Image display apparatus Number:6,795,042 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) owispatent The present invention relates to an image display apparatus, e.g. a head-mounted image display apparatus, in which an image from a single image display device is led to two eyes without using a half-mirror, thereby allowing observation of a bright image. The image display apparatus has an optical path distributing mirror 1 for distributing the image of a single display device 10 to an optical path for a right eye and an optical path for a left eye, and an ocular prism 2R for the right eye and an ocular prism 2L for the left eye, which are placed on the right- and left-hand sides, respectively, of the optical path distributing mirror 1. In the optical path for the right eye, display light from the display device 3 is reflected by a reflecting surface 1R of the optical path distributing mirror 1 and passes through a first surface 21R of the decentered prism member 2R to enter the prism, in which the light is totally reflected by a second surface 22R, which serves also as a fourth surface 24R, and back-reflected by a third surface 23R to exit from the prism through the fourth surface 24R. The light is led to an exit pupil 4R for the right eye to project an enlarged image of the display device 3 into the right eye. The same is true in the optical path for the left eye.<H apparatus, display, Image, display, a, 6795042.html, Patent, pto, 6795042

Title: Image display apparatus

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image display apparatus, e.g. a head-mounted image display apparatus, in which an image from a single image display device is led to two eyes without using a half-mirror, thereby allowing observation of a bright image. The image display apparatus has an optical path distributing mirror 1 for distributing the image of a single display device 10 to an optical path for a right eye and an optical path for a left eye, and an ocular prism 2R for the right eye and an ocular prism 2L for the left eye, which are placed on the right- and left-hand sides, respectively, of the optical path distributing mirror 1. In the optical path for the right eye, display light from the display device 3 is reflected by a reflecting surface 1R of the optical path distributing mirror 1 and passes through a first surface 21R of the decentered prism member 2R to enter the prism, in which the light is totally reflected by a second surface 22R, which serves also as a fourth surface 24R, and back-reflected by a third surface 23R to exit from the prism through the fourth surface 24R. The light is led to an exit pupil 4R for the right eye to project an enlarged image of the display device 3 into the right eye. The same is true in the optical path for the left eye.

Patent Number: 6,795,042 Issued on 09/21/2004 to Nagata, et al.

Inventors: Nagata; Tetsuo (Hachioji, JP), Togino; Takayoshi (Koganei, JP), Sakurai; Akihiro (Hino, JP)
Assignee: Olympus Corporation (Tokyo, JP)

Appl. No.: 09/558,631

Filed: April 26, 2000

Foreign Application Priority Data


Jan 06, 2000 [JP]			2000-000778
Jan 06, 2000 [JP]			2000-000638
Feb 25, 2000 [JP]			2000-048750
Mar 30, 2000 [JP]			2000-093233

Current U.S. Class: 345/8 ; 345/15; 345/32; 345/84; 345/9; 348/54; 348/59; 353/81; 353/82; 353/98; 359/630; 359/634; 359/637; 359/638; 359/639; 359/640

Current International Class: G02B 27/01 (20060101)

Field of Search: 345/8,15,32,84,9 359/630,634,637,640,639,638 348/54,59 353/81,82,98

References Cited [Referenced By]

U.S. Patent Documents


5907150	May 1999	Sadana
6081371	June 2000	Shioda et al.
6185045	February 2001	Hanano
6281533	August 2001	Miyagawa et al.
6309068	October 2001	Kohayakawa
6324001	November 2001	Tabata
6342871	January 2002	Takeyama
6342971	January 2002	Hashizume et al.
6351338	February 2002	Nanba
6670080	December 2003	Sugita et al.

Foreign Patent Documents


5-176260	Jul., 1993	JP
6-110013	Apr., 1994	JP
7-287185	Oct., 1995	JP
7-318851	Dec., 1995	JP
9-61748	Mar., 1997	JP
9-181998	Jul., 1997	JP
9-181999	Jul., 1997	JP
10-282421	Oct., 1998	JP

Primary Examiner: Wu; Xiao
Assistant Examiner: Abdulselam; Abbas
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Pillsbury Winthrop LLP

Claims

What we claim is:

1. An image display apparatus comprising an image display device for displaying an image to be observed by an observer, an optical path distributing mirror for distributing said image to an optical path for a right eye and an optical path for a left eye, an ocular prism for the right eye that is placed on the right-hand side of said optical path distributing mirror, and an ocular prism for the left eye that is placed on a left-hand side of said optical path distributing mirror, said optical path distributing mirror having a mirror surface placed to face said image display device to reflect a display light beam emanating from said image display device so as to distribute the display light beam to said ocular prism for the right eye and to said ocular prism for the left eye, said mirror surface having a rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration that corrects decentration aberrations, said ocular prism for the right eye having a first surface through which the light beam of the optical path for the right eye reflected by said optical path distributing mirror enters the prism, a second surface which reflects the light beam of the optical path for the right eye within the prism, and a third surface through which the light beam of the optical path for the right eye exits from the prism, said ocular prism for the left eye having a first surface through which the light beam of the optical path for the left eye reflected by said optical path distributing mirror enters the prism, a second surface which reflects the light beam of the optical path for the left eye within the prism, and a third surface through which the light beam of the optical path for the left eye exits from the prism, and said optical path distributing mirror being constructed and arranged such that upon being reflected at the mirror surface of said optical path distributing mirror, a light beam incident on said ocular prism for the right eye and a light beam incident on said ocular prism for the left eye cross each other before entering said ocular prisms from said mirror surface, wherein at least the second surface of said ocular prism for the right eye, which is a reflecting surface, and the second surface of said ocular prism for the left eye, which is a reflecting surface, have rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration that corrects decentration aberrations, and wherein said ocular prism for the right eye and said ocular prism for the left eye: are disposed symmetrically with respect to a plane of symmetry, and said mirror surface of said optical path-distributing mirror is symmetric with respect to said plane of symmetry.

2. An image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration of said optical path distributing mirror is a free-form surface having only one plane of symmetry.

3. An image display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the free-form surface of said optical path distributing mirror has said only one plane of symmetry in a plane (YZ plane) connecting a center of the image displayed by said image display device and a center of a right hand pupil formed by said ocular prism for the right eye and further a center of a left hand pupil formed by said ocular prism for the left eye.

4. An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said image display device is placed between said optical path distributing mirror and said observer in a longitudinal direction (Z-direction) and between said ocular prism for the right eye and said ocular prism for the left eye in a lateral direction (Y-direction).

5. An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a negative lens that gives a negative power to a light beam is placed between said image display device and said optical path distributing mirror.

6. An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said ocular prism for the right eye is arranged so that a light beam exiting from said optical path distributing mirror and entering the prism through said first surface is made incident on said third surface at an angle larger than a total reflection critical angle so as to be reflected toward said second surface within the prism by total reflection, and the light beam reflected from said second surface is made incident on said third surface at an angle smaller than the total reflection critical angle so as to pass through said third surface to exit from the prism, and wherein said ocular prism for the left eye is arranged so that a light beam exiting from said optical path distributing mirror and entering the prism through said first surface is made incident on said third surface at an angle larger than a total reflection critical angle so as to be reflected toward said second surface within the prism by total reflection, and the light beam reflected from said second surface is made incident on said third surface at an angle smaller than the total reflection critical angle so as to pass through said third surface to exit from the prism.

7. An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said first surface of said ocular prism for the right eye has a rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration that corrects decentration aberrations, and wherein said first surface of said ocular prism for the left eye has a rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration that corrects decentration aberrations.

8. An image display apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration of said first surface of said ocular prism for the right eye is a free-form surface having only one plane of symmetry, and wherein the rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration of said first surface of said ocular prism for the left eye is a free form surface having only one plane of symmetry.

9. An image display apparatus according to claim 8, wherein when a light ray passing through a center of the image displayed by said image display device and further passing through a center of a right-hand pupil formed by said ocular prism for the right eye is defined as an optical axis, the free form surface of said first surface of said ocular prism for the right eye has said only one plane of symmetry in a plane (YZ-plane) containing the optical axis in a folded optical path within the prism, and wherein when a light ray passing through the center of the image displayed by said image display device and further passing through a center of a right-hand pupil formed by said ocular prism for the left eye is defined as an optical axis, the free-form surface of said first surface of said ocular prism for the left eye has said only one plane of symmetry in a plane (YZ-plane) containing the optical axis in a folded optical path within the prism.

10. An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said third surface of said ocular prism for the right eye has a rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration that corrects decentration aberrations, and wherein said third surface of said ocular prism for the left eye has a rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration that corrects decentration aberrations.

11. An image display apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration of said third surface of said ocular prism for the right eye is a free form surface having only one plane of symmetry, and wherein the rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration of said third surface of said ocular prism for the left eye is a free form surface having only one plane of symmetry.

12. An image display apparatus according to claim 11, wherein when a light ray passing through a center of the image displayed by said image display device and further passing through a center of a right hand pupil formed by said ocular prism for the right eye is defined as an optical axis, the free form surface of said third surface of said ocular prism for the right eye has said only one plane of symmetry in a plane (YZ plane) containing the optical axis in a folded optical path within the prism, and wherein when a light ray passing through the center of the image displayed by said image display device and further passing through a center of a right-hand pupil formed by said ocular prism for the left eye is defined as an optical axis, the free-form surface of said third surface of said ocular prism for the left eye has said only one plane of symmetry in a plane (YZ-plane) containing the optical axis in a folded optical path within the prism.

13. An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said third surface of said ocular prism for the right eye is a rotationally symmetric aspherical surface, and wherein said third surface of said ocular prism for the left eye is a rotationally symmetric aspherical surface.

14. An image display apparatus comprising an image display device for displaying an image to be observed by an observer, an optical path distributing prism for distributing said image to an optical path for a right eye and an optical path for a left eye, an ocular prism for the right eye that is placed on a right-hand side of said optical path distributing prism, and an ocular prism for the left eye that is placed on a left-hand side of said optical path distributing prism, said optical path distributing prism having at least a first surface placed to face said image display device so that a display light beam emanating from said image display device enters the prism through the first surface, a second-first surface which reflects said optical path for the right eye entering through said first surface, a second-second surface which reflects said optical path for the left eye entering through said first surface, a third-first surface through which the light beam of said optical path for the right eye exits from the prism, and a third-second surface through which the light beam of said optical path for the left eye exits from the prism, said optical path distributing prism being arranged so that at least said second-first surface and said second-second surface have a curved surface configuration that gives a power to a light beam to form a relay image for the right eye from the image displayed by said image display device in said optical path for the right eye and to form a relay image for the left eye from the image displayed by said image display device in said optical path for the left eye, and said second-first surface and said second-second surface having the same surface configuration, said ocular prism for the right eye having a first surface through which the light beam of the optical path for the right eye exiting from said third-first surface of said optical path distributing prism enters the prism, a second surface which reflects the light beam of the optical path for the right eye within the prism, and a third surface through which the light beam of the optical path for the right eye exits from the prism, said ocular prism for the left eye having a first surface through which the light beam of the optical path for the left eye exiting from said third-second surface of said optical path distributing prism enters the prism, a second surface which reflects the light beam of the optical path for the left eye within the prism, and a third surface through which the light beam of the optical path for the left eye exits from the prism, and said optical path distributing prism being constructed and arranged such that upon being reflected at said second-first surface and said second-second surface of said optical path distributing prism, respectively, a light beam incident on said ocular prism for the right eye and a light beam incident on said ocular prism for the left eve cross each other before entering said ocular prisms from said second-first and said second-second surfaces, wherein at least said second surface of said ocular prism for the right eye, which is a reflecting surface, and said second surface of said ocular prism for the left eye, which is a reflecting surface, have a rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration that corrects decentration aberrations, and wherein said ocular prism for the right eye and said ocular prism for the left eye are located symmetrically with respect to a plane of symmetry, and said second-first surface and said second-second surface of said optical path-distributing prism are symmetrical with respect to the plane of symmetry.

15. An image display apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the third-first surface and third-second surface of said optical path distributing prism are curved surfaces of a same configuration.

16. An image display apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the first surface, second-first surface, second-second surface, third-first surface and third-second surface of said optical path distributing prism form optical surfaces of the prism as surfaces which are independent of each other, and wherein the second-first surface, second-second surface, third-first surface and third-second surface of said optical path distributing prism have a rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration that corrects decentration aberrations.

17. An image display apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the curved surface configuration of the third-first surface and third second surface of said optical path distributing prism is a rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration that corrects decentration aberrations.

18. An image display apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the curved surface configuration of each of the second-first surface, second-second surface, third-first surface and third-second surface of said optical path distributing prism is a rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration that corrects decentration aberrations.

19. An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein said image display device and said optical path distributing prism are placed to face each other, said optical path distributing prism being arranged so that, according as a distance from said image display device increases in a longitudinal direction (Z-direction), said first surface is located first, and then said second-first surface and said second-second surface are disposed at left and right positions facing each other across a medium, and then said third-first surface and said third-second surface are located, wherein said third-first surface is disposed at a position facing the first surface of said ocular prism for the right eye across an air spacing, and said third-second surface is disposed at a position facing the first surface of said ocular prism for the left eye across an air spacing.

20. An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein said image display device and said optical path distributing prism are placed to face each other, said optical path distributing prism being arranged so that, according as a distance from said image display device increases in a longitudinal direction (Z direction), said first surface is located first, and then said third-first surface and said third-second surface are disposed at right and left positions facing each other across a medium, and then said second first surface and said second second surface are located, wherein said third-first surface is disposed at a position facing the first surface of said ocular prism for the right eye across an air spacing, and said third second surface is disposed at a position facing the first surface of said ocular prism for the left eye across an air spacing.

21. An image display apparatus according to claim 14, wherein a single surface is used as both said second-first surface and third-second surface of said optical path distributing prism, and a single surface is used as both said second-second surface and third-first surface of said optical path distributing prism, wherein said optical path for the right eye is made incident on the surface used as both said second-first surface and said third-second surface at an angle larger than a total reflection critical angle to reflect the light beam of the optical path for the right eye within the prism by total reflection, and said optical path for the right eye is made incident on the surface used as both said second-second surface and said third-first surface at an angle smaller than the total reflection critical angle to allow the light beam of the optical path for the right eye to exit from the prism, wherein said optical path for the left eye is made incident on the surface used as both the second-second surface and the third-first surface at an angle larger than the total reflection critical angle to reflect the light beam of the optical path for the left eye within the prism by total reflection, and said optical path for the left eye is made incident on the surface used as both the second first surface and the third second surface at an angle smaller than the total reflection critical angle to allow the light beam of the optical path for the left eye to exit from the prism, and wherein the surface used as both said second-first surface and third-second surface has a rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration that corrects decentration aberrations, and the surface used as both said second-second surface and third-first surface has a rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration that corrects decentration aberrations.

22. An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein said optical path distributing prism has a fourth surface with a curved surface configuration that reflects light beams of right and left images entering through the first surface toward the second-first surface and the second-second surface, respectively, wherein the first surface, second-first surface, second-second surface, third-first surface, third-second surface and fourth surface of said optical path distributing prism form optical surfaces of the prism as surfaces which are independent of each other.

23. An image display apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the curved surface configuration of the fourth surface of said optical path distributing prism is a rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration that corrects decentration aberrations.

24. An image display apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said image display device and said optical path distributing prism are placed to face each other, said optical path distributing prism being arranged so that, according as a distance from said image display device increases in a longitudinal direction (Z-direction), said first surface is located first, and then said second-first surface and said second-second surface are disposed at left and right positions facing each other across a medium, and then said third-first surface and said third-second surface are located, said fourth surface being disposed at a position facing said first surface across the medium, wherein said third-first surface is disposed at a position facing the first surface of said ocular prism for the right eye across an air spacing, and said third-second surface is disposed at a position facing the first surface of said ocular prism for the left eye across an air spacing.

25. An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein said optical path distributing prism has a fourth-first surface which reflects the optical path for the right eye entering through the first surface toward the second-first surface, and a fourth-second surface which reflects the optical path for the left eye entering through the first surface toward the second-second surface, wherein the first surface, second-first surface, second-second surface, third-first surface, third-second surface, fourth-first surface and fourth-second surface of said optical path distributing prism form optical surfaces of the prism as surfaces which are independent of each other.

26. An image display apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the fourth-first surface and fourth-second surface of said optical path distributing prism are curved surfaces of a same configuration.

27. An image display apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the curved surface configuration of the fourth-first surface and fourth-second surface of said optical path distributing prism is a rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration that corrects decentration aberrations.

28. An image display apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said image display device and said optical path distributing prism are placed to face each other, said optical path distributing prism being arranged so that, according as a distance from said image display device increases in a longitudinal direction (Z-direction), said first surface is located first, and then said second-first surface and said second-second surface are disposed at left and right positions, respectively, facing each other across a medium, and then said third-second surface and said third-first surface are disposed at left and right positions, respectively, facing each other across the medium, and then the fourth-first surface and the fourth-second surface are disposed adjacently to each other at respective positions facing said first surface across the medium.

29. An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein said first surface of said optical path distributing prism has a rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration that corrects decentration aberrations.

30. An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein the rotationally asymmetric curved surface of said optical path distributing prism is a free-form surface having only one plane of symmetry.

31. An image display apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the free-form surface of said optical path distributing prism has said only one plane of symmetry in a plane (YZ-plane) connecting a center of the image displayed by said image display device and a center of a pupil.

32. An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein said ocular prism for the right eye is arranged so that a light beam exiting from said optical path distributing prism and entering the prism through said first surface is made incident on said third surface at an angle larger than a total reflection critical angle so as to be reflected toward said second surface within the prism by total reflection, and the light beam reflected from said second surface is made incident on said third surface at an angle smaller than the total reflection critical angle so as to pass through said third surface to exit from the prism, and wherein said ocular prism for the left eye is arranged so that a light beam exiting from said optical path distributing prism and entering the prism through said first surface is made incident on said third surface at an angle larger than a total reflection critical angle so as to be reflected toward said second surface within the prism by total reflection, and the light beam reflected from said second surface is made incident on said third surface at an angle smaller than the total reflection critical angle so as to pass through said third surface to exit from the prism.

33. An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein said ocular prism for the right eye is arranged so that a light beam exiting from said optical path distributing prism and entering the prism through said first surface is reflected by said second surface, and the light beam reflected from said second surface passes through said third surface to exit from the prism, and wherein said ocular prism for the left eye is arranged to that alight beam exiting from said optical path distributing prism and entering the prism through said first surface is reflected by said second surface, and the light beam reflected from said second surface passes through said third surface to exit from the prism.

34. An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein said ocular prism for the right eye has a fourth surface which reflects a light beam within the prism, said ocular prism for the right eye being arranged so that a light beam exiting from said optical path distributing prism and entering the prism through said first surface is reflected by said fourth surface, and the light beam reflected from said fourth surface is made incident on said third surface at an angle larger than a total reflection critical angle so as to be reflected toward said second surface within the prism by total reflection, and further the light beam reflected from said second surface is made incident on said third surface at an angle smaller than the total reflection critical angle so as to pass through said third surface to exit from the prism, and wherein said ocular prism for the left eye has fourth surface which reflects a light beam within the prism, said ocular prism for the left eye being arranged so that a light beam exiting from said optical path distributing prism and entering the prism through said first surface is reflected by said fourth surface, and the light beam reflected from said fourth surface is made incident on said third surface at an angle larger than a total reflection critical angle so as to be reflected toward said second surface within the prism by total reflection, and further the light beam reflected from said second surface is made incident on said third surface at an angle smaller than the total reflection critical angle so as to pass through said third surface to exit from the prism.

35. An image display apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the fourth surface of said ocular prism for the right eye has a rotational asymmetric curved surface configuration that corrects decentration aberrations, and wherein the fourth surface of said ocular prism for the left eye has a rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration that corrects decentration aberrations.

36. An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein the first surface of said ocular prism for the right eye has a rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration that corrects decentration aberrations, and wherein the first surface of said ocular prism for the left eye has a rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration that corrects decentration aberrations.

37. An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein the second surface of said ocular prism for the right eye has a rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration that corrects decentration aberrations, and wherein the second surface of said ocular prism for the left eye has a rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration that corrects decentration aberrations.

38. An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein the third surface of said ocular prism for the right eye is a rotationally symmetric aspherical surface, and wherein said third surface of said ocular prism for the left eye is a rotationally symmetric aspherical surface.

39. An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein the third surface of said ocular prism for the right eye has a rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration that corrects decentration aberrations, and wherein the third surface of said ocular prism for the left eye has a rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration that corrects decentration aberrations.

40. An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein said optical path distributing prism has a positive power as a whole so that said relay image for the right eye is formed at a position closer to the right eye of the observer than said third-first surface on the optical path and said relay image for the left eye is formed at a position closer to the left eye of the observer than said third-second surface on the optical path.

41. An image display apparatus according to claim 40, wherein said optical path distributing prism forms said relay image for the right eye at a position between said third-first surface and the first surface of said ocular prism for the right eye and further forms said relay image for the left eye at a position between said third-second surface and the first surface of said ocular prism for the left eye.

42. An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein an angle a of reflection of display light of the optical path for the right eye from the second-first surface of said optical path distributing prism and an angle .alpha. of reflection of display light of the optical path for the left eye from the second-second surface of said optical path distributing prism satisfy the following condition:

43. An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein an angle .beta. formed between a plane passing through a center of a line segment connecting a center of an exit pupil for the right eye and a center of an exit pupil for the left eye at right angles to the line segment and a tangent plane to the second-first surface of said optical path distributing prism at a point where the optical axis of the optical path for the right eye is incident on said second-first surface and an angle .beta. formed between the plane passing through the center of the line segment connecting the center of the exit pupil for the right eye and the center of the exit pupil for the left eye at right angles to the line segment and a tangent plane to the second-second surface of said optical path distributing prism at a point where the optical axis of the optical path for the left eye is incident on said second second surface satisfy the following condition:

44. An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein, in backward ray tracing from a pupil side, a distance between an intersection of a ray passing through a center of an exit pupil for the right eye at a maximum field angle on a right-hand side and the third surface of said ocular prism for the right eye and an intersection of a ray passing through a center of an exit pupil for the left eye at a maximum field angle on a left-hand side and the third surface of said ocular prism for the left eye is defined as a width L, and a distance between a point closest to the left and right exit pupils among points at which bundles of rays passing through the centers of the left and right exit pupils within an overall field angle pass through or are reflected by the third surface of said ocular prism for the right eye or the third surface of said ocular prism for the left eye and a display surface of said image display device in a direction perpendicular to the display surface is defined as a depth D, wherein a ratio of the depth D to the width L, i.e. D/L, satisfies the following condition:

45. An image display apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein the second surface of said ocular prism for the right eye is a semitransparent reflecting surface, and a see-through prism for the right eye is placed outside said second surface, and wherein the second surface of said ocular prism for the left eye is a semitransparent reflecting surface, and a see-through prism for the left eye is placed outside said second surface.

46. An image display apparatus comprising an image display device for displaying an image to be observed by an observer, an optical path distributing prism for distributing said image to an optical path for a right eye and an optical path for a left eye, an ocular prism for the right eye that is placed on a right-hand side of said optical path distributing prism, and an ocular prism for the left eye that is placed on a left-hand side of said optical path distributing prism, said optical path distributing prism having at least a first surface placed to face said image display device so that a display light beam emanating from said image display device enters the prism through the first surface, a second-first surface which reflects said optical path for the right eye entering through said first surface, a second-second surface which reflects said optical path for the left eye entering through said first surface, a third-first surface through which the light beam of said optical path for the right eye exits from the prism, and a third-second surface through which the light beam of said optical path for the left eye exits the prism, said optical path distributing prism being arranged so that at least said second-first surface, said second-second surface, said third-first surface and said third-second surface have a curved surface configuration that gives a power to a light beam, and said second-first surface and said second-second surface have a same surface configuration and said third-first surface and said third-second surface have a same surface configuration, said image display device being a reflection type image display device that displays an image by reflecting a light beam from a light source, and said optical path distributing prism being constructed and arranged such that upon being reflected at said second-first surface and said second-second surface of said optical path distributing prism, respectively, a light beam incident on said ocular prism for the right eye and a light beam incident on said ocular prism for the left eye cross each other before entering said ocular prisms from said second-first and said second-second surfaces, wherein both said second-first surface and second-second surface of said optical path distributing prism are either semitransparent reflecting surfaces or partially-transmitting and partially-reflecting surfaces, and wherein an illuminating light source for forming the optical path for the left eye is disposed at a position on a side of said second-first surface remote from a prism medium, and an illuminating light source for forming the optical path for the right eye is disposed at a position on a side of said second-second surface remote from the prism medium, and wherein said ocular prism for the right eye and said ocular prism for the left eye are located symmetrically with respect to a plane of symmetry, and said second-first and second-second surfaces of said optical path-distributing prism are symmetrical with respect to said plane of symmetry.

47. An image display apparatus according to claim 46, wherein both said second-first surface and second-second surface of said optical path distributing prism are formed from half-mirror coatings that divide transmission and reflection in terms of intensity.

48. An image display apparatus according to claim 46, wherein both said second-first surface and second second surface of said optical path distributing prism are formed from mirror coatings each having transmitting holes provided in a reflecting mirror surface.

49. An image display apparatus comprising an image display device for displaying an image to be observed by an observer, an optical path distributing prism for distributing said image to an optical path for a right eye and an optical path for a left eye, an ocular prism for the right eye that is placed on a right-hand side of said optical path distributing prism, and an ocular prism for the left eye that is placed on a left-hand side of said optical path distributing prism, said optical path distributing prism having at least a first surface placed to face said image display device so that a display light beam emanating from said image display device enters the prism through the first surface, a fourth surface placed to face said first surface across a medium so as to reflect light beams of right and left images entering through said first surface in different directions, thereby distributing the light beams to the optical path for the right eye and the optical path for the left eye, a second-first surface which reflects said optical path for the right eye reflected from said fourth surface, a second-second surface which reflects said optical path for the left eye reflected from said fourth surface, a third-first surface through which the light beam of said optical path for the right eye exits from the prism, and a third-second surface through which the light beam of said optical path for the left eye exits from the prism, said optical path distributing prism being arranged so that at least said second-first surface, said second-second surface, said third-first surface, said third-second surface and said fourth surface have a curved surface configuration that gives a power to a light beam, and said second-first surface and said second-second surface have a same surface configuration and said third-first surface and said third-second surface have a same surface configuration, said image display device being a reflection type image display device that displays an image by reflecting a light beam from a light source, and said optical path distributing prism being constructed and arranged such that upon being reflected at said second-first surface and said second-second surface of said optical path distributing prism, respectively, a light beam incident on said ocular prism for the right eye and a light beam incident on said ocular prism for the left eye cross each other before entering said ocular prisms from said second-first and said second-second surfaces, wherein said fourth surface of said optical path distributing prism is either a semitransparent reflecting surface or a partially-transmitting and partially-reflecting surface, and wherein an illuminating light source for forming the optical path for the left eye and an illuminating light source for forming the optical path for the right eye are disposed at respective positions on a side of said fourth surface remote from the prism medium, and wherein said ocular prism for the right eye and said ocular prism for the left eye are located symmetrically with respect to a plane of symmetry, and said second-first and second-second surfaces of said optical path-distributing prism are symmetrical with respect to said plane of symmetry.

50. An image display apparatus according to claim 49, wherein the fourth surface of said optical path distributing prism is formed from a half-mirror coating that divides transmission and reflection in terms of intensity.

51. An image display apparatus according to claim 49, wherein the fourth surface of said optical path distributing prism is formed from a mirror coating having transmitting holes provided in a reflecting mirror surface.

52. An image display apparatus comprising an image display device for displaying an image to be observed by an observer, an optical path distributing prism for distributing said image to an optical path for a right eye and an optical path for a left eye, an ocular prism for the right eye that is placed on a right-hand side of said optical path distributing prism, and an ocular prism for the left eye that is placed on a left-hand side of said optical path distributing prism, said optical path distributing prism having a first surface placed to face said image display device so that a display light beam emanating from said image display device enters the prism through the first surface, a second surface wherein said optical path for the right eye is made incident on an optical surface at an angle larger than a total reflection critical angle to reflect a light beam of the optical path for the right eye within the prism by total reflection and said optical path for the left eye is made incident on the optical surface at an angle smaller than the total reflection critical angle to allow a light beam of the optical path for the left eye to exit from the prism, and a third surface wherein said optical path for the left eye is made incident on an optical surface at an angle larger than a total reflection critical angle to reflect the light beam of the optical path for the left eye within the prism by total reflection and said optical path for the right eye is made incident on the optical surface at an angle smaller than the total reflection critical angle to allow the light beam of the optical path for the right eye to exit from the prism, wherein an optical element for display is placed between said image display device and a light source, said optical path distributing prism being arranged so that said second surface and said third surface are curved surfaces of a same configuration that gives a power to a light beam, and said second surface and said third surface are placed to face each other across a prism medium, said image display device being a transmission type image display device that displays an image by transmitting a light beam from a light source, and said optical path distributing prism being constructed and arranged such that upon being reflected at said second surface and said third surface of said optical path distributing prism, respectively, a light beam incident on said ocular prism for the right eye and a light beam incident on said ocular prism for the left eye cross each other before entering said ocular prisms from said second and said third surfaces, wherein an illuminating light source for forming the optical path for the left eye and an illuminating light source for forming the optical path for the right eye are disposed at respective positions on a side of said image display device remote from said optical element for display, and wherein said ocular prism for the right eye and said ocular prism for the left eye are located symmetrically with respect to a plane of symmetry, and said second and third surfaces of said optical path-distributing prism are symmetrical with respect to said plane of symmetry.

53. An image display apparatus according to claim 52, wherein said optical element for display is a Fresnel lens.

54. An image display apparatus comprising a single image display device for displaying an image to be observed by an observer, an optical path distributing mirror for simultaneously distributing said image to an optical path for a right eye and an optical path for a left eye, an ocular prism for the right eye that is placed on the right-hand side of said optical path distributing mirror, and an ocular prism for the left eye that is placed on a left-hand side of said optical path distributing mirror, said image display device being located between said ocular prism for the right eye and said ocular prism for the left eye, said optical path distributing mirror having a mirror surface placed to face said image display device to reflect a display light beam emanating from said image display device so as to distribute the display light beam to said ocular prism for the right eye and said prism for the left eye, said mirror surface having a rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration that corrects decentration aberrations, said ocular prism for the right eye having a first surface through which the light beam of the optical path for the right eye reflected by said optical path distributing mirror enters the prism, a second surface which reflects the light beam of the optical path for the right eye within the prism, and a third surface through which the light beam of the optical path for the right eye exits from the prism, said ocular prism for the left eye having a first surface through which the light beam of the optical path for the left eye reflected by said optical path distributing mirror enters the prism, a second surface which reflects the light beam of the optical path for the left eye within the prism, and a third surface through which the light beam of the optical path for the left eye exits from the prism, wherein at least the second surface of said ocular prism for the right eye, which is a reflecting surface, and the second surface of said ocular prism for the left eye, which is a reflecting surface, have rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration that corrects decentration aberrations, and wherein said ocular prism for the right eye and said ocular prism for the left eye are disposed symmetrically with respect to a plane of symmetry, and said mirror surface of said optical path-distributing mirror is symmetric with respect to said plane of symmetry.

55. An image display apparatus comprising a single image display device for displaying an image to be observed by an observer, an optical path distributing prism for simultaneously distributing said image to an optical path for a right eye and an optical path for a left eye, an ocular prism for the right eye that is placed on a right-hand side of said optical path distributing prism, and an ocular prism for the left eye that is placed on a left-hand side of said optical path distributing prism, said image display device being located between said ocular prism for the left eye and said ocular prism for the right eye, said optical path distributing prism having at least a first surface placed to face said image display device so that a display light beam emanating from said image display device enters the prism through the first surface, a second-first surface which reflects said optical path for the right eye entering through said first surface, a second-second surface which reflects said optical path for the left eye entering through said first surface, a third-first surface through which the light beam of said optical path for the right eye exits from the prism, and a third-second surface through which the light beam of said optical path for the left eye exits from the prism, said optical path distributing prism being arranged so that at least said second-first surface and said second-second surface have a curved surface configuration that gives a power to a light beam to form a relay image for the right eye from the image displayed by said image display device in said optical path for the right eye and to form a relay image for the left eye from the image displayed by said image display device in said optical path for the left eye, and said second-first surface and said second-second surface having the same surface configuration, said ocular prism for the right eye having a first surface through which the light beam of the optical path for the right eye exiting from said third-first surface of said optical path distributing prism enters the prism, a second surface which reflects the light beam of the optical path for the right eye within the prism, and a third surface through which the light beam of the optical path for the right eye exits from the prism, said ocular prism for the left eye having a first surface through which the light beam of the optical path for the left eye exiting from said third-second surface of said optical path distributing prism enters the prism, a second surface which reflects the light beam of the optical path for the left eye within the prism, and a third surface through which the light beam of the optical path for the left eye exits from the prism, wherein at least said second surface of said ocular prism for the right eye, which is a reflecting surface, and said second surface of said ocular prism for the left eye, which is a reflecting surface, have a rotationally asymmetric curved surface configuration that corrects decentration aberrations, and wherein said ocular prism for the right eye and said ocular prism for the left eye are located symmetrically with respect to a plane of symmetry, and said second-first surface and said second-second surface of said optical path-distributing prism are symmetrical with respect to the plane of symmetry.

56. An image display apparatus comprising a single image display device for displaying an image to be observed by an observer, an optical path distributing prism for simultaneously distributing said image to an optical path for a right eye and an optical path for a left eye, an ocular prism for the right eye that is placed on a right-hand side of said optical path distributing prism, and an ocular prism for the left eye that is placed on a left-hand side of said optical path distributing prism, said image display device being located between said ocular prism for the left eye and said ocular prism for the right eye, said optical path distributing prism having at least a first surface placed to face said image display device so that a display light beam emanating from said image display device enters the prism through the first surface, a second-first surface which reflects said optical path for the right eye entering through said first surface, a second-second surface which reflects said optical path for the left eye entering through said first surface, a third-first surface through which the light beam of said optical path for the right eye exits from the prism, and a third-second surface through which the light beam of said optical path for the left eye exits the prism, said optical path distributing prism being arranged so that at least said second-first surface, said second-second surface, said third-first surface and said third-second surface have a curved surface configuration that gives a power to a light beam, and said second-first surface and said second-second surface have a same surface configuration and said third-first surface and said third-second surface have a same surface configuration, said image display device being a reflection type image display device that displays an image by reflecting a light beam from a light source, wherein both said second-first surface and second-second surface of said optical path distributing prism are either semitransparent reflecting surfaces or partially-transmitting and partially-reflecting surfaces, and wherein an illuminating light source for forming the optical path for the left eye is disposed at a position on a side of said second-first surface remote from a prism medium, and an illuminating light source for forming the optical path for the right eye is disposed at a position on a side of said second-second surface remote from the prism medium, and wherein said ocular prism for the right eye and said ocular prism for the left eye are located symmetrically with respect to a plane of symmetry, and said second-first and second-second surfaces of said optical path-distributing prism are symmetrical with respect to said plane of symmetry.

57. An image display apparatus comprising a single image display device for simultaneously displaying an image to be observed by an observer, an optical path distributing prism for distributing said image to an optical path for a right eye and an optical path for a left eye, an ocular prism for the right eye that is placed on a right-hand side of said optical path distributing prism, and an ocular prism for the left eye that is placed on a left-hand side of said optical path distributing prism, said image display device being located between said ocular prism for the left eye and said ocular prism for the right eye, said optical path distributing prism having at least a first surface placed to face said image display device so that a display light beam emanating from said image display device enters the prism through the first surface, a fourth surface placed to face said first surface across a medium so as to reflect light beams of right and left images entering through said first surface in different directions, thereby distributing the light beams to the optical path for the right eye and the optical path for the left eye, a second-first surface which reflects said optical path for the right eye reflected from said fourth surface, a second-second surface which reflects said optical path for the left eye reflected from said fourth surface, a third-first surface through which the light beam of said optical path for the right eye exits from the prism, and a third-second surface through which the light beam of said optical path for the left eye exits from the prism, said optical path distributing prism being arranged so that at least said second-first surface, said second-second surface, said third-first surface, said third-second surface and said fourth surface have a curved surface configuration that gives a power to a light beam, and said second-first surface and said second-second surface have a same surface configuration and said third-first surface and said third-second surface have a same surface configuration, said image display device being a reflection type image display device that displays an image by reflecting a light beam from a light source, wherein said fourth surface of said optical path distributing prism is either a semitransparent reflecting surface or a partially-transmitting and partially-reflecting surface, and wherein an illuminating light source for forming the optical path for the left eye and an illuminating light source for forming the optical path for the right eye are disposed at respective positions on a side of said fourth surface remote from the prism medium, and wherein said ocular prism for the right eye and said ocular prism for the left eye are located symmetrically with respect to a plane of symmetry, and said second-first and second-second surfaces of said optical path-distributing prism are symmetrical with respect to said plane of symmetry.

58. An image display apparatus comprising a single image display device for displaying an image to be observed by an observer, an optical path distributing prism for simultaneously distributing said image to an optical path for a right eye and an optical path for a left eye, an ocular prism for the right eye that is placed on a right-hand side of said optical path distributing prism, and an ocular prism for the left eye that is placed on a left-hand side of said optical path distributing prism, said image display device being located between said ocular prism for the left eye and said ocular prism for the right eye, said optical path distributing prism having a first surface placed to face said image display device so that a display light beam emanating from said image display device enters the prism through the first surface, a second surface wherein said optical path for the right eye is made incident on an optical surface at an angle larger than a total reflection critical angle to reflect a light beam of the optical path for the right eye within the prism by total reflection and said optical path for the left eye is made incident on the optical surface at an angle smaller than the total reflection critical angle to allow a light beam of the optical path for the left eye to exit from the prism, and a third surface wherein said optical path for the left eye is made incident on an optical surface at an angle larger than a total reflection critical angle to reflect the light beam of the optical path for the left eye within the prism by total reflection and said optical path for the right eye is made incident on the optical surface at an angle smaller than the total reflection critical angle to allow the light beam of the optical path for the right eye to exit from the prism, wherein an optical element for display is placed between said image display device and a light source, said optical path distributing prism being arranged so that said second surface and said third surface are curved surfaces of a same configuration that gives a power to a light beam, and said second surface and said third surface are placed to face each other across a prism medium, said image display device being a transmission type image display device that displays an image by transmitting a light beam from a light source, wherein an illuminating light source for forming the optical path for the left eye and an illuminating light source for forming the optical path for the right eye are disposed at respective positions on a side of said image display device remote from said optical element for display, and wherein said ocular prism for the right eye and said ocular prism for the left eye are located symmetrically with respect to a plane of symmetry, and said second and third surfaces of said optical path-distributing prism are symmetrical with respect to said plane of symmetry.

Description

The claims of this application benefit of Japanese Application Nos. 2000-000638, 2000-000778, 2000-048750 and 2000-093233 filed in Japan on Jan. 6, 2000, Jan. 6, 2000, Feb. 25, 2000 and Mar. 30, 20