Abstract: A light guide member includes a plurality of non-axisymmetric curved surfaces, whereby a wide viewing angle and reduction in size and weight are achieved as the whole apparatus. A curved surface is formed such that a blur amount of video light on a position of an image surface of an intermediate image is greater (for example, greater than 10 times a blur amount on a position of an image surface of a video element). With this, even when there is a scratch, dust, or stain on the surface of the light guide member near the intermediate image or there is a contaminant or air bubble inside the light guide member, a situation in which the scratch or the like is enlarged and noticeable to degrade video quality is avoided, and high performance is achieved.

Abstract: An intermediate image is formed inside the prism by a projection lens or the like, and since an image light that is totally reflected at three or more surfaces; at a third surface firstly, at a first surface firstly, at a third surface secondly, at the first surface secondly, and at the second surface in the order specified, transmits the first surface, and then arrives at an observer's eye, the size and weight of the prism can be reduced and it is possible to realize a display of high performance and brightness with a wide angle of view. In addition, since the external light can be observed after passing through the first surface and the third surface, and the visibility at that time becomes substantially zero, it is possible to reduce the defocus or distortion of the external light when observing the see-through external light.

Abstract: A light blocking member that is a light blocking structure disposed in an exit pupil position can remove in advance a light component of video image light that undergoes unintended reflection to avoid generation of ghost light and allows formation of a satisfactory image. Further, a projection lens and other components form an intermediate image in a prism, and the video image light totally reflected off at least two surfaces of the prism, a third surface, a first surface, and a second surface in this order, passes through the first surface and reaches an eye of a viewer, whereby the prism can be thin and the overall optical system can be compact and lightweight and provide wide angle, bright, high-performance display.

Abstract: Image lights formed by a light emitting device and a virtual-image forming member and external light transmitted through a visibility adjusting member and the virtual-image forming member can be observed in parallel in a see-through manner. In the observation of the external light, the visibility adjusting member enables visibility adjustment corresponding to the eyesight of a wearer. Therefore, the wearer can observe the external light without wearing a device for visibility adjustment such as glasses. Therefore, it is possible to suppress an increase in the size of a virtual image display device.

Abstract: A support frame includes a light transmissive portion that is combined with a light guide member to form a see-through portion. The support frame assembled with the light guide member for image light observation therefore allows see-through observation of an outside-world object through the see-through portion. Further, providing the light transmissive portion in the support frame can increase the strength of the support frame while reducing the weight of the light guide member.

Abstract: In a light guide device, a step between optical surfaces connected to each other by a connection portion can be limited to 1 mm or smaller so that a large stepped portion is not allowed to be formed at the connection portion in a hard coat formation process, whereby a coating liquid that flows along portions that are to form the optical surfaces forms no liquid pool or causes no liquid sagging. The light guide device can thus maintain satisfactory light guiding performance at the light guide portion.

Abstract: In an optical system having an extremely simple configuration configured by first and second prisms which are prisms in a flat shape and a reflecting surface provided in these prisms, in the first prism which is disposed on a side close to the eyes, that is, on a side apart from a video display element (video element) at a certain distance, a correction lens surface for correcting a chromatic aberration of video light is provided. Accordingly, a virtual image display apparatus is small and light, and has a high performance with a reduced chromatic aberration of magnification.

Abstract: In a virtual image display device, direction adjustment of an image optical axis, i.e., angle adjustment of a direction of eyes of an observer can be performed by providing a cushion member or adjusting an amount of shift between an image display unit and a projection system, and thereby, strain on eyes of an observer in use may be reduced. Even when the virtual image display device is used over a long period, for example, stress on the observer may be suppressed.

Abstract: A virtual image display device has a light guide device in which the half mirror layer (the semi-transmissive reflecting film) of the light guide member is formed on the partial area of the first junction surface, and the second junction surface of the light transmitting member is bonded to the first junction surface in at least the exceptional area. Therefore, it is possible to increase the bonding strength of the first junction surface and the second junction surface, namely the strength of the light guide device composed of the light guide member and the light transmitting member combined with each other even in the case in which the attachment force of the half mirror layer (the semi-transmissive reflecting film) with respect to the first junction surface is not sufficiently strong.

Abstract: A light guide member includes four or more curved surfaces (in a case of FIG. 1, a first surface to a fourth surface) having three or more non-axisymmetric curved surfaces so that sufficient aberration correction becomes possible and video having a wide viewing angle and high performance can be displayed. Besides, in the inside of the light guide member, since the length of an optical path can be sufficiently ensured even in a case of a small optical system by reflection of video light GL being performed four times, an entire apparatus can be small in size and light in weight. Further, the video light is displayed to an observer on a divergent optical path which does not allow an intermediate image to be formed in an enlarged manner so that optical design becomes easy compared to in a case of allowing an intermediate image to be formed.

Abstract: With respect to an emitting side optical axis, which is an optical axis on a first surface, a sight line reference axis which is assumed as a sight line axis of the eyes of an observer extends in a slightly inclined direction. In particular, the emitting side optical axis with respect to the sight line reference axis is configured to approach the eyes from the outside (that is, a corner of the eyes) of the eyes. In addition, a long image in a vertical direction which is perpendicular to an alignment of the eyes rather than in the horizontal direction which corresponds to the alignment of the eyes, is displayed.

Abstract: As a first prism and a second prism respectively have a third surface and a sixth surface, which are reflecting surfaces which are asymmetrical with respect to an axis, inside thereof, it is possible to correct an aberration, and to display an video having high performance. Furthermore, in the first prism, as a plurality of reflecting surfaces (a second surface and the third surface) is provided, it is possible to reduce a size and a weight of the apparatus. Furthermore, like the second surface and a fifth surface, as a surface which functions not only as a light incident surface that causes video light to be incident but also as a total reflecting surface which totally reflects the video light is provided, it is possible to further reduce a size of an optical system.

Abstract: An intermediate image is formed inside the prism by a projection lens or the like, and since an image light that is totally reflected at three or more surfaces; a third surface firstly, a first surface firstly, at a third surface secondly, at a first surface secondly, and the second surface in this order, transmits the first surface and then arrives at an observer's eyes, the thickness of the prism can be reduced and the size and weight of the entire optical system can be reduced, and it is possible to realize a display of high performance and brightness with a wide angle of view. Since the external light can be observed after passing through the first surface and the third surface, and the visibility at that time becomes substantially zero, it is possible to reduce the defocus or distortion of the external light when observing the external light.

Abstract: A virtual image display device has a light guide device in which the half mirror layer (the semi-transmissive reflecting film) of the light guide member is formed on the partial area of the first junction surface, and the second junction surface of the light transmitting member is bonded to the first junction surface in at least the exceptional area. Therefore, it is possible to increase the bonding strength of the first junction surface and the second junction surface, namely the strength of the light guide device composed of the light guide member and the light transmitting member combined with each other even in the case in which the attachment force of the half mirror layer (the semi-transmissive reflecting film) with respect to the first junction surface is not sufficiently strong.

Abstract: A light emitting device, which is a main body, is arranged to be located closer to the nose NS side than the eye EY of a wearer during wearing of a virtual image display device. Therefore, the light emitting device is prevented from excessively projecting to the side of the face of the wearer. The light emitting device is arranged between the eye EY of the wearer and the virtual-image forming member. Therefore, the light emitting device is prevented from excessively projecting further to the front side than the virtual image forming member, i.e., the front side of the face of the wearer. Further, a combined-light forming unit is a unit small in size and light in weight. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the center of gravity of the entire virtual image forming member from deviating to the side and the front side.

Abstract: An intermediate image is formed inside a light guide member by a projection lens or the like, whereby a small optical system having a wide viewing angle and high performance is provided. At least one curved surface among curved surfaces forming an optical system is an opposite-sign curvature curved surface having an opposite-sign curvature point different in curvature depending on direction, whereby the optical system is placed in a satisfactory aberration correction state.

Abstract: A light guide member includes a plurality of non-axisymmetric curved surfaces, whereby a wide viewing angle and reduction in size and weight are achieved as the whole apparatus. A curved surface is formed such that a blur amount of video light on a position of an image surface of an intermediate image is greater (for example, greater than 10 times a blur amount on a position of an image surface of a video element). With this, even when there is a scratch, dust, or stain on the surface of the light guide member near the intermediate image or there is a contaminant or air bubble inside the light guide member, a situation in which the scratch or the like is enlarged and noticeable to degrade video quality is avoided, and high performance is achieved.

Abstract: An optical system of a virtual image display apparatus is configured such that, in regard to a width in a first direction and a width in a second direction at a first surface position, and a width in a first direction and a width in a second direction at a second surface position corresponding to the width in the first direction and the width in the second direction at the first surface position, predetermined conditional expressions are established. With this, in an optical system for an HMD which includes a light guide member having a free-form surface, it is possible to allow video light to be emitted toward eyes in an appropriate state while controlling the light guide of video light accurately and maintaining high performance.

Abstract: A thickness of a tapered part provided at the deeper side (?X side) in a light guide direction of a light transmission member is smaller toward the deeper side, and thus, a reflection angle of ghost light that has passed through a fourth reflection surface provided with a half mirror layer and reached the light transmission member gradually becomes smaller within the tapered part and no longer satisfies a total reflection condition, and the light is ejected to the outside in the position diverging from an eye of an observer. That is, the tapered part may prevent the ghost light from reaching the eye and good see-through observation can be realized.

Abstract: An image display device performs control to provide light distribution characteristics in which a light distribution angle is wider in a horizontal direction corresponding to a lateral direction parallel to a direction in which eyes of an observer are arranged, rather than in a vertical direction corresponding to a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the direction in which the eyes of the observer are arranged, to thus obtain a state where the light distribution angle is wider in the horizontal direction, and the occurrence of a luminance difference by an emission angle of video light related to the horizontal direction can be suppressed. That is, it is possible to observe a good image in which the luminance of video light is adjusted and to reduce fatigue in the observer.