Information system and method for providing information using a holographic element

• US 8,016,421 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2009
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Metaio GmbH (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Dickerson, David, Eberl, Roland H. C., Eberl, Heinrich A.
• Primary Examiner(s): PINKNEY, DAWAYNE
• Application Number:
  US12/646,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20100188638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: 351 41-176, 351205-206, 351/210, 351/221, 359 13- 14, 359/633, 359/727, 359/732, 359/631, 359618-619, 359/625, 359629-630, 359/639
• US Class Current: 351/221
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/12 for looking at the eye fundus, e.g. ophthalmoscopes A61B3/13 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/14 Arrangements specially adapted for eye photography apparatus or arrangements for taking photographs per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0174 holographic
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• 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 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/32 Holograms used as optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

An information system and a method for providing information in correlation with light that is incident on an eye includes a holographic element disposed in front of the eye and a device capable of recording optical signals which detects light that is incident on the eye via the holographic element. The device capable of recording optical signals detects light which is diffracted by the holographic element before the light impinges on the eye such that the diffracted light does not enter the eye.

Claims

1. An information system for providing information in correlation with light incident on an eye, said system comprising:

a holographic element disposed in front of the eye; and

a device capable of recording optical signals which detects light incident on the eye via the holographic element,

wherein the device capable of recording optical signals detects light which is diffracted by the holographic element before the light impinges on the eye, and does not enter the eye.

2. The information system according to claim 1, wherein the holographic element diffracts light originating from the field of vision of the eye at a discrete wavelength in the infrared range for the detection by the device capable of recording optical signals.

3. The information system according to claim 1, wherein the holographic element diffracts light reflected back by the eye only at a discrete wavelength in the infrared range for the detection by the device capable of recording optical signals.

4. The information system according to claim 1, wherein the holographic element diffracts light at several discrete wavelengths such that the diffracted light is guided to a common point, and the angle of incidence of the light on the common point permits an unambiguous, wavelength-independent conclusion as regards an angle of incidence of the light upon the holographic element.

5. An information system for providing information in correlation with light incident on an eye, said system comprising:

a holographic element disposed in front of the eye;

a device capable of recording optical signals that detects light via the holographic element; and

an optical projection device that projects light into the environment such that the projected light is recorded by the device capable of recording optical signals wherein the device capable of recording optical signals detects the light refracted by the holographic element before it impinges on the eye such that the refracted light does not enter the eye.

6. The information system of claim 5, wherein the information is used for calibrating the optical components of the information system.

7. The information system of claim 5, wherein the information system is configured to obtain information from the environment.

8. The information system of claim 5, wherein the projected light is modulated in a manner to differentiate the projected light from ambient light.

9. The information system of claim 5, wherein the optical projection device projects infrared light.

10. The information system of claim 5, wherein the holographic element diffracts the wavelengths of the projected light.

11. The information system of claim 5, wherein the information system is designed in the shape of spectacles.

12. An information system for providing information in correlation with light incident on an eye, said system comprising:

at least one camera configured and arranged to detect light from an environment in the field of vision of said eye, the light being incident in the direction of said eye;

an information source providing the information, wherein the information system receives the information as a function of the detected light; and

at least one optical projection device that projects the information into the environment,

wherein the information system is designed in the shape of spectacles.

13. The information system of claim 12, wherein said at least one camera is positioned such that an optical axis of said at least one camera coincides approximately with an optical axis of said eye.

14. The information system of claim 12, wherein the information source is at least one of a databank, a sensor system, an information network link, and an analyzing device.

15. The information system of claim 12, wherein, from the detected light, the information system determines the position and orientation of the information system with respect to the environment.

16. The information system of claim 15, wherein the information is projected such that a time-related, color-related, spatial or contrast-related relationship is established between the information and the detected light.

17. The information system of claim 12, wherein the at least one optical projection device projects light at one or several discrete wavelengths in the visible range.

18. The information system of claim 12, wherein the at least one optical projection device projects light by way of a holographic element that diffracts the wavelengths of the projected light.

19. The information system of claim 12, further comprising a device capable of recording optical signals that detects light reflected back by the eye, wherein said light detected by the device capable of recording optical signals is used for determining the position and orientation of the eyeball, such that the projected information appears stationary when the eye is moving, appears to move along when the eye is moving or appears to move correspondingly to a defined course when the eye is moving.

20. An information system for providing information with regard to an eye, said system comprising:

at least one optical projection device for projecting infrared light into the environment in the field of vision of said eye;

at least one device capable of recording optical signals for detecting the infrared light reflected back from the environment;

at least one camera configured and arranged to record an image of the environment; and

an analyzing device for obtaining information from the environment from the detected infrared light, wherein the analyzing device determines the transit time of the projected infrared light between the at least one optical projection device and the at least one device capable of recording optical signals.

21. The information system of claim 20, wherein the analyzing device further determines the position and orientation of the information system with respect to the environment and/or said eye.

22. The information system of claim 20, wherein the obtained information is used for calibrating optical components of the information system.

23. The information system of claim 20, wherein the at least one device capable of recording optical signals detects the reflected infrared light after it was refracted by a holographic element.

24. The information system of claim 23, wherein the holographic element diffracts the wavelengths of the projected infrared light.

25. The information system of claim 20, wherein the information system is at least one of a portable or free-standing system, a device integrated in a helmet, and a device designed in form of spectacles.

26. The information system of claim 20, wherein said at least one camera is positioned such that an optical axis of said at least one camera coincides approximately with an optical axis of said eye.