Guiding apparatus for an imaging light path and guiding method thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to a guiding apparatus for an imaging light path and a guiding method thereof. The guiding apparatus comprises at least one light-projection system to project at least one visible light beam and at least one light-guiding device disposed corresponding to the light-projection system. The light-guiding device has a first end, a second end, and a light path disposed between the first end and the second end. The visible light beam projected from the light-projection system is received at the first end and guided to an image-receiving object, including but not limited to the user's eyes, out of the second end through the light path to form a real or virtual image. The effects of high brightness of the visible light beam arriving at the image-receiving object, low consumption of light energy, and improved installation flexibility in a space-limited apparatus can be obtained.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A guiding apparatus for an imaging light path, comprising:
 at least one light-projection system used to project at least one visible light beam; and   at least one light-guiding device disposed corresponding to the at least one light-projection system and having a first end, a second end extending outward from the first end, and a light path disposed between the first end and the second end, wherein the at least one visible light beam projected correspondingly by the at least one light-projection system is received at the first end and guided to an image-receiving object out of the second end through the light path to form an image.   
     
     
         2 . The guiding apparatus for an imaging light path according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one light-projection system is one of a light-emitting diode display, an organic light-emitting diode display, a micro light-emitting diode display, a MEMS controlled laser projector, a liquid crystal on silicon projector, a thin film transistor liquid crystal display, and a digital light processing projector or is any combination thereof, the at least one visible light beam having a wavelength ranging from 380 nm to 750 nm. 
     
     
         3 . The guiding apparatus for an imaging light path according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one light-projection system is plural in number and is disposed as a square array, a circular array, a wavy array, or an irregular array, the at least one visible light beam being plural in number and having the same or different wavelengths. 
     
     
         4 . The guiding apparatus for an imaging light path according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one light-guiding device is a structure of a solid transparent bar. 
     
     
         5 . The guiding apparatus for an imaging light path according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one light-guiding device is a straight bar structure or a curved bar structure. 
     
     
         6 . The guiding apparatus for an imaging light path according to  claim 5 , wherein the at least one light-guiding device is plural in number and is disposed in parallel on a supporting plate. 
     
     
         7 . The guiding apparatus for an imaging light path according to  claim 1 , wherein an end surface of the second end of the at least one light-guiding device is surface-treated or is attached with a structure having a different refractive index to form a transparent surface. 
     
     
         8 . The guiding apparatus for an imaging light path according to  claim 1 , wherein an end surface of the second end of the at least one light-guiding device is surface-treated or is attached with a structure having a different refractive index to form a reflective surface, wherein the second end corresponding to the reflective surface is surface-treated or is attached with a structure having a different refractive index to form a light-leaving surface. 
     
     
         9 . The guiding apparatus for an imaging light path according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one light-guiding device has a cross section of a circular, a rectangular, or a polygonal shape or any geometric shape, and an end surface of at least one of the first end and the second end of the at least one light-guiding device being a flat, sloped, convex, or concave surface. 
     
     
         10 . The guiding apparatus for an imaging light path according to  claim 9 , wherein the at least one light-guiding device is plural in number and disposed coaxially, wherein the first end of one light-guiding device corresponds to the second end of another light-guiding device. 
     
     
         11 . The guiding apparatus for an imaging light path according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one groove is formed on the light path of the at least one light-guiding device, the at least one groove is formed close to both or either of the first end and the second end. 
     
     
         12 . The guiding apparatus for an imaging light path according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one lens or equivalent lens is stacked coaxially at least one of the first end and the second end of the at least one light-guiding device. 
     
     
         13 . The guiding apparatus for an imaging light path according to  claim 1 , wherein the material of the at least one light-guiding device is plastic, glass, quartz, composite material, or any combination thereof, and the at least one light-guiding device manufactured by a process of etching, deposition, epitaxy, drawing, molding, cutting, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The guiding apparatus for an imaging light path according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one light-guiding device is plural in number, wherein the light-guiding devices are stacked and adhered to one another, wherein the light-guiding devices are disposed in parallel, are spread from the first end to the second end, or are concentrated from the first end to the second end. 
     
     
         15 . The guiding apparatus for an imaging light path according to  claim 14 , wherein the light-guiding devices individually have the same or different optical structures, each of which has a cross-sectional shape, an end surface, and length, wherein the at least one visible light beam individually passes through the same or different optical structures of the light-guiding devices to form images at different distances out of the second ends. 
     
     
         16 . The guiding apparatus for an imaging light path according to  claim 14 , wherein each of the light-guiding devices has a cross section of a circular, a rectangular, a polygonal shape, or any combination thereof, and an end surface of at least one of the first end and the second end of each of the light-guiding devices being a flat, sloped, convex, concave surface, or any combination thereof, and the light-guiding devices having the same or different lengths or arranged to decrease gradually from the second end to the first end. 
     
     
         17 . The guiding apparatus for an imaging light path according to  claim 14 , wherein the cross sections of the light-guiding devices form a square array, a circular array, a wavy array, any geometric array, or an irregular array, wherein the visible light beams inputted by the light-guiding devices form the image corresponding to the square array, the circular array, the wavy array, the any geometric array, or the irregular array. 
     
     
         18 . The guiding apparatus for an imaging light path according to  claim 14 , wherein at least one lens or plural lenses are stacked coaxially at at least one of the first ends and the seconds end of the light-guiding devices. 
     
     
         19 . The guiding apparatus for an imaging light path according to  claim 1 , wherein the image-receiving object is an eye or a surface of any physical object. 
     
     
         20 . A guiding method of an imaging light path, comprising the steps of:
 providing at least one light-projection system used to project at least one visible light beam; and   providing at least one light-guiding device disposed corresponding to the at least one light-projection system, wherein a first end of the at least one light-guiding device receives the at least one visible light beam projected correspondingly by the at least one light-projection system, wherein a light path of the at least one light-guiding device guides the at least one visible light beam to an image-receiving object out of a second end of the at least one light-guiding device to form an image, wherein the second end extends outward from the first end, wherein the light path is disposed between the first end and the second end.