Diffractive head up display for firearms
View Patent ↗A head up display for firearms is provided, wherein a light valve is employed to create variable images in response to user input. The images from the light valve are entrained in an illuminating beam which intersects a diffractive optic. The diffractive optic includes a recorded infinite focal plane which is reconstructed by the illuminating beam, thereby displaying the image from the light valve at an infinite focal plane which is readily viewed be a user looking through the diffractive optic.
1. A compact head up display for a firearm, comprising:
(a) a base cooperatively engaging the firearm;
(b) a diffractive optic mounted to the base;
(c) a coherent illuminating beam source for illuminating the diffractive optic;
(d) a power source selectively connected to the coherent illuminating beam source;
(e) a light valve optically intermediate the diffractive optic and the coherent illuminating beam source; and
(f) an image generator connected to the light valve for creating an image on the light valve.
2. The compact head up dIsplay of claim 1 , wherein the diffractive optic is a hologram.
3. The compact head up display of claim 1 , wherein the diffractive optic is tilted with respect to the axis of the coherent illuminating beam source.
4. The compact head up display of claim 1 , wherein the diffractive optic is a hologram having a recorded image of an infinitely spaced focal plane.
5. The compact laser sight of claim 1 , wherein the light valve is a liquid crystal diode.
6. The compact head up display of claim 1 , wherein the image appears as a reconstructed image at a plane located from adjacent the user to infinity at infinity.
7. The compact head up display of claim 1 , wherein the coherent illuminating beam source is a laser.
8. The compact head up display of claim 1 , further comprising a range finder cooperatively connected to one of the image generator and the light valve for incorporating range information into the image.
9. The compact head up display of claim 1 , further comprising an optical surface illuminated by the coherent illuminating beam source to form a targeting beam of coherent light.
10. The compact head up display of claim 1 , wherein the diffractive optic is transmissive.
11. The compact head up display of claim 1 , wherein the diffractive optic is reflective.
12. A compact head up display for a handheld firearm, comprising:
(a) a hologram mounted relative to the handheld firearm;
(b) a laser for illuminating the hologram;
(c) an image generator; and
(d) a light valve optically intermediate the hologram and the laser and operably connected to the image generator.
13. The compact head up display of claim 12 , wherein the hologram is moveable connected to the firearm between a closed position and an open position.
14. The compact head up display of claim 12 , further comprising one of a passive and active night vision system operably connected to the light valve.
15. The compact head up display of claim 12 , further comprising a range finder operably coupled to the light valve.
16. The compact head up display of claim 12 , wherein the hologram is transmissive.
17. The compact head up display of claim 12 , wherein the hologram is reflective.