Occlusion-capable augmented reality display using cloaking optics

• US 10,001,648 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2016
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Smithwick, Quinn Yorklun Jen
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Yuehan
• Application Number:
  US15/099,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20170299866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/008 Systems specially adapted to form image relays or chained systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0134 of stereoscopic type
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0145 creating an intermediate image
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/003 Light absorbing elements
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00

Abstract

Embodiments herein describe AR systems that provide occluded AR content to a user while maintaining the perspective of the user. In one embodiment, the AR system includes an optical cloak that contains a mask display device and an AR display device and one or more focusing elements for focusing light captured from the user'"'"'s environment. As the light enters the optical cloak, the mask display device occludes a portion of the user'"'"'s view to generate a black silhouette. The AR system then combines AR content displayed by the AR display device with the image of the environment such that the location of the AR content overlaps with the location of the black silhouette. Furthermore, the spacing and characteristics of the focusing elements is set to maintain the perspective of the user as the light passes through the optical cloak.

Claims

1. An augmented reality (AR) system, comprising:

a first focusing element configured to receive light defining a view of a user environment;

a mask display screen configured to occlude a selected portion of the view as the received light passes through the mask display screen;

an AR display screen configured to generate AR content that appears in the view at a location of the occluded selected portion; and

a second focusing element configured to emit the view containing the AR content to a user, wherein a spacing between the first and second focusing elements is set such that when the received light defining the view exits the second focusing element, the exiting light propagates in respective first directions that are the same as respective second directions of the received light entering the first focusing element,

wherein the spacing between the first and second focusing elements maintains, at least in part, a perspective of the user at a location of an eye of the user viewing the view provided by the second focusing element, wherein the spacing between the first and second focusing elements is set such that, to the perspective of the user, the first and second focusing elements do not redirect the received light from the first directions as the received light travels through the AR system.

2. The AR system of claim 1, further comprising:

an intermediate focusing element disposed in an optical path between the mask display screen and the second focusing element on which the received light defining the view travels, wherein a first spacing between the intermediate focusing element and the first focusing element and a second spacing between the intermediate focusing element and the second focusing element are such that the received light defining the view exits the second focusing element as if the received light passed through free space thereby maintaining a perspective of the user at a location of the user viewing the view.

3. The AR system of claim 2, wherein respective focal lengths of the first focusing element, the intermediate focusing element, and the second focusing element are set such that the received light defining the view exits the second focusing element as if the received light passed through free space.

4. The AR system of claim 1, further comprising:

logic configured to control the mask display screen and AR display screen such that the AR content in the view overlaps the selected portion occluded by the mask display screen, wherein the received light strikes a first side of the mask display screen and exits through a second side of the mask display screen when passing through the mask display screen, wherein the first side is opposite the second side.

5. The AR system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of reflective surfaces configured to redirect an optical path of the received light as the received light travels between the first and second focusing elements, wherein the plurality of reflective surfaces fold the optical path.

6. The AR system of claim 5, wherein the mask display screen is disposed in the optical path after the optical path has been redirected by one of the plurality of reflective surfaces.

7. An AR system, comprising:

a first focusing element configured to receive light defining a view of a user environment;

a mask display screen configured to occlude a selected portion of the view as the received light passes through the mask display screen;

an AR display screen configured to generate AR content that appears in the view at a location of the occluded selected portion;

a second focusing element configured to emit the view containing the AR content to a user, wherein a spacing between the first and second focusing elements maintains, at least in part, a perspective of the user at a location of an eye of the user viewing the view provided by the second focusing element, wherein the spacing between the first and second focusing elements is set such that, to the perspective of the user, the first and second focusing elements do not redirect light received at the first focusing element as the received light travels through the AR system; and

a plurality of reflective surfaces configured to redirect an optical path of the received light as the received light travels between the first and second focusing elements, wherein the plurality of reflective surfaces fold the optical path.

8. The AR system of claim 7, an intermediate focusing element disposed in the optical path between the mask display screen and the second focusing element, wherein a first spacing between the intermediate focusing element and the first focusing element and a second spacing between the intermediate focusing element and the second focusing element are such that the received light defining the view exits the second focusing element as if the received light passed through free space thereby maintaining a perspective of the user at a location of the user viewing the view.

9. The AR system of claim 8, wherein respective focal lengths of the first focusing element, the intermediate focusing element, and the second focusing element are set such that the received light defining the view exits the second focusing element as if the received light passed through free space.

10. The AR system of claim 7, further comprising:

a different mask display screen spaced apart from the mask display screen;

a different AR display screen spaced apart from the AR display screen, wherein the AR system is configured to perform depth blending using the mask display screen, the different mask display screen, the AR display screen, and the different AR display screen to achieve accommodation cues.

11. The AR system of claim 7, wherein the fold of the optical path formed by the plurality of reflective surfaces includes a first portion of the optical path where the received light propagates in a first direction and a second portion of the optical where the received light propagates in a second direction opposite the first direction.

12. A method, comprising:

receiving light defining a view of a user environment at a first focusing element;

occluding a selected portion of the view to produce a silhouette of AR content in the view;

introducing the AR content into the view at the location of the silhouette;

outputting the view containing the AR content at a second focusing element, wherein a spacing between the first and second focusing elements maintains, at least in part, a perspective of a user at a location of an eye of the user viewing the view provided by the second focusing element, wherein the spacing between the first and second focusing elements is set such that, to the perspective of the user, the first and second focusing elements do not redirect light received at the first focusing element as the received light travels between the first and second focusing elements.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

focusing the received light using an intermediate focusing element disposed in an optical path between a screen occluding the selected portion of the view and the second focusing element, wherein a first spacing between the intermediate focusing element and the first focusing element and a second spacing between the intermediate focusing element and the second focusing element are such that the received light defining the view exits the second focusing element as if the received light passed through free space thereby maintaining a perspective of the user at a location of the user viewing the view.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

controlling a mask display screen occluding the selection portion and an AR display screen displaying the AR content such that the AR content added to the view overlaps the selected portion occluded by the mask display screen.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

reflecting the received light in a plurality of directions to fold an optical path the received light travels between the first and second focusing elements.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the selected portion is occluded after the received light is reflected in at least one of the plurality of directions.