Image expansion optic for head-worn computer
A head-worn see-through display includes a display panel adapted to generate image content light, a combiner adapted to reflect the image content light towards an eye of a user, wherein the combiner transmits scene light from a surrounding environment to the eye of the user, and an image expansion optic intermediate the display panel and the combiner. The image expansion optic includes a flat partially reflective and partially reflective surface (the “flat surface”), a curved partially reflective and partially reflective surface (the “curved surface”), and the flat surface adapted to reflect the image content light towards the curved surface and the curved surface adapted to reflect the image light back towards the flat surface, wherein the image light transmits through the flat surface towards the combiner.
1. A wearable see-through display, comprising:
a display panel;
a first combiner; and
a transmissive image expansion optical element intermediate the display panel and the first combiner, the transmissive image expansion optical element comprising:
a partially transmissive and partially reflective flat surface facing the first combiner; and
a partially transmissive and partially reflective curved surface facing the display panel;
wherein image content light generated by the display panel is internally reflected by the flat surface towards the curved surface and the curved surface reflects the image content light through the flat surface towards the first combiner.
2. The wearable see-through display of claim 1 , wherein the transmissive image expansion optical element is positioned above an eye of a user and out of a field of view of the user.
3. The wearable see-through display of claim 1 , wherein the transmissive image expansion optical element is positioned to a side of an eye of a user and out of a field of view of the user.
4. The wearable see-through display of claim 1 , wherein the image content light is viewable by a user with a field of view of between 35 degrees and 40 degrees and a diagonal aspect ratio of at least 16:9.
5. The wearable see-through display of claim 1 , further comprising a stray-light control optic disposed between the transmissive image expansion optical element and the first combiner to occlude scene light from the surrounding environment.
6. The wearable see-through display of claim 5 , wherein the image content light is viewable by a user with a field of view of at least 50 degrees.
7. The wearable see-through display of claim 1 , wherein the first combiner reflects the image content light away from an eye of a user and towards a reflective surface that reflects the image content light towards the eye.
8. The wearable see-through display of claim 1 , further comprising:
a light source; and
a second combiner,
wherein the second combiner combines illumination light generated by the light source with the image content light and presents the image content light to the first combiner, and
wherein the transmissive image expansion optical element is between the first combiner and the second combiner.
9. The wearable see-through display of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the flat surface and the curved surface is polarized.
10. The wearable see-through display of claim 1 , further comprising a stray-light control optic disposed between the transmissive image expansion optical element and the first combiner to permit image light from the transmissive image expansion optical element to reach the first combiner and limit scene light from being reflected from the first combiner to the display panel.
11. The wearable see-through display of claim 1 , further comprising a stray-light control optic disposed between the transmissive image expansion optical element and the first combiner to limit dump light from reaching the first combiner.
12. A wearable see-through display, comprising:
a display panel;
a first combiner; and
a transmissive image expansion optical element intermediate the display panel and the first combiner, the transmissive image expansion optical element comprising:
a partially transmissive and partially reflective flat surface facing the display panel; and
a partially transmissive and partially reflective curved surface facing the first combiner;
wherein image content light generated by the display panel is internally reflected by the curved surface towards the flat surface and the flat surface reflects the image content light through the curved surface towards the first combiner.
13. The wearable see-through display of claim 12 , wherein the transmissive image expansion optical element is positioned above an eye of a user and out of a field of view of the user.
14. The wearable see-through display of claim 12 , wherein the transmissive image expansion optical element is positioned to a side of an eye of a user and out of a field of view of the user.
15. The wearable see-through display of claim 12 , wherein the image content light is viewable by a user with a field of view of between 35 degrees and 40 degrees and a diagonal aspect ratio of at least 16:9.
16. The wearable see-through display of claim 12 , further comprising a stray-light control optic disposed between the transmissive image expansion optical element and the first combiner to occlude scene light from the surrounding environment.
17. The wearable see-through display of claim 16 , wherein the image content light is viewable by a user with a field of view of at least 50 degrees.
18. The wearable see-through display of claim 12 , wherein the first combiner reflects the image content light away from an eye of a user and towards a reflective surface that reflects the image content light towards the eye.
19. The wearable see-through display of claim 12 , further comprising:
a light source; and
a second combiner,
wherein the second combiner combines illumination light generated by the light source with the image content light and presents the image content light to the first combiner, and
wherein the transmissive image expansion optical element is between the first combiner and the second combiner.
20. The wearable see-through display of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the flat surface and the curved surface is polarized.