# US 11,445,166 B2 · Image projection system, image projection apparatus, image display light diffraction optical element, tool, and image projection method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,445,166 B2 - Document ID: US11445166B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/059,623 - Filed: 2019-04-10 - Published: 2021-07-22 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2018-06-05 - Assignees: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation - Applicants: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation - Inventors: Kazuhiko Nemoto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11445166B2 ## CPC - H04N 13/344: with head-mounted left-right displays - G02B 5/32: Holograms used as optical elements - G02B 27/0093: {with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking} - G02B 27/0172: {characterised by optical features} - G03B 21/14: Details - G09G 5/00: Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators (image data processing or generation, in general G06T) - H04N 9/3129: {scanning a light beam on the display screen (scanning a light beam on a screen in displays other than projection devices G09G3/02; scanning systems in general G02B26/10; projectors using laser light sources in general H04N9/3161)} - H04N 9/3152: {for shaping the light beam (beam shaping per se G02B27/09)} - H04N 9/3179: {Video signal processing therefor} - H04N 9/3194: {including sensor feedback} - H04N 13/111: Transformation of image signals corresponding to virtual viewpoints, e.g. spatial image interpolation - H04N 13/363: using image projection screens (volumetric display H04N13/388) - G02B 2027/0174: {holographic} - G02B 2027/0187: {slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye} - H04N 9/3173: {wherein the projection device is specially adapted for enhanced portability} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - G03B: APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR (optical parts of such apparatus G02B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; apparatus for processing exposed photographic materials G03D) - G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00) ## Abstract An object is to provide an image projection system in which a size and weight of a head-mounted portion are reduced and binocular vision is enabled. The present technology provides an image projection system including an image projection apparatus and an image display light diffraction optical element separated from the image projection apparatus and arranged in front of each of the two eyes, and the image projection apparatus includes: a positional information acquisition unit that acquires three-dimensional positional information of the image display light diffraction optical element provided in front of each of two eyes; an image display light adjustment unit that adjusts projected image display light on the basis of the three-dimensional positional information acquired by the positional information acquisition unit; and one projection optical system that can project the image display light to a region covering the two eyes and projects, toward the image display light diffraction optical elements, the image display light adjusted by the image display light adjustment unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image projection system comprising: an image projection apparatus including: a positional information acquisition unit configured to acquire three-dimensional positional information of an image display light diffraction optical element provided in front of each of two eyes, wherein the three-dimensional positional information includes a distance from the image projection apparatus to the image display light diffraction optical elements; an image display light adjustment unit configured to adjust projected image display light on a basis of the three-dimensional positional information acquired by the positional information acquisition unit; and one projection optical system that can project the image display light to a region covering the two eyes and configured to project, toward the image display light diffraction optical elements, the image display light adjusted by the image display light adjustment unit; and the image display light diffraction optical elements separated from the image projection apparatus and arranged in front of the two eyes, respectively. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein the image display light diffraction optical element has optical characteristics of: functioning as a lens for light having a wavelength range of the image display light; and transmitting light having a wavelength out of the wavelength range. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein the projection optical system irradiates the two eyes with the image display light by a magnification optical system. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein the projection optical system condenses the image display light in a vicinity of a pupillary orifice and irradiates a retina with the image display light so as to obtain a Maxwell view. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein the projection optical system divides, into two, a region to which the image display light can be projected, and the two regions cover right and left eyes, respectively. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The image projection system according to claim 5, wherein the projection optical system includes a wedge plate, a dogleg shape mirror, or a diffraction element as an optical element for the division. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein the projection optical system divides, into two, a region to which the image display light can be projected, and the two regions cover right and left eyes, respectively, and the projection optical system includes a deflection control unit that deflects the projected image display light. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein the image display light diffraction optical element is included in a tool adapted to hold the optical element in front of two eyes. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The image projection system according to claim 8, wherein the tool does not include a projection optical system. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein the positional information acquisition unit includes an image sensor, and the positional information acquisition unit acquires the three-dimensional positional information on a basis of information acquired by the image sensor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein the image display light adjustment unit adjusts the image display light such that different rays of the image display light are projected to the two eyes, respectively. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein the image display light adjustment unit adjusts the image display light on a basis of parallax between the two eyes. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The image projection system according to claim 1, wherein a user of the image projection system recognizes a three-dimensional position of a presented image by projecting different rays of the image display light to the two eyes, respectively. ### Claim 14 An image projection apparatus comprising: a positional information acquisition unit configured to acquire three-dimensional positional information of an image display light diffraction optical element provided in front of each of two eyes, wherein the three-dimensional positional information includes a distance from the image projection apparatus to the image display light diffraction optical elements; an image display light adjustment unit configured to adjust projected image display light on a basis of the three-dimensional positional information acquired by the positional information acquisition unit; and one projection optical system that can project the image display light to a region covering the two eyes and configured to project, toward the image display light diffraction optical elements, the image display light adjusted by the image display light adjustment unit. ### Claim 15 An image display light diffraction optical element used to make image display light reach each of two eyes, in which the image display light is projected from an image projection apparatus that includes: a positional information acquisition unit configured to acquire three-dimensional positional information of the image display light diffraction optical element provided in front of each of the two eyes, wherein the three-dimensional positional information includes a distance from the image projection apparatus to the image display light diffraction optical elements; an image display light adjustment unit configured to adjust projected image display light on a basis of the three-dimensional positional information acquired by the positional information acquisition unit; and one projection optical system that can project the image display light to a region covering the two eyes and configured to project, toward the image display light diffraction optical elements, the image display light adjusted by the image display light adjustment unit, wherein the image display light diffraction optical elements are separated from the image projection apparatus and arranged in front of the two eyes, respectively. ### Claim 16 A tool comprising an image display light diffraction optical element used to diffract image display light and make the image display light reach each of two eyes, in which the image display light is projected from an image projection apparatus that includes: a positional information acquisition unit configured to acquire three-dimensional positional information of the image display light diffraction optical element provided in front of each of the two eyes, wherein the three-dimensional positional information includes a distance from the image projection apparatus to the image display light diffraction optical elements; an image display light adjustment unit configured to adjust projected image display light on a basis of the three-dimensional positional information acquired by the positional information acquisition unit; and one projection optical system that can project the image display light to a region covering the two eyes and configured to project, toward the image display light diffraction optical elements, the image display light adjusted by the image display light adjustment unit, wherein the tool is separated from the image projection apparatus and adapted to hold the optical element in front of the two eyes. ### Claim 17 An image projection method comprising: a positional information acquisition process of acquiring three-dimensional positional information of an image display light diffraction optical element provided in front of each of two eyes, wherein the three-dimensional positional information includes a distance from an image projection apparatus to the image display light diffraction optical elements; an image display light adjustment process of adjusting projected image display light on a basis of the three-dimensional positional information acquired in the positional information acquisition process; and a projection process of projecting the image display light from one projection optical system toward the image display light diffraction optical elements within a region covering the two eyes, the image display light having been adjusted in the image display light adjustment process, wherein the image display light diffraction optical elements are separated from the image projection apparatus and arranged in front of the two eyes, respectively.