Eye projection system

• US 10,042,161 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2014
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: VoxelSensors SRL
• Original Assignee: EyeWay Vision Ltd.
• Inventors: Greenberg, Boris
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherman, Stephen G
• Application Number:
  US15/122,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20170068091A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,618 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/101 with both horizontal and vertical deflecting means, e.g. raster or XY scanners colour television using laser beams scanning a display screen H04N9/3129
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0093 with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/104 for use with scanning systems scanning systems G02B26/10
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/20 Filters polarising elements G02B5/30
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence

Abstract

An eye projection system is disclosed, including an image generator and an eye projection optical module. The image generator is adapted to obtain data indicative of an image, produce a plurality of light beam portions corresponding to pixels of the image, adjust the intensity of each light beam portion in accordance with a value of a pixel of the image corresponding thereto and direct the light beam portion to propagate along a general optical propagation path towards the eye projection optical module with a projection angle α_scn, relative to the general optical propagation path, which is determined in accordance with a location of the respective pixel in the image. The eye projection optical module includes a gaze tracking deflector responsive to input signals indicative of a gaze direction β of a user eye and configured and operable to deflect the general optical propagation path of the light beam portions towards the location of the pupil of the user eye associated with the gaze direction β. The general optical propagation path is deflected such that the light beam portions incident on the pupil with pupil incidence angles α_in with respect to a line of sight of the pupil, where the pupil incidence angles α_in correspond to the projection angles α_scn. The system thereby provides direct projection of the image onto the retina of the eye at a specific location on the retina regardless of the gaze direction β of the eye.

Claims

1. An eye projection system comprising:

an image generator; and

an eye projection optical module;

wherein;

said image generator is adapted to obtain data indicative of an image, produce a plurality of light beam portions corresponding to pixels of said image, adjust the intensity of each light beam portion of said light beam portions in accordance with a value of a pixel of said image corresponding to said light beam portion, and direct said light beam portion to propagate along a general optical propagation path towards said eye projection optical module with a projection angle α

_scn relative to said general optical propagation path, where projection angle α

_scn is determined in accordance with a location of said respective pixel in the image; and

said eye projection optical module comprises a gaze tracking deflector configured and operable to be responsive to input signals indicative of a gaze direction β

of a user eye for deflecting the general optical propagation path of the light beam portions towards a pupil of said user eye in accordance with said gaze direction β

; and

wherein said general optical propagation path is deflected such that the light beam portions incident on the pupil with pupil incidence angles α

_in, corresponding to the projection angles α

_scn, with respect to a line of sight of said pupil associated with said gaze direction β

such that the pupil incidence angle α

_in is a monotonic function of the projection angle α

_scn, thereby directly projecting said image onto a retina of said eye at a substantially fixed location on the retina regardless of said gaze direction β

of the eye.

2. The eye projection system of claim 1, further comprising one or more beam collimators adapted for effecting a collimation of said light beam portions such that said light beam portions incident on said pupil while being substantially collimated thereby enabling direct projection of the image on said retina whereby said image is perceived to be originating from an infinite distance from the eye.

3. The eye projection system of claim 1, further comprising one or more optical modules adapted for effecting widths of said light beam portions, such that said the widths is smaller than a diameter of said pupil, thereby enabling projection of said image on the retina with an extended depth of focus.

4. The eye projection system of claim 1, wherein said gaze tracking deflector comprises:

an addressable optical deflecting unit located along said general optical propagation path, and a field selector optical module located in said optical path downstream from said addressable optical deflecting unit with respect to a light propagation direction through the system.

5. The eye projection system of claim 4, wherein said addressable optical deflecting unit is responsive to said input signals indicative of said gaze direction β

and operable for adjusting a deflection angle thereof to deflect a light beam incident thereon to propagate along a respective optical path corresponding to said gaze direction β

; and

said field selector optical module is configured and operable to receive beams of light propagating along various respective optical paths corresponding to different gaze directions β and

direct them towards corresponding locations of said pupil associated with said different gaze directions β

respectively.

6. The eye projection system of claim 5, wherein said field selector optical module comprises a-spherical optics.

7. The eye projection system according to claim 1, wherein the eye projection optical module further comprises an angular beam relay module, which is configured and operable for receiving each light beam portion propagating at various projection angles α

_scn from the image generator, and relaying said light beam portions to be projected onto the pupil with corresponding pupil incidence angles α

_in; and

wherein said gaze tracking deflector comprises an addressable optical deflecting unit located along the general optical propagation path in between optical modules of the angular beam relay module.

8. The eye projection system of claim 7, wherein said angular beam relay module comprises a first optical module and a second optical module respectively associated with first and second focal lengths, the first and second optical modules being spaced apart from one another along said general optical propagation path by an optical distance being substantially equal to a sum of said first and second focal lengths.

9. The eye projection system of claim 1, wherein said gaze tracking deflector comprises a field selector optical module and wherein said second optical module of the angular beam relay and said field selector optical module are integral in a common optical element.

10. The eye projection system according to claim 1 wherein said image generator comprises:

a light module providing an input light beam;

an image scanner located in the optical path of said input light beam and adapted to split said input light beam into one or more light beam portions and directing said one or more of light beam portions to propagate with said projection angles α

_scn relative to said general optical propagation path;

a light intensity modulator located in an optical path of at least one of said input light beam and said one or more light beam portions and adapted for controllably adjusting the intensity of one or more of light beam portions; and

a projection controller connectable to said light intensity modulator module and configured and operable to;

obtain image data indicative of image pixels to be projected onto said retina and operate said light intensity modulator module for adjusting the intensities of said light beam portion in accordance with a value of a pixel of said image corresponding to said light beam portions respectively.

11. The eye projection system according to claim 10, wherein said projection controller is connectable to said image scanner and is operable to direct said light beam portion to propagate along with said projection angles α

_scn relative to said general optical propagation path.

12. The eye projection system according to claim 10, wherein said light intensity modulator comprises a spatial light modulator configured and operable for splitting said input light beam into said plurality of light beam portions propagating along distinct respective optical paths, and said image scanner comprises a static optical module configured for deflecting said plurality of light beam portions towards different projection angles α

_scn.

13. The eye projection system according to claim 10, wherein said light intensity modulator is adapted to modulate the intensity of said input light beam and said image scanner comprises a scanning optical deflector configured and operable for splitting said input light beam in to said plurality of light beam portions, being temporal portions thereof and directing them to propagate towards different angles α

_scn towards said eye projection optical module.

14. The eye projection system of claim 13, wherein said image scanning optical deflector and said gaze tracking deflector are actuated to control two or more degrees of freedom α

_in and β

of the propagation of said light beam portions such that each respective light beam portion for incident on the pupil with a desired pupil incidence angle α

_in corresponding to the respective image pixel associated with the light beam portion relative to a gaze directions β

associated to a line of sight of the eye.

15. The eye projection system of claim 14, wherein said gaze tracking adjustable optical deflector is configured and operable for controlling intersection locations of the light beam portions propagating towards the pupil with a substantially spherical portion of a virtual surface defining the possible locations of said pupil in different gaze directions;

and said image scanning optical deflector is configured and operable for controlling an angle of intersection of said light beam portions with said substantially spherical portion of the virtual surface defining the possible locations of said pupil.

16. Eye glasses for projecting at least one of pure and augmented virtual reality comprising the eye projection system of claim 1.

17. The eye glasses of claim 16, configured for projecting augmented virtual reality to the eye, a lens of said eye glasses comprising a beam splitter/combiner surface adapted for reflecting light from the eye projection system towards the user eye and transmitting external light from a scenery towards the user'"'"'s eye.

18. The eye glasses of claim 17, wherein the input light beam generated by a light module comprises one or more spectral bands, and said beam splitter/combiner surface is configured as a notch filter adapted for reflecting said one or more spectral bands towards the user'"'"'s eye.

19. The eye glasses of claim 17, wherein the input light beam generated by the light module is polarized in a certain polarization, and said beam splitter/combiner surface is configured as a polarizer adapted for reflecting said certain polarization towards the user eye.

20. The eye projection system of claim 1 comprising:

a controller adapted to receive said data indicative of the image, which is to be projected onto a retina of the user'"'"'s eye, and data indicative of said gaze direction β

of said eye, and for projecting pixels of said image onto corresponding locations on said retina, wherein said projecting comprises carrying out the following for projection of each pixel of said image;

operating said light module to produce the light beam portion having intensity corresponding to an intensity value of said pixel in the image;

operating at least one of the image optical deflector and the gaze tracking deflector, by adjusting its deflection angle to direct said light beam portion in accordance with said gaze direction β

to be incident on a pupil of said user'"'"'s eye; and

operating at least one of the image optical deflector and the gaze tracking deflector, by adjusting its deflection angle to direct said light beam portion to be incident on said pupil with a pupil incidence angle α

_in corresponding to a location of said pixel in the image to thereby enable focusing, by an eye lens, said light beam portion associated with said pixel onto a location on the retina corresponding to said location of the pixel in the image.

21. An eye projection system comprising:

an image generator; and

an eye projection optical module, wherein;

said image generator is adapted to obtain data indicative of an image and produce a plurality of light beam portions corresponding to pixels of said image, adjust the intensity of each light beam portion of said light beam portions in accordance with a value of a pixel of said image corresponding to said light beam portion; and

said image generator comprises an image optical deflector adapted to direct said light beam portion to propagate along a general optical propagation path towards said eye projection optical module with a projection angle α

_scn relative to said general optical propagation path, where projection angle α

_scn is determined in accordance with a location of said respective pixel in the image;

said eye projection optical module comprises a gaze tracking deflector configured and operable to be responsive to input signals indicative of a gaze direction β

of a user eye for deflecting the general optical propagation path of the light beam portions towards a pupil of said user eye in accordance with said gaze direction β

; and

wherein said general optical propagation path is deflected such that the light beam portions incident on the pupil with pupil incidence angles α

_in, corresponding to the projection angles α

_scn, with respect to a line of sight of said pupil associated with said gaze direction β

, thereby directly projecting said image onto a retina of said eye at a substantially fixed location on the retina regardless of said gaze direction β

of the eye; and

wherein said image optical deflector and said gaze tracking deflector are adapted to control two or more degrees of freedom α

_in and β

of the propagation of said light beam portions such that each respective light beam portion for incident on the pupil with a desired pupil incidence angle α

_in corresponding to the respective image pixel associated with the light beam portion relative to a gaze directions β

associated a line of sight of the eye.

22. The eye projection system of claim 21, wherein said gaze tracking adjustable optical deflector is configured and operable for controlling intersection locations of the light beam portions propagating towards the pupil with a substantially spherical portion of a virtual surface defining the possible locations of said pupil in different gaze directions;

and said image scanning optical deflector is configured and operable for controlling an angle of intersection of said light beam portions with said substantially spherical portion of the virtual surface defining the possible locations of said pupil.