Information system and method for providing information using a holographic element

• US 9,427,154 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2014
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Metaio GmbH (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Eberl, Roland H.C., Eberl, Heinrich A., Dickerson, David
• Primary Examiner(s): PINKNEY, DAWAYNE
• Application Number:
  US14/572,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20150098061A1
• Time in Patent Office: 623 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: 1/1
• 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 with respect to an eye, the system comprising:

at least a first optical projection device configured to project infrared light into an environment in a field of vision of said eye;

at least one camera configured to detect the infrared light reflected back from the environment;

a sensor system configured to obtain information from the environment based on transit time of the infrared light reflected back from the environment;

spectacles including a holographic element disposed in front of said eye;

at least a second optical projection device configured to project light via the holographic element into said eye in correlation with the obtained information; and

a device configured to detect optical signals and to obtain at least a partial reflex image from said eye.

2. The information system of claim 1, wherein the sensor system is further configured to determine at least one of a position and an orientation of at least one of the information system and the eye with respect to the environment.

3. The information system of claim 1, wherein at least one of a position of a holographic content and light refraction characteristics of the holographic element is electronically changeable.

4. The information system of claim 1, wherein said second optical projection device includes an LED that projects light into the eye via the holographic element.

5. The information system of claim 1, wherein the correlation includes at least one of a time-related correlation, a color-related correlation, a spatial correlation, or a contrast-related correlation.

6. The information system of claim 1, further comprising:

an analyzing device configured to obtain information about one or more eye structures from the partial reflex image.

7. The information system of claim 1, wherein the holographic element has light-refracting characteristics at one or more discrete wavelengths along a partial area of a virtual ellipsoid disposed in front of said eye.

8. The information system of claim 1, wherein the sensor system is further configured to determine a region of the environment at which a portion of the eye with sharpest vision is momentarily detected.

9. An information system for providing information with respect to an eye, the system comprising:

at least a first optical projection device configured to project infrared light into an environment in a field of vision of said eye;

at least one camera configured to detect the infrared light reflected back from the environment;

a sensor system configured to obtain information from the environment based on transit time of the infrared light reflected back from the environment;

spectacles including a holographic element disposed in front of said eye; and

at least a second optical projection device configured to project light via the holographic element into said eye in correlation with the obtained information;

wherein the holographic element has light-refracting characteristics at one or more discrete wavelengths along a partial area of a virtual ellipsoid disposed in front of said eye.

10. The information system of claim 9, wherein a first focal point of the virtual ellipsoid spatially coincides with the optical center of the eye and a second focal point of the virtual ellipsoid spatially coincides with the optical output point of the optical projection device.

11. The information system of claim 9, wherein said second optical projection device includes an LED that projects light into the eye via the holographic element.

12. The information system of claim 9, wherein the correlation includes at least one of a time-related correlation, a color-related correlation, a spatial correlation, or a contrast-related correlation.

13. The information system of claim 9, wherein the sensor system is further configured to determine a region of the environment at which a portion of the eye with sharpest vision is momentarily detected.

14. An information system for providing information with respect to an eye, the information system comprising:

a first optical projection device configured to project infrared light into an environment in a field of vision of the eye;

a camera configured to detect the infrared light reflected back from the environment;

a sensor system configured to obtain information from the environment based on transit time of the infrared light reflected back from the environment;

a first optical element disposed in front of the eye, wherein the first optical element includes a holographic element;

a second optical projection device configured to project light via the first optical element into the eye in correlation with the obtained information; and

a device configured to detect optical signals and to obtain at least a partial reflex image from said eye.

15. The information system of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first optical element and a second optical element is disposed in front of the eye.

16. The information system of claim 14, wherein the sensor system is further configured to determine a region of the environment at which a portion of the eye with sharpest vision is momentarily detected.

17. The information system of claim 14, further comprising:

an analyzing device configured to obtain information about one or more eye structures from the partial reflex image.

18. The information system of claim 14, wherein the holographic element has light-refracting characteristics at one or more discrete wavelengths along a partial area of a virtual ellipsoid disposed in front of the eye.

19. The information system of claim 14, wherein the second optical projection device includes an LED that projects light into the eye via the holographic element.

20. The information system of claim 14, wherein the correlation includes at least one of a time-related correlation, a color-related correlation, a spatial correlation, or a contrast-related correlation.