SINGLE-PANEL HEAD-MOUNTED DISPLAY

• US 20190320165A1
• Filed: 06/07/2018
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uavpatent Corporation
• Original Assignee: Fat Shark Technology SEZC (Red Cat Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: FRENCH, Gregory, EVANS, Allan
• Granted Patent: US 10,819,973 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0134 of stereoscopic type
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/27 involving lenticular arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/08 Volume rendering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/128 Adjusting depth or disparity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0081 Depth or disparity estimation from stereoscopic image signals

Abstract

Disclosed herein are head-mounted displays comprising a display screen and an optics block. The optics block is configured to present, at a time instant, to a left eye of a user of the head-mounted display apparatus, a first shifted version all of an image generated by the display screen. The first shifted version of the image has a first perceived center location that differs from the center of the display screen. The optics block is also configured to present, at the time instant, to a right eye of the user of the head-mounted display apparatus, a second shifted version of the image generated by the display screen, the second shifted version of the image having a second perceived center location that differs from the center of the display screen and that differs from the first perceived center location.

Claims

1. A head-mounted display apparatus, comprising:

a display screen; and

an optics block configured to present, at a time instant, to a left eye of a user of the head-mounted display apparatus, a first shifted version of an entirety of an image generated by the display screen, the image generated by the display screen being the only image generated by the display screen at the time instant, the first shifted version of the image having a first perceived center location that differs from a center of the display screen, and to present, at the time instant, to a right eye of the user of the head-mounted display apparatus, a second shifted version of the entirety of the image generated by the display screen, the second shifted version of the image having a second perceived center location that differs from the center of the display screen and that differs from the first perceived center location.

2. The head-mounted display apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein a distance between the display screen and the optics block is less than approximately 25 cm.

3. The head-mounted display apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein the optics block comprises:

a first optical component having a first curved surface and a first flat surface; and

a second optical component having a second curved surface and a second flat surface.

4. The head-mounted display apparatus recited in claim 3, wherein the first and second curved surfaces or the first and second flat surfaces are positioned to face a user of the head-mounted display apparatus.

5. The head-mounted display apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein the optics block comprises:

a lens having at least one surface with optical power; and

a wedge.

6. The head-mounted display apparatus recited in claim 5, wherein the wedge and the lens are included in a monolithic unit.

7. The head-mounted display apparatus recited in claim 5, wherein the wedge and lens are separate components.

8. The head-mounted display apparatus recited in claim 1, further comprising an actuator configured to enable a user to move at least a portion of the optics block.

9. The head-mounted display apparatus recited in claim 8, wherein the actuator is configured to enable the user to move the at least a portion of the optics block in at least a direction parallel to or perpendicular to a center line.

10. The head-mounted display apparatus recited in claim 8, wherein the actuator is configured to enable the user to move a first portion of the optics block relative to a second portion of the optics block.

11. The head-mounted display apparatus recited in claim 8, wherein the actuator is configured to enable the user to rotate the at least a portion of the optics block.

12. The head-mounted display apparatus recited in claim 8, wherein the actuator comprises a mechanical component configured to enable the user to adjust a distance between at least a portion of the optics block and the display screen.

13. The head-mounted display apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein the optics block comprises a prism, a diffractive surface, a corrective lens, or a mirror.

14. The head-mounted display apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein the first perceived center location corresponds to a first vergence angle and the second perceived center location corresponds to a second vergence angle, each of the first and second vergence angles being less than a focal angle corresponding to the center of the display screen.

15. The head-mounted display apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein a distance between the optics block and the display screen is between approximately 50 and approximately 250 mm.

16. The head-mounted display apparatus recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a parallax barrier disposed between the display screen and the optics block, wherein the parallax barrier comprises a slit, a liquid crystal display, or a lenticular display.

17. A head-mounted display apparatus, comprising:

a display screen;

a first optical component comprising a first curved surface and a first flat surface opposite the first curved surface; and

a second optical component comprising a second curved surface and a second flat surface opposite the second curved surface,

wherein;

the first flat surface is positioned to face a left eye of a user of the head-mounted display apparatus,

the second flat surface is positioned to face a right eye of the user of the head-mounted display apparatus, and

a distance between the first and second optical components is user-adjustable.

18. The head-mounted display apparatus recited in claim 17, wherein:

the first optical component is configured to present, at a time instant, to the left eye of the user of the head-mounted display apparatus, a first shifted version of an entirety of an image generated by the display screen, the image generated by the display screen being the only image generated by the display screen at the time instant, the first shifted version of the image having a first perceived center location that differs from a center of the display screen, and

the second optical component is configured to present, at the time instant, to the right eye of the user of the head-mounted display apparatus, a second shifted version of the entirety of the image generated by the display screen, the second shifted version of the image having a second perceived center location that differs from the center of the display screen and that differs from the first perceived center location.

19. A head-mounted display apparatus, comprising:

a display screen;

a first optical component comprising a first curved surface and a first flat surface opposite the first curved surface; and

a second optical component comprising a second curved surface and a second flat surface opposite the second curved surface,

wherein;

the first curved surface is positioned to face a left eye of a user of the head-mounted display apparatus,

the second curved surface is positioned to face a right eye of the user of the head-mounted display apparatus, and

a distance between the first and second optical components is user-adjustable.

20. The head-mounted display apparatus recited in claim 19, wherein:

the first optical component is configured to present, at a time instant, to the left eye of the user of the head-mounted display apparatus, a first shifted version of an entirety of an image generated by the display screen, the image generated by the display screen being the only image generated by the display screen at the time instant, the first shifted version of the image having a first perceived center location that differs from a center of the display screen, and

the second optical component is configured to present, at the time instant, to the right eye of the user of the head-mounted display apparatus, a second shifted version of the entirety of the image generated by the display screen, the second shifted version of the image having a second perceived center location that differs from the center of the display screen and that differs from the first perceived center location.