Enhanced illumination system

• US 10,261,328 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2016
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Price, Raymond Kirk, Nalla, Ravi Kiran
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Anh T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ulanday, Meghan K
• Application Number:
  US15/256,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20180067324A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 362237
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/002 using microoptical elements for redirecting or diffusing light
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/04 of lens shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0008 providing for indirect lighting
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0161 characterised by the relative positioning of the constitutive elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means

Abstract

An enhanced illumination system is provided. In some configurations, an illumination system comprises one or more illuminators for emitting light. Light steering optical elements direct the light along diverging axes. In some configurations, the camera module assembly can cause an output to be tilted down or tilted up relative to a horizontal plane. In some configurations, the illumination system comprises diffusers positioned to receive light along the diverging axes, each diffuser producing a field of illumination having a predetermined angle. The illumination system can be mounted on a computing device, such as an HMD providing a field of view to a camera, sensor, and/or a user. By the use of the techniques disclosed herein, an illumination system can mitigate optical loss that may be caused by a curved visor positioned between the illumination system and an object in the field of view.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first illuminator generating a first light;

a second illuminator generating a second light;

a first collimator receiving the first light and collimating the first light to a first collimated light directed along a first axis;

a second collimator receiving the second light and collimating the second light to a second collimated light directed along a second axis;

a first light steering optical element for receiving the first collimated light along the first axis, the first light steering optical element directing the first collimated light to propagate along a third axis;

a second light steering optical element for receiving the second collimated light along the second axis, the second light steering optical element directing the second collimated light to propagate along a fourth axis; and

a visor positioned to allow the first light and the second light to pass through the visor, wherein the visor has a radius of curvature, wherein the first light enters a surface of the visor propagating along the third axis and the second light enters the surface of the visor propagating along the fourth axis, wherein the third axis and the fourth axis are diverging at a predetermined angle that is based on the radius of curvature.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein a first included angle (Y1) between the first axis and the third axis is an obtuse angle, wherein a second included angle (Y2) between the second axis and the fourth axis is an obtuse angle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein a first included angle (Y1) between the first axis and the third axis is within a range of 140 degrees and 180 degrees, wherein a second included angle (Y2) between the second axis and the fourth axis is within the range of 140 degrees and 180 degrees.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a camera, wherein an optical axis relative to the camera is tilted at a predetermined tilt angle (N) relative to a horizontal plane.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the predetermined tilt angle (N) is within a range of −

40 degrees to 40 degrees.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first axis and the second axis define a first plane, and wherein the third axis and the fourth axis define a second plane, wherein a first included angle (Y1) between the first axis and the third axis is an obtuse angle, wherein a second included angle (Y2) between the second axis and the fourth axis is an obtuse angle, wherein a third included angle (Z) between the first plane and the second plane is an obtuse angle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first axis and the second axis define a first plane, and wherein the third axis and the fourth axis define a second plane, wherein a first included angle (Y1) between the first axis and the third axis is within a range of 165 degrees and 175 degrees, wherein a second included angle (Y2) between the second axis and the fourth axis is within a range of 165 degrees and 175 degrees, wherein a third included angle (Z) between the first plane and the second plane is within a range of 132 and 152 degrees.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first axis and the second axis define a first plane, and wherein the third axis and the fourth axis define a second plane, wherein a first included angle (Y1) between the first axis and the third axis is within a range of 169 degrees and 171 degrees, wherein a second included angle (Y2) between the second axis and the fourth axis is within a range of 169 degrees and 171 degrees, wherein a third included angle (Z) between the first plane and the second plane is within a range of 141 and 143 degrees.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first axis and the second axis define a first plane, and wherein the third axis and the fourth axis define a second plane, wherein a first included angle (Y1) between the first axis and the third axis is 170 degrees, wherein a second included angle (Y2) between the second axis and the fourth axis is 170 degrees, wherein a third included angle (Z) between the first plane and the second plane is 142 degrees.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first diffuser configured to receive the first collimated light along the third axis, the first diffuser producing a first field of illumination from the first collimated light, the first field of illumination spreading light at a predetermined angle; and

a second diffuser configured to receive the second collimated light along the fourth axis, the second diffuser producing a second field of illumination from the second collimated light, the second field of illumination spreading light at the predetermined angle.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the predetermined angle is within the range of 90 degrees to 110 degrees.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the predetermined angle is within the range of 99 degrees to 101 degrees.

13. A system, comprising:

at least one illuminator emitting a first light along a first axis and a second light along a second axis;

a first diffuser configured to receive the first light along the first axis, the first diffuser producing a first field of illumination from the first light along the first axis, the first field of illumination diffusing the light at a first predetermined angle (X);

a second diffuser configured to receive the second light along the second axis, the second diffuser producing a second field of illumination from the second light along the second axis, the second field of illumination diffusing the light at the first predetermined angle (X); and

a visor positioned to allow the first light and the second light to pass through the visor, wherein the visor has a radius of curvature, wherein the first light enters a surface of the visor propagating along the first axis and the second light enters the surface of the visor propagating along the second axis, wherein the first axis and the second axis are diverging at a second predetermined angle that is based on the radius of curvature.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first axis is diverging from a normal by a third predetermined angle (T1) and the second axis is diverging from the normal by a fourth predetermined angle (T2).

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the third predetermined angle (T1) is within a range of 0 to 40 degrees, and wherein the fourth predetermined angle (T2) is within a range of 0 to 40 degrees.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the first axis and the second axis are tilted from a horizontal plane by a predetermined tilt angle (A).

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the predetermined tilt angle (A) is within a range of −

40 degrees to 40 degrees relative to the horizontal plane.

18. The system of claim 13, further comprising a camera, wherein an optical axis through the center of, and normal to, a lens of the camera is tilted at a predetermined tilt angle (N) relative to a horizontal plane.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the predetermined tilt angle (N) is within a range of −

40 degrees to 40 degrees.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the first predetermined angle (X) is within the range of 90 degrees to 110 degrees.

21. A method of producing an illumination system, the method comprising:

providing at least one illuminator configured to emit light;

arranging a first collimator to receive the light, the first collimator configured to collimate the light, the first collimator configured to produce a first collimated light directed along a first axis;

arranging a second collimator to receive the light, the second collimator configured to collimate the light, the second collimator configured to produce a second collimated light directed along a second axis;

arranging a first light steering optical element to receive the first collimated light, the first light steering optical element configured to direct the first collimated light to propagate along a third axis;

arranging a second light steering optical element to receive the second collimated light, the second light steering optical element configured to direct the second collimated light to propagate along a fourth axis; and

arranging a visor positioned to allow the first collimated light and the second collimated light to pass through the visor, wherein the visor has a radius of curvature, wherein the first light enters a surface of the visor propagating along the third axis and the second light enters the surface of the visor propagating along the fourth axis, wherein the third axis and the fourth axis are diverging at a predetermined angle that is based on the radius of curvature, wherein the predetermined angle that is based on the radius of curvature mitigates optical loss of the first collimated light and the second collimated light that passes through the visor.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

adjusting a first included angle (Y1) between the first axis and the third axis based, at least in part, on a radius of curvature of a visor and a distance between the first axis and the second axis; and

adjusting a second included angle (Y2) between the second axis and the fourth axis based, at least in part, on the radius of curvature of the visor.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising, wherein the first axis and the second axis define a first plane, and wherein the third axis and the fourth axis define a second plane, wherein the method further comprises adjusting a third included angle (Z) between the first plane and the second plane based, at least in part, on a radius of curvature of a visor.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

adjusting a first included angle (Y1) between the first axis and the third axis based on a distance between the first axis and the second axis; and

adjusting a second included angle (Y2) between the second axis and the fourth axis based on the distance between the first axis and the second axis.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising, wherein the first axis and the second axis define a first plane, and wherein the third axis and the fourth axis define a second plane, wherein the method further comprises adjusting a third included angle (Z) between the first plane and the second plane based, at least in part, on a distance between the first axis and the second axis.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising,

arranging a first diffuser to receive the first collimated light along the third axis, the first diffuser configured to produce a first field of illumination from the first collimated light;

and

arranging a second diffuser to receive the second collimated light along the fourth axis, the second diffuser configured to produce a second field of illumination from the second collimated light.