Methods and systems for displaying stereoscopy with a freeform optical system with addressable focus for virtual and augmented reality
First Claim
1. A tiled freeform optical display system, comprising:
- an image source transmitting light rays;
a primary freeform optical element devised to include a first aspect ratio and to provide an increased first field of view in a first direction based at least in part upon the first aspect ratio, whereinthe increased first field of view is larger than a first corresponding field of view provided by the primary freeform optical element in a second direction;
a secondary freeform optical element devised to include a second aspect ratio and to provide an increased second field of view in the second direction based at least in part upon the second aspect ratio and coupled directly with no intervening elements or indirectly with one or more intervening elements to the primary freeform optical element along the first direction or the second direction in a first tiled arrangement to form a tiled freeform optical display device that expands an aggregated field of view of the tiled freeform optical display system in a plurality of directions for displaying virtual display content with at least a portion of the light rays from the image source, whereinthe increased second field of view is larger than a second corresponding field of view provided by the secondary freeform optical element in the first direction;
at least one coupling lens interposed between the image source and the primary freeform optical element and configured to relay the light rays from the image source to the primary freeform optical element and the secondary freeform optical element and to correct optical aberrations for the light rays; and
a variable focusing element coupled to the image source and the tiled freeform optical display device and comprising a deformable optical element that is configured to change a variable focal distance of a single focal plane based at least in part upon the aggregated field of view of the tiled freeform optical display system and virtual depth of virtual display content to render the virtual display content on the single focal plane in focus with the variable focus distance.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Several unique hardware configurations and methods for freeform optical display systems are disclosed. A freeform display system includes primary freeform optical element(s) and secondary freeform optical element(s) in tiled arrangements to expand the horizontal field of view (FOV) or the vertical field of view. The system may include a variable focusing system that produces intermediate pupil and changes the focal distance of a single focal plane or switches among multiple focal planes for rendering objects in focus while resolving accommodation-convergence conflict. The system may map light samples to appropriate light rays in physical space and use a cluster of projectors to project the mapped light rays to produce the light field of the virtual display content. Methods for making tiled freeform optical display systems and methods for producing virtual content with variable focus freeform optics and rendering light fields are also disclosed.
63 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A tiled freeform optical display system, comprising:
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an image source transmitting light rays; a primary freeform optical element devised to include a first aspect ratio and to provide an increased first field of view in a first direction based at least in part upon the first aspect ratio, wherein the increased first field of view is larger than a first corresponding field of view provided by the primary freeform optical element in a second direction; a secondary freeform optical element devised to include a second aspect ratio and to provide an increased second field of view in the second direction based at least in part upon the second aspect ratio and coupled directly with no intervening elements or indirectly with one or more intervening elements to the primary freeform optical element along the first direction or the second direction in a first tiled arrangement to form a tiled freeform optical display device that expands an aggregated field of view of the tiled freeform optical display system in a plurality of directions for displaying virtual display content with at least a portion of the light rays from the image source, wherein the increased second field of view is larger than a second corresponding field of view provided by the secondary freeform optical element in the first direction; at least one coupling lens interposed between the image source and the primary freeform optical element and configured to relay the light rays from the image source to the primary freeform optical element and the secondary freeform optical element and to correct optical aberrations for the light rays; and a variable focusing element coupled to the image source and the tiled freeform optical display device and comprising a deformable optical element that is configured to change a variable focal distance of a single focal plane based at least in part upon the aggregated field of view of the tiled freeform optical display system and virtual depth of virtual display content to render the virtual display content on the single focal plane in focus with the variable focus distance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A freeform optical display mechanism for generating stereoscopic images, comprising:
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one or more coupling lenses configured to receive light beams of the stereoscopic images transmitted from an image source and to correct optical aberrations for the light beams; a primary display device comprising a primary freeform optical element configured to receive the light beams from the one or more coupling lens and to define a primary field of view in a first direction, wherein the primary freeform optical element comprises a freeform surface that further includes at least a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface is configured with a semi-transparent coating that is selected based at least in part upon a reflective efficiency of the first surface, and the second surface is configured with a dielectric coating that is selected based at least in part upon a total internal reflection condition; a secondary display device defining a secondary field of view in a second direction and comprising a secondary freeform optical element; at least one compensation lens comprising one or more refractive surfaces and configured to overlap at least a first portion of the freeform surface of the primary freeform optical element and at least a second portion of a second freeform optical element; and a tiled display device including the primary display device and the secondary display device in a tiled arrangement and the at least one compensation lens to expand an aggregated field of view of the tiled display device in a plurality of directions. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification