following condition;0.2<
θ
1 /θ
i <
0.7
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8. A visual display apparatus comprising:
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an image display means for displaying an image; and an ocular optical system for projecting an image formed by said image display means and for leading the projected image to an observer'"'"'s eyeball, said ocular optical system having at least two semitransparent surfaces, said at least two semitransparent surfaces being defined as first and second semitransparent surfaces in order from the observer'"'"'s eyeball side, said second semitransparent surface being a curved surface which is concave toward the observer'"'"'s eyeball side, so that light rays emanating from said image display means first pass through said second semitransparent curved surface, and are reflected by said first semitransparent surface, and then reflected light rays are further reflected by said second semitransparent surface to enter the observer'"'"'s eyeball, said image display means being tilted with respect to an axial principal ray which emanates from a center of said image display means, and which is incident on an approximately central point of an observer'"'"'s eyeball-side exit pupil which is formed by said ocular optical system, said image display means is also tilted with respect to an observer'"'"'s visual axis directed to see a center of the projected image, said image display means is at least 45°
tilted with respect to the observer'"'"'s visual axis directed to see a center of the projected image,wherein a tilt angle θ
1 of said first semitransparent surface with respect to said visual axis and a tilt angle θ
i of said image display means with respect to said visual axis satisfy the following condition;0.3<
θ
1 /θ
i <
0.6.
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12. A visual display apparatus comprising:
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a face-mounted unit body having means for displaying an image, and an ocular optical system for projecting an image formed by said image display means and for leading the projected image to an observer'"'"'s eyeball; and a support member for supporting said face-mounted unit body on an observer'"'"'s head; said image display means being disposed so that an extension of an optical axis exiting from said image display means obliquely intersects a straight extension of an optical axis exiting from said ocular optical system toward the observer'"'"'s eyeball, said straight extension being defined as a visual axis; and said ocular optical system having a first surface which has a concave surface directed toward the observer'"'"'s eyeball, and a second surface which is disposed more away from said observer'"'"'s eyeball than said first surface, said second surface having a concave surface directed toward said observer'"'"'s eyeball, said first and second surfaces being formed so that light rays emitted from said image display means are reflected by at least said first surface, and the reflected light rays are reflected by said second surface and then pass through said first surface to enter said observer'"'"'s eyeball. - View Dependent Claims (13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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14. A visual display apparatus comprising:
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a face-mounted unit body having means for displaying an image, and an ocular optical system for protecting an image formed by said image display means and for leading the projected image to an observer'"'"'s eyeball; and a support member for supporting said face-mounted unit body on an observer'"'"'s head; said image display means being disposed so that an extension of an optical axis exiting from said image display means obliquely intersects a straight extension of an optical axis exiting from said ocular optical system toward the observer'"'"'s eyeball, said straight extension being defined as a visual axis; said ocular optical system having a first surface which has a concave surface directed toward the observer'"'"'s eyeball, and a second surface which is disposed more away from said observer'"'"'s eyeball than said first surfacer, said second surface having a concave surface directed toward said observer'"'"'s eyeball, said first and second surfaces being formed so that light rays emitted from said image display means are reflected by at least said first surface, and the reflected light rays are reflected by said second surface and then pass through said first surface to enter said observer'"'"'s eyeball; and said ocular optical system includes a prism having a medium member with a refractive index n larger than 1 (n>
1) between said first surface and said second surface, so that light rays emitted from said image display means are reflected by at least said first surface, and the reflected light rays pass through said medium, are reflected by said second surface, repass through said medium, and pass through said first surface.
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Specification