ADJUSTABLE PUPIL DISTANCE WEARABLE DISPLAY

• US 20170102548A1
• Filed: 11/03/2015
• Published: 04/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Christophe Moser, David Ziegler, Eric Tremblay, Mickael Guillaumee
• Inventors: TREMBLAY, ERIC, GUILLAUMEE, MICKAEL, DE GOL, PHILIPPE, ZIEGLER, DAVID, MOSER, CHRISTOPHE
• Granted Patent: US 10,437,071 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0132 comprising binocular systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0156 with optionally usable elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0174 holographic
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0185 Displaying image at variable distance
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0103 comprising holographic elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0179 Display position adjusting means not related to the information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00

Abstract

Disclosed herein are devices and methods to provide a display including a projection system and a removable lenses including a holographic optical element to receive light and reflect the light to an exit pupil. Each of the removable lenses may comprise a holographic optical element in a different position of the lens to change the position of the exit pupil. The projection system may project an image onto the holographic optical element to project the image to the exit pupil.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a projection surface, the projection surface comprising a holographic optical element (HOE) in a first location;

a projector to project light onto at least a portion of the projection surface comprising the first location; and

a controller to send a control signal to the projector to cause the projector to project an image onto the first location.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the HOE to reflect light incident on the HOE to a first exit pupil.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, comprising a frame, the projector coupled to the frame and the projection surface removably coupled to the frame.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the projection surface is a first projection surface and the HOE is a first HOE, the frame to removably receive a second projection surface, the second projection surface comprising a second HOE disposed in a second location on the projection surface.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, the second HOE to reflect light incident on the second HOE to a second exit pupil, the first exit pupil displaced from the second exit pupil relative to the projector.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, the controller to receive an information element to include an indication of the first location or the second location and to send the control signal to the projector to cause the projector to project the image in either the first location or the second location.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, the first projection surface to have a first area and the second projection surface to have a second area, the first and second area substantially the same, the first HOE to have a third area and the second HOE to have a fourth area, the third and fourth area substantially the same.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, the first location offset from the second location in at least one of a horizontal direction relative to the projector or a vertical direction relative to the projector.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first location corresponds to a first IPD and the second location corresponds to a second IPD different than the first IPD.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the projection surface is a glasses lens, a goggle lens, or a helmet visor disposed in a frame, and wherein the frame is glasses, goggles, or a helmet.

11. A system for projecting an image, the system comprising:

a frame to removably receive a first one of a plurality of projection surfaces, each of the plurality of projection surfaces comprising a holographic optical element (HOE) in a location; and

a projection system coupled to the frame, the projection system comprising;

a projector to project light onto a first one of the plurality of projection surfaces; and

a controller to send a control signal to the projector to cause the projector to project an image in the location of the HOE of the first one of the projection surfaces.

12. The system of claim 11, the frame to removably receive a second one of the plurality of projection surfaces.

13. The system of claim 12, the controller to receive an information element to include an indication of the first one of the plurality of projection surfaces or the second one of the plurality of projection surfaces.

14. The system of claim 13, the controller to send the control signal to the projector to cause the projector to project the image in the location of the HOE of either the first one of the plurality of projection surfaces or the location of the HOE of the second one of the plurality of projection surfaces based on the information element.

15. The system of claim 12, the location of the HOE of the first one of the plurality of projection surfaces different than the location of the HOE of the second one of the plurality of projection surfaces.

16. The system of claim 15, the location of the HOE of the first one of the plurality of projection surfaces offset from the location of the HOE of the second one of the plurality of projection surfaces.

17. The system of claim 16, the locations offset in at least one of a horizontal direction relative to the projection system or a vertical direction relative to the projection system.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the location of the HOE in each of the plurality of projection surfaces corresponds to a different IPD.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the projection surface is a glasses lens, a goggle lens, or a helmet visor and wherein the frame is glasses, goggles, or a helmet.

20. The system of claim 11, comprising a battery electrically coupled to the projector.

21. The system of claim 11, comprising a graphic processor to receive an image information element to include an indication of the image and the send a display control signal to the projector to cause the projector to project one or more pixels corresponding to the image.

22. A method to project a virtual image, the method comprising:

projecting a light beam onto a projection surface, the projection surface comprising a holographic optical element (HOE) disposed in a first location;

projecting an image onto the first location; and

reflecting the image from the HOE to a first exit pupil.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the projection surface is a first projection surface and the HOE is a first holographic optical combiner, the method comprising:

projecting a light beam onto a second projection surface, the second projection surface comprising a second HOE disposed in a second location;

projecting an image onto the second location; and

reflecting the image from the second HOE to a second exit pupil.

24. The method of claim 23, comprising:

receiving an information element to include an indication of the first location or the second location; and

projecting the image based on the information element.

25. The method of claim 24, the first location offset from the second location in at least one of a horizontal direction or a vertical direction.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the first location corresponds to a first IPD and the second location corresponds to a second IPD different than the first IPD.

27. The method of claim 22, comprising:

emitting the light beam from a light source;

receiving the light beam at a mirror; and

rotating the mirror to scan the light beam onto the projection surface.

28. The method of claim 27, comprising sending a control signal to at least one of the light source or the mirror to cause an image to be projected in the first location.

29. A method of manufacturing a projection surface, the method comprising:

providing a projection surface material;

interfering a reference beam and one or more object beams at the projection surface to form a holographic optical element (HOE), the HOE to reflect incident light to a first exit pupil; and

moving at least one of the reference beam, the one or more object beams, or the projection surface to change the HOE to reflect incident light to a second exit pupil different than the first exit pupil.

30. The method of claim 29, comprising:

directing the reference beam at a portion of the projection surface; and

directing the one or more object beams at the portion of the projection surface.

31. The method of claim 29, comprising directing a plurality of object beams at the projection surface, the HOE to reflect incident light to a plurality of exit pupils.

32. The method of claim 29, comprising moving the one or more object beams to change a center location of the HOE in the projection surface.

33. The method of claim 29, comprising moving the reference beam and the projection surface to change a center location of the HOE in the projection surface.