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-9989767-B2
Application number	US-201515304841-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 front side and/or the rear side can be curved. A light guiding channel can guide-light bundles of pixels of the generated image, which are coupled into the spectacle lens via the coupling-in section and coupled out of the spectacle lens via the coupling-out section. The light guiding channel includes a first reflecting surface and a second reflecting surface spaced apart from the first reflecting surface, each of which extend in a direction from the coupling-in section to the coupling-out section. At least one of the two reflecting surfaces can be formed as a switchable layer which can be switched into a first and a second state. The reflectivity of the switchable layer 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;
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 light guiding channel comprises a first reflecting surface and a second reflecting surface spaced apart from the first reflecting surface, each of which extend in a direction from the coupling-in section to the coupling-out section, and
wherein at least one of the reflecting surfaces comprises a switchable layer which can be switched into a first and a second state, wherein the reflectivity of the switchable layer in the first state is higher than in the second state.

2. The spectacle lens according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the reflecting surfaces is formed as a flat surface or as a surface which is flat in sections.

3. The spectacle lens according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the reflecting surfaces is curved.

4. The spectacle lens according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the reflecting surfaces is disposed in the spectacle lens and is spaced apart from the front and rear sides.

5. The spectacle lens according to claim 1 , wherein the switchable layer of the at least one reflecting surface comprises a liquid crystal layer or an electrochromic layer.

6. The spectacle lens according to claim 1 , wherein the switchable layer comprises at least two sections which can be switched into the first state and into the second state independently of each other.

7. The spectacle lens according to claim 1 , wherein the switchable layer comprises an electrically switchable layer.

8. The spectacle lens according to 1 , wherein the switchable layer comprises an optically switchable layer.

9. The spectacle lens according to claim 8 , wherein the optically switchable layer is a passively switchable layer.

10. The spectacle lens according to claim 8 , wherein the optically switchable layer is an actively switchable layer.

11. The spectacle lens according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling-out section comprises at least two deflecting surfaces arranged next to each other which, for the coupling out, reflect the light bundles in the direction of the rear side, wherein the deflecting surfaces each comprise a switchable second layer, which can be switched into a first and a second state, wherein the reflectivity of the switchable second layers in the first state is higher than in the second state.

12. The spectacle lens according to claim 11 , wherein the at least two deflecting surfaces arranged next to each other can be switched into the first and second state independently of each other.

13. The spectacle lens according to claim 11 , wherein the coupling-out section comprises two groups arranged next to each other, each including at least two deflecting surfaces arranged next to each other, wherein each of the deflecting surfaces comprise the switchable second layer and the second layers of one of the two groups can be switched into the first and second state independently of the second layers of the other of the two groups.

14. The spectacle lens according to claim 11 , wherein the switchable second layer is electrically switchable.

15. The spectacle lens according to claim 11 , wherein the switchable second layer is optically switchable.

16. The spectacle lens according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the front side and the rear side comprise a switchable transmission layer wherein the transmittance of which can be set.

17. The spectacle lens according to claim 16 , wherein the switchable transmission layer is an electrically switchable transmission layer.

18. The spectacle lens according to claim 16 , wherein the switchable transmission layer is an optically switchable transmission layer.

19. 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 layer of the reflecting surface.

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

• G02B2027/0178

  Eyeglass type (eyeglass details G02C) · CPC title

• G02B27/017

  Head mounted · CPC title

• G02B2027/013

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

• G02B27/30

  Collimators · CPC title

• G02B2027/0123

  comprising devices increasing the field of view · CPC title