See-through display glasses using optical fibers to transfer images

Abstract

Architecture and designs of wearable devices using optical fibers are described. According to one aspect of the present invention, a display device is made in form of a pair of glasses and includes a minimum number of parts to reduce the complexity and weight thereof. A separate enclosure is provided as portable to be affixed or attached to a user (e.g., a pocket or waist belt). The enclosure includes all necessary parts and circuits to generate content for a microdisplay device that in return produces optical images. The optical images are picked up and transported by one or more optical fibers in a cable to the glasses, where the optical images are projected respectively to the lenses specially made for displaying the optical images before the eyes of the wearer.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A display apparatus comprising:
 at least an integrated lens formed by integrating at least two lenses of different optical characters to allow a wearer to see through the integrated lens without optical distortions;   at least an optical fiber enclosed in a cable, the optical fiber having a first end and a second end;   a pair of temples, at least one temple coupled to the cable, wherein the optical fiber in the cable is extended beyond the temple to receive an optical image, wherein the optical image is a collection of varying light intensities and captured from a microdisplay device; and   a projection mechanism, disposed near an end of the temple, receiving the optical image from the optical fiber and projecting the optical image into the integrated lens, wherein the optical image is seen by the wearer wearing the display apparatus.   
     
     
         2 . The display apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the projection mechanism includes a focal lens, the optical fiber transports the optical image from one end of the optical fiber to another end of the optical fiber by total internal reflections in the optical fiber, and the optical image is projected into the integrated lens by the focal lens. 
     
     
         3 . The display apparatus as recited in  claim 2 , further comprising an enclosure attachable to the wearer, the enclosure includes the microdisplay device, a data network interface and circuitry to generate an image data for the microdisplay device to produce the optical image, the data network interface is provided to receive a resource from the Internet. 
     
     
         4 . The display apparatus as recited in  claim 3 , wherein one of the at least two lenses of different optical characters is a prism specifically formed to propagate the optical image being projected onto one edge of the prism to an optical path that the wearer sees the optical image in the integrated lens. 
     
     
         5 . The display apparatus as recited in  claim 3 , wherein one of the at least two lenses of different optical characters is a prism receiving the optical image projected onto a first edge of the prism, the optical image being seen by the wearer from a second edge of the prism; and another one of the at least two lenses of different optical characters is an optical correcting lens integrated with the prism to correct an optical path coming out from the prism. 
     
     
         6 . The display apparatus as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the prism and the optical corrector are stacked so that the wearer sees through the integrated lenses without optical distortion. 
     
     
         7 . The display apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the projection mechanism includes: a focal lens focusing and projecting the optical image onto an edge of the integrated lens. 
     
     
         8 . The display apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the projection mechanism includes a set of variable focus elements, at least one of the variable focus elements is adjustable to focus the optical image from the optical fiber onto an edge of the integrated lens. 
     
     
         9 . The display apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the projection mechanism includes:
 an imaging medium converting the optical image from one spectrum band to another spectrum band; and   a focal lens focusing and projecting the converted optical image onto an edge of the integrated lens.   
     
     
         10 . The display apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the projection mechanism includes:
 an optical waveguide receiving the optical image projected onto one side of the optical waveguide and propagating the optical image to another side of the optical waveguide, the propagated optical image being seen by the wearer at the another side of the optical waveguide.   
     
     
         11 . The display apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the temple is presented as inflexible while a portion of the optical cable that is extended beyond the temple is flexible. 
     
     
         12 . The display apparatus as recited in  claim 11 , wherein the temple and the portion of the optical cable are removably connected. 
     
     
         13 . The display apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein an extended part of the cable is enclosed within or attached to functional multi-layer structures which form a portion of an article of clothing for the wearer.