AUTOMATIC VARIABLE VIRTUAL FOCUS FOR AUGMENTED REALITY DISPLAYS
First Claim
1. A method for generating an augmented reality display providing variable focus of virtual objects comprising:
- determining a three dimensional field of view of a user viewing a scene including one or more real objects and one or more virtual objects in an augmented reality display image using a near-eye display device;
identifying a three dimensional location of one or more virtual objects within the field of view of the user;
determining a three dimensional current focal region of the user within the field of view;
identifying which of the one or more virtual objects are in the current focal region of the user;
placing the one or more virtual objects in the current focal region of the user in the augmented display image by adjusting the focal region of a microdisplay assembly of the near-eye display device; and
displaying an image including at least one virtual object.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
The technology provides an augmented reality display system for displaying a virtual object to be in focus when viewed by a user. In one embodiment, the focal region of the user is tracked, and a virtual object within the user focal region is displayed to appear in the focal region. As the user changes focus between virtual objects, they appear to naturally move in and out of focus as real objects in a physical environment would. The change of focus for the virtual object images is caused by changing a focal region of light processing elements in an optical path of a microdisplay assembly of the augmented reality display system. In some embodiments, a range of focal regions are swept through at a sweep rate by adjusting the elements in the optical path of the microdisplay assembly.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for generating an augmented reality display providing variable focus of virtual objects comprising:
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determining a three dimensional field of view of a user viewing a scene including one or more real objects and one or more virtual objects in an augmented reality display image using a near-eye display device; identifying a three dimensional location of one or more virtual objects within the field of view of the user; determining a three dimensional current focal region of the user within the field of view; identifying which of the one or more virtual objects are in the current focal region of the user; placing the one or more virtual objects in the current focal region of the user in the augmented display image by adjusting the focal region of a microdisplay assembly of the near-eye display device; and displaying an image including at least one virtual object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An augmented reality system providing variable focus of virtual objects comprising:
a see-through display unit comprising; a microdisplay assembly for generating images for a display of the see-through display unit, the microdisplay assembly includes a reflecting element, at least one optical element, a microdisplay unit, and a variable virtual focus adjuster, the at least one optical element and the microdisplay unit being aligned in an optical path with the reflecting element, the variable virtual adjuster changing the focal region of the microdisplay assembly to place one or more virtual objects in a current focal region of a user, control circuitry including a processor communicatively coupled to the microdisplay assembly, the control circuitry including a driver to control the variable virtual adjuster, the processor under the control of software directing the microdisplay unit to include at least one virtual object in a current user focal region, and a display optically coupled to the microdisplay assembly for projecting three dimensional virtual images directed to at least one eye location. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. One or more computer readable storage media having encoded thereon instructions for causing a processor to perform a method for generating virtual objects in different focal regions in an augmented reality display, the method comprising:
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determining a three dimensional field of view of a user viewing a scene including real and virtual objects using a near-eye display device; identifying at least one three dimensional focal region of one or more virtual objects within the field of view of the user; during a sweep rate period, adjusting of a focal region of light processing elements of a microdisplay assembly for each focal region in a range of focal regions; and generating an image at the at least one three dimensional focal region including one or more virtual objects in the user field of view. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification