METHOD AND APPARATUS TO PRODUCE RE-FOCUSABLE VISION WITH DETECTING RE-FOCUSING EVENT FROM HUMAN EYE

• US 20160212401A9
• Filed: 01/24/2014
• Published: 07/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yuchen Zhou
• Original Assignee: Yuchen Zhou
• Inventors: Zhou, Yuchen
• Granted Patent: US 9,699,433 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0825 the reflecting element being a flexible sheet or membrane, e.g. for varying the focus flexible mirrors for cosmetic use A45D42/24
• 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 27/0093 with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/015 Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/122 Improving the 3D impression of stereoscopic images by modifying image signal contents, e.g. by filtering or adding monoscopic depth cues H04N13/128 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/128 Adjusting depth or disparity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/156 Mixing image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/161 Encoding, multiplexing or demultiplexing different image signal components for multi-view video sequence encoding H04N19/597
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/207 using a single 2D image sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/243 using three or more 2D image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/25 using two or more image sensors with different characteristics other than in their location or field of view, e.g. having different resolutions or colour pickup characteristics; using image signals from one sensor to control the characteristics of another sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/271 wherein the generated image signals comprise depth maps or disparity maps
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/322 using varifocal lenses or mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/332 : Displays for viewing with the aid of special glasses or head-mounted displays [HMD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/341 : using temporal multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 : with head-mounted left-right displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/383 : for tracking with gaze detection, i.e. detecting the lines of sight of the viewer's eyes

Abstract

The current invention relates to the method to achieve re-focusable vision, including re-focusable stereo vision, with detecting the re-focusing event from a human eye. The method comprises utilizing optical and electrical sensing apparatus to detect the physiological change of viewer'"'"'s eye without viewer'"'"'s active participation or physical action, and retrieving the intended focus depth information of the viewer from such physiological information to update the visual impression perceived by the viewer that matches the intended focus depth, to achieve a re-focusable vision. The sensing apparatus includes both “glass” type and “contact-lens” type of see-through substrates that contain optical and electrical components that are necessary for obtaining the physiological information of viewer'"'"'s eye and controlling the visual impression that the viewer perceives.

Claims

1. A method to produce re-focusable vision comprising:

an image display;

an image generator;

a vision re-focus sensor;

a signal processor;

wherein said image display displays at least one first image to a viewer when said sensor senses the vision re-focus intention from said viewer;

wherein said signal processor interprets said re-focus intention from said viewer into focus depth information;

wherein said focus depth information is used to produce one second image by said image generator;

wherein said image display displays said second image to said viewer thereby satisfying said vision re-focus intention from said viewer.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said image display can be any of:

a screen of an electronic device, a screen for image projection, a projector to directly project image into human eye, a head-mount image viewing device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said image display is a MEMS-based mirror array having at least one input light source for projecting image directly onto said viewer'"'"'s eye retina.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said image generator can be any of:

a camera, a camcorder, a computerized image generator.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said image generator is a stereo vision image generation device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said vision re-focus sensor is a see-through substrate containing at least one optical emitter, at least one optical detector, and electronics that controls and powers the said optical emitter and optical detector.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said see-through substrate is in direct contact with the eye of said viewer and substantially covering the pupil of the said eye.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein said optical emitter produces a probing light towards the eye in one or more forms of:

a directional beam, a scanning beam, a pulsed light beam.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein said optical detector detects reflected light from said viewer'"'"'s eye for any one or more properties of:

the dispersion of the reflected light, duration of reflected light pulse, delay between reflected light pulses, reflected light direction.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said properties of reflected light is used to retrieve the focus depth of the said viewer'"'"'s eye.

11. The method according to claim 6, wherein said see-through substrate contains optical components that vary according to the focus depth change of said viewer'"'"'s eye to make said second image perceived by the viewer being at a distance from said viewer matching said viewer'"'"'s re-focus intention.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein said signal processor is a computing device embedded in a supporting frame disposed close to the eye of said viewer.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said supporting frame also supports said see-through substrates according to claim 6.

14. The method according to claim 7, wherein a fixture containing electronic components is disposed in close proximity to the eye of said viewer to aid sensing of eye re-focus event and pupil position.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said electronic components in said fixture can perform any or more of functions of:

wirelessly powering the said optical emitter and optical detector, data communication with electronics in said see-through substrate, pupil position sensing with monitoring spatial position of electronics in said see-through substrate.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein said image capture device is any of:

a camera, a camcorder.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein said signal communication means is a data network.

16. A method to realize human-machine interaction through eye sensing comprising:

an image display;

an image capture device;

a vision sensor;

a signal processor;

a signal communication means;

wherein said image capture device captures a first image of the viewing space of a viewer;

wherein said vision sensor senses the vision focus point of said viewer in said viewing space;

wherein said signal processor identifies at least one first object in said viewing space with said focus point and said first image and commands said image display to display at least one imaginary object in said viewing space of said viewer showing at least one property of the first object;

wherein said first object performs at least one action following at least one command generated by the said viewer;

wherein said action is initiated by said signal processor with sending information through said communication means.

19. An apparatus for detecting eye focus depth change comprising:

a see-through substrate containing at least one optical emitter and at least one optical detector disposed in close proximity to the eye;

a control electronics for controlling said optical emitter and optical detector;

a signal processor;

wherein said optical emitter emits light pattern into said eye and said optical detector receives reflected light pattern from said eye;

wherein said control electronics transmits said received reflected light patterns to said signal processor to retrieve said eye focus depth change.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said see-through substrate is in director contact with said eye and substantially covering the pupil of said eye.