Patent ID: 6239908
Filing Date: 2001-05-29
Classification: G02B,H04N

Abstract:
A binocular imaging system, comprising:(a) an image display, wherein said image display generates light representative of an image and said image comprises first and second sequential pluralities of image frames that are interleaved with one another in time;(b) a first focusing element along a first optical path, wherein said first optical path extends from said image display to a first location and said first focusing element focuses said image at said first location;(c) a second focusing element along a second optical path wherein said second optical path extends from said image display to a second location, said second focusing element focuses said image at said second location;(d) a selective display means having first and second display states, wherein in said first display state said selective display means causes said first sequential plurality of image frames to be displayed along said first optical path at said first location, and in said second display state said selective display means causes said second sequential plurality of image frames to be displayed along said second optical path at said second location;(e) a first beam splitter located along both said first and said second optical paths so as to distribute light incident thereupon between said first and said second optical paths, wherein a first portion of said incident light is reflected by said first beam splitter and propagates along said first optical path, and a second portion of said incident light is transmitted through said first beam splitter and propagates along said second optical path;(f) a second beam splitter located along both said first and said second optical paths between said image display and said first beam splitter, wherein at least a third portion of said light representative of an image is transmitted through said second beam splitter to said first beam splitter and a fourth portion of said first portion of said incident light reflected by said first beam splitter is reflected by said second beam splitter;(g) a reflector along said second optical path, wherein said reflector is adapted to reflect said second portion of said incident light that is transmitted through said first beam splitter; and(h) a controller operatively connected to said image display, wherein said image generated by said image display is responsive to said controller, said selective display means is responsive to said controller, said controller comprises first and second control states, in said first control state one of said first and second sequential pluralities of image frames is displayed by said image display and said selective display means operates in one of said first and second display states, in said second control state the other of said first and second sequential pluralities of image frames is displayed by said image display and said selective display means operates in the other of said first and second display states, and in one of said control states said controller causes each image of one of said first and second sequential pluralities of image frames to be displayed by said image display as a mirror image of a corresponding image signal.