DISPLAY OF BINOCULAR OVERLAPPING IMAGES IN A HEAD MOUNTED DISPLAY

• US 20170123209A1
• Filed: 11/03/2015
• Published: 05/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2015
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Spitzer, Mark Bradley, Peli, Eliezer, Gallant, Benjamin
• Granted Patent: US 10,261,319 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 2027/0132 comprising binocular systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/021 the diffusion taking place at the element's surface, e.g. by means of surface roughening or microprismatic structures
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1313 specially adapted for a particular application
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133504 Diffusing, scattering, diffracting elements associated to illuminating devices G02F1/133606
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133553 Reflecting elements associated to illuminating devices G02F1/133605

Abstract

A head mounted display (HMD) device may include a housing coupled to a frame, and a display device disposed in the housing. A first lens may be disposed along a first optical axis in the housing, and a second lens may be disposed along a second optical axis in the housing. A divider may be positioned between the first lens and the second lens, with a front end portion of the divider positioned adjacent to the display device. The divider may include display capability so that images displayed on the display device may extend onto the divider. The divider may emit diffused light having chrominance and/or luminance levels corresponding to images displayed on the display device. The divider may reflect diffused light from images displayed on the display device. The divider may transmit diffused light from images displayed on the display device.

Claims

1. A head mounted display (HMD) device, comprising:

a frame;

a housing coupled to the frame;

a display device disposed in the housing;

a first lens mounted in the housing, along a first optical axis;

a second lens mounted in the housing, along a second optical axis; and

a divider positioned between the first lens and the second lens, the divider having a front end portion positioned adjacent to the display device, the divider being configured to direct light into a viewing area defined by the display device and the divider.

2. The device of claim 1, the display device including:

a first display positioned to a first side of the divider, the first display and the divider defining a first viewing area; and

a second display positioned to a second side of the divider opposite the first side of the divider, the second display and the divider defining a second viewing area.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the divider includes:

a panel, including

a front end portion positioned adjacent to the display device;

a first side surface adjacent to the first display and facing the first viewing area; and

a second side surface adjacent to the second display, the second side surface being opposite the first side surface, the second side surface facing the second viewing area.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the panel is configured to:

transmit light emitted by the first display into the second viewing area through the first side surface and second side surface; and

transmit light emitted by the second display into the first viewing area through the second side surface and the first side surface.

5. The device of claim 4, the panel also including texturing on the first side surface and texturing on the second side surface, such that light transmitted through the panel is diffused by the texturing on the first side surface and the second side surface.

6. The device of claim 3, the divider also including:

a reflective coating on the first side surface of the panel; and

a reflective coating on the second side surface of the panel;

.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the divider is configured to:

reflect light emitted by the first display off of the reflective coating on the first side surface and into the first viewing area; and

reflect light emitted by the second display off of the reflective coating on the second side surface and into the second viewing area.

8. The device of claim 7, the divider also including texturing on the first side surface of the panel and texturing on the second side surface of the panel, such that light reflected by the first side surface is diffused by the texturing on the first side surface, and light reflected by the second side surface is diffused by the texturing on the second side surface.

9. The device of claim 2, wherein a front end portion of the divider is positioned adjacent to the display device, a first side surface of the divider is positioned adjacent to the first display and facing the first viewing area, and a second side surface adjacent to the second display, the second side surface being opposite the first side surface, the second side surface facing the second viewing area, the divider including:

a liquid crystal panel;

a first diffuser panel positioned on a first side of the liquid crystal panel, the first diffuser panel including the first side surface of the divider; and

a second diffuser panel positioned on a second side of the liquid crystal panel, the second diffuser panel including the second side surface of the divider,

wherein at least one of the first side surface or the second side surface is textured.

10. The device of claim 2, wherein a front end portion of the divider is positioned adjacent to the display device, a first side surface of the divider is positioned adjacent to the first display and facing the first viewing area, and a second side surface adjacent to the second display, the second side surface being opposite the first side surface, the second side surface facing the second viewing area, the divider including:

a mirror panel;

a first liquid crystal panel positioned on a first side of the mirror panel;

a first diffuser panel positioned on a side of the first liquid crystal panel opposite the mirror panel, the first diffuser panel including the first side surface of the divider;

a second liquid crystal panel positioned on a second side of the mirror panel; and

a second diffuser panel positioned on a side of the second liquid crystal panel opposite the mirror panel, the second diffuser panel including the second side surface of the divider.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the divider is configured to:

reflect light emitted by the first display, from the mirror through the first liquid crystal panel and the first diffuser panel into the first viewing area; and

reflect light emitted by the second display, from the mirror through the second liquid crystal panel and the second diffuser panel into the second viewing area,

the first liquid crystal panel adjusting a luminance level of light reflected from the first display, and

the second crystal panel adjusting a luminance level of light reflected from the first display.

12. The device of claim 2, wherein a front end portion of the divider is positioned adjacent to the display device, a first side surface of the divider is positioned adjacent to the first display and facing the first viewing area, and a second side surface adjacent to the second display, the second side surface being opposite the first side surface, the second side surface facing the second viewing area, the divider including:

a reflective panel;

a first transparent panel on a first side of the reflective panel, the first transparent panel including the first side surface of the divider;

a second transparent panel on a second side of the reflective panel, the first transparent panel including the second side surface of the divider; and

a plurality of light sources coupled to the first transparent panel and the second transparent panel and configured to emit light into the first transparent panel and the second transparent panel,

the reflective panel reflecting light emitted by the plurality of light sources into the first transparent panel and the second transparent panel,

the first transparent panel guiding the reflected light into the first viewing area, and

the second transparent panel guiding the reflected light into the second viewing area.

13. The device of claim 2, wherein the divider includes:

a first display panel positioned adjacent to the first display of the HMD, the first display panel including the first side surface of the divider, the first display panel displaying images corresponding to images displayed on the first display; and

a second display panel positioned adjacent to the second display of the HMD, the second display panel including the second side surface of the divider, the second display panel displaying images corresponding to images displayed by the second display.

14. The device of claim 1, the display device including:

a first display having a first section aligned with the first optical axis and a second section defining a first side of the divider, the first and second sections of the first display defining a first viewing area; and

a second display having a first section aligned with the second optical axis and a second section defining a second side of the divider, the first and second sections of the second display defining a second viewing area.

15. A head mounted display (HMD) device, comprising:

a housing;

a display device disposed in the housing;

a first lens mounted in the housing, along a first optical axis;

a second lens mounted in the housing, along a second optical axis;

a divider positioned between the first lens and the second lens, the divider having a front end portion positioned adjacent to the display device, between a first display section of the display device and a second display section of the display device, the divider including at least one of a reflective device, a transmissive device or an emissive device;

a first viewing area defined by the first display section of the display device, a first side of the divider, and the first lens; and

a second viewing area defined by the second display section of the display device, a second side of the divider, and the second lens.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the divider includes the transmissive device, the transmissive device including at least one transparent panel, the at least one transparent panel having at least one textured surface, the at least one transparent panel transmitting light emitted by the first display section into the second viewing area through the at least one textured surface, and transmitting light emitted by the second display section into the first viewing area through the at least one textured surface.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the divider includes the reflective device, the reflective device including:

a first reflective surface, the first reflective surface including texturing; and

a second reflective surface, the second reflective surface including texturing,

the first reflective surface reflecting light from the first display section into the first viewing area, and

the second reflective surface reflecting light from the second display section into the second viewing area.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the divider includes the reflective device, the reflective device including:

a reflective panel;

a first light guide panel on a first side of the reflective panel, facing the first viewing area;

a second light guide panel on a second side of the reflective panel, facing the second viewing area;

a plurality of light sources coupled to the divider; and

a controller controlling a chrominance and a luminance of light emitted by the plurality of light sources and directed into the first viewing area by the reflective panel and the first light guide panel, and directed into the second viewing area by the reflective panel and the second light guide panel.

19. A method, comprising:

generating a virtual world experience including displaying virtual world images on a display device of a head mounted display device; and

emitting light from a divider located adjacent to the display device, the divider meeting the display device at a position where first display section of the display device meets a second section of the display device, emitting light from the divider including;

emitting light from a first side of the divider positioned adjacent to the first display section of the display device, the light emitted by the first side of the divider having a chrominance and a luminance corresponding to a chrominance and a luminance of the images displayed on the first display section;

emitting light from a second side of the divider positioned adjacent to the second display section of the display device, the light emitted by the second side of the divider having a chrominance and a luminance corresponding to a chrominance and a luminance of the images displayed on the second display section; and

adjusting the chrominance and the luminance of the light emitted by the first side of the divider based on changes in the chrominance and luminance of the images displayed by the first display section, and adjusting the chrominance and the luminance of the light emitted by the second side of the divider based on changes in the chrominance and luminance of the images displayed by the second display section.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein adjusting the chrominance and the luminance of the light emitted by the first side of the divider includes temporally adjusting the luminance and chrominance of the light emitted by the first side of the divider in synchronization with changes in the chrominance and luminance of video images displayed by the first display section, and

adjusting the chrominance and the luminance of the light emitted by the second side of the divider includes temporally adjusting the luminance and chrominance of the light emitted by the second side of the divider in synchronization with changes in the chrominance and luminance of video images displayed by the second display section.