# US 10,310,165 B2 · Image display apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,310,165 B2 - Document ID: US10310165B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/703,338 - Filed: 2017-09-13 - Published: 2018-03-29 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2016-09-28 - Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation - Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation - Inventors: Osamu Yokoyama - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10310165B2 ## CPC - G02B 6/0055: {Reflecting element, sheet or layer} - G02B 6/003: {Lens or lenticular sheet or layer} - G02B 6/005: {provided by one optical element, or plurality thereof, placed on the light output side of the light guide} - G02B 27/0081: {with means for altering, e.g. enlarging, the entrance or exit pupil} - G02B 27/0172: {characterised by optical features} - G02B 6/34: utilising prism or grating {(G02B6/293 takes precedence)} - G02B 2027/011: {comprising device for correcting geometrical aberrations, distortion} - G02B 2027/0125: {Field-of-view increase by wavefront division} - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract An image display apparatus includes an image display device configured to emit image light, a light guide member, a projection lens configured to project the image light toward the light guide member, and a light extracting unit provided on the light guide member, the light extracting unit being configured to extract the image light guided in the light guide member toward an exit pupil. The light extracting unit includes a first edge located at an end portion of the light extracting unit on the light incident section side and a second edge located at an end portion on the opposite side, and is capable of transmitting see-through light having been transmitted in the light guide member toward the exit pupil, and at least one of the first edge and the second edge is located outside a see-through visual field range in which the see-through light passes through. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image display apparatus comprising: an image display device configured to emit image light; a light guide member having a first plane and a second plane opposite to the first plane; a projection lens configured to project the image light toward a light incident section of the light guide member; and a light extracting unit provided on the first plane or the second plane of the light guide member, the light extracting unit being configured to extract the image light guided in the light guide member toward an exit pupil located on the first plane side of the light guide member, wherein the light extracting unit includes a first edge located at an end portion of the light extracting unit on the light incident section side and a second edge located at an end portion on the opposite side of the light incident section side, and is capable of transmitting see-through light having been transmitted in the light guide member from the second plane side to the first plane side toward the exit pupil, and at least one of the first edge and the second edge is located outside a see-through visual field range in which the see-through light passes through, wherein if a diameter of the exit pupil is D, a distance from the exit pupil to the light extracting unit is Er, a see-through viewing half-angle defining an angle formed by an optical axis passing through a center of the exit pupil and see-through visual field range is θs, and a distance from the optical axis to the first edge or the second edge is L, L>Er·tan(θs)+D/2 is satisfied. ### Claim 2 An image display apparatus comprising: an image display device configured to emit image light; a light guide member having a first plane and a second plane opposite to the first plane; a projection lens configured to project the image light toward a light incident section of the light guide member; and a light extracting unit provided on the first plane or the second plane of the light guide member, the light extracting unit being configured to extract the image light guided in the light guide member toward an exit pupil located on the first plane side of the light guide member, wherein the light extracting unit includes a first edge located at an end portion of the light extracting unit on the light incident section side and a second edge located at an end portion on the opposite side of the light incident section side, and is capable of transmitting see-through light having been transmitted in the light guide member from the second plane side to the first plane side toward the exit pupil, and at least one of the first edge and the second edge is located outside a see-through visual field range in which the see-through light passes through, wherein the see-through visual field range is an effective visual field range enabling an observer to recognize at least the see-through light while moving a line of sight, and wherein an effective viewing half-angle that defines an angle to be formed by an optical axis passing through a center of the exit pupil and the effective visual field range is set to 20 degrees or greater. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the see-though viewing half-angle is set to 30 degrees or greater. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light extracting unit is provided with a half mirror array including a plurality of half mirrors, and the half mirrors are disposed such that individual inclination angles with respect to the first plane or the second plane of the light guide member are substantially the same. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The image display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the light extracting unit has a dummy region in which the half mirrors are not provided between the first edge or the second edge and the half mirror array. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The image display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the half mirror array is formed such that the first edge, the second edge, and the half mirrors are parallel to each other. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first edge is provided in a forward tapered state and the second edge is provided in a reverse tapered state with respect to the first plane or the second plane of the light guide member. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The image display apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a resin is filled between the second edge and the first plane or the second plane of the light guide member. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light extracting unit is a diffractive optical element. ### Claim 10 An image display apparatus comprising: an image display device configured to emit image light; a light guide member having a first plane and a second plane opposite to the first plane; a projection lens configured to project the image light toward a light incident section of the light guide member; and a light extracting unit provided on the light guide member, the light extracting unit being configured to extract the image light guided in the light guide member toward an exit pupil located on the side of one of the planes of the light guide member, wherein the light guide member has an end plane located at an end portion on the opposite side of the light incident section side, the light extracting unit is capable of transmitting see-through light having been transmitted in the light guide member from the second plane side to the first plane side toward the exit pupil, and the end plane of the light guide member is located outside the see-through visual field range in which the see-through light passes through, wherein if a diameter of the exit pupil is D, a distance from the exit pupil to the light extracting unit is Er, a see-though viewing half-angle defining an angle formed by an optical axis passing through a center of the exit pupil and the see-through visual field range is θs, and a distance from the optical axis to the first edge or the second edge is L, L>Er·tan(θs)+D/2 is satisfied. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The image display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the light extracting unit is provided on the first plane of the light guide member. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The image display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when an image display range defining an angle of view for guiding the image light toward the exit pupil is wider than the effective visual field range, at least one of the first edge and the second edge is located outside the image display range. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) The image display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the light extracting unit is provided with a half mirror array including a plurality of half mirrors, and the half mirrors are disposed such that individual inclination angles with respect to the first plane or the second plane of the light guide member are substantially the same. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The image display apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the light extracting unit has a dummy region in which the half mirrors are not provided between the first edge or the second edge and the half mirror array. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The image display apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the half mirror array is formed such that the first edge, the second edge, and the half mirrors are parallel to each other. ### Claim 16 (depends on 2) The image display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the light extracting unit is a diffractive optical element. ### Claim 17 An image display apparatus comprising: an image display device configured to emit image light; a light guide member having a first plane and a second plane opposite to the first plane; a projection lens configured to project the image light toward a light incident section of the light guide member; and a light extracting unit provided on the light guide member, the light extracting unit being configured to extract the image light guided in the light guide member toward an exit pupil located on the side of one of the planes of the light guide member, wherein the light guide member has an end plane located at an end portion on the opposite side of the light incident section side, the light extracting unit is capable of transmitting see-through light having been transmitted in the light guide member from the second plane side to the first plane side toward the exit pupil, and the end plane of the light guide member is located outside the see-through visual field range in which the see-through light passes through, wherein the see-through visual field range is an effective visual field range enabling an observer to recognize at least the see-through light while moving a line of sight, and wherein an effective viewing half-angle that defines an angle to be formed by an optical axis passing through a center of the exit pupil and the effective visual field range is set to 20 degrees or greater.