See-through computer display systems

• US 10,012,840 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2017
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• 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., Bietry, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Martinez, Joseph P
• Application Number:
  US15/592,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20170363872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 418 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 head mounted display that provides a user with a see-through view of the surrounding environment with an overlaid displayed image comprising:

a. first optics with a first optical axis including;

i. an emissive image source that provides image light comprised of one or more narrow spectral bands of light; and

ii. one or more lenses; and

b. second optics with a second optical axis including;

a i. a combiner providing the see-through view of the surrounding environment with the overlaid displayed image;

wherein the first and second optics are designed to provide the overlaid displayed image within a field of view that has a fixed position limited central sharp zone substantially centered on the overlaid displayed image and a surrounding peripheral zone within the field of view that is less sharp.

2. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein the central sharp zone is +/−

15 degrees or less.

3. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein the central sharp zone is +/−

20 degrees or less.

4. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein the peripheral zone extends from the central sharp zone to at least +/−

25 degrees.

5. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein the lateral color of multiple pixels is present in the portion of the displayed image that corresponds to the peripheral zone.

6. The head mounted display of claim 5 wherein the lateral color is 5 pixels or more.

7. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein the emissive image source provides a cone of image light that is 100 degrees or more included angle.

8. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein the optics have an f# of 2.5 or faster.

9. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein the emissive display comprises pixels and subpixels, and the emissive display resolution and a displayed field of view are selected so that each subpixel subtends less than approximately 1/50 degree within the display field of view to make adjacent subpixels unresolvable.

10. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein the emissive display comprises pixels, and the emissive display and the display field of view are selected so that each pixel subtends less than approximately 1/30 degree within the wide display field of view to make adjacent colored pixels unresolvable.

11. The head mounted display of claim 10 wherein the emissive display is a 1080p display and the display field of view is less than 73 degrees diagonal.

12. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein the emissive display is comprised of pixels, and the emissive display and the display field of view are selected so that each pixel subtends less than approximately 1/50 degree within the wide display field of view to make adjacent black and white pixels unresolvable.

13. The head mounted display of claim 1 further comprising a light trap that captures light reflected back to the image source.

14. The head mounted display of claim 13 wherein the light trap comprises a sandwich of a polarizer with quarterwave films on both sides.

15. The head mounted display of claim 13 wherein the light trap is positioned between the first optics and the second optics.

16. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein the wide field of view comprises 50 degrees or greater included angle.

17. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein the wide field of view comprises a format ratio of greater than 22:

9 to enable a reduced thickness of the optics.

18. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein an outer edge of the central sharp zone of the optics has an MTF of over 20% at the Nyquist frequency of the image source and an outer edge of the peripheral zone has an MTF of less than 20% at the Nyquist frequency of the image source.

19. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein an outer edge of the central sharp zone of the optics has an MTF of over 20% at the Nyquist frequency of the image source and an outer edge of the peripheral zone has an MTF of less than 20% at the 1/2 the Nyquist frequency of the image source.

20. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein the second optics are polarized.

21. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein the second optics are non-polarized.

22. The head mounted display of claim 1 wherein the second optics comprise a waveguide.