Combining a high resolution narrow field display and a mid resolution wide field display

• US 10,054,797 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2016
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Spitzer, Mark Bradley
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Larry
• Application Number:
  US15/043,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20160240013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0147 comprising a device modifying the resolution of the displayed image
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0179 Display position adjusting means not related to the information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/00 Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence

Abstract

A head mounted display (HMD) includes a first display portion included in the HMD, the first display portion having a first pixel density, a second display portion included in the HMD, the second display portion having the first pixel density, a third display portion attached to the HMD, the third display portion having a second pixel density, and at least one image combiner configured to combine two images by reflecting an image projected by the first display portion and the second display portion and allowing an image projected by the third display portion to pass through the at least one image combiner.

Claims

1. A head mounted display (HMD) comprising:

a first display portion included in the HMD, the first display portion having a first pixel density;

a second display portion included in the HMD, the second display portion having the first pixel density;

a third display portion attached to the HMD, the third display portion having a second pixel density; and

at least one image combiner configured to optically combine two images by reflecting light rays representing an image projected by the first display portion and the second display portion and allowing light rays representing an image projected by the third display portion to pass through the at least one image combiner, the at least one image combiner including a region configured as a transition between the image projected by the first display portion and the second display portion and the image projected by the third display portion.

2. The HMD of claim 1, wherein the at least one image combiner is further configured to block light rays representing a portion of the image projected by the third display portion, the light rays representing portion of the image projected by the third display portion corresponding to the light rays representing the image projected by the first display portion and the second display portion.

3. The HMD of claim 1, wherein the at least one image combiner is further configured to block light rays representing a portion of the image projected by the first display portion and the second display portion, the light rays representing the portion of the image projected by the first display portion and the second display portion corresponding to the light rays representing the image projected by the third display portion.

4. The HMD of claim 1, wherein

the first pixel density is a higher pixel density than the second pixel density, and

the third display portion is configured to reduce a brightness of a portion of the image projected by the third display portion, the portion of the image projected with reduced brightness by the third display portion corresponding to the image projected by the first display portion and the second display portion.

5. The HMD of claim 1, wherein

the first pixel density is a lower pixel density than the second pixel density, and

the first display portion and the second display portion are configured to reduce a brightness of a portion of the image projected by the first display portion and the second display portion, the portion of the image projected with reduced brightness by the first display portion and the second display portion corresponding to the image projected by the third display portion.

6. The HMD of claim 1, wherein the two images are blended at a boundary between the two images.

7. The HMD of claim 1, wherein the HMD is communicatively coupled to a computing device configured to generate the two images using an optical fiber.

8. The HMD of claim 1, wherein

the first pixel density is a higher pixel density than the second pixel density, and

the first display portion and the second display portion are positioned above the third display portion.

9. The HMD of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first display portion, the second display portion and the third display portion include a curved portion.

10. The HMD of claim 1, further comprising at least one lens.

11. The HMD of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a motion sensor and an eye tracking component each configured to detect a change in a view position of a user of the HMD.

12. A head mounted display (HMD) of a virtual reality (VR) system, the HMD comprising:

a first combined display system configured to receive a first image, the first combined display system including;

a first display portion configured to project a first portion of the first image,

a second display portion configured to project a second portion of the first image, and

an image combiner configured to optically combine two images by reflecting light rays representing the first portion of the first image and allowing light rays representing the second portion of the first image to pass through the image combiner, the image combiner including a region configured as a transition between the first portion of the first image and the second portion of the first image; and

a second combined display system configured to receive a second image, the second image being a different view perspective of the first image, the second combined display system including;

a third display portion configured to project a first portion of the second image,

a fourth display portion configured to project a second portion of the second image, and

an image combiner configured to optically combine two images by reflecting light rays representing the first portion of the second image and allowing light rays representing the second portion of the second image to pass through the image combiner, the image combiner including a region configured as a transition between the first portion of the second image and the second portion of the second image.

13. The HMD of claim 12, wherein the HMD is communicatively coupled to a computing device associated with an image repository via an optical fiber.

14. The HMD of claim 12, wherein

the first display portion and the second display portion have a first pixel density,

the third display portion and the fourth display portion have a second pixel density, the second pixel density being lower than the first pixel density, and

the third display portion and the fourth display portion include a curved portion.

15. The HMD of claim 12, wherein

the first display portion and the second display portion have a first pixel density,

the third display portion and the fourth display portion have a second pixel density, the second pixel density being lower than the first pixel density, and

the first display portion and the second display portion are positioned above the third display portion and the fourth display portion.

16. The HMD of claim 12, further comprising at least one lens.

17. The HMD of claim 12, wherein the two images are blended at a boundary between the two images.

18. The HMD of claim 12, wherein

the first display portion is configured to reduce a brightness of a portion of the first portion of the first image, and

the third display portion is configured to reduce a brightness of a portion of the first portion of the second image.

19. The HMD of claim 12, wherein

the second display portion is configured to reduce a brightness of a portion of the second portion of the first image, and

the fourth display portion is configured to reduce a brightness of a portion of the second portion of the second image.