Image display apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10197810-B2
Application number	US-201715720599-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2017
Priority date	Jan 23, 2017
Publication date	Feb 5, 2019
Grant date	Feb 5, 2019

Abstract

Provided are display apparatuses and electronic apparatuses that include the display apparatuses. The display apparatus may include an optical system that transfers a first image and a second image to an ocular organ of a user. The optical system may include at least two polarization-dependent lenses. Each of the two polarization-dependent lenses may have a focal length that varies based on a polarization state of incident light. The two polarization-dependent lenses may have optically different characteristics with respect to the first and second images. The display apparatus may further include at least one wave plate and/or at least one polarizer provided between the two polarization-dependent lenses or outside thereof.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display apparatus comprising:
an image generator configured to generate a first image; and
a multi-image transmitting optical system configured to transfer the first image to an ocular organ of a user via a first path and to transfer a second image that is different from the first image to the ocular organ of the user via a second path that is different from the first path,
wherein the multi-image transmitting optical system comprises at least two polarization-dependent lenses,
each of the at least two polarization-dependent lenses has a respective focal length that varies based on a polarization state of incident light, and
a combination of the at least two polarization-dependent lenses has first optical characteristics with respect to the first image and second optical characteristics that are different from the first optical characteristics with respect to the second image.

2. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a combination of the at least two polarization-dependent lenses is configured to reinforce a refractive power with respect to the first image and to offset the refractive power with respect to the second image.

3. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a combination of the at least two polarization-dependent lens is configured to have a positive focal length with respect to the first image and to have an infinite or substantially infinite focal length with respect to the second image.

4. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least two polarization-dependent lens comprise a first polarization-dependent lens and a second polarization-dependent lens,
light that corresponds to the first image passes through each of the first polarization-dependent lens and the second polarization-dependent lens, and
each of the first polarization-dependent lens and the second polarization-dependent lens has a positive focal length with respect to the light that corresponds to the first image.

5. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least two polarization-dependent lenses comprise a first polarization-dependent lens and a second polarization-dependent lens,
light that corresponds to the first image twice passes through one from among the first polarization-dependent lens and the second polarization-dependent lens, and
the one from among the first polarization-dependent lens and the second polarization-dependent lens through which the light that corresponds to the first image passes twice, has a positive focal length with respect to the light of the first image during each of a first pass and a second pass.

6. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least two polarization-dependent lenses comprise a first polarization-dependent lens and a second polarization-dependent lens,
light that corresponds to the second image passes through each of the first polarization-dependent lens and the second polarization-dependent lens, and
one from among the first polarization-dependent lens and the second polarization-dependent lens has a positive focal length with respect to the light that corresponds to the second image, and the other from among the first polarization-dependent lens and the second polarization-dependent lens has a negative focal length with respect to the light that corresponds to the second image.

7. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least two polarization-dependent lenses is a geometric phase lens.

8. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the multi-image transmitting optical system is a see-through type optical system, and
the second image is an external image that is visible to the user through the multi-image transmitting optical system.

9. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the multi-image transmitting optical system comprises:
a multipath optical member;
the at least two polarization-dependent lenses arranged between the multipath optical member and the ocular organ of the user; and
at least one from among at least one polarizer and at least one wave plate arranged between two from among the at least two polarization-dependent lenses or outside the at least two polarization-dependent lenses.

10. The display apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the multi-image transmitting optical system comprises:
a first polarization-dependent lens arranged between the multipath optical member and the ocular organ;
a second polarization-dependent lens arranged between the first polarization-dependent lens and the multipath optical member;
a first linear polarizer arranged between the first polarization-dependent lens and the second polarization-dependent lens; and
a first quarter-wave plate (QWP) arranged between the first polarization-dependent lens and the first linear polarizer.

11. The display apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the multipath optical member comprises a polarization beam splitter, and
the multi-image transmitting optical system further comprises a second QWP that is arranged between the second polarization-dependent lens and the multipath optical member.

12. The display apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the multipath optical member comprises one from among a beam splitter and a transflective film, and
the multi-image transmitting optical system further comprises a second QWP and a second linear polarizer that are sequentially arranged at a side of an incident surface of the multipath optical member.

13. The display apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the multipath optical member comprises one from among a beam splitter and a transflective film, and
the multi-image transmitting optical system further comprises:
a second QWP that is arranged between the second polarization-dependent lens and the multipath optical member;
a second linear polarizer arranged at a side of a first incident surface of the multipath optical member; and
a third linear polarizer arranged at a side of a second incident surface of the multipath optical member.

14. The display apparatus of claim 9 , wherein each of the first polarization-dependent lens and the second polarization-dependent lens has an optically same directionality.

15. The display apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the multi-image transmitting optical system comprises:
a first polarization-dependent lens and a second polarization-dependent lens sequentially arranged to face the ocular organ;
a half mirror arranged between the first polarization-dependent lens and the second polarization-dependent lens; and
at least one from among at least one polarizer and at least one wave plate arranged between the half mirror and at least one from among the first polarization-dependent lens and the second polarization-dependent lens or outside the at least two polarization-dependent lenses.

16. The display apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the multi-image transmitting optical system comprises:
a first quarter-wave plate (QWP) arranged between the first polarization-dependent lens and the half mirror;
a second QWP arranged between the half mirror and the second polarization-dependent lens;
a first linear polarizer spaced apart from the second polarization-dependent lens; and
a third QWP arranged between the second polarization-dependent lens and the first linear polarizer.

17. The display apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the multi-image transmitting optical system further comprises one from among a beam splitter and a transflective film arranged between the ocular organ of the user and the first polarization-dependent lens.

18. The display apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the multi-image transmitting opti

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Seo Wontaek
• Sung Geeyoung
• Lee Hongseok
• Kim Yuntae
• Seo Juwon

Classifications

• G02B27/144

  using partially transparent surfaces without spectral selectivity (G02B27/147 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B27/0172

  characterised by optical features · CPC title

• G06T19/006

  Mixed reality (object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00) · CPC title

• G02B3/10 Primary

  Bifocal lenses; Multifocal lenses · CPC title

• G02B27/283

  used for beam splitting or combining · CPC title