NEAR-EYE MICROLENS ARRAY DISPLAYS

• US 20140168783A1
• Filed: 12/19/2012
• Published: 06/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: Luebke, David Patrick, Lanman, Douglas, Fox, Thomas F., Slavenburg, Gerrit
• Granted Patent: US 9,841,537 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/630
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/011 comprising device for correcting geometrical aberrations, distortion
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0123 comprising devices increasing the field of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0127 comprising devices increasing the depth of field
• 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 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0006 Arrays G02B3/02, G02B5/188 take precedence

Abstract

In embodiments of the invention, an apparatus may include a display comprising a plurality of pixels and a computer system coupled with the display and operable to instruct the display to display images. The apparatus may further include a microlens array located adjacent to the display and comprising a plurality of microlenses, wherein the microlens array is operable to produce a light field by altering light emitted by the display to simulate an object that is in focus to an observer while the display and the microlens array are located within a near-eye range of the observer.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a display comprising a plurality of pixels;

a computer system coupled with said display and operable to instruct said display to display images; and

a microlens array located adjacent to said display and comprising a plurality of microlenses, wherein said microlens array is operable to produce a light field by altering light emitted by said display to simulate an object that is in focus to an observer while said display and said microlens array are located within a near-eye range of said observer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of groups of pixels in said plurality of pixels, wherein each microlens of said plurality of microlenses corresponds to a group of pixels in said plurality of groups of pixels.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein each microlens is operable to alter light from each pixel in a group of pixels corresponding to said each microlens.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said microlens array is operable to project anisotropic light by altering isotropic light produced by said display.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said light field is operable to simulate a 3D object located beyond said near-eye range of said observer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said computer system is operable to determine an image for display that counteracts aberrations of said observer'"'"'s eye.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a feedback system operable to make measurements of aberrations of said observer'"'"'s eye;

and

wherein said computer system is further operable to determine an image for display that counteracts said aberrations based on said measurements.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sensor operable to provide information related to a surrounding environment;

and

wherein said computer system is further operable to determine an image for display that counteracts said aberrations based on said information.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an eye-track adjustment system operable to track a gaze of an eye, wherein said eye-track adjustment system is operable to communicate information related to a gaze of an eye to said computer system for determination of an image for display by said computer system based on said information.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of microlenses are operable to electro-optically switch between a transparent and opaque state.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said display comprises a plurality of sub-displays disposed side by side to one another.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a display operable to produce an image; and

a microlens array located adjacent to said display, wherein said microlens array together with said display is operable to produce a light field simulating a 3D object that is recognizable to an observer while said display and said microlens array are located within a near-eye range of said observer.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said image is out of focus if viewed without said microlens array and said image is in focus if viewed through said microlens array.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said microlens array is operable to display different versions, of an image produced by said display, in different directions.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said microlens array is operable to cover a portion of a view of said observer less than said observer'"'"'s entire view.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said microlens array and said display are operable to provide a virtual reality experience.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said display is semi-transparent.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said display is an LCD or OLED.

19. A method comprising:

determining a pre-filtered image to be displayed, wherein said pre-filtered image corresponds to a target image;

displaying said pre-filtered image on a display; and

producing a near-eye light field after said pre-filtered image travels through a microlens array adjacent to said display, wherein said near-eye light field is operable to simulate a light field corresponding to said target image.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said target image simulated by said near-eye light field is in focus to an observer'"'"'s eye when said display and said microlens array are in a near-eye range of said observer'"'"'s eye.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said microlens array is operable to project anisotropic light by altering isotropic light produced by said display.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein said determining is executed by a computer system based on aberrations of said observer'"'"'s eye, a gaze of said observer'"'"'s eye, and a distance between said observer'"'"'s eye and said microlens array.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein said microlens array is operable to display different versions of said target image in different directions.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein said microlens array and said display are operable to provide a virtual reality experience.