Display system intensity adjustment based on pupil dilation

• US 7,744,216 B1
• Filed: 01/06/2006
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Uhlhorn, Brian L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hasan; Mohammed
• Application Number:
  US11/327,136
• Time in Patent Office: 1,635 Days
• Field of Search: 351205-246, 348 51- 55, 382/131
• US Class Current: 351/204
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/112 for measuring diameter of pupils
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

A method and/or system of adjusting light output intensity of a display system includes providing a display system that provides information to a user. Dilation of a pupil of the user is monitored (e.g., using an imaging device) and adjustment of the light output intensity of the display system is performed as a function of the monitored dilation of the pupil of the user. Yet further, for example, such adjustment of light output intensity may also be performed as a function of the monitored ambient light intensity in addition to the monitored dilation of the pupil of the user.

Claims

1. A method of adjusting light output intensity of a display system, wherein the method comprises:

providing a display system to provide information to a user;

monitoring dilation of a pupil of the user; and

adjusting light output intensity of the display system as a function of the monitored dilation of the pupil of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the display system is used to provide information to a user at a user location, and further wherein the method comprises:

monitoring ambient light intensity at the user location; and

adjusting light output intensity of the display system as a function of the monitored ambient light intensity and the monitored dilation of the pupil of the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein monitoring dilation of the pupil results in a measurement of pupil size, wherein adjusting light output intensity of the display system comprises:

calculating expected dilation of the pupil of the user as a function of the monitored ambient light intensity; and

comparing the measurement of pupil size to the expected dilation of the pupil of the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring dilation of the pupil results in a measurement of pupil size, wherein adjusting light output intensity of the display system comprises:

comparing the measurement of pupil size to a minimum pupil size; and

automatically reducing the light output intensity of the display system based on the comparison.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein automatically reducing the light output intensity comprises automatically ceasing light output.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the display system is used to provide information to a user at a user location, wherein the method further comprises monitoring ambient light intensity at the user location, wherein monitoring dilation of the pupil of the user comprises monitoring dilation of the pupil in ambient light and during use of the display system, wherein adjusting light output intensity of the display system as a function of the monitored dilation of the pupil of the user comprises:

calculating expected dilation of the pupil of the user as a function of the monitored ambient light intensity and the monitored dilation of the pupil of the user in ambient light;

comparing the measurement of pupil size during use of the display system to the expected dilation of the pupil of the user; and

adjusting the light output intensity of the display system based on the comparison.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the display system comprises a direct ocular projection system operable for projecting an image to the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the display system comprises at least one of a screen being viewed by the user, a projector, a laser, a heads up display, a vehicle dashboard display, night-sight scope, range finder, and sighting scope.

9. A display system to provide information to a user, the display system comprising:

a light output device to generate a light output;

an imaging device operable to capture one or more images of an eye of a user that is using the display system;

a processing apparatus operable to receive image data from the imaging device representative of one or more images of the eye of the user, wherein the processing apparatus is further operable to;

determine at least one pupil size measurement using the image data representative of the one or more images of the eye of the user; and

generate a control signal as a function of the at least one pupil size measurement for use in adjusting light output intensity of the light output device, wherein an intensity of the light output of the light output device is adjustable based on at least the control signal representative of pupil size.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the system further comprises a light sensor operable to detect ambient light intensity, wherein the processing apparatus is operable to receive an ambient light intensity signal from the light sensor, and further wherein the processing apparatus is operable to generate a control signal as a function of the detected ambient light intensity and the at least one pupil size measurement for use in adjusting light output intensity of the light output device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing apparatus is further operable to:

calculate expected dilation of the pupil of the user based on the detected ambient light intensity; and

compare the at least one pupil size measurement to the expected dilation of the pupil of the user for use in generating the control signal.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the processing apparatus is further operable to:

compare the at least one pupil size measurement to a minimum pupil size; and

automatically reduce the light output intensity of the light output device based on the comparison.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the processing apparatus is further operable to:

compare the at least one pupil size measurement to a minimum pupil size; and

automatically cease light output from the display system based on the comparison.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the system further comprises a light sensor to detect ambient light intensity, wherein the imaging device is operable to capture one or more images of the eye of the user in ambient light and during use of the display system resulting in at least one pupil size measurement representative of the one or more images of the eye of the user in ambient light and at least one pupil size measurement representative of the one or more images of the eye of the user during use of the display system, and wherein the processing apparatus is operable to:

calculate expected dilation of the pupil of the user as a function of the detected ambient light intensity and the at least one pupil size measurement representative of the one or more images of the eye of the user in ambient light;

compare the at least one pupil size measurement representative of the one or more images of the eye of the user during use of the display system to the expected dilation of the pupil of the user; and

adjust the light output intensity of the display system based on the comparison.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the display system comprises a direct ocular projection system operable for projecting an image to the user.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the display system comprises at least one of a screen being viewed by the user, a projector, a laser, a heads up display, a vehicle dashboard display, night-sight scope, range finder, and sighting scope.

17. A display system comprising:

a light output device operable to generate a light output;

imaging means for capturing one or more images of an eye of a user using the display system at a location;

light sensor means for detecting ambient light intensity at the location;

processing means for receiving an ambient light intensity signal from the light sensor means and image data from the imaging means representative of one or more images of the eye of the user, wherein the processing means further comprises means for determining at least one pupil size measurement using the image data representative of the one or more images of the eye of the user and means for generating a control signal as a function of the detected ambient light intensity and the at least one pupil size measurement for use in adjusting light output intensity of the light output device, wherein an intensity of the light output of the light output device is adjustable based on at least the control signal representative of pupil size.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the processing means further comprises means for calculating expected dilation of the pupil of the user and comparing the at least one pupil size measurement to the expected dilation of the pupil of the user for use in generating the control signal.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the processing means further comprises means for comparing the at least one pupil size measurement to a minimum pupil size and means for automatically reducing the light output intensity of the light output device if the measurement is less than minimum pupil size.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processing means further comprises means for comparing the at least one pupil size measurement to a minimum pupil size and automatically ceasing light output from the light output device if the measurement is less than minimum pupil size.