VIRTUAL IMAGE DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20130050186A1
• Filed: 08/29/2011
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Large, Timothy Andrew, Large, Matthew J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,191,661 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/305 using lenticular lenses, e.g. arrangements of cylindrical lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/383 for tracking with gaze detection, i.e. detecting the lines of sight of the viewer's eyes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof

Abstract

This document describes techniques and apparatuses for implementing a virtual image display device. A virtual image display device may include a display and a microlens array positioned between the display and a viewing surface of the virtual image display device. The virtual image display device is controlled to generate a virtual image behind the viewing surface of the virtual image display device. In some embodiments, the virtual image display device includes a pupil tracker that locates positions of pupils of a viewer. The virtual image display device is controlled to render the virtual image based on the positions of the pupils of the viewer.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a display;

a microlens array positioned between the display and a viewing surface of the device; and

a controller configured to control the display and the microlens array to generate a virtual image behind the viewing surface of the device.

2. A device as described in claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the display by selectively illuminating display pixels of the display to cause light from the display to pass through the microlens array, the microlens array configured to collimate the light from the display to pupils of a viewer to generate the virtual image.

3. A device as described in claim 1, further comprising a pupil tracker configured to locate positions of pupils of a viewer.

4. A device as described in claim 3, wherein the pupil tracker is further configured to determine a change in the positions of the pupils.

5. A device as described in claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the display and the microlens array to generate the virtual image based on positions of pupils of a viewer.

6. A device as described in claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to control the display and the microlens array to generate the virtual image based on a change in the positions of the pupils.

7. A device as described in claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the display and the microlens array to generate a two-dimensional virtual image behind the viewing surface of the device.

8. A device as described in claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the display and the microlens array to generate a three-dimensional virtual image behind the viewing surface of the device.

9. A device as described in claim 1, wherein the display comprises a flat-panel high-resolution display.

10. A device as described in claim 1, wherein the display comprises a liquid crystal display.

11. A computer-implemented method comprising:

locating positions of pupils of a viewer; and

rendering a virtual image behind a viewing surface of a display device based on the positions of the pupils of the viewer.

12. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 11, wherein the rendering further comprises selectively illuminating display pixels of a display to cause light from the display to pass through a microlens array, the microlens array configured to collimate the light from the display to the pupils of the viewer to render the virtual image behind the viewing surface of the display device.

13. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 11, further comprising determining a change in the positions of the pupils.

14. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 13, wherein the change in the positions of the pupils comprises movement of the pupils up, down, left, or right relative to the viewing surface of the display device.

15. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 13, further comprising rendering the virtual image based on the change in the positions of the pupils.

16. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 15, wherein:

the rendering the virtual image behind a viewing surface of a display device based on the positions of the pupils of the viewer comprises selectively illuminating a first set of display pixels of a display to cause light from the first set of display pixels to pass through a microlens array; and

the rendering the virtual image based on the change in the positions of the pupils comprises selectively illuminating a second set of display pixels of the display to cause light from the second set of display pixels to pass through the microlens array, the microlens array configured to collimate the light from the first set of display pixels and from the second set of display pixels to the pupils of the viewer to render the virtual image behind the viewing surface of the display device.

17. A hand-held display device comprising:

a viewing surface; and

a microlens array positioned behind the viewing surface, the microlens array configured to collimate light from a display to pupils of a viewer to generate a virtual image behind the viewing surface.

18. A hand-held display device as described in claim 17, wherein a size of the virtual image is greater than a size of the viewing surface.

19. A hand-held display device as described in claim 17, further comprising a pupil tracker that is configured to locate positions of the pupils of the viewer.

20. A hand-held display device as described in claim 19, wherein a field-of-view of the virtual image increases when the hand-held display device is moved closer to the pupils of the viewer.