Space-variant brightness control system for see-through displays

• US 6,169,526 B1
• Filed: 12/19/1997
• Issued: 01/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alliedsignal Inc.
• Original Assignee: Alliedsignal Inc.
• Inventors: Simpson, Robert G., Burne, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dinh, Duc Q.
• Application Number:
  US08/994,289
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 345/7, 345/8, 345/207
• US Class Current: 345/8
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted

Abstract

The visibility of an image projected onto a background of spatially and temporally varying brightness can be optimized by dynamically adjusting the brightness of the projected image. The brightness of the background is detected on a zone-by-zone basis and the brightnesses of the corresponding portions of the projected image are adjusted accordingly.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling the brightness of an image projected onto a background comparing a plurality of spatial zones, said apparatus comprising:

means for detecting the brightness of individual ones of the spatial zones of the background, the means for detecting the brightness comprising an array of photodetectors and a beam splitter; and

means, responsive to the detected brightness, for adjusting the brightness of the corresponding spatial zones of the projected image.

2. A see-through display including an apparatus for projecting an image onto a background comprising a plurality of spatial zones, said apparatus comprising:

means for detecting the brightness of individual ones of the spatial zones of the background;

means, responsive to the detected brightness, for adjusting the brightness of the corresponding zones of the projected image;

means for projecting the image whose brightness has been adjusted on a spatial basis onto the background; and

means for directing a sample of the background to the means for detecting and directing the projected image onto the background, said means for directing a sample of the background and directing the projected image comprising a beam splitter.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2, where the means for detecting the brightness comprises an array of photodetectors.

4. An apparatus for projecting an image onto a background comprising two or more spatial zones, comprising:

a combiner optics assembly comprising a partially-mirrored curved surface and a beam splitter located on an optical axis intersecting the background and a viewer, where the optical axis passes through the beam splitter; and

an image detector and image display assembly located on the reflective optical axis of the beam splitter, where the image detector and image display assembly comprises an image detector and an image display responsive to the image detector.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4, further comprising a relay optics assembly for conveying the sample of the background to the image detector and conveying the projected image from the image display to the beam splitter.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4, where the image detector and image display assembly further comprises a second beam splitter.