EP0301473A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Method of increasing the brightness of an image and helmet mounted display
Assignee: Honeywell Inc
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Filing: 1988-07-26
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-07-26
Abstract
Abstract A helmet mounted display in which a filter (34) receives rays of light at various angles of incidence from an image (40) to be superimposed on the scene being viewed by the operator and reflects these rays to a second surface (32) where the rays are re-reflected through the filter (34) and to the eye (28) of the observer characterized in that the filter is coated in such a manner that it reflects from each position (A-F) on its surface rays from the image that strike at predetermined angles of incidence but which transmits at each position rays which are received from the second surface
Inventors
- 👤 Donald J. Rotier
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 06:12
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B27/00; G02B27/01; G02B27/017; G02B27/0172; G02B27/0101; G02B2027/0143
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
256 words
Method of increasing the brightness of an image which is superimposed upon a remote scene being viewed by one eye of an operator through first and second surfaces a first surface of which is mounted to receive rays of light from a source of the image at angles of incidence which vary with the position such rays of light are received on the first surface and the second surface of which is mounted to receive rays of light reflected from the first surface and to reflect them back to the first surface for transmission through the first surface to the one eye, characterized by the following steps: a) measuring the angles of incidence received at each of a plurality of positions on the first surface made by rays from the surface of the image; b) measuring the angles of incidence received a each of the plurality of positions on the first surface made by rays reflected from the second surface; c) adjusting the mounting of the first and second surfaces so that at any of the plurality of positions, the angle of incidence made by rays from the source of the image is different than the angle of incidence made by rays reflected from the second surface; and d) coating the first surface with a plurality of films of predetermined characteristics at each of the plurality of positions to be predominantly reflective to rays having the angles of incidence measured in step 1 and predominantly transmissive to rays having angles of incidence measured in step 2.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
256 words
Method of increasing the brightness of an image which is superimposed upon a remote scene being viewed by one eye of an operator through first and second surfaces a first surface of which is mounted to receive rays of light from a source of the image at angles of incidence which vary with the position such rays of light are received on the first surface and the second surface of which is mounted to receive rays of light reflected from the first surface and to reflect them back to the first surface for transmission through the first surface to the one eye, characterized by the following steps: a) measuring the angles of incidence received at each of a plurality of positions on the first surface made by rays from the surface of the image; b) measuring the angles of incidence received a each of the plurality of positions on the first surface made by rays reflected from the second surface; c) adjusting the mounting of the first and second surfaces so that at any of the plurality of positions, the angle of incidence made by rays from the source of the image is different than the angle of incidence made by rays reflected from the second surface; and d) coating the first surface with a plurality of films of predetermined characteristics at each of the plurality of positions to be predominantly reflective to rays having the angles of incidence measured in step 1 and predominantly transmissive to rays having angles of incidence measured in step 2.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
Method according to claim 1, wherein the image is of predetermined wavelength, characterized by the step of: e) coating the second surface to be highly reflective to the predetermined wavelength and predominantly transmissive to wavelengths other than the predetermined wavelength.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
154 words
Helmet mounted display which includes an optical system (26) for directing rays of light to one eye (28) of an observer so as to produce an image superimposed upon a remote scene being observed, comprising: a first surface (34) positioned to reflect rays of light (42, 43, 44) received from the optical system at angles of incidence which vary with the positions on the first surface that the rays are received; a second surface (32) positioned to receive the rays reflected from the first surface and to reflect them back to the first surface for transmission to the eye (28) of the observer, characterized in that the first surface (34) is coated with an optical film which is characterized over the first surface in accordance with the angle of incidence at the positions so that rays received from the optical system are predominantly reflected and rays received from the second surface are predominantly transmitted.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
154 words
Helmet mounted display which includes an optical system (26) for directing rays of light to one eye (28) of an observer so as to produce an image superimposed upon a remote scene being observed, comprising: a first surface (34) positioned to reflect rays of light (42, 43, 44) received from the optical system at angles of incidence which vary with the positions on the first surface that the rays are received; a second surface (32) positioned to receive the rays reflected from the first surface and to reflect them back to the first surface for transmission to the eye (28) of the observer, characterized in that the first surface (34) is coated with an optical film which is characterized over the first surface in accordance with the angle of incidence at the positions so that rays received from the optical system are predominantly reflected and rays received from the second surface are predominantly transmitted.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
61 words
Display according to claim 3, characterized in that the rays received from the optical system (26) at each position (A,B,C) on the first surface are within a predetermined range of angles of incidence and the rays reflected from the second surface (32) are received at positions (D,E,F) on the first surface (34) at angles of incidence outside of the predetermined range.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
52 words
Display according to claim 4, characterized in that the characterization is the depth of the film coating at each position which depth is chosen so as to be predominantly reflective to rays having angles of incidence in the predetermined range and predominantly transmissive to angles of incidence outside of the predetermined range.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
62 words
Display according to claim 3, characterized in that the one eye (28) of the observer sees the remote scene through the second surface (32), the rays of light from the optical system are in a predetermined band of wavelengths and the second surface (32) is coated to be highly reflective to such predetermined band and transmissive to wavelengths outside such predetermined band.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
41 words
Display according to claim 6, characterized in that the one eye (28) of the observer sees the remote scene through the first (34) and second surfaces (32) so as to receive wavelengths in the predetermined band superimposed on the remote scene.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
Display according to claim 7, characterized by a cathode ray tube (16) operable to produce a desired image in the predetermined band and the rays of light are derived from the image.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
Display according to claim 8, characterized in that the second surface (32) is substantially spherical and the image is focussed at infinity.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
Display according to claim 9, characterized in that the first surface (34) is substantially planar.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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