US 12,019,240 B2
Imaging apparatus integrated with display for head-mounted display
Kin Lung Chan, Hong Kong (CN); Ying Wang, Shenzhen (CN); and Zhuanyun Zhang, Hong Kong (CN)
Assigned to Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited, Hong Kong (CN)
Filed by Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited, Hong Kong (CN)
Filed on Aug. 6, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/395,858.
Prior Publication US 2023/0045672 A1, Feb. 9, 2023
Int. Cl. G02B 27/01 (2006.01); G02B 6/04 (2006.01)
CPC G02B 27/0172 (2013.01) [G02B 6/04 (2013.01); G02B 2027/0138 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus having at least a functionality of imaging a plurality of views for a head-mounted display, the apparatus comprising:
a coupling prism for optically multiplexing plural single-channel images each created by capturing a respective view to thereby form a multi-channel image, the coupling prism comprising a plurality of diagonally-reflective (DR) prisms, respective DR prisms in the plurality of DR prisms being packed together, an individual DR prism being shaped as a rectangular cuboid having a plurality of end surfaces, the individual DR prism comprising an internal diagonal plane at least partially reflective for reflecting a respective single-channel image received through an image-receiving end surface of the individual DR prism towards an image-leaving end surface thereof, respective image-leaving end surfaces of the DR prisms being oriented to a same direction and aligned together on a same plane for collectively creating the multi-channel image and a substantially flat surface from which the multi-channel image exits the coupling prism; and
an imaging sensor overlying the substantially flat surface for imaging the multi-channel image upon the multi-channel image exiting the coupling prism, thereby avoiding inter-channel interference caused by spillover of the single-channel images on the multi-channel image to occur while allowing a single imaging sensor instead of a plurality of imaging sensors to image the plurality of views.