DISPLAY DEVICES WITH TRANSMITTANCE COMPENSATION MASK

• US 20150370071A1
• Filed: 06/24/2014
• Published: 12/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Alton, Daniel James, Ackerman, Nathan, Frank, Philip Andrew, Hodge, Andrew, Corlett, Barry
• Granted Patent: US 9,995,933 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0132 comprising binocular systems
• 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 27/0093 with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/205 Neutral density filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1313 specially adapted for a particular application

Abstract

A see-through, near-eye mixed reality head mounted display (HMD) device includes left and right see-through display regions within which virtual images are displayable. These left and right see-through display regions each having a transmittance that is less than one hundred percent. The see-through, near-eye mixed reality HMD device also includes a see-through transmittance compensation mask that includes a left window through which the left see-through display region is visible and a right window through which the right see-through display region is visible. In accordance with various embodiments, the see-through transmittance compensation mask is used to provide a substantially uniform transmittance across the field-of-view of a user wearing the HMD device.

Claims

1. A see-through, near-eye mixed reality head mounted display (HMD) device, comprising:

left and right see-through display regions each having a transmittance that is less than one hundred percent;

a see-through transmittance compensation mask having a left window through which the left see-through display region is visible and a right window through which the right see-through display region is visible;

wherein one or more virtual images are displayable within the left and right see-through display regions;

wherein the left and right see-through display regions and portions of the see-through transmittance compensation mask are within a field-of-view of a user wearing the HMD device; and

wherein the see-through transmittance compensation mask provides a substantially uniform transmittance across the field-of-view of a user wearing the HMD device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the left see-through display region is located within the left window of the see-through transmittance compensation mask, and the right see-through display region is located within the right window of the see-through transmittance compensation mask, such that outer and inner surfaces of the see-through display regions are, respectively, substantially continuous with outer and inner surfaces of the see-through transmittance compensation mask.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a left border region of the see-through transmittance compensation mask that surrounds the left window and overlaps a portion of the left see-through display region; and

a right border region of the see-through transmittance compensation mask that surrounds the right window and overlaps a portion of the right see-through display region;

wherein the left and right border regions of the see-through transmittance compensation mask each include a gradient pattern that gradually transitions from a first density to a second density, which is less than the first density, as portions of the left and right border regions get closer, respectively, to the left and right windows that they surround.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a left border region of the see-through transmittance compensation mask that includes a plurality of features that are individually selectively activated to adjust boundaries of the left window and thereby adjust a position of the left window; and

a right border region of the see-through transmittance compensation mask that includes a plurality of features that are individually selectively activated to adjust boundaries of the right window and thereby adjust a position of the right window.

5. The device of claim 4, further comprising:

one or more eye tracking cameras used to detect locations of left and right eyes of a user wearing the HMD device; and

a controller that selectively activates individual ones of the features of the left and right border regions, in dependence on the detected locations of the left and right eyes of the user wearing the HMD device, to thereby position the left and right windows such that the user'"'"'s left eye is centered relative to left window and the user'"'"'s right eye is centered relative to right window.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the selectively activated features of the left and right border regions each has at least one of a circular shape, a square shape or a rectangular shape.

7. The device of claim 4, wherein the features that are selectively activated comprise liquid crystal elements, polymer dispersed liquid crystal elements, or electrochromic elements that are selectively activated by application of a voltage.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the see-through transmittance compensation mask comprises a plurality of features that are individually selectively activated to adjust boundaries of the left and right windows and thereby adjust positions of the left and right window.

9. The device of claim 8, further comprising:

one or more eye tracking cameras used to detect locations of left and right eyes of a user wearing the HMD device; and

a controller that selectively activates individual ones of the features, in dependence on the detected locations of the left and right eyes of the user wearing the HMD device, to thereby position the left and right windows such that the user'"'"'s left eye is centered relative to left window and the user'"'"'s right eye is centered relative to right window.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the features that are selectively activated comprise liquid crystal elements, polymer dispersed liquid crystal elements, or electrochromic elements that are selectively activated by application of a voltage.

11. A method for use with a user wearable see-through, near-eye mixed reality head mounted display (HMD) device, the method comprising:

providing left and right see-through display regions that each have a transmittance that is less than one hundred percent and that are viewable, respectively, by left and right eyes of a user wearing the HMD device;

surrounding the left and right see-through display regions with portions of a see-through transmittance compensation mask that have a transmittance that is substantially the same as the transmittance of the left and right see-through display regions; and

displaying one or more virtual images within the left and right see-through display regions.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

making transmittance mismatches less noticeable to a user wearing the HMD device by including, on one or more portions of the see-through transmittance compensation mask where transmittance mismatches may occur, a gradient pattern that gradually transitions between a first density and a second density less than the first density.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

positioning left and right windows of the see-through transmittance compensation mask, through which a user wearing the HMD device can respectively view the left and right see-through display regions, so that the user'"'"'s left eye is centered relative to left window and the user'"'"'s right eye is centered relative to right window.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the positioning the left and right windows comprises:

selectively activating features of the see-through transmittance compensation mask to adjust boundaries of the left and right windows and thereby adjust positions of the left and right windows.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining the locations of the left and right eyes of a user wearing the HMD device; and

wherein the selectively activating is performed in dependence on the determined locations of the left and right eyes of a user wearing the HMD device.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the features that are selectively activated comprise liquid crystal elements, polymer dispersed liquid crystal elements, or electrochromic elements; and

the selectively activating features of the see-through transmittance compensation mask comprises selectively applying a voltage to the features of the see-through transmittance compensation mask.

17. A see-through, near-eye mixed reality head mounted display (HMD) device, comprising:

left and right see-through display regions each having a transmittance that is less than one hundred percent;

a see-through transmittance compensation mask including a plurality of features that are individually selectively activated; and

a controller that selective activates individual ones of the features to adjust boundaries of a left window of the see-through transmittance compensation mask, through which the left see-through display region is viewable, and adjust boundaries of a right window of the see-through transmittance compensation mask, through which the right see-through display region is visible.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the controller selectively activates individual ones of the features to position the left and right windows such that the user'"'"'s left eye is centered relative to the left window and the user'"'"'s right eye is centered relative to the right window.

19. The device of claim 18, further comprising:

one or more eye tracking cameras used to detect locations of left and right eyes of a user wearing the HMD device; and

wherein the controller selectively activates individual ones of the features, in dependence on the detected locations of the left and right eyes of the user wearing the HMD device, to thereby position the left and right windows such that the user'"'"'s left eye is centered relative to the left window and the user'"'"'s right eye is centered relative to the right window.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein:

the features that are selectively activated comprise liquid crystal elements, polymer dispersed liquid crystal elements, or electrochromic elements that are selectively activated by application of a voltage; and

the selectively activated features each has at least one of a circular shape, a square shape or a rectangular shape.