US5699194A — Image display apparatus comprising an internally …

Claim 1

Independent Claim 107 words

An image display apparatus comprising an image display device for displaying an image, and an ocular optical system for projecting the image formed by said image display device and for leading the projected image to an observer's eyeball, said ocular optical system being arranged such that light rays emitted from said image display device are reflected three or higher odd-numbered times before reaching said observer's eyeball, and that a surface of said ocular optical system that is disposed immediately in front of said observer's eyeball is a refracting surface which internally reflects the light rays, and through which the light rays exit from said ocular optical system.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 107 words

An image display apparatus comprising an image display device for displaying an image, and an ocular optical system for projecting the image formed by said image display device and for leading the projected image to an observer's eyeball, said ocular optical system being arranged such that light rays emitted from said image display device are reflected three or higher odd-numbered times before reaching said observer's eyeball, and that a surface of said ocular optical system that is disposed immediately in front of said observer's eyeball is a refracting surface which internally reflects the light rays, and through which the light rays exit from said ocular optical system.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 104 words

An image display apparatus comprising an image display device for displaying an image, and an ocular optical system for projecting the image formed by said image display device and for leading the projected image to an observer's eyeball, said ocular optical system being arranged such that light rays emitted from said image display device are reflected three times before reaching said observer's eyeball, and that a surface of said ocular optical system that is disposed immediately in front of said observer's eyeball is a refracting surface which internally reflects the light rays, and through which the light rays exit from said ocular optical system.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 104 words

An image display apparatus comprising an image display device for displaying an image, and an ocular optical system for projecting the image formed by said image display device and for leading the projected image to an observer's eyeball, said ocular optical system being arranged such that light rays emitted from said image display device are reflected three times before reaching said observer's eyeball, and that a surface of said ocular optical system that is disposed immediately in front of said observer's eyeball is a refracting surface which internally reflects the light rays, and through which the light rays exit from said ocular optical system.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 168 words

An image display apparatus comprising an image display device for displaying an image, and an ocular optical system for projecting the image formed by said image display device and for leading the projected image to an observer's eyeball, said ocular optical system having at least three surfaces, wherein a space formed by said at least three surfaces is filled with a medium having a refractive index larger than 1, said at least three surfaces including, in an order in which light rays pass in backward ray tracing from said observer's eyeball to said image display device, a first surface which functions as both a refracting surface and an internally reflecting surface, a second surface which is a reflecting surface facing said first surface and decentered or tilted with respect to an observer's visual axis, and a third surface which is a refracting surface closest to said image display device, so that reflection takes place three times in a path from said observer's eyeball to said image display device.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 168 words

An image display apparatus comprising an image display device for displaying an image, and an ocular optical system for projecting the image formed by said image display device and for leading the projected image to an observer's eyeball, said ocular optical system having at least three surfaces, wherein a space formed by said at least three surfaces is filled with a medium having a refractive index larger than 1, said at least three surfaces including, in an order in which light rays pass in backward ray tracing from said observer's eyeball to said image display device, a first surface which functions as both a refracting surface and an internally reflecting surface, a second surface which is a reflecting surface facing said first surface and decentered or tilted with respect to an observer's visual axis, and a third surface which is a refracting surface closest to said image display device, so that reflection takes place three times in a path from said observer's eyeball to said image display device.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 186 words

An image display apparatus comprising an image display device for displaying an image, and an ocular optical system for projecting the image formed by said image display device and for leading the projected image to an observer's eyeball, said ocular optical system having at least four surfaces, wherein a space formed by said at least four surfaces is filled with a medium having a refractive index larger than 1, said at least four surfaces including, in an order in which light rays pass in backward ray tracing from said observer's eyeball to said image display device, a first surface which functions as both a refracting surface and an internally reflecting surface, a second surface which is a reflecting surface facing said first surface and decentered or tilted with respect to an observer's visual axis, a third surface which is a reflecting surface facing said first surface and adjacent to said second surface, and a fourth surface which is a refracting surface closest to said image display device, so that reflection takes place three times in a path from said observer's eyeball to said image display device.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 186 words

An image display apparatus comprising an image display device for displaying an image, and an ocular optical system for projecting the image formed by said image display device and for leading the projected image to an observer's eyeball, said ocular optical system having at least four surfaces, wherein a space formed by said at least four surfaces is filled with a medium having a refractive index larger than 1, said at least four surfaces including, in an order in which light rays pass in backward ray tracing from said observer's eyeball to said image display device, a first surface which functions as both a refracting surface and an internally reflecting surface, a second surface which is a reflecting surface facing said first surface and decentered or tilted with respect to an observer's visual axis, a third surface which is a reflecting surface facing said first surface and adjacent to said second surface, and a fourth surface which is a refracting surface closest to said image display device, so that reflection takes place three times in a path from said observer's eyeball to said image display device.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 29 words

An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least one of the surfaces constituting said ocular optical system is a flat surface.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 21 words

An image display apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the internal reflection at said first surface is total reflection.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 28 words

An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 3 or 4, wherein said second surface is a reflecting surface which is concave toward said first surface.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 40 words

An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 3 or 4, wherein said first surface is a surface which functions as both a transmitting surface and a reflecting surface, said first surface being convex toward said second surface.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 32 words

An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 3 or 4, wherein said first surface is a flat surface which functions as both a transmitting surface and a reflecting surface.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 23 words

An image display apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein an internally reflecting region of said first surface has a reflective coating.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 37 words

An image display apparatus according to claim 3 or 4 wherein said first surface is a surface which functions as both a transmitting surface and a reflecting surface, said first surface being concave toward said second surface.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 25 words

An image display apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein said second surface is a reflecting surface which is convex toward said first surface.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 43 words

An image display apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, which satisfies the following condition: 0°<θ.sub.2 <50° (1) where θ 2 is an incident angle of an axial principal ray at a first reflection by said second surface in the backward ray tracing.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 43 words

An image display apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, which satisfies the following condition: 10°<θ.sub.2 <40° (2) where θ 2 is an incident angle of an axial principal ray at a first reflection by said second surface in the backward ray tracing.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 34 words

An image display apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, which satisfies the following condition: -20°<θ.sub.1 <40° (3) where θ 1 is an incident angle of an axial principal ray at said first surface.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 34 words

An image display apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, which satisfies the following condition: -10°<θ.sub.1 <25° (4) where θ 1 is an incident angle of an axial principal ray at said first surface.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 37 words

An image display apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, which satisfies the following condition: 20°<θ.sub.3 <70° (5) where θ 3 is an incident angle of an axial principal ray at internal reflection by said first surface.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 37 words

An image display apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, which satisfies the following condition: 30°<θ.sub.3 <55° (6) where θ 3 is an incident angle of an axial principal ray at internal reflection by said first surface.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 77 words

An image display apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, which satisfies the following condition: 20°<θ.sub.4 <80° (7) where θ 4 is an incident angle of an axial principal ray when reflected for a second time in the backward ray tracing by said second surface of said ocular optical system comprising three surfaces, or θ 4 is an incident angle of an axial principal ray at said third surface of said ocular optical system comprising four surfaces.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 77 words

An image display apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, which satisfies the following condition: 30°<θ.sub.4 <65° (8) where θ 4 is an incident angle of an axial principal ray when reflected for a second time in the backward ray tracing by said second surface of said ocular optical system comprising three surfaces, or θ 4 is an incident angle of an axial principal ray at said third surface of said ocular optical system comprising four surfaces.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 66 words

An image display apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, which satisfies the following condition: -30°<θ.sub.5 <40° (9) where θ 5 is an incident angle of an axial principal ray at said third surface in said ocular optical system comprising three surfaces, or θ 5 is an incident angle of an axial principal ray at said fourth surface in said ocular optical system comprising four surfaces.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 39 words

An image display apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, which satisfies the following condition: -40°<θ.sub.i <40° (10) where θ i is an incident angle of an axial principal ray at a display surface of said image display device.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 39 words

An image display apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, which satisfies the following condition: -25°<θ.sub.i <25° (11) where θ i is an incident angle of an axial principal ray at a display surface of said image display device.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 39 words

An image display apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, which satisfies the following condition: 1.45<N.sub.d <2.0 (12) where N d is a refractive index for the spectral d-line of said medium having a refractive index larger than 1.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 39 words

An image display apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, which satisfies the following condition: 1.5<N.sub.d <2.0 (13) where N d is a refractive index for the spectral d-line of said medium having a refractive index larger than 1.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 29 words

An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least one of the surfaces constituting said ocular optical system is an aspherical surface.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 24 words

An image display apparatus according to claim 26, wherein at least one of the surfaces constituting said ocular optical system is an anamorphic surface.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 25 words

An image display apparatus according to claim 26, wherein at least one of the surfaces constituting said ocular optical system is a free curved surface.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 28 words

An image display apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein a display surface of said image display device is tilted with respect to an axial principal ray.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 33 words

An image display apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said image display device is disposed in such a manner that a side thereof which is reverse to said display surface faces said observer.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 34 words

An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising means for positioning both said image display device and said ocular optical system with respect to the observer's head.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 34 words

An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising means for supporting both said image display device and said ocular optical system with respect to the observer's head.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 31 words

An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising means for supporting at least a pair of said image display apparatuses at a predetermined spacing.

Claim 38

Dependent Claim 25 words

An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said ocular optical system is used as an imaging optical system.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2000-12-15	2001-06-16	2001-12-16	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2004-12-15	2005-06-16	2005-12-16	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2008-12-15	2009-06-16	2009-12-16	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Image display apparatus comprising an internally reflecting ocular optical system

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