Variable transmissivity virtual image projection system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10067344-B2
Application number	US-201615201357-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2016
Priority date	Jul 1, 2016
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

Disclosed herein are apparatus, devices, and methods to provide a modified-transmissivity zone on a projection surface used to generate a virtual image superimposed onto a real-world view. In particular, a variable-transmissivity material may be provided in the projection surface. The transmissivity of variable-transmissivity material may be modified responsive to application of a stimulus. A stimulus source may be configured to selectively apply a stimulus to the variable-transmissivity material to generate a discrete modified-transmissivity zone on the projection surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a projection surface comprising a variable-transmissivity material to modify a transmissivity of the projection surface to ambient light responsive to one or more stimuli being applied to the variable-transmissivity material;
a projection unit to project light onto the projection surface to generate a virtual image superimposed onto a real-world view; and
one or more stimulus sources to apply the one or more stimuli to at least a portion of the variable-transmissivity material to generate one or more modified-transmissivity zones on the projection surface, the one or more modified transmissivity zones located on the projection surface based on an eye gaze location associated with a user of the apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , the variable-transmissivity material comprising at least one of a photochromic material, an electrochromic material, and a thermochromic material.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , the variable-transmissivity material comprising a photochromic material and the one or more stimuli comprising ultraviolet light.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , the projection surface comprising a filter layer to filter ultraviolet light from external ambient light.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , the variable-transmissivity material comprising a photochromic material and the one or more stimuli comprising a light beam of the light projected by the projection unit.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , the variable-transmissivity material comprising an electrochromic material and the one or more stimuli comprising an electric signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , the one or more modified-transmissivity zones having a zone area that is less than a surface area of the projection surface.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , the modified-transmissivity zone being generated responsive to a brightness of ambient light being above a threshold value.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , the modified-transmissivity zone being generated responsive to a brightness differential of ambient light being above a threshold value.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , the projection surface comprising a plurality of variable-transmissivity materials, each of the plurality of variable-transmissivity materials to modify a transmissivity of the projection surface to ambient light responsive to a different stimulus.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , at least a portion of the virtual image being superimposed over at least a portion of the modified-transmissivity zone.

12. A method to project a virtual image superimposed over a real-world view, the method comprising:
generating a modified-transmissivity zone by modifying a transmissivity of a projection surface to ambient light by applying one or more stimuli to at least a portion of a variable-transmissivity material of the projection surface, the modified-transmissivity zone located on the projection surface based on an eye gaze location associated with a user of the apparatus; and
projecting, by a projection unit, light onto the projection surface to generate a virtual image superimposed onto a real-world view, at least a portion of the virtual image being superimposed over at least a portion of the modified-transmissivity zone.

13. The method of claim 12 , the variable-transmissivity material comprising a photochromic material and the one or more stimuli comprising ultraviolet light.

14. The method of claim 13 , the projection surface comprising a filter layer to filter ultraviolet light from external ambient light.

15. The method of claim 12 , the variable-transmissivity material comprising a photochromic material and the one or more stimuli comprising a light beam of the light projected by the projection unit.

16. The method of claim 12 , the variable-transmissivity material comprising an electrochromic material and the one or more stimuli comprising an electric signal.

17. The method of claim 12 , the one or more modified-transmissivity zones having a zone area that is less than a surface area of the projection surface.

18. The method of claim 12 , the modified-transmissivity zone being generated responsive to a brightness of ambient light being above a threshold value.

19. The method of claim 12 , the modified-transmissivity zone being generated responsive to a brightness differential of ambient light being above a threshold value.

20. A heads-up display device, comprising:
a projection surface comprising a variable-transmissivity material to modify a transmissivity of the projection surface to ambient light responsive to one or more stimuli being applied to the variable-transmissivity material;
a projection unit to project light onto the projection surface to generate a virtual image superimposed onto a real-world view;
one or more stimulus sources to apply the one or more stimuli to at least a portion of the variable-transmissivity material; and
logic, at least partially implemented in hardware, the logic to:
receive zone information comprising at least one property of a modified-transmissivity zone, and
control the one or more stimulus sources to apply the one or more stimuli to generate the modified-transmissivity zone based on the zone information.

21. The heads-up display device of claim 20 , the zone information comprising a location and a size of the modified-transmissivity zone.

22. The heads-up display device of claim 20 , the logic to generate the modified-transmissivity responsive to a brightness of ambient light being above a threshold value.

23. The heads-up display device of claim 20 , the logic to generate the modified-transmissivity responsive to a brightness differential of ambient light being above a threshold value.

24. The heads-up display device of claim 20 , the logic to generate the modified-transmissivity at a zone location determined based on an eye gaze location.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Kilcher Lucio
• Abele Nicolas
• Mcglew Patrick Gerard
• Combes Michel

Classifications

• G02B5/23

  Photochromic filters · CPC title

• G02B2027/0178

  Eyeglass type (eyeglass details G02C) · CPC title

• G02F1/0126

  Opto-optical modulation, i.e. control of one light beam by another light beam, not otherwise provided for in this subclass · CPC title

• G02B2027/0118

  comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility · CPC title

• G02F1/0147

  based on thermo-optic effects (G02F1/132 takes precedence) · CPC title