Virtual image display device and optical unit

Abstract

To provide a virtual image display device and an optical unit which enable a wearer of the virtual image display device to make eye contact with a third person.SOLUTION: A virtual image display device 100A includes: an image element 11a for emitting image light ML; a projection optical system 12a which the image light ML from the image element 11a enters; an optical appearance component 123 having a partial reflection surface 23c on which the incident image light ML emitted from the projection optical system 12a is partially reflected; and an illumination unit 13 for emitting illumination light IL for illuminating a pupil position PP at which a pupil of a wearer US is positioned and an object region TA around the pupil position PP.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a head-mounted virtual image display device and an optical unit that enable viewing of a virtual image. [Background technology]

[0002] A known virtual image display device includes an image light generating device and an optical unit that forms a virtual image from the image light emitted from the image light generating device (Patent Document 1). In the virtual image display device, the optical unit has a concave transmission mirror provided with a partially reflective film. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-39294 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the device of the background art described above, depending on the environment surrounding the wearer, external light may be reflected in the direction of a third party observing the wearer, which may result in the third party being unable to see the wearer's eyes when communicating with the wearer, making eye contact impossible. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A virtual image display device or optical unit in one aspect of the present invention includes an image element that emits image light, a projection optical system into which the image light from the image element is incident, an optical appearance component having a partially reflective surface onto which the image light emitted from the projection optical system is incident and partially reflected, and an illumination device that emits illumination light that illuminates a pupil position where the wearer's pupil is located and a target area around the pupil position. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1]FIG. 2 is an external perspective view illustrating a wearing state of the virtual image display device. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating an optical system and the like included in one of the virtual image display devices. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a lighting device of the virtual image display device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an external front view illustrating a wearing state of the virtual image display device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a partial enlarged view for explaining a virtual image display device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a partial enlarged view for explaining a virtual image display device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 7] 7 is a diagram illustrating an image displayed on a video element of the virtual image display device of FIG. 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] [First embodiment] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a virtual image display device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0008] Fig. 1 is a diagram for explaining the wearing state of a head mounted display device (hereinafter also referred to as a head mounted display or HMD) 200, in which the observer or wearer US wearing the HMD 200 recognizes an image as a virtual image. In Fig. 1 etc., X, Y, and Z are an orthogonal coordinate system, the +X direction corresponds to the lateral direction in which the eyes EY of the observer or wearer US wearing the HMD 200 are aligned, the +Y direction corresponds to the upward direction perpendicular to the lateral direction in which the eyes EY are aligned for the wearer US, and the +Z direction corresponds to the forward direction or front direction for the wearer US. The ±Y directions are parallel to the vertical axis or vertical direction.

[0009] The HMD 200 includes a first virtual image display device 100A for the right eye, a second virtual image display device 100B for the left eye, a pair of temple-shaped support devices 100C that support the virtual image display devices 100A and 100B, and a user terminal 90 that is an information terminal. The first virtual image display device 100A functions as an HMD alone, and is composed of a first display drive unit 102a arranged at the top, and a first combiner 103a that is shaped like a pair of glasses and covers the front of the eyes. Similarly, the second virtual image display device 100B functions as an HMD alone, and is composed of a second display drive unit 102b arranged at the top, and a second combiner 103b that is shaped like a pair of glasses and covers the front of the eyes. The support device 100C is a mounting member that is mounted on the head of the wearer US, and supports the upper end sides of the pair of combiners 103a and 103b via the display drive units 102a and 102b that are integrated in appearance. The first virtual image display device 100A and the second virtual image display device 100B are optically identical or are left-right inverted versions of each other, and a detailed description of the second virtual image display device 100B will be omitted.

[0010] 2 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating the internal structure of the first virtual image display device 100A. The first virtual image display device 100A includes a first image element 11a, a first display unit 20a, a first drive circuit member 80a, and an illumination device 13. The first display unit 20a is an imaging optical system that forms a virtual image, and includes a projection lens 21, a prism mirror 22, and a see-through mirror 23. In the first display unit 20a, the projection lens 21 and the prism mirror 22 function as a first projection optical system 12a into which the image light ML from the first image element 11a is incident. The first display unit 20a includes the first projection optical system 12a and the see-through mirror 23 in an integrated state. The projection lens 21 constituting the first projection optical system 12a corresponds to the first optical member 2a arranged on the light exit side of the first image element 11a, and the prism mirror 22 corresponds to the second optical member 2b arranged on the light exit side of the first optical member 2a, which is the projection lens 21. The first image element 11a, the projection lens 21, and the prism mirror 22 correspond to a part of the first display drive unit 102a shown in FIG. 1, and the see-through mirror 23 corresponds to the first combiner 103a shown in FIG. 1. The projection lens 21 and the prism mirror 22 constituting the first projection optical system 12a are fixed in a container-shaped barrel 41 in a state where they are positioned relative to each other together with the first image element 11a. The barrel 41 is a case CA that houses the first projection optical system 12a and the first image element 11a in a positioned state. Although details will be described later, the illumination device 13 is provided on the face side of the exterior member 53 that covers the barrel 41 or the case CA, and illuminates the pupil position PP where the pupil of the wearer US is located and the target area TA around the pupil position PP.

[0011] In the first virtual image display device 100A, the first image element 11a is a self-luminous image light generating device. The first image element 11a emits image light ML to the first projection optical system 12a. The first image element 11a is stored and supported in the barrel 41 from the rear. The first image element 11a is, for example, an organic EL (organic electroluminescence) display, and forms a color still image or moving image on a two-dimensional display surface 11d. The first image element 11a is driven by a display control device 88 including a first drive circuit member 80a to perform a display operation. The first image element 11a is not limited to an organic EL display, and can be replaced with a display device using an inorganic EL, an organic LED, an LED array, a laser array, a quantum dot light-emitting element, or the like. The first image element 11a is not limited to a self-luminous image light generating device, and may be composed of an LCD or other light modulation element, and may form an image by illuminating the light modulation element with a light source such as a backlight. As the first image element 11a, instead of the LCD, LCOS (Liquid crystal on silicon, LCoS is a registered trademark), a digital micromirror device, or the like can be used. In the first virtual image display device 100A, an optical device excluding the first drive circuit member 80a and the display control device 88 is called an optical unit 100.

[0012] The first display unit 20a includes two reflecting surfaces, and the optical path is bent by the see-through mirror 23 and the prism mirror 22. The first display unit 20a is an off-axis optical system OS. That is, the projection lens 21, the prism mirror 22, and the see-through mirror 23 are arranged asymmetrically about the axis. In response to this asymmetrical symmetry, the optical surfaces of the optical elements constituting the first display unit 20a are, in principle, free-form surfaces or aspheric surfaces, and have asymmetrical properties about the optical axis AX in the vertical direction parallel to the YZ plane and intersecting the optical axis AX, and have symmetry about the optical axis AX in the horizontal direction or the X direction. In this first display unit 20a, the optical axis AX is bent in an off-axis plane parallel to the YZ plane, which is a reference plane, so that the optical elements 21, 22, and 23 are arranged along the off-axis plane (i.e., the reference plane). Specifically, on an off-axis plane that is parallel to the YZ plane and corresponds to the paper surface, optical path portion P1 from the projection lens 21 to the reflecting surface 22b, optical path portion P2 from the reflecting surface 22b to the see-through mirror 23, and optical path portion P3 from the see-through mirror 23 to the pupil position PP are arranged to be folded back in two stages in a Z shape.

[0013] In the first display unit 20a, the optical path portion P1 from the projection lens 21 to the reflecting surface 22b extends in a slightly upward diagonal direction toward the rear with respect to the viewpoint as a reference, or in a direction nearly parallel to the Z direction. The optical path portion P2 from the reflecting surface 22b to the see-through mirror 23 extends in a downward diagonal direction toward the front. When the horizontal plane direction (XZ plane) is used as a reference, the inclination of the optical path portion P2 is greater than the inclination of the optical path portion P1. The optical path portion P3 from the see-through mirror 23 to the pupil position PP extends in a slightly upward diagonal direction toward the rear in the -Z direction, or in a direction nearly parallel to the Z direction. In the illustrated example, the portion of the optical axis AX corresponding to the optical path portion P3 is at about -10° toward the +Z direction, with the downward direction being negative. In other words, the optical axis AX or optical path portion P3 of the see-through mirror 23 points upward at a predetermined angle, and as a result, the exit optical axis EX, which is an extension of the portion of the optical axis AX corresponding to the optical path portion P3, extends at a downward inclination of approximately 10° with respect to the central axis HX that is parallel to the forward +Z direction.

[0014] In the first display unit 20a, the projection lens 21 includes a first lens 21o, a second lens 21p, and a third lens 21q. The projection lens 21 receives the image light ML emitted from the first image element 11a and causes it to enter a prism mirror 22. The projection lens 21 focuses the image light ML emitted from the first image element 11a into a state close to a parallel light beam.

[0015] The prism mirror 22 is an optical member having a refractive and reflective function, which has a function combining a mirror and a lens, and reflects the image light ML from the projection lens 21 while refracting it. The prism mirror 22 has an entrance surface 22a arranged on the light exit side of the first optical member 2a, a reflecting surface 22b which bends the optical axis AX, and an exit surface 22c which faces the reflecting surface 22b and is arranged in a direction symmetrical to the entrance surface 22a. The prism mirror 22 emits the image light ML incident from the front where the projection lens 21 is arranged, so as to bend it back in a direction inclined downward with respect to a direction in which the incident direction is reversed (the direction of the light source as seen from the prism mirror 22). The reflecting surface 22b is not limited to one which reflects the image light ML by total reflection, but may be a reflecting surface made of a metal film or a dielectric multilayer film.

[0016] The exit surface 22c of the prism mirror 22 is concave overall, and is concave on an off-axis plane parallel to the YZ plane and through which the optical axis AX passes, i.e., on the plane of the paper, and is also concave in a cross plane CS perpendicular to the YZ plane and passing through the center of the exit surface 22c.

[0017] The see-through mirror 23, i.e., the first combiner 103a, is a curved plate-like optical appearance component 123 that functions as a concave surface mirror, and partially reflects the image light ML from the prism mirror 22 and partially transmits the outside light OL. The see-through mirror 23 has a partially reflecting surface 23c and an outer surface 23o. The see-through mirror 23 covers the pupil position PP where the eye EY or pupil is located and has a concave shape toward the pupil position PP, and as a result, has a convex shape toward the outside world. The pupil position PP or its opening PPa is called the eye point or eye box, and corresponds to the exit pupil EP of the first display unit 20a including the see-through mirror 23. As a concave mirror with positive power, the see-through mirror 23 enables the intermediate image IM formed on the first image element 11a and re-imaged by the first projection optical system 12a to be viewed in an enlarged manner.

[0018] The partially reflecting surface 23c of the see-through mirror 23 transmits a part of the light when reflecting the image light ML. As a result, the outside light OL passes through the see-through mirror 23, making it possible to see through the outside world, and a virtual image can be superimposed on the outside world image. In this case, if the base material 23b is thin, about a few mm or less, the change in magnification of the outside world image can be kept small. The reflectance of the partially reflecting surface 23c for the image light ML and the outside light OL is set to 10% or more and 50% or less in the assumed range of incidence angles of the image light ML, from the viewpoint of ensuring the brightness of the image light ML and facilitating the observation of the outside world image by see-through. The base material 23b of the see-through mirror 23 is formed of, for example, a resin, but can also be made of glass. The base material 23b is formed of the same material as the support plate 61 that supports it from the periphery, and has the same thickness as the support plate 61. The transmissive reflecting film 23a is formed of, for example, a dielectric multilayer film consisting of a plurality of dielectric layers with adjusted film thicknesses. An anti-reflection film is formed on the outer surface 23o of the base material 23b.

[0019] Regarding the optical path, the image light ML from the first image element 11a enters the projection lens 21 and is emitted from the projection lens 21 in a substantially collimated state. The image light ML that passes through the projection lens 21 enters the prism mirror 22 and passes through the entrance surface 22a while being refracted, is reflected by the reflection surface 22b with a high reflectance close to 100%, and is refracted again by the exit surface 22c. The image light ML from the prism mirror 22 forms an intermediate image IM once, then enters the see-through mirror 23 and is reflected by the partial reflection surface 23c with a reflectance of about 50% or less. The image light ML reflected by the see-through mirror 23 enters the pupil position PP where the eye EY or pupil of the wearer US is located. External light OL that passes through the see-through mirror 23 and the support plate 61 around it also enters the pupil position PP. That is, the wearer US wearing the first virtual image display device 100A can observe a virtual image generated by the image light ML superimposed on an outside world image.

[0020] In the first virtual image display device 100A, the first display unit 20a is housed in a barrel 41, i.e., a case CA, and is supported so as to be suspended from the frame 52 and disposed below the frame 52. The frame 52 has a recess RE on the upper side for disposing the first drive circuit member 80a, and is covered from above and below by an exterior member 53 together with the barrel 41.

[0021] 3 and 4 are conceptual diagrams mainly explaining the illumination device 13 in the first virtual image display 100A when worn.

[0022] As described above, the virtual image display device 100A has an illumination device 13 that emits illumination light IL that illuminates the pupil position PP and the target area TA around the pupil position PP. As shown in Fig. 4, by illuminating the target area TA with the illumination device 13, a third party can reliably observe the pupil of the wearer US, enabling natural conversation. If there is no need for conversation, stopping the operation of the illumination device 13 makes it difficult for a third party to observe the pupil covered by the optical appearance component 123.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3, the illumination device 13 has an illumination light source 71 provided separately from the first image element 11a, and an adjustment optical member 72 that adjusts the divergence angle of the illumination light IL. That is, the illumination device 13 is a component different from the first image element 11a. The illumination light source 71 is independent of the optical system that projects the image light ML, and can adjust the illuminance of the illumination light IL according to the surrounding environment without considering the image light ML. The adjustment optical member 72 adjusts the divergence angle of the illumination light IL. In the example of this embodiment, the illumination device 13 is provided in the exterior member 53 and is disposed so as to be embedded on the face side of the wearer US. The exterior member 53 is provided with an opening 53a for emitting the illumination light IL of the illumination device 13. The opening 53a is provided at an angle so that the illumination light IL is emitted in the direction of the pupil position PP. The illuminance of the image light ML and the illumination light IL is adjusted according to the surrounding environment, specifically, the illuminance of the outside light OL. As shown in FIG. 2, a light detection sensor 73 is provided on the outside side of the exterior member 53 for automatic adjustment of the illuminance of the image light ML and the illumination light IL. The light detection sensor 73 is, for example, an illuminance sensor, and detects or measures the illuminance of the outside light OL incident from the outside of the optical appearance part 123. The light detection sensor 73 operates, for example, under the control of the display control device 88, detects the brightness of the surrounding environment, and detects the illuminance of the outside light OL. The display control device 88 automatically adjusts the illuminance of the image light ML and the illumination light IL according to the illuminance of the outside light OL, which is the detection result of the light detection sensor 73. The adjustment of the illuminance may be changed gradually or stepwise according to the change in the surrounding environment. The detection result of the light detection sensor 73 is not limited to a numerical value, and may be such that a bright state or a dark state can be distinguished. The light detection sensor 73 may be a brightness sensor, an optical sensor, or the like.

[0024] The illumination light source 71 as the illumination device 13 is a point light source, a linear light source, or a planar light source having a predetermined arrangement and directivity. The illumination light source 71 is provided with an optical element such as a lens as an adjustment optical member 72, and adjusts the divergence angle of the illumination light IL. The illumination light IL emitted from the illumination device 13 illuminates the target area TA while spreading toward the pupil of the wearer US, that is, the eye EY. The target area TA is a range including the pupil and the periphery of the pupil of the wearer US, for example, a range corresponding to the angle of view. For example, when the angle of view is 30° to 50°, the target area TA is in a range of about 20 mm to 30 mm. The shape of the target area TA is, for example, a circle, an ellipse, a rectangle, or the like. Note that, with respect to the target area TA, if the state of the pupil can be observed, the pupil part or the pupil position PP may not be included in the illumination range, and only the periphery of the pupil position PP may be the illumination range. For example, an LED, an organic EL, or the like is used as the illumination light source 71. The illumination light IL is, for example, white.

[0025] The illumination device 13 is not limited to an optical system that irradiates the illumination light IL as described above, but may be an optical system that irradiates, illuminates, projects, or otherwise irradiates the periphery of the eye EY with light.

[0026] The illuminance of the illumination light IL is set to a level that does not dazzle the wearer US. The illuminance of the illumination light IL is set depending on the reflectance of the optical appearance component 123 and the like while taking into consideration the illuminance of the external light OL. For example, the illuminance of the illumination light IL is proportional to the reflectance of the partially reflective surface 23c of the optical appearance component 123. Specifically, when the reflectance of the partially reflective surface 23c is 30%, the illuminance of the illumination light IL is 100 lux (lx) in a typical indoor environment. The illuminance of the video light ML is about 1000 lux (lx). When the reflectance of the partially reflective surface 23c is 30%, the video light ML is transmitted by about 70% by the optical appearance component 123, and the external light OL is reflected by about 30% by the optical appearance component 123. As a result, when the illumination device 13 is not operating and a third party looks at the wearer US, the entire optical appearance component 123 covering the pupil of the wearer US is illuminated by the image light ML leaking from the optical appearance component 123 and the outside light OL reflected by the optical appearance component 123, making it difficult to see the pupil of the wearer US. When the illumination device 13 is operated, the target area TA is brightened by the illumination light IL, and the pupil of the wearer US can be observed from outside the optical appearance component 123.

[0027] In the above, the illumination device 13 is disposed on the upper side of the virtual image display device 100A, but this can be appropriately changed depending on the structure of the virtual image display device 100A, and it may be disposed on the lower side or the side. Furthermore, the illumination device 13 may be disposed not only above the eyebrows of the wearer US when viewed from the front, but also between the eyebrows, below the eyebrows, etc. Furthermore, the illumination device 13 is provided on the exterior member 53, but may be supported by the frame 52, etc.

[0028] The virtual image display device 100A of the first embodiment described above comprises an image element 11a that emits image light ML, a projection optical system 12a into which the image light ML from the image element 11a is incident, an optical appearance component 123 having a partial reflection surface 23c on which the image light ML emitted from the projection optical system 12a is incident and partially reflected, and an illumination device 13 that emits illumination light IL that illuminates a pupil position PP where the pupil of the wearer US is located and a target area TA around the pupil position PP.

[0029] The virtual image display device 100A described above is a see-through type, and by illuminating the target area TA, the pupils of the wearer US become visible to a third party, facilitating eye contact.

[0030] Second Embodiment The virtual image display device of the second embodiment will be described below. Note that the virtual image display device of the second embodiment is a partial modification of the virtual image display device of the first embodiment, and the description of the parts common to the virtual image display device of the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, the illumination device 13 uses the first image element 11a. The illumination device 13 has the first image element 11a and a light separation element 75 that divides the image light ML. The illumination device 13 is also used as the first image element 11a. The illumination device 13 may include a first projection optical system 12a. The first projection optical system 12a functions as an optical element for adjusting illuminance in the illumination device 13. The illumination light IL is a part of the image light ML divided by the light separation element 75. By using the first image element 11a as the illumination device 13, the light source of the illumination light IL is shared with the image light ML, and there is no need to install unnecessary wiring or light sources. This makes it possible to make the virtual image display device 100A smaller and lighter.

[0032] The light separating element 75 is disposed between the first image element 11a and the optical appearance component 123. The light separating element 75 is, for example, a beam splitter.

[0033] The light separation element 75 has a functional surface 75a that separates the incident light into two lights at a predetermined division ratio. The functional surface 75a separates, for example, about 1 / 10 of the image light ML. The brighter the image light ML, the brighter the extracted illumination light IL becomes. For example, a half mirror, a polarization separation film, a wire grid, or the like is used as the functional surface 75a. In addition, the functional surface 75a may or may not take polarization into consideration depending on the image light ML.

[0034] Third Embodiment Hereinafter, the virtual image display device of the third embodiment will be described. Note that the virtual image display device of the third embodiment is a partial modification of the virtual image display device of the first embodiment, and the description of the parts common to the virtual image display device of the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0035] 6, in this embodiment, instead of using a portion of the image light ML as in the second embodiment, the unnecessary light NL that is not used in the image light ML is used. Specifically, the illumination light IL is the unnecessary light NL other than the image light ML emitted from the first image element 11a. This makes it possible to suppress variations in the brightness and color of the image light ML illuminating the target area TA.

[0036] The illumination device 13 has a first image element 11a, a light guide 76 that separates the unwanted light NL, and an optical element 77 that adjusts the divergence angle of the illumination light IL. The illumination device 13 is also used as the first image element 11a. The light guide 76 is, for example, a fiber bundle, and is connected to a non-display area AL2 (see FIG. 7) of the first image element 11a, which will be described later, from which the unwanted light NL is emitted. The optical element 77 is, for example, a lens, and is provided at an exit 76a at the tip of the light guide 76. The optical element 77 may be omitted.

[0037] Fig. 7 is a plan view of the first image element 11a. As shown in Fig. 7, the display surface 11d of the first image element 11a has a display area AL1 where an image is displayed and a non-display area AL2 where no image is displayed. The display area AL1 has a shape corresponding to the correction image, for example, a trapezoidal shape. When the first image element 11a projects an image for distortion correction, the unnecessary light NL is emitted from the non-display area AL2 that is not used as image light ML.

[0038] Note that the illumination device 13 may be provided with a light separation element, a diffusion plate, or the like, instead of the light guide 76, to separate and illuminate the unwanted light NL leaking from the first image element 11a. The illumination device 13 may be provided with an optical element for adjusting the divergence angle, an optical element for adjusting the illuminance, or the like.

[0039] [Variations and Others] The present invention has been described above based on the embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the following modifications are also possible.

[0040] In the above, it has been described that the HMD 200 comprises a first virtual image display device 100A and a second virtual image display device 100B, but the HMD 200 or the optical unit 100 may also be configured to support a single first virtual image display device 100A or second virtual image display device 100B in front of the eyes by a support device 100C.

[0041] The optical members 2a, 2b of the first projection optical system 12a are not limited to those shown in the figure, and for example, the number of optical elements constituting the first optical member 2a and the shape of the optical surface can be changed as appropriate depending on the purpose of use of the HMD 200, etc.

[0042] The optical appearance part 123 is not limited to the see-through mirror 23, and may be something like a light guide plate. Here, the light guide plate guides the image light emitted from the image element to a position facing the pupil while reflecting it on its inner surface, and causes the image light to enter the inside from an entrance surface provided at the end, or causes the image light to enter the inside via a diffraction element provided in a part of the parallel plate that constitutes the light guide plate.

[0043] Although the optical appearance part 123 has a concave surface, it may have a flat surface.

[0044] The lighting device 13 may be turned on or off depending on the scene. The lighting device 13 may be turned on or off manually, or may be turned on automatically when a person is detected. The lighting device 13 and the first image element 11a may be switched on or off in a time-division manner.

[0045] Although the virtual image display device 100A is provided with the light detection sensor 73, it is not necessary to provide the light detection sensor 73. In this case, the wearer US manually switches to the illuminance of a table corresponding to the periphery of the pupil or eye EY, which is predetermined according to the standard sky illuminance, the standard room illuminance, or the like.

[0046] In the above description, it is assumed that the HMD 200 is used by being mounted on the head, but the virtual image display devices 100A and 100B can also be used as handheld displays that are not mounted on the head and are peered into like binoculars. In other words, in the present invention, the head mounted display also includes a handheld display.

[0047] In a specific embodiment, the virtual image display device includes an image element that emits image light, a projection optical system into which the image light from the image element is incident, an optical appearance component having a partially reflective surface onto which the image light emitted from the projection optical system is incident and partially reflected, and an illumination device that emits illumination light that illuminates a pupil position where the wearer's pupil is located and a target area around the pupil position.

[0048] The above-mentioned virtual image display device is of a see-through type, and by illuminating a target area, the pupils of the wearer can be seen by a third party, facilitating eye contact.

[0049] In a specific embodiment of the virtual image display device, the lighting device adjusts the illuminance of the illumination light in accordance with the surrounding environment.

[0050] In a specific embodiment, the virtual image display device includes a light detection sensor that detects the illuminance of external light incident from outside the optical appearance component, and the lighting device adjusts the illuminance of the illumination light according to the detection result of the light detection sensor.

[0051] In a specific embodiment of the virtual image display device, the lighting device includes an illumination light source provided separately from the image element and an adjustment optical member for adjusting the divergence angle of the illumination light. In this case, the illumination light source is independent of the optical system for projecting the image light, and the illuminance of the illumination light can be adjusted according to the surrounding environment without taking the image light into consideration.

[0052] In a specific embodiment of the virtual image display device, the lighting device includes an image element and a light splitting element that splits the image light, and the illumination light is a part of the image light split by the light splitting element. In this case, the light source of the illumination light is shared with the image light, and there is no need to install unnecessary wiring or light sources. This makes it possible to make the virtual image display device smaller and lighter.

[0053] In a specific embodiment of the virtual image display device, the lighting device includes an image element, and the illumination light is unnecessary light other than the image light emitted from the image element. In this case, it is possible to suppress variations in luminance and color of the image light illuminating the target area.

[0054] In a virtual image display device according to a specific embodiment, when an image element projects an image for distortion correction, the unnecessary light is emitted from a non-display area that is not used as image light.

[0055] In a specific embodiment, the optical unit includes an image element that emits image light, a projection optical system into which the image light from the image element is incident, an optical appearance component having a partially reflective surface onto which the image light emitted from the projection optical system is incident and partially reflected, and an illumination device that emits illumination light that illuminates a pupil position where the wearer's pupil is located and a target area around the pupil position. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] Reference Signs List 11a...first image element, 11d...first display surface, 12a...first projection optical system, 13...illumination device, 21...projection lens, 22...prism mirror, 23...see-through mirror, 23c...partially reflective surface, 41...barrel, 71...illumination light source, 72...adjustment optical member, 73...light detection sensor, 75...light separation element, 75a...functional surface, 76...light guide, 80a...first drive circuit member, 88...display control device, 90 ...user terminal, 100...optical unit, 100A, 100B...virtual image display device, 100C...support device, 102a, 102b...display drive unit, 103a, 103b...combiner, 123...optical appearance part, AL1...display area, AL2...non-display area, AX...optical axis, CA...case, EY...eye, IL...illumination light, ML...image light, OL...external light, OS...off-axis optical system, PP...pupil position, US...wearer

Claims

1. An image element that emits image light; a projection optical system into which the image light from the image element is incident; an optical appearance component having a partially reflecting surface on which the image light emitted from the projection optical system is incident and partially reflected; an illumination device that emits illumination light to illuminate a pupil position where the pupil of the wearer is located and a target area around the pupil position; Equipped with Virtual image display device.

2. The lighting device adjusts the illuminance of the illumination light according to a surrounding environment. The virtual image display device according to claim 1 .

3. A light detection sensor is provided to detect the illuminance of external light incident from the outside of the optical appearance component, The lighting device adjusts the illuminance of the illumination light in response to the detection result of the light detection sensor. The virtual image display device according to claim 2 .

4. The illumination device includes an illumination light source provided separately from the image element, and an adjustment optical member for adjusting a divergence angle of the illumination light. The virtual image display device according to claim 1 .

5. the illumination device includes the imaging element and a light separation element that divides the imaging light, The illumination light is a part of the image light split by the light splitting element. The virtual image display device according to claim 1 .

6. the illumination device includes the imaging element, The illumination light is unnecessary light other than the image light emitted from the image element. The virtual image display device according to claim 1 .

7. The unnecessary light is emitted from a non-display area that is not used as the image light when the image element projects an image for distortion correction. The virtual image display device according to claim 6 .

8. An image element from which image light is emitted; a projection optical system into which the image light from the image element is incident; an optical appearance component having a partially reflecting surface on which the image light emitted from the projection optical system is incident and partially reflected; an illumination device that emits illumination light to illuminate a pupil position where the pupil of the wearer is located and a target area around the pupil position; Equipped with Optical unit.

Images