Image combiner and image display unit

• US 7,072,085 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2005
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Ouchi, Yumiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Mark A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): AMARI, ALESSANDRO V
• Application Number:
  US11/032,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20050141066A1
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 359/13, 359/15, 359/16, 359/22, 359/630, 345/7, 345/8
• US Class Current: 359/13
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0112 comprising device for genereting colour display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0123 comprising devices increasing the field of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0174 holographic
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0081 with means for altering, e.g. enlarging, the entrance or exit pupil
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0103 comprising holographic elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1086 operating by diffraction only
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/32 Holograms used as optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7491 of head mounted projectors

Abstract

A plate part is positioned in front of the eye of the user. An image combiner causes light from an image display element to be superimposed on light that is transmitted through the plate part and conducts this light to the eye. The light from the image display element reaches the eye after being diffracted and reflected by a reflective type HOE inside the plate part. The wavelength at which the diffraction efficiency shows a maximum value when the chief rays that are emitted from the center of the display part of the image display element are diffracted and reflected by the reflective type HOE and the wavelength at which the diffraction efficiency shows a maximum value when the chief rays that are emitted from the peripheral portions of the display part in a specified direction are diffracted and reflected by the reflective type HOE are substantially different.

Claims

1. An image combiner comprising a reflective type holographic optical element, wherein the image combiner superimposes light from outside on light from an image display unit that emits light having wavelength region components respectively extending before and after at least one peak wavelength, wherein:

a wavelength λ

_o and a wavelength λ

_y are different,

where λ

_o is a wavelength at which a diffraction efficiency of the reflective type holographic optical element has a maximum value in the wavelength region in the vicinity of one peak wavelength for chief rays that are emitted from a center of a display part of the image display unit and diffracted by the reflective type holographic optical element, and

where λ

_y is a wavelength at which the diffraction efficiency has a maximum value in the wavelength region in the vicinity of said one peak wavelength for chief rays that are emitted from peripheral portions of the display part and diffracted by the reflective type holographic optical element.

2. The image combiner according to claim 1, wherein one of the following equations is satisfied:

1.013<

λ

_y/λ

_O, and 

 

(i)

λ

_y/λ

_o<

0.98. 

 

(ii)

3. The image combiner according to claim 2, wherein the following equation is satisfied:

0.2<

|(λ

_y−

λ

_o)/FWHM |,

where FWHM is a full width at half maximum of said one peak wavelength of the light emitted from the image display unit.

4. The image combiner according to claim 3, wherein the following equation is satisfied:

0.8°

<

|θ

1−

θ

2 |,

where θ

1 is an angle of incidence (angle calculated in air) on a center of the reflective type holographic optical element from a light source that is located on a side of an observer while the reflective type holographic optical element is used in an end-use system among two light sources used to expose the reflective type holographic optical element corresponding to said one wavelength region during manufacture of the reflective type holographic optical element, and

where θ

2 is an angle of reflection (angle calculated in air) at the reflective type holographic optical element of the light rays that are emitted from the center of the display part of the image display unit and directed toward a center of an exit pupil of the image combiner.

5. The image combiner according to claim 2, wherein the following equation is satisfied:

0.8°

<

|θ

1−

θ

2|,

where θ

1 is an angle of incidence (angle calculated in air) on a center of the reflective type holographic optical element from a light source that is located on a side of an observer while the reflective type holographic optical element is used in an end-use system among two light sources used to expose the reflective type holographic optical element corresponding to said one wavelength region during manufacture of the reflective type holographic optical element, and

where θ

2 is an angle of reflection (angle calculated in air) at the reflective type holographic optical element of the light rays that are emitted from the center of the display part of the image display unit and directed toward a center of an exit pupil of the image combiner.

6. An image display device comprising:

the image combiner according to claim 2; and

the image display unit;

wherein at least a part of the image display device containing the image combiner is mounted on a user during use.

7. The image combiner according to claim 1, wherein the following equation is satisfied:

0.2<

|(λ

_y−

λ

_o)/FWHM |,

where FWHM is a full width at half maximum of said one peak wavelength of the light emitted from the image display unit.

8. The image combiner according to claim 3, wherein the following equation is satisfied:

0.8°

<

|θ

1−

θ

2|,

where θ

1 is an angle of incidence (angle calculated in air) on a center of the reflective type holographic optical element from a light source that is located on a side of an observer while the reflective type holographic optical element is used in an end-use system among two light sources used to expose the reflective type holographic optical element corresponding to said one wavelength region during manufacture of the reflective type holographic optical element, and

where θ

2 is an angle of reflection (angle calculated in air) at the reflective type holographic optical element of the light rays that are emitted from the center of the display part of the image display unit and directed toward a center of an exit pupil of the image combiner.

9. An image display device comprising:

the image combiner according to claim 7; and

the image display unit;

wherein at least a part of the image display device containing the image combiner is mounted on a user during use.

10. The image combiner according to claim 1, wherein the following equation is satisfied:

0.80<

|θ

1−

θ

2 |,

where θ

1 is an angle of incidence (angle calculated in air) on a center of the reflective holographic optical element from a light source that is located on a side of an observer while the reflective type holographic optical element is used in an end-use system among two light sources used to expose the reflective type holographic optical element corresponding to said one wavelength region during manufacture of the reflective type holographic optical element, and

where θ

2 is an angle of reflection (angle calculated in air) at the reflective type holographic optical element of the light rays that are emitted from the center of the display part of the image display unit and directed toward a center of an exit pupil of the image combiner.

11. An image display device comprising:

the image combiner according to claim 10; and

the image display unit;

wherein at least a part of the image display device containing the image combiner is mounted on a user during use.

12. An image display device comprising:

the image combiner according to claim 1; and

the image display, unit;

wherein at least a part of the image display device containing the image combiner is mounted on a user during use.

13. An image display device comprising:

an image display unit that emits light having wavelength region components respectively extending before and after at least one peak wavelength; and

a light conducting part, which conducts light from the image display unit to an eye of a user, and which comprises a reflective type holographic optical element;

wherein;

a wavelength λ

_o and a wavelength λ

_y are different,

where λ

_o is a wavelength at which a diffraction efficiency of the reflective type holographic optical element has a maximum value in the wavelength region in the vicinity of one peak wavelength for chief rays that are emitted from a center of a display part of the image display unit and diffracted by the reflective type holographic optical element, and

where λ

_y is a wavelength at which the diffraction efficiency has a maximum value in the wavelength region in the vicinity of said one peak wavelength for chief rays that are emitted from peripheral portions of the display part and diffracted by the reflective type holographic optical element.

14. The image display device according to claim 13, wherein one of the following equations is satisfied:

1.013<

λ

_y/λ

_o, and 

 

(i)

λ

_y/λ

_o<

0.98. 

 

(ii)

15. The image display device according to claim 14, wherein the following equation is satisfied:

0.2<

|(λ

_y−

λ

_o)/FWHM |,

where FWHM is a full width at half maximum of said one peak wavelength of the light emitted from the image display unit.

16. The image display device according to claim 15, wherein the following equation is satisfied:

0.8°

<

|θ

1−

θ

2 |,

where θ

1 is an angle of incidence (angle calculated in air) on a center of the reflective type holographic optical element from a light source that is located on a side of an observer while the reflective type holographic optical element is used in an end-use system among two light sources used to expose the reflective type holographic optical element corresponding to said one wavelength region during manufacture of the reflective type holographic optical element, and

where θ

2 is an angle of reflection (angle calculated in air) at the reflective type holographic optical element of the light rays that are emitted from the center of the display part of the image display unit and directed toward a center of an exit pupil of the image combiner.

17. The image display device according to claim 14, wherein the following equation is satisfied:

0.8°

<

|θ

1−

θ

2 |,

where θ

1 is an angle of incidence (angle calculated in air) on a center of the reflective type holographic optical element from a light source that is located on a side of an observer while the reflective type holographic optical element is used in an end-use system among two light sources used to expose the reflective type holographic optical element corresponding to said one wavelength region during manufacture of the reflective type holographic optical element, and

where θ

2 is an angle of reflection (angle calculated in air) at the reflective type holographic optical element of the light rays that are emitted from the center of the display part of the image display unit and directed toward a center of an exit pupil of the image combiner.

18. The image display device according to claim 13, wherein the following equation is satisfied:

where

0.2<

|(λ

_y−

λ

_o)/FWHM |,

where FWHM is a full width at half maximum of said one peak wavelength of the light emitted from the image display unit.

19. The image display device according to claim 18, wherein the following equation is satisfied:

0.8°

<

|θ

1−

θ

2 |,

where θ

1 is an angle of incidence (angle calculated in air) on a center of the reflective type holographic optical element from a light source that is located on a side of an observer while the reflective type holographic optical element is used in an end-use system among two light sources used to expose the reflective holographic optical element corresponding to said one wavelength region during manufacture of the reflective type holographic optical element, and

where θ

2 is an angle of reflection (angle calculated in air) at the reflective type holographic optical element of the light rays that are emitted from the center of the display part of the image display unit and directed toward a center of an exit pupil of the image combiner.

20. The image display device according to claim 13, wherein the following equation is satisfied:

0.8°

<

|θ

1−

θ

2 |,

where θ

1 is an angle of incidence (angle calculated in air) on a center of the reflective type holographic optical element from a light source that is located on a side of an observer while the reflective type holographic optical element is used in an end-use system among two light sources used to expose the reflective type holographic optical element corresponding to said one wavelength region during manufacture of the reflective type holographic optical element, and

where θ

2 is an angle of reflection (angle calculated in air) at the reflective type holographic optical element of the light rays that are emitted from the center of the display part of the image display unit and directed toward a center of an exit pupil of the image combiner.