Image observing apparatus for observing outside information superposed with a display image

An image observing apparatus in which a light beam from outside and a light beam from display means are guided to an eye of an observer via optical path combining means to observe, in the same view field, outside image information based on the beam from outside and a display image displayed on the display means, said image observing apparatus comprising a spatial modulator having a two-dimensional pixel structure disposed in an optical path between said optical path combining means and the eye of the observer, said image observing apparatus further comprising control means for causing said spatial modulator to modulate at least a partial area thereof so as to permit switching of observation between the beam composing the outside image information and the beam composing said display image, and for controlling said spatial modulator so as to intercept or reduce the beam in an area of said outside image information in accordance with an area of said display image.

An image observing apparatus arranged to observe, in the same view field, outside image information from outside and a display image displayed on display means via optical path combining means, said image observing apparatus comprising a spatial modulator having a two-dimensional pixel structure, the outside image information being observed via said spatial modulator, said spatial modulator selectively modulating a part or all of the display image and the outside image information in the same view field on an area basis, said image observing apparatus further comprising control means for complementing an area of the outside image information around the display image selectively modulated, with image information picked up by image pickup means for picking up outside image information eclipsed by said spatial modulator.