Convertible right eye/left eye monocular head mounted...

Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Image superposition by optical means – Operator body-mounted heads-up display

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C345S007000, C348S042000, C348S043000, C348S051000, C348S054000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06181304

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a monocular head mounted display system and more particularly to such a system that is convertible for use with either a user's right eye or left eye.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
N/A
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
N/A
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Monocular head mounted display systems are known such as shown in Furness et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,162,828 and Heacock et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,539,422. In these systems a display and an associated optical system are mounted on a frame relative to either a user's right eye or left eye so that the user can view, with one eye, an enlarged image that appears at a distance from the user that is greater than the optical path from the display to the user's eye. However, most people are either right eye dominant or left eye dominant. A right dominant person has trouble viewing an image projected only in front of his left eye. Similarly, a left eye dominant person has trouble viewing an image projected only in front of his right eye. As such, a right eye display system is preferable for a right eye dominant person and a left eye display system is preferable for a left eye dominant person. Because the display is typically mounted in a fixed position on the frame relative to a single image viewing eye in known head mounted display systems, one system cannot typically be used by both right eye and left eye dominant users.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, the disadvantages of prior monocular head mounted display systems have been overcome. The monocular head mounted display system of the present invention is easily convertible from a right eye display system to a left eye display system by moving a support for an image display module and flipping the system over. Therefore, one monocular head mounted display system in accordance with the present invention can be used by both right eye dominant and left eye dominant users.
More particularly, the convertible right eye/left eye monocular head mounted display system of the present invention includes a frame that can be worn on a user's head in a first position and, when flipped over, it can be worn in an inverted position. An image display module generates an enlarged image that appears at a distance from the user that is greater than the optical path from the display to the user's eye. A support arm is mounted on the frame for supporting the image display module where the support arm is movable to position the image display module above or below the frame in the first position. When the image display module is positioned below the frame in the first position, the generated image is viewable by one of the user's eyes. When the image display module is positioned above the frame in the first position and the frame is flipped over to the inverted position, the display module is below the frame in the inverted position with the generated image being viewable by the other of the user's eyes.
Depending upon the type of display and optical system employed in the image display module, the module may be controlled to generate one image when the frame is to be worn in the first position and it may be controlled to generate an inverted image when the frame is to be worn in the inverted position so that the image viewed by a right eye user is the same as the image viewed by a left eye user.
In accordance with another feature of the present invention, the frame is generally symmetrical about a horizontal axis so that when the frame is worn in the first position, it appears the same as when the frame is flipped over and worn in the inverted position.
Further, the support arm is preferably flexible along at least a portion of its length to allow the image display module to be moved vertically and horizontally with respect to a user's eye, as well as towards and away from the user's eye. The support arm is, however, rigid enough to maintain the position of the image display module once it is set. This allows the system to easily accommodate different users.
These and other advantages and novel features of the present invention, as well as details of an illustrated embodiment thereof, will be more fully understood from the following description and drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4823080 (1989-04-01), Lin
patent: 5815126 (1998-09-01), Fan et al.
patent: 5844656 (1998-12-01), Ronzani et al.

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