Image display apparatus

• US 6,081,304 A
• Filed: 11/20/1998
• Issued: 06/27/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Yamada, Keizou, Kuriyama, Toshihide
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HANSEN, JAMES ORVILLE
• Application Number:
  US09/196,557
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 348/825, 348/838, 359/482, 359/879, 359/880, 351/41, 351/50, 345/7, 345/8, 345/9
• US Class Current: 348/838
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0132 comprising binocular systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7491 of head mounted projectors

Abstract

The present invention provides an image display apparatus capable of easily displaying a bright image having a sufficiently great field of view. The image display apparatus comprises: an optical scanner provided on a bow portion of a spectacle frame and having a movable mirror for deflecting/scanning a beam modulated by a video signal; and a first curved mirror and a second curved mirror provided at right and left of the lens for successively reflecting and focusing the scan beam to be projected into a pupil of a user to form a scanned image on a retina.

Claims

1. An image display apparatus adapted to display an image onto a retina of a user of said image display apparatus, comprising:

a lens supported by a frame;

an optical scanner provided adjacent to said frame for outputting a scan beam toward said lens;

a first mirror having a first curved reflecting surface and being formed at a predetermined position of said lens to reflect said scan beam from said optical scanner; and

a second mirror having a second curved reflecting surface and being formed at another predetermined position of said lens to reflect said beam reflected from said first curved mirror to a position adapted to correspond to a retina of a user of said image display apparatus.

2. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said frame is a spectacle frame and wherein said optical scanner is provided adjacent to a bow portion of said spectacle frame.

3. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein

said optical scanner includes a light source for outputting a light beam for displaying said scan image and a movable mirror for deflecting said light beam from said light source, said movable mirror being arranged in a vicinity of a focal point of said first curved mirror;

and

said second curved mirror is apart from said first curved mirror by a distance approximately equal to a sum of a focal distance of said first curved mirror and a focal distance of said second curved mirror.

4. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said first curved mirror has a focal distance greater than a focal distance of said second curved mirror.

5. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said optical scanner includes a light source for outputting a light beam for displaying said scan image and a movable mirror for deflecting said light beam from said light source, said movable mirror being arranged in a vicinity of a focal point of said first curved mirror;

and

said second curved mirror is apart from said first curved mirror by a distance approximately equal to a sum of a focal distance of said first curved mirror and a focal distance of said second curved mirror.

6. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said first curved mirror has a focal distant greater than a focal distance of said second curved mirror.

7. An image display apparatus adapted to display an image onto a retina of a user of said image display apparatus comprising:

a lens supported by a spectacle frame;

an optical scanner provided on said spectacle frame for outputting a scan beam toward said lens;

a first curved mirror formed at a predetermined position of said lens for reflecting said scan beam from said optical scanner; and

a second curved mirror formed at another predetermined position of said lens to reflect said scan beam reflected from said first curved mirror to a position adapted to correspond to a retina of a user of said image display apparatus,

wherein said optical scanner includes a light source for outputting a light beam for displaying said scan image and a movable mirror for deflecting said light beam from said light source, said movable mirror being arranged in a vicinity of a focal point of said first curved mirror;

wherein said second curved mirror is apart from said first curved mirror by a distance approximately equal to a sum of a focal distance of said first curved mirror and a focal distance of said second curved mirror, and

wherein said movable mirror is constituted by a single mirror capable of at least one of rotating and vibrating in a predetermined angle range around two intersecting axes.

8. An image display apparatus adapted to display an image onto a retina of a user of said image display apparatus, comprising:

a lens supported by a spectacle frame;

an optical scanner provided on said spectacle frame for outputting a scan beam toward said lens;

a first curved mirror formed at a predetermined position of said lens for reflecting said scan beam from said optical scanner; and

a second curved mirror formed at another predetermined position of sad lens to reflect said scan beam reflected from said first curved mirror to a position adapted to correspond to a retina of a user of said image display apparatus,

wherein said optical scanner is provided on a bow portion of said spectacle frame,

wherein said optical scanner includes a light source for outputting a light beam for displaying said scan image and a movable mirror for deflecting said light beam from said light source, said movable mirror being arranged in a vicinity of a focal point of said first curved mirror,

wherein said second curved mirror is apart from said first curved mirror by a distance approximately equal to a sum of a focal distance of said first curved mirror and a focal distance of said second curved mirror, and

wherein said movable mirror is constituted by a single mirror capable of at least one of rotating and vibrating in a predetermined angle range around two intersecting axes.

9. An image display apparatus adapted to display an image onto a retina of a user of said image display apparatus, comprising:

a lens supported by a spectacle frame;

an optical scanner provided on said spectacle frame for outputting a scan beam toward said lens;

a first curved mirror formed at a predetermined position of said lens for reflecting said scan beam from said optical scanner; and

a second curved mirror formed at another predetermined position of said lens to reflect said scan beam reflected from said first curved mirror to a position adapted to correspond to a retina of a user of said image display apparatus,

wherein said optical scanner includes a light source for outputting a light beam for displaying said scan image and a movable mirror for deflecting said light beam from said light source, said movable mirror being arranged in a vicinity of a focal point of said first curved mirror,

wherein said second curved mirror is apart from said first curved mirror by a distance approximately equal to a sum of a focal distance of said first curved mirror and a focal distance of said second curved mirror, and

wherein said movable mirror is constituted by two mirrors, each capable of at least one of rotating and vibrating in a predetermined angle range around an axis and wherein each of said axis are arranged so as to intersect each other.

10. An image display apparatus adapted to display an image onto a retina of a user of said image display apparatus, comprising:

a lens supported by a spectacle frame;

an optical scanner provided on said spectacle frame for outputting a scan beam toward said lens;

a first curved mirror formed at a predetermined position of said lens for reflecting said scan beam from said optical scanner; and

a second curved mirror formed at another predetermined position of said lens to reflect said scan beam reflected from said first curved mirror to a position adapted to correspond to a retina of a user of said image display apparatus,

wherein said optical scanner is provided on a bow portion of said spectacle frame,

wherein said optical scanner includes a light source for outputting a light beam for displaying said scan image and a movable mirror for deflecting said light beam from said light source, said movable mirror being arranged in a vicinity of a focal point of said first curved mirror,

wherein said second curved mirror is apart from said first curved mirror by a distance approximately equal to a sum of a focal distance of said first curved mirror and a focal distance of said second curved mirror, and

wherein said movable mirror is constituted by two mirrors, each capable of at least one of rotating and vibrating in a predetermined angle range around an axis and wherein each of said axis are arranged so as to intersect each other.

11. An image display apparatus adapted to display an image onto a retina of a user of said image display apparatus, comprising:

a lens supported by a spectacle frame;

an optical scanner provided on said spectacle frame for outputting a scan beam toward said lens;

a first curved mirror formed at a predetermined position of said lens for reflecting said scan beam from said optical scanner; and

a second curved mirror formed at another predetermined position of said lens to reflect said scan beam reflected from said first curved mirror to a position adapted to correspond to a retina of a user of said image display apparatus,

wherein said optical scanner includes a light source for outputting a light beam for displaying said scan image and a movable mirror for deflecting said light beam from said light source, said movable mirror being arranged in a vicinity of a focal point of said first curved mirror,

wherein said second curved mirror is apart from said first curved mirror by a distance approximately equal to a sum of a focal distance of said first curved mirror and a focal distance of said second curved mirror, and

wherein said light source is formed on a substrate including a plurality of semiconductor lasers for emitting beams of different oscillation wavelengths from one another and an optical wave-guide channel connected to said plurality of semiconductor lasers so as to output at least one scan beam from a single output end of said optical wave-guide channel.

12. An image display apparatus adapted to display an image onto a retina of a user of said image display apparatus, comprising:

a lens supported by a spectacle frame;

an optical scanner provided on said spectacle frame for outputting a scan beam toward said lens;

a first curved mirror formed at a predetermined position of said lens for reflecting said scan beam from said optical scanner; and

a second curved mirror formed at another predetermined position of said lens to reflect said scan beam reflected from said first curved mirror to a position adapted to correspond to a retina of a user of said image display apparatus,

wherein said optical scanner is provided on a bow portion of said spectacle frame,

wherein said optical scanner includes a light source for outputting a light beam for displaying said scan image and a movable mirror for deflecting said light beam from said light source, said movable mirror being arranged in a vicinity of a focal point of said first curved mirror,

wherein said second curved mirror is apart from said first curved mirror by a distance approximately equal to a sum of a focal distance of said first curved mirror and a focal distance of said second curved mirror, and

wherein said light source is formed on a substrate including a plurality of semiconductor lasers for emitting beams of different oscillation wavelengths from one another and an optical wave-guide channel connected to said plurality of semiconductor lasers so as to output at least one scan beam from a single output end of said optical wave-guide channel.

13. An image display apparatus for displaying an image onto a retina of a user of said image display apparatus comprising:

a lens supported by a frame;

an optical scanner provided adjacent to a portion of said frame and having a movable mirror for at least one of deflecting and scanning a light beam modulated by a video signal, so as to output a scan beam; and

a first curved mirror and a second curved mirror formed at a right side and at a left side of said lens for successively reflecting said scan beam to a position adapted to correspond to a retina of a user of said image display apparatus.

14. An image display apparatus adapted to display an image onto a retina of a user of said image display apparatus comprising:

a lens supported by a frame;

an optical scanner provided adjacent to said frame for outputting a scan beam having a first predetermined arc toward said lens;

a first mirror disposed at a predetermined position of said lens to reflect said scan beam from said optical scanner; and

a second mirror disposed at another predetermined position of said lens to focus said scan beam reflected from said first mirror to a focal point of said second mirror,

wherein a second predetermined arc, defined by said scan beam output by said second mirror and being measured from said focal point of said second mirror, is greater than said first predetermined arc, and

wherein said first mirror has a focal distance greater than a focal distance of said second mirror.

15. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein said optical scanner includes a light source for outputting a light beam and a movable mirror for deflecting said light beam from said light source, said movable mirror being arranged in a vicinity of a focal point of said first mirror;

and

said second mirror is set apart from said first mirror by a distance approximately equal to a sum of a focal distance of said first mirror and a focal distance of said second mirror.

16. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein said movable mirror comprises a single mirror configured to at least one of rotate and vibrate in a predetermined angle range around two intersecting axes.

17. An image display apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein said movable mirror comprises two mirrors, each of said two mirrors configured to at least one of rotate and vibrate in a predetermined angle range around a respective axis, and wherein each of said respective axis intersects with another of said respective axis.

18. An image display apparatus a claimed in claim 15, wherein said light source further comprises a plurality of semiconductor lasers disposed on a substrate, each of said plurality of semiconductor lasers emitting beams of predetermined oscillation wavelengths, and an optical wave-guide channel connected to said plurality of semiconductor lasers so as to output at least one scan beam from a single output end of said optical wave-guide channel.