Reflective micro-display system
AssigneeVirtual Vision, Inc.
InventorsWayde Watters, Gregory L. Heacock, Russell M. Hudyma
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A miniature display system uses a reflective micro-display that reflects light perpendicular to the surface of the display to generate an image. Light from an off-axis light source is polarized and reflected by a prism to provide on-axis illumination light for the display. The prism uses total internal reflection and/or a polarizer as a beam splitting surface so as to increase the brightness of the image generated by the display. The optical system provides a virtual image with a large field of view so that the small display system can be used in portable, hand-held or head mounted systems to display a large amount of information to the user.
Claims41
A display system comprising:
- a reflective display having a plurality of pixels, each of which in an active mode is responsive to on-axis light that is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the display for reflecting the on-axis light to generate an image;
- a light source positioned off-axis with respect to the display;
- an illumination system with a single beam splitter for directing light to the display, the illumination system having a prism with a first surface for reflecting light from the light source to a beam splitter surface, the beam slitter surface reflecting light from the first prism surface to the reflective display so that the light is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the display to generate an image and the beam splitter passing therethrough light reflected from the display;
- and
- an imaging optical system receiving light passed through the beam splitter from the display for providing an enlarged virtual image.
A display system comprising:
- a reflective display having a plurality of pixels, each of which in an active mode is responsive to on-axis light that is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the display for reflecting the on-axis light to generate an image;
- a light source positioned off-axis with respect to the display;
- a polarizer for polarizing light from the light source to provide light of a first polarization;
- a prism with a first surface for reflecting the polarized light to a second surface, the second surface reflecting the polarized light to the reflective display so that the light is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the display and the second surface passing light reflected from the display therethrough;
- an imaging optical system receiving light passed through the second surface from the display for providing an enlarged virtual image.
A display system comprising:
- a reflective display having a plurality of pixels, each of which in an active mode is responsive to on-axis light that is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the display for reflecting the on-axis light to generate an image;
- a light source positioned off-axis with respect to the display;
- a polarizer for polarizing light from the light source to provide light of a first polarization;
- a prism with a first surface for reflecting the polarized light to a second polarizer, the second polarizer reflecting light of the first polarization to the reflective display so that the light is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the display and the second polarizer passing light of a second polarization from the display therethrough;
- an imaging optical system receiving light passed through the second polarizer from the display for providing an enlarged virtual image.
A display system comprising:
- a reflective micro-display;
- a polarizer for polarizing light from the light source to provide light of a first polarization;
- a prism with a first surface for reflecting polarized light to a second surface, the second surface reflecting the polarized light to the micro-display and the second surface passing light reflected from the micro-display therethrough;
- an imaging optical system receiving light passed through the second surface from the display for providing an enlarged virtual image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.