Regulating focus in accordance with relationship of features of a person's eyes

• US 5,861,936 A
• Filed: 07/11/1997
• Issued: 01/19/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sorensen Research & Development Trust
• Original Assignee: Gillan Holdings Limited
• Inventors: Sorensen, Jens Ole
• Primary Examiner(s): MAI, HUY KIM
• Application Number:
  US08/893,788
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 351/200, 351/204, 351/209, 351/210, 351/246, 351/221, 359/354, 359/676, 349/13, 349/33, 349/200
• US Class Current: 351/200
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/083 Electrooptic lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/101 having an electro-optical light valve electro-optical elements per se G02F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/322 using varifocal lenses or mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/339 using spatial multiplexing H04N13/337 takes precedence
• 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 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/28 Arrangements for convergence or focusing

Abstract

The focus of variable-focus lenses in eyeglasses worn by a person is regulated in accordance with an indication of a spatial relationship of features of the person'"'"'s eyes to provide an at least partially in-focus image of a feature at which the person is gazing.. The lenses are nematic liquid crystal display devices. Light reflected off of each of the person'"'"'s eyes is detected to provide data indicating the respective dispositions of the person'"'"'s eyes; and the combined data for both eyes is processed by a neural network in a computer to provide focus-control signals for setting the focus of each lens. At least partially in-focus images are also provided of features at which a person in gazing (a) through goggles of a three-dimensional virtual reality system, (b) on a monitor that perceptually simultaneously displays different features with different degrees of focus as though they were at different distances from a person viewing the monitor, (c) on a monitor displaying remotely generated images and (d) through a view finder of a camera.

Claims

1. A system for providing an at least partially in-focus image of a feature at which a person is gazing, comprising

variable-focus means for providing an image of the feature on a display screen;

means for indicating a spatial relationship of features of the person'"'"'s eyes; and

means for regulating the variable-focus means in accordance with the indicated relationship.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the variable focus means and the regulating means comprise a computer for generating left-eye-image components and right-eye-image components in accordance with the indicated relationship, and a display screen for displaying said computer-generated image components.

3. A system according to claim 2, further comprising goggles for enabling a person gazing at the display screen through the goggles to view images having features that respectively appear to be at different distances from said person.

4. A system according to claim 2 included in a three-dimensional virtual reality system that includes goggles for enabling a person gazing at the display screen through the goggles to view three-dimensional images having virtual features that respectively appear to be at different distances from said person.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the variable-focus means are embodied in a display monitor that perceptually simultaneously displays different features on the display screen with different degrees of focus as though they were at different distances from a person viewing the monitor.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein the variable-focus means are regulated to display an at least partially in-focus image of the feature at which the person is gazing.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the indicating means comprise

means for providing data indicating the disposition of a feature of each eye;

and

means for combining said disposition data to provide an indication of the relative spatial relationship of the person'"'"'s eyes.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the indicating means comprise means for providing data indicating the disposition of a feature of each eye;

and

wherein the regulating means comprise a neural network for processing said disposition data to provide control signals for setting the focus of the variable focus means.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein the indicating means indicate the spatial relationship of features of the person'"'"'s eyes with respect to each other.

10. A method of providing an at least partially in-focus image of a feature at which a person is gazing, comprising the steps of:

(a) using variable-focus means to provide an image of the feature on a display screen;

(b) indicating a spatial relationship of features of the person'"'"'s eyes; and

(c) regulating the variable-focus means in accordance with the indicated relationship.

11. A method according to claim 10, farther comprising the step of:

(d) disposing the variable-focus means in such a correlation to the person'"'"'s eyes as to affect the person'"'"'s perceived focus of images.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein step (b) comprises the steps of:

(d) providing data indicating the disposition of a feature of each eye; and

(e) combining said disposition data to provide an indication of the relative spatial relationship of the person'"'"'s eyes.

13. A method according to claim 10 wherein step (b) comprises the steps of:

(d) providing data indicating the disposition of a feature of each eye; and

wherein step (c) comprises the step of;

(e) processing said disposition data with a neural network to provide control signals for setting the focus of the variable focus means.

14. A method according to claim 10, wherein step (b) comprises the step of:

(d) indicating the spatial relationship of features of the person'"'"'s eyes with respect to each other.

15. A method according to claim 10, wherein step (b) comprises the steps of.

(d) detecting reflected light:

and

(e) processing the reflected light to provide the indication of the spatial relationship of features of the person'"'"'s eyes.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein step (d) comprises the step of:

(f) detecting light reflected by the person'"'"'s eyes.

17. A method according to claim 10, wherein step (c) comprises the steps of:

(d) providing focus-control signals in accordance with the indicated relationship; and

(e) focusing the variable-focus means in accordance with the focus-control signals to cause the person to sense said at least partially in-focus image of the feature.

18. A method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of:

(d) calibrating the means of said regulating to cause the person to sense an at least partially in-focus image of a feature at a given location with respect to the person'"'"'s eyes when the features of the person'"'"'s eyes have a given relative disposition.

19. A method according to claim 10, wherein steps (a) and (c) comprise the steps of:

(d) generating left-eye-image components and right-eye-image components by a computer in accordance with the indicated relationship, and

(e) displaying said computer-generated image components.

20. A method according to claim 19, further comprising the step of:

(f) using goggles while gazing at the display screen to view images having features that respectively appear to be at different distances from said person.

21. A method according to claim 19, further comprising the step of:

(f) using goggles while gazing at the display screen to view three-dimensional images having virtual features that respectively appear to be at different distances from said person.

22. A method according to claim 10, wherein steps (a) and (c) comprise the step of:

(d) perceptually simultaneously displaying different features with different degrees of focus as though they were at different distances from a person viewing the display screen.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein step (d) comprises the step of:

(e) displaying an at least partially in-focus image of the feature at which the person is gazing.

24. A system, comprising a computer for generating left-eye-image components and right-eye-image components,

a display screen for displaying said computer-generated image components,

goggles for enabling a person gazing at the display screen through the goggles to view three-dimensional images having virtual features that respectively appear to be at different distances from said person,

means for indicating a spatial relationship of features of the person'"'"'s eyes;

and

means for regulating the goggles in accordance with the indicated relationship to provide said three-dimensional images to the person wearing the goggles.

25. A system, comprising

a display monitor that perceptually simultaneously displays images of different features with different degrees of focus as though they were at different distances from a person viewing the monitor and gazing at one of said displayed features,

means for indicating a spatial relationship of features of the person'"'"'s eyes;

and

means for regulating the display monitor in accordance with the indicated relationship to display an at least partially in-focus image of the feature at which the person is gazing.

26. A system, comprising a remotely controlled device that produces and transmits to a television monitor a signal for causing the monitor to display an at least partially in-focus image of a feature at which a person viewing the monitor is gazing;

variable-focus means embodied in the remotely controlled device for providing an image of the feature from which said transmitted signal is produced;

means for indicating a spatial relationship of features of the person'"'"'s eyes; and

means for regulating the variable-focus means in accordance with the indicated relationship.

27. A system, comprising

a camera having a focal plane and a view finder;

variable-focus means embodied in the camera for providing an at least partially in-focus image of a feature at which a person is gazing through the view finder;

means for indicating a spatial relationship of features of the person'"'"'s eyes; and

means for regulating the variable-focus means in accordance with the indicated relationship to provide at the focal plane of the camera the at least partially in-focus image of the feature at which the person is gazing through the view finder of the camera.