STEREOSCOPIC VIDEO IMAGE DISPLAY APPLIANCE WEARABLE ON HEAD LIKE SPECTACLES

Abstract: Object of invention is such an appliance which is suitable for stereoscopic displaying of video images. It is wearable on head having a common stiff frame with two video image displays built in it, then an optical system, containing lenses and mirrors or prisms, is located, arranged symmetrically. Video image displays (1), e.g. cathode ray tubes, while wearing on head, are located near the temples; in front of the screen (3) there is a mirror or a prism having reflecting surface, having 45 DEG - 75 DEG angles with the plane of the screen on two sides symmetrically fitting into optical train between the screen (3) and the concerned pupil, then a lense or lense-system (8), then there is a reflecting mirror (7) having the area not greater than that of the average pupil, in front of the pupils (5), fixing of this mirror (7) is made of transparent material or is covered. The enumerated elements are built in the frame cover having many parts, from which part left and right side cover (9) contain video image display (1), mirrors or prisms (4) in front of the screen (3) and lenses or lense-systems (8), its connecting element (12) is transparent material and/or is constructed out of the virtual sight and rests on the ridge of the nose.

Description: STEREOSCOPIC VIDEO IMAGE DISPLAY APPLIANCE WEARABLE ON HEAD LIKE SPECTACLES Technica I field The invention relates to an appl iance serving for stereoscopic image display which can be worn on head and it has two video displays mounted in a common stiff frame and there is anoptical system consisting of lenses and mirrors arranged syrπnetr icaI ly on the right and left sides of the head in such an order that it ensures simultaneous watching of both the surroundings and tv image practical ly without disturbing each other. Background art It is a general endeavour in case of most people to spend time of travel ling and waiting in a more useful way, getting informed or entertaining. Its traditional means besides newspapers and books are the wide-spread walkman (cassette player- with stereo earphones) and the radio walkman (earphones with radio receiver). In spite of . the fact that most popular amusement in the homes preceding reading and l istening to radio is watch¬ ing tv and video, however it has not spread in publ ic vehi¬ cles, in streets, etc. Its most important reasons are: screen size of miniaturized tv is too smal l to enjoy the image: watching smal l picture for a long time strains the eyes; increasing the picture is limited because of claim of port¬ abi l ity, abi l ity to keep it in a pocket, on the other hand the l imit that screen held in hands can be maximum in an arm's length. Consequently we increase size of picture in vain; over a certain l imit picture seen from a too close dis- tance shows l ine-structure; screen of tv set held in hands, because of sight, is watched by people standing around, which can be disturbing; at day-light or at strong inner lighting image fades or gets contrast Iess. Such an appliance, is suitable for solving the problem whic J 1/ l ight, 2/ small sized, 3/ picture appears in a good distance /i.e. 2-3 meters/, 4/ picture cannot be seen by others, 5/ the appl iance need not be held in hands, 6/ while watching it, the person can see his surroundings free, 7/ screen is strongly shaded from outer l ight, in this way it is perfectly contrasty. The US Patent No. 4 3IO--849 is known /12th January I 982,- Stuart M.Glass, "Stereoscopic video system"/ which is a stereo image and voice broadcasting unit fixed to the head, where tv pictures of right and left type is forwarded to the left and right eyes by fibreglass optics, voices forwarded to ears by stereo earphones. The appliance can be fixed to the head by head band system. Its disadvantages are: band system is heavy and big, wearing it is uncomfortable and striking, and the band in front of the eyes disturbs looking around, i.e. its wearer can see only tv screen and not the surroundings. Tv mounted into helmet is described in G.V. Mamchev's book "The Stereo Television" /MGszaki Kδnyvkiadό, Budapest - Mir Publishing House-, Moscow, i;981," page 58/. A special cover is fixed to the forehead part of thevvi-ewer s helmet in whi h two cathode ray tubes are situated almost vertical ly with looking downwards above the left and right eyes, and viewer sees the two screens through a lense and a mirror. The helmet is heavy and big in this- case too, and the cover including the mirrors disables the viewer to see the surroundings free. The US Patent No. 559 555 has the same operation principle /I7th December I985, Arnold Schoolman, "Stereo¬ scopic viewing system"/, a tv set mounted in a helmet as as described by its fig. 5-7. arrangement of elements and its disadvantages are simi lar. The US Patent No. 4 706 117 /10th November 1987, Arnold Schoolman, "Stereo Laser disc viewing system"/ de- scribes a tv set of various construction fixed to the head. According to its fig. 6-8 there is a protruding extension is a big closed unit in front of the viewer's eyes, in which there are two bui lt-in objectives, two screens with liquid crystal and two lamps for l ighting the screen and the exten- sion is fixed to the head by a head band system. According . to appl iance described in its fig. 10 there are two lenses in front of the eyes and beyond them there are two LCD screens. In the cases of appl iance mentioned in above patent description, the protruding extension makes possible only watching tv and it total ly closes the surroundings and their fixing system are big and ' uncomfortable. FRG Patent No. DE 3534162 A1 /13th November 1986, Wolfgang Andrich, "Tragbarer videomonitor"/ describes such*, a non-stereoscopic tv set mounted into a helmet, in which case there is a tv image display on top of viewer's head, its image is projected in the eye by a first lense, a mirror, a second lense and a transparent mirror. Its disadvantage is the big sized helmet and the fact that semi-transparent mirror is an ambiguous solution, as it does not make pos- sible to see either the surroundings or tv image undisturbed way, because both can be seen on the same location projected on each other. At last .mention US Patent No. 4 636 866 /22nd De¬ cember 1983, Noburu Hattori, "Personal Liquid Crystal Image Display"/ which describes a protruding extension construc¬ ted as a close unit which can be fixed to the head by a helmet There are one or two LCD screens in the protruding exten¬ sion s-een by viewer through a lense or lenses and mirrors. Disadvantages of the appl iance are similer to the previous ones. To surrmarize all these, corrmon characteristic feature of known solutions realising tv image display wear¬ able on the head are the relatively big size and weight that makes its wearing on -the- one hand uncomfortable and tiring, on the other hand wearing such helmets in the streets in public vehicles, etc. is striking. Possibil ities of using them are further limited by the fact that user of this appliance has limited ability to orientate, that is why this appliance can be used for.wa.tchϊng tv only under undis¬ turbed circumstances. Disclosure of the invention The aim of our Invention is to eliminate above shortcomings to ensure new usage circle. Our invention is based on the recognition that free outlook on the surround¬ ings - beside enjoying perfect image fading into the sur- roundϊngs in a pleasent way - can be ensured by a smal l sized, pleasant for wearing, esthetic appliance in case we combine suitable optical and electronical principles during designing the appliance. General solution of the task is such an appliance which has Image displays, e.g. cathode ray tubes, located while wearing it on the head in front of the temples; in front of the screens and fitting into the optical train be¬ tween the screen and the aporopriate pupi l as wel l as on the two sides sirrmetricaI Iy there is a mirror or prism with reflecting surface each, having 45 - 75 angles with the plain of the screen, then a lense or lense system each, then in the axis of the eyes, in front_ of the pupi ls there is a mirror each fixed, essential ly, without any optical shading elements, having a reflecting surface of maximum double of the iris's average area, which fits into optical train according to the outl ines of the screen and the enumerated elements are bui lt in. such a frame-cover consisting of several parts, and from which the left and right cover conta¬ in the Image displays, e.g. cathode ray tubes, mirrors or prisms and lenses or lense systems being in front of the screen, and its joining element al lows free outlook, being advantageously transparent or being beyond the visual field and rests on the ridge of the nose. Brief Description of Drawings We describe our invention in detai ls with the help of embodyment examp I es .. Fi gures used for description show the fo I I owing: Fig.1: Sketchy arrangement of elements of the appl i¬ ance according to the invention in top view in case of catho- de ray tubes. Fig.2: Appl iance according to the invention, per- spektively in case of cathode ray tubes. Fig.3: Sectional drawing of a part of the appl i¬ ance according to fig.2. Fig.4: Sketchy arrangement of elements of apμ i *i - ance according to invention in top view in case of LCD screens. Fig .5: Uncovering relation of mirrors being in front of the eyes in vertical plain. Mode of carrying out the Invention According to figure 1 video image displays 1 11 are situated along left arid right temples of the person's head 121 with screens 131 looking forward. Because of symmetrical relations in the future we describe only ar¬ rangement of the left side. In front of the screen 131 an optical element with reflecting surface, i.e. a mirror or a prism Is situated. In front of the pupi l 151 of the left eye, we have described only its top view place because of uncovering of eyebrows /6/, the mirror 111 is situated In 1-3 em's distance, which is a metal mirror so as to avoid double reflecting. Its shape advantageously is a lying rectangle suitably to screen 131 to be reflected, even more punctual ly it is such a trapezium whose longer side of the paral lel ones is farther from the pupi l 151 . It is placed a bit to the right from the axis of the eye in front of the pupil 151 . The lense or lense system 181 is situated between the mirror or prism Ikl and the mirror 111 , with. optical axis approximatel coϊnsiding with quadrat connecting centre of reflecting surfaces, their focus is longer than length of the quadrant deflecting according to optical train which connects optical main point with cent¬ ral point of screen 131 . The video image display /1/, the mirror or prism Ikl and the lense or lense system 18/ are built " In the cover /9/, whose end is open at the lense or lense system 181. The fixing element /11/ is joined to the end of the cover 191 at the ear, its shape is advanta¬ geously is turning downwards simi larly to the traditional spectacI e-temp Ie. Regarding both sides of fig.1, joining element /12/ stiffly connects left and right covers /9/ which is made of transparent material or because of its stereo¬ scopic construction it does not disturb out-look. Mirrors 111 are stiffly fixed to the joining elements /12/. The middle of the joining element /12/ is advantageously constructed l ike an arch lying on- the ridge of the nose /13/. Display driving circuit can also be placed beside the video image display I Λ I in the cover 191 . The electric cab- les /20/ lead through the opening of the cover 191 lead to the unit serving as the source of image and voice signals as wel l as feeding voltage which can be a tv-tuner, image recorder-player appl iance,- computer, video camera, etc. Earphones /14/ can be placed outside of the cover 191 or can be bui lt in the lengthened cover 191 \ in special cases, as e.g. connecting to computer, earphones /14/ can be omitted. Fig.2. shows one way of construction of the joining element /12/. Both ends of cyl inder shaped body made of thin transparent plate, advantageously of plastic, are fixed to the covers 19/ , e.g. glued. Fixing mirrors 111 to the joining element /12/ can be done either with distor¬ tion free transparent elements /e.g. glass or plastic plates/, either with elements being behind and covered by the mirror 111 . Embodyment of the latter is shown in fig.3. Bal l joint or journal joint /15/ is fixed to the backside of the mirror 111 , advantageously glued, and trained end of inner component pierce through vertical opening I'17/ of the joining element /12/. The joining element /12/ is surrounded by screw-nuts. In this way fine setting of the mirror 77/ in al l directions is possible. Lense or lense-system 181 is suppl ied with setting element which can be e.g. tube with screw-thread /19/. In fig.4 video image display /1/ is an LCD appl i¬ ance bui lt in the cover /9/, as per arrangement is shown, behind it a light diffusor i.e. a semi-transparent plate e.g. a mat pane, spreading light homogenous Iy, is situated. Cover 19/ Is divided into two parts which are turnably • : connected with a joint 1221 , in this way two temples of the appliance, similarly to spectacles, can be folded. Open ends of previous covering parts are closed serviceable with I ightjdi ffusors /21/ and 1231 , e.g. mat panes as covering plates. L ght-source of white colour is built in behind the l ight diffusocr/23/ which has switchable electric connection;, with an electric source /25/ built In the cover 191 . The cover 191 ends in the fixing element /11/ whose shape is preferably curving downwards. Characterized according to its operation, the beam starting from the screen 131 reflecting on the mirror or prism Ikl , focused by the lense or lense-system 181 and at last reflecting on the mirror 111 gets in the eye through the pupi l. After al l -the viewer person looks with both eyes in the dicection of the mirror 111 , behind It, at the loca¬ tion of the virtual image 1261 , which is theϊenlarged image of the screen 131 and seems in bigger distance than that iis. That is why the two images in the case of both equal images and stereo Image pairs /images, recorded from left and right visual angle/ It becomes a single image. In the case of stereo image pair this picture has the virtual view of three dimensions. Preferably we choose the size of the screen 131 and enlarging lense-system 181 so that angle 3 should be aoproxlmate I y between 10° and 15°, this equals with the angle of watching tv from 2-3 m. In case we move lense or lense- -system farther along its optical axis from the mirror or prism Ikl and at the same time from the screen 13 / , size and distance of virtual image /25/ increases at the same angle 3 . In order to make distance and size of the picture the most comfortable, we supply setting element to the lense or lense-system /8/ which can operate sepa- rately or together. Size and location of mirrors 111 are exatly proper for both eyes to see just the screen 13/ and only the screen. In other words the mirrors 111 cause only minimum shading for the person watching the outer surround¬ ings. The person sees the virtual image /26/ by itself, without any dark frame put on image of the current outer envi ronment in other words tv image starts to float in front of background of the surroundings. As it is seen from the above to make virtual tv images, seen by left or right eye, covered it requires precise setting of mirrors 111 once according to the person's eyes. Setting can be done by turning or paralel ly sl ipping the mirrors 111. Fig.5 explains or shows that mirrors II I practical¬ ly do not or hardly disable the person to watch the sur¬ roundings free. As mirr-ors 111 are not transparent, while watching visual image /26/, the objects surroundings behind them are covered. However if e.g. viewer looks .. at a much remote point 1211 , he sees it also with both eyes, though this point should be uncovered behind the visual image 1261 . Explanation of the phenomenon is the fact that pupi ls of eyes, looking far, move away from each other because of l ittle correcting turn of the eyebal ls, in this way pupi ls in situation /28/ can see better behind the mirror 111 . After al l , only the lined field /33/ surrounded by half l ines /29/ and/30/, as wel l as by /31/ and /32/ (starting from pupi ls in situation /28/ and touching edges of mirrors 111 ) remain uncovered for both eyes. The thesis is widely true according to which while watching visual image /26/ with T territory (uncovering the surroundings) watching any other point being closer or farther, uncovering for both eyes in smaller than T. At last as pupil " is not punctiform, it has extension, at above phenomena contours become blurred which increases validity of previous thesis. As a surrmery, our invention is a spectacle shaped video image display which makes possible not only undisturbed watching of tv image but also of the outer surroundings or with smal ler uncovering that previous tv image. From the described embodyments we can see that depending on the sort of Image display appliance can be constructed in various ways. In the case of image display with liquid crystal electronic driving display with :*lϊquϊd crystal can be built in the cover /9/ according to fig.4, even tv tuner too, in latter case it is a complete tv receiver - with the addition of areal and earphones. In case of coloured Image display in one basic colour /e.g. blue/ on one screen and in the mixture of the other two basic colours /red and green/ on the other screen, then in viewer's mind colours mix in a binocular way and the stereoscopic image seems to be coloured.

Claims: C I a ims 1. Stereoscopic video image display appl iance wearable on the head which has two image displays mounted in a corrmon stiff frame, and behind them an optical system comprising lenses and mirrors or prisms, arranged symmetri¬ cally on the left and right sides of the head, char ac t e r i zed by that video image display I M , e.g. cathode ray tubes are located at the temple whi le wearing on the head; video image display /1/ is located in front of the screens 131 , a mirror or a prism Ikl having reflecting surface fits into optical train between the screen /3/and th suitable pupil syrtmetricaI Iy on two sides, having an angle between 45 and 75 with the plain of the screen 131, then a lense or lense-system 181 each, then in front of the pupils 151 a mirror 111 having- ref Iect ing surface and double area of the iris's average area, whose fixing is made of transparent material and/or it is behind the mirror, and " the enumareted elements are bui lt in such a frame cover, having several parts, from which left and right side covers 191 contain video image displays 111 , mirrors or prisms Ikl in front of the screen 131 and lenses or I ense-systems 181 its joining part /12/ is transparent and/or constructed out of the visual sight and rests on the ridgs of the nose. 2. App I iance according to Claim 1.c h a r ac t e r i z by resting on the head 12/ serviceably at three places, simi larly to.the spectacles, on ridge of the nose /13/ and at the ears /10/. 3. Appl iance according to Claims 1. or 2., ch ar ac t e r i z e d by fixing mirrors I I I in front of the eyes to the joining element /12/. 4. Appliance according to any of Claims 1-3., char ac t er i zed by fixing mirrors II I being in front of the certain eyes to the joining element /12/ is done with fixing elements made of transparent material and/or It is covered from the concerned eye. 5. Appliance according to any of Claims 1-4., cha r ac t er i zed by that any mirror II I in front of the eyes can be moved by setting element along optical axis of nearest lense or lense-system 181, and can be turned around moments pole or rotation axis. 6. Appliance according to Claim 5., char ac t e r i ze d by that setting element is a bal I join ' t or journal joint /15/ fixed to the back of the mirror 111 and two screw-nuts being at the trained end of its inner part /16/ surrounding wall of the joining element 1121. 1. Appliance according to Claims 1-6., ch a r act e r i zed by movabi llty of lenses or Iense-system 181 along their own optical axis with setting element. 8. Appliance according to Claim 7., charact e r i ze d by that setting eIement in a tube with screw-thread. 9. AppI iance according to any of Claims 1-8., char ac t e r i ze d by that video image display I'M is a cathode ray tube. 10. Appliance according to any of Claims 1-9., char act er i zed by that video image display /1/ is an il luminated or trans1 I Iuminated LCD appliance. 11. Appl iance according to any of Claims 1-10., ch ar a c t e r i ze d by that behind LCD app I iance there i s a l ight diffusor /21/, e.g. mat pane and a l ight source /24/ behind the latter are built in cover 191. ■ 12. Appl iance according to any of Claims 1-11., c h a r a c t e r i z e d by that cover 191 contains electric source /25/ which is connected into a circuit with the I ight-source /24/. 13. Appl iance according to any of Claims 1-12., c ha r ac t e r i z e d by ' that video image display /1/elec- tronics driving is bui lt in the cover 191. 14. Appliance according to any of Claims 1-13., cha r ac t e r i zed by that tv tuner is built in the cover 191. 15. Appl iance according to any of Claims 1-14., cha r ac t e r i z e d by that front and separated back part of the cover 19/ are connected with joint.* 16. Appliance according to any .of Claims 1-15., ch a r ac t e r i ze d by that open ends of covers ' s /9/ parts connected with joints /22/ are closed by l ight diffusors /21,23/, e "" .g. mat panes. 17. Appl iance according to any of Claims 1-16., by that video image display /1/ on the left shows the picture only in one basic colour /e.g.blue/, the one on the right In the mixture of the other basic colours /red,green/ .

Inventors: ENDREI KAROLY, ENDREI KAROLYNE, HOLAKOVSZKY LASZLO, KEZI LASZLO, ENDREI, KAROLY, ENDREI, KAROLYNE, HOLAKOVSZKY, LASZLO, KEZI, LASZLO
Applicants: ENDREI KAROLY, ENDREI KAROLYNE, HOLAKOVSZKY LASZLO, KEZI LASZLO, ENDREI, KAROLY, ENDREI, KAROLYNE, HOLAKOVSZKY, LASZLO, KEZI, LASZLO
Application year: 1988
Main classification: H04N13
IPC codes: G02B27, H04N13, H04N17