Eyebox adjustment for interpupillary distance

• US 8,638,498 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2012
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bohn, David D., Fleck, Rod G., Robbins, Steven John
• Primary Examiner(s): Amari, Alessandro
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lei, Jie
• Application Number:
  US13/343,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20130170031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: 359/13, 359411-418, 359630-633, 359/481, 345/7, 345/8, 345/9, 351/204, 351/210
• US Class Current: 359/481
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/36 using refractive optical elements, e.g. prisms, in the optical path between the images and the observer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/12 Adjusting pupillary distance of binocular pairs

Abstract

In embodiments of eyebox adjustment for interpupillary distance, a first optical lens receives light of an image from a display optic at a projected orientation of the light, and the first optical lens deviates the light of the image by a deviation angle from the projected orientation of the light. A second optical lens receives the light of the image from the first optical lens at the deviation angle, and the second optical lens alters the deviated light of the image back to the projected orientation of the light for viewing the image. Left and right eyeboxes align with respective left and right eyes that view the image, and a distance between the left and right eyeboxes approximately correlates to an interpupillary distance between the left and right eyes. The light of the image can be laterally shifted to increase or decrease the distance between the left and right eyeboxes.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first optical lens configured to receive light of an image from a display optic at a projected orientation of the light, the first optical lens further configured to deviate the light of the image by a deviation angle from the projected orientation of the light;

a second optical lens configured to receive the light of the image from the first optical lens at the deviation angle, the second optical lens further configured to alter the deviated light of the image back to the projected orientation of the light for viewing the image; and

a left eyebox and a right eyebox each configured to align with respective left and right eyes that view the image, the light of the image laterally shifted to increase or decrease a distance between the left and right eyeboxes.

2. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the distance between the left eyebox and the right eyebox approximately correlates to an interpupillary distance between the left and right eyes.

3. A system as recited in claim 2, further comprising position settings of the left and right eyeboxes for viewing the image, the position settings including:

a first position with the distance between the left and right eyeboxes increased to correlate to a wide interpupillary distance between the left and right eyes;

a second position with the distance between the left and right eyeboxes not laterally shifted when the first optical lens projects the light of the image through at the projected orientation of the light; and

a third position with the distance between the left and right eyeboxes decreased to correlate to a narrow interpupillary distance between the left and right eyes.

4. A system as recited in claim 3, wherein the first optical lens is configured for on-off control, the first and third positions enabled when the first optical lens is turned-on, and the second position enabled when the first optical lens is turned-off.

5. A system as recited in claim 2, further comprising variable position settings of the distance between the left and right eyeboxes to correlate with the interpupillary distance between the left and right eyes.

6. A system as recited in claim 5, wherein the distance between the left and right eyeboxes is based on a user input of the interpupillary distance between the left and right eyes.

7. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the light of the image is laterally shifted based on the deviation angle and a distance between the first optical lens and the second optical lens.

8. A system as recited in claim 1, further comprising an eye-tracking camera configured to image a location of the left and right eyes, and wherein the distance between the left and right eyeboxes is adjusted based on the location of the left and right eyes.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving light of an image from a display optic, the light of the image received at a first optical lens at a projected orientation of the light;

deviating the light of the image through the first optical lens by a deviation angle from the projected orientation of the light;

projecting the light of the image from the first optical lens to a second optical lens at the deviation angle;

altering the deviated light of the image at the second optical lens back to the projected orientation for viewing;

laterally-shifting the light of the image to increase or decrease a distance between a left eyebox and a right eyebox.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the left and right eyeboxes each align with respective left and right eyes that view the image, and wherein the distance between the left and right eyeboxes approximately correlates to an interpupillary distance between the left and right eyes.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising positioning the left and right eyeboxes for viewing the image, wherein position settings include:

a first position with the distance between left and right eyeboxes increased to correlate to a wide interpupillary distance between the left and right eyes;

a second position with the distance between the left and right eyeboxes not laterally shifted when the first optical lens projects the light of the image through at the projected orientation of the light; and

a third position with the distance between the left and right eyeboxes decreased to correlate to a narrow interpupillary distance between the left and right eyes.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the first optical lens is configured for on-off control, the first and third positions enabled when the first optical lens is turned-on, and the second position enabled when the first optical lens is turned-off.

13. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the light of the image is laterally shifted based on the deviation angle and a distance between the first optical lens and the second optical lens.

14. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the distance between the left and right eyeboxes is variable to correlate with the interpupillary distance between the left and right eyes.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

imaging the left and right eyes with an eye-tracking camera;

determining a location of the left and right eyes; and

adjusting the distance between the left and right eyeboxes based on the determined location of the left and right eyes.

16. A wearable display device, comprising:

a left display lens system configured to form an image for viewing;

a right display lens system configured to form the image for viewing;

each of the left and right display lens systems including;

a first optical lens configured to receive light of the image at a projected orientation of the light, the first optical lens further configured to deviate the light of the image by a deviation angle from the projected orientation of the light;

a second optical lens configured to receive the light of the image from the first optical lens at the deviation angle, the second optical lens further configured to alter the deviated light of the image back to the projected orientation of the light for viewing the image; and

a left eyebox of the left display lens system and a right eyebox of the right display lens system, the light of the image laterally shifted to increase or decrease the distance between the left and right eyeboxes.

17. A wearable display device as recited in claim 16, wherein:

the left eyebox of the left display lens system is configured to align with a left eye that views the image; and

the right eyebox of the right display lens system is configured to align with a right eye that views the image, wherein the distance between the left and right eyeboxes approximately correlates to an interpupillary distance between the left and right eyes.

18. A wearable display device as recited in claim 17, further comprising position settings of the left and right eyeboxes for viewing the image, the position settings including:

a first position with the distance between the left and right eyeboxes increased to correlate to a wide interpupillary distance between the left and right eyes;

a second position with the distance between the left and right eyeboxes not laterally shifted when the first optical lens projects the light of the image through at the projected orientation of the light; and

a third position with the distance between the left and right eyeboxes decreased to correlate to a narrow interpupillary distance between the left and right eyes.

19. A wearable display device as recited in claim 17, further comprising variable position settings of the distance between the left and right eyeboxes to correlate with the interpupillary distance between the left and right eyes.

20. A wearable display device as recited in claim 16, wherein the light of the image is laterally shifted based on the deviation angle and a distance between the first optical lens and the second optical lens.