System and method for adjusting a projected image

• US 8,982,480 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2010
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elbit Systems of America LLC (Elbit Systems Limited)
• Original Assignee: Elbit Systems of America LLC (Elbit Systems Limited)
• Inventors: Tilleman, Michael M., Wolfe, Richard S., Krylov, Vladimir G., Cielinski, Martin M., Eshed, Tomer
• Primary Examiner(s): GREECE, JAMES R
• Application Number:
  US12/974,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20110157707A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,547 Days
• Field of Search: 359/642, 359/726, 359630-633, 359636-638
• US Class Current: 359/726
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/14 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/142 Adjusting of projection optics
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/28 Reflectors in projection beam in illumination beam G03B21/2066

Abstract

In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, a system comprises a projection system. The system further includes an image generator disposed in the projection system. The image generator is operable to generate a plurality of rays. The system further includes an objective lens disposed in the projection system. The objective lens is operable to refract the plurality of rays. The system further includes a component operable to reflect the refracted rays onto a target in order to form an image. The image is operable to be moved in relation to the target. The movement of the image is independent of any displacement of the projection system in relation to the target.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a projection system;

an image generator disposed in the projection system, the image generator operable to generate a plurality of rays;

an objective lens disposed in the projection system, the objective lens operable to refract the plurality of rays;

a rotating member disposed between the objective lens and a component operable to reflect the refracted rays onto a target in order to form an image;

wherein the rotating member is operable to rotate the image at the target independent of an angular roll disposition of the projection system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the the rotating member comprises a rotating prism, the rotating prism operable to rotate inside of the projection system, and, as the rotating prism rotates, the rotating prism is further operable to rotate the image by rotating the refracted rays.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the rotating prism is selected from one of:

a Pechan prism;

a dove prism;

an Abbe prism;

an Abbe-Koenig prism;

a Schmidt prism;

a delta prism;

a right-angle prism;

a penta prism; and

a Porro prism.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a steering mirror disposed, between the rotating member and the component operable to reflect the refracted rays onto a target, the steering mirror operable to displace the image on the target, the displacement of the image being independent of any displacement of the projection system in relation to the target.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the objective lens comprises a plurality of lens elements, wherein at least one of the lens elements is operable to translatably move in relation to at least a second of the lens elements, and wherein the movement of the at least one of the lens elements is operable to focus the image.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the at least one of the lens elements and the component operable to reflect the refracted rays comprise a catadioptric zoom lens system having a magnification range of at least 0.1×

to 6×

.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the plurality of lens elements comprises at least one lens element disposed off-axis relative to a chief ray.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the projection system comprises a Head-Up Display (HUD) projection system and the target comprises an eye of a user.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the image comprises multiple wavelengths having different bandwidths.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the component is further operable to transmit illumination from outer scenery to the target so as to form an overlapping image that includes the image and the outer scenery.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the image comprises wavelengths of 525 nanometers with a broadband spectrum of 50 nm Full-Width Half-Maximum, and the outer scenery comprises wavelengths anywhere within a visible spectrum.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein both the image and the outer scenery comprise wavelengths anywhere within a visible spectrum, wherein the wavelengths of the image are complementary to the wavelengths of the outer scenery.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the objective lens comprises a zoom lens.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the zoom lens is configured to compensate for a misalignment at a magnification factor in the range between 0.1×

and 6×

.

15. A method comprising:

generating, by an image generator disposed in a projection system, a plurality of rays;

refracting, by an objective lens disposed in the projection system, the plurality of rays;

reflecting, by a component, the refracted rays onto a target in order to form an image; and

rotating the image at the target wherein the rotation of the image is independent of an angular roll disposition of the projection system.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the rotating the image comprises rotating the refracted rays by rotating a rotating prism disposed inside of the projection system.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the rotating prism is selected from one of:

a Pechan prism;

a dove prism;

an Abbe prism;

an Abbe-Koenig prism;

a Schmidt prism;

a delta prism;

a right-angle prism;

a penta prism;

and a Porro prism.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the rotating the image comprises rotating the plurality of rays by rotating the image generator.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising displacing the image on the target, wherein the displacement is independent of any displacement of the projection system in relation to the target, the displacement by a steering mirror disposed in the projection system.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the objective lens comprises a plurality of lens elements;

and the method of claim 15 further comprises focusing the image by translatably moving at least one of the lens elements in relation to at least a second of the lens elements.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the projection system comprises a Head-Up Display (HUD) projection system and the target comprises an eye of a user.

22. The method of claim 15 further comprising transmitting, by the component, illumination from outer scenery to the target so as to form an overlapping image that includes the image and the outer scenery, wherein the image comprises wavelengths of 525 nanometers with a broadband spectrum of 50 nm Full-Width Half-Maximum, and the outer scenery comprises wavelengths anywhere within a visible spectrum.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein both the image and the outer scenery comprise wavelengths anywhere within a visible spectrum, wherein the wavelengths of the image are complementary to the wavelengths of the outer scenery.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the image comprises multiple wavelengths having different bandwidths.

25. A system, comprising:

a projection system;

an image generator disposed in the projection system, the image generator operable to generate a plurality of rays;

an objective lens disposed in the projection system, the objective lens operable to refract the plurality of rays;

a component operable to reflect the refracted rays onto a target in order to form an image,

wherein the component is further operable to transmit illumination from outer scenery to the target so as to form an overlapping image that includes the image and the outer scenery,

wherein both the image and the outer scenery comprise wavelengths anywhere within a visible spectrum,

wherein the wavelengths of the image are complementary to the wavelengths of the outer scenery,

wherein the image is operable to be moved in relation to the target, the movement of the image being independent of any displacement of the projection system in relation to the target,

wherein the movement of the image comprises a rotation of the image,

a rotating prism disposed in the projection system, the rotating prism operable to rotate inside of the projection system, and, as the rotating prism rotates, the rotating prism is further operable to rotate the image by rotating the refracted rays,

wherein the rotating prism is selected from one of;

a Pechan prism;

a dove prism;

an Abbe prism;

an Abbe-Koenig prism;

a Schmidt prism;

a delta prism;

a right-angle prism;

a penta prism; and

a Porro prism;

wherein the movement of the image further comprises a vertical displacement of the image;

wherein the system further comprises a steering mirror disposed in the projection system, the steering mirror operable to vertically displace the image by vertically displacing the refracted rays;

wherein the movement of the image further comprises a horizontal displacement of the image;

wherein the steering mirror is further operable to horizontally displace the image by horizontally displacing the refracted rays;

wherein the objective lens comprises a plurality of lenses;

wherein at least one of the lenses is operable to translatably move in relation to at least a second of the lenses; and

wherein the movement of the at least one of the lenses is operable to focus the image; and

wherein the projection system comprises a Head-Up Display (HUD) projection system and the target comprises an eye of a user.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the objective lens comprises a plurality of lens elements, wherein at least one of the lens elements is operable to translatably move in relation to at least a second of the lens elements, and wherein the movement of the at least one of the lens elements is operable to focus the image.