Wearable Display Detached Projector Weight Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wearable image display systems are bulky and heavy due to the inclusion of processing electronics, image generation equipment, and power packs, which hinders user comfort and convenience.
Innovation Solution
A head-mounted display system that uses a separate, physically disconnected projector to generate and project images onto a lightweight, electrically passive head-mounted component with image receiving areas, eliminating the need for onboard electronics and power sources, and employing exit pupil expanders to superimpose images onto the user's field of view.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wearable display systems include processing electronics, image generation equipment, and power packs, then the display functionality is achieved, but the bulk and weight of the wearable display increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wearable display system is divided into two separate components: a remote projector unit containing all active electronics, image generation equipment, and power packs; and a lightweight head-mounted component containing only passive optical elements. This segmentation allows the heavy active components to be separated from the wearable portion, dramatically reducing its weight while maintaining full display functionality through the remote projector.
Solution Approach 2:
All active components (processing electronics, image generation equipment, and power packs) are extracted from the head-mounted display and relocated to a separate remote projector. The head-mounted component retains only the essential passive optical elements needed for image reception and presentation, eliminating the weight burden of power-consuming components while preserving display functionality.
2Reliability
If wearable display systems include processing electronics, image generation equipment, and power packs, then the display functionality is achieved, but the bulk of the wearable display increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into a remote projector volume and a compact head-mounted volume. By placing bulky active components in the remote projector and retaining only minimal passive optical elements in the head-mounted component, the wearable bulk is dramatically reduced while the remote projector handles all functional requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
All volume-consuming active components are extracted from the head-mounted display and placed in the remote projector. The head-mounted component is reduced to essential passive optical elements with minimal volume, achieving a compact wearable form factor while maintaining full display functionality through the extracted active components.
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 solution results in a lighter, less bulky wearable display that allows for comfortable and convenient viewing of electronically generated images without the bulk of active components or power sources, enhancing user experience by maintaining ambient scene visibility and reducing power consumption.
Implementation Method 1
an exit pupil expander configured to optically expand an image received at the image receiving area as an expanded view of the viewport
Implementation Method 2
at least one optical conduit that includes the exit pupil expander configured to transmit the expanded image received at the image receiving area to the viewport
Implementation Method 3
The one or more optical conduits are configured to superimpose an expanded image received at the image receiving area over a view of an ambient scene that is seen through the viewport
Data Source
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AI summary
A display system (200). A display device (202) has viewports (206, 208) emitting expanded views of an image, an image receiving area (210, 520, 522) receives the image, and optical conduits (250, 252) with exit pupil expanders expand the image through the viewports. A separate tracking projector (204) has an image projector (220) that projects an image along an axis, a marker search illuminator (220) that projects light into a space including the axis, and an image capture component (230) that captures target images that including at least three reflective marker images (260) associated with the image receiving area. An image processor (406) determines, based the marker images, a distance (320) and an orientation (310, 312, 314, 316) of the image receiving area. A projection controller (406) adjusts image data based upon the distance and the orientation to cause projected images to arrive squarely at the image receiving area.