JP2017523480A - Image display apparatus, system and method using plate - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus (110), system (100) and method (900) for displaying an image (880) are provided. Instead of using expensive prism (310) configurations such as TIR prism (311) or RTIR prism (312) to guide light into and out of DMD (324), transmission characteristics (374), reflection A plate (340) having properties (372) and / or polarization properties (373) is used. This plate (340) can be implemented in a variety of different embodiments using a variety of different components and configurations. [Selection] Figure 1b

Description

[Related applications]
This general patent application is (1) “NEAR-EYE DISPLAY APPARATUS AND METHOD” filed on January 6, 2014 (US Patent Application No. 61 / 924,209). (2) “Appearance and Method for Illuminating A NEAR-EYE DISPLAY” (US Patent Application No. 61 / 994,997), filed on May 19, 2014 , (3) “Apparatus, System, AND METHOD FOR SELECTIVELY VARYING THE IMMERSION OF A MEDIA EXPERI NCE) "(US Patent Application No. 14 / 678,974) and (4)" Image Display System, Method and Apparatus Using Curved Mirror and Partially Transparent Plate "(SYSTEM) filed on Jan. 6, 2015. , METHOD, AND APPARATUS FOR DISPLAYING AN IMAGE USING A CURVED MIRROR AND A PARTIALLY TRANSPARENT PLATE), which claims the priority of these applications, the entire patents of which are claims 14 / 590,953. Which is incorporated herein by reference. This application includes subject matter other than those included in the above-cited applications.

  The present invention is an apparatus, system, and method (collectively “system”) that can display an image on a viewer. Specifically, this system uses a partially transmissive and partially reflective plate instead of expensive prisms such as TIR or RTIR prisms to direct light to and from the modulator. be able to.

  The key factor in any image display device is light. Light is an important material in any image display device. The light is generated by a light source and modulated into an image that is then finished and focused into an image accessible to the viewer. These different operational steps require the light to be directed around. Light is made up of very small units that can move independently of each other and can be a difficult resource to manage. The light travels very quickly and turns as soon as it strikes a different object. Human vision is based on the fact that light bounces off and collides with various objects to reach the human eye.

US patent application Ser. No. 13 / 367,261

  In the context of artificially formed images of image display devices, light is conventionally considered a valuable resource. Many of the optical components of the image display device perform the function of directing light from one location in the optical chain to the next step in the optical chain. This is not an easy task. Light is necessarily lost at each step in the process. If excessive light is lost, there is not enough illuminance to display the image. As a result, the history of image display devices has been dominated by demands that place top priority on optical efficiency.

  This conventional idea that has hindered innovation in the field of image display devices is inappropriate, which is particularly undesirable in the context of personal displays such as head mounted displays and other forms of near eye displays.

  The present invention is an apparatus, system, and method (collectively “system”) that can display an image on a viewer. Specifically, this system uses a partially transmissive and partially reflective plate instead of expensive prisms such as TIR or RTIR prisms to direct light to and from the modulator. be able to.

  This plate is a “traffic cop” of light that reaches the modulator (such as DMD) to form an image, and light that is modulated to leave the DMD (or other type of modulator) to form the desired image. traffic cop) ". This function is typically performed by prisms such as TIR prisms, RTIR prisms, and other prisms known to those skilled in the art (collectively “prisms”). Such prisms are very expensive, and the system can still provide high quality images to the viewer while implementing without using such prisms.

  The plates of the system can be implemented in a variety of different ways using a variety of different materials and configurations. Various embodiments of the system can provide certain advantages and functions over simply replacing the applicable prism.

  Various features and inventive aspects of the system are shown in the various drawings briefly described below. However, there is no patent application that can clearly disclose all potential embodiments of the invention in words or drawings. Variations of known equivalents are also implicitly included. In accordance with the provisions of patent law, the principles, functions and modes of operation of systems, apparatus and methods (collectively “systems”) are described and illustrated in the form of some preferred embodiments. However, it should be understood that the system of the present invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and illustrated without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. All components associated with element numbers shown in the following drawings are specified and described in Table 1 in the Detailed Description section.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a prior art image display that guides light to and from a DMD using a prism. It is a block diagram which shows the example of the system using a plate instead of a prism structure. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a system that utilizes a plate instead of a prism configuration, along with some examples where light 800 is lost during processing. It is a flowchart figure which shows the example of the method of displaying an image using a plate. FIG. 6 shows examples of different light paths that occur when light travels from the illumination assembly to the plate, where about 50% of the light is reflected towards the DMD and about 50% of the light is lost by passing through the plate. FIG. 5 shows examples of different light paths that occur when light travels from the DMD toward the plate, and about 50% of the light is transmitted through the plate and about 50% of the light is lost by reflection off the plate. It is a block diagram which shows the example of the system which displays an image using a plate actively. It is a block diagram which shows the example of the system in the compression operation mode which reduces the space which a plate occupies. FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the position of a plate relative to two lenses while the system is displaying an image. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an example of plate position relative to two lenses while the system is in a compression mode of operation. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an example of how a plate can function as a traffic cop in directing light flow to various assembly and system components. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating examples of different assemblies, components, and light that can exist in the operation of the system. FIG. 2b is a block diagram similar to FIG. 2a, except that the disclosed system also includes a tracking assembly (also referred to as a sensor assembly) and an expansion assembly. FIG. 6 is a hierarchical diagram illustrating examples of different components that can be included in a lighting assembly. FIG. 6 is a hierarchical diagram illustrating examples of different components that can be included in an imaging assembly. FIG. 6 is a hierarchical diagram illustrating examples of different components that can be included in a projection assembly. FIG. 6 is a hierarchical diagram illustrating examples of different components that can be included in a sensor assembly (which can also be referred to as a tracking assembly). FIG. 2 is a hierarchical diagram illustrating examples of different types of support components that can be included in the structure and function of the system. It is a figure for demonstrating one Embodiment of this invention. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a VRD device of the system. FIG. It is an environment figure showing an example of a side view of a user who wears a VRD device which materializes a system. It is a structural diagram showing an example of components that can be used in the VRD device. FIG. 6 is a hierarchical diagram illustrating examples of different categories of display systems that can potentially implement innovative systems, ranging from giant systems such as stadium scoreboards to VRD visor systems that project visual images directly to the retina of individual users. It is a hierarchy figure which shows the example of a different category of a display apparatus. It is a perspective view showing an example of a user who wears an integrated VRD visor device. FIG. 4 is a hierarchical diagram illustrating examples of different display / projection techniques, such as DLP-based applications, that can be incorporated into the system. It is a hierarchy figure which shows the example of the different operation mode of the system regarding immersion and expansion. FIG. 6 is a hierarchical diagram illustrating examples of different operating modes of a system relating to user attribute detection using sensors and / or use of the system by a user. FIG. 4 is a hierarchical diagram illustrating examples of different categories of system implementations based on whether device (s) are integrated with a media player component. FIG. 5 is a hierarchical diagram illustrating examples of two roles or types of users as an image viewer and system operator. FIG. 6 is a hierarchical diagram illustrating examples of different attributes that can be associated with media content. It is a hierarchy figure which shows the example of a different image context.

  The present invention is an apparatus, system, and method (collectively “system”) that can display an image on a viewer. Specifically, this system may guide light to and from the DMD using a partially transmissive and partially reflective plate instead of an expensive prism such as a TIR or RTIR prism. it can. All element numbers referenced in the following text are further referenced in Table 1 presented below.

I. Overview All image display systems or devices include (1) an illumination assembly that provides light that forms an image, (2) an imaging assembly that modulates this light into what is to be a display image, and (3) one or more viewers. Can be divided into at least three major components: a projection assembly that projects the modulated light onto a destination that is accessible to the user. Typically, the third step of projecting modulated light involves a light collection process and other processes that modify the light at some point. Thus, the light that makes up the image is modified in some way from the time it leaves the imaging assembly until it reaches the viewer's eye, so the image produced by the imaging assembly is actually only a provisional image. be able to.

  The heart of every image display device is an imaging assembly. In the imaging assembly, the modulator converts the light generated by the light source into something the viewer wants to see. Common examples of modulators include DMD, LCOS panels and LCD panels. DMD is a reflective modulator. DMD represents _.

A. Prior Art FIG. 1a is a block diagram illustrating an example of an image display method according to the prior art. The lighting assembly 200 generates light 800. This light collides with the configuration of the two prisms 310, which cooperates to direct unmodulated light 800 from the illumination assembly 200 to the DMD 324 and to direct the modulated light 800 from the DMD to the projection assembly 400, Allow one or more viewers 96 to access the image 880.

  In order to show a comprehensive example, the flow of light 800 that ultimately constitutes the display image 880 is displayed by a single line of light 800. In practice, there are many rays 800 generated by the illumination assembly 200. Some of these rays 800 are lost at each step during processing. FIG. 1a shows the path of light 800 that penetrates to image 880 and does not show light lost during processing. As shown in FIG. 1a, (1) unmodulated light 800 generated by the illumination assembly 200 reaches the left prism 310 and is directed by the second prism 310 to the DMD 324 (or other form of modulator 320). And (2) modulated light 800 from DMD 324 (or other form of modulator 320) passes through the configuration of prism 310 to projection assembly 400, where viewer 96 is in the form of image 880. The light 800 can be accessed.

  Light 800 is lost from processing each time it reaches another component of the figure. However, the configuration of the prism 310 has high optical efficiency.

B. Use of Plate FIG. 1b is a block diagram illustrating an alternative to the prior art method of FIG. 1a. In FIG. 1b, the prism 310 is not present. Instead, the unmodulated light 800 is directed to the DMD 324 using a plate 340 having both reflection characteristics 372 and transmission characteristics 374. The optical chain 870 (which may also be referred to as the optical path 870) of the light 800 that actually arrives is indicated by continuous lines.

  In contrast to FIG. 1 a, where light 800 is reflected toward modulator 320 by the junction between the two prisms 310, it is the surface of plate 340 that reflects light 800 toward modulator 320 in FIG. It is. Light 800, indicated by a downward arrow toward modulator 320, indicates light 800 that has encountered reflection characteristics 372 of plate 340. Conversely, light 800, indicated by an upward arrow from modulator 320 through plate 340 to projection assembly 400, represents modulated light 800 that has encountered a transparent side 374 of plate 340. The plate 340 functions as both a reflector of the light 800 and a transparent object through which the light 800 passes.

  FIG. 1c is a slightly more complex version of FIG. 1b in that it shows a portion of the light 800 that is lost. For example, a horizontal dotted line toward the right represents light 800 that is transmitted through plate 340 rather than being deflected by plate 340. This light 800 is lost from the image forming process. Similarly, a diagonally downward dotted line from the plate 340 to the DMD 324 represents the modulated light 800 from the DMD 324 that is reflected rather than transmitted through the plate 340.

C. Process Flow Diagram FIG. 1 d is a flowchart of a method 900 for displaying an image 880 utilizing a plate 340. At 910, the system 100 generates light 800 utilizing the lighting assembly 200. This light 800 reaches the plate 340. Some of the light from 910 is lost by the transparent side 374 of the plate 340, and other rays 910 from 910 are reflected at 922 toward the modulator 320. The modulator 320 modulates the light 800 to form a provisional image 850 that is directed back to the plate 340. A portion of this light 800 is lost due to the reflective properties 372 of the plate 340, and other rays 800 are transmitted at 926 and included in the image 880 displayed in the viewer 96.

D. Plate Variations The plate 340 can be composed of glass 342, plastic film 344, or a combination of glass 342 and plastic 344. Some embodiments of the plate 344 can include multiple layers 346 and various coatings 348. The plate 340 can be implemented as a dynamic plate 341. The embodiment of the plastic film 344 of the plate 340 can be implemented as an embodiment of the modulation film 345.

  The plate 340 can be implemented with an aperture 350 and even a dynamic aperture 352 that varies from image to image to enhance the effect of its transparency 374. Plate 340 can include a variety of different gradients 360, including adjustable gradient 362, such as adjustable diffraction gradient 364. Different plates 340 can have different sizes of reflective 372 and transmissive 374. Some plates 340 can affect the polarization 373 of the light 800 that reaches the plate 340. With the adjustable gradient 362, the desired optical effect 380 can be achieved. The plate 340 can include holographic elements 382 and can be embodied as a microlens array 384. The plate 340 can also be embodied as a foldable plate 340 so as to reduce the space occupied by the plate 340 when the system 100 is not displaying the image 880.

  The size of the reflective 372, transmissive 374, and polarization 373 is not only different for different embodiments of the plate 340, but such characteristics also depend on where the light 800 is in the light wavelength of the spectrum 802. Can be different. Some embodiments may involve uniform attributes across the full spectrum 803 of light 803. Other embodiments can differ between infrared light 806, ultraviolet light 807 and visible light 804, or within a partial spectrum of visible light 804.

  FIGS. 1e and 1f show an example of a plate 340 in which about 50% is reflective 372 and 50% is transmissive 374. FIG. Many embodiments involve a range between about 60/40% and 40/60%. However, the system 100 can be implemented far outside these ranges.

  FIGS. 1 g and 1 l show an example of a system 100 that displays an image 880 using a plate 340. FIGS. 1h and 1m show a corresponding example of such a plate 340 in compression mode 128 where the plate 340 is folded to save space while the system 100 is not used to display the image 880. .

  FIG. 1 n is an example of different assemblies and components that can utilize the plate 340 to perform the “traffic cop” function for the flow of light 800.

II. Assembly and Component System 100 can be described in terms of an assembly of components that perform various functions that support the operation of system 100. FIG. 2 a is a block diagram of a system 100 configured with an illumination assembly 200 that provides light 800 to the imaging assembly 300. The modulator 320 of the imaging assembly 300 uses the light 800 from the illumination assembly 200 to form an image 880 that the system 100 displays. This view is seen from the path of light 800 that forms image 880, so that light 800 reaches plate 340 before reaching modulator 320 and after leaving modulator 320, so that it is within imaging assembly 300. Then, the plate 340 appears twice.

  As shown, the system 100 may also include a projection assembly 400 that directs an image 880 from the imaging assembly 300 to a location accessible to one or more users 90 and a display 410. The image 880 generated by the imaging assembly 300 is often modified in some way before being displayed to the user 90 by the system 100 and may therefore be referred to as a provisional image 850 or an incomplete image 850.

A. Lighting Assembly The lighting assembly 200 performs the function of providing light 800 to the system 100 so that the image 880 can be displayed. The illumination assembly 200 can include a light source 210 that generates light 800. The lighting assembly 200 generates light 800 that is used and processed by other assemblies of the system 100.

  FIG. 2 c is a hierarchical diagram illustrating examples of different components that can be included in the lighting assembly 200. These components can include, but are not limited to, a wide range of light sources 210, a diffuser assembly 280, and various support components 150. Examples of the light source 210 include, but are not limited to, a multi-bulb light source 211, an LED lamp 212, a three-color LED lamp 213, a laser 214, an OLED 215, a CFL 216, an incandescent lamp 218, and an angle-independent lamp 219. Can be mentioned. The light source 210 is where the light 800 is generated and travels throughout the rest of the system 100. Thus, each light source 210 is a location 230 where light 800 is produced.

  In many cases, it is desirable to use as a light source a three-color LED lamp 213 in which one LED is designated for each of the primary colors of red, green, and blue.

B. Imaging Assembly The imaging assembly 300 performs the function of creating an image 880 from the light 800 provided by the illumination assembly 200. As shown in FIG. 2 a, the modulator 320 can convert the light 800 provided by the lighting assembly 200 into an image 880 that the system 100 displays. As shown in FIG. 2b, the image 880 generated by the imaging assembly 300 can be focused before being directed to a location where one or more users 90 can experience, or otherwise modified to some extent. It can also be called a provisional image 850.

  The imaging assembly 300 can vary greatly based on the type of technique used to form the image. Substantially different components within the imaging assembly 300 may involve display technologies such as DLP (Digital Light Processing), LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), LCOS (Reflective Liquid Crystal), and other methods.

  FIG. 2 f is a hierarchical diagram illustrating some examples of different components that may be utilized in the imaging assembly 300 of the system 100. The prism 310 can be a very useful component in guiding light to and / or from the modulator 320. Typically, DLP applications direct light to and from DMD 324 using an array of TIR prisms 311 or RTIR prisms 312. As discussed above, the plate 340 can replace the need for the prism 310 used in the system 100.

  Modulator 320 (sometimes referred to as light modulator 320) is a device that modifies or alters light 800 and produces an image 880 to be displayed. Modulator 320 can operate with a variety of different characteristics of modulator 320. The reflective modulator 322 uses the reflection characteristics of the modulator 320 to form an image 880 from the supplied light 800. Examples of the reflective modulator 322 include, but are not limited to, a DLP display DMD 324 and several LCOS (reflective liquid crystal) panels 340. The transmissive modulator 321 forms an image 880 from the supplied light 800 using the transmission characteristics of the modulator 320. Examples of transmissive modulator 321 include, but are not limited to, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) LCD display and several LCOS panels 340. Typically, the imaging assembly 300 of the LCOS or LCD system 100 has a combiner cube or some similar device for incorporating different monochromatic images into a single image 880.

  The imaging assembly 300 can also include various support components 150.

C. Projection Assembly As shown in FIG. 2 b, the projection assembly 400 can perform the task of directing the image 880 to a final destination in the system 100 where the user 900 can access the image 880. In many cases, the image 880 created by the imaging assembly 300 is at least slightly modified between the generation of the image 880 by the modulator 320 and the display of the image 880 to the user 90. Accordingly, the image 880 created by the modulator 320 of the imaging assembly 300 is only a provisional image 850 and not the final image 880 that is actually displayed to the user 90.

  FIG. 2 e is a hierarchical diagram illustrating examples of different components that can be part of the projection assembly 400. Display 410 is the final destination of image 880, ie the location and form of image 880 that user 90 can access. Examples of the display 410 may include an active screen 412, a passive screen 414, an eyepiece 416, and a VRD eyepiece 418.

  Projection assembly 400 may also include various support components 150 described below. The plate 340 can also serve as a component in the projection assembly 400 because it is an excellent tool for managing the flow of light 800 between different components of the system 100 as shown in FIG.

D. Sensor / Tracking Assembly FIG. 2b shows an example of a system 100 that includes a tracking assembly 500 (also referred to as a sensor assembly 500). The sensor assembly 500 can be used to capture information about the user 90, the user-image 880 interaction, and / or the external environment in which the user 90 and the system 100 are physically present.

  As shown in FIG. 2 f, the sensor assembly 500 can include a sensor 510 that is typically a camera, such as an infrared camera, that captures a line-of-sight tracking attribute 530 regarding the eye movement of the viewer 96. A lamp 520, such as an infrared light source, that supports the functions of the infrared camera, and various different support components 150. In many embodiments of the system 100 that include the tracking assembly 500, the tracking assembly 500 utilizes components of the projection assembly 400, such as the configuration of a curved mirror 420 that cooperates with a partially transparent plate 340. Using such a configuration, the image 880 can be delivered to the eye 92 of the viewer 96 and at the same time an infrared image of the eye 92 of the viewer 96 can be captured.

  The sensor assembly 500 may also include a sensor 510 for capturing visual images, video, audio, motion, position, and other information from the operating environment 80.

E. Expansion Assembly The expansion assembly 600 can allow natural light from the external environment 80 to enter through a window component 620 that can be opened and closed within the system 100 (the window component 620 can include a shutter component 610).

F. Supporting components Light 800 can be a difficult resource to manage. The light 800 is fast moving and cannot be constrained in the same way that most input or source materials can be constrained. FIG. 2j is a hierarchical diagram illustrating examples of several support components 150, many of which are conventional optical components. Conventional optical components such as mirror 141 (including dichroic mirror 152), lens 160, collimator 170, and plate 180 involve any display technology application. Similarly, any electrically powered device requires a power source 191 and any device capable of displaying an image 880 is likely to have a processor 190.

III. VRD Visor Embodiments The system 100 can be implemented with a variety of different display technologies 140, including a DLP system 141, an LCD system 142, and an LCOS system 143. Since the plate 340 is considered to be particularly useful as a substitute for the TIR prism 311 and the RTIR prism 312, the various drawings focus on the DLP system 141.

  FIG. 3 a is a perspective view showing an example of the VRD visor device 116. The two VRD eyepieces 418 allow the image 880 to be projected directly onto the user 90 eye.

  FIG. 3 b is a side view showing an example in which the VRD visor device 116 is worn on the head 94 of the user 90. When device 116 is in a position to project image 880 onto user's 90 eye 92, user's 90 eye 92 is occluded by device 116 itself.

  FIG. 3 c is a component diagram illustrating an example of a VRD visor device 116 for the left eye 92. Associated with the right eye 92 is the mirror image of FIG.

  The three-color LED light source 213 generates light, which passes through the condenser lens 160, the condenser lens 160 directs the light 800 toward the mirror 151, and the mirror 151 reflects the light 800 toward the molded lens 160, Thereafter, the light 800 is incident on an imaging assembly 300 comprised of a plate 340 and DMD 324. The provisional image 850 from the imaging assembly 300 passes through another lens 160, which focuses the provisional image 850 to the final image 880 and becomes visible to the user 90 through the eyepiece 416.

IV. Alternative Embodiments There are no patent applications that can explicitly disclose all potential embodiments of the invention in words or drawings. Variations of known equivalents are also implicitly included. In accordance with the provisions of patent law, the principles, functions and modes of operation of system 100, method 900 and apparatus 110 (collectively “system” 100) are described and illustrated in the form of some preferred embodiments. However, it should be understood that the system 100 of the present invention can be implemented in other ways than those specifically described and illustrated without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

  It is to be understood that the description of system 100 above and below includes all novel and non-obvious combinations of the elements described herein, and the claims may be presented in this application, Alternatively, it can be presented in a subsequent application for any novel non-obvious combination of these elements. Further, the above-described embodiments are exemplary, and no single feature or element is essential to all possible combinations that can be claimed in this or a subsequent application.

  System 100 represents a substantial improvement over prior art display technologies. As with conventional display technology, the system 100 can be implemented in a wide variety of different ways. The new approach of guiding the light 800 using the plate 340 instead of the prism 340 is an immersive and expansive situation, as well as a one-way embodiment (without sensor feedback from the user 90) and bi-directional ( In both embodiments (sensor feedback from user 90), a variety of different display technologies can be utilized and implemented at a variety of different scales.

A. Scale Variations Display devices can be implemented in a variety of different scales. The EverBanks Field giant scoreboard (home of Jacksonville Jaguars) is a display system consisting of 35.5 million LED bulbs, 60 feet high and 362 feet long. This scoreboard is intended to be viewed simultaneously by tens of thousands of people. The ALYGANT GLYPH ™ visor at the opposite end is a device that is worn on the user's head and projects a visual image directly on the eyes of one viewer. There are a variety of different display systems between the ends of these continuums.

  The system 100 displays a visual image 808 to the user 90 using low coherence enhanced light. System 100 can potentially be implemented on a variety of different scales.

  FIG. 4 a is a hierarchical diagram illustrating various categories and subcategories that are generally associated with a display system, specifically the implementation scale of the system 100. As shown in FIG. 4 a, the system 100 can be implemented as a large-scale system 101 or a personal system 103.

1. Large Scale System Large scale system 101 is intended for use by multiple concurrent users 90. Examples of large scale systems 101 include movie theater projectors, bars, large screen TVs in restaurants or homes, and other similar displays. Large system 101 includes a sub-category of giant system 102, such as a stadium scoreboard 102a, Times Square display 102b, or other or large outdoor displays such as billboards off the highway.

2. Personal System Personal system 103 is an embodiment of system 100 designed for viewing by a single user 90. Examples of the personal system 103 include a desktop monitor 103a, a portable TV 103b, a laptop monitor 103c, and other similar devices. The category of the personal system 103 includes a sub-category of the near eye system 104.

a. Near Eye System The near eye system 104 is a subcategory of the personal system 103 where the user's 90 eye is within approximately 12 inches of the display. The near eye system 104 includes a tablet computer 104a, a smartphone 104b, and an eyepiece application 104c such as a camera and a microscope, and other similar devices. The sub-category of the near eye system 104 includes a subcategory of visor system 105.

b. Visor System The visor system 105 is a subcategory of the near eye system 104 in which a portion of the system 100 that displays the visual image 200 is actually worn on the head 94 of the user 90. Examples of such a system 105 include a virtual reality visor, Google Glass, and other conventional head mounted displays 105a. The category of the visor system 105 includes a subcategory VRD visor system 106.

c. VRD Visor System The VRD visor system 106 is an implementation of a visor system 105 in which the visual image 200 is projected directly onto the user's eyes. A technique for directly projecting an image onto the viewer's eye is disclosed in “Image GENERATION SYSTEM AND IMAGE GENERATION METHODS” filed on Feb. 6, 2012 (US Patent Application No. 13 / 367,261). No.), the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

3. Integrated devices Media components tend to become segmented and shared over time. A display device concept is possible in which the illumination assembly 120 is only temporarily connected to a particular imaging assembly 160. However, the illumination assembly 120 and imaging assembly 160 of the system 100 are permanently incorporated into a single integrated device 110 (at least from a practical point of view of the user 90) in most embodiments. FIG. 4 b is a hierarchical diagram illustrating examples of different categories and subcategories of device 110. FIG. 4b closely reflects FIG. 5a. Potential device 110 areas include the categories of large devices 111 and personal devices 113. Large device 111 includes a subcategory of giant device 112. The category of the personal device 113 includes a sub-category of the near eye device 114 including a sub-category of the visor device 115. The VRD visor device 116 constitutes a category of the visor device 115 that implements the virtual retina display, that is, the VRD visor device 116 projects the visual image 200 directly on the eyes of the user 90.

  FIG. 4 c shows an example of a perspective view of the VRD visor system 106 embodied in the form of an integrated VRD visor device 106 worn on the head 94 of the user 90. For the element 92, the dotted line is used in the figure because the user's 90 eye 92 is occluded by the device 116 itself.

B. Different Categories of Display Technology The prior art includes a variety of different display technologies including, but not limited to, DLP (Digital Light Processing), LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and LCOS (Reflective Liquid Crystal). FIG. 4d is a hierarchical diagram illustrating different categories of the system 100 based on basic display technology in which the system 200 can be implemented. Although the system 100 is intended for use as a DLP system 141, the implementation means are clearly different and there may be no reason for implementation, but it could potentially be used as an LCOS system 143 or LCD system 142. it can. The system 100 can also be implemented in other categories and subcategories of display technology.

C. Immersion vs. Extension FIG. 4e is a hierarchy diagram showing the hierarchy of the system 100 organized into categories based on the difference between immersive and extended. Some embodiments of the system 100 can have a variety of different modes of operation 120. The immersion mode 121 has a function of blocking the outside world so that the user 90 is focused only on what the system 100 displays to the user 90. In contrast, the enhanced mode 122 is intended to display a visual image 200 superimposed on the physical environment of the user 90. The difference between immersive mode and extended mode of system 100 is particularly relevant in the context of near eye system 104 and visor system 105.

  Some embodiments of the system 100 may be configured to operate in either immersive mode or extended mode at the user's own discretion. On the other hand, other embodiments of the system 100 may have only a single mode of operation 120.

D. Some embodiments of the display-only versus display / detect / track / monitor system 100 are configured for only one-way transmission of optical information. Other embodiments can capture information from the user 90 as a visual image 880, potentially allowing the user 90 to access other aspects of the media experience. FIG. 4f is a hierarchical diagram reflecting the categories of the one-way system 124 (non-detection operation mode 124) and the bidirectional system 123 (detection operation mode 123). The interactive system 123 can include functions such as retinal scanning and monitoring. The user 90 can be identified, the focus of the user's 90 eye 92 can be tracked, or other similar functions can be provided. There is no sensor or sensor array in the one-way system 124 that captures information about or from the user 90.

E. Media Player—Integrated vs. Separate Display Device may be integrated with a media player. In another example, the media player is completely separated from the display device. As an example, a laptop computer can be a single integrated device with a screen that displays a movie, speakers that carry audio accompanying a video image, a DVD or BLU-RAY® player that plays the source media away from the disc. Can be included. Such devices can also stream.

  FIG. 4g is a hierarchical diagram illustrating various different categories of the system 100 based on whether the system 100 is integrated with a media player. The integrated media player system 107 includes the ability to actually play media content and the ability to display images 880. The non-integrated media player system 108 must communicate with the media player to play the media content.

F. User-Viewer vs. Operator FIG. 4h is a hierarchy diagram showing examples of different roles that the user 90 can play. The viewer 96 can access the image 880 but cannot otherwise control the functions of the system 100. Operator 98 can control the operation of system 100, but cannot access image 880. Speaking of a movie theater, the viewer 96 is a spectator and the operator 98 is a movie theater employee.

G. Media Content Attributes As shown in FIG. 4 i, media content 840 can include a variety of different types of attributes. A system 100 that displays an image 880 is a system 100 that plays media content 840 that includes a visual attribute 841. However, many examples of media content 840 include acoustic attributes 842 and even tactile attributes. There are also some new technologies for communicating olfactory attributes 844, and in some situations, the ability to convey taste attributes 845 becomes only part of the media experience.

  As shown in FIG. 4j, some images 880 are part of a much larger video 890 context. In other contexts, the image 880 may be a stand-alone still frame 882.

VI. Glossary / Definition Table 1 shows a chart correlating element numbers, element names and element definitions / descriptions.

100 system 200 lighting assembly 324 DMD
340 plate 400 projection assembly 800 light

Claims (20)

A system (100) for displaying an image (880) composed of a plurality of lights (800) on a viewer (96),
An illumination assembly (200) for generating the plurality of lights (800);
An imaging assembly (300) for generating the image (880) from the plurality of lights (800);
The imaging assembly (300) comprises:
A DMD (324) that modulates the light (800) into the image (880);
A plate (340) for directing the light (800) from the illumination assembly (200) to the DMD (324) and directing the light (800) from the DMD (324) to a display (410);
including,
The system (100) characterized by the above. The plate (340) includes an aperture (350),
The system (100) of claim 1. The plate (340) includes a plastic film (344),
The system (100) of claim 1. The plate (340) includes a plastic film (344) that modifies the light (800) to form a desired optical effect (860) when forming the image (880). The resulting modulation film (345),
The system (100) of claim 1. The plate (340) is composed of a plurality of films (344), and the plate (340) is not composed of glass (342).
The system (100) of claim 1. The plate (340) includes a plurality of modulation films (345) that define a dynamic aperture (352),
The system (100) of claim 1. The system (100) is a visor device (115) including an eyepiece (416), and the eyepiece (416) includes the display (410).
The system (100) of claim 1. The plate (340) includes a plastic film (344) having an adjustable diffraction gradient (364).
The system (100) of claim 1. The plate (340) includes glass (342) and plastic film (344).
The system (100) of claim 1. The plate (340) has reflectivity (371) associated with the full spectrum (802),
The system (100) of claim 1. The plate (340) has reflectivity (371) characteristic of the partial spectrum (805),
The system (100) of claim 1. The plate (340) enables polarization (373) of the light (800),
The system (100) of claim 1. The plate (340) is a microlens array (380).
The system (100) of claim 1. The plate (340) is a folding plate (390) that can be folded into a small-capacity space when not in use.
The system (100) of claim 1. A system (100) for displaying an image (880) composed of a plurality of lights (800) on a viewer (96),
An illumination assembly (200) including a light source (210) for supplying the plurality of lights (800) to the imaging assembly (300);
The merging assembly (300) for modulating the light (800) into a provisional image (850);
And the merging assembly (300) comprises:
A DMD (324) that modulates the light (800) into the provisional image (850);
A plate (340) for directing the light (800) from the illumination assembly (200) to the DMD (324) and directing the light (800) from the DMD (324) to the projection assembly (400);
The system includes:
A projection assembly (400) for displaying the image (880) from the provisional image (850) on a display (410);
The system (100) characterized by the above. The system (100) is a VRD visor device (116), and the display (410) is part of the eyepiece (416) of the VRD visor device (116).
The system (100) of claim 15. The plate (430) includes a glass (342) and a plurality of plastic films (344), the plastic film (344) being a first plastic film (344) on a first side of the glass (342). And a second plastic film (344) on the second side of the glass (342),
The system (100) of claim 15. The plate (340) includes an aperture (350) and a plastic film (344), the plastic film (344) modifying the light (800) to produce the desired optical effect (860). (345),
The system (100) of claim 15. The plate (340) includes a plurality of modulation films (345) defining a dynamic aperture (352) and a plastic film (344) having an adjustable diffraction gradient (364).
The system (100) of claim 15. A method (900) of displaying an image (880) composed of light (800) in a viewer (96) using a plate (430), comprising:
Generating (910) the plurality of lights (800) by a light source (210);
Reflecting (922) the light (800) by the plate (340) towards the DMD (324);
Modulating (924) the plurality of lights (800) into a provisional image (850) by the DMD (324);
Transmitting (926) the light (800) in the provisional image (850) toward the display (410) by the plate (340);
A method (900) comprising:

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