PIXEL OPACITY FOR AUGMENTED REALITY

• US 20130162673A1
• Filed: 12/23/2011
• Published: 06/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Bohn, David D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,223,138 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/633
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/10 reflecting into the field of view additional indications, e.g. from collimator
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/02 Flexible displays

Abstract

In embodiments of pixel opacity for augmented reality, a display lens system includes a first display panel that displays a virtual image generated to appear as part of an environment viewed through optical lenses. A second display panel displays an environment image of the environment as viewed through the optical lenses, and the environment image includes opaque pixels that form a black silhouette of the virtual image. The display lens system also includes a beam-splitter panel to transmit light of the environment image and reflect light of the virtual image to form a composite image that appears as the virtual image displayed over the opaque pixels of the environment image.

Claims

1. An imaging system, comprising:

a first display panel configured to display a virtual image that is generated to appear as part of an environment viewed through optical lenses;

a second display panel configured to display an environment image of the environment as viewed through the optical lenses, the environment image including opaque pixels that form a black silhouette of the virtual image; and

a beam-splitter panel configured to transmit light of the environment image and reflect light of the virtual image to form a composite image that appears as the virtual image displayed over the opaque pixels of the environment image.

2. An imaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein the optical lenses implement a refracting telescope with one-to-one magnification, the refracting telescope configured to form the environment image of the environment as viewed through the refracting telescope.

3. An imaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein the virtual image appears with a high contrast relative to the environment image in the composite image.

4. An imaging system as recited in claim 1, further comprising an eyepiece optic through which the composite image is formed for viewing.

5. An imaging system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a camera configured to capture the environment image for pixelated display on the second display panel.

6. An imaging system as recited in claim 1, wherein the second display panel is one of a transparent LCD or a reflective LCOS, the second display panel comprised of pixels configured for on-off control, and wherein the opaque pixels are turned off.

7. An imaging system as recited in claim 1, further comprising an imaging application configured to spatially modulate the second display panel to correlate a location of the opaque pixels with a display position of the virtual image on the first display panel.

8. An imaging system as recited in claim 1, further comprising an imaging application configured to:

generate the virtual image from virtual image data for display on the first display panel;

correlate a location of the opaque pixels on the second display panel with a display position of the virtual image on the first display panel; and

control pixel illumination of the second display panel to turn-off the opaque pixels.

9. A method, comprising:

displaying a virtual image on a first display panel, the virtual image generated to appear as part of an environment viewed through optical lenses;

displaying an environment image of the environment on a second display panel, the environment image including opaque pixels that form a black silhouette of the virtual image; and

forming a composite image that appears as the virtual image displayed over the opaque pixels of the environment image.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein said forming the composite image comprises:

transmitting light of the environment image through an eyepiece optic; and

reflecting light of the virtual image through the eyepiece optic.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising projecting the environment image of the environment with the optical lenses that implement a refracting telescope having a one-to-one magnification.

12. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the virtual image appears with a high contrast relative to the environment image in the composite image.

13. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising capturing the environment image with a camera for pixelated display on the second display panel.

14. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising correlating a location of the opaque pixels on the second display panel with a display position of the virtual image on the first display panel.

15. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising controlling pixel illumination of the second display panel to turn-off the opaque pixels.

16. A wearable display device, comprising:

a left display lens system configured to form a composite image for viewing;

a right display lens system configured to form the composite image for viewing; and

the composite image formed with a virtual image displayed over opaque pixels of an environment image to augment reality of an environment that is viewed through the left and right display lens systems.

17. A wearable display device as recited in claim 16, wherein each of the left and right display lens systems comprise:

a first display panel configured to display the virtual image;

a second display panel configured to display the environment image of the environment, the environment image including the opaque pixels that form a black silhouette of the virtual image; and

a beam-splitter panel configured to transmit light of the environment image and reflect light of the virtual image to form the composite image.

18. A wearable display device as recited in claim 17, wherein each of the left and right display lens systems comprise:

a first display panel configured to display the virtual image;

a second display panel configured to display the environment image of the environment, the environment image including the opaque pixels that form a black silhouette of the virtual image; and

a first freeform prism inverted relative to a second freeform prism, the first freeform prism configured to project the environment image onto the second display panel, and the second freeform prism configured to reflect the composite image for viewing.

19. A wearable display device as recited in claim 17, further comprising a computer processing system to implement an imaging application that is configured to spatially modulate the second display panel of the left and right display lens systems to correlate a location of the opaque pixels with a display position of the virtual image on the first display panel of the left and right display lens systems.

20. A wearable display device as recited in claim 17, further comprising a controller that includes a computer processing system to implement an imaging application configured to:

correlate a location of the opaque pixels on the second display panel of the left and right display lens systems with a display position of the virtual image on the first display panel of the left and right display lens systems; and

control pixel illumination of the second display panel of the left and right display lens systems to turn-off the opaque pixels.