SUBSTRATE-GUIDE OPTICAL DEVICE

摘要

An optical device, including a light waves-transmitting substrate has two major surfaces and edges, optical means for coupling light into the substrate by total internal reflection, and a plurality of partially reflecting surfaces (22a, 22b) carried by the substrate. The partially reflecting surfaces (22a, 22b) are parallel to each other and are not parallel to any of the edges of the substrate, one or more of the partially reflecting surfaces (22a, 22b) being an anisotropic surface. The optical device has dual operational modes in see-through configuration. In a first mode, light waves are projected from a display source through the substrate to an eye of a viewer. In a second mode, the display source is shut off and only an external scene is viewable through the substrate.

主权项

1. An optical device, comprising:
a light waves-transmitting substrate having at least two major surfaces and edges; at least a first and a second electronic display source, each having a predetermined resolution; optical means for coupling light waves from said first display source into the substrate by total internal reflection, and a plurality of partially reflecting surfaces carried by the substrate wherein the partially reflecting surfaces are parallel to each other and are not parallel to any of the edges of the substrate; a switching unit for selectively controlling activation and deactivation of the first and the second display sources effecting a first and second operational modes, wherein in a first mode the switching unit activates the first display source and deactivates the second display source, thereby the image light waves from the first display source are coupled into the substrate and are projected by the partially reflecting surfaces into an eye of a viewer, and in the second mode, the switching unit deactivates the first display source and activates the second display source which enables viewing the second display directly through the substrate.