This disclosure relates generally to head worn displays.
A head mounted display (“HMD”) or head wearable display is a display device worn on or about the head. HMDs usually incorporate some sort of near-to-eye optical system to create a magnified virtual image placed a few meters in front of the user. Single eye displays are referred to as monocular HMDs while dual eye displays are referred to as binocular HMDs. Some HMDs display only a computer generated image (“CGI”), while other types of HMDs are capable of superimposing CGI over a real-world view. This latter type of HMD typically includes some form of see-through eyepiece and can serve as the hardware platform for realizing augmented reality. With augmented reality the viewer's image of the world is augmented with an overlaying CGI, also referred to as a heads-up display (“HUD”).
HMDs have numerous practical and leisure applications. Aerospace applications permit a pilot to see vital flight control information without taking their eye off the flight path. Public safety applications include tactical displays of maps and thermal imaging. Other application fields include video games, transportation, and telecommunications. There is certain to be new found practical and leisure applications as the technology evolves; however, many of these applications are limited due to the cost, size, weight, field of view, and efficiency of conventional optical systems used to implemented existing HMDs.
Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the invention are described with reference to the following figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views unless otherwise specified. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles being described.
Embodiments of an apparatus and method for a freeform head mounted display (HMD) are described herein. In the following description numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the techniques described herein can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring certain aspects.
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
As stated, contained within head mounted display 100 is an optical system to display an image in an eye of a user. Frame assembly 111 holds the optical system in place so that it can focus light into the eye of the user. As shown, frame assembly 111 is configured to attach to the head of the user (in the depicted embodiment this occurs with an elastic or adjustable strap that wraps around the head of the user). In other embodiments, attachment to the user's head may be accomplished with glasses-like struts that attach behind the ears of the user, or attachment may be achieved through any other attachment method. The optical system may be mounted in a variety of ways inside frame assembly 111. For instance, a freeform combiner may be placed directly in front of the user's eyes to completely immerse the user in the images being displayed. Alternatively, the front of head mounted display 100 may be transparent or partially transparent, and the freeform combiner may only be partially disposed in front of the user, allowing the user to interact with the outside world and also see generated images. This may be important in a heads-up display application for pilots or the like.
The optical system in head mounted display 100 is coupled to processor 117 to receive both the power and data needed to produce complex images. Moreover, a microdisplay (see infra
As shown in the top-down illustration, the optical system in HMD 100 includes microdisplay 101, first field lens 103, second field lens 105, and freeform combiner 109. Microdisplay 101 is disposed to emit image light in a direction away from the user of HMD 100. One or more field lenses 103/105 are positioned to receive the image light from microdisplay 101 and form a curved intermediate image between second field lens 105 and freeform combiner 109. Freeform combiner 109 is positioned to receive the image light and reflect the image light into the eye of the user. Frame assembly 111 supports the optical system on the head of the user with freeform combiner 109 aligned to the eye. In the depicted embodiment, freeform combiner is part of frame assembly—as in it is built into the wall of the frame in front of the user's eyes. Additionally, as shown one single freeform combiner 109 spans the entire area in front of the user's eyes. However in other embodiment, freeform combiner 109 may be two discrete elements disposed in front of each of the user's eyes.
As shown in the depicted embodiment, HMD 100 has two optical systems (a first and a second); in the second optical system, a second microdisplay 101 and a second one or more field lenses 103/105 are disposed on an opposite side of HMD 100 as the first microdisplay 101 and the first one or more field lenses 103/105. In other words each optical system may be located proximate to a temple of the user. However in other embodiments, one optical system may be able to display an image to both eyes of the user. In other embodiments, however, it may only be desirable to have one optical system and produce an image in a single eye of the user. While in the illustrated embodiment, the optical systems may be disposed on opposite sides of the user's head, in other embodiments the optical systems may be disposed above or below the user's eyes, or anywhere else to facilitate displaying the image to at least one eye of the user.
Since HMD 100 may be worn for an extended time, in some embodiments, weight may be an important consideration. In these embodiments, first field lens 103 and second field lens 105 may include plastic. For example EP5000 with an abbe number of ˜23 may be used for first field lens 103, while Zeonex E8R with an abbe number of ˜56 may be used for second field lens 105. In other embodiments other plastics with similar chemical compositions and/or indices of refraction may be used.
In one embodiment, microdisplay 201 has 3600 pixels to attain 1 arcmin/pixel resolution and a 60° viewing angle. Accordingly, microdisplay 201 may have 2880 by 2160 pixels. In the depicted embodiment of optical apparatus 200A, the long dimension may be about 9.3 mm and the short dimension may be about 4.8 mm. This may require a pixel size of ˜3.2 microns for the long dimension for 1 arcminute resolution.
Block 301 shows emitting image light from a microdisplay towards one or more field lenses. In some embodiments, the microdisplay may be planar, so the image emitted from the microdisplay may need to be adjusted so a complete in-focus image is formed in the eye of the user after the light passes through the intermediate optics in the system. In some embodiments, the user may adjust the image to optimize their viewing experience depending on how the head mounted display fits on their head. In other embodiments this may occur in the factory after the lens assembly is fabricated/aligned.
Block 303 illustrates receiving the image light from the microdisplay with the one or more field lenses. In one embodiment, receiving the image light from the microdisplay with one or more field lenses includes receiving the image light with a first field lens, where a first surface of the first field lens has a concave spherical radius of curvature. The image light is then refracted from a second surface of the first field lens (opposite the first surface of the first field lens) where the second surface of the first field lens is a freeform surface. Moreover, the image light may be received with a second field lens, where a first surface of the second field lens has a convex spherical radius of curvature. The light may then be refracted from the second field lens from a second surface of the second field lens (opposite the first surface of the second field lens) where the second surface of the second field lens is toroidal.
Block 305 describes forming a curved intermediate image with the one or more field lenses. In one embodiment the curved intermediate image may be formed by the light refracted from the toroidal surface of the second field lens. The curved intermediate image may be in-focus in a curved image plane, and the curved intermediate image is formed in free space between the freeform combiner and the one or more field lenses where rays of the image light intersect. However in another embodiment, the intermediate image may be formed in some other medium such as plastic, depending on the optical system employed.
Block 307 shows combining the image light with a freeform optical combiner and directing the image light into an eye of a user. As stated above, combining the image light may include using one of a reflective combiner, a reflective Fresnel combiner, or a holographic combiner. The curved intermediate image may be disposed between the one or more field lenses and the freeform optical combiner, and the concave surface of the curved intermediate image faces the one or more field lenses.
The above description of illustrated embodiments of the invention, including what is described in the Abstract, is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention are described herein for illustrative purposes, various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize.
These modifications can be made to the invention in light of the above detailed description. The terms used in the following claims should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification. Rather, the scope of the invention is to be determined entirely by the following claims, which are to be construed in accordance with established doctrines of claim interpretation.
The presentation application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/437,694, entitled “FREEFORM HEAD MOUNTED DISPLAY” and filed on Feb. 21, 2017, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
20060119951 | McGuire, Jr. | Jun 2006 | A1 |
20160131907 | Martinez et al. | May 2016 | A1 |
20160139412 | Sawada et al. | May 2016 | A1 |
Entry |
---|
Office Action dated Mar. 3, 2021 for Indian Patent Application No. 201947028071, 6 pages. |
International Preliminary Report on Patentability dated Sep. 6, 2019 for corresponding International Application No. PCT/US2017/058489, 9 pages. |
Office Action dated Dec. 28, 2020 for Chinese Patent Application No. 201780083509.9, 15 pages. |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20200124858 A1 | Apr 2020 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 15437694 | Feb 2017 | US |
Child | 16720705 | US |