Dynamic foveal vision display

• US 9,529,191 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2010
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trex Enterprises Corporation
• Original Assignee: Trex Enterprises Corporation
• Inventors: Sverdrup, Lawrence H., Belenkii, Mikhail
• Primary Examiner(s): MISHLER, ROBIN J
• Application Number:
  US12/925,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20120105310A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,246 Days
• Field of Search: 345 7- 8, 345/9, 359630-633
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0123 comprising devices increasing the field of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0147 comprising a device modifying the resolution of the displayed image
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/015 involving arrangement aiming to get less bulky devices
• 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 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/02 by tracing or scanning a light beam on a screen

Abstract

A head mounted display system with at least one retinal display unit having a curved reflector positioned in front of one eye or both eyes of a wearer. The unit includes a first set of three modulated visible-light lasers co-aligned and adapted to provide a laser beam with selectable color and a first scanner unit providing both horizontal and vertical scanning of the laser beam across a portion of the curved reflector in directions so as to produce a reflection of the color laser beam through the pupil of the eye onto a portion of the retina large enough to encompass the fovea. The unit also includes a second set three modulated visible-light lasers plus an infrared laser, all lasers being co-aligned and adapted to provide a color and infrared peripheral view laser beam, and a second scanner unit providing both horizontal and vertical scanning of the visible light and infrared laser beams across a portion of the curved reflector in directions so as to produce a reflection of the scanned color and infrared laser beams through the pupil of the eye onto a portion of retina corresponding to a field of view of at least 30 degrees×30 degrees.

Claims

1. A head mounted display system comprising at least one retinal display unit said at least one display unit comprising:

A) a curved reflector and a frame adapted to position the curved reflector in front of at least one eye of a wearer, said at least one eye defining a pupil, a retina, a fovea and a view direction,

B) a first set of at least three visible light lasers, all lasers being co-aligned and adapted to provide a co-aligned, color foveal laser beam,

C) a second set of at least three visible light lasers plus an infrared laser, all lasers being co-aligned and adapted to provide a co-aligned, color and infrared retinal laser beam,

D) a first two dimensional MEMS laser scanner unit adapted to provide both horizontal and vertical scanning of the co-aligned color laser beam across a portion of the curved reflector in directions so as to produce reflections of the horizontally and vertically scanned color foveal laser beam through the pupil of the eye onto a small portion of the retina, said small portion being less than 20 percent of the retina but large enough to encompass the fovea, said small portion defining a foveal region,

E) a second two dimensional MEMS laser scanner unit adapted to provide both horizontal and vertical scanning of the co-aligned color and infrared laser beam across a portion of said curved reflector in directions so as to produce a reflection of the horizontally and vertically scanned color and infrared retinal laser beam through the pupil of the same eye onto a portion of retina corresponding to a field of view of at least 30 degrees×

30 degrees,

F) an infrared light detector adapted to detect infrared light reflected from the retina and the curved reflector and produce an infrared reflection signal,

G) a video graphics input device adapted to provide color video graphics input signals,

H) control electronics adapted to;

1) determine the view direction of the eye based on the infrared reflection signal,

2) modulate the first set of three visible light lasers based on the video graphics input signals and control the first scanner unit based on the infrared reflection signal to produce, with the scanned foveal laser beam, color images on the foveal region of the eye, and

3) modulate the second set of three visible light lasers based on the video graphics input signals and control the second scanner unit based on the infrared reflection signal to produce, with the retinal color and infrared laser beam;

a) color images on a region of the retina corresponding to a field of view of at least 30 degrees×

30 degrees and

b) infrared reflected light for determining the eye view direction wherein the first scanner unit is adapted to produce a relatively high resolution image on the fovea region of the user'"'"'s eye and the second scanner unit is adapted to produce a substantially larger image on a portion of the user'"'"'s eye providing the user a high resolution image of objects within less than 20 degrees of the center of his field of view and an overall field of view of at least 30 degrees.

2. The display system as in claim 1 wherein the curved mirror is spherical.

3. The display system as in claim 1 wherein the curved mirror is ellipsoidal.

4. The display system as in claim 1 wherein each of the first and second sets of at least three visible light lasers comprise red, green and blue lasers.

5. The display system as in claim 1 wherein each of the first and second sets of at least three visible light lasers is a set made up of a red, a green and a blue laser.

6. The display system as in claim 1 wherein a horizontal scan for each of the first and second MEMS scanners is provided by the resonant scanner and vertical scans are provided by a ramping voltage applied with respect to one axis of the scanner.

7. The display system as in claim 1 wherein the foveal region corresponds to an approximately 10 degree diameter field of view encompassing the fovea.

8. The display system as in claim 1 wherein the second scanner unit is adapted to provide a reflection on the retina corresponding to a field of view of about 50 degrees×

70 degrees.

9. The display system as in claim 1 wherein the second scanner unit is adapted to provide a reflection on the retina corresponding to a field of view of having one dimension as large as 120 degrees.

10. The display system as in claim 1 wherein said at least one retina display unit is two retina display units and said at least one eye is both of the wearer'"'"'s two eyes.

11. The display system as in claim 10 wherein said display further comprises focus adjuster elements.

12. The display system as in claim 11 wherein the focus adjuster elements comprise a variable focus lens and feedback electronics adapted to adjust focus of the variable focus lens to maximize reflection of infrared light detected by said infrared detector of each of the two retinal display units.

13. The display system as in claim 11 wherein the focus adjuster elements comprise a variable focus lens and feedback electronics adapted to adjust focus of the variable focus lens and said control electronics are adapted to determine the focus of each of the two eyes by estimating the convergence angle of the two eyes.

14. The display system as in claim 10 wherein the system is adapted to provide three dimensional viewing.

15. The display system as in claim 14 wherein the system includes a wireless connection to a communication consol.

16. The display system as in claim 15 wherein the consol is a television consol.

17. The display system as in claim 15 wherein the consol is a computer consol in communication with the Internet.

18. The display system as in claim 15 wherein said system is adapted for computer gaming.

19. The display system as in claim 1 wherein the system is adapted for operation in a virtual reality mode.

20. The display system as in claim 1 wherein the system is adapted for operation in an augmented reality mode.

21. The display as in claim 1 wherein the curved mirror has a varying radius of curvature.

22. The display system as in claim 1 wherein the system is adapted for implementation in the form of goggles.

23. The display system as in claim 1 wherein the system is adapted for implementation in the form of a head mounted visor.

24. The display system as in claim 1 wherein the system is adapted for implementation in a form wherein the curved reflector is a portion of a cockpit window.

25. The display system as in claim 1 wherein the system is adapted for implementation in a form wherein the curved reflector is a portion of a motor vehicle window.