Optical device with active user-based aberration correction

• US 20130169930A1
• Filed: 12/29/2011
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Caldeira, Kenneth G., Hagelstein, Peter L., Hyde, Roderick A., Jung, Edward K.Y., Kare, Jordin T., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Pendry, John Brian, Schurig, David, Tegreene, Clarence T., Whitmer, Charles, Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 9,004,683 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 351/205
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/1015 for wavefront analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/14 Arrangements specially adapted for eye photography apparatus or arrangements for taking photographs per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/152 for aligning
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/24 Base structure
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/12 with means for image conversion or intensification
• 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 27/0025 for optical correction, e.g. distorsion, aberration
• 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 27/022 Viewing apparatus G02B27/04, G02B27/06, G02B27/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/28 Systems for automatic generation of focusing signals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/365 by analysis of the spatial frequency components of the image
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 2202/22 Correction of higher order and chromatic aberrations, wave front measurement and calculation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments enable an enhanced direct-viewing optical device to make customized adjustments that accommodate optical aberrations of a current user. In some instances a real-time adjustment of the transformable optical elements is based on known corrective optical parameters associated with a current user. In some implementations a control module may process currently updated wavefront measurements as a basis for determining appropriate real-time adjustment of the transformable optical elements to produce a specified change in optical wavefront at an exit pupil of the direct-viewing device. Possible transformable optical elements include refractive and/or reflective and/or diffractive and/or transmissive characteristics that are adjusted based on current performance viewing factors for a given field of view of the direct-viewing device. Dynamic repositioning and/or transformation of corrective optical elements may be based on a detected shift of a tracked gaze direction of a current user of the direct-viewing device.

Claims

1-47. -47. (canceled)

48. A corrective method for a direct-viewing optical device, comprising:

providing one or more optical elements capable of transformation, wherein the optical elements are installed as an operative component of the direct-viewing device;

obtaining information regarding corrective optical features that include at least one higher order corrective optical parameter correlated with a current user of the direct-viewing optical device;

processing the obtained information to determine a specified optical wavefront change appropriate to the current user; and

modifying the transformable optical elements in a manner to produce the specified change in optical wavefront at an exit pupil of the direct-viewing optical device.

49. The method of claim 48 wherein said obtaining information regarding corrective optical features includes:

obtaining information regarding at least two higher order corrective optical parameters correlated with the current user.

50. The method of claim 48 further comprising:

incorporating the transformable optical elements in an eyepiece for the direct-viewing optical device.

51. The method of claim 48 further comprising:

positioning the transformable optical elements as an insert between an eyepiece and a remainder portion of the direct-viewing optical device.

52. The method of claim 48 further comprising:

positioning the transformable optical elements as an insert between a user'"'"'s eye and an eyepiece of the direct-viewing device.

55. The method of claim 48 further comprising:

enabling automated installation or automated withdrawal of the transformable optical elements as an operative component on the direct-viewing optical device.

56. The method of claim 48 wherein said obtaining information includes:

obtaining information that includes accessible data from a wavefront detector or a data table or a database or an external source or user input or on-board memory or removable memory.

58. The method of claim 48 further comprising:

interactively determining at least one optical aberration of the current user'"'"'s vision.

62. The method of claim 48 further comprising:

maintaining a data table or database that includes a listing of possible users and their respective optical aberrations and/or corrective optical parameters and/or preferences.

63. The method of claim 48 further comprising:

confirming identification of the current user.

64. The method of claim 63 further comprising:

responsive to the confirmed identification, retrieving from a data table or database their respective optical aberrations or corrective optical parameters or preferences.

65. The method of claim 63 further comprising:

responsive to the confirmed identification, accepting input of aberration data and/or corrective optical parameters or preferences associated with the current user.

66. The method of claim 48 wherein said modifying the transformable optical elements includes:

causing dynamic adjustment of one or more transformable optical elements currently installed in the direct-viewing optical device.

67. The method of claim 66 wherein said providing one or more optical elements capable of transformation includes:

providing one or more of the following types;

MEMS deformable mirror, deformable liquid lens, deformable diffractive lens or mirror, liquid crystal phase modulator, controllable metamaterial lens or mirror, controllable photonic crystal lens or mirror.

68. The method of claim 66 wherein said providing one or more optical elements capable of transformation includes:

providing one or more variable aberration elements based on relative displacement or rotation of complementary layers.

69. The method of claim 48 wherein said modifying the transformable optical elements includes:

modifying the one or more transformable optical elements to include additional corrective features that ameliorate one or more of the following type low-order aberrations of the current user;

myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia, astigmatism.

70. The method of claim 48 wherein said modifying the transformable optical elements includes:

modifying the one or more transformable optical elements to include certain corrective features that ameliorate one or more of the following type of higher-order aberrations of the current user;

coma, spherical aberration, trefoil, chromatic aberration.

71. The method of claim 48 wherein said modifying the transformable optical elements includes:

modifying the one or more transformable optical elements to include certain corrective features that ameliorate the current user'"'"'s high order aberrations corresponding to Zernike polynomials of order 3 or order 4 or order 5 or order 6 or higher.

72. The method of claim 48 wherein said modifying the transformable optical elements includes:

modifying the one or more transformable optical elements to include certain corrective features that compensate for one or more aberrations characterized by a spatially-sampled wavefront error.

73. The method of claim 66 wherein said modifying the transformable optical elements includes:

modifying a square or hexagonal matrix of sensors or actuators which transform a deformable reflective or refractive aspect of the one or more optical elements.

74. The method of claim 48 further comprising:

activating a wavefront detection device that directly measures optical aberrations of the current user'"'"'s vision.

75. The method of claim 74 further comprising:

accepting information from the wavefront detection device indicating eye measurement data or default adjustable optical parameters for the current user.

76. The method of claim 48 wherein said obtaining information includes:

accepting information from a data table or database or external source or user input or on-board memory or removable memory which indicates eye measurement data or default adjustable optical parameters for the current user.

77. The method of claim 48 wherein said obtaining information includes:

accepting information that includes default adjustable optical parameters based on corrective optical features implemented for the current user during a previous optical device usage period.

78. The method of claim 48 wherein said processing the obtained information to determine a specified wavefront change includes:

processing additional information to determine the specified wavefront change for the current user based on one or more optical properties of the direct-viewing optical device.

79. The method of claim 78 wherein said processing additional information includes:

processing additional information to determine the specified wavefront change for the current user based on a known radial distortion or calibrated aberration or wavefront error of a specific direct-viewing optical device.

80. The method of claim 48 further comprising:

installing the one or more optical elements as an operative component of a specific direct-viewing optical device adapted to incorporate transformable optical elements.

81. The method of claim 48 further comprising:

incorporating additional optical members in combination with the transformable optical elements as operative components of the specific direct-viewing device, wherein the additional optical members include reflective or refractive or diffractive or transmissive attributes which facilitate satisfactory operation of the direct-viewing device.

82. The method of claim 48 further comprising:

incorporating the transformable optical elements as an operative component in one of the following types of direct-viewing optical device;

microscope, telescope, binoculars, weapon sight, gun sight, medical instrument, diagnostic tool, manufacturing inspection device.

83. The method of claim 48 further comprising:

incorporating the transformable optical elements as an operative component in a head-mounted type or body-mounted type of direct-viewing optical device.

84. The method of claim 48 further comprising:

incorporating the transformable optical elements as an operative component in a hand-held type or independently supported type of direct-viewing optical device.

85. The method of claim 48 wherein said modifying the transformable optical elements includes:

modifying the transformable optical elements to include both objectively determined and subjectively selected corrective optical parameters.

86. The method of claim 48 wherein said obtaining information regarding corrective optical features includes:

obtaining a set of pre-programmed corrective optical parameters for higher-order aberrations;

obtaining a further set of subjectively chosen corrective optical parameters for higher-order aberrations; and

subsequently determining the specified wavefront change based on both the pre-programmed set and the further set.

88. The method of claim 48 further comprising:

receiving information indicating a right eye or left eye or both eyes which correspond to the corrective optical features correlated with the current user.

89. The method of claim 48 further comprising:

maintaining a data record the includes eye measurement data and/or corrective optical features respectively correlated with one or more particular users of a specific direct-viewing optical device.

90. The method of claim 89 further comprising:

establishing a communication link between the data record and one or more additional direct viewing devices which are available to the one or more particular users.

95. The method of claim 48 further comprising:

implementing dynamic adjustment of the transformable optical element currently installed in the direct-viewing optical device, wherein such dynamic adjustment includes static control or periodic control or continuous control of the transformable optical element during a real-time optical device usage period of the current user.

53-54. -54. (canceled)

57. (canceled)

59-61. -61. (canceled)

87. (canceled)

93-94. -94. (canceled)

96. A computer program product comprising computer-readable media having encoded instructions for executing a corrective method for a direct-viewing optical device, wherein the method includes the following operations:

confirming identity of a current user of a direct-viewing optical device having one or more optical elements capable of transformation;

obtaining information regarding corrective optical features that include at least one higher order corrective optical parameter correlated with the current user;

processing the obtained information to determine a specified optical wavefront change appropriate to the current user; and

enabling modification of the transformable optical elements in a manner to produce the specified change in optical wavefront at an exit pupil of the direct-viewing optical device.

105. The computer program product of claim 96 wherein the method operations include:

maintaining a data table or database that includes a listing of possible users and their respective optical aberrations and/or corrective optical parameters and/or preferences.

106. The computer program product of claim 105 wherein the method operations include:

responsive to the confirmed identity of the current user, retrieving from the data table or database their respective optical aberrations or corrective optical parameters or preferences.

108. The computer program product of claim 96 wherein said enabling modification of the transformable optical elements includes:

enabling modification of one or more of the following types;

MEMS deformable mirror, deformable liquid lens, deformable diffractive lens or mirror, liquid crystal phase modulator, controllable metamaterial lens or mirror, controllable photonic crystal lens or mirror.

113. The computer program product of claim 96 wherein said enabling modification of the transformable optical elements includes:

enabling modification to include certain corrective features that compensate for one or more aberrations characterized by a spatially-sampled wavefront error.

131. The computer program product of claim 96 wherein said enabling modification of the transformable optical elements includes:

enabling modification of adjustable reflective and/or refractive and/or diffractive characteristics of the transformable optical elements that constitute an integral component of a specific direct-viewing device adapted for dedicated usage by an individual user.

132. The computer program product of claim 96 wherein said enabling modification of the transformable optical elements includes:

enabling modification of the transformable optical elements that constitute an auxiliary component of a specific direct-viewing device, wherein the transformable optical elements include adjustable reflective and/or refractive and/or diffractive characteristics respectively correlated with one of several possible users of the specific direct-viewing optical device.

133. The computer program product of claim 96 wherein said enabling modification of the transformable optical elements includes:

enabling static control or periodic control or continuous control of the transformable optical elements during a real-time optical device usage period of the current user.

97-104. -104. (canceled)

107. (canceled)

109-112. -112. (canceled)

114-130. -130. (canceled)