Virtual image observation optical system and light guide prism
AssigneeOlympus Corporation
InventorsRyohei Sugihara, Shinya Takahashi, Yoichi Iba
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A first light blocking portion and a second light blocking portion are formed in at least one of the side surfaces of a light guide prism. The first light blocking portion and the second light blocking portion are arranged so that a shaded area and an invisible area overlap each other at least partly and cover an inter-groove area between the first light blocking portion and the second light blocking portion, where the shaded area is an area shadowed from image light due to the first light blocking portion, and the invisible area is an area invisible during virtual image observation by the observer due to the second light blocking portion.
Claims9
A virtual image observation optical system for observing a virtual image of an image displayed by a display element, the virtual image observation optical system comprising:
- the display element;
- at least one light guide prism that guides image light from the display element;
- and an eyepiece that causes the guided image light to enter an observer's eyeball, wherein the at least one light guide prism has a first light blocking portion and a second light blocking portion in at least one side surface of side surfaces that surround a light path for guiding the image light from an incident surface to an exit surface of the light guide prism, and
- the first light blocking portion and the second light blocking portion are arranged so that a shaded surface and an invisible surface overlap each other at least partly and cover an intermediate surface between the first light blocking portion and the second light blocking portion on the at least one side surface, where the shaded surface is on the intermediate surface on the at least one side surface shadowed from the image light due to the first light blocking portion, and the invisible surface is on the intermediate surface on the at least one side surface invisible during virtual image observation by the observer due to the second light blocking portion.
A light guide prism used in a virtual image observation optical system for guiding image light from a display element to an observer's eyeball and displaying a virtual image of the display element within the observer's field of view, the light guide prism comprising:
- an incident surface and an exit surface for the image light;
- a plurality of side surfaces that surround a light path of the image light;
- and
- a first light blocking portion and a second light blocking portion formed in at least one side surface of the plurality of side surfaces,
- wherein the first light blocking portion and the second light blocking portion are arranged so that a shaded surface and an invisible surface overlap each other at least partly and cover an intermediate surface between the first light blocking portion and the second light blocking portion on the at least one side surface, where the shaded surface is on the intermediate surface on the at least one side surface shadowed from the image light due to the first light blocking portion, and the invisible surface is on the intermediate surface on the at least one side surface invisible during virtual image observation by the observer due to the second light blocking portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.