Calibration of virtual image system with extended nasal field of view

• US 10,511,832 B1
• Filed: 02/14/2018
• Issued: 12/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: META Platforms Technologies LLC (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Inventors: Shen, Shizhe, Wang, Daozhi, Jenkins, Kurt
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Duc Q
• Application Number:
  US15/897,072
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 345 7- 9
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0123 comprising devices increasing the field of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/045 Prism arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/327 Calibration thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays

Abstract

A method for calibrating includes obtaining a head-mounted display device that includes an electronic display having an array of display elements and an array of beam steerers located over an inner left portion and an inner right portion of the electronic display. The method also includes obtaining alignment information by selecting a first respective subset of the array of display elements and causing it to emit light, and determining whether the light is received by a first optical sensor in a first position or a second optical sensor in a second position, thereby determining whether the first respective subset of the array of display elements is aligned for the first or the second optical sensor. The method also includes repeating the selecting, causing, and determining operations for a second subset of the array of display elements, and storing the alignment information for calibrating images for presentation by the electronic display.

Claims

1. A method for calibrating a head-mounted display device, comprising:

obtaining a head-mounted display device that includes;

an electronic display having an array of display elements, wherein;

the electronic display has a left portion and a right portion that does not overlap with the left portion;

the left portion includes an outer left portion and an inner left portion that does not overlap with the outer left portion;

the right portion includes an outer right portion and an inner right portion that does not overlap with the outer right portion; and

the inner left portion and the inner right portion are located between the outer left portion and the outer right portion; and

an array of beam steerers located over at least the inner left portion and the inner right portion of the electronic display;

obtaining alignment information by;

selecting a first respective subset of the array of display elements;

causing the first respective subset of the array of display elements to emit light;

determining whether the light emitted by the first respective subset of the array of display elements is received by a first optical sensor in a first position or a second optical sensor in a second position that is distinct from the first position, thereby determining whether the first respective subset of the array of display elements is aligned for the first optical sensor or the second optical sensor; and

repeating the selecting, causing, and determining operations for a second subset of the array of display elements that is distinct from the first subset of the array of display elements; and

storing the alignment information for calibrating images for presentation by the electronic display.

2. The method of claim 1, including:

causing a plurality of distinct subsets of the array of display elements to sequentially emit light so that only a single respective subset of the array of display elements emits light at a particular time; and

determining whether the light emitted by the single respective subset of the array of display elements is received by the first optical sensor or the second optical sensor, thereby determining whether the single respective subset of the array of display elements is aligned for the first optical sensor or the second optical sensor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the single respective subset of the array of display elements includes two or more display elements of the array of display elements.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the single respective subset of the array of display elements includes at least a single column of display elements of the array of display elements.

5. The method of claim 2, including:

causing respective display elements of the array of display elements to sequentially emit light so that only a single respective display element of the array of display elements emits light at a particular time; and

determining whether the light emitted by the single respective display element of the array of display elements is received by the first optical sensor or the second optical sensor, thereby determining whether the single respective display element of the array of display elements is aligned for the first optical sensor or the second optical sensor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

respective display elements of the array of display elements each include a plurality of sub-pixels; and

the method includes;

causing a plurality of distinct subsets of the plurality of sub-pixels to sequentially emit light so that only a single respective subset of the plurality of distinct subsets of the plurality of sub-pixels emits light at a particular time; and

determining whether the light emitted by the single respective subset of the plurality of distinct subsets of the plurality of sub-pixels is received by the first optical sensor or the second optical sensor, thereby determining the single respective subset of the plurality of distinct subsets of the plurality of sub-pixels is aligned for the first optical sensor or the second optical sensor.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the single respective subset of the plurality of sub-pixels includes only a single sub-pixel of the plurality of sub-pixels.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the alignment information indicates whether respective sub-pixels of the plurality of sub-pixels are aligned for the first optical sensor or the second optical sensor.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first position corresponds to a location of a left eye of a user when the device is worn by the user and the second position corresponds to a location of a right eye of the user when the device is worn by the user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the alignment information indicates whether respective subsets of the array of display elements are aligned for the first optical sensor or the second optical sensor.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving image information for display;

modifying the image information based on alignment information that indicates whether respective subsets of an array of display elements are aligned for a first eye of a user or a second eye of the user, thereby obtaining modified image information; and

displaying the modified image information on an electronic display of a head-mounted display device, wherein;

the electronic display has an array of display elements, wherein;

the electronic display has a left portion and a right portion that does not overlap with the left portion;

the left portion includes an outer left portion and an inner left portion that does not overlap with the outer left portion;

the right portion includes an outer right portion and an inner right portion that does not overlap with the outer right portion; and

the inner left portion and the inner right portion are located between the outer left portion and the outer right portion; and

the head-mounted display device also includes an array of beam steerers located over at least the inner left portion and the inner right portion of the electronic display.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

modifying the image information based on the alignment information includes replacing a plurality of subsets of the image information with replacement information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the image information represents an image to be displayed to the user;

the image includes a left portion and a right portion that does not overlap with the left portion; and

modifying the image information includes;

modifying subsets of the left portion of the image that are aligned for a right eye of the user; and

modifying subsets of the right portion of the image that are aligned for a left eye of the user.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the replacement information is determined based on the image information.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the replacement information is determined based on nasal image information that is distinct from the image information.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein:

respective display elements of the array of display elements each include a plurality of sub-pixels; and

the method includes;

identifying one or more display elements, a respective display element of the one or more display elements including one or more sub-pixels aligned for the first eye and one or more sub-pixels aligned for the second eye; and

modifying the image information that corresponds to the one or more display elements.

17. The method of claim 16, including:

determining whether the image information corresponding to the respective display element is configured for display to the first eye or the second eye;

in accordance with a determination that the image information corresponding to the respective display element is configured for display to the first eye, modifying the image information corresponding to the one or more sub-pixels aligned for the second eye; and

,

in accordance with a determination that the image information corresponding to the respective display element is configured for display to the second eye, modifying the image information corresponding to the one or more sub-pixels aligned for the first eye.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

modifying the image information corresponding to the one or more sub-pixels aligned for the second eye includes replacing the image information corresponding to the one or more sub-pixels aligned for the second eye with information that represents a dark region; and

/or

modifying the image information corresponding to the one or more sub-pixels aligned for the first eye includes replacing the image information corresponding to the one or more sub-pixels aligned for the first eye with information that represents a dark region.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein:

modifying the image information corresponding to the one or more sub-pixels aligned for the second eye includes shifting the image information corresponding to the one or more sub-pixels aligned for the second eye so that the image information corresponding to the one or more sub-pixels aligned for the second eye is displayed toward the second eye; and

/or

modifying the image information corresponding to the one or more sub-pixels aligned for the first eye includes shifting the image information corresponding to the one or more sub-pixels aligned for the first eye so that the image information corresponding to the one or more sub-pixels aligned for the first eye is displayed toward the first eye.

20. A display system, comprising:

a head-mounted display device that includes;

an electronic display having an array of display elements, wherein;

the electronic display has a left portion and a right portion that does not overlap with the left portion;

the left portion includes an outer left portion and an inner left portion that does not overlap with the outer left portion;

the right portion includes an outer right portion and an inner right portion that does not overlap with the outer right portion; and

the inner left portion and the inner right portion are located between the outer left portion and the outer right portion; and

an array of beam steerers located over at least the inner left portion and the inner right portion of the electronic display;

one or more processors; and

memory storing;

alignment information that indicates whether respective subsets of the array of display elements are aligned for a first optical sensor or a second optical sensor; and

instructions for;

receiving image information;

modifying the image information based on the alignment information, thereby obtaining modified alignment information; and

displaying the modified image information on the electronic display.