Spectacle lens for a display device that can be fitted on the head of a user and generates an image, and display device with such a spectacle lens

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9989766-B2
Application number	US-201515304779-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 16, 2015
Priority date	Apr 17, 2014
Publication date	Jun 5, 2018
Grant date	Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

A spectacle lens for a display device can be fitted on the head of a user and generate an image. The spectacle lens includes a curved front and/or side, wherein a light guiding channel which is suitable for guiding light bundles of pixels of the generated image, which are coupled into the spectacle lens via the coupling-in section of the spectacle lens, in the spectacle lens to the coupling-out section to couple them out of the spectacle lens via the coupling-out section. The coupling-out section includes at least two deflecting surfaces arranged next to each other which reflect the light bundles in the direction of the rear side for the coupling out. Deflecting surfaces can be formed as a switchable layer which can be switched into a first and a second state, wherein the reflectivity of the switchable layers in the first state is higher than in the second state.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A spectacle lens for a display device that can be fitted on the head of a user and generate an image, the spectacle lens formed of a material, the spectacle lens comprising:
a coupling-in section where light bundles of pixels of the image are coupled into the material of the spectacle lens;
a coupling-out section where light bundles of pixels of the image are coupled out of the material of the spectacle lens;
a front side;
a rear side, wherein at least one of the front side and the rear side is curved; and
a light guiding channel configured to guide the light bundles of pixels of the image within the material from the coupling-in section to the coupling-out section,
wherein the coupling-out section comprises at least two deflecting surfaces arranged next to each other which are configured to reflect the light bundles in the direction of the rear side for the coupling-out, and
wherein the deflecting surfaces are each configured as a switchable layer which can be switched into a first and a second state, wherein the reflectivity of the switchable layers in the first state is higher than in the second state.

2. The spectacle lens according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two deflecting surfaces arranged next to each other are configured to be switched into the first and second state independently of each other.

3. The spectacle lens according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling-out section comprises two groups arranged next to each other with, in each case, at least two deflecting surfaces arranged next to each other, wherein the deflecting surfaces in each case are formed as the switchable layer and the switchable layers of one of the two groups can be switched into the first and second state independently of the switchable layers of the other of the two groups.

4. The spectacle lens according to claim 1 , wherein the deflecting surfaces are configured to reproduce a curved reflecting surface in a Fresnel manner, which includes an imaging property in addition to a pure beam deflection.

5. The spectacle lens according to claim 4 , wherein the deflecting surfaces are flat.

6. The spectacle lens according to claim 1 , wherein the deflecting surfaces are flat.

7. The spectacle lens according to claim 1 , wherein the deflecting surfaces are curved.

8. The spectacle lens according to claim 1 , wherein the deflecting surfaces each comprise an electrically switchable layer.

9. The spectacle lens according to claim 1 , wherein the deflecting surfaces each comprise an optically switchable layer.

10. The spectacle lens according to claim 9 , wherein the optically switchable layer comprises a passively switchable layer.

11. The spectacle lens according to claim 9 , wherein the optically switchable layer comprises an actively switchable layer.

12. The spectacle lens according to claim 1 , wherein on at least one of the front side and the rear side a switchable transmission layer is formed, wherein the transmittance of the switchable transmission layer is settable.

13. The spectacle lens according to claim 12 , wherein the switchable transmission layer comprises an electrically switchable transmission layer.

14. The spectacle lens according to claim 12 , wherein the switchable transmission layer comprises an optically switchable transmission layer.

15. A display device, comprising:
a holder that can be fitted on the head of a user;
an image-generating module secured to the holder, which can generate an image;
an imaging optical system secured to the holder, the imaging optical system comprising a spectacle lens according to claim 1 and which, when the holder is fitted on the head, images the generated image such that the user can perceive it as a virtual image; and
a control unit configured to actuate the switchable layers of the deflecting surfaces.

16. The display device according to claim 15 , wherein the control unit is further configured to actuate the switchable layers of the deflecting surfaces such that the deflecting surfaces reflect the light bundles towards the rear side one after the other over time.

17. The display device according to claim 16 , wherein the control unit is further configured to actuate the deflecting surfaces such that the field of view is maximized.

Assignees

• Carl Zeiss Smart Optics Gmbh
• tooz technologies GmbH

Inventors

• Dobschal Hans-Juergen
• Lindig Karsten
• Rudolph Guenter
• Kartal Ersun
• Riedel Lisa
• Widulle Frank
• Patra Michael

Classifications

• G02B27/0172 Primary

  characterised by optical features · CPC title

• G02B2027/013

  comprising a combiner of particular shape, e.g. curvature · CPC title

• G02B2027/0118

  comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility · CPC title

• G02F1/19

  based on variable-reflection or variable-refraction elements not provided for in groups G02F1/015 - G02F1/169 · CPC title

• G02C7/02

  Lenses; Lens systems {; Methods of designing lenses} · CPC title