US 7,719,769 B2Granted

Head mount type image display system

AssigneeOlympus Corporation

InventorsRyohei Sugihara, Yoichi Iba

Life of this patent

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Abstract

It is an object of the invention to provide a head mount type image display system that, albeit having a see-around and a see-through function, is small size and low weight, makes sure a large field of outside view and low power consumption with high-luminance electronic images, and is easy to use. A head mount type image display system 1 at least comprises a display device, an eyepiece optical system, an eyepiece window, an eyepiece window holder 2, a casing and a supporter 10 for fixing all these components onto a user's head. The casing covers the display device, the eyepiece window holder 2 holds the eyepiece window within a user's field of view, the eyepiece optical system forms a virtual image of an image displayed on the display device, the eyepiece window allows a light beam for forming the virtual image to be directed to a user's eye and leave it, and a member that forms the eyepiece window holder is such that, in a range of 10 mm or greater from the eyepiece window toward a base, a width of projection section in a user's visual axis direction is 4 mm or less except some projection, and has a see-around mechanism.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A head mount image display system comprising:

a display device;
an eyepiece optical system which forms a virtual image of an image displayed on the display device, and which includes a reflection member which shifts an optical axis in the eyepiece optical system to direct the light to a user's eye, wherein the reflection member comprises one of a total reflection mirror and a total reflection prism;
an eyepiece window through which the light for forming the virtual image is directed to the user's eye from the reflection member;
an eyepiece window holder which holds the eyepiece window within a field of view of the user's eye;
and
a supporter which is adapted to be fitted onto the user's head and which supports the eyepiece window holder, the eyepiece optical system, and the display device;
wherein the eyepiece window has a width of not more than 4 mm that is smaller than a pupil's diameter projected in a visual axis direction of the user's eye, when the supporter is fitted onto the user's head and the eyepiece window is positioned within a field of view of the user's eye;
wherein an exit pupil is positioned at least one of:
(i) in a vicinity of the eyepiece window, and (ii) between the eyepiece window and a pupil of the user's eye;
and
wherein the eyepiece window does not completely block substantially parallel light from outside the head mount image display system from entering the pupil of the user's eye.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/600,429Filed 16 Nov 2006 · continuation in part
Priority: JP 2004/14583817 May 2004
Published: US 2007/0058261 A115 Mar 2007
Granted: 18 May 2010
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

G02B 27/0172
Head mounted: characterised by optical features
G02B 6/0011
Specially adapted for lighting devices or systems: the light guides being planar or of plate-like form
H04N 5/7491
Constructional details of television projection apparatus: of head mounted projectors
G02B 2027/0123
Characterised by optical features: comprising devices increasing the field of view