Reconfigurable optics for switching between near-to-eye display modes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10747309-B2
Application number	US-201815976667-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2018
Priority date	May 10, 2018
Publication date	Aug 18, 2020
Grant date	Aug 18, 2020

Abstract

A system including reconfigurable optics for switching between different near-to-eye display modes includes a waveguide combiner and multiple focus-tunable lenses including an eye-side focus-tunable lens and a world-side focus-tunable lens positioned on opposite sides of the waveguide combiner. The waveguide combiner is positioned to receive light from an optical projection source and to direct the light through the eye-side focus-tunable lens, and the system further includes a microdisplay positioned to transmit light along an optical path sequentially through the world-side focus-tunable lens and the eye-side focus-tunable lens.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a waveguide combiner;
multiple focus-tunable lenses including an eye-side focus-tunable lens and a world-side focus-tunable lens positioned on opposite sides of the waveguide combiner, the waveguide combiner positioned to receive light from an optical projection source and to direct the light through the eye-side focus-tunable lens; and
a microdisplay positioned to transmit light along an optical path sequentially through the world-side focus-tunable lens and the eye-side focus-tunable lens; and
a controller that selectively alters optical power of the eye-side focus-tunable lens and the world-side focus-tunable lens to form a magnifying lens that generates a magnified virtual image of the light transmitted from the microdisplay when transitioning the system from an augmented reality mode to a virtual reality mode.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
transition the system from the virtual reality mode to the augmented reality mode by control the optical power for the eye-side focus-tunable lens to match detected vergence cues to image light from the optical projection source while controlling optical power of the world-side focus-tunable lens to compensate for the optical power of the eye-side focus-tunable lens.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the microdisplay is transparent when the system is operating in the augmented reality mode and the eye-side focus-tunable lens is controlled to image the light from the optical projection source.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a supportive housing coupled to the waveguide combiner and the multiple focus-tunable lenses, where the microdisplay is removably coupled to the supportive housing.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the system further includes a dimmable back panel and the controller is configured to illuminate the microdisplay and dim the dimmable back panel when the system is operating in the virtual reality mode.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the world-side focus-tunable lens is polarized to affect light from both the microdisplay and the optical projection source and the eye-side focus-tunable lens is polarized to affect light transmitted from the optical projection source while not affecting light transmitted from the microdisplay, and wherein the system further comprises:
a second eye-side focus-tunable lens polarized to affect light transmitted from the microdisplay while not affecting light transmitted from the optical projection source.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the system further comprises a controller configured to control optical power of the world-side focus-tunable lens and the second eye-side focus-tunable lens to form a magnifying lens that images light from the microdisplay while simultaneously controlling optical power of the eye-side lens to have a focal length that matches detected vergence cues.

8. A device comprising:
a microdisplay;
a waveguide combiner;
at least two focus-tunable lenses positioned on opposite sides of the waveguide combiner; and
a controller configured to:
control optical power for a first one of the focus-tunable lenses to match detected vergence cues while controlling optical power of a second one of the focus tunable lenses to compensate for the optical power of the first one of the focus-tunable lenses; and
selectively adjust optical power of at least two of the focus-tunable lenses to form a magnifying lens, wherein the microdisplay is positioned such that the magnifying lens images light from the microdisplay.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the microdisplay is transparent when the device is operating in an augmented reality mode.

10. The device of claim 8 , wherein the device further comprises:
a supportive housing coupled to the waveguide combiner and the focus-tunable lenses, where the microdisplay is opaque and removably coupled to the supportive housing.

11. The device of claim 8 , wherein the device further includes a dimmable back panel and the controller is configured to illuminate the microdisplay and dim the dimmable back panel when the device is operating in a virtual reality mode.

12. The device of claim 8 , further comprising a secondary projection source coupled to an input of the waveguide combiner.

13. The device of claim 8 , wherein the focus-tunable lenses include:
a world-side focus-tunable lens on a first side of the waveguide combiner, the world-side focus-tunable lens being polarized to affect light from both the microdisplay and a secondary projection source;
a first eye-side focus-tunable lens on a second opposite side of the waveguide combiner, the first eye-side focus-tunable lens being polarized to affect light transmitted from the secondary projection source while not affecting light transmitted from the microdisplay; and
a second eye-side focus-tunable lens on the second opposite side of the waveguide combiner, the second eye-side focus-tunable lens polarized to affect light transmitted from the microdisplay while not affecting light transmitted from the secondary projection source.

14. The device of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to control optical power of two of the focus-tunable lenses to form a magnifying lens that images light from the microdisplay while simultaneously controlling optical power of another one of the focus-tunable lenses to have a focal length that matches detected vergence cues.

15. A method comprising:
projecting light from a first light source into a waveguide combiner, the waveguide combiner being positioned between a pair of focus-tunable lenses including an eye-side focus-tunable lens and a world-side focus-tunable lens, the eye-side focus-tunable lens being positioned to receive the light from an output of the waveguide combiner;
receiving an instruction to switch between an augmented reality display mode and a virtual reality display mode; and
projecting light from a second light source responsive to receipt of the instruction, the second light source positioned to transmit light along an optical path sequentially through the world-side focus-tunable lens and the eye-side focus-tunable lens; and
transitioning the eye-side focus-tunable lens and the world-side focus-tunable lens from the augmented reality display mode to the virtual reality display mode by selectively altering optical power of the eye-side focus-tunable lens and the world-side focus-tunable lens to form a magnifying lens that generates a magnified virtual image of the light transmitted from the microdisplay.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
transitioning the eye-side focus-tunable lens and the world-side focus-tunable lens from the virtual reality mode to the augmented reality mode by controlling optical power of the eye-side focus-tunable lens to match detected vergence cues and image light from the first light source while controlling optical power of the world-side focus-tunable lens to compensate for the optical power of the eye-side focus-tunable lens.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the second light source is transparent when the eye-side focus-tunable lens is controlled to image the light from the first light source.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the waveguide combiner and the pair of focus-tunable lenses are coupled to a supportive housing and receiving the instruction includes detecting a coupling between the second light source and the supportive housing.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
dimming a bac

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Akkaya Onur Can
• Kress Bernard C

Classifications

• G06F3/013 Primary

  Eye tracking input arrangements (G06F3/015 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B27/0075

  with means for altering, e.g. increasing, the depth of field or depth of focus · CPC title

• G02B27/0172 Primary

  characterised by optical features · CPC title

• G02B2027/0185

  Displaying image at variable distance · CPC title