Head mounted display with wave front modulator

• US 20060028400A1
• Filed: 08/01/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia, Lapstun, Paul
• Application Number:
  US11/193,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20060028400A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/8
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0123 comprising devices increasing the field of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• 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 26/06 for controlling the phase of light G02B26/08 takes precedence , measuring optical phase difference G01J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0093 with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/27 involving lenticular arrays
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0321 by optically sensing the absolute position with respect to a regularly patterned surface forming a passive digitiser, e.g. pen optically detecting position indicative tags printed on a paper sheet constructional details of pen-shaped pointing devices G06F3/03545, G06F3/03542, G06F3/037
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays

Abstract

An augmented reality device for inserting virtual imagery into a user'"'"'s view of their physical environment, the device comprising: a display device through which the user can view the physical environment; an optical sensing device for sensing at least one surface in the physical environment; and, a controller for projecting the virtual imagery via the display device; wherein during use, the controller uses wave front modulation to match the curvature of the wave fronts of light reflected from the display device to the user'"'"'s eyes with the curvature of the wave fronts of light that would be transmitted through the device display if the virtual imagery were situated at a predetermined position relative to the surface, such that the user sees the virtual imagery at the predetermined position regardless of changes in position of the user'"'"'s eyes with respect to the see-through display.

Claims

1. An augmented reality device for inserting virtual imagery into a user'"'"'s view of their physical environment, the device comprising:

a display device through which the user can view the physical environment;

an optical sensing device for sensing at least one surface in the physical environment; and

,

a controller for projecting the virtual imagery via the display device;

wherein during use,

the controller uses wave front modulation to match the curvature of the wave fronts of light reflected from the display device to the user'"'"'s eyes with the curvature of the wave fronts of light that would be transmitted through the device display if the virtual imagery were situated at a predetermined position relative to the surface, such that the user sees the virtual imagery at the predetermined position regardless of changes in position of the user'"'"'s eyes with respect to the see-through display.

2. An augmented reality device according to claim 1 wherein the display device has a see-through display for one of the user'"'"'s eyes.

3. An augmented reality device according to claim 1 wherein the display device has two see-through displays, one for each of the user'"'"'s eyes respectively.

4. An augmented reality device according to claim 1 wherein the surface has a pattern of coded data disposed on it, such that the controller uses information from the coded data to identify the virtual imagery to be displayed.

5. An augmented reality device according to claim 1 wherein the display device, the optical sensing device and the controller are adapted to be worn on the user'"'"'s head.

6. An augmented reality device according to claim 1 wherein the optical sensing device is camera-based and during use, provides identity and position data related to the coded surface to the controller for determining the virtual imagery displayed.

7. An augmented reality device according to claim 1 wherein display device has a virtual retinal display (VRD) for each of the user'"'"'s eyes, each of the VRD'"'"'s scans at least one beam of light into a raster pattern and modulates the or each beam to produce spatial variations in the virtual imagery.

8. An augmented reality device according to claim 7 wherein the VRD scans red, green and blue beams of light to produce color pixels in the raster pattern.

9. An augmented reality device according to claim 8 wherein the VRDs present a slightly different image to each of the user'"'"'s eyes, the slight differences being based on eye separation, and the distance to the predetermined position of the virtual imagery to create a perception of depth via stereopsis.

10. An augmented reality device according to claim 1 wherein the wavefront modulator uses a deformable membrane mirror, liquid crystal phase corrector, a variable focus liquid lens or a variable focus liquid mirror.

11. An augmented reality device according to claim 1 wherein the virtual imagery is a movie, a computer application interface, computer application output, hand drawn strokes, text, images or graphics.

12. An augmented reality device according to claim 1 wherein the display device has pupil trackers to detect an approximate point of fixation of the user'"'"'s gaze such that a virtual cursor can be projected into the virtual imagery and navigated using gaze direction.