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US5473365A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Head-mounted image display apparatus in which a system is capable of changing aspect ratio of observed image

Assignee: Olympus Corp
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Filing: 1993-12-22
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Granted: 1995-12-05
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Expires: 2013-12-22
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Abstract

Abstract A head-mounted image display apparatus which is capable of selectively displaying images of normal and wide sizes efficiently by utilizing approximately all the pixels of a display device without the need of removing an optical system and which provides a bright image at high resolution and is easy to handle. The head-mounted image display apparatus has an image display device (2) for displaying an image, and a projection optical system for projecting the image displayed on the image display device (2) onto an observer's eye. The projection optical system includes an anamorphic optical system which is composed of an anamorphic lens (3) and a cylindrical lens (4), for example. The anamorphic optical system is rotatable about the optical axis. Accordingly, it is possible to selectively observe two images of the normal and wide sizes by rotating the anamorphic optical system about the optical axis through 90° in either direction.

Inventors

  • 👤 Toshiro Okamura

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 17:54
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B27/00; G02B27/01; G02B27/017; G02B27/0172; H; H04; H04N; H04N13/00; H04N13/30; H04N13/332; H04N13/344; G02B27/0101; G02B2027/0132; G02B27/0149; G02B2027/0154; G02B2027/0178; H04N13/339; H04N13/361

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim 128 words
A head-mounted image display apparatus comprising: a main unit including: an image display device for displaying an image, a projection optical system for projecting said image displayed by said image display device onto an observer's eyeball, and means for changing over a ratio of magnification with respect to widthwise and heightwise directions between a respective normal image aspect ratio of said Widthwise direction to said heightwise direction and a respective wide image aspect ratio of said widthwise direction to said heightwise direction, and vice versa, said means for changing over said ratio of magnification being operated by moving at least one optical element of said projecting optical system about an optical path of said image; and mounting means provided for mounting said main unit on said observer's head.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 128 words
A head-mounted image display apparatus comprising: a main unit including: an image display device for displaying an image, a projection optical system for projecting said image displayed by said image display device onto an observer's eyeball, and means for changing over a ratio of magnification with respect to widthwise and heightwise directions between a respective normal image aspect ratio of said Widthwise direction to said heightwise direction and a respective wide image aspect ratio of said widthwise direction to said heightwise direction, and vice versa, said means for changing over said ratio of magnification being operated by moving at least one optical element of said projecting optical system about an optical path of said image; and mounting means provided for mounting said main unit on said observer's head.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 38 words
A head-mounted image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for changing over said ratio of magnification is an anamorphic optical system which is rotatable, with respect to said image display device, about an optical axis.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 135 words
A head-mounted image display apparatus comprising: an image display device for displaying an image; and a projection optical system, including support for mounting said projection optical system to a head, for projecting said image displayed on said image display device onto an observer's eyeball, said projection optical system including an anamorphic optical system which is rotatable, with respect to said image display device, about an optical axis, and said image displayed on said image display device has different magnifications along widthwise and heightwise directions thereof so as to compensate for a difference in magnification along said widthwise and said heightwise directions of said image projected by said projection optical system, the rotation of said anamorphic optical system causing said different magnifications along widthwise and heightwise directions of said image displayed on said image display device.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 135 words
A head-mounted image display apparatus comprising: an image display device for displaying an image; and a projection optical system, including support for mounting said projection optical system to a head, for projecting said image displayed on said image display device onto an observer's eyeball, said projection optical system including an anamorphic optical system which is rotatable, with respect to said image display device, about an optical axis, and said image displayed on said image display device has different magnifications along widthwise and heightwise directions thereof so as to compensate for a difference in magnification along said widthwise and said heightwise directions of said image projected by said projection optical system, the rotation of said anamorphic optical system causing said different magnifications along widthwise and heightwise directions of said image displayed on said image display device.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 18 words
A head-mounted image display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said anamorphic optical system comprises a concave mirror.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 18 words
A head-mounted image display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said anamorphic optical system comprises a cylindrical lens.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 17 words
A head-mounted image display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said anamorphic optical system comprises a prism.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 18 words
A head-mounted image display apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said anamorphic optical system comprises a concave mirror.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 18 words
A head-mounted image display apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said anamorphic optical system comprises a cylindrical lens.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 17 words
A head-mounted image display apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said anamorphic optical system comprises a prism.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3495891A Cited
WO1983002706A1 Cited
JPH02194783A Cited
JPH0497671A Cited
JPH04177986A Cited
JPH04291889A Cited
EP0507297A2 Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1998-12-04 1999-06-05 1999-12-05 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2002-12-04 2003-06-05 2003-12-05 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2006-12-04 2007-06-05 2007-12-05 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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