Ambient Light Head-Mounted Display Using Optical Guidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing displays, including laptop LCDs and head-mounted displays, become unreadable in high ambient light conditions due to insufficient brightness, and require significant power sources, leading to inconvenience and safety issues when trying to view data from portable devices while performing tasks.
Innovation Solution
A display system that utilizes a housing with an ambient light window and viewing window, incorporating optics to guide ambient light through a data display, and a separate transmitting unit to receive and transmit signals, allowing for a head-mounted display that uses available ambient light to maintain visibility even in bright conditions, reducing the need for powerful artificial light sources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a backlight is used to illuminate the display, then the display becomes visible in low light conditions, but the display becomes washed out in high ambient light conditions
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding artificial light to illuminate the display, the patent inverts the approach by allowing ambient light to pass through the display from the front. The display panel is positioned between an ambient light window and a viewing window, with optics guiding ambient light through the display, enabling the display to be read by transmitted ambient light rather than reflected artificial light
Solution Approach 2:
The patent removes the backlight component entirely from the display system. By extracting the artificial illumination source, the display relies solely on ambient light passing through the panel, eliminating the washing out problem that occurs when backlights compete with bright ambient light conditions
2Reliability
If a powerful backlight is used to ensure visibility in high ambient light, then the display remains visible, but power consumption and battery size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The display system uses the environment's own light resource (ambient light) to illuminate itself. By positioning the ambient light window to allow external light to enter and pass through the display panel, the system serves its own illumination needs without requiring external power sources for lighting
Solution Approach 2:
The patent removes the backlight component entirely from the display system. By extracting the artificial illumination source, the display relies solely on ambient light passing through the panel, eliminating the washing out problem that occurs when backlights compete with bright ambient light conditions
3Use of energy by moving object
If wired head mounted displays are used to access larger power sources, then power consumption is not limited, but weight and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the backlight component entirely from the display system. By extracting the artificial illumination source, the display relies solely on ambient light passing through the panel, eliminating the washing out problem that occurs when backlights compete with bright ambient light conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The display panel serves multiple functions: it displays information and simultaneously acts as a light transmission medium for ambient light. The same panel that shows data also allows ambient light to pass through, eliminating the need for separate illumination components
4Ease of operation
If the display is placed on the portable device, then data can be accessed, but the user must physically move the device into view which is inconvenient and dangerous
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an optical intermediary system consisting of optics and a viewing window that transfers visual information from the display panel to the user's line of sight. The optics guide light from the ambient light window through the display and out the viewing window, allowing the user to view data without moving the device
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions the display from a two-dimensional surface that must be physically positioned in front of the user to a three-dimensional optical system where the viewing window can be positioned in the user's line of sight while the actual display panel remains integrated into the device
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system ensures that data from portable devices can be viewed in a user's line of sight without needing to physically move the device, enhancing safety and convenience by maintaining visibility in high ambient light and reducing power consumption and weight.
Implementation Method 1
optics for guiding light from the ambient light window through the display and out the viewing window
Data Source
AI summary
A system for displaying data includes a display unit and a transmitting unit. A display unit has a housing that defines an ambient light window and a viewing window. A data display is positioned inside the housing, and optics are included for guiding light from the ambient light window through the display and out the viewing window.