EYEWEAR DISPLAY SYSTEM PROVIDING VISION ENHANCEMENT

• US 20150070596A1
• Filed: 09/06/2013
• Published: 03/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnivision Technologies Incorporated (Will Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Shanghai)
• Original Assignee: Omnivision Technologies Incorporated (Will Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Shanghai)
• Inventors: Gadjali, Hasan
• Granted Patent: US 9,658,454 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/11
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/30 Polarising elements light-modulating devices with active elements G02F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/086 Auxiliary lenses located directly on a main spectacle lens or in the immediate vicinity of main spectacles

Abstract

An eyewear display system includes a camera coupled to capture an image of an object in a surrounding environment. A projector is coupled to receive the captured image to output a projected image. A polarizing beam splitter optically coupled to receive the projected image and an actual view of the surrounding environment. The polarizing beam splitter is optically coupled to output a combined view of the projected image combined with the actual view of the surrounding environment. The combined image is to be directed to an eye of a user. An intensity controller is optically coupled between the surrounding environment and the polarizing beam splitter to controlling an intensity of the actual view of the surrounding environment received by the polarizing beam splitter.

Claims

1. An eyewear display system, comprising:

a camera coupled to output a captured image in response to capturing an image of an object in a surrounding environment;

a projector coupled to receive the captured image to output a projected image;

a polarizing beam splitter optically coupled to receive the projected image from the projector, the polarizing beam splitter further optically coupled to receive an actual view of the surrounding environment, wherein the polarizing beam splitter is optically coupled to output a combined view of the projected image combined with the actual view of the surrounding environment, wherein the combined image is to be directed to an eye of a user; and

an intensity controller optically coupled between the surrounding environment and the polarizing beam splitter to controlling an intensity of the actual view of the surrounding environment received by the polarizing beam splitter.

2. The eyewear display system of claim 1, wherein the eyewear display system is adapted to be attached to eyeglasses to be worn by the user.

3. The eyewear display system of claim 1, wherein the intensity controller includes a liquid crystal polarization rotator (LCPR).

4. The eyewear display system of claim 1, wherein the intensity controller includes a neural density (ND) filter.

5. The eyewear display system of claim 1, wherein the projector includes a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) display.

6. The eyewear display system of claim 1 wherein the polarizing beam splitter is a first one of a plurality of polarizing beam splitters, wherein the eyewear display system further comprises a second one of the plurality of polarizing beam splitters optically coupled to receive illuminating light from an illuminating light source, wherein the second one of the plurality of polarizing beam splitters is adapted to direct the illuminating light to the projector, and wherein the second one of the plurality of polarizing beam splitters is optically coupled to direct the projected image from the projector to the first one of the plurality of beam splitters.

7. The eyewear display system of claim 1 further comprises a quarter-wave plate optically coupled to the polarizing beam splitter.

8. The eyewear display system of claim 7 further comprises a Mangin minor optically coupled to the quarter-wave plate.

9. The eyewear display system of claim 1 further comprising a digital processor coupled to receive the captured image from the camera, wherein the digital processor is coupled to digitally scale the captured image to adjust a magnification of the captured image provided to the projector.

10. The eyewear display system of claim 1, wherein the camera includes an optical zoom to adjust a magnification of the captured image.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein said adjusting the magnification of the captured image comprises adjusting an optical zoom included in the camera.

18. The method of claim 10 wherein said capturing the image of the object in the surrounding environment comprises capturing an image of an object in the surrounding environment that cannot be seen clearly by the user.

19. The method of claim 10 wherein said directing the combined view of the projected image from the projector with the actual view of the surrounding environment to the eye of the user comprises directing the combined view of the projected image from the projector with the actual view of the surrounding environment to a retina of the user.

11. A method for providing enhanced vision, comprising:

capturing an image of an object in a surrounding environment with a camera;

adjusting a magnification of the captured image;

projecting the captured image with a projector;

combining the projected image from the projector with an actual view of the surrounding environment with a first polarizing beam splitter;

directing the combined view of the projected image from the projector with an actual view of the surrounding environment to an eye of the user; and

controlling an intensity of the actual view of the surrounding environment.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said controlling the intensity of the actual view of the surrounding environment comprises adjusting a voltage applied to a liquid crystal polarization rotator (LCPR).

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said controlling the intensity of the actual view of the surrounding environment comprises reducing a brightness of the actual view of the surrounding environment with a neutral density (ND) filter.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said projecting the captured and processed image with the projector, comprises projecting the captured and processed image with a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) display.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising illuminating the LCOS display with illuminating light directed from a second polarizing beam splitter.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein said adjusting the magnification of the captured image comprises digitally scaling the captured image from the camera with a digital processor.