See-through computer display systems

• US 9,720,235 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2015
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mentor Acquisition One, LLC (Magic Leap, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Osterhout Design Group
• Inventors: Border, John N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Martinez, Joseph P
• Application Number:
  US14/834,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20160154242A1
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/22 Telecentric objectives or lens systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0112 comprising device for genereting colour display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/012 comprising devices for attenuating parasitic image effects
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0123 comprising devices increasing the field of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/013 comprising a combiner of particular shape, e.g. curvature
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0134 of stereoscopic type
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• 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 2027/0152 involving arrangement aiming to get lighter or better balanced devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0159 with mechanical means other than scaning means for positioning the whole image
• 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 2027/0194 with combiner of laminated type, for optical or mechanical aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0833 the reflecting element being a micromechanical device, e.g. a MEMS mirror, DMD G02B26/0825 takes precedence; micromechanical devices in general B81B
• 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 27/0149 characterised by mechanical features G02B27/0176 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 : characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 : characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1033 : having a single light modulator for all colour channels
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/14 : operating by reflection only
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/141 : using dichroic mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/283 : used for beam splitting or combining
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/34 : Stereoscopes providing a stereoscopic pair of separated images corresponding to parallactically displaced views of the same object, e.g. 3D slide viewers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/003 : Light absorbing elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/28 : Interference filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/285 : comprising deposited thin solid films G02B5/281 - G02B5/289 take precedence; multilayered film filters for fibre optic multiplexing G02B6/29361
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/30 : Polarising elements light-modulating devices with active elements G02F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/08 : adapted to co-operate with a remote control mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 : Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 : Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 : Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 : Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 : Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 5/10 : having a sequence of storage locations each being individually accessible for both enqueue and dequeue operations, e.g. using random access memory G06F5/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 : Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/20 : Linear translation of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/18 : Eye characteristics, e.g. of the iris
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0235 : Field-sequential colour display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0471 : Vertical positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0478 : Horizontal positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2003 : Display of colours specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/32 : semiconductive, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3208 : organic, e.g. using organic light-emitting diodes [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3225 : using an active matrix
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3233 : with pixel circuitry controlling the current through the light-emitting element
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/34 : by control of light from an independent source

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention relate to methods and systems for the see-through computer display systems with a wide field of view.

Claims

1. A method for operating a head worn display with a wide display field of view that provides improved comfort for viewing displayed wide field of view images comprising:

a. detecting eye movements and head movements of a user;

b. detecting an eye movement above a first predetermined threshold followed by a head movement above a second predetermined threshold, wherein the detected eye movement and detected head movements are in the same direction; and

c. shifting the displayed wide field of view image within the wide display field of view in correspondence to ensuing detected movements of the user'"'"'s head to thereby move a peripheral portion of the displayed wide field of view image into a central portion of the wide display field of view where the peripheral portion of the displayed wide field of view image can be viewed by the user with their eyes in a more centered position.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the head worn display further comprises an eye camera and eye movements are detected with the eye camera.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the head worn display further comprises an inertial measurement unit and head movements relative to the environment are detected with the inertial measurement unit.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the head worn display further comprises a camera that captures images of a portion of the surrounding environment and head movements relative to the environment are detected by analyzing relative changes in the images of the environment.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the head worn display further comprises a camera that captures images of a portion of the user'"'"'s body and head movements relative to the user'"'"'s body are detected by analyzing relative changes in the images of the user'"'"'s body.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the camera in the head worn display is downward pointing.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the head worn display further comprises a first inertial measurement unit in the head mounted display and a second inertial measurement unit attached to the body of the user and movements of the user'"'"'s head relative to the user'"'"'s body are determined from differential changes between the first and second inertial measurement units.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein the measurement is done by a time weighted average of the inertial measurement unit in the head mounted display.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step wherein the shifting of the displayed wide field of view image within the wide display field of view is stopped when the eye is detected to be looking at a center portion of the wide display field of view.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step wherein the shifting of the displayed wide field of view image within the wide display field of view is stopped when the edge of the wide field of view image is determined to have been shifted to a center portion of the wide display field of view.

11. A method for operating a head mounted display with a wide display field of view with improved comfort when viewing different applications, wherein the head mounted display includes optics that provide a central sharp zone, comprising:

a. a user selecting an application with images for viewing in the head mounted display;

b. the user selecting a field of view for viewing the images;

c. the head mounted display resizing the images to the selected field of view and displaying the images; and

if the resized images are angularly larger than a predetermined size;

d. detecting a movement of a user'"'"'s eye followed by a movement of the user'"'"'s head wherein the eye movement and the head movement are in the same direction relative to a fixed point of reference; and

e. shifting the displayed wide field of view image within the wide display field of view in correspondence to and in the opposite direction to the detected movement of the user'"'"'s head to move a peripheral portion of the image into the central sharp zone where it can be viewed by the user with a reduced movement of the user'"'"'s eyes.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the fixed point of reference is the environment.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the head mounted display includes an eye camera for detecting eye movements and an inertial measurement unit for detecting head movements.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the head mounted display includes an eye camera for detecting eye movements and a camera for detecting head movements.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the fixed point of reference is the user'"'"'s body.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the head mounted display includes an eye camera for detecting eye movements and an inertial measurement unit for detecting head movements.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the measurement is done by a comparative measurement of a first inertial measurement unit in the head mounted display and a second inertial measurement unit attached to the body of the user.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the measurement is done by a time weighted average of an inertial measurement unit in the head mounted display.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the central sharp zone is less than +/−

20 degrees in the displayed wide field of view.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the displayed wide field of view is at least +/−

25 degrees.