KR101916079B1 - Head-mounted display apparatus employing one or more fresnel lenses - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a head mounted display 100 that includes a frame 107, an image display system 110 supported by the frame 107, and a Fresnel lens system 115 supported by the frame 107. [ . The HMD 100 is supported by the frame 107 and includes a reflective optical surface 120 that is, for example, a free space, an ultra-wide angle, a reflective optical surface (FS / UWA / RO surface) A Fresnel lens system 115 located between the reflective optical surface 110 and the reflective optical surface 120 may be applied. The Fresnel lens system 115 may include at least one curvature Fresnel lens element 820. The Fresnel lens element 30 for use of the HMD has a surface 31 that is separated by an edge portion 32 which has (i) a center of rotation 34 of the user's eye 35 (Ii) a diagonal line passing through the center of the natural lens 36 of the user, or (iii) a diagonal line of the user's cornea that is normal.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a head-mounted display device having one or more Fresnel lenses,

Cross-reference to related application

This application is related to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 13 / 211,365 filed on August 17, 2011, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 61 / 405,440 filed on October 21, 2010, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 417,326 filed on November 26, 2010, entitled " Curve Beam Splitter Structure ", filed October 26, 2010, 61 / 417,32, filed November 26, 2010, entitled " Fresnel lens and flat beam splitter coupling structure ", U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61 / 417,328, filed November 26, 2010, Quot;), and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 61 / 427,530, filed December 28, 2010, entitled " Beam Splitter for Head Mounted Displays ", which are incorporated herein by reference References are cited.

Field of invention

The present invention relates to a head mounted display device with one or more Fresnel lenses. In one embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus also includes one or more reflective optical surfaces, e.g., one or more free-space, an ultra-wide angle, (hereinafter abbreviated as " FS / UWA / RO surface "). In another embodiment of the present invention, the overall optical system is a non-pupil forming system, i.e. the control aperture (stop) of the entire system is the pupil of the user's eye.

The one or more Fresnel lenses and, in use, one or more reflective surfaces (e.g., one or more FS / UWA / RO surfaces) at the time of use to display an image from the light- do.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For example, a head mounted display, such as a helmet mount display or an eyeglass mount display head (abbreviated as " HMD " hereinafter), is a display device mounted on an individual's head that is located near one eye One or more small display devices.

Some HMDs display only simulated images generated by a computer, not actual images, and are sometimes referred to as " virtual reality " or immersive HMDs. Some HMDs superimpose (combine) the simulated image onto the actual image rather than being simulated. The HMD user of the combination of the simulated image and the non-simulated image can be provided with additional data related to the task to be performed, for example, a visor or an eyepiece superimposed on the user's forward field of view (FOV) eyepiece. This overlap is sometimes referred to as augmented reality or mixed reality.

Combining the actual view of the non-simulation with the simulated image can be done using a partially reflective / partially transparent optical surface (beam splitter), where the reflectivity of the surface converts the simulated image into a virtual image In optical sense), and the transmissivity of the surface allows the user to see the real world directly (referred to as an optical see-through system). Combining the actual view with the simulated image is possible electronically (called the video-to-through system) by taking the image of the actual view from the camera and blending it with the electronically simulated image using a combiner. The combined image is then shown to the user as a virtual image (in the optical sense) by the reflective optical surface, in which case it does not need to be transparent.

It can be seen from the above that the reflective optical surfaces can be used in an HMD that provides the user with the following: That is, (i) a combination of a simulated image and an actual image of a non-simulation, (ii) a combination of a simulated image and a real world video image, or (iii) pure simulation images. In each of these cases, the reflective optical surface creates a virtual image (visible in the optical sense) that is visible to the user. Historically, such reflective optical surfaces have been part of an optical system in which the exit pupils significantly limit the static view as well as the dynamic view available to the user. Specifically, in order to view an image created by the optical system, the user would have to align his eye with the exit pupil of the optical system and maintain such alignment, and even then, the image shown to the user, The whole thing was not done. In other words, previous optical systems involving reflective optical surfaces used in HMDs were part of the pupil-forming system and thus the exit pupil was limited.

The reason that the systems were so limited is in the basic fact that people's view is surprisingly wide. So the static view of a person, including the eye's foveal and peripheral vision, is up to 150 degrees in the horizontal direction and up to 130 degrees in the vertical direction. (A straight ahead static view of normal life for the purposes of the present invention will be used at 150 degrees.) A well-calibrated optical system with an exit pupil capable of accommodating such a large static field is expensive It is bulky.

Furthermore, the working field of the human eye (dynamic view) is larger. Because the eye can rotate about its center of rotation, that is, the human brain can be adjusted in different directions by changing the eyepiece + eye field of the human eye by changing the eye's direction of gaze. For the nominal eye, the vertical range of motion is up to 40 °, down to 60 °, and the horizontal range of motion is from ± 50 ° from the front of the straight line. For an exit pupil of the size produced by a type of optical system used in a conventional HMD, a small rotation of the eye would significantly reduce the overlap between the static view of the eye and the exit pupil, and a large rotation would cause the image to completely disappear will be. Although theoretically possible, the exit pupil, moving with the user's eye and synchrony, will be impractical and unacceptably expensive. The nature of these eyes allows the user to see the natural world, There are three views that are relevant to providing an optical system that allows an image generated by the system to be viewed.

The smallest of the three views is defined by the ability of the user to rotate his or her eyes. The maximum rotation is in the range of ± 50 ° from the front of the straight ahead, so this field of view (Foam Dynamic Visibility) is about 100 °. The middle of these three views is a forward straight forward static view and includes the user's shell and surroundings. As mentioned above, this field of view (foam + surrounding static field of view) is on the order of 150 degrees. The largest of the three views is defined by the ability of the user to rotate his / her eyes to scan the glove + surrounding scene against the outside world. Based on the fact that the maximum rotation is at a level of ± 50 ° and the static angle of view around the foam + is 150 °, the largest visual field (foam + peripheral dynamic visual field) is at a level of 200 °. This scale of view, which increases from at least 100 degrees to at least 150 degrees, and at least 200 degrees, provides a corresponding benefit to the user in terms of the ability to view the images generated by the image display system in an intuitive and natural manner.

In order for the human eye to easily focus on a display within 10 inches of the eye, one form of collimation to the outgoing rays needs to be applied. The collimation makes the rays appear to be from a distance greater than the actual distance between the eye and the display. The larger the external distance, the more it allows the eye to focus on the image of the display immediately. Some head mounted displays use multiple mirrors or prisms as an attempt to collimate light from the display. The use of multiple mirrors or prisms increases the volume and weight and makes such head mounted displays more cumbersome and heavier than desired.

Thus, there is at least a need for a head mounted display that fits with the ability to focus, as well as the canonical vision of the human eye. The disclosure of the present invention provides a head mounted display aimed at these needs and emitting collimated (or highly collimated) light over a wide field of view.

Justice

In the following publications and claims, " virtual image " is used in its optical sense. In other words, a virtual image is an image that is not actually light coming from a place, but is perceived as coming from that specific place. Throughout the text of this disclosure, the following phrases or terms have the following meanings or ranges:

(1) A "reflective optical surface" (or "reflective surface") includes reflective and transmissive surfaces as well as reflective surfaces only. In either case, the reflectivity may be only partial. That is, the incident light can be partially transmitted through the surface thereof. Likewise, when the surface is reflective and transmissive, its reflectivity or transmissivity may be partial. As mentioned below, one reflective optical surface may be used for both eyes, or each eye may have its own individual reflective optical surface. Other variations include the use of multiple reflective optical surfaces for both eyes or for each individual eye. For example, a single reflective optical surface may be used in one eye, and multiple reflective optical surfaces may be used in the same combination as used in the other eye. As yet another alternative, one or multiple reflective optical surfaces may be provided for only one eye of the user's eye. The following claims are intended to cover the scope of these and the applications of the reflective optical surfaces disclosed herein. In particular, each claim requiring a reflective optical surface is intended to cover a head-mounted display device comprising one or more reflective optical surfaces as described in detail.

(2) "Image display system with at least one light emitting surface" means that light from other sources, such as by transmission of light through the surface, or from the generation of light at the surface (eg LED array) , Or any display system that has a light-emitting surface. The image display system may, for example, be accompanied by one or more image display devices, such as single or multiple LEDs and / or LCD arrays. A given head mounted display device, such as at the reflective optical surfaces, may incorporate one or more image display systems for one eye or both eyes of the user. Each of the following claims requiring an image display system is also intended to encompass a head mounted display device comprising one or more image display systems of the type described in detail.

 (3) "binocular viewer" means a device comprising at least one separate optical element for each eye (eg one display element and / or one reflective optical surface)

(4) "Field of view" and its abbreviation FOV refers to the visual field of the image (eye) space compared to the actual field of view in the object (ie display) space.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The head mounted display device 100 disclosed in one embodiment of the present invention includes the following components;

(I) a frame (107) mounted to the user ' s head (105);

(II) an image display system 110 supported by the frame 107 (e.g., while using the HMD, the frame supports the image system device at a fixed location outside the user's viewing field);

(E.g., the reflective optical surface is a free space, an ultra-wide angle, a reflective optical surface (e.g., a reflective optical surface) that is supported by a frame (III) frame 107 and which is asymmetrically continuous with respect to any coordinate axes of the three- 120), which is not rotationally symmetric about the x, y, or z axis of a three dimensional Cartesian coordinate system with arbitrary origin); And

(IV) a Fresnel lens system (115) supported by the frame (107) and disposed between the image display system (110) and the reflective optical surface (120);

The head mounted display device is characterized in that:

(a) the light emitting surface (81) having at least one image display system (110);

(b) in use, the reflective optical surface (120) and the Fresnel lens system (115) reproduce a spatially separated virtual image of the spatially separated portion of the light emitting surface (81) At least one of the spatially separated virtual images is separated from another spatially separated virtual image by an angle of about 100 degrees (at least 150 degrees in one embodiment of the present invention and at least 200 degrees in another embodiment of the invention) ), The separation angle is measured from the rotation center 72 of the user eye 71; And

(c) at use, in use, at least one point of the reflective optical surface 120 is separated from the other point of the reflective optical surface 120 by an angle of about 100 degrees (in one embodiment of the invention at least 150 And at least 200 degrees in other embodiments of the present invention), the separation angle is measured from the center of rotation of the user's eye.

In view of the above, in use, the at least one spatially separated virtual image may be arranged along a viewing direction through at least one point of the reflective optical surface, and the at least one spatially separated virtual image Is disposed along the viewing direction passing through another point on the reflective optical surface.

The head mounted display apparatus 100 disclosed in the second embodiment of the present invention includes the following:

(I) a frame 107 mounted on the user's head 105,

(II) an image display system 110 supported by the frame 107 (e.g., in use of the HMD, the frame supports the image display system at a fixed location located outside the user's viewing field);

(III) free space, super-wide angle, supported by frame 107, reflective optical surface 120; And

(IV) a Fresnel lens system (115) supported by the frame (107) and positioned between the image display system (110) and the free space, super wide angle, reflective optical surface (120);

The head mounted display device is characterized in that:

(a) the image display system (110) comprises at least one light emitting surface (81);

(b) reproduces a spatially separated virtual image of the spatially separated portion of said light emitting surface (81) with at least one of said reflective optical surface (120) and said Fresnel lens system (115) in use, At least one of the spatially separated virtual images is separated from another spatially separated virtual image by an angle of about 100 degrees (at least 150 degrees in one embodiment of the present invention and at least 200 degrees in another embodiment of the invention) ), The separation angle is measured from the rotation center 72 of the user eye 71;

The head mounted display device 100 disclosed in the third embodiment of the present invention comprises:

(I) a frame (107) mounted to the user ' s head (105);

(II) an image display system (110) supported by the frame (107)

(III) a reflective surface (120) supported by the frame (107); And

(IV) a Fresnel lens system (115) supported by the frame (107) and disposed between the image display system (110) and the reflective optical surface (120);

In the above arrangement, the Fresnel lens system 115 is characterized by comprising at least one curvature Fresnel lens element.

The head mounted display apparatus 100 disclosed in the fourth embodiment of the present invention includes:

(I) a frame (107) mounted to the user ' s head (105);

(II) an image display system (110) supported by a frame (107); And

(III) a Fresnel lens system 115 supported by a frame 107;

The device has the following characteristics:

In use of the apparatus, the Fresnel lens system 115 is located between the image display system 110 and the user's eyes; And

The Fresnel lens system 115 includes at least one Fresnel lens 32 having a plurality of scored faces 31 separated from other facets by edge portions 32 during use of the head- Element 30

The at least some of the corner portions 32 may be formed by at least one of (i) a diagonal line passing through the rotation center 34 of the user's eye 35, or (ii) a center of the user's natural lens Or (iii) a normal user's cornea.

In the disclosed embodiment, a separate Fresnel lens system, a separate image display system, and / or a separate reflective plane is applied to each eye of the user (if the device is used). In another embodiment, the reflective optical surface contributes to the collimation (or sufficient collimation) of the light emitted from the image display system provided by the image display system Fresnel lens system (when the apparatus is used) (Or sufficient collimation) is achieved through the curvature of the local radius.

In various embodiments of the present invention, the HMD device can be a binocular non-pupil-forming system in which the eye can be seen at a time through an external pupil It is freely movable about the center of rotation through normally obtainable angular extents without any restriction. Conventional HMD devices are arranged to provide a wide viewing field, but the conventional device necessarily includes an external pupil through which the eye must pass. Even though the amount of information provided to the eyes is large, the information is lost if the eyes are in different directions. This is a serious problem that the present invention using reflex surfaces, especially FS / UWA / RO surfaces, is to be avoided.

Reference numerals used in the Summary of the Invention are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention for the convenience of the reader of the present specification (the reference numerals do not completely represent all the contents of the present invention). Further, in general, the above or the following description related to the present invention is only an example for explaining the present invention.

Additional advantages and features of the present invention based on the detailed description of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The following drawings are provided for a better understanding of the present invention and form a part of the description of the present invention. Various features and combinations of the invention disclosed in the specification and drawings of the present invention are deemed to belong to the present invention.

Brief Description of Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a head mounted display device according to an example of the present invention.

2 is a schematic front view of the head mounted display device of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a Fresnel lens element having a cut-away surface with an edge passing through the center of rotation of the user's eye, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

4 shows an optical system of a head mounted display device comprising a Fresnel lens system and a curvature reflective optical surface according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a top view of a head mounted display device for use with two curved reflective optical surfaces corresponding to a user's two eyes in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a stationary observation view of the human eye with respect to the gazing direction immediately preceding.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the interaction between the stationary view of FIG. 6 with the FS / UWA / RO surface according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. The arrows in Fig. 7 indicate the traveling direction of the light.

FIG. 8 illustrates a ray diagram of a light path from a given pixel on a display as a pixel is reflected towards the eye, according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 9 illustrates the sound path of the optical path from two pixels on the display as two pixels are reflected toward the eye, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the variables used to select the direction of the partial normal of the reflective device in accordance with an embodiment. FIG.

Figure 11 shows a curved reflector with an optical path according to embodiments of the present invention.

12 is a block diagram of a augmented-reality head-mounted display device side with a Fresnel lens system.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a light beam in the augmented reality head-mounted display device depicted in FIG. 12; FIG.

FIG. 14 is a front view of the external light and display in the augmented reality head-mounted display device depicted in FIG. 13; FIG.

FIG. 15 is a block diagram of a side view of a sensible head-mounted display device having a Fresnel lens system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram of a plane of a sensible head-mounted display device having a Fresnel lens system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a light beam in the real-sensible head-mounted display device shown in FIG. 15 and FIG.

FIG. 18 is a front view of a light beam incident on a user's eye according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

FIG. 19 schematically shows geometry for calculating a partial normal to a reflective surface according to an embodiment. FIG.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

I. Introduction

As mentioned above, the present invention relates to an HMD that provides a user with a collimated (or sufficiently collimated) image using a Fresnel lens system, wherein the Fresnel lens system comprises a curvature Fresnel lens system Lt; / RTI > The Fresnel lens system may be the sole source of collimation in the optical system or, in embodiments using a curvature reflective optical surface such as an FS / UWA / RO surface, The collimation of the system can occur in combination with the collimation by the curvature reflective optical surface.

The following description begins with a description of embodiments using an FS / UWA / RO surface (Section II) and describes techniques for using a plenel lens system for use of the apparatus of the present invention and other embodiments Section III). Section III also covers the design of the FS / UWA / RO surface used in optical systems including the Fresnel lens system. After section III, a reflective optical surface application and a curvilinear Fresnel lens system (Section IV), which are not FS / UWA / RO surfaces, are described, followed by a curvature Fresnel lens system (Section V). ≪ / RTI > Finally, the discussion of the various embodiments described herein is discussed (Section VI).

The various contents to be introduced in each section with respect to the HMD of the present invention do not limit the scope of the present invention and are general descriptions of cases in which embodiments of the present invention can be applied. For example, any one type of image display system used in the HMD disclosed in Section I may be used in the embodiments of Section IV and Section V as well as Section I.

II . Surface applied HMD

1 and 2 are a side view and a front view, respectively, of a head mounted display device 100 possessed by a user 105. Fig. The head mounted display device uses the FS / UWA / RO surface 120.

In one embodiment of the present invention, for example, the head mounted display device 100 may be a viewer of the interior transparency of the optical system, an increase / decrease reality, and a binocular viewer. Since the inner transparency of the optics, the increasing and decreasing reality, and the binocular viewer are generally the most complex HMD types, the present invention first discusses this type of embodiment, and the principles discussed herein relate to optical transparency, It should be understood that the invention is equally applicable to monocular viewers, intra-video transparency, incremental reality, binocular and monocular viewers, and binocular and monocular "real-world" systems.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the head mounted display device 100 includes a frame 107 which is worn by the user and supported by the user's nose and eyes in a manner similar to glasses. In other embodiments as well as the embodiments of Figures 1 and 2, the head mounted display device may have a variety of arrangements and may be similar to, for example, a typical goggles, glasses, helmet, and the like. In some embodiments, a strap may be used to secure the HMD frame to the user's eye in a fixed position. In commonly used terms, the outer surface of the HMD package may have any shape that fixes the optical system in the orientation desired in association with the display of the HMD and the user ' s eyes.

 The head mounted display device 100 includes at least one display system 110 and a free space, ultra-wide angle, reflective optical surface 120, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, that is, an FS / UWA / RO < / RTI > Surface 120 may be either purely reflective or reflective and electrically conductive, and this case may be considered as a form of " beam splitter ".

Surface 120 is referred to as a " free space ", which means that the local local position, local surface curvature, and local surface orientation of the surface are not fixed to a particular substrate such as the xy plane, (Eg, The Fermat and Hero least time Principle) applied to a three-dimensional space. The surface 120 is also referred to as an " ultra-wide angle " surface since, in use, at least does not limit the dynamic foveal viewing field of the user's eye. As described above, due to the dependence of the FS / UWA / RO surface on the optical characteristics of the Fresnel lens system used together, for example, conventional optical systems with exit pupils that limit the user's viewing field Alternatively, the entire optical system of the HMD is non-pupil forming, and the operative pupil, which is activated for various embodiments of the optical system of the present invention, is not associated with an external optical system, And may be an entrance pupil. Accordingly, the observation field provided to the user with respect to the above embodiment is a conventional optical system in which an exit pupil of an external optical system sufficiently reducing information content, a small misalignment of the user's eye, and a large misalignment causing the information to disappear completely, System, it can be much wider.

The FS / UWA / RO surface 120 may completely cover at least one display system 110 as well as one or two eyes. Specifically, the surface can be bent toward the side of the eye and the side of the surface to extend to the horizontal portion of the viewable field. In one embodiment, the FS / UWA / RO surface 120 may extend up to 180 degrees or more (e.g., 200 degrees or more), as best seen in FIG. 5 below. 2, the HMD may include two separate FS / UWA / RO surfaces 120R and 120L for the two eyes of the user, which are separately supported by the frame and / or nose portion 210. As shown in FIG. Separately, the HMD can be applied to only one FS / UWA / RO surface, two parts visible to the eye, and other parts visible to only one eye, functioning as a single structure in both eyes.

As described above and in FIG. 2, the head mounted display device 100 may include a nose portion 210. The nose portion may be a vertical rod or wall that provides separation between two FS / UWA / RO surfaces, one for each eye of the user. In addition, the nose portion 210 may provide separation between the eyes of the user's two eyes. In this way, the right eye of the user may be the first display of the three-dimensional physical reality by displaying the first image on the right eye via the first image display device and the first FS / UWA / RO surface, The user's left eye may be the second display of the three-dimensional physical reality by displaying the second image with the left eye via the second image display device and the second FS / UWA / RO surface. Thus, a separate display device / reflective surface combination functions on each eye of the user, and each eye sees an accurate image of the location in relation to the three-dimensional physical reality. By separating the user's two eyes, the nose portion 210 is optimized independently of the other eyes, allowing the image to be applied to each eye. In one embodiment, the vertical wall of the nose portion can include two reflectors, one on each side, allowing the user to see the representation when the user turns the eye towards the nose, or to the left or right.

At least one display display system 110 may be secured within the FS / UWA / RO surface 120 and disposed horizontally or at a slight angle to the horizontal. Separately, at least one display display system may be located only at the outer portion of the FS / UWA / RO surface. The tilt or angle of the at least one display display system 110 or, more specifically, the at least one light emitting surface will generally be a function of the position of a pixel, image, and / or display portion that is reflected from the surface 120.

In some embodiments, the head mounted display device 100 is designed to create an internal void space with an FS / UWA / RO surface that is reflected into the interior of the void space. With respect to the FS / UWA / RO surface having a full reach, the image or display information from at least one display system is reflected from the surface to the empty space and to the user's eye, while at the same time, And enters the user's eyes.

The head-mounted display device may include an electronic device package 140 for controlling an image imaged by at least one image display system (110). In one embodiment, the electronics package 140 includes an accelerometer and a gyroscope that provide the position, orientation, and position information needed to tune the image from the at least one projection system 110 having a user function. The power and video of the head-mounted display device 100 may be provided via a transmission cable 150 and a wireless medium coupled to the electronics package 140.

The set of cameras 170 may be mounted on the opposite side of the head-mounted display device 100, for example, to provide input to an electronics package that helps control computer generation of the " A set of cameras 170 may be coupled to the electronics package 140 to receive power, control the signal, and provide video input to the software of the electronic device.

Image display systems used in head-mounted display devices can take many forms now known or developed. For example, the system may be an organic light emitting diode (OLED) image including small high resolution liquid crystal images (LCDs), light emitting diode (LED) images, and / or flexible OLED screens. In particular, video display systems can introduce high-definition, small-form-factor display devices with high pixel densities that can be found in, for example, the mobile phone industry. Fiber-optic bundles can also be used in image display systems. In various embodiments, the image display system may be considered to function as a television. An image display system produces polarized light (e.g., when the image display system applies a liquid crystal image in which all the colors are one-dimensionally polarized in the same direction) and the FS / UWA / RO surface emits light , The light will not leak out of the FS / UWA / RO surface. Thus, the displayed information and the light source itself will not be visible outside the HMD.

The overall function of the optical system made in accordance with the optical system of the present invention, particularly the embodiment of the optical system for the " incremental reality " HMD, is described by the light-projection of FIG. 1, specifically by rays 180, 185 and 190 do. In this embodiment, the FS / UWA / RO surface 120 has reflective and conductive properties. Using the transfer of surface 120, rays 190 enter the environment through the surface and move toward the user's eye. From the same area of the surface 120, the ray 180 is reflected by the surface (using the reflectivity of the surface) and when the user views the direction of the point 195, The ray 180 combines the ray 190 to produce a combined ray 185 that enters the user ' When viewed in this manner, the user's peripheral vision may enable the user to see light from other points in the environment through the surface 120 and also to use the surface attainment of the surface.

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III . Fresnel  Lens system

According to the description of the present invention, the information or image of the display provided by the at least one image display system is adjusted to be viewed in close proximity before entering the user's eyes. For example, in the exemplary embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, the adjustment is made by the lens system 115 and the lens system includes one or more Fresnel lens elements and the diopter characteristics of the light rays coming from the surface of the display To allow the user to focus on a virtual image of the display produced by the entire optical system. Figs. 12-14 and 15-18 illustrate another embodiment of the use of a Fresnel lens element to change the diopter feature of a light beam emerging from the display. In addition to these functions, the Fresnel lens element is also provided to magnify the image supplied to the user. In some embodiments, 3 to 6 times or more magnification may be obtained in a multiple Fresnel lens element in a stacked arrangement.

As will be described in detail below, in a specific embodiment, the Fresnel lens system comprises one or more curved Fresnel lens elements. A curved Fresnel lens is a Fresnel lens made of a substrate with a non-flat curved surface. For the sake of convenience, a Fresnel lens system including a curved Fresnel lens element will be referred to in the specification as " curved Fresnel lens systems ", and includes a Fresnel lens used in a curved Fresnel lens system requiring curved surfaces It does not mean all of the elements. A "Fresnel lens system" is a lens that includes at least one Fresnel lens element (curved surface or plane) that performs the function of changing the diopter characteristics of a ray coming from an image display system that can see an image of the screen close to the eye It will be used to describe a generic example of a system. In a specific embodiment using the FS / UWA / RO surface, the FS / UWA / RO surface, if desired, can be imaged onto at least one light-emitting surface of the image display system, May also have optical properties that contribute to focusing so as to be close to the eye.

As a general term, the Fresnel lens system disclosed herein allows the eye to focus on the screen, and in the case of a technology in which a virtual object is overlaid on a computer through a real world viewed by a user through an HMD, Or a curved Fresnel lens that is selected to adjust the diopter of the light coming from the image display system so as to be able to focus on objects of the image display system. The presence of at least one curved surface lens of the curvilinear Fresnel lens system provides at least one additional parameter (i.e., the curvature of the lens) that adjusts the aberrations of the image provided to the users. For example, one or more Fresnel lenses comprising a curved configuration can provide a significant reduction in chromatic aberrations. Furthermore, the Fresnel surfaces prepared on the curved substrate can provide reduced off-axis aberrations.

More generally, the optical characteristics of the Fresnel lens system and the one or more Fresnel lenses included in the system may be selected empirically or through analytic ray-tracing. For example, dashed line tracking optimizes the parameters of a device in specific implementations such as military training, flight simulations, games, and other commercial uses. The parameter to be optimized includes the curvature of the screen, the size of the screen, the curvature of the Fresnel lens, and the aspheric parameters when the Fresnel lens system or other parts of the optical system include one or more non-curved surfaces, (i) the front of the display screen and (ii) the distance from the user's eye.

In one embodiment, the Fresnel lens element does not produce a field of view curvature. Thus, a wide viewing angle can be provided for using a large number of small and thin optical components. In another embodiment, the Fresnel lens system may include one or more than one aspherical surface to aid in correcting image aberrations. The aspherical surface may be applied to any surface of the optical component of the Fresnel lens system. Nominally, the first and second surfaces of the Fresnel lens element will have the same base radius of curvature (i.e. their thickness will be constant in their aperture). Additional aberration correction or functionality may result in one or more Fresnel lenses having different radii on the first and second surfaces.

In various embodiments, through the use of the Fresnel lens comprising an aspherical Fresnel lens element, the optical system can be made compact and light with a wide field of view, image quality corresponding to typical human visual resolution, Can produce a large capacity at low cost. If possible, the Fresnel lens system may include one or more diffractive surfaces to reduce chromatic aberrations, especially lateral chromatic aberrations. For example, lens elements 810, 1330, and 1135 may have one or more diffractive surfaces. In this case, a modified image of an image display device, including a planar image display device, can be created in combination with the Fresnel lens system itself or the FS / UWA / RO surface. In some embodiments, the one or more than one Fresnel lens may be designated to minimize monochromatic aberrations, which may provide the system with a greater portion of the light output.

In one embodiment combining the gaps between adjacent lenses, the Fresnel lens element can be made thinner than conventional lenses. Thus, the volume and weight of the optical system is significantly reduced compared to conventional thick lenses. The weight can be further reduced when all lenses are made of plastic. Plastic lenses can be produced by diamond processing or molding.

In one embodiment, one or more (or all) of the curvilinear Fresnel lens elements may have a side of the boundary that lies along a diagonal line passing through the center of rotation of the user's eye nominally. Figure 3 shows this embodiment. 30 is a Fresnel lens, 31 is a side of the Fresnel lens, 32 is a side border of the Fresnel lens, and 33 is a slant passing through the center of rotation 34 of the nominal user's eye 35. Figure 3 also shows the inner lens 36 (natural lens 36) of the nominal user's eye. Alternatively, one or more (or all) of the curvilinear Fresnel lens elements may have a boundary along an oblique line passing through the center of the nominally natural lens of the user, or may have an average lateral boundary to the surface of the user's cornea have.

As described above, Fresnel lenses are very suitable for HMD because of their light weight. However, the lens may experience image aberration due to the angle of incidence of the light wave coming from the display on the lens surface. In particular, the light wave can pass through an unintended portion of the groove of the Fresnel lens. With respect to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, such aberrations can be reduced by providing the Fresnel lens with a dome-shaped, specially spherical Fresnel lens that is nominally located at the center of rotation of the user's eye. In this case, the border of the Fresnel side is averaged over the shape of the dome anywhere around the surface of the lens. Alternatively, the dome shape (spherical shape) may be nominally centered at the center of the natural lens of the user or may be concentric with the cornea of the nominal user. In this case, the light rays pass through the lens in parallel to the lateral boundary, and this discontinuity causes optical aberration to improve and avoid the lens's color response among others. The converging lateral boundaries are such that even though all of the boundaries do not exactly satisfy one of the above states, for example, even though all of the boundaries do not exactly lie through the center of the rotation of the nominally user's tuft, the optical distortion will be reduced. Thus, a Fresnel lens can have an aspherical surface and still have the advantage of having a side boundary that at least partially converges, rather than having a pure spherical shape.

Although a Fresnel lens element having a square, square or other clear apeture shape is used, generally, the Fresnel lens will have a circular clear aperture. For most applications, the size of the smallest transparent aperture of the lens that makes up the Fresnel lens system will be determined by whether it is a pupil in which the entire optical system is formed or a non-pupil forming system. In particular, in an overall optical system consisting of a Fresnel lens system and an FS / UWA / RO surface, the exit pupil of this system is typically the exit pupil of the Fresnel lens system produced by the lower optical element of the aperture It would be the image of the smallest transparent aperture (i.e., the user's eye direction). That is, with respect to the iris, the entire aperture stop of the system will typically be in the Fresnel lens system, since the FS / UWA / RO surface moves like a very large transparent aperture. Fresnel lens system produced by FS / UWA / RO surface Depending on the size and position of the image of the small transparent aperture (and also by any element of the Fresnel lens system on the bottom side of the element with the smallest transparent aperture) , The entire system can provide the user with a complete mechanical retinal visual field, a complete retinal + peripheral fixed visual field, or a complete retinal + peripheral mechanical field of view.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of an HMD optical system using a FS / UWA / RO surface and a Fresnel lens system 115 having a planar Fresnel lens 810 and two curved Fresnel lenses 815 and 820. Then, as shown in Fig. 4, they are close to each other. Light rays 830, 835, and 840 show incoming light 840 from the environment. And combine with light 830 to produce combined light 835 that enters the user's eye as the user gazes in the direction of point 850. [

More specifically, the separating wavefront 860 of light emerging from the at least one image display system 110 includes Fresnel lenses 810, 815, and 820 that provide light 830 between the zero diopter and the initial teether Converge to a positive-diopter Fresnel lens system. The nearest diopter of light from at least one image display system 110 is, for example, approximately D = 1 / (0.03 [m]) = 33 dpt. After exiting the Fresnel lens, the light is projected from the FS / UWA / RO surface and, if desired, additional diopter divergence can be removed using the surface curvature technique described below.

The overall diopter variation may be, for example, 33 dpt. And in various embodiments may be separated between the FS / UWA / RO surface and the Fresnel lens. In particular, the amount of diopter variation supplied by the FS / UWA / RO surface can be reduced to advantage by designing and manufacturing the FS / UWA / RO surface in various embodiments. Because diopters are additives, many discrete movements (feed-throughs, vergence) are supplied by one of the optical components that need not be supplied by another. (This additive property of the diopter value can be used to combine the collimating effects of the Fresnel lens system and to combine the effects of the individual lens elements that make up the Fresnel system. Which may be used in view of the collimating effects of any other optical element that may be used. In the exemplary embodiment of Fig. 4, a diopter variation of 33 dpt will cause the drone beam to collimate (0 dpt) or significantly collimate (~ 0 dpt). This will be the light parallel to the wavefront, as seen in light (835) across the entrance of the eye, and the light wavefront will be flattened, essentially corresponding to the light coming from farther from one point. Illuminated collimated light is desirable, for example, when the external environment contains items that are effectively infinite in relation to the user. As mentioned above, the FS / UWA / RO surface 120 recognizes the rays 840 in the external environment and effectively prevents the internal image from overwriting the external image, particularly with respect to the user's eye, .

As discussed above, conventional optical systems used in HMDs using reflective optical surfaces are pupils that form a general view at ~ 60 degrees and thus have a limited viewing angle. This significantly limits the value and functionality of conventional head-mounted display devices. In various embodiments, the head-mounted display described herein has far wider fields of view (FOV), thus enabling much more optical information compared to HMDs with narrower viewing angles. The wide viewing angle may be greater than 100 °, greater than 150 °, or greater than 200 °. More specifically, a broad perspective allows additional information to be processed by the user, enabling a more or less enriched incremental reality environment by images that are better displayed in physical reality in a more natural way.

In particular, in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in Figure 5, with respect to the straight line of sight toward the head, the eye is a curved FS corresponding to at least 150 degrees of horizontal time with respect to each eye (e.g., ~ 168 degrees of horizontal FOV) / UWA / RO surfaces 201 and 202, as shown in FIG. This view consists of a part of the fovea and a peripheral part of the sight. In addition, the eye moves freely around the center of rotation, aiming at the part of the combined + neighboring parts in the view of the other direction as the eye naturally does when viewing the physical world. Thus, the optical system described herein makes it possible to obtain information by moving in the same way as the eye does when viewing the general world.

5, which is a more detailed description, is a simplified linear view of the front of the user's head 200 viewed from above. Figure 5 shows the FS / UWA / RO surfaces 201 and 202 placed in front of the user's eyes 203 and 204. As discussed above, the FS / UWA / RO surfaces 201 and 202 may rest on the user nose 205, which may be together in the front center 214 of the user's head 200. As will be described in greater detail below, the local standards of the surfaces 201 and 202 and the local spatial locations are such that the images produced by at least one display system (not shown in Figure 5) Covers at least 100 [deg.] Of the FOV and is adjusted to cover, for example, at least 150 [deg.] In some embodiments, and at least 200 [deg.] In other embodiments. (As discussed below, optionally, the radius of curvature can also be adjusted to provide a real image at a distance when combined with a Fresnel lens system.) For example, the spatial standard and spatial positions can be determined by viewing lines 210, 211, 168, extending to the edge from the edge of the FS / UWA / RO surface 201 or 202 as shown by the arrows 212, 213), a user's perfect ~ 168 degrees, straight head front, Can be adjusted to cover. Thus, the time corresponds to a wide fixed portion (and a portion plus a peripheral portion) of the time provided to the user. In addition, the user is free to move the eyes around the rolling centers 215 and 216 while viewing the images generated by the computer.

In FIG. 5 as well as FIG. 5, the FS / UWA / RO surface is shown as part of the sphere for ease of illustration. Specifically, the surface is not a sphere and is a more complex arrangement, the local standard and local spatial location of the surface (and, optionally, the local radius of curvature), the desired static and dynamic time (and, optionally, Desired distance for the real image). It should also be appreciated that, in Fig. 5, the right side of the head-mounted display device operates identically to the left side, and that two faces may operate differently if desired. Also. 5-11 illustrate a Fresnel lens with at least one optical system between the at least one image display system and at least one Fresnel lens positioned between the reflective optical surfaces, Which is consistent with the embodiments of the present invention and the disclosure of the present invention.

Figures 6 and 7 illustrate the static and dynamic views provided by the FS / UWA / RO surfaces described herein. Fig. 6 shows the nominal right eye 71 of the user with a straight head gazing direction 73. Fig. The visual part of the eye and the peripheral visual part of this eye are shown by the arc 75 and have an angular range of ~ 168 °. In Figures 6-8, the time is shown relative to the center of rotation of the user's eye as opposed to the center and end of the user's eye. In fact, the wide viewing angle seen by the human eye (eg, ~ 168 °) is the result of a wide angular range of the retina that allows light to enter the pupil of the user and reach the retina.

Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view of a light emitting device having at least one light emitting surface 81 and (b) of an image display system having (a) a first light emitting region 82 (shown as a square) and a second light emitting region 83 An HMD having an FS / UWA / RO surface having a first reflective region 84 having a first local standard 85 and a second local region 87 having a first local standard 85 and a second local standard 87, Of-sight interaction.

As described above, the FS / UWA / RO surface is a "free space" surface and an "ultra-wide" surface. In addition, as discussed above and discussed below, the surface can participate in collimation (or partial collimation) of light entering the user's eyes. This collimation causes the virtual image generated by the FS / UWA / RO surface and the Fresnel lens system to appear far away from the user (e.g., over 30 meters), which allows the user to easily focus .

 The " free space " and " super wide angle " portions are defined by the surface of the surface of the FS / UWA / RO so that the user's eye can see the luminescent region of at least one image display system when coming from a predetermined position (predetermined position on the surface) This can be done by adjusting local standards.

For example, in FIG. 7, the designer of the HMD may determine that when the user's gaze direction is straight, a square virtual image 88 is advantageous to be viewed by the user's retina center. Then, when the gaze direction of the user is, for example, 50 degrees from the straight left side, it can be determined that the virtual image 89 of the triangle is advantageously seen by the central portion of the user's retina. The designer can then construct at least one image display system, an FS / UWA / RO surface, a Fresnel lens system and other optical components of the system. Thus, while using the HMD, the virtual image of the square will be straight and the virtual image of the triangle will be 50 ° from the straight left.

In this way, when the gaze direction (line of sight) of the user crosses the FS / UWA / RO surface straight, the square virtual image will be seen at the center of the user's eye as desired. When the user's gaze direction (line of sight) crosses the FS / UWA / RO surface to the left 50 ° of the straight ahead, the virtual image of the triangle will be seen at the center of the user's eye as desired. Although not shown in Figures 6 and 7, the same method can be used in a vertical field of view. In addition, it can be used in non-axial view. More generally, in each of the HMD's design and its optical components, the designer "maps" at least one display-emitting surface to the reflective surface. Thereby, if the user's gaze is in a particular direction, the desired portion of the display can be seen by the user. Thus, since the eye is scanned through both the horizontal and vertical views, the FS / UWA / RO surface is illuminated by the user's eye to another portion of at least one emitting surface of the image display system. Although mentioned above in reference to the center of the retina of the normal user, in the design process, of course, the center of the normal user can be used, if desired.

In Figure 7, rotation of the user's right eye causes the virtual image 89 of the triangle to no longer be visible to the user. Thus, in Fig. 7, the gaze direction of the straight ahead or the gaze direction of the left side of the straight ahead provides the user with a virtual image of both square and triangle. On the other hand, the gaze direction on the right side of the straight line only provides a square virtual image. The virtual image will be determined not only by the acuity, but also by the virtual image perceived by the user's central field of view or the user's peripheral field of view.

If the designer of the HMD places a virtual image of a square far from the right as in FIG. 7, but places a virtual image of the triangle far from the left, then only the image of the square image will be the gazing direction, The visible direction will be the other gaze direction. Likewise, based on the principles described so far, the designer can arrange the virtual image of a square and the virtual image of a triangle. Thereby, the virtual image of the square is visible in the gazing direction, and the virtual image of the triangle can always be visible. But not in the other direction. As another variation, the designer of the HMD may place square and triangular virtual images at positions in one or more facing directions, and no image may be left to the user. For example, the designer can place a virtual image outside the static view for the direction of gazing straight ahead. The flexibility provided by the present invention to the HMD designer is thus assured.

In one embodiment, the "free space" and the "widest angle" side of the reflective surface can be achieved using the principles of Fermat and Hero that light travels along the shortest (least time) optical path. "Methods and Systems for Making Free Space Reflective Optical Surfaces", commonly assigned, commonly assigned, and co-pending U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 211,389 to G. Harrison, D. Smith, , And the contents of what is known by attorney case number IS 00354 are incorporated herein by reference. The Fermat and Hero principles described in the embodiments are used to design an FS / UWA / RO surface suitable for use with an HMD. Quot; United States Patent Application Serial No. < RTI ID = 0.0 > 13 / 211,372, < / RTI > filed simultaneously by G. Harrison, D. Smith, Device ", and the contents of what is known by attorney case number IS 00267 are incorporated herein by reference.

By means of Fermat and Hero's minimal time principle, a " desired portion " of at least one light emitting surface of an image display system (e.g., a pixel of an image display system) / RO surface to have a desired reflection point and to provide a light path from a desired portion of at least one light emitting surface to a reflection point at the FS / UWA / RO surface. Then, the center of rotation of the user's eye can be at the extreme value. The extremum in the optical path means that the first derivative of the optical path length reaches a zero value which means maximum or minimum in the optical path length. The extremum may be inserted at any point in the field of view by creating a local region of a normal bisecting reflective optical surface. The reflective optical surface includes (a) one vector from the partial backlight to the user's eye (e.g., one vector from the center of the partial region to the center of the user's eye) and (b) Quot; point " (e.g., one vector from the center of the partial region to the center of the " desired point " of the light emitting surface). Figures 8 and 9 illustrate the process when at least one " desired spot " of the light emitting surface of the image display system is one pixel.

8 shows a light emitting surface 510 of an image display system comprised of a generally rectangular pixel array in which light emerges from the front of the head-mounted display device in the direction of a light beam 515. [ The light beam 515 is reflected with respect to the reflective optical surface 520. It is shown flat in FIG. 8 for easier viewing. The reflected light beam 515 becomes a light beam 525 entering the user's eye 530.

For purposes of determining the surface normal of the reflector for each pixel, it is only necessary to determine the three-dimensional bisector of the vectors corresponding to the light beam 515 and the light beam 525 need. In FIG. 8, this bisector vector is represented in a two-dimensional form such as line 535. The bisected vector 535 is normal to the reflective optical surface at the reflection point 540 and the pixel 545 of the light emitting surface 510 is located on the surface 520 that may be visible to the user of the HMD .

In particular, during operation, the pixel 545 at the display surface 510 is positioned on the reflective optical surface 520 at an angle established by a bisected vector 535 and a surface normal corresponding to the vertical plane 550 thereof. A light beam 515 reflecting the light beam 515 is emitted. This is produced by the principles of Fermat and Hero, and the pixels reflected at the reflection point 540 are seen by the eye 530 along the light beam 525.

Beam 525 may pass close to the center 555 of the user's eye 530 to accurately calculate the surface normal at the reflection point 540. Even if the user's eye is rotated, the result will remain stable until the peripheral vision is obtained as described above with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, and the eye will see the area of the display with the user's center or peripheral vision I can not change it.

In order to calculate the position of the normal plane, a quadruple method can be used. From here,

q1 = orientation of beam 515

q2 = orientation of beam 525

And

q3 = orientation of the desired normal plane 535 = (q1 + q2) / 2

The normal plane is also described in the vector notation as described in Fig. In the following equation and FIG. 10, point N is one unit away from point M at the center of the desired area of the reflective optical surface and is in a normal direction normal to the tangent plane of the reflective optical surface at point M. The tangential plane of the reflective optical surface at point M is the point at the center of the point at which the user's eye moves and the line at point P at point M at the center of the desired pixel. (See point C is about 13 mm behind the front of the eye).

The following equation describes point N on the normal plane at point M:

In the above equation, all points N, M, P, and C have a component [x, y, z] representing their position in a three-dimensional space in any Cartesian coordinate system.

The resulting standard vector N-M has an Euclidean length

In the above equation, the two vertical bars represent the Euclidean length calculated as follows:

As an example numerical value, the following values of M, P, and C can be considered;

The points according to the standard N are calculated as follows:

P -M = [(2-4), (10-8), (5-10)] = [- 2,2,5]

C-M = [(6-4), (10-8), (5-10)] = [2,

(P-M) + (C-M) = [0, 4, -10]

And

= {[-2,2, -5] + [2,2, -5]} / 10.7703296143 + [4,8,10]

= [0, 0.3713806764, -0.928476691] + [4,8,10]

= [4, 8.3713806764, 9.07152 (330) 91]

The geometry is shown in Figure 19 and the bisector is between two longer vectors.

Of course, the above equation only determines the constant of the angle of the local tangential surface in a very short time relative to the point portion making the surface of the free space (free form) several times intended to represent the virtual image adjacent to the viewer. Fermat and Hero Principles. The constant of the local tangent angle for the point area that makes the surface of the free space (free form) several times it is intended to represent the virtual image close to the viewer is only the actual constant, It is in the center. All other elements will be continuously updated until a suitable solution for the given display system and reflective optical surface orientation is available. Pixel image reflection positions, M1, M2, ... , Mn, and their associated standards and curvatures are " wrapped " (conditioned) so that the FS / UWA / RO surface obtains the desired image of processing the image generated by the computer formed by the image display system. Can be considered as a matrix.

In citing the Fermat and Hero principles, it would be desirable to avoid positions where the standard is adjusted such that the user sees the same pixel reflections at one or more points. In some embodiments, the local area of the reflective optical surface may be very small and may correspond to a point on the reflector with a point morphing into another point to create a smooth surface.

In order to realize this scheme, the effect of the presence of the Fresnel lens system is not included in the above description for the use of the Fermat and Hero principles to clearly design the FS / UWA / RO surface. In practice, the presence of the Fresnel lens system is easily included in the propagation direction of the light after passing through the optical element constituting the Fresnel lens system, , This propagation direction can be determined using, for example, Gaussian optics techniques. If desired, the perma- nent and heuristic calculations can be repeated for other initial settling motion settings to adjust the Fresnel lens power of the Fresnel lens system to be adjusted until an expected virtual memory image is obtained .

In order to ensure that the user can easily focus on the virtual storage image of the desired portion of the at least one light emitting surface, in one embodiment, the radius of curvature of the portion (reflective portion) After passing through the Nell lens system and reflecting off the FS / UWA / RO surface, the collimated (or nearly collimated) image is adjusted to reach the user. As mentioned above, the collimated (or nearly collimated) image has a more parallel optical line such that the image is, for example, several tens to several hundreds of meters away from the user. According to the collimating power of the Fresnel lens system, the radius of curvature of the reflective portion of the reflective optical surface corresponding to the at least one light-emitting pixel (the desired light-emitting pixel) (But longer) of the distance from the reflective portion on the display to the desired portion of the light-emitting surface (actual pixel) can be maintained. More specifically, the radius will be about one-half of a definite distance from the reflective portion to the expected portion of the light emitting surface when the expectation portion is viewed through the Fresnel lens system from the position of the reflective portion.

Thus, in one embodiment, an inter-reflected-pixel normal vector from a pixel associated with a neighboring pixel is a vector of reflected pixels on a reflective surface at a distinct location of a display pixel viewed through a Fresnel lens system Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > a < / RTI > radius of curvature of approximately half of the vector from the position. Adjustments affecting these parameters include the magnitude of at least one surface emitting light and whether at least one light emitted from the surface is a curve.

Fig. 9 shows this embodiment. Two adjacent pixel reflection portions are considered at the reflection point 540 to adjust the radius of curvature of the surrounding portion of the pixel reflection so that the collimated (or nearly collimated) image reaches the user. More parts can be considered for a better balance, but two are sufficient. 9, two pixel reflection points 540 and 610 are shown associated with two pixels 545 and 615, respectively, on the display surface 510. The average surface at points 540 and 610 is calculated according to the angle between their directions. The radius of curvature is calculated by this angle and distance between points 540 and 610. Obviously, when the surface arrangement and, if necessary, the spatial position of the surface is adjusted by the effect of the Fresnel lens system, the radius of curvature is adjusted until the average of the lengths of the rays 515 and 620 is approximately one- . In this case, zero or near zero diopter light can be supplied to the user's eyes. As mentioned above, this is like the light coming from a point of infinite distance in essence, and the wavefront of light is flat and normally parallel to the wavefront of light.

In addition to the adjustment of the local radius of curvature, in one embodiment, in a first order point solution having a collimated (or nearly collimated) image that enters the eye, the at least one light- Located at a distance of the focal distance away from the FS / UWA / RO surface, this focal distance is based on the average value of the radius of curvature of the various surface portions composed of the FS / UWA / RO surface.

It has a set of reflective parts that are bonded to a smooth reflective surface as a result of applying the Permat and Hero rules. The surface is generally spherical or not symmetrical. 11 is a two-dimensional representation of the FS / UWA / RO surface 520. As mentioned above, the surface 520, when combined with collimating effects of the Fresnel lens system, allows at least one of the image display systems in which the radius of the curved surface at points 710 and 720 is reflected by the surface And may be set to a value provided for comfortable viewing of the image from the light emitting surface. In this case, a virtual stored image that is collimated (or nearly collimated) in a certain direction represented by line 730 will be supplied to eye 530 and applied in the other direction represented by line 740. The part of the surface of the FS / UWA / RO can be smoothly transferred from one control point to another to allow for smooth eye movement through the display field, and the key groove can be transferred from the NURBS to the splined surfaces, Uniform Rational B-Spline, (NURBS)) techniques. In some cases, the FS / UWA / RO surface includes a sufficient number of portions so that the surface is smooth at a fine grain level. In some embodiments, another magnification of each portion (each pixel) of the display can be provided using progressive gradients to have better production capability, realization and image quality.

As mentioned above, the entire head mount display can be designed using the appropriate steps according to the following. Selecting a display surface size (width and height dimension); selecting a direction of the display surface relative to the reflective surface; selecting a recommended position with respect to the Fresnel lens system between the display and the reflective surface; Selecting a recommended arrangement of the Fresnel lens system, classifying the position of each pixel on the display surface through the Fresnel lens system, and determining the position of each pixel on the reflective surface relative to the display surface Selecting the step. The display surface and the Fresnel lens system can be positioned above the eye and tilted towards the reflective surface and can have a curvature of the reflective surface to illuminate the wearer's eye. In a more specific embodiment, the display surface and the Fresnel lens system are positioned at different positions so as to have a curved surface and reflective position selected to reflect the bill from the display surface, as appropriate to the side of the eye or below the eye, or to a different degree .

In one embodiment, the three-dimensional realization or mathematical representation of the reflective surface is determined from the center portion center of the user's eye and from the center of the pixel at the display surface (the exact location of the pixel resulting from the presence of the Fresnel lens system With the portion of each reflective surface having a local portion having an average value bisecting the vector from the center of the pixel reflections. As mentioned above, the radius of curvature of the peripheral portion of the pixel reflections can be adjusted, Combined with the collimating effects of the lens system, the collimated (or nearly collimated) image reaches the user through the field of view. Through the repetition of the computer-based processing procedure, it is possible to determine, for example, the local average of the reflective surface, the local curvature, and the number of localized space locations and components, the power of the elements, the curvature of the elements, The position of the element) can be adjusted until the combination (set) of the parameters provides an expected level of optical performance with respect to the field of view and is found to be a manufacturable design that is also aesthetically acceptable.

During use, an asymmetric FS / UWA / RO surface coupled to the Fresnel lens system (in one embodiment, constructed from keyed surfaces of multiple localized portions of the focus) To form a virtual stored image of the emitting surface. The FS / UWA / RO surface can be viewed as an innovative mirror or an innovative curved beam splitter or as a free-form mirror or reflective surface. When the eye is scanned horizontally and vertically through the field of view, the FS / UWA / RO surface of the surface illuminates another position of at least one emitting surface of the image display system with the user's eyes. In various embodiments, the entire optical system can be manufactured in large quantities at low cost to maintain image quality corresponding to typical human visual resolutions.

IV . ratio( non ) - FS / UWA / RO  Reflective surfaces HMD

As mentioned above, Figure 4 shows an embodiment of an HMD optical system using a curve FS / UWA / RO surface and a curve Fresnel lens system. An HMD optical system with curved reflective surfaces that are not FS / UWA / RO surfaces has the advantage of using a Curve Fresnel system between the image display system and its reflective surface. Figures 12-14 illustrate an exemplary embodiment involving a flat reflective surface and a curved Fresnel lens system.

In Fig. 12, the user 1300 is equipped with a head mounted display including an optical time-lapse augmented reality face viewer 1310. The viewer 1310 includes at least one image display system 1320, at least one reflective surface 1380, and a curved Fresnel lens system that provides a near view and at least one view of the at least one display. Typically, the viewer 1310 will include a display system for each eye, a curve Fresnel lens system, and a combination of reflective surfaces, although one or more of these elements may serve both eyes if desired.

As shown in FIG. 12, the curve Fresnel lens system includes Fresnel lenses 1330 and 1335. Both the flat Fresnel lens 1330 and the curve Fresnel lens 1335 may be subjected to various embodiments to provide a field of view of 100 degrees or greater. More or fewer lenses than the ones shown in Figure 12 can be used in the Curve Fresnel lens system as in other exemplary embodiments discussed herein. In one embodiment, a single curve Fresnel lens element can be used. Note that a single Fresnel lens element, for example a single curve Fresnel lens element, may be used in embodiments involving an FS / UWA / RO surface. Three Fresnel lens elements 1125, 1130 and 1135 have been used in other embodiments described in Figures 13-14.

An electronic package 1340 has been provided for controlling an image that has been displayed by at least one image display system 1320. The electronic package 1340 may include an accelerometer and a gyroscope to locate and locate a user. Power and images to and from the binocular viewer can be supplied via transmission cable 1350 or wireless media. The camera set 1370 can be located on the opposite side of the user's head for the purpose of providing input to the HMD software package to help control the computer generation of the augmented reality scenes.

The optical time-thru augmented reality facial viewer 1310 includes at least one reflective optical surface 1380 for overlaying at least one internally generated image from the external environment onto at least one image coming into the viewer do. In particular, light 1386 enters the viewer through the reflective optical surface 1380 from the outside environment. This light combines with light 1385 from the image display system and the curved Fresnel lens system reflected by the reflective optical surface 1380 towards the user's eye.

The result is combined with light 1387 entering the user's eye as the user looks at point 1390. Allowing the user to see the light from other portions of the reflective optical surface 1380 that are at a distance from the point 1390. [

In one embodiment, as shown, at least one image display system 1320 and a curved Fresnel lens system (e.g., Fresnel lenses 1330 and 1335) are supported above the user ' From the eyes. For this embodiment, that one reflective optical surface 1380 is formed by the bottom edge of the forward front frame portion of the HMD (coupled) and the light from the at least one image projection device 1320 It is held at an angle to reflect with the eyes. In one embodiment, the angle of the reflective optical surface 1380 is such that its lower end is closest to the user ' s face and its uppermost is furthest away from the user ' s face. If desired, the reflective optical surface may comprise a flat or curved portion oriented to the side of the face.

A ray tracing analysis of a head mounted display device of the type shown in Fig. 12 is provided in Figs. 13 and 14. Fig. The embodiments of Figures 13 and 14 use three Fresnel lens elements 1125, 1130, and 1135 rather than the two Fresnel elements 1330 and 1335 of Figure 12. Light rays 1430,1435 and 1440 in Figures 13 and 14 show that when light 1440 enters from the environment and combines with the reflected light 1430 from reflective optical surface 1380 and the user looks in the direction of point 1442 It appears to be creating a combined ray 1435 entering the user's eye. The user's ability to perceive also allows the user to view light from other portions of the reflective surface 1380 that are remote from the point 1442.

As best seen in FIG. 14, the diverging wavefront of light 1460 from at least one image projection device 1320 is a positive diopter having a Fresnel lens 1125, 1130, Converged by the Fresnel lens system to provide zero diopter light 1430 which strikes a flat reflective optical surface 1380 where it is refracted into zero diopter light 1435 entering the pupil of the eye. This is basically the same as the light coming from an infinitely distant point, and the wavefront of the light is flat and becomes the surface normals parallel to the wavefront, as seen by the rays (1435) on the entrance pupil to the eye. The reflective optical surface 1380 also receives light 1440 from the external environment (Figure 13) and also allows internal images to be overlaid on external images as an externally illuminated beam 1510, as shown in Figure 14.

V. direct  View HMD

In addition to the above applications, a curved Fresnel lens system can also be used in direct view of an image display system without an intervening reflective optical surface. Such a configuration would be realistic, but could include information from the outside world through the use of one or more video cameras. By using a Fresnel lens system including stacked Fresnel lenses, an optical system having a short focal length and a high power capable of projecting an image of a display in a wide field of view can be formed in a dense space .

Figure 15 shows a side view of a user 900 mounting a realistic binaural viewer 910 on a head mounted display. There is at least one image display system 920 for each eye adjusted for close-up view with a curved Fresnel lens system 930 in this head mounted display. The electronic package 940 may include an accelerometer and / or a gyroscope for controlling an image to be displayed and providing position, orientation, and attitude information for synchronizing an image with a user's activities in the display. Power and images to and from the binocular viewer can be supplied via transmission cable 950 or wireless media. A top view of the user 900 and viewers 910 is shown in FIG. 16, including eyes 955 and noses 960 associated with these viewers. The Fresnel lenses of the Fresnel lens system 930 have stacks and curves.

In this embodiment, the at least one image display system 920 is arranged such that the pixels in the frame of the HMD are displayed in front of the user's eyes, and essentially in a vertical direction, It was loaded to emit light. The curve Fresnel lens system 830 is disposed between the display screen of the image display system 920 and the user ' s eye and allows the user to focus on the screen at a close distance with the eye.

The operation of the head mounted display device described in Figs. 15 and 16 can be seen using ray tracing. Figure 17 shows an image that is collimated by the at least one positive diopter Fresnel lens system with Fresnel lenses 1125, 1130, 1135 to provide near zero diopter light 1140 to the user ' s pupil 1145. [ The divergent wave front of the light 1120 emerging from the display system 920 will be described. Light 1140 is basically equal to the light coming from a point at an infinitely long distance and the wavefront of the light is flat and parallel to the wavefront 1140 across the entrance pupil 1145 towards the eye seen by the rays 1140 do.

More specifically, a curve Fresnel lens system with Fresnel lenses 1125, 1130, and 1135 in FIG. 17 diffracts field points 1155 from light 1150 at the edges of Fresnel lenses 1125, 1130, Allowing it to enter the eye from a different direction than the beam of light 1160 emerging from point 1165. The Curve Fresnel lens system with the Fresnel lenses 1125, 1130, and 1135 allows the light to look as if it came along the ray path 1170 to the user's field of view. This allows an increase in the positive apparent angle (the external angle offset) of the amount indicated by the angle 1175.

Figure 18 is for ray tracing showing that collimated parallel rays 1140 enter the eye 1205 through the pupil 1145 and focus on the cannula 1210 where the best vision occurs. The peripheral retina 1215 is responsive to a wide field of view, but at a lower visual acuity, for example at point 1220 and point 1225.

VI . General Considerations

In view of the overall structure of the HMD, Table 1 gives an example of typical and non-limiting parameters that HMD displays constructed according to the disclosure of the present invention will typically encounter. In addition, the HMD displays disclosed herein typically have sufficiently small inter-pixel distances to insure that a satisfactory image is established in the user's viewing plane.

The features that may be included in the head mounted displays disclosed herein include, without limitation, the following, some of which are cited above:

(1) In one embodiment of the present invention, the reflective optical surface may be translucent (when used) and allow light to enter from the outside environment. The internal display-generated images may then be overlaid on the external images. These two images can be arranged through the use of localization equipment such as gyroscopes, cameras, etc., and through software manipulation of computer generated images so that the virtual images are in the proper position in the external environment. In particular, a camera, an accelerometer, and / or a gyroscope may be used to support the device to register in the presence of the device in physical reality and to superimpose on an external view of its images. In these embodiments, a balance between the relative transmittance and the reflectivity of the reflective optical surface may be selected to provide the user with overlayed images with appropriate brightness characteristics. Also in these embodiments both the actual image and the computer generated image can appear at approximately the same apparent distance and thus the eye can focus on two images at the same time.

(2) In some embodiments, the reflective optical surface (in use) is kept as thin as possible to minimize the effect of attitude or focus of external light passing through the surface.

(3) In some embodiments, the head mounted display device provides at least 100 degrees, at least 150 degrees, or at least 200 degrees of view of each eye.

(4) In some embodiments, the visual field provided by the head mounted display in each eye does not overlap the user's nose at any greater angle.

(5) In another embodiment of the present invention, the reflective optical surface (if used) is a progressive transition of an optical prescription across an observation field for maintaining focus on a usable display area progressive transition can be applied.

(6) In another embodiment of the present invention, ray tracing can be used to customize the device parameters for specific applications such as military training, combat simulation, games and other commercial applications.

(7) In another embodiment of the present invention, the characteristics and location of the Fresnel lens as well as the reflective optical surface (if used) and / or the display surface, and between the display and the reflective optical surface (if used) And the distance between the reflective optical surface (if used) and the eye can be manipulated in a particular retina and / or the fovea with respect to a modulation transfer function (MTF) Do.

(8) In another embodiment of the present invention, the curvature (if used) of the lens as well as the surface of the reflective optical surface and / or the display, and the distance between the display and the reflective optical surface, The distance between the surface and the eye can be manipulated with respect to the specification of the modulation transfer function (MTF) in the retina and / or the follicle.

(9) In some embodiments, the HMD disclosed herein can be applied to, without limitation, sniper detection, commercial training, military training and activities, and CAD production.

Once designed, the above described reflective optical surfaces (i.e., FS / UWA / RO surfaces) can be made using a variety of techniques and a variety of materials that are currently known or under development. For example, the surface may be made from a metallized plastic material for proper reflection. Also, polished plastic or glass materials can be used. For " augmented reality " applications, the reflective optical surface may be constructed from a transmitting material with a built-in small reflective device so that a portion of the incident wavefront is reflected while light transmission is allowed through the material.

For the prototype part, acrylic plastic (i.e. plexiglass) will be used with the part formed by diamond turning. For the production part, one of the acrylic or polycarbonate will be used, for example, with the part formed by the injection molding technique. The reflective optical surface will be described on a NURBS surface that can be converted to a detailed CAD (CAD) or CAD representation. CAD files will allow devices that can use CAD three-dimensional printing where the CAD description is directly caused by a three-dimensional object without machining.

The mathematical techniques mentioned above may be encrypted in various programming environments and / or programming languages that are currently known or under development. Currently, the preferred programming environment is the Java language that runs in the Eclipse programmer's interface. Other programming environments such as Microsoft Visual C # may also be advantageously used. In addition, calculations can be performed using the MATCAD platform marketed by PTC of Needham, Mass. And / or the MATLAB platform of MATTWORK, Natick, Mass. The resulting program can be stored on a hard drive, memory stick, CD, or similar device. The procedure may be performed using a typical desktop computer device available from various vendors, i.e., DELL, HP, TOSHIBA, and the like. Otherwise, a more powerful computer device, preferably including a " cloud " computer, may be used.

Various modifications and the meaning of the present invention which are not depart from the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing disclosure. For example, although a reflective optical surface providing a wide field of view, i. E., 100 °, 150 °, or 200 ° or greater, to the user is an advantageous embodiment of the inventive design aspect, Computer-based methods and systems for design can also be used to create surfaces with a smaller field of view. The following claims all encompass the same scope of this invention and other modifications, changes and specific embodiments described above.

designation expression unit Minimum value Maximum value From the eyes
Distance of reflective surface mm 10 400 From display
Distance of reflective surface mm 10 400 Display Size level mm 9 100 Perpendicular mm 9 100 Display Resolution level pixel 640 1920+ Perpendicular pixel 480 1080+ HMD mass g One 1000 HMD size Distance from face mm 10 140 Human pupil size mm 3 to 4 5 to 9 Size of reflective surface That is, less than half the width of the head mm 30 78 Number of reflective surfaces Unit One 3+ Maximum value of illumination for eyes In other words, it is bright enough to see on a clear day fc, foot candle 5,000 10,000 Battery life time 3 4 Optical resolution The biggest defenders Discrete RMS Blur Diameter One 10 The number of lines of the estimated resolution pair One 5 Maximum fluctuation in apparent brightness of image % 0 20 Maximum image distortion % 0 5 Maximum Induced Estimate of Brightness %/Degree 0 5

Claims (41)

delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete (I) a frame adapted to be mounted on the head of a nominal user;
(II) an image display system supported by said frame and comprising at least one light-emitting surface;
(III) a free space, an ultra-wide angle, an undiffracted, and a reflective optical surface supported by the frame and designed to concentrate light towards the nominal user's eye while being continuous; And
(IV) a Fresnel lens system supported by the frame, wherein light emitted by the image display system is received directly from the image display system without any intervening optical components between the Fresnel lens system and the image display system And is designed to refract light in the direction of the free space, the super wide angle, the non-diffracting, and the reflective optical surface, and is located outside the optical path between the optical surface and the nominal user's eye, A Fresnel lens element of the lens system includes a Fresnel lens system including a first side including a non-planar curved surface having a concentric ring and a second side including a non-planar continuous surface;
The head mounted display device comprising:
Wherein said free space, super wide angle, non-diffractive, and reflective optical surfaces are configured to direct light from said Fresnel lens element of said Fresnel lens system without any intervening optical components in the optical path from said Fresnel lens element and said reflective optical surface Wherein the reflective optical surface and the Fresnel lens system produce a spatially separated virtual image of a spatially separated portion of at least one spatially separated portion of the light emitting surface and at least one of the spatially separated Wherein the separated virtual image is separated from at least one other spatially separated virtual image by an angle of at least 100 degrees and the separation angle is measured from the center of rotation of the nominal user's eye;
And the head-mounted display device.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one spatially separated virtual image is separated by at least an angle of at least 150 degrees from at least one other spatially separated virtual image, Is mounted on the head mounted display device.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one spatially separated virtual image is separated by at least an angle of at least 200 degrees from at least one other spatially separated virtual image, Wherein the head-mounted display device is a head-mounted display device.
17. The head mounted display device of claim 16, wherein the free space, super wide angle, non-diffractive, and reflective optical surfaces are translucent.
17. The head mounted display device of claim 16, wherein the Fresnel lens system is designed to at least partially collimate the light emitted from the light emitting surface of the image display device.
17. The head mounted display device of claim 16, wherein the free space, super wide angle, undiffracted, and reflective optical surfaces are designed to partially collimate light emitted from the light emitting surface of the image display device.
delete 17. The head mounted display device of claim 16, wherein the at least one curved Fresnel lens element is concave relative to free space, super wide, undiffracted, and reflective optical surfaces.
17. The head mounted display device of claim 16, wherein the Fresnel lens system includes a plurality of Fresnel lens elements in a stacked form.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein the Fresnel lens system includes at least one Fresnel lens element having a plurality of beveled surfaces separated from other facets by edges,
At least some of said corners are (i) a slant that passes through the center of rotation of the nominal user's eye, (ii) a slant that passes through the center of the nominal user's natural lens, or (iii) And is arranged along a diagonal line perpendicular to the surface of the cornea.
(I) a frame adapted to be mounted on the head of a nominal user;
(II) an image display system supported by the frame;
(III) a non-diffractive and continuous reflective surface supported by the frame; And
(IV) a Fresnel lens system supported by the frame, wherein light emitted by the image display system is received directly from the image display system without any intervening optical components between the Fresnel lens system and the image display system And is designed to refract light in the direction of the free space, the super wide angle, the non-diffracting, and the reflective optical surface, and is located outside the optical path between the optical surface and the nominal user's eye, A Fresnel lens element of the lens system includes a Fresnel lens system including a first side including a non-planar curved surface having a concentric ring and a second side including a non-planar continuous surface;
And the head-mounted display device.
27. The head mounted display device of claim 26, wherein the reflective surface and the Fresnel lens system are at least 100 degrees to the nominal user and provide the widest viewing field in the gazing direction.
27. The head mounted display device of claim 26, wherein the reflective surface is translucent.
27. The head mounted display device of claim 26, wherein the Fresnel lens system is designed to at least partially collimate light emitted from the image display system.
27. The head mounted display device of claim 26, wherein the reflective surface is designed to at least partially collimate light emitted from the image display system.
27. The head mounted display device of claim 26, wherein the Fresnel lens element is concave towards the reflective surface.
delete 27. The Fresnel lens system of claim 26, wherein the Fresnel lens system includes a plurality of beveled surfaces separated from other facets by corners, wherein at least some of the corners include: (i) (Ii) a diagonal line passing through the center of the natural lens of the nominal user, or (iii) a diagonal line perpendicular to the surface of the nominal user's cornea. .
(I) a frame adapted to be mounted on the head of a nominal user;
(II) an image display system supported by the frame; And
(III) a Fresnel lens system supported by the frame;
Wherein the head mounted display device comprises:
Wherein the Fresnel lens system includes at least two Fresnel lens elements in a stacked structure such that light emitted by the image display system is doubled, the Fresnel lens system comprising: Is designed to receive light emitted by the image display system directly from the image display system without any intervening optical components between the image display system and to refract light emitted by the image display system towards the nominal user's eye Wherein each Fresnel lens element of the at least two Fresnel lens systems comprises a first side comprising a non-planar curved surface having a concentric ring and a second side comprising a nonplanar continuous surface. Mounted display device.
35. The system of claim 34, wherein the Fresnel lens system includes a plurality of beveled surfaces separated from other facets by edges, wherein at least some of the edges include: (i) (Ii) a diagonal line passing through the center of the natural lens of the nominal user, or (iii) a diagonal line perpendicular to the surface of the nominal user's cornea. .
35. The head mounted display device of claim 34, wherein the Fresnel lens system is positioned on an axis extending vertically from one plane of the image display system between the image display system and the reflective optical surface.
17. The head-mounted display device according to claim 16, wherein the angle separated to the widest observation field in the gazing direction is about 200 degrees.
28. The head mounted display device of claim 27, wherein the angle separated by the viewing field to the widest viewing field in the gazing direction is about 200 degrees.
18. The head mounted display device according to claim 17, wherein the angle separated to the widest observation field in the gazing direction is about 200 degrees.
37. The method of claim 35, wherein all of the edges are formed by at least one of: (i) an oblique line passing through a center of rotation of a nominal user's eye; (ii) a diagonal line passing through a center of a nominal user's natural lens; or (iii) Is arranged along an oblique line perpendicular to the surface of the cornea of the user.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein the free space, super-wide angle, undiffracted, and reflective optical surfaces are non-planar and are designed to reflect and focus light from at least one light emitting surface toward the nominal user's eye; And
Wherein an angle of separation of the at least one spatially separated virtual image and the at least one other spatially separated virtual image is measured from the center of rotation of the nominal user's eye;
And the head-mounted display device.

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