Optical configurations for head worn computing
View Patent ↗Aspects of the present invention relate to optical systems in head worn computing.
1. A head-worn computer, comprising:
a. a housing including a mounting platform adapted to hold a see-through optics facility in front of an eye of a person when the person is wearing the head-worn computer, wherein the see-through optics facility also functions as a computer display for the person;
b. an image light production facility, supported by the mounting platform, including a mirror support platform including a plurality of multi-positional mirrors on a front surface of the platform;
c. a lighting facility positioned adjacent to the mirror support platform and adapted to produce a cone of illumination light along an optical axis directed away from the multi-positional mirrors and towards a substantially flat partially reflective surface, wherein the substantially flat partially reflective surface is angled to reflect the illumination light such that the multi-positional mirrors are substantially uniformly illuminated;
d. wherein each of the multi-positional mirrors has a first state positioned to reflect a first portion of the illumination light, forming image light, on an optical axis in-line with the see-through optics facility, and a second state positioned to reflect a second portion of the illumination light, forming dark light, on an optical axis off-line with the see-through optics facility and in-line with a light absorption facility;
e. wherein the image light and the dark light are substantially transmitted by the partially reflective surface;
f. the light absorption facility is positioned to terminate the off-line optical axis within the housing and adapted to prevent dark light from being reflected to the eye of the person; and
g. a solid optic that reflects a substantial portion of the illumination light, and transmits a substantial portion of the image light and the dark light;
wherein the solid optic includes a corrective wedge with an exit surface that is oriented perpendicular to the in-line optical axis, so the image light is substantially unrefracted and the dark light is refracted away from the optical axis in-line with the see-through optics facility.
2. The head-worn computer of claim 1 , further comprising a redirection wedge to redirect the dark light to a position in proximity with a side of the mirror support platform.
3. The head-worn computer of claim 2 wherein the redirection wedge includes a thin air gap to provide total internal reflection of the dark light.
4. A head-worn computer, comprising:
a. a housing including a mounting platform adapted to hold a see-through optics facility in front of an eye of a person when the person is wearing the head-worn computer, wherein the see-through optics facility also functions as a computer display for the person;
b. an image light production facility, supported by the mounting platform, including a mirror support platform including a plurality of multi-positional mirrors on a front surface of the platform;
c. a lighting facility positioned adjacent to the mirror support platform and adapted to produce a cone of illumination light along an optical axis directed away from the multi-positional mirrors and towards a substantially flat partially reflective surface, wherein the substantially flat partially reflective surface is angled to reflect the illumination light such that the multi-positional mirrors are substantially uniformly illuminated;
d. wherein each of the multi-positional mirrors has a first state positioned to reflect a first portion of the illumination light, forming image light, on an optical axis in-line with the see-through optics facility, and a second state positioned to reflect a second portion of the illumination light, forming dark light, on an optical axis off-line with the see-through optics facility and in-line with a light absorption facility;
e. wherein the image light and the dark light are substantially transmitted by the partially reflective surface; and
f. the light absorption facility is positioned to terminate the off-line optical axis within the housing and adapted to prevent dark light from being reflected to the eye of the person and wherein the light absorption facility comprises an absorptive light trap at the end of a tunnel.