EYE TRACKED LENS FOR INCREASED SCREEN RESOLUTION

• US 20200132990A1
• Filed: 01/28/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: MILFORD, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 10,775,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0134 of stereoscopic type
• 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: G02B 27/0955 Lenses lenses per se G02B3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/10 using integral imaging methods
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/27 involving lenticular arrays

Abstract

A near-eye display system includes a display panel to display a near-eye lightfield frame including an array of elemental images and an eye tracking component to track a pose of a user'"'"'s eye. The system further includes a de-magnification optical element and a rendering component to adjust the rendering of foveal image content in the integral lightfield frame based on the pose of the user'"'"'s eye. A method of operation of the near-eye display system includes determining, using an eye tracking component of the near-eye display system, a first pose of a user'"'"'s eye and decreasing a magnification level at which foveal image content is to be displayed within the foveal field of view for the first pose. The decreased magnification level of the foveal image content is perceptible at a resolution higher than a native resolution of the display panel.

Claims

1. In a near-eye display system, a method comprising:

determining, using an eye tracking component of the near-eye display system, a first pose of a user'"'"'s eye;

identifying, based on the first pose of the user'"'"'s eye, foveal image content to be displayed within a foveal field of view of the user'"'"'s eye corresponding to the first pose;

decreasing, based on the first pose of the user'"'"'s eye, a magnification level at which the foveal image content is to be displayed within the foveal field of view;

rendering an array of elemental images forming an integral lightfield frame based on the first pose of the user'"'"'s eye and the decreased magnification level of the foveal image content; and

displaying the integral lightfield frame at a display panel of the near-eye display system, wherein the foveal image content is perceptible at a resolution higher than a native resolution of the display panel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein decreasing the magnification level comprises:

actuating a de-magnifying lens to be positioned between a foveal region of the integral lightfield frame and the foveal field of view of the user'"'"'s eye for the first pose.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein decreasing the magnification level comprises:

applying a voltage to a variable-index material disposed between the display panel and the foveal field of view of the user'"'"'s eye to induce a change in a refractive index of the variable-index material, wherein the change in the refractive index causes a decrease in the magnification level of imagery exiting the variable-index material.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein decreasing the magnification level comprises:

applying a voltage to one or more lenslets in a lenslet array comprising a variable-index material to induce a change in a refractive index of the one or more lenslets, wherein the change in the refractive index causes a decrease in the magnification level of imagery exiting the one or more lenslets.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein decreasing the magnification level further comprises:

applying the voltage to the variable-index material associated with a first portion of the lenslet array to induce a change in the refractive index of the variable-index material, wherein the first portion of the lenslet array is independently addressable relative to a second portion of the lenslet array, and further wherein the change in the refractive index causes a decrease in the magnification level of imagery exiting the first portion without decreasing the magnification level of imagery exiting the second portion of the lenslet array.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein rendering the array of elemental images forming the integral lightfield frame further comprises:

distorting, based on the first pose, rendering of one or more of the array of elemental images to compensate for visual distortions expected to be caused by the decreased magnification level of the foveal image content.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein rendering the array of elemental images forming the integral lightfield frame further comprises:

rendering, based on the identified foveal image content and the decreased magnification level, the integral lightfield frame with a foveal region and at least one peripheral region, wherein the foveal region has a higher resolution than the at least one peripheral region.

8. A near-eye display system, comprising:

a display panel to display an integral lightfield frame comprising an array of elemental images;

an eye tracking component to track a current pose of a user'"'"'s eye; and

a de-magnification optical element positioned to present foveal image content within a foveal region of the integral lightfield frame to a foveal field of view of the user'"'"'s eye for the current pose, wherein the foveal image content is perceptible at a resolution higher than a native resolution of the display panel.

9. The near-eye display system of claim 8, wherein the de-magnification optical element comprises:

a de-magnifying lens; and

an actuator coupled to the de-magnifying lens, the actuator to change a position of the de-magnifying lens to be positioned over a portion of the display panel to decrease a magnification level at which foveal image content is displayed within the foveal field of view for the current pose.

10. The near-eye display system of claim 8, wherein the de-magnification optical element comprises:

a liquid crystal (LC) lens; and

an actuator coupled to the LC lens, the actuator to change a position of the LC lens to be positioned over a portion of the display panel to decrease a magnification level at which foveal image content is displayed within the foveal field of view for the current pose.

11. The near-eye display system of claim 10, further comprising:

a rendering component configured to apply a voltage to a variable-index material associated with the LC lens to induce a change in refractive index of the variable-index material to change the magnification level at which foveal image content is displayed within the foveal field of view for the current pose.

12. The near-eye display system of claim 8, wherein the de-magnification optical element comprises:

a lenslet array comprising a variable-index material to induce a change in a refractive index of the one or more lenslets, wherein the change in the refractive index causes a change in the magnification level of imagery exiting the one or more lenslets.

13. The near-eye display system of claim 12, further comprising:

a rendering component configured to apply a voltage to the variable-index material associated with a first portion of the lenslet array to induce a change in the refractive index of the variable-index material, wherein the first portion of the lenslet array is independently addressable relative to a second portion of the lenslet array, and further wherein the change in the refractive index causes a change in the magnification level of imagery exiting the first portion without changing the magnification level of imagery exiting the second portion of the lenslet array.

14. The near-eye display system of claim 8, wherein the de-magnification optical element comprises:

a layer of variable-index material disposed to be positioned between the display panel and the user'"'"'s eye, wherein applying a voltage to the variable-index material induces a change in the magnification level at which foveal image content is displayed within the foveal field of view for the current pose.

15. The near-eye display system of claim 8, wherein the eye tracking component comprises:

a set of one or more infrared (IR) illuminators to project light onto the user'"'"'s eye; and

an imaging camera disposed between the de-magnification optical element and the display panel and oriented towards the user'"'"'s eye.

16. A rendering system, comprising:

at least one processor;

an input to receive data from an eye tracking component, the data indicating a pose of a user'"'"'s eye relative to a near-eye display panel; and

a storage component to store a set of executable instructions, the set of executable instructions configured to manipulate the at least one processor to identify foveal image content to be displayed within a foveal field of view corresponding to the pose of the user'"'"'s eye, the set of executable instructions further configured to manipulate the at least one processor to render an integral lightfield frame with a foveal region and at least one peripheral region, wherein the foveal region is rendered to be perceptible at a resolution higher than a native resolution of the near-eye display panel.

17. The rendering system of claim 16, wherein the set of executable instructions are configured to manipulate the at least one processor to:

identify, based on the data indicating the pose of a user'"'"'s eye relative to the near-eye display panel, foveal image content to be displayed within the foveal field of view corresponding to the pose of the user'"'"'s eye; and

decreasing a magnification level at which the foveal image content is to be displayed within the foveal field of view.

18. The rendering system of claim 17, wherein the set of executable instructions are configured to manipulate the at least one processor to render the integral lighfield frame by:

distorting, based on the pose and the decreased magnification level, rendering of one or more of an array of elemental images of the integral lighfield frame to compensate for visual distortions expected to be caused by the decreased magnification level of the foveal image content.

19. The rendering system of claim 17, wherein the set of executable instructions are configured to manipulate the at least one processor to render the integral lightfield frame by:

rendering, based on the identified foveal image content and the decreased magnification level, the foveal region at a higher resolution than the at least one peripheral region.

20. The rendering system of claim 17, wherein the set of executable instructions are configured to manipulate the at least one processor to render the integral lightfield frame by:

rendering, based on the identified foveal image content and the decreased magnification level, the foveal region at a resolution of the at least one peripheral region, and wherein the decreased magnification level associated with the foveal region causes the foveal image content to be perceptible at a resolution different than the resolution of the at least one peripheral region.