METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DYNAMIC VIRTUAL CONVERGENCE AND HEAD MOUNTABLE DISPLAY USING SAME

• US 20100045783A1
• Filed: 10/30/2009
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Andrei State, Henry Fuchs, Jeremy D. Ackerman, Kurtis P. Keller
• Original Assignee: Andrei State, Henry Fuchs, Jeremy D. Ackerman, Kurtis P. Keller
• Inventors: Keller, Kurtis P., Ackerman, Jeremy D., Fuchs, Henry, State, Andrei
• Application Number:
  US12/609,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20100045783A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/53
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 10/0233 Pointed or sharp biopsy instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/371 with simultaneous use of two cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0127 comprising devices increasing the depth of field
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0129 comprising devices for correcting parallax
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• 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 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/128 Adjusting depth or disparity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof

Abstract

Methods and systems for dynamic virtual convergence (218) and a video see through head mountable display (200) that uses dynamic virtual convergence are disclosed. A dynamic virtual convergence algorithm (218) includes sampling an image with two cameras. The cameras each have a field of view that is larger than a field of view of displays used to display images sampled by the cameras (210). A heuristic is used to estimate the gaze distance of the viewer. The display frustums are transformed so that they converge at the estimated gaze distance. The images sampled by the cameras (210) are then reprojected into the transformed display frustums. The reprojected images are displayed to the user to simulate viewing of close range objects.

Claims

1. A head mountable display system for displaying real and augmented reality images in stereo to a viewer, the system comprising:

a main body comprising;

a tracker for tracking position of a viewer'"'"'s head;

first and second cameras for obtaining images of an object of interest; and

first and second mirrors for reprojecting virtual centroids of the cameras to centroids of the viewer'"'"'s eyes; and

a display unit comprising first and second displays for;

receiving a version of a first image obtained by the first camera, said version of the first image having been transformed to simulate convergence of the viewer'"'"'s eyes at an estimated gaze distance;

receiving a version of a second image obtained by the second camera, said version of the second image having been transformed to simulate convergence of the viewer'"'"'s eyes at an estimated gaze distance; and

displaying the first and second transformed images to the viewer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the main body comprises a tracker mounting portion and first, second, and third light emitting elements for tracking the position of the user'"'"'s head.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the tracker mounting portion is substantially triangular shaped and the first, second, and third light emitting elements are located at vertices of a triangle formed by the tracker mounting portion.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the main body comprises first and second opposing portions for holding the first and second mirrors.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first mirror is located opposite the cameras and the second mirror is located opposite the first mirror.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first mirror is adapted to project the camera centroids into the first mirror and the first and second mirrors are spaced from each other and oriented such that camera centroids correspond to the positions of the viewer'"'"'s eyes.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second mirror is angled to reflect images of an object being viewed and the second mirror is of unitary construction.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the second mirror comprises left and right portions located close to each other.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the fields of view of the displays are smaller than fields of view of the cameras.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the cameras are stationary.

11. A method for displaying real and augmented reality images in stereo to a viewer, the method comprising:

tracking a position of a viewer'"'"'s head with a tracker;

obtaining images of an object of interest with first and second cameras;

reprojecting virtual centroids of the cameras to centroids of the viewer'"'"'s eyes with first and second mirrors;

receiving a transformed version of a first image obtained by the first camera, said version of the first image having been transformed to simulate convergence of the viewer'"'"'s eyes at an estimated gaze distance;

receiving a transformed version of a second image obtained by the second camera, said version of the second image having been transformed to simulate convergence of the viewer'"'"'s eyes at an estimated gaze distance; and

displaying the transformed versions of the first and second images to the viewer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the user'"'"'s head is tracked using a system comprising a tracker mounting portion and first, second, and third light emitting elements for tracking the position of the user'"'"'s head.