EYEBOX ADJUSTMENT FOR INTERPUPILLARY DISTANCE

• US 20140104685A1
• Filed: 12/19/2013
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Bohn, David D., Fleck, Rod G., Robbins, Steven John
• Granted Patent: US 9,298,012 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/473
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/36 using refractive optical elements, e.g. prisms, in the optical path between the images and the observer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/12 Adjusting pupillary distance of binocular pairs

Abstract

In embodiments of eyebox adjustment for interpupillary distance, a first optical lens receives light of an image at a projected orientation of the light, and deviates the light by a deviation angle from the projected orientation of the light. A second optical lens receives the deviated light of the image from the first optical lens at the deviation angle, and alters the deviated light back to the projected orientation of the light for viewing the image. Left and right eyeboxes align with respective left and right eyes that view the image, and a distance between the left and right eyeboxes approximately correlates to an interpupillary distance between the left and right eyes. The light of the image can be laterally shifted to increase or decrease the distance between the left and right eyeboxes.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

left optical lenses configured to receive light of an image for viewing with a left eye;

right optical lenses configured to receive the light of the image for viewing with a right eye; and

a left eyebox and a right eyebox each configured to align with the respective left and right eyes that view the image, the left and right optical lenses configured to laterally shift the light of the image to increase or decrease a distance between the left and right eyeboxes.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the distance between the left eyebox and the right eyebox approximately correlates to an interpupillary distance between the left and right eyes.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, further comprising variable position settings of the distance between the left and right eyeboxes to correlate with the interpupillary distance between the left and right eyes.

4. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein the distance between the left and right eyeboxes is based on a user input of the interpupillary distance between the left and right eyes.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the left optical lenses and the right optical lenses each include at least a first optical lens and a second optical lens, and wherein:

the first optical lens is configured to receive the light of the image from a display optic at a projected orientation of the light, and deviate the light by a deviation angle from the projected orientation of the light;

the second optical lens is configured to receive the deviated light of the image from the first optical lens at the deviation angle, and alter the deviated light back to the projected orientation of the light; and

the light of the image is laterally shifted based on the deviation angle and a distance between the first optical lens and the second optical lens.

6. The system as recited in claim 5, further comprising position settings of the left and right eyeboxes for viewing the image, the position settings including:

a first position with the distance between the left and right eyeboxes increased to correlate to a wide interpupillary distance between the left and right eyes;

a second position with the distance between the left and right eyeboxes not laterally shifted when the first optical lens projects the light of the image through at the projected orientation of the light; and

a third position with the distance between the left and right eyeboxes decreased to correlate to a narrow interpupillary distance between the left and right eyes.

7. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein the first optical lens is configured for on-off control, the first and third positions enabled when the first optical lens is turned-on, and the second position enabled when the first optical lens is turned-off.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising an eye-tracking camera configured to image a location of the left and right eyes, and wherein the distance between the left and right eyeboxes is adjusted based on the location of the left and right eyes.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving light of an image for viewing in a left display lens system and in a right display lens system; and

laterally-shifting the light of the image in at least one of the left display lens system and the right display lens system to increase or decrease a distance between a left eyebox and a right eyebox.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the left and right eyeboxes each align with respective left and right eyes that view the image, and wherein the distance between the left and right eyeboxes approximately correlates to an interpupillary distance between the left and right eyes.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the distance between the left and right eyeboxes is variable to correlate with the interpupillary distance between the left and right eyes.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

imaging the left and right eyes with an eye-tracking camera;

determining a location of the left and right eyes; and

adjusting the distance between the left and right eyeboxes based on the determined location of the left and right eyes.

13. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein each of the left and right display lens systems include at least a first optical lens and a second optical lens, the method further comprising:

receiving the light of the image at the first optical lens at a projected orientation of the light;

deviating the light through the first optical lens by a deviation angle from the projected orientation of the light;

projecting the deviated light from the first optical lens to the second optical lens at the deviation angle;

altering the deviated light at the second optical lens back to the projected orientation for viewing; and

wherein

the light of the image is laterally shifted based on the deviation angle and a distance between the first optical lens and the second optical lens.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising positioning the left and right eyeboxes for viewing the image, wherein position settings include:

a first position with the distance between left and right eyeboxes increased to correlate to a wide interpupillary distance between the left and right eyes;

a second position with the distance between the left and right eyeboxes not laterally shifted when the first optical lens projects the light of the image through at the projected orientation of the light; and

a third position with the distance between the left and right eyeboxes decreased to correlate to a narrow interpupillary distance between the left and right eyes.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the first optical lens is configured for on-off control, the first and third positions enabled when the first optical lens is turned-on, and the second position enabled when the first optical lens is turned-off.

16. A wearable display device, comprising:

a left display lens system configured to form an image for viewing with a left eye;

a right display lens system configured to form the image for viewing with a right eye; and

a left eyebox of the left display lens system and a right eyebox of the right display lens system, at least one of the left display lens system and the right display lens system configured to laterally shift light of the image to increase or decrease a distance between the left and right eyeboxes.

17. The wearable display device as recited in claim 16, wherein:

the left eyebox of the left display lens system is configured to align with the left eye that views the image; and

the right eyebox of the right display lens system is configured to align with the right eye that views the image, wherein the distance between the left and right eyeboxes approximately correlates to an interpupillary distance between the left and right eyes.

18. The wearable display device as recited in claim 17, further comprising variable position settings of the distance between the left and right eyeboxes to correlate with the interpupillary distance between the left and right eyes.

19. The wearable display device as recited in claim 16, wherein each of the left and right display lens systems include:

a first optical lens configured to receive the light of the image at a projected orientation of the light, and deviate the light by a deviation angle from the projected orientation of the light;

a second optical lens configured to receive the deviated light of the image from the first optical lens at the deviation angle, and alter the deviated light back to the projected orientation of the light for viewing the image; and

wherein

the light of the image is laterally shifted based on the deviation angle and a distance between the first optical lens and the second optical lens.

20. The wearable display device as recited in claim 19, further comprising position settings of the left and right eyeboxes for viewing the image, the position settings including:

a first position with the distance between the left and right eyeboxes increased to correlate to a wide interpupillary distance between the left and right eyes;

a second position with the distance between the left and right eyeboxes not laterally shifted when the first optical lens projects the light of the image through at the projected orientation of the light; and

a third position with the distance between the left and right eyeboxes decreased to correlate to a narrow interpupillary distance between the left and right eyes.