Incident Light-Dependent Lens Unit for See-Through Display
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current see-through type display apparatuses for augmented and mixed reality applications face challenges in achieving a wide viewing angle without image distortion, often compromising on the viewing angle due to the placement of lenses that distort outside images.
Innovation Solution
The use of an incident light-dependent lens unit that functions as a convex lens for virtual images and a flat plate for real-world images, with a combination of a first lens having varying focal lengths based on polarization direction and a second lens with a constant focal length, allowing for a wide viewing angle and clear transmission of real-world images.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a lens is placed in front of the user's eye to enable viewing of virtual images, then the viewing angle for virtual content is improved, but the outside image becomes distorted
Solution Approach 1:
The optical system is segmented into two distinct functional paths: one path (first optical path) guides virtual images through a lens to the user's eye, while the other path (second optical path) allows outside images to pass through a transparent region without lens interference. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by providing dedicated optical treatment for each image type, enabling wide viewing angle for virtual content while maintaining undistorted transmission for the outside scene.
2Ease of operation
If the lens is positioned closer to the user's eye to enhance virtual image viewing, then the viewing angle is increased, but the distortion of real-world images worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The optical system exhibits local quality by providing different optical properties in different spatial regions: a lens region with high refractive power for virtual images and a transparent region with minimal refractive power for outside images. This local differentiation allows the lens to be positioned close to the user's eye to maximize virtual image viewing angle while the transparent region ensures that outside images pass through without distortion, effectively resolving the contradiction between viewing angle enhancement and distortion prevention.
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
This configuration enables a wide viewing angle of at least 40°, preventing distortion of real-world images while enhancing the viewing experience for virtual content, thereby improving the performance of see-through type display apparatuses for AR and MR applications.
Implementation Method 1
a first lens having a focal length varying according to polarization directions of incident light
Implementation Method 2
The incident light-dependent lens unit may have a refractive power equal to 0 or substantially equal to 0 with respect to the second-path light
Data Source
Figure 1~2A
Figure 2B~3A
Figure 3B~4
AI summary
A see-through type display apparatus includes a see-through type optical system (ST10) configured to transmit a first image via a first-path light (L1), which is light traveling on a first path, to an ocular organ (10) of a user, and a second image via a second-path light (L2), which is light traveling on a second path, to the ocular organ of the user; and an incident light-dependent lens unit (LU10) provided between the see-through type optical system (ST10) and the ocular organ (10) of the user and having different refractive powers according to characteristics of incident light (L1, L2), where the incident light-dependent lens unit (LU10) has a positive first refractive power with respect to the first-path light (L1) and has a second refractive power different from the first refractive power with respect to the second-path light (L2).