See-through near eye optical display

• US 10,634,921 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2019
• Issued: 04/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Newsight Reality, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Newsight Reality, Inc.
• Inventors: Blum, Ronald, Gupta, Ami, Landau, Igor, Morrison, Rick
• Primary Examiner(s): Tseng, Charles
• Application Number:
  US16/449,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20190310481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 311 Days
• 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: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction

Abstract

According to embodiments of the invention, the invention is an augmented reality system that utilizes a near eye see-through optical module that comprises a transparent or semi-transparent see-through near eye display that is in optical alignment with a micro-lens array. According to certain embodiments of the invention, the augmented reality system comprises generating a virtual image as perceived by an eye of a wearer of the augmented reality system when looking at an object in space having a location in the real world that forms a real image. When utilizing a certain embodiment of the invention the virtual image changes, by way of example only, one or more of its shape, form, depth, 3D effect, location due to the eye or eyes shifting its (their) fixation position due to changing the location of different lighted pixels of the see-through near eye display(s). The invention further discloses various mechanisms to improve the quality of the virtual image and that of the augmented reality image while utilizing a near eye see-through optical module that comprises a see-through near eye display and distance separated and aligned micro-lens array.

Claims

1. An augmented reality system comprising a see-through near eye display and a microlens array, and further comprising a recessed pixel or pixel patch within a recessed cone structure located within a surface of a partially or completely transparent substrate to which the recessed pixel or pixel patch is deposited, wherein the see-through near eye display comprises a first light emitting pixel (or pixels) and different second light emitting pixel (or pixels), wherein the first light emitting pixel (or pixels) and the different second light emitting pixel (or pixels) are aligned with one or more micro-lenses of the micro-lens array, wherein illuminating the different second light emitting pixel (or pixels) after illuminating the first light emitting pixel (or pixels) of the augmented reality system causes an eye or eyes of a wearer of the augmented reality system to change or adjust a location of fixation along a z-axis, and wherein the z-axis is defined by a point starting at the eye or eyes of the wearer or the see-through near eye display of the augmented reality system and extending to a point or points at a distance in front of the eye or eyes of the wearer or in front of the see-through near eye display of the augmented reality system.

2. An augmented reality system comprising a see-through near eye display and a microlens array, and further comprising a recessed pixel or pixel patch within a recessed cone structure located within a surface of a partially or completely transparent substrate to which the recessed pixel or pixel patch is deposited, wherein the recessed cone structure comprises a metallized coating, wherein the see-through near eye display comprises a first light emitting pixel (or pixels) and different second light emitting pixel (or pixels), wherein the first light emitting pixel (or pixels) and the different second light emitting pixel (or pixels) are aligned with one or more micro-lenses of the micro-lens array, wherein illuminating the different second light emitting pixel (or pixels) after illuminating the first light emitting pixel (or pixels) of the augmented reality system causes an eye or eyes of a wearer of the augmented reality system to change or adjust a location of fixation along a z-axis, and wherein the z-axis is defined by a point starting at the eye or eyes of the wearer or the see-through near eye display of the augmented reality system and extending to a point or points at a distance in front of the eye or eyes of the wearer or in front of the see-through near eye display of the augmented reality system.

3. An augmented reality system comprising a see-through near eye display and a microlens array, wherein the see-through near eye display comprises a first light emitting pixel (or pixels) and different second light emitting pixel (or pixels), wherein the first light emitting pixel (or pixels) and the different second light emitting pixel (or pixels) are aligned with one or more micro-lenses of the micro-lens array, wherein illuminating the different second light emitting pixel (or pixels) after illuminating the first light emitting pixel (or pixels) of the augmented reality system causes an eye or eyes of a wearer of the augmented reality system to change or adjust a location of fixation along a z-axis, wherein the z-axis is defined by a point starting at the eye or eyes of the wearer or the see-through near eye display of the augmented reality system and extending to a point or points at a distance in front of the eye or eyes of the wearer or in front of the see-through near eye display of the augmented reality system, and wherein the augmented reality system is configured to increase a density of the first light emitting pixel (or pixels) and the different second light emitting pixel (or pixels) to provide a virtual image that partially or completely fills a fovea of the eye or eyes of the wearer while utilizing a lower density of the first light emitting pixel (or pixels) and the different second light emitting pixel (or pixels) that provide a virtual image that partially or completely fills a macular area other than that of the fovea.

4. The augmented reality system of claim 3, further comprising a sealed optical module comprising the see-through near eye display and the micro-lens array, wherein the see-through near eye display and the micro-lens array are distance separated from one another and optically aligned, and wherein the see-through near eye display comprises micro-light emitting diodes (iLEDs) or organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs).

5. The augmented reality system of claim 3, wherein the augmented reality system reduces light loss by increasing an amount of light projecting towards the eye or eyes of the wearer.

6. The augmented reality system of claim 3, further comprising a plurality of pixel patches optically aligned with the one or more micro-lenses of the micro-lens array.

7. The augmented reality system of claim 3, wherein the see-through near eye display comprises a curved or faceted architecture, and wherein a see-through near eye display optical module that partially or completely matches a front base curve of a spectacle lens with which the see-through near eye display optical module is aligned and in optical alignment with.