IP Library Granted Patent US 11,635,625
Granted Patent B2
US 11,635,625 · App. 17/210,422 · Granted Apr 25, 2023

Virtual image display device and optical unit

Inventor: Osamu Yokoyama (Shiojiri, JP)
Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
G02B27/0172G09G3/003G09G5/37G02B2027/011G02B2027/0127G09G2340/0407G09G2354/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,635,625
App. No.
17/210,422
Granted
Apr 25, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Included are a first display element configured to display a first virtual image; a second display element configured to display a second virtual image; a combining optical member configured to combine first imaging light and second imaging light; a light-guiding optical system configured to guide light that passed through the combining optical member; and a correction optical system provided between the first display element and the combining optical member and configured to correct an aberration in accordance with a positional difference between the first display element and the second display element.

Claims (46)

1. A virtual image display device comprising:

a first display element configured to emit first imaging light that forms a first virtual image;

a second display element configured to emit second imaging light that foil is a second virtual image displayed at a position differing from the first virtual image in a depth direction;

a combining optical member configured to combine the first imaging light from the first display element and the second imaging light from the second display element;

a light-guiding optical system configured to guide light that passed through the combining optical member; and

a correction optical system provided between the combining optical member and either one of the first display element and the second display element and configured to correct an aberration in accordance with a positional difference between the first display element and the second display element, wherein

the first display element and the second display element are disposed such that optical axes of the first display element and the second display element are perpendicular to each other,

the combining optical member is disposed at a position where the optical axes of the first display element and the second display element intersect each other, and

the light-guide optical system is disposed on an optical path of the light that passed through the combining optical member.

2. The virtual image display device according to claim 1 , wherein

the light-guiding optical system includes a projection optical system configured to project light that passed through the combining optical member,

an optical path from the first display element to the projection optical system is longer than an optical path from the second display element to the projection optical system, and

the correction optical system is provided between the first display element and the combining optical member.

3. The virtual image display device according to claim 2 , wherein

the projection optical system is configured such that a resolution of the second virtual image corresponding to the second display element is higher than a resolution of the first virtual image corresponding to the first display element, and

the correction optical system corrects an aberration associated with the first imaging light in accordance with an optical path difference between an optical path of the first display element and an optical path of the second display element.

4. The virtual image display device according to claim 1 , wherein

the first display element is disposed at a position located further apart from the light-guiding optical system than the second display element, and

the combining optical member transmits the first imaging light from the first display element and reflects the second imaging light from the second display element to combine the first imaging light and the second imaging light.

5. The virtual image display device according to claim 4 , wherein

the combining optical member and the first display element are arranged so as to be aligned in a direction along a front-rear direction of an observer at a side of a head of the observer when the device is worn, and

the second display element is disposed in a direction in which the second display element is not spaced apart from the side of the head with respect to the combining optical member.

6. The virtual image display device according to claim 1 , comprising:

a display control device configured to change a display mode of the first display element and the second display element in accordance with a visual recognition state of an observer.

7. The virtual image display device according to claim 6 , comprising:

a line-of-sight detecting device configured to detect a line-of-sight of the observer, wherein

the display control device switches between display of the first virtual image by the first display element and display of the second virtual image by the second display element in accordance with a result of detection by the line-of-sight detecting device.

8. An optical unit comprising:

a first display element configured to emit first imaging light that foul's a first virtual image;

a second display element configured to emit second imaging light that foil is a second virtual image displayed at a position differing from the first virtual image in a depth direction;

a combining optical member configured to combine the first imaging light from the first display element and the second imaging light from the second display element;

a light-guiding optical system configured to guide light that passed through the combining optical member; and

a correction optical system provided between the combining optical member and either one of the first display element and the second display element and configured to correct an aberration in accordance with a positional difference between the first display element and the second display element, wherein

the first display element and the second display element are disposed such that optical axes of the first display element and the second display element are perpendicular to each other,

the combining optical member is disposed at a position where the optical axes of the first display element and the second display element intersect each other, and

the light-guide optical system is disposed on an optical path of the light that passed through the combining optical member.

9. A virtual image display device comprising:

a first display element configured to emit a first imaging light that forms a first virtual image;

a second display element configured to emit a second imaging light that forms a second virtual image;

a combining optical member configured to combine the first imaging light from the first display element and the second imaging light from the second display element;

a projection optical system configured to project light that passed through the combining optical member; and

a correction optical system provided between the combining optical member and either one of the first display element and the second display element and configured to correct an aberration in accordance with a difference between a length of an optical path from the first display element to the projection optical system and a length of an optical path from the second display element to the projection optical system, wherein

the length of the optical path from the first display element to the projection optical system differs from the length of the optical path from the second display element to the projection optical system,

the first display element and the second display element are disposed such that optical axes of the first display element and the second display element are perpendicular to each other,

the combining optical member is disposed at a position where the optical axes of the first display element and the second display element intersect each other, and

the projection optical system is disposed on an optical path of the light that passed through the combining optical member.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 31, 2021
From: YOKOYAMA, OSAMU
To: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 055775/0902 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2020-052220 · Mar 24, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210302739A1 · Sep 30, 2021