Integrated image erector and through-sight information display for telescope or other optical device
View Patent ↗Techniques are disclosed for creating optical systems and devices that provide through-sight information while enabling the optical systems and devices to maintain a small, lightweight form factor. According to certain embodiments of the invention, an optical assembly can include a liquid-crystal display (LCD) disposed between the two prism elements of a Schmidt-Pechan prism at a focal plane of the optical assembly. This allows the LCD to be used to display information by blocking light passing through the optical assembly. Additionally, a light-emitting display, such as a backlit LCD, light-emitting diode (LED) display, or organic LED (OLED) display, can be coupled at a surface of one of the two prism elements of the Schmidt-Pechan prism to provide additional information in low-light environments.
1. An optical device configured to overlay information on an optical image, the optical device comprising:
an objective lens;
a Schmidt-Pechan prism having a first element and a second element, wherein the first element of the Schmidt-Pechan prism is configured to receive light entering the optical device through the objective lens and pass at least a portion of the light to the second element of the Schmidt-Pechan prism;
a liquid-crystal display (LCD) configured to block at least a portion of the light passing from the first element of the Schmidt-Pechan prism to the second element of the Schmidt-Pechan prism; and
an eyepiece configured to receive light exiting the second element of the Schmidt-Pechan prism.
2. The optical device configured to overlay information on the optical image recited in claim 1 , further comprising a light-emitting display coupled to the second element of the Schmidt-Pechan prism such that the second element of the Schmidt-Pechan prism directs at least some light from the light-emitting display toward the eyepiece.
3. The optical device configured to overlay information on the optical image recited in claim 2 , wherein the light-emitting display includes at least one of:
a light-emitting diode (LED) display,
an organic LED (OLED) display, or
a backlit LCD.
4. The optical device configured to overlay information on the optical image recited in claim 1 , wherein the LCD is separated from the first element of the Schmidt-Pechan prism and the second element of the Schmidt-Pechan prism by a distance of at least 0.25 mm.
5. The optical device configured to overlay information on the optical image recited in claim 1 , further comprising a mirror coupled to a surface of the first element of the Schmidt-Pechan prism or the second element of the Schmidt-Pechan prism.
6. The optical device configured to overlay information on the optical image recited in claim 1 , further comprising a dichroic beam splitter coupled to a surface of the second element of the Schmidt-Pechan prism.
7. The optical device configured to overlay information on the optical image recited in claim 6 , further comprising a monochromatic display coupled to the dichroic beam splitter and configured to emit a certain color of visible light.
8. An image-erecting optical system for presenting through-sight information, the optical system comprising:
an objective lens;
an erecting prism configured to receive light entering the optical system through the objective lens, wherein the erecting prism has a first element and a second element separated by a space;
a liquid-crystal display (LCD) disposed in the space between the first element of the erecting prism and the second element of the erecting prism such that at least a portion of light exiting the first element of the erecting prism passes through the LCD before entering the second element of the erecting prism; and
an eyepiece configured to receive the light exiting the erecting prism.
9. The image-erecting optical system for presenting through-sight information recited in claim 8 , further comprising a light-emitting display coupled to a surface of the second element of the erecting prism.
10. The image-erecting optical system for presenting through-sight information recited in claim 8 , wherein the LCD is separated from the first element of the erecting prism and the second element of the erecting prism by a distance of at least 0.25 mm.
11. The image-erecting optical system for presenting through-sight information recited in claim 8 , wherein the first element of the erecting prism and the second element of the erecting prism have a refractive index of at least 1.6.
12. The image-erecting optical system for presenting through-sight information recited in claim 8 , further comprising a mirror coupled to a surface of the first element of the erecting prism or the second element of the erecting prism.
13. The image-erecting optical system for presenting through-sight information recited in claim 12 , wherein the mirror is partially transmissive.
14. The image-erecting optical system for presenting through-sight information recited in claim 8 , further comprising a dichroic beam splitter coupled to a surface of the second element of the erecting prism.
15. The image-erecting optical system for presenting through-sight information recited in claim 14 , further comprising a monochromatic display coupled to the dichroic beam splitter and configured to emit a certain color of visible light.
16. A image-erecting optical assembly configured to overlay information on an optical image, the image-erecting optical assembly comprising:
a first prism element configured to cause light entering a first surface of the first prism element to exit a second surface of the first prism element after reflecting off of a plurality of inner surfaces of the first prism element;
a second prism element disposed relative to the first prism element such that at least a portion of the light exiting the second surface of the first prism element enters a first surface of the second prism element, wherein the second prism element is configured to cause the light entering the first surface of the second prism element to exit a second surface of the second prism element after reflecting off of a plurality of surfaces internal to the second prism element; and
a liquid-crystal display (LCD) configured to block at least a portion of the light exiting the second surface of the first prism element when the LCD is activated.
17. The image-erecting optical assembly configured to overlay information on the optical image recited in claim 16 , further comprising a light-emitting display disposed relative to the second prism element such that at least some light from the light-emitting display enters a third surface of the second prism element and exits the second surface of the second prism element.
18. The image-erecting optical assembly configured to overlay information on the optical image recited in claim 16 , wherein the LCD is separated from the first prism element and the second prism element by a distance of at least 0.25 mm.
19. The image-erecting optical assembly configured to overlay information on the optical image recited in claim 16 , wherein the first prism element and the second prism element have a refractive index of at least 1.6.
20. The image-erecting optical assembly configured to overlay information on the optical image recited in claim 16 , further comprising a mirror coupled to a surface of first prism element or second element prism element.