Eye tracking head mounted display

• US 7,542,210 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2006
• Issued: 06/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Donald Ray Tedder
• Original Assignee: Donald Ray Tedder
• Inventors: Chirieleison, Sr., Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrington, Alicia M
• Application Number:
  US11/476,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20080002262A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 359630-636, 345 7- 9
• US Class Current: 359/630
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/011 comprising device for correcting geometrical aberrations, distortion
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0123 comprising devices increasing the field of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0154 with movable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• 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

Abstract

A head mounted display device has a mount which attaches the device to a user'"'"'s head, a beam-splitter attached to the mount with movement devices, an image projector which projects images onto the beam-splitter, an eye-tracker which tracks a user'"'"'s eye'"'"'s gaze, and one or more processors. The device uses the eye tracker and movement devices, along with an optional head-tracker, to move the beam-splitter about the center of the eye'"'"'s rotation, keeping the beam-splitter in the eye'"'"'s direct line-of-sight. The user simultaneously views the image and the environment behind the image. A second beam-splitter, eye-tracker, and projector can be used on the user'"'"'s other eye to create a stereoptic, virtual environment. The display can correspond to the resolving power of the human eye. The invention presets a high-resolution image wherever the user looks.

Claims

1. A head mounted display device, the device comprising:

a mount which secures the device near a user'"'"'s head;

a beam-splitter attached to said mount with movement devices, wherein said movement devices displace said beam-splitter about a center of rotation of an eye of the user, and wherein said beam-splitter;

reflects at least one output image toward the user'"'"'s eye, and

transmits light incident on said beam-splitter to the user'"'"'s eye;

an image projector, which projects said at least one output image onto said beam-splitter;

an eye-tracker which measures the viewing direction of an eye of the user and produces corresponding coordinate information; and

at least one processor, in communication with said eye-tracker and said movement devices, which commands said movement devices to reposition said beam-splitter based on said coordinate information,

wherein the device further comprises a focusing lens to focus said at least one output image based on the current focal distance of the user'"'"'s eye.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said at least one processor commands said movement devices to keep said beam-splitter in a user'"'"'s line-of-sight.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said eye tracker comprises a camera attached between said mount and said beam-splitter.

4. The device of claim 1, the device further comprising a head-tracker which determines the direction a user'"'"'s head is facing;

wherein said at least one processor is further in communication with said head tracker, and wherein said coordinate information further comprises measurements received from said head-tracker.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said image projector is in communication with said at least one processor, and wherein said processor provides data to said projector for composing images.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said image projector is rigidly attached to said beam-splitter.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said at least one output image is displayed with increased pixel density at locations corresponding to increased density of light receptor cells in the user'"'"'s eye.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein said at least one output image is adjusted to compensate for angular displacement from the user'"'"'s eye.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein said movement devices move the beam-splitter in one or more of the following dimensions relative to the user:

yaw, pitch, roll, up-down, left-right, forward-backward.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein said beam-splitter has a transmission index appropriate for the intensity of ambient light in the environment of use.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein said eye-tracker determines a user'"'"'s line-of-sight.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein said eye-tracker registers when a user'"'"'s line-of-sight changes.

13. The device of claim 1, comprising

a second beam-splitter attached to said mount with second movement devices, wherein said second movement devices displace said second beam-splitter about a center of rotation of a second eye of the user, and wherein said second beam-splitter:

reflects at least one output image toward the user'"'"'s second eye, and

transmits light incident on said second beam-splitter to the user'"'"'s second eye; and

a second image projector, which projects said at least one second output image onto said second beam-splitter;

wherein said at least one processor is in communication with said second eye-tracker and said second movement devices, and commands said second movement devices to reposition said second beam-splitter.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein said processor uses said coordinate information to allow the user to control objects in the virtual environment with gaze.

15. A head mounted display device, the device comprising:

a mount which secures the device near a user'"'"'s head;

a beam-splitter attached to said mount with movement devices, wherein said movement devices displace said beam-splitter about a center of rotation of an eye of the user, and wherein said beam-splitter;

reflects at least one output image toward the user'"'"'s eye, and

transmits light incident on said beam-splitter to the user'"'"'s eye;

an image projector, which projects said at least one output image onto said beam-splitter;

an eye-tracker which measures the viewing direction of an eye of the user and produces corresponding coordinate information; and

at least one processor, in communication with said eye-tracker and said movement devices, which commands said movement devices to reposition said beam-splitter based on said coordinate information,

wherein the image projector changes its image based on information received from the eye-tracker.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the image projector further comprises a virtual display, said virtual display having effective dimensions larger than those of said beam-splitter, and wherein said at least one output image is a portion of the virtual display which corresponds to a user'"'"'s line-of-sight.

17. The device of claim 15 wherein said at least one processor commands said movement devices to keep said beam-splitter in a user'"'"'s line-of-sight.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein said eye tracker comprises a camera attached between said mount and said beam-splitter.

19. The device of claim 15, the device further comprising a head-tracker which determines the direction a user'"'"'s head is facing;

wherein said at least one processor is further in communication with said head tracker, and wherein said coordinate information further comprises measurements received from said head-tracker.

20. The device of claim 15, wherein said image projector is in communication with said at least one processor, and wherein said processor provides data to said projector for composing images.

21. The device of claim 15, wherein said image projector is rigidly attached to said beam-splitter.

22. The device of claim 15, wherein said at least one output image is displayed with increased pixel density at locations corresponding to increased density of light receptor cells in the user'"'"'s eye.

23. The device of claim 15, wherein said at least one output image is adjusted to compensate for angular displacement from the user'"'"'s eye.

24. The device of claim 15, wherein said movement devices move the beam-splitter in one or more of the following dimensions relative to the user:

yaw, pitch, roll, up-down, left-right, forward-backward.

25. The device of claim 15, wherein said beam-splitter has a transmission index appropriate for the intensity of ambient light in the environment of use.

26. The device of claim 15, wherein said eye-tracker determines a user'"'"'s line-of-sight.

27. The device of claim 15, wherein said eye-tracker registers when a user'"'"'s line-of-sight changes.

28. The device of claim 15, comprising

a second beam-splitter attached to said mount with second movement devices, wherein said second movement devices displace said second beam-splitter about a center of rotation of a second eye of the user, and wherein said second beam-splitter:

reflects at least one output image toward the user'"'"'s second eye, and

transmits light incident on said second beam-splitter to the user'"'"'s second eye; and

a second image projector, which projects said at least one second output image onto said second beam-splitter;

wherein said at least one processor is in communication with said second eye-tracker and said second movement devices, and commands said second movement devices to reposition said second beam-splitter.

29. The device of claim 15, wherein said processor uses said coordinate information to allow the user to control objects in the virtual environment with gaze.