Near-eye optical deconvolution displays

• US 9,557,565 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2012
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2012
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: Luebke, David Patrick, Lanman, Douglas, Fox, Thomas F., Slavenburg, Gerrit
• Primary Examiner(s): Pervan, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US13/720,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20140168035A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,504 Days
• Field of Search: 345/8
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0127 comprising devices increasing the depth of field
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted

Abstract

In embodiments of the invention, an apparatus may include a display comprising a plurality of pixels. The apparatus may further include a computer system coupled with the display and operable to instruct the display to display a deconvolved image corresponding to a target image, wherein when the display displays the deconvolved image while located within a near-eye range of an observer, the target image may be perceived in focus by the observer.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a display comprising a plurality of pixels;

a computer system coupled with said display and operable to instruct said display to display a deconvolved image corresponding to a target image, wherein when said display displays said deconvolved image while located within a near-eye range of an observer, said target image may be perceived in focus by said observer, wherein a processor of said computer system is operable to determine said deconvolved image by performing a convolution operation on a first function describing said target image with an inverse of a second function describing a blurring effect of a defocused eye attempting to view a plane outside of an accommodation distance of said eye and within said near-eye range, and wherein said processor is operable to filter said deconvolved image to be within a dynamic range of said display so that said display is operable to display said filtered deconvolved image.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said deconvolved image is generated by said computer system by performing a convolution operation on said target image with an inverse of a point spread function.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said display is semi-transparent.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising an additional display coupled with said computer system, wherein said additional display is separated from said display by a distance less than said near-eye range.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said computer system is operable to determine a deconvolved image for display based on a distance, between an eye of said observer and said display, and prescription characteristics of said eye of said observer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said computer system is operable to determine a deconvolved image for display that counteracts aberrations of said observer'"'"'s eye.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a feedback system operable to make measurements of aberrations of said observer'"'"'s eye;

and

wherein said computer system is further operable to determine an image for display that counteracts said aberrations based on said measurements.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sensor operable to provide information related to a surrounding environment;

and

wherein said computer system is further operable to determine an image for display that counteracts aberrations based on said information.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an eye-track adjustment system operable to track a gaze of an eye, wherein said eye-track adjustment system is operable to communicate information related to a gaze of an eye to said computer system for determination of a deconvolved image for display by said computer system based on said information.

10. The apparatus of claim 1. wherein said display comprises a plurality of sub-displays disposed side by side to one another.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a computer system operable to determine a deconvolved image corresponding to a target image by performing a convolution operation on a first function describing said target image with an inverse of a second function describing a blurring effect of a defocused eye attempting to view a plane outside of an accommodation distance of said eye and within a near-eye range; and

a first display communicatively coupled with said computer system, wherein said first display is operable to display said deconvolved image based on instructions received from said computer system, and wherein said computer system is operable to filter said deconvolved image to be within a dynamic range of said first display so that said first display is operable to display said filtered, deconvolved image, wherein said first display is located within said near-eye range of an observer associated with said eye.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said first display is semi-transparent.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising at least one additional display located adjacent to said first display, wherein said at least one additional display is communicatively coupled with said computer system and operable to display said deconvolved image based on instructions received from said computer system.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said deconvolved image is out of focus if viewed outside of a near-eye range and said deconvolved image is in focus if viewed inside of a near-eye range.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said second function is the point spread function.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said first display is operable to cover a portion of a view of said observer less than said observer'"'"'s entire view.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said computer system is operable to determine said deconvolved image for display based on a distance, between said eye and said first display, and prescription characteristics of said eye.

18. A method comprising:

receiving a target image;

determining a deconvolved image corresponding to a target image by performing a convolution operation on a first function describing said target image with an inverse of a second function describing a blurring effect of a defocused eye attempting to view a plane outside of an accommodation distance of said eye and within a near-eye range, wherein said deconvolved image is filtered to be within a dynamic range of a display, wherein when said filtered deconvolved image is displayed within said near-eye range of an observer, said target image may be perceived in focus by said observer; and

displaying said filtered deconvolved image on said display within said near-eye range of said observer.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said deconvolved image is out of focus if viewed outside of a near-eye range and said deconvolved image is in focus if viewed inside of a near-eye range.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said determining comprises performing a convolution operation on a first function describing said target image with an inverse of a second function describing a blurring effect of an eye.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said second function is the point spread function.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein said determining is based on aberrations of said observer'"'"'s eye, a gaze of said observer'"'"'s eye, and a distance between said observer'"'"'s eye and said display.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein said display is semi-transparent and further comprising an additional display located behind said display, wherein said additional display is operable to display deconvolved images.