Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Olympus Corporation

Yuji Ogasawara

Yoshihiro Maeda

Seiichiro Tabata

Hiroyoshi Kobayashi

Masashi Hankawa

Masaki Imaizumi

Motohiro Atsumi

Etsuyasu Kondo

A head-mounted image display device consists mainly of an image producing unit ( ), right and left frames ( and ), and a controller ( ). The image producing unit has image display LCDs enclosed with covers ( and ). The right and left frames useful in wearing the head-mounted image display device HMD on the head are supported by frame supports ( and ) that are fixed to the cover ( ). Herein, the right and left frames are detachably attached to the frame supports. An earphone cord ( or ) is guided along ribs which are formed on the outer surface of the right or left frame. An earphone ( or ) is detachably attached to an earphone holder formed in the distal or rear portion of the right or left frame. Thus, there is provided a head-mounted image display device that is compact, that can be readily worn on the head, and that not only enables viewing of a display screen image but also simplifies observation of an ambient environment.

Head-mounted display

An optical apparatus, e.g. a head-mounted display apparatus, which enables observation of a favorable image by eliminating flare and ghost images caused by unwanted light coming in through the gap between an observer's eyeball and an optical unit of the apparatus. Display light of an electronic image emanating from a liquid crystal display device and outside world light coming in through a liquid crystal shutter (7) are p-polarized light and therefore pass through a polarizing plate (8) and reach an observer's eyeball (1) without any loss. Meanwhile, light that undesirably comes in through the gap between the observer's face and the optical unit is generally natural light and hence unpolarized. Therefore, when the unwanted light passes through the polarizing plate (8) after being reflected from the eyeball (1) or a mirror (3), the light intensity reduces to 1/2. Although the light is successively reflected by the concave mirror (3) and the half-mirror (2) to reach the eyeball (1), the intensity ratio of the ghost image to the normal electronic image becomes 1/2. Thus, an electronic image of improved contrast can be observed.

Optical apparatus having ocular optical system

A photographing optical apparatus includes reflecting members for reflecting images transmitted along a plurality of optical paths having parallax; optical systems arranged on the plurality of optical paths behind the reflecting members; optical members for reducing vertically the images passing through the optical systems; and an image sensor disposed at or near the imaging plane of the images so that the images reduced by the optical members are formed on the image sensor. By moving the reflecting members, a convergent angle is changed and stereoscopic photography and panoramic photography become possible.

Photographing optical apparatus

A head mounted image display includes a display body having image display sections and optical systems and a supporting section for fixing the display body in front of the eyes of an observer so that the observer can view the image display sections with his eyes. The supporting section has at least four supporting points, which are arranged so that at least one supporting point is placed outside a plane formed by at least three supporting points. Thus, the observer can comfortably wear the display.

Head mounted image display having at least four supporting points

A solid state imaging apparatus characterized in that a phase low pass filter is formed by providing an array of recesses and projections having a predetermined repeated pitch on the surface of the light receiving side of a clear molded package of a solid state imaging device. When an object light passes through the phase low pass filter, dot images will be separated by diffraction of the light and an image will be formed on every other unit pixel of the light receiving surface. Thereby, the moire can be removed without using a crystal plate filter or the like.

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Hachioji, Japan

Yuji Ogasawara