METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DISPLAYING STEREOSCOPY WITH A FREEFORM OPTICAL SYSTEM WITH ADDRESSABLE FOCUS FOR VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED REALITY

• US 20160011419A1
• Filed: 05/29/2015
• Published: 01/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.
• Inventors: GAO, Chunyu
• Granted Patent: US 10,156,722 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/011 comprising device for correcting geometrical aberrations, distortion
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• 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 2027/0134 of stereoscopic type
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0147 comprising a device modifying the resolution of the displayed image
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0833 the reflecting element being a micromechanical device, e.g. a MEMS mirror, DMD G02B26/0825 takes precedence; micromechanical devices in general B81B
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/12 Fluid-filled or evacuated lenses

Abstract

Several unique hardware configurations and methods for freeform optical display systems are disclosed. A freeform display system includes primary freeform optical element(s) and secondary freeform optical element(s) in tiled arrangements to expand the horizontal field of view (FOV) or the vertical field of view. The system may include a variable focusing system that produces intermediate pupil and changes the focal distance of a single focal plane or switches among multiple focal planes for rendering objects in focus while resolving accommodation-convergence conflict. The system may map light samples to appropriate light rays in physical space and use a cluster of projectors to project the mapped light rays to produce the light field of the virtual display content. Methods for making tiled freeform optical display systems and methods for producing virtual content with variable focus freeform optics and rendering light fields are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A tiled freeform optical display system, comprising:

an image source injecting light rays into a primary freeform optical element;

a secondary freeform optical element coupled directly with no intervening elements or indirectly with one or more intervening elements to the primary freeform optical element in a first tiled arrangement to form a tiled freeform optical display device for displaying virtual display content with at least a portion of the light rays from the image source; and

a variable focusing element coupled directly with no intervening elements or indirectly with one or more intervening elements to the image source and the tiled freeform optical display device to change a focal distance of a focal plane on which at least a part of the virtual display content is rendered in focus.

2. The tiled freeform optical display system of claim 1, further comprising:

a compensation lens attached to at least a part of the primary freeform optical element and/or the secondary freeform optical element to improve quality of light rays emitted or reflected from a real-world scene through the at least the part of the primary freeform optical element and/or the secondary freeform optical element.

3. The tiled freeform optical display system of claim 1, wherein the primary freeform optical element includes a freeform wedge coupled directly with no intervening elements or indirectly with one or more intervening elements to one or more relay lens.

4. The tiled freeform optical display system of claim 3, wherein the primary freeform optical element is further coupled directly with no intervening elements or indirectly with one or more first intervening elements to a folding reflector that receives the first light rays from the variable focusing element.

5. The tiled freeform optical display system of claim 1, wherein the variable focusing element includes a liquid lens to form an intermediate pupil.

6. The tiled freeform optical display system of claim 1, wherein the variable focusing element includes a deformable membrane mirror to form an intermediate pupil.

7. The tiled freeform optical display system of claim 6, wherein the variable focusing element includes a coupling lens group, two or more beam splitters operatively coupled directly with no intervening elements or indirectly with one or more first intervening elements to the deformable membrane mirror.

8. The tiled freeform optical display system of claim 1, wherein the primary freeform display element and the secondary freeform display element present two fields of view that are identical.

9. The tiled freeform optical display system of claim 1, wherein

the primary freeform display element defines an increased or maximized primary vertical field of view,

the secondary freeform display element defines a secondary vertical field of view based in part upon the increased or maximized primary vertical field of view, and

the tiled freeform optical display device defines a field of view based at least in part upon the increased or maximized primary vertical field of view and a predetermined aspect ratio for the field of view.

10. The tiled freeform optical display system of claim 1, wherein

the primary freeform display element defines an increased or maximized primary vertical field of view,

the secondary freeform display element defines an increased or maximized secondary horizontal field of view, and

the tiled freeform optical display device defines a field of view based at least in part upon the increased or maximized primary vertical field of view and the increased or maximized secondary horizontal field of view.

11-35. -35. (canceled)

36. A method for generating stereoscopic images with a variable focusing freeform optical display system for virtual or augmented reality, comprising:

receiving input light beams at an optical system from an image source;

altering a focal length of a variable focus mechanism for the input light beams based in part or in whole upon positioning of at least one focal plane for the stereoscopic images;

propagating the input light beams by using at least the variable focus mechanism with an altered focal length to a freeform optic mechanism; and

generating the stereoscopic images on the at least one focal plane for a virtual or augmented reality presentation with the freeform optic mechanism.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

propagating the input light beams to one or more beam splitters through a first optic; and

redirecting the input light beams to the variable focus mechanism through the one or more beam splitters.

38. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

changing a focal length of the variable focus mechanism by altering optical power of the variable focus mechanism based in part or in whole upon positioning of one or more focal planes for the stereoscopic images.

39. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

redirecting the input light beams back to the one or more beam splitters with the variable focus mechanism with the altered focal length; and

propagating the input light beams from the one or more beam splitters to the freeform optic mechanism.

40. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

identifying a requirement for changing focal planes for the stereoscopic images produced by the freeform optical display mechanism;

providing one or more controls to alter the focal length of the variable focus mechanism based in part or in whole upon the requirement; and

altering the focal length of the variable focus mechanism into the altered focal length with the one or more controls.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

propagating the input light beams from the variable focus mechanism with the altered focal length to the freeform optic mechanism; and

generating the stereoscopic images on the one or more focal planes for virtual or augmented reality presentation with the freeform optic mechanism.

42. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

determining a first focal distance of a first focal plane for rendering at least a part of the stereoscopic images in focus;

addressing both accommodation cues and convergence cues with the first focal distance, without tying the accommodation cues or the convergence cues to a fixed focal distance; and

rendering the at least the part of the stereoscopic images with the input light beams using at least the freeform optic mechanism and the first focal distance.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

addressing the first focal distance by using the variable focus mechanism of the freeform optical display mechanism.

44. The method of claim 43, the act of addressing the first focal distance comprising:

varying optical power of an addressable variable focusing element in the variable focus mechanism to change the first focal distance for rendering the at least the part of the stereoscopic images.

45. The method of claim 42, the act of addressing the first focal distance comprising:

identifying the first focal plane from multiple focal planes based in part or in whole upon the first focal distance for displaying the at least the part of the stereoscopic images with the input light beams.

46-59. -59. (canceled)

60. A freeform optical display mechanism for generating stereoscopic images, comprising:

a primary display device comprising a primary freeform optical element and defining a primary field of view;

a secondary display device defining a secondary field of view and comprising a secondary freeform optical element; and

a tiled display device including the primary display device and the secondary display device to expand at least the primary field of view.

61. The freeform optical display mechanism of claim 60, wherein the secondary display device and the primary display device are integrated into a first tiled arrangement to form at least a portion of the tiled display device that expands a temple horizontal field of view of the primary display device.

62. The freeform optical display mechanism of claim 60, further comprising:

a variable focusing mechanism optically coupled directly with no intervening elements or indirectly with one or more intervening elements to the primary display device of the freeform optical display mechanism to adjust a focal distance of one or more focal planes.

63. The freeform optical display mechanism of claim 60, further comprising:

an optical power control operatively coupled directly with no intervening elements or indirectly with one or more intervening elements to a deformable mirror in the variable focusing mechanism of the freeform optical display mechanism to change the focal distance of the one or more focal planes.

64. The freeform optical display mechanism of claim 60, wherein the variable focusing mechanism is to adjust one or more focal distances of one or more focal planes of the freeform optical display mechanism.

65. The freeform optical display mechanism of claim 60, wherein the primary display device and/or the secondary display device includes addressable focus functionality to control a focal distance of a focal plane for stereoscopic images produced by the freeform optical display mechanism.

66. The freeform optical display mechanism of claim 60, wherein the primary display device and/or the secondary display device includes addressable focus functionality to switch among a plurality of focal planes for the stereoscopic images produced by the freeform optical display mechanism.

67. The freeform optical display mechanism of claim 60, further comprising:

at least one compensation lens coupled directly with no intervening elements or indirectly with one or more intervening elements to at least a part of the primary display device, wherein the at least one compensation lens covers at least a portion of the primary display device of the freeform optical display mechanism.

68. The freeform optical display mechanism of claim 60, further comprising:

a first arrangement that arranges the primary display device and the secondary display device adjacent to each other to expand a horizontal field of view or a diagonal field of view of the freeform optical display mechanism.

69. The freeform optical display mechanism of claim 60, further comprising:

a second arrangement that that arranges the primary display device atop the secondary display device or the secondary display device atop the primary display device to expand a vertical field of view or a diagonal field of view of the freeform optical display mechanism.

70. The freeform optical display mechanism of claim 60, further comprising:

a third arrangement that approximately or exactly matching the secondary field of view of the secondary display device with the primary field of view of the primary display device expanding a vertical field of view or a diagonal field of view of the freeform optical display mechanism.

71. The freeform optical display mechanism of claim 60, further comprising:

one or more other secondary display devices operatively coupled directly with no intervening elements or indirectly with one or more intervening elements to the primary display device to further expand the field of view of the freeform optical display mechanism.

72. The freeform optical display mechanism of claim 60, further comprising:

an optical coupling optical mechanism operatively coupled directly with no intervening elements or indirectly with one or more intervening elements to the primary display device and one or more image sources to improve quality of stereoscopic images produced by the freeform optical display mechanism.

73-91. -91. (canceled)