Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Image superposition by optical means – Operator body-mounted heads-up display
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-23
2004-05-04
Wu, Xiao (Department: 2674)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Image superposition by optical means
Operator body-mounted heads-up display
C359S630000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06731254
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image display device, particularly, an image display device for mounting it on the face portion, such as a spectacle, to observe the displayed image.
2. Related Art Statement
The image display device with CRT has been widely used in the past, but recently the image display device using a liquid crystal display element etc., is gradually gaining market share.
Even in such an image display device, the image display device mounted to user's face such as glasses differs from other portable image display devices, and can observe the image hands free, and the observation view is the same as the case by which the large screen is observed, is obtained, so that it has merit that the observation of the image with the presence and power becomes possible.
As for such an image display device, various devices were proposed in the past, for example, a liquid crystal display element (LCD) of transmission type which is horizontally arranged in an operation mode of mounting the liquid crystal display element on the head or the face, the image displayed by the LCD is illuminated from an upper side by the back light of a flat plane fluorescence type, which builds in the fluorescent tube, and the illuminated image is lead to the eyeball by reflecting the image twice in the vertical plane which contains a user's visual axis with an optical element such as prisms, and such devices are made as a product.
Moreover, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 6-110013 proposed that LCD is arranged vertically so as to display the image in an operation mode which mounts it on the head in central portions of user's both eyes toward at the face, the image displayed in the LCD is reflected right and left by V type mirror, and after reflecting the luminous flux concerning with these images reflected right and left, is reflected with the mirror, respectively, and the luminous flux will lead to right and left eyeballs through the ocular.
In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 6-110014 proposed that LCD is arranged vertically so as to display the image in the operation mode which mounts to the head in central portions of user's both eyes aiming at forward, the display image of the LCD is reflected right and left with the prism, and after reflecting the luminous flux concerned with these images reflected right and left with the mirror, respectively, the luminous flux will lead to right and left eyeballs through the ocular.
However, in the constitution that LCD is horizontally arranged as described above, and the display image is reflected twice in vertical plane which contains the visual axis with an optical element, it is worries that the size in the vertical direction of an optical element becomes long, and the main body of the apparatus becomes large as the goggle.
On the contrary, in the video imaging system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 6-110013 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 6-110014, LCD is arranged vertically, and its display image is made reflected in a horizontal plane and led to the eyeball, so that there is an advantage that the height of the main body can be reduced, and the device can be made thin.
However, the device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 6-110013 requires V type mirror, a mirror and the eyepiece, or, the device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 6-110014 requires a prism, a mirror, and an eyepiece, so that there is a problem of a number of high parts count, complicated constitution, and assembly becoming annoying, and becoming a cost rising.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has for its object to cancel the above defect considering the conventional problem particular. The present invention has for its another object to make a main body of the device thin, and to provide an image display device which can be manufactured easily and cheaply.
[Solution for the Task]
To this end, first aspect of the present invention is an image display device comprising right and left image display means arranged to direct display plane to right and left outsides substantially respectively in the vicinity of central portion of user's both eyes in operation mode observing image, and right and left optical elements for leading to user's right and left eyeballs by reflecting each luminous flux concerning to right and left images from these right and left image display means in a horizontal plane respectively.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the above right and left image displaying means are constituted respectively by the image displaying means of the light receiving type, and have illumination means for illuminating them by an illumination light.
The above illumination means has a light emitting element and a light leading member for leading light from the light emitting element to the right and left image displaying means, and the light emitting element is arranged on an upper side of the light leading member.
Moreover, in a suitable embodiment of the present invention, the right and left image displaying means, light leading members, and right and left optical elements are held on a supporting member, a circuit board is arranged on the upper surface side of the supporting member, and the circuit board is provided with the light emitting element and the driving circuit thereof, and with a driving circuit of the right and left image displaying means.
The supporting member have a lid member on the upper surface side, and the lid member is provided with an opening opposite to the light emitting element, so that light from the above light emitting element is made incident on to the light leading member through the opening.
The above supporting member have a transparent member to the upper surface side, and light from the light emitting element is made incident on to the light leading member through the transparent member.
In a suitable embodiment of the present invention, the illumination means is provided independently in corresponded to the right and left image displaying means.
Moreover, the circuit board having at least a part of the driving circuit of the above right and left image displaying means and/or the driving circuit of the right and left illumination means, is arranged between the right and left illumination means.
Also, the right and left image displaying means is constituted respectively by the image displaying means of self-light emission type, the right and left image displaying means and the right and left optical elements are held on the supporting member, the circuit board is displaced on the supporting member, and the circuit board is provided with the driving circuit of the right and left image displaying means.
The invention concerned with the second aspect of present invention is an image displaying device comprising an image displaying means arranged in central portions of user's both eyes in operation mode observing image, a light splitting element for splitting and emanating each luminous flux concerning with right and left images by reflecting luminous flux concerning with images from the image display means in a horizontal plane, right and left optical elements for leading each luminous flux concerning with right and left images separated by the light splitting element to user's right and left eyeballs, and the image displaying means has a substantially symmetric field angle characteristic.
In a suitable embodiment of the present invention, the field stop for limiting view is provided between the above light splitting element and right and left optical elements, respectively.
Also, the above right and left optical elements are constituted by a prism, respectively, the positioning engage portion for the supporting member is installed on a part of at least one ridge line portion of these prisms and a part of the side where the luminous flux does not act on the image.
Moreover, the emergent plane of the right and left
Frishauf Holtz Goodman & Chick P.C.
Olympus Optical Co,. Ltd.
Wu Xiao
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