Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Image superposition by optical means – Operator body-mounted heads-up display
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-29
2001-12-11
Shalwala, Bipin (Department: 2775)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Image superposition by optical means
Operator body-mounted heads-up display
C359S630000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06329965
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a head mounted display apparatus, and more particularly, to an adjustable head mounted display apparatus for video images or computer games, wherein the head mounted display apparatus is manually adjustable depending on an eye bridge span of a user while maintaining a constant optical distance between the eyes of a user and a target picture in the apparatus. As a result, a stable picture is supplied to the user, which prevents the user's eye fatigue from increasing.
2. Description of the Background Art
In general, a head mounted display apparatus is employed for playing virtual reality games or experiencing virtual realities.
FIG. 1
is a typical structure of a head mounted display apparatus. As shown therein, an outer casing
10
includes a pair of display units
20
disposed at respective front sides thereof in order for a user to view therethrough pictures generated in the apparatus. A grip
30
is attached to each side of the outer casing
10
to facilitate its mounting on a user's head.
An internal structure of the conventional head mounted display apparatus will now be described. An optical system is respectively disposed in each side portion of the case so that a user can view pictures generated therein. The optical system will be explained with reference to
FIG. 2. A
liquid crystal display (LCD)
40
is disposed in the optical system to generate pictures. A backlight
50
is disposed to the rear of the liquid crystal display
40
along an optical path
70
so as to improve the brightness of the liquid crystal display
40
. Also, a reflection plate
60
is disposed to the rear of the backlight
50
along the optical path
70
in order for the light from the backlight to beam towards the liquid crystal display
40
.
A reflection mirror
80
is slantingly disposed in front of the liquid crystal display
40
along the optical path
70
so as to reflect by 90 degrees the pictures received from the liquid crystal display
40
. A lens
90
is disposed between the reflection mirror
80
and a display unit
20
along the optical path
70
of the light beam reflected from the reflection mirror
80
so that the pictures from the liquid crystal display
40
can reach a user's eye
95
. At this time, because the liquid crystal display
40
is provided within a focal distance of a focal point
5
of the lens
90
, the virtually imaged pictures viewed by the user become enlarged.
Referring to
FIGS. 3A and 3B
, the shaping of the virtual image according to an example of the conventional art will now be described in further detail. First, as shown in
FIG. 3A
, when an object is placed to the position which is outside of the focal point
5
with regard to the lens
90
, the image of the object becomes shaped in a reversed real image to an opposite side of the lens
90
. Also, as shown in
FIG. 3B
, when an object is placed between the focal point
5
and the lens
90
, the image of the object becomes shaped in an upright virtual image to the same side as the object.
However, the above-described conventional head mounted display apparatus requires two liquid crystal displays because the optical system needs to be disposed in each display unit
20
, thereby increasing production cost. Further, the two required backlights
50
disadvantageously increase electrical power consumption.
To solve the above problems, another example of the conventional art is disclosed, wherein a single liquid crystal display is adapted, and its mechanism will be described with reference to FIG.
4
. The optical system of a head mounted display apparatus according to the other example of the conventional art includes a liquid crystal display
40
and a backlight
50
disposed behind the liquid crystal display
40
. A reflection plate
60
is disposed behind the backlight
50
so as to reflect the light forwardly.
A half-mirror prism block
99
is disposed in front of the liquid crystal display
40
so as to reflect the images from the liquid crystal display
40
along the optical path
70
towards each side. A reflection mirror
80
is disposed to each side of the half-mirror prism block
99
along the optical path
70
so as to convert by 90 degrees the direction of the images reflected from the half-mirror prism block
99
. Each lens
90
is correspondingly disposed between the reflection mirror
80
and a display unit which faces a user's eye
95
along the optical path
70
. The lens
90
serves to enlarge the images to be focused on the user's eye.
However, the head mounted display apparatus according to the other example of the conventional art is not adjustable to the eye bridge spans of users. As a result, users whose eye bridge spans do not correspond to a preset span of the apparatus suffer increased eye fatigue, while also experiencing poor picture quality.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to solve the conventional disadvantages. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an adjustable head mounted display apparatus for video images or computer games, wherein the head mounted display apparatus is adjustable depending on an eye bridge span of a user while maintaining a constant optical distance or a focal distance between the eyes of a user and a target picture in the apparatus. In addition, a stable picture supply to the user is obtained, which prevents the users eye fatigue from increasing.
To achieve the above-described object, there is provided an adjustable head mounted display apparatus for video images or computer games consistent with the present invention that includes an outer casing, an image display unit, disposed in the outer casing, for generating an image, a reflection unit, adjustably disposed to each side of the image display unit, for reflecting the image generated from the image display unit, a lens unit, disposed in front of the reflection unit and adjustable with regard to a distance from the reflection unit, for magnifying the image reflected from the reflection unit, and an optical distance adjust member for adjusting a distance between the image display unit and the reflection unit and for adjusting a distance between the reflection unit and the lens unit.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific example, while indicating the preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5151722 (1992-09-01), Massof et al.
patent: 5162828 (1992-11-01), Furness et al.
patent: 5485172 (1996-01-01), Sawachika et al.
patent: 5712649 (1998-01-01), Tosaki
patent: 6046712 (2000-04-01), Beller et al.
patent: 6050717 (2000-04-01), Kosugi et al.
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
LG Electronics Inc.
Osorio Ricardo
Shalwala Bipin
LandOfFree
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