Measuring content brightness in head worn computing

• US 9,829,707 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2014
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mentor Acquisition One, LLC (Magic Leap, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Osterhout Design Group
• Inventors: Border, John N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moon, Seokyun
• Application Number:
  US14/457,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20160048021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/32 adapted for automatic variation of the measured or reference value regulation of light intensity G05D25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/011 comprising device for correcting geometrical aberrations, distortion
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• 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 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03 Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0233 Improving the luminance or brightness uniformity across the screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/22 Detection of presence or absence of input display information or of connection or disconnection of a corresponding information source
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/001 : using specific devices not provided for in groups G09G3/02 - G09G3/36, e.g. using an intermediate record carrier such as a film slide; Projection systems; Display of non-alphanumerical information, solely or in combination with alphanumerical information, e.g. digital display on projected diapositive as background slide projectors per se G03B23/00 = 42 HP
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/002 : to project the image of a two-dimensional display, such as an array of light emitting or modulating elements or a CRT
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/003 : to produce spatial visual effects
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 : Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/026 : Control of mixing and/or overlay of colours in general G09G5/022 and G09G5/024 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/028 : Circuits for converting colour display signals into monochrome display signals
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 : Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention relate to methods and systems for measuring and managing the brightness of digital content in a field of view of a head-worn computer.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

measuring a brightness of a portion of content displayed in a head-worn display with a sensor in a light trap proximate the head-worn display; and

adjusting the brightness of the displayed content based on the measured brightness as compared with a pre-determined display brightness setting,

wherein the brightness of the portion of content is measured by capturing light reflected from a user'"'"'s eye.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the brightness is adjusted by adjusting the brightness of a light source used to illuminate a reflective display.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the adjustment compensates for an electrical fluctuation in power delivered to the reflective display.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring a brightness of a surrounding environment proximate the head-worn display.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the brightness of the displayed content is further adjusted with respect to the brightness of the surrounding environment.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the brightness of the displayed content is further adjusted by comparing the brightness of the surrounding environment to a pre-determined surrounding'"'"'s brightness setting.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion of the content relates to a position of a user'"'"'s eye indicative of a sight line for the user.

8. A method for determining a measure of brightness of an image displayed to a user in a head-worn display that includes a reflective image source, comprising:

during the display of the image to the user, measuring a brightness of a portion of light that is not displayed to the user by measuring a brightness of light that is reflected from the image source into a light trap;

determining a relative portion of the image that includes dark image content and the relative portion of the image that includes bright image content;

determining a relationship between the measured brightness of light that is not displayed and the relative portion of the image that includes dark image content; and

determining a measure of the brightness of the image displayed to the user in correspondence to the relative portion of the image that includes bright image content and the determined relationship.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

a. determining a brightness of light in an environment proximate the head-worn display; and

b. adjusting the brightness of the image in relation to the brightness of light in the environment and the determined measure of the brightness of the image displayed to the user.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

a. determining a brightness of light from an environment proximate the user of the head-worn display; and

b. adjusting the brightness of the image displayed to the user in relation to the determined brightness of light from the environment and the determined measure of the brightness of the image displayed to the user.