Glasses type display device

Abstract

A glasses-type display device is provided. The glasses-type display device includes: an optical engine configured to project light containing an image; a waveguide including an input area for receiving the projected light and an output area for outputting at least a portion of the received light; and a glasses-type body for holding the waveguide and the optical engine, wherein a portion of the optical engine is arranged on a side of the waveguide.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a display device, and more particularly, to a glasses-type display device worn by a user. Background Art

[0002] A wearable display device allows a user to view a displayed screen while wearing the wearable display device. As research on such a wearable display device is actively conducted, various types of wearable display devices have been launched or are expected to be launched. For example, glasses-type display devices and head-mounted display devices have currently been launched or are expected to be launched as wearable display devices.

[0003] Because such a wearable display device is intended to be worn by a user, the wearable display device is required to be light and thin in consideration of the user's usage environment. Therefore, the wearable display device uses a waveguide and a micro projector. Summary of the invention

[0004] Technical issues

[0005] Provided is a glasses-type display device having improved mechanical stability.

[0006] Furthermore, a glasses-type display device having an improved mechanical arrangement to alleviate limitations caused by its outer shape is provided.

[0007] The technical problems to be solved are not limited to the above-mentioned technical problems, and there may be other technical problems.

[0008] Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the presented embodiments of the disclosure.

[0009] Solutions to the Problem

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a glasses-type display device includes: an optical engine configured to project light containing an image; a waveguide including an input area for receiving the projected light and an output area for outputting at least a portion of the received light; and a glasses-type body for holding the waveguide and the optical engine, wherein a portion of the optical engine is arranged on a side of the waveguide.

[0011] In an example embodiment of the present disclosure, a glasses-type body may include a frame and temples respectively connected to both ends of the frame and extending in one direction, and the optical engine may be installed in at least one of the two end pieces of the frame.

[0012] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the frame and the temples may be connected to each other by a hinge. Alternatively, the frame and the temples may be continuously connected to each other.

[0013] In an example embodiment of the present disclosure, the optical engine may include a housing for mounting optical components, the housing may be fixed to the glasses-type body by a fixing member, and the fixing member may adjust a projection position in the optical engine.

[0014] In an example embodiment of the present disclosure, the fixing member may adjust at least two points of the housing, and the optical axis direction of light projected from the optical engine may be tilted by adjusting the fixing member.

[0015] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the fixing member may include a screw or a bolt.

[0016] In an example embodiment of the present disclosure, an optical engine may include: an illumination optical system configured to output light; an image forming and projection unit configured to receive light from the illumination optical system, form an image, and project the light of the image onto a waveguide; and an optical path changer for changing the optical path in the optical engine, and at least one optical path changer may be configured so that a portion of the illumination optical system may protrude more than the image forming and projection unit based on the light projection direction of the image forming and projection unit.

[0017] In an example embodiment of the present disclosure, the image forming and projecting unit may include: an image panel configured to receive light from an illumination optical system to form an image; and a projection optical system configured to project the image formed by the image panel onto a waveguide.

[0018] In an example embodiment of the present disclosure, the image forming and projecting unit may include a light scanning unit configured to scan light from the illumination optical system to the waveguide to form an image.

[0019] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a glasses-type display device includes: a waveguide for receiving projected light and for outputting at least a portion of the received light; and an optical engine configured to project light containing an image onto an area of ​​the waveguide, wherein the optical engine includes an illumination optical system configured to output light, an image forming and projection unit configured to receive light from the illumination optical system, form an image, and project the image onto the waveguide, and at least one optical path changer for changing an optical path in the optical engine, and the at least one optical path changer is configured so that a portion of the illumination optical system is arranged on a side of the waveguide.

[0020] In an example embodiment of the present disclosure, the image forming and projection unit may include an image panel configured to receive light from an illumination optical system to form an image, and a projection optical system configured to project the image formed by the image panel onto a waveguide, and the portion of the illumination optical system may be configured to protrude more than an output surface of the projection optical system based on an optical axis direction of the projection optical system.

[0021] In an example embodiment of the present disclosure, the image panel may include a reflective image panel, the image forming and projection unit may further include a deflector arranged on an optical path between the reflective image panel and the projection optical system, and the deflector may reflect light output by the illumination optical system to the image panel and transmit light of an image reflected by the image panel to the projection optical system.

[0022] In an example embodiment of the present disclosure, the image forming and projecting unit may include a scanning mirror configured to scan light from the illumination optical system onto the waveguide to form an image.

[0023] In example embodiments of the present disclosure, the illumination optical system may include at least one light source including a light emitting diode (LED), a laser diode (LD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), or a lamp.

[0024] In an example embodiment of the present disclosure, the optical path changer may include a reflecting mirror or a total reflection prism.

[0025] In an example embodiment of the present disclosure, an illumination optical system may include a first light source configured to output a first monochromatic light, a second light source configured to output a second monochromatic light, a third light source configured to output a third monochromatic light, and an optical combiner that combines the first monochromatic light, the second monochromatic light, and the third monochromatic light into a single optical path, the first monochromatic light, the second monochromatic light, and the third monochromatic light are different monochromatic lights, and a protruding portion of the illumination optical system may include at least one of the first light source, the second light source, or the third light source.

[0026] In an example embodiment of the present disclosure, the waveguide may include a first region, a second region, and a third region, the first region faces the image forming and projecting unit to receive an input of an image, the second region transmits the image input to the first region, the third region outputs the image transmitted by the second region, and the protruding portion of the illumination optical system may be positioned adjacent to the first region of the waveguide.

[0027] In an example embodiment of the present disclosure, the waveguide may include a front surface and a rear surface opposite to the front surface, and the protruding portion of the illumination optical system may be located in front of the rear surface of the waveguide based on a thickness direction of the waveguide.

[0028] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, a glasses-type display device includes: an optical engine configured to project light containing an image; and a waveguide including a front surface and a rear surface opposite to the front surface, and receiving the projected light at the rear surface, and reflecting at least a portion of the received light between the front surface and the rear surface to output to the rear surface, wherein a portion of the optical engine is located in front of the rear surface of the waveguide based on the thickness direction of the waveguide.

[0029] Advantageous Effects of the Invention

[0030] According to the present disclosure, the mechanical stability of a glasses-type display device (e.g., a wearable display device) can be improved by preventing or suppressing misalignment between a waveguide and a projector (e.g., an optical engine) caused by bending of temples, etc. when the glasses-type display device (e.g., a wearable display device) is worn.

[0031] According to the present disclosure, alignment of a waveguide and a projector can be facilitated when assembling or repairing a glasses-type display device (e.g., a wearable display device).

[0032] According to the present disclosure, by arranging the optical engine at the frame end of the glasses-type body, the limitation of the external shape of the glasses-type display device (e.g., a wearable display device) can be reduced.

[0033] According to the present disclosure, components having high calorific values ​​among components of a glasses-type display device (eg, a wearable display device) may be arranged on the outside away from the wearer's skin. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0035] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of a glasses-type display device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A plan view of a glasses-type display device;

[0037] Figure 3 is a diagram showing a connection structure of an optical engine and a waveguide according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0038] Figure 4 is a diagram showing an arrangement of an optical engine based on a waveguide according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0039] Figure 5 is a diagram showing the arrangement of an illumination optical system, an optical path changer, an image panel, and a projection optical system in an optical engine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0040] Figure 6 Is to show the adjustment Figure 5 A diagram showing an example of a projection direction of an optical engine;

[0041] Figure 7 Is to show the adjustment Figure 5 A diagram showing an example of a projection direction of an optical engine;

[0042] Figure 8is a diagram showing an optical engine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0043] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an optical engine according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0044] Fig.10 is a diagram showing an optical engine according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0045] Fig.11 is a diagram showing an optical engine according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0046] Fig.12 is a diagram showing an optical engine according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0047] Fig.13 is a diagram showing an optical engine according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0048] Fig.14 is a diagram showing an optical engine according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0049] Fig.15 is a diagram showing an optical engine according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0050] Fig.16 is a diagram showing an arrangement of an optical engine based on a waveguide according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0051] Fig.17 is a diagram showing an arrangement of an optical engine based on a waveguide according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0052] Fig.18 is a plan view of a glasses-type display device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals may represent the same elements, and the size of each element may be enlarged for clarity and convenience of description. The embodiments described below are merely examples, and various modifications may be made therein.

[0054] Throughout the disclosure, the expression "at least one of a, b, or c" means only a, only b, only c, both a and b, both a and c, both b and c, all of a, b, and c, or variations thereof.

[0055] As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In addition, when something is referred to as "comprising" a component, it may further include another component unless otherwise stated.

[0056] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of a glasses-type display device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 2 yes Figure 1 1 is a plan view of a glasses-type display device 100.

[0057] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the glasses-type display device 100 may include a glasses-type body configured to be worn by a user.

[0058] The glasses-type body may include a frame 110 and temples 190 .

[0059] The frame 110 may include, for example, a bridge 112 and two frames 111 connected by the bridge 112, and the eyeglasses 101L and 101R are located in the two frames 111. The eyeglasses 101L and 101R are merely examples and may or may not have a refractive power (diopter). Alternatively, the eyeglasses 101L and 101R may be integrally formed, and in this case, the frame 111 and the bridge 112 of the frame 110 may not be distinguished from each other. The eyeglasses 101L and 101R may be omitted.

[0060] The temples 190 (190L and 190R) may be connected to the two end pieces 113 (113L and 113R) of the frame 110, respectively, and may extend in one direction. The two end pieces 113 of the frame 110 and the temples 190 may be connected by hinges 115. The hinges 115 are merely examples, and other known members may also be used to connect the two end pieces 113 of the frame 110 and the temples 190.

[0061] The temple 190 may be bent with a certain elastic force so that the glasses-type display device 100 can be worn by the user. The frame 110 may have rigidity relative to the temple 190. As another example, the temple 190 may be relatively rigid, and the elastic member may be coupled to the hinge 115. Here, "relatively rigid" may mean that the temple 190 may be slightly bent.

[0062] The glasses-type display device 100 may include a waveguide 170. The waveguide 170 may be configured to receive an input of projected light at an input region and output at least a portion of the input light at an output region. The waveguide 170 may include a left-eye waveguide 170L and a right-eye waveguide 170R. The left-eye waveguide 170L and the right-eye waveguide 170R may be attached to the glasses 101L and 101R, respectively. Alternatively, the left-eye waveguide 170L and the right-eye waveguide 170R may be fixed to the frame 111 separately from the glasses 101L and 101R. In addition, the left-eye waveguide 170L and the right-eye waveguide 170R may be integrally formed, and in this case, the frame 111 and the bridge 112 of the frame 110 may not be distinguished from each other.

[0063] The glasses-type display device 100 may include an optical engine 120 (e.g., a projector) that projects light containing an image. The optical engine 120 may include a left-eye optical engine 120L and a right-eye optical engine 120R. The left-eye optical engine 120L and the right-eye optical engine 120R may be located at two end pieces 113 of the frame 110. The two end pieces 113 of the frame 110 may be formed of a rigid material to have rigidity for maintaining the alignment of the optical engine 120 and the waveguide 170. The two end pieces 113 of the frame 110 may be extended portions of the frame formed integrally with the frame 111. Alternatively, the two end pieces 113 of the frame 110 may be manufactured separately and then fixed to the frame 111 so as not to move. In this way, by forming the two end pieces 113 of the frame 110 with a rigid material, when the user wears the glasses-type display device 100, the alignment of the optical engine 120 and the waveguide 170 may be maintained even when the user horizontally unfolds the temples 190.

[0064] Next, the optical engine 120 and the waveguide 170 will be described in detail. In the following description, the left-eye waveguide 170L and the left-eye optical engine 120L will be described as an example; however, because the left-eye thing and the right-eye thing have a symmetrical structure relative to each other, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the same description can also be applied to the right-eye waveguide 170R and the right-eye optical engine 120R.

[0065] Figure 3 1 is a diagram showing a connection structure of an optical engine 120 and a waveguide 170 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 4 is a diagram showing an arrangement of an optical engine 120 according to a waveguide 170 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0066] refer to Figure 3 and 4, the waveguide 170 may be installed in the frame 110 so that when the user wears the glasses-type display device 100, at least a partial area of ​​the rear surface of the waveguide 170 may be seen. Here, the rear surface of the waveguide 170 may refer to a surface facing the user's eyes when the user wears the glasses-type display device 100, and the front surface of the waveguide 170 may refer to a surface opposite to the rear surface (i.e., a side away from the user's eyes).

[0067] The waveguide 170 may be formed as a plate 171 having a single-layer or multi-layer structure of a transparent material in which light may be reflected and transmitted. The waveguide 170 may include a first region 172 facing an output surface of the optical engine 120 to receive input of light of a projected image, a second region 173 transmitting light of the image input to the first region 172, and a third region 174 outputting light of the image transmitted by the second region 173. Here, the transparent material may refer to a material through which light may pass, whose transparency may not be 100%, and it may have a certain color.

[0068] Since the waveguide 170 of the present embodiment of the present disclosure is formed of a transparent material, the user can view not only images but also external scenes through the glasses-type display device 100 , and thus the glasses-type display device 100 can realize augmented reality.

[0069] The first to third regions 172, 173, and 174 may be formed based on a holographic (eg, diffractive) optical device or based on a reflective and refractive optical device.

[0070] For example, a diffraction grating may be formed in the first region 172 to couple the input light and transmit the input light in a first direction (X direction). The optical engine 120 may be arranged so that the output light may be input in a direction (Z direction) perpendicular to the first region 172 or input at an angle relative to the perpendicular direction (Z direction). Such an arrangement direction of the optical engine 120 may vary according to the pattern of the diffraction grating of the first region 172.

[0071] The second region 173 may be positioned in the first direction (X direction) relative to the first region 172. A diffraction grating may be formed in the second region 173 to transmit at least a portion of the light received from the first region 172 in the second direction (Y direction). The light input to the first region 172 may be reflected and transmitted between the front and rear surfaces of the waveguide 170.

[0072] The third region 174 may be positioned in the second direction (Y direction) relative to the second region 173. A diffraction grating may be formed in the third region 174 so that at least a portion of light transmitted from the second region 173 may be output in a direction perpendicular to the waveguide 170 (Z direction).

[0073] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the flat plate 171 has a single-layer structure, the diffraction gratings of the first region 172 , the second region 173 , and the third region 174 may be formed on the same surface or different surfaces of the flat plate 171 .

[0074] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the flat plate 171 has a multi-layer structure, the diffraction gratings of the first region 172 , the second region 173 , and the third region 174 may be formed in the same layer or different layers of the flat plate 171 .

[0075] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the diffraction grating of the first region 172, the diffraction grating of the second region 173 and the diffraction grating of the third region 174 may have patterns that are different from each other in at least one of grating spacing, grating pitch, grating height, grating shape, pattern shape, etc.

[0076] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the diffraction grating of the first region 172 , the grating of the second region 173 , and the diffraction grating of the third region 174 have the same pattern, but their pattern directions may be different from each other.

[0077] When the flat plate 171 has a multi-layer structure, the second region 173 may partially overlap the first region 172 and the third region 174 .

[0078] The first through third regions 172, 173, and 174 may include one or more reflectors (eg, an array of micromirrors or other reflectors) instead of a diffraction grating.

[0079] In the above-mentioned waveguide 170, the region (region A) in the second direction (Y direction) relative to the first region 172 may be an unused region in the waveguide 170. Therefore, the waveguide 170 may have a shape 171a without the region A, and a portion of the optical engine 120 of the projector may be located in the region A.

[0080] In the drawings, the X direction and the Y direction correspond to an example in which the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other; however, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. When the first direction and the second direction are not perpendicular to each other but are different from each other, since the area (area A) in the second direction (Y direction) relative to the first area 172 is an unused area in the waveguide 170, the arrangement of the present embodiment of the present disclosure can be applied as it is.

[0081] Next, the structure of the optical engine 120 realizing the above-described arrangement will be described.

[0082] Figure 5is a diagram showing the arrangement of an illumination optical system 130 , an optical path changer 137 , a deflector 140 , an image panel 150 , and a projection optical system 160 in an optical engine 120 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0083] refer to Figure 5 The optical engine 120 may include an illumination optical system 130, an optical path changer 137, a deflector 140, an image panel 150, a projection optical system 160, and a housing 121 for mounting these optical components. The deflector 140, the image panel 150, and the projection optical system 160 may be components of a unit referred to as an image forming and projecting unit in the present disclosure.

[0084] The illumination optical system 130 may be an optical component that outputs light, and may include a light source and a lens.

[0085] The deflector 140 may be disposed on an optical path between the image panel 150 and the projection optical system 160. The deflector 140 may be configured to reflect light output from the illumination optical system 130 and transmit light reflected from the image panel 150.

[0086] The image panel 150 may be a reflective image panel that modulates the light output from the illumination optical system 130 into light containing a two-dimensional image and reflects the light. The reflective image panel may be, for example, a digital micromirror device (DMD) panel, a liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) panel, or any other known reflective image panel.

[0087] The projection optical system 160 may project light including an image reflected from the image panel 150 onto the waveguide 170 and may include one or more projection lenses. Here, a projection surface of the projection optical system 160 may refer to an output surface of an outermost projection lens among the one or more projection lenses.

[0088] The illumination optical system 130 may have a certain physical length due to the lenses therein, and the length of the illumination optical system 130 may be a limiting factor in reducing the size of the optical engine 120. In the present embodiment of the present disclosure, the optical path changer 137 may be arranged in the illumination optical system 130 so that light output from the illumination optical system 130 may be output in a direction perpendicular to or inclined to the length direction of the illumination optical system 130.

[0089] As described above, because a reflective image panel is used as the image panel 150 and the optical path changer 137 is arranged in the illumination optical system 130, the width W1 of the housing 121 of the optical engine 120 on the projection optical system 160 side can be greatly reduced. For example, based on the vertical axis of the projection surface of the projection optical system 160 (i.e., the optical axis OA of the projection light), the illumination optical system 130 side of the housing 121 may be a protrusion 121a that protrudes by ΔW in the direction of the optical axis OA of the projection light compared to the projection surface of the projection optical system 160. In other words, based on the direction of the optical axis OA of the projection light, the width W2 of the illumination optical system 130 side of the housing 121 may be greater than the width W1 of the projection optical system 160 side of the housing 121. As described above, because the protrusion 121a of the illumination optical system 130 side of the housing 121 is located in an unused area ( Figure 4 In area A), the width of the assembled structure of the waveguide 170 and the optical engine 120 can be reduced to a minimum.

[0090] refer to Figure 1 , because in the glasses-type display device 100 of the present embodiment of the present disclosure, the optical engine 120 is arranged at the two end pieces 113 of the frame 110, the widths W1 and W2 of the housing 121 of the optical engine 120 may be factors that determine the widths of the two end pieces 113 of the frame 110. Therefore, by reducing the width W1 of the projection optical system 160 side of the housing 121, the widths of the two end pieces 113 of the frame 110 may be reduced accordingly. By reducing the size of the two end pieces 113 of the frame 110 in this way, the appearance of the glasses-type display device 100 of the present embodiment of the present disclosure does not significantly deviate from the general glasses design, the user may have minimal resistance when using the glasses-type display device 100 of the present embodiment of the present disclosure, and the product may be designed more freely.

[0091] In addition, by reducing the width of the two end pieces 113 of the frame 110 on which the optical engine 120 is mounted, when the user wears the glasses-type display device 100, the deformation of the two end pieces 113 of the frame 110 can be further suppressed even when the temples 190 are horizontally unfolded and thus a certain force is applied to the two end pieces 113 of the frame 110.

[0092] When the alignment of the optical engine and the waveguide is slightly distorted, the image may be greatly tilted or moved when the image is finally output to the user's eyeball. In addition, when the image is displayed by using horizontal binocular parallax, even when the direction of the image is slightly misaligned, the correct image may not be transmitted to the user and cause dizziness. Regarding this issue, in the glasses-type display device 100 of the present embodiment of the present disclosure, by reducing the width of the two end pieces 113 of the frame 110 on which the optical engine 120 is installed, the alignment of the optical engine 120 and the waveguide 170 can be accurately maintained.

[0093] Figure 6 Is to show the adjustment Figure 5 Figure 1 shows an example of the projection direction of an optical engine. Figure 7 Is to show the adjustment Figure 5 FIG. 4 is a diagram of an example of the projection direction of an optical engine.

[0094] In the glasses-type display device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the optical engine 120 may be fixed by a fixing member (e.g., a fastener) 123 in a state where it is fixed to two end pieces 113 of the frame 110. The fixing member 123 may be, for example, a screw or a bolt; however, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, during assembly, the optical engine 120 may be fixed by an adhesive in a state where it is arranged at the frame 110 by a clamp.

[0095] The housing 121 of the embodiment of the present disclosure may be provided with a fixing groove 122. One or more fixing members 123 may be provided, and the fixing groove 122 may be provided corresponding to the number of the fixing members 123. The fixing groove 122 may be formed as a rectangular groove or a curved groove. When the fixing groove 122 is formed as a rectangular groove or a curved groove, the position and projection direction of the optical engine 120 may be adjusted when the optical engine 120 is repaired or assembled to the housing 121.

[0096] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the fixing grooves 122a, 122b and 122c and the fixing members 123a, 123b and 123c may be provided at a plurality of different positions, and during assembly or repair, the direction of the optical axis OA of the light projected from the optical engine 120 may be tilted by adjusting the fixing members 123a, 123b and 123c. For example, by adjusting the fixing member 123a, the housing 121 may be tilted in the R1 direction or the R2 direction around a certain reference point O. The R1 direction may refer to the direction of rotation on the X axis around the reference point O, and the R2 direction may refer to the direction of rotation on the Y axis around the reference point O. Alternatively, by adjusting the fixing members 123a, 123b and 123c, the image projected by the optical engine 120 may be rotated in the R3 direction on the optical axis OA (i.e., the Z axis). By such adjustment, the left image and the right image may be accurately matched by rotating the image output to the user's eyeball or by moving the image using tilt.

[0097] Next, a specific optical system of the optical engine 120 will be described.

[0098] Figure 8 is a diagram showing an optical engine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 8 The optical engine of the present embodiment of the present disclosure may include an illumination optical system 130 outputting monochromatic light, a deflector 140, an image panel 150, and a projection optical system 160. Reference numeral 155 denotes an image panel bracket for fixing the image panel 150 to the housing 121.

[0099] The illumination optical system 130 of the embodiment of the present disclosure may include a monochromatic light source 131 that outputs monochromatic light. The monochromatic light source 131 may include a light emitting diode (LED), a laser diode (LD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), or a lamp.

[0100] The illumination optical system 130 of the embodiment of the present disclosure may include a collimating lens 132 that focuses or shapes light into a parallel beam, a fly-eye lens 136 that makes the light uniform, and a relay lens 138 that transmits the light to the image panel 150. The illumination optical system 130 may also include an opening stop that forms a beam cross section of the light, an ultraviolet filter, and the like. Some optical components constituting the illumination optical system 130 may be omitted or may be functionally combined. For example, one lens component may perform the functions of a collimating lens and a fly-eye lens, or may further perform the function of a relay lens.

[0101] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an optical path changer 137 may be arranged on the optical path of the illumination optical system 130. The optical path changer 137 may be located between the fly-eye lens 136 and the relay lens 138. The monochromatic light source 131, the collimating lens 132, and the fly-eye lens 136 constituting the illumination optical system 130 may have a certain physical length in the optical axis direction; however, as the optical path is folded by the optical path changer 137, the total length of the optical engine may be minimized.

[0102] Figure 8 The case where the optical path changer 137 is located between the fly-eye lens 136 and the relay lens 138 is shown; however, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the optical path changer 137 may be located on the output end side of the relay lens 138, or may be located on the input end side of the fly-eye lens 136. When the fly-eye lens 136 includes a plurality of sheets, the optical path changer 137 may be located on the optical path between the plurality of sheets of the fly-eye lens 136. The optical path changer 137 may include a reflector or a total reflection prism. The optical path changer 137 may bend the path of the light output by the illumination optical system 130.

[0103] The deflector 140 of the embodiment of the present disclosure may have a structure in which first and second prisms 141 and 142 are joined.

[0104] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first and second prisms 141, 142 may have the same refractive index. The first region 141a of the bonding surface of the first prism 141 may be arranged not to contact the second prism 142. The illumination optical system 130 may be arranged so that the light input to the first prism 141 may be guided to the first region 141a. Because the light input to the first prism 141 is incident on the first region 141a at an incident angle greater than the critical angle of the first prism 141, the light input to the first prism 141 may be totally reflected by the first region 141a. The light totally reflected by the first region 141a may be reflected toward the image panel 150 to include an image formed on the image panel 150. The light reflected by the image panel 150 may be guided to the projection optical system 160 through the first prism 141 and the second prism 142.

[0105] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the refractive index of the first prism 141 may be smaller than the refractive index of the second prism 142. In this case, at the bonding surface of the first prism 141 and the second prism 142, light incident on the first prism 141 may be totally reflected with respect to an incident angle greater than a certain critical angle, and may be transmitted with respect to an incident angle less than the critical angle.

[0106] The configuration of the deflector 140 described above is merely an example, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0107] As another example, the deflector 140 may include a prism.

[0108] As another example, since the deflector 140 is partially reflectively coated to have a reflective region and a transmissive region, light output by the illumination optical system 130 may be reflected in the reflective region, and light reflected by the image panel 150 may be reflected in the transmissive region.

[0109] As another example, the illumination optical system 130 may output a polarized light beam, and the deflector 140 may include a polarization beam splitter. Since a 1 / 4 wave plate (not shown) is disposed between the image panel 150 and the deflector 140 to change the polarization direction, the deflector 140 may reflect the light output by the illumination optical system 130 and transmit the light reflected by the image panel 150.

[0110] As described above, the image panel 150 may be a reflective image panel that modulates light output from the illumination optical system 130 into light containing a two-dimensional image and reflects the light.

[0111] As described above, the projection optical system 160 may project the light L including the image reflected by the image panel 150 onto the waveguide 170 , and may include one or more projection lenses.

[0112] As described above, in the optical engine of the present embodiment of the present disclosure, since the optical path of the illumination optical system 130 is folded by the optical path changer 137, a portion of the light source 131 side of the illumination optical system 130 may be configured to protrude by ΔW in the projection direction relative to the output surface of the projection optical system 160. The light source 131 may be a component having a high calorific value during driving; however, due to the optical path changer 137, the light source 131 may be arranged on the outside away from the wearer's skin, thereby improving the wearer's wearing feeling.

[0113] Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating an optical engine according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0114] refer to Fig. 9 The optical engine of the present embodiment of the present disclosure may include an illumination optical system 230, a deflector 140, an image panel 150, and a projection optical system 160. In addition to outputting colored light and projecting light of a colored image, the optical arrangement of the optical engine of the present embodiment of the present disclosure may be the same as that of the reference Figure 8 The optical arrangements of the optical engines of the described embodiments of the present disclosure are substantially the same.

[0115] The illumination optical system 230 may include a first light source 231a outputting a first monochromatic light, a second light source 231b outputting a second monochromatic light, a third light source 231c outputting a third monochromatic light, and an optical coupler 235 coupling the first monochromatic light, the second monochromatic light, and the third monochromatic light into a single optical path. The first monochromatic light, the second monochromatic light, and the third monochromatic light may be different monochromatic colors for achieving a color by light mixing. For example, the first monochromatic light, the second monochromatic light, and the third monochromatic light may be different monochromatic colors selected from the group consisting of red, green, and blue.

[0116] The optical coupler 235 may include a dichroic mirror that transmits the first monochromatic light and reflects the second monochromatic light and the third monochromatic light. The optical coupler 235 may be configured to have two surfaces in a plate shape as a reflection surface for the second monochromatic light and a reflection surface for the third monochromatic light. Alternatively, the optical coupler 235 may be configured to have any one surface in a flat plate shape as a reflection surface for the second monochromatic light and a reflection surface for the third monochromatic light.

[0117] The first light source 231a may be located on one side of the optical coupler 235, and the second light source 231b and the third light source 231c may be located on the other side of the optical coupler 235. The second light source 231b and the third light source 231c may be arranged in parallel. The optical coupler 235 including a single dichroic mirror is merely an example, and the optical coupler 235 may include two dichroic mirrors.

[0118] The first collimating lens 232a may be located between the optical coupler 235 and the first light source 231a, and the second collimating lens 232b may be located between the optical coupler 235 and the second light source 231b and the third light source 231c. That is, the second light source 231b and the third light source 231c may share the second collimating lens 232b. That is, the first monochromatic light output from the first light source 231a may be shaped into a parallel light beam in the first collimating lens 232a, and the second monochromatic light output from the second light source 231b and the third monochromatic light output from the third light source 231c may each be shaped into a parallel light beam in the second collimating lens 232b.

[0119] The synthesized lights of the first to third monochromatic colors may be uniformized in the fly-eye lens 236 , and may be guided to the image panel 150 through the relay lens 238 after the optical path thereof is converted in the optical path changer 237 .

[0120] The optical engine of the present embodiment of the present disclosure can realize color images sequentially. That is, the first to third light sources 231a, 231b and 231c can be sequentially driven to sequentially output the first monochromatic light, the second monochromatic light and the third monochromatic light, and the image panel 150 can display the first to third monochromatic images synchronously with the sequentially driven first to third light sources 231a, 231b and 231c, thereby realizing color images.

[0121] As described above, because the optical path is folded by the optical path changer 237, some of the first to third light sources 231a, 231b and 231c of the illumination optical system 230 (i.e., the first light source 231a) can be configured to protrude in the projection direction relative to the output surface of the projection optical system 160, and the first to third light sources 231a, 231b and 231c can be installed in a narrow space by using the optical coupler 235, thereby minimizing the overall length of the optical engine.

[0122] Fig.10 is a diagram illustrating an optical engine according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0123] refer to Fig.10 , the optical engine of the present embodiment of the present disclosure may include an illumination optical system 230, a deflector 140, an image panel 150, and a projection optical system 160. The optical arrangement of the optical engine of the present embodiment of the present disclosure may be the same as that of the reference except that the second optical path changer 234 is arranged between the optical coupler 235 and the second and third light sources 231b and 231c and thus not only the first light source 231a but also the second and third light sources 231b and 231c are configured to protrude in the projection direction relative to the output surface of the projection optical system 160. Fig. 9 The optical arrangements of the optical engines of the described embodiments of the present disclosure are substantially the same.

[0124] Since the second and third light sources 231b and 231c are also arranged to protrude in the projection direction relative to the output surface of the projection optical system 160 due to the second optical path changer 234, the first to third light sources 231a, 231b and 231c can be located in the waveguide 170 (see Figure 4 ) in the unused and removed regions (i.e., Figure 4 Area A in the optical system 230, so the illumination optical system 230 can be installed in a more compact space, thereby minimizing the total length of the optical engine. In addition, the first to third light sources 231a, 231b and 231c can be arranged on the outer side farthest from the wearer's skin, thereby improving the wearer's wearing feeling.

[0125] Fig.11 is a diagram illustrating an optical engine according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0126] refer to Fig.11, the optical engine of the present embodiment of the present disclosure may include an illumination optical system 230, a deflector 140, an image panel 150, and a projection optical system 160. The optical arrangement of the optical engine of the present embodiment of the present disclosure may be the same as that of the reference 1 except that the second monochromatic light output from the second light source 231b and the third monochromatic light output from the third light source 231c are coupled to a single optical path through the second optical coupler 235b and the first monochromatic light output from the first light source 231a and the second monochromatic light and the third monochromatic light coupled by the second optical coupler 235b are coupled to a single optical path through the first optical coupler 235a. Fig.10 The optical arrangements of the optical engines of the described embodiments of the present disclosure are substantially the same.

[0127] The first optical coupler 235a may include a dichroic mirror that transmits the first monochromatic light and reflects the second and third monochromatic lights. The second optical coupler 235b may include a dichroic mirror that transmits the third monochromatic light and reflects the second monochromatic light.

[0128] Fig.12 is a diagram illustrating an optical engine according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0129] refer to Fig.12 The optical engine of the present embodiment of the present disclosure may include an illumination optical system 330 and a scanning mirror 350 .

[0130] The illumination optical system 330 of the embodiment of the present disclosure may include first to third light sources 331a, 331b and 331c. The first to third light sources 331a, 331b and 331c may include laser light sources, respectively. For example, the first to third light sources 331a, 331b and 331c may include red laser diodes (LDs), green LDs and blue LDs, respectively. The illumination optical system 330 may also include a diffuser or any other known speckle reduction member to reduce speckle caused by the coherence of the laser.

[0131] The illumination optical system 330 of the embodiment of the present disclosure may further include at least one of a collimator lens, a fly-eye lens, or a relay lens. Some of the collimator lens, the fly-eye lens, and the relay lens may be omitted, or may be functionally combined to be implemented as one optical member.

[0132] The first to third laser beams output from the first to third light sources 331a, 331b, and 331c may be coupled into a single optical path through the first and second optical couplers 335a and 335b. That is, the first laser beam output from the first light source 331a and the second laser beam output from the second light source 331b may be coupled into a single optical path through the first optical coupler 335a, and the first and second laser beams and the third laser beam output from the third light source 331c may be coupled into a single optical path through the second optical coupler 335b. The first and second optical couplers 335a and 335b may include dichroic mirrors, respectively.

[0133] The first optical path changer 334 may bend the optical path of the first laser beam to align the first light source 331a with the second and third light sources 331b and 331c. The first to third laser beams coupled into a single optical path by the second optical coupler 335b may be incident on the scanning mirror 350 through the second and third optical path changers 337 and 338. The first to third optical path changers 334, 337, 338 may include a reflecting mirror or a total reflection prism, respectively.

[0134] Due to the second and third optical path changers 337 and 338, the first to third light sources 331a, 331b, and 331c can be positioned to protrude more than the scanning mirror 350 based on the projection direction of the light scanned by the scanning mirror 350, and thus can be arranged on the outer side farthest from the wearer's skin, thereby improving the wearer's wearing feeling. In addition, the first to third optical path changers 334, 337, and 338 can bend the path of the light output by the illumination optical system 330, so the total length of the optical engine can be minimized.

[0135] The scanning mirror 350 may include a two-dimensional scanner. The two-dimensional scanner may include a dual-axis driven scanner in which the mirror rotates along two axes (351), or may include a combination of two single-axis driven scanners. The scanning mirror 350 may include a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) scanner. Figure 5 The depicted image forming and projection unit may include a scanning mirror 350 .

[0136] The illumination optical system 330 may modulate light according to an image signal, and the scanning mirror 350 may scan (S) the laser beam to project a two-dimensional image in the first region 172 of the waveguide 170 (see Figure 4 ).

[0137] The optical engine of the present embodiment of the present disclosure can realize color images sequentially. That is, the first to third light sources 331a, 331b and 331c can be sequentially driven to sequentially output the first to third monochromatic laser beams, and the scanning mirror 350 can scan the first to third monochromatic laser beams onto the first area 172 of the waveguide 170 in synchronization with the sequentially driven first to third light sources 331a, 331b and 331c, thereby realizing color images.

[0138] An imaging lens (not shown) may be further disposed between the scanning mirror 350 and the waveguide 170 to allow the scanned laser beam to be imaged.

[0139] In the present embodiment of the present disclosure, the case where the scanning mirror 350 includes a two-dimensional scanner has been described as an example; however, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The scanning mirror 350 may include a one-dimensional scanner in which a reflective mirror rotates along one axis. In this case, the optical engine may further include a linear light modulator for forming a linear image, and the scanning mirror 350 may scan the linear image in a vertical direction of the linear image. For example, any one of the second optical path changer 337 or the third optical path changer 338 may be replaced with a linear light modulator.

[0140] In the present embodiment of the present disclosure, the first to third light sources 331a, 331b and 331c of the illumination optical system 330 are shown to be arranged in a line below the scanning mirror 350 due to the second and third optical path changers 337 and 338; however, the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0141] Fig.13 is a diagram showing an optical engine according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.13 Due to the second optical path changer 339, the illumination optical system 330 can be located below the scanning mirror 350. In the present embodiment of the present disclosure, the first optical path changer 334 or the first and second optical couplers 335a and 335b located in the illumination optical system 330 can be positioned to protrude in the projection direction of the light scanned by the scanning mirror 350.

[0142] Fig.14 is a diagram showing an optical engine according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.14 Due to the second and third optical path changers 340 and 341 , the illumination optical system 330 may be located below the scanning mirror 350 .

[0143] Fig.15 is a diagram showing an optical engine according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.15 Due to the second and third optical path changers 342 and 343 , the illumination optical system 330 may be located below the scanning mirror 350 .

[0144] In the above embodiment of the present disclosure, in the waveguide 170, the second region 173 is positioned relative to the first region 172 in the first direction (X direction), and the third region 174 is positioned relative to the second region 173 in the second direction (Y direction); however, the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0145] Fig.16 4 is a diagram showing an arrangement of an optical engine according to a waveguide 470 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.16 As shown, in the waveguide 470, the second region 473 may be positioned in the first direction (X direction) relative to the first region 472, and the third region 474 may be positioned in the second direction (-Y direction) relative to the second region 473. In the waveguide 470, the region A in the second direction (-Y direction) relative to the first region 472 may be an unused region in the waveguide 470, and the waveguide 470 may have a shape 470a in which the region A is removed. The protruding portion of the optical engine (e.g., Figure 3 121a) can be located in area A.

[0146] Fig.17 4 is a diagram showing an arrangement of an optical engine according to a waveguide 471 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.17 As shown, in the waveguide 471, two second regions 473a and 473b may be positioned in a first direction (a direction tilted clockwise relative to the X direction) and in a second direction (a direction tilted counterclockwise relative to the X direction) relative to the first region 472, and a third region 474 may be located in a region between the two second regions 473a and 473b. In the waveguide 471, a region A in the second direction (-Y direction) or a region in the opposite direction (+Y direction) relative to the first region 472 may be an unused region in the waveguide 471, and the waveguide 471 may have a shape 471a in which the above region is removed. A protruding portion of the optical engine (e.g., Figure 3 121a) can be located in area A.

[0147] In reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the depicted embodiment, the temples 190 are connected to the frame 110 via hinges 115; however, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Fig.18 is a plan view of a glasses-type display device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.18In the glasses-type display device of the present embodiment of the present disclosure, the temples 519L, 519R can be integrally connected to the frame 510. The temples 519L, 519R and the frame 510 can be formed of the same material. Even when the temples 519L, 519R and the frame 510 are formed of the same material, the temples 519L, 519R can have an elongated shape to have a certain flexibility so that they can be worn by the user, and the frame 510 can be thickened to have a certain rigidity. Alternatively, the temples 519L, 519R and the frame 510 can be continuously formed of different materials with different flexibility (rigidity).

[0148] In the above-mentioned embodiments of the present disclosure, a glasses-type display device has been described as an example; however, a person skilled in the art will readily understand that the arrangement structure of the waveguide and the optical engine may also be similarly applied to a wearable display device, such as a head-mounted display device that is worn on the user's head to display close to the user's eyes.

[0149] In the above-mentioned embodiments of the present disclosure, the case of displaying left-eye and right-eye images is described as an example; however, a glasses-type display device (e.g., a wearable display device) may include only a left-eye waveguide 170L and a left-eye optical engine 120L, or may include only a waveguide 170R and a right-eye optical engine 120R.

[0150] In order to better understand the present disclosure, the glasses-type display device (e.g., wearable display device) has been described above with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings; however, this is only an example, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and other equivalent embodiments are possible. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure should be defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A glasses-type display device, comprising: an optical engine configured to project light comprising an image; a waveguide comprising an input region for receiving the projected light and an output region for outputting at least a portion of the received light; as well as a glasses-type body for holding the waveguide and the optical engine, wherein a portion of the optical engine is arranged on a side of the waveguide, The optical engine includes: an illumination optical system configured to output light; an image forming and projection unit configured to receive light from the illumination optical system, form an image, and project light of the image onto the waveguide; and at least one optical path changer for changing an optical path in the optical engine, The at least one optical path changer is further configured so that the illumination optical system includes a protruding portion that protrudes more than the image forming and projecting unit in the light projection direction of the image forming and projecting unit, wherein the waveguide includes a first region, a second region, and a third region, the first region faces the image forming and projecting unit to receive an input of an image, the second region transmits the image input to the first region, and the third region outputs the image transmitted by the second region, The protruding portion of the illumination optical system is located adjacent to the first region of the waveguide.

2. The spectacles-type display device according to claim 1, wherein the spectacles-type body comprises a frame and temples, the temples being respectively connected to both ends of the frame and extending in one direction, and The optical engine is mounted in at least one of the two end pieces of the frame. 3 . The glasses-type display device according to claim 2 , wherein the frame and the temples are connected to each other by a hinge. The glasses-type display device according to claim 2 , wherein the frame and the temples are continuously connected to each other.

5. The glasses-type display device according to claim 1, wherein the optical engine comprises a housing for mounting optical components, The housing is fixed to the spectacle-type body by a fixing member, and The fixing member adjusts a projection position in the optical engine.

6. The glasses-type display device according to claim 5, wherein: The fixing member adjustably fixes at least two points of the housing so that an optical axis direction of light projected from the optical engine is tiltable.

7. The glasses-type display device according to claim 5, wherein: The fixing member includes a screw or a bolt.

8. The glasses-type display device according to claim 1, wherein the image forming and projecting unit comprises an image panel and a projection optical system, the image panel being configured to receive light from the illumination optical system to form an image, and the projection optical system being configured to project the image formed by the image panel onto the waveguide.

9. The glasses-type display device according to claim 8, wherein the image panel comprises a reflective image panel, The image forming and projecting unit further comprises a deflector arranged on an optical path between the reflective image panel and the projection optical system, and The deflector is used to reflect the light output by the illumination optical system to the image panel, and transmit the light of the image reflected by the image panel to the projection optical system.

10. The glasses-type display device according to claim 1, wherein: The image forming and projecting unit includes a light scanning unit configured to scan light from the illumination optical system to the waveguide to form an image.

11. The glasses-type display device according to claim 1, wherein the illumination optical system comprises at least one light source, and the at least one light source comprises a light emitting diode (LED), a laser diode (LD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), or a lamp.

12. The glasses-type display device according to claim 1, wherein the illumination optical system comprises: a first light source configured to output a first monochromatic light; a second light source configured to output a second monochromatic light; a third light source configured to output a third monochromatic light; and a light combiner for combining the first monochromatic light, the second monochromatic light and the third monochromatic light into a single light path, The first monochrome, the second monochrome, and the third monochrome are different monochromes, and The protruding portion of the illumination optical system includes at least one of the first light source, the second light source, or the third light source.

13. The glasses-type display device according to claim 1, wherein the waveguide includes a front surface and a rear surface opposite to the front surface, and The protruding portion of the illumination optical system is located in front of the rear surface of the waveguide based on the thickness direction of the waveguide.

Images