Eye imaging in head worn computing

• US 9,952,664 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2014
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• 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., Haddick, John, Bietry, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhou, Hong
• Application Number:
  US14/254,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20150301593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• Field of Search: 345 7- 8, 382103
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/14 Arrangements specially adapted for eye photography apparatus or arrangements for taking photographs per se G03B
• 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 3/011 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 3/015 Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection
• 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 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention relate to methods and systems for imaging, recognizing, and tracking of a user'"'"'s eye that is wearing a HWC. Aspects further relate to the processing of images reflected from the user'"'"'s eye and controlling displayed content in accordance therewith. Aspects further relate to determining health conditions of the user based on eye imaging technologies.

Claims

1. A head-worn computer with see-through computer display, comprising:

an eye-imaging camera positioned in the head-worn computer such that the eye imaging camera captures an image of a user'"'"'s eye;

a display system, positioned in the head-worn computer, adapted to project a digitally generated image, resulting in a projected image, to the user'"'"'s eye such that a user perceives the projected image, wherein a reflection of the projected image from a front surface of the user'"'"'s eye is captured by the eye-imaging camera as an eye glint image; and

a processor adapted to determine a sharpness of the eye glint image, wherein the processor is further adapted to adjust a focus of the projected image when the eye glint image is not sharp.

2. The head-worn computer of claim 1, further comprising an eye illumination system positioned to illuminate the user'"'"'s eye to form an eye glint light.

3. The head-worn computer of claim 2, wherein the eye illumination system is mounted proximate a combiner optic that is positioned in front of the user'"'"'s eye.

4. The head-worn computer of claim 3, wherein the combiner optic comprises an infrared cutting filter such that infrared light from the eye illumination system does not pass through the combiner optic towards a surrounding environment.

5. The head-worn computer of claim 2, wherein the eye illumination system produces infrared light.

6. The head-worn computer of claim 2, wherein the eye illumination system produces visible light.

7. The head-worn computer of claim 1, further comprising an image source that projects image light along an optical path that is in-line with the user'"'"'s eye of the user;

and wherein the eye-imaging camera is positioned to capture the image of the user'"'"'s eye through the optical path that is in-line with the user'"'"'s eye.