US2012081800A1PendingUtilityA1

Optical see-through free-form head-mounted display

50
Assignee: CHENG DEWENPriority: Apr 20, 2009Filed: Apr 20, 2010Published: Apr 5, 2012
Est. expiryApr 20, 2029(~2.8 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
G02B 27/0172G02B 2027/0118G02B 17/08G02B 2027/013G02B 17/006G03B 21/00G02B 17/086G02B 27/017G02B 13/10
50
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Claims

Abstract

A see-through free-form head-mounted display including a wedge-shaped prism-lens having free-form surfaces and low F-number is provided.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A free-form prism-lens for use in an optical see-through head-mounted display, comprising:
 a first free-form surface configured to receive light from a micro-display and configured to transmit the received light into the body of the prism-lens;   a second free-form surface configured to receive the light transmitted into the body of the prism-lens from the first free-form surface and configured to totally internally reflect the received light at the second surface; and   a third free-form surface configured to receive the light reflected by the second free-form surface and configured to reflect the light out of the prism-lens,   wherein the prism-lens has an f-number less than 3.5.   
     
     
         2 . The free-form prism-lens according to  claim 1 , wherein the first free-form surface is described by 
       
         
           
             
               
                 z 
                 = 
                 
                   
                     
                       c 
                        
                       
                         ( 
                         
                           
                             x 
                             2 
                           
                           + 
                           
                             y 
                             2 
                           
                         
                         ) 
                       
                     
                     
                       1 
                       + 
                       
                         sqrt 
                          
                         
                           ( 
                           
                             1 
                             - 
                             
                               
                                 ( 
                                 
                                   1 
                                   + 
                                   k 
                                 
                                 ) 
                               
                                
                               
                                 
                                   c 
                                   2 
                                 
                                  
                                 
                                   ( 
                                   
                                     
                                       x 
                                       2 
                                     
                                     + 
                                     
                                       y 
                                       2 
                                     
                                   
                                   ) 
                                 
                               
                             
                           
                           ) 
                         
                       
                     
                   
                   + 
                   
                     
                       ∑ 
                       
                         j 
                         = 
                         2 
                       
                       66 
                     
                      
                     
                       
                         C 
                         j 
                       
                        
                       
                         x 
                         m 
                       
                        
                       
                         y 
                         n 
                       
                     
                   
                 
               
               , 
               
                 
 
               
                
               
                 j 
                 = 
                 
                   
                     
                       [ 
                       
                         
                           
                             ( 
                             
                               m 
                               + 
                               n 
                             
                             ) 
                           
                           2 
                         
                         + 
                         m 
                         + 
                         
                           3 
                            
                           n 
                         
                       
                       ] 
                     
                     / 
                     2 
                   
                   + 
                   1 
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         where the z is the sag of the first free-form surface measured along the z-axis of a local x, y, z coordinate system, c is the vertex curvature (CUY), k is the conic constant, and C j  is the coefficient for x m y n . 
       
     
     
         3 . The free-form prism-lens according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second free-form surface is described by 
       
         
           
             
               
                 z 
                 = 
                 
                   
                     
                       c 
                        
                       
                         ( 
                         
                           
                             x 
                             2 
                           
                           + 
                           
                             y 
                             2 
                           
                         
                         ) 
                       
                     
                     
                       1 
                       + 
                       
                         sqrt 
                          
                         
                           ( 
                           
                             1 
                             - 
                             
                               
                                 ( 
                                 
                                   1 
                                   + 
                                   k 
                                 
                                 ) 
                               
                                
                               
                                 
                                   c 
                                   2 
                                 
                                  
                                 
                                   ( 
                                   
                                     
                                       x 
                                       2 
                                     
                                     + 
                                     
                                       y 
                                       2 
                                     
                                   
                                   ) 
                                 
                               
                             
                           
                           ) 
                         
                       
                     
                   
                   + 
                   
                     
                       ∑ 
                       
                         j 
                         = 
                         2 
                       
                       66 
                     
                      
                     
                       
                         C 
                         j 
                       
                        
                       
                         x 
                         m 
                       
                        
                       
                         y 
                         n 
                       
                     
                   
                 
               
               , 
               
                 
 
               
                
               
                 j 
                 = 
                 
                   
                     
                       [ 
                       
                         
                           
                             ( 
                             
                               m 
                               + 
                               n 
                             
                             ) 
                           
                           2 
                         
                         + 
                         m 
                         + 
                         
                           3 
                            
                           n 
                         
                       
                       ] 
                     
                     / 
                     2 
                   
                   + 
                   1 
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         where the z is the sag of the first free-form surface measured along the z-axis of a local x, y, z coordinate system, c is the vertex curvature (CUY), k is the conic constant, and C j  is the coefficient for x m y n . 
       
     
     
         4 . The free-form prism-lens according to  claim 3 , wherein the third free-form surface is described by 
       
         
           
             
               
                 z 
                 = 
                 
                   
                     
                       c 
                        
                       
                         ( 
                         
                           
                             x 
                             2 
                           
                           + 
                           
                             y 
                             2 
                           
                         
                         ) 
                       
                     
                     
                       1 
                       + 
                       
                         sqrt 
                          
                         
                           ( 
                           
                             1 
                             - 
                             
                               
                                 ( 
                                 
                                   1 
                                   + 
                                   k 
                                 
                                 ) 
                               
                                
                               
                                 
                                   c 
                                   2 
                                 
                                  
                                 
                                   ( 
                                   
                                     
                                       x 
                                       2 
                                     
                                     + 
                                     
                                       y 
                                       2 
                                     
                                   
                                   ) 
                                 
                               
                             
                           
                           ) 
                         
                       
                     
                   
                   + 
                   
                     
                       ∑ 
                       
                         j 
                         = 
                         2 
                       
                       66 
                     
                      
                     
                       
                         C 
                         j 
                       
                        
                       
                         x 
                         m 
                       
                        
                       
                         y 
                         n 
                       
                     
                   
                 
               
               , 
               
                 
 
               
                
               
                 j 
                 = 
                 
                   
                     
                       [ 
                       
                         
                           
                             ( 
                             
                               m 
                               + 
                               n 
                             
                             ) 
                           
                           2 
                         
                         + 
                         m 
                         + 
                         
                           3 
                            
                           n 
                         
                       
                       ] 
                     
                     / 
                     2 
                   
                   + 
                   1 
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         where the z is the sag of the first free-form surface measured along the z-axis of a local x, y, z coordinate system, c is the vertex curvature (CUY), k is the conic constant, and C j  is the coefficient for x m y n . 
       
     
     
         5 . The free-form prism-lens according to  claim 1 , wherein the third free-form surface is partially mirrored to permit the internally reflected light to be reflected by the second free-form surface and to permit light from a real-world view to be transmitted through the third free-form surface to the exit pupil. 
     
     
         6 . The free-form prism-lens according to  claim 1 , wherein second and third free-form surfaces are configured to provide a wedge-shaped prism lens. 
     
     
         7 . The free-form prism-lens according to  claim 1 , wherein the z-axis is parallel to the optical axis at the exit pupil, and the prism lens is symmetric about the y-z plane and asymmetric about the x-z plane. 
     
     
         8 . The free-form prism-lens according to  claim 1 , wherein the diagonal field of view is at least 40 degrees. 
     
     
         9 . The free-form prism-lens according to  claim 1 , wherein the exit pupil diameter is at least 6 mm. 
     
     
         10 . The free-form prism-lens according to  claim 1 , wherein the modulation transfer function is at least 10%×30 lps/mm. 
     
     
         11 . The free-form prism-lens according to  claim 1 , wherein the eye clearance is at least 16 mm. 
     
     
         12 . The free-form prism-lens according to  claim 1 , comprising an auxiliary lens disposed proximate the third free-form surface, the auxiliary lens configured to minimize the shift and distortion of rays from a real-world scene by the second and third surfaces of the prism-lens. 
     
     
         13 . The free-form prism-lens according to  claim 12 , wherein the auxiliary lens has a surface with the same shape as the third free-form surface of the prism-lens and is disposed in optical contact with the third free-form surface of the prism-lens. 
     
     
         14 . The free-form prism-lens according to  claim 12  or  13 , wherein at least one surface of the auxiliary lens is described by 
       
         
           
             
               
                 z 
                 = 
                 
                   
                     
                       c 
                        
                       
                         ( 
                         
                           
                             x 
                             2 
                           
                           + 
                           
                             y 
                             2 
                           
                         
                         ) 
                       
                     
                     
                       1 
                       + 
                       
                         sqrt 
                          
                         
                           ( 
                           
                             1 
                             - 
                             
                               
                                 ( 
                                 
                                   1 
                                   + 
                                   k 
                                 
                                 ) 
                               
                                
                               
                                 
                                   c 
                                   2 
                                 
                                  
                                 
                                   ( 
                                   
                                     
                                       x 
                                       2 
                                     
                                     + 
                                     
                                       y 
                                       2 
                                     
                                   
                                   ) 
                                 
                               
                             
                           
                           ) 
                         
                       
                     
                   
                   + 
                   
                     
                       ∑ 
                       
                         j 
                         = 
                         2 
                       
                       66 
                     
                      
                     
                       
                         C 
                         j 
                       
                        
                       
                         x 
                         m 
                       
                        
                       
                         y 
                         n 
                       
                     
                   
                 
               
               , 
               
                 
 
               
                
               
                 j 
                 = 
                 
                   
                     
                       [ 
                       
                         
                           
                             ( 
                             
                               m 
                               + 
                               n 
                             
                             ) 
                           
                           2 
                         
                         + 
                         m 
                         + 
                         
                           3 
                            
                           n 
                         
                       
                       ] 
                     
                     / 
                     2 
                   
                   + 
                   1 
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         where the z is the sag of the first free-form surface measured along the z-axis of a local x, y, z coordinate system, c is the vertex curvature (CUY), k is the conic constant, and C j  is the coefficient for x m y n .

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