US3940204A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Optical display systems utilizing holographic lenses
Assignee: Raytheon Co
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Filing: 1975-01-23
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Granted: 1976-02-24
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Expires: 1995-01-23
Abstract
Abstract This invention is applicable to display systems, such as in a helmet mounted display or a head-up display, utilizing a holographic lens operating at a relatively large off-axis angle in order to perform the dual function of a combiner glass and an eyepiece. The holographic lens is used in conjunction with more conventional optical elements (lenses, mirrors and prisms) to present a high quality collimated virtual image of an object, such as the face of a cathode ray tube, to an observer. The aberrations inherent in a holographic lens constructed to operate at a large off-axis angle and with a large field of view are corrected both by constructing the holographic lens with aberrated wavefronts and by the optical elements used in conjunction with the holographic lens during playback. Some arrangements of the playback systems of the invention include a relay lens having cylindrical surfaces and tilted and/or decentered elements used to compensate for the axial astigmatism and axial coma in the holographic lens. The holographic lens is constructed with aberrated wavefronts primarily in order to correct a large assymetric variation of astigmatism across the field of view which arises because of a difference in tilt of the two image fields corresponding to the two mutually orthogonal line focal surfaces. The tilts of the two image fields are adjusted relative to one another in such a way that they may both be matched by a single tilt of the object surface. The invention herein described was made in the course of or under a Contract or Subcontract thereunder with the Department of the Air Force.
Inventors
- 👤 Roger J. Withrington
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 11:46
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B27/00; G02B27/0025; G02B27/01; G02B27/0101; G02B27/0103; G02B27/017; G02B27/0172; G02B5/00; G02B5/32; G02B2027/0105; G02B2027/0107; G02B2027/0109; G02B2027/0143; G02B2027/0145
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
95 words
A display system having a holographic lens constructed with two coherent sources located relatively close to entrance and exit pupils thereof, and which deviates the axial ray coming from an object surface through an off-axis angle into an exit pupil and which has a focal surface with axial coma and axial astigmatism, said display system having first means along said axial ray between said object surface and said holographic lens to compensate said axial coma, and second means along said axial ray between said object surface and said holographic lens to compensate said axial astigmatism.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
95 words
A display system having a holographic lens constructed with two coherent sources located relatively close to entrance and exit pupils thereof, and which deviates the axial ray coming from an object surface through an off-axis angle into an exit pupil and which has a focal surface with axial coma and axial astigmatism, said display system having first means along said axial ray between said object surface and said holographic lens to compensate said axial coma, and second means along said axial ray between said object surface and said holographic lens to compensate said axial astigmatism.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
The display system of claim 1 in which said first means is prism means including first and second prisms with first and second wedges attached thereto to provide the optical equivalent of a tilted glass plate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
The display system of claim 1 in which said second means is a lens assembly including lens means having cylindrical surfaces with a cylindrical curvature in a selected plane normal to said axial ray.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
The display system of claim 2 in which said second means is a lens assembly including lens means having cylindrical surfaces with a cylindrical curvature in a selected plane substantially normal to said axial ray.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The display system of claim 3 in which said cylindrical lenses are structured to provide a negative axial astigmatism.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
The display system of claim 3 in which said cylindrical lenses are structured to provide a positive axial astigmatism.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
The display system of claim 1 in which said first means includes a lens decentered from the axial ray in a plane selected to compensate said axial coma.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
The display system of claim 1 in which said first means includes a lens tilted from the normal to the axial ray in a plane selected to compensate said axial coma.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
The display system of claim 4 in which the lens assembly of said second means includes first, second, third and fourth cylindrical surfaces forming in combination said compensating axial astigmatism.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
The display system of claim 1 in which a tilted folding prism is included along said axial ray for providing a correction of axial coma.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
The combination of claim 1 in which the holographic lens is formed on a helmet visor.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
159 words
Holographic lens construction apparatus used to construct a reflective holographic lens with aberrated wavefronts in order to compensate for the variation of astigmatism across the field of view which otherwise arises because the two focal surfaces of said holographic lens would be incorrectly tilted relative to one another, said holographic lens construction optics comprising a holographic lens recording material on a substrate, a source of a first laser wavefront incident on said holographic lens recording material, which is divergent from a point source located close to the desired exit pupil of the holographic lens, and is aberrated by passing through tilted cylindrical lenses, and a source of a second laser wavefront incident on said holographic lens recording material from the opposite side as the first laser wavefront, and which is coherent with the first wavefront, is convergent on a point close to the desired entrance pupil of said holographic lens and is aberrated by passing through tilted cylindrical lenses.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
159 words
Holographic lens construction apparatus used to construct a reflective holographic lens with aberrated wavefronts in order to compensate for the variation of astigmatism across the field of view which otherwise arises because the two focal surfaces of said holographic lens would be incorrectly tilted relative to one another, said holographic lens construction optics comprising a holographic lens recording material on a substrate, a source of a first laser wavefront incident on said holographic lens recording material, which is divergent from a point source located close to the desired exit pupil of the holographic lens, and is aberrated by passing through tilted cylindrical lenses, and a source of a second laser wavefront incident on said holographic lens recording material from the opposite side as the first laser wavefront, and which is coherent with the first wavefront, is convergent on a point close to the desired entrance pupil of said holographic lens and is aberrated by passing through tilted cylindrical lenses.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
32 words
The holographic lens construction optics of claim 12 in which the first and second wavefronts are centered on points located a substantial distance from the desired holographic lens entrance and exit pupils.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
23 words
The holographic lens construction optics of claim 12 in which the first laser wavefront incident on the holographic lens recording material is convergent.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
21 words
The holographic lens construction optics of claim 12 in which the second laser wavefront incident on the holographic lens is divergent.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
38 words
The holographic lens construction optics of claim 12 in which the two wavefronts are incident on the holographic lens recording material from the same side in order to construct a holographic lens which operates in the transmission mode.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
169 words
Holographic lens construction apparatus used to construct a reflective holographic lens with aberrated wavefronts in order to compensate for the variation of astigmatism across the field of view which otherwise arises because the two focal surfaces of said holographic lens would be incorrectly tilted relative to one another, said holographic lens construction apparatus comprising first and second tilted cylindrical lenses, a holographic lens recording material on a substrate, a source of a first laser wavefront incident on said holographic lens recording material, which is divergent from a point source located close to the desired exit pupil of the holographic lens, and is aberrated by passing through said first tilted cylindrical lens, and a source of a second laser wavefront incident on said holographic lens recording material from the opposite side as the first laser wavefront, and which is coherent with the first wavefront, is convergent on a point close to the desired entrance pupil of said holographic lens, and is aberrated by passing through said second tilted cylindrical lens.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
169 words
Holographic lens construction apparatus used to construct a reflective holographic lens with aberrated wavefronts in order to compensate for the variation of astigmatism across the field of view which otherwise arises because the two focal surfaces of said holographic lens would be incorrectly tilted relative to one another, said holographic lens construction apparatus comprising first and second tilted cylindrical lenses, a holographic lens recording material on a substrate, a source of a first laser wavefront incident on said holographic lens recording material, which is divergent from a point source located close to the desired exit pupil of the holographic lens, and is aberrated by passing through said first tilted cylindrical lens, and a source of a second laser wavefront incident on said holographic lens recording material from the opposite side as the first laser wavefront, and which is coherent with the first wavefront, is convergent on a point close to the desired entrance pupil of said holographic lens, and is aberrated by passing through said second tilted cylindrical lens.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
31 words
The holographic lens construction optics of claim 17 in which the first and second wavefronts are centered at locations a substantial distance from the desired holographic lens entrance and exit pupils.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
23 words
The holographic lens construction optics of claim 17 in which the first laser wavefront incident on the holographic lens recording material is convergent.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
21 words
The holographic lens construction optics of claim 12 in which the second laser wavefront incident on the holographic lens is divergent.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
38 words
The holographic lens construction optics of claim 17 in which the two wavefronts are incident on the holographic lens recording material from the same side in order to construct a holographic lens which operates in the transmission mode.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
21 words
The holographic lens construction optics of claim 17 in which the cylindrical lenses are parallel to said first and second wavefronts.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
29 words
The holographic lens construction optics of claim 17 in which said cylindrical lenses are positioned in only a selected one of the two beams incident on the holographic lens.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
100 words
The holographic lens construction optics of claim 17 in a helmet-mounted display wherein the holographic lens is an integral part of the visor, the axial astigmatism is compensated for by means of cylindrical surfaces in a relay lens, the axial coma is compensated by means of a tilted prism assembly, and the variation of astigmatism across the field is corrected by cylindrical lenses selected to adjust the powers and tilts in said construction optics so that the two tilts of the two holographic lens focal surfaces may be simultaneously matched in playback by a single tilt of an object surface.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
100 words
The holographic lens construction optics of claim 17 in a head-up display wherein the holographic lens is an integral part of the visor, the axial astigmatism is compensated for by means of cylindrical surfaces in a relay lens, the axial coma is compensated by means of a tilted prism assembly, and the variation of astigmatism across the field is corrected by cylindrical lenses selected to adjust the powers and tilts in said construction optics so that the two tilts of the two holographic lens focal surfaces may be simultaneously matched in playback by a single tilt of an object surface.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1979-02-23 | 1979-08-25 | 1980-02-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1983-02-23 | 1983-08-25 | 1984-02-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1987-02-23 | 1987-08-25 | 1988-02-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |