Eye-tracking system using a freeform prism

• US 9,625,723 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2013
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Lou, Xinye, McEldowney, Scott, Robbins, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jay
• Assistant Examiner(s): SUH, JOSEPH JINWOO
• Application Number:
  US13/926,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20140375789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• 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: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence

Abstract

An example see-through head-mounted display system includes a freeform prism and a display device configured to emit display light through the freeform prism to an eye of a user. The see-through head-mounted display system may also include an imaging device having an entrance pupil positioned at a back focal plane of the freeform prism, the imaging device configured to receive gaze-detection light reflected from the eye and directed through the freeform prism.

Claims

1. A see-through head-mounted display system comprising:

a freeform prism;

a display device configured to emit display light through the freeform prism to an eye of a user;

an imaging device having an entrance pupil positioned at a back focal plane of the freeform prism to provide object-space telecentric eye tracking, the imaging device configured to receive gaze-detection light reflected from the eye and directed through the freeform prism; and

an illumination prism including a display-facing side, an eye-facing side, a camera-facing side between the display-facing side and the eye-facing side, and an interior beam splitter,

wherein the illumination prism is optically intermediate the display device and the freeform prism, optically intermediate the imaging device and the freeform prism, and optically separated from the freeform prism,

wherein the illumination prism is positioned to receive, at the display-facing side, the display light from the display device and to transmit the display light through the beam splitter and the eye-facing side to the freeform prism, and

wherein the illumination prism is positioned to receive, at the eye-facing side, the gaze-detection light reflected from the eye and through the freeform prism and to reflect the gaze-detection light at the beam splitter through the camera-facing side to the imaging device.

2. The see-through head-mounted display system of claim 1, further comprising a frame configured to position the freeform prism at a viewing location relative to the eye.

3. The see-through head-mounted display system of claim 1, wherein the freeform prism has positive optical power.

4. The see-through head-mounted display system of claim 1, further comprising a glint source configured to emit the gaze-detection light toward the camera-facing side of the illumination prism.

5. The see-through head-mounted display system of claim 4, wherein the beam splitter is positioned to reflect the gaze-detection light from the glint source toward the eye-facing side of the illumination prism and the freeform prism.

6. The see-through head-mounted display system of claim 5, wherein the glint source comprises a plurality of glint sources positioned on different sides of the imaging device.

7. The see-through head-mounted display system of claim 1, further comprising a user-facing compensator and an outward-facing compensator, the freeform prism positioned between the user-facing compensator and the outward-facing compensator, and an eye-side surface of the user-facing compensator being substantially parallel to an environment-side surface of the outward-facing compensator.

8. The see-through head-mounted display system of claim 7, wherein the user-facing compensator and the outward-facing compensator each have a substantially similar index of refraction as the freeform prism.

9. The see-through head-mounted display system of claim 1, wherein the freeform prism comprises at least three surfaces, each surface being non-planar and non-spherical.

10. The see-through head-mounted display system of claim 9, wherein the at least three surfaces includes a user-facing total internal reflective surface.

11. The see-through head-mounted display system of claim 10, wherein the at least three surfaces further includes an outward-facing surface opposite the user-facing total internal reflective surface, the outward-facing surface having a coating that is more reflective for infrared light than for visible light, and where the coating is partially reflective for visible light.

12. The see-through head-mounted display system of claim 1, wherein the display device comprises an illumination light source and a liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) micro-display, the illumination light source configured to direct illumination light through the illumination prism to the LCoS.

13. The see-through head-mounted display system of claim 12, wherein the illumination light source emits the illumination light through an illumination-facing side of the illumination prism, the illumination-facing side being between the display-facing side and the eye-facing side and opposite of the camera-facing side.

14. An eye-tracking system comprising:

a glint source configured to emit gaze-detection light through a freeform prism to an eye of a user;

an imaging device having an entrance pupil positioned at a back focal plane of the freeform prism to provide object-space telecentric eye tracking, the imaging device configured to receive gaze-detection light reflected from the eye and directed through the freeform prism;

a display device configured to emit display light through the freeform prism to an eye of a user; and

an illumination prism including a beam splitter, the illumination prism positioned to;

receive the display light from the display device at a first side and pass the display light to the freeform prism via transmission of the display light through the beam splitter,

receive the emitted gaze-detection light from the glint source at a second side and pass the emitted gaze-detection light to the freeform prism via reflection of the gaze-detection light by the beam splitter, and

receive, at a third side of the illumination prism, return gaze-detection light comprising the emitted gaze-detection light as reflected from the eye and directed through the freeform prism,

reflect, at the beam splitter, the return gaze-detection light through the second side to the imaging device, the second side of the illumination prism being in between and adjacent to each of the first side of the illumination prism and the third side of the illumination prism, the first side of the illumination prism being opposite of the third side of the illumination prism.

15. The eye-tracking system of claim 14, wherein the glint source comprises at least one infrared light source.

16. The eye-tracking system of claim 15, wherein the beam splitter is configured to transmit visible light and reflect the gaze-detection light from the glint source.

17. The eye-tracking system of claim 16, wherein the glint source and the imaging device are each positioned adjacent the second side of the illumination prism, the freeform prism is positioned adjacent the third side of the illumination prism, and the display device is positioned on the first side of the illumination prism.

18. A method of performing gaze-detection with a see-through head-mounted display system that is object-space telecentric, the method comprising:

emitting display light from a display device through a first side of an illumination prism to a freeform prism and then from the freeform prism to an eye of a user, the display device being illuminated via illumination light received at a fourth side of the illumination prism and directed to the display device, the fourth side being adjacent to the first side;

receiving gaze-detection light at a back focal plane of the freeform prism, the gaze-detection light being received from a glint source at a second side of the illumination prism, transmitted through a third side of the illumination prism to the eye via the freeform prism, reflected from the eye and directed back through the freeform prism to the third side of the illumination prism, and directed through the second side of the illumination prism to an image sensor, the second side being in between and adjacent to each of the first side of the illumination prism and the third side of the illumination prism, and the second side being opposite of the fourth side of the illumination prism; and

determining gaze direction from the gaze-detection light reflected from the eye and directed to the image sensor.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising emitting the gaze detection light from the glint source to the second side of the illumination prism, then from the illumination prism to the freeform prism, and through the freeform prism to the eye.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising storing the gaze direction and information associated with the gaze-detection light for use in future gaze direction determinations.