Methods and systems for augmented reality

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10852541-B2
Application number	US-201615741327-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2016
Priority date	Jul 3, 2015
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

A method and system for image display with a head-mounted device, which use a see-through tunable diffractive mirror, such as a see-through tunable holographic mirror or see-through tunable LCD array mirror, which mirror is useful in providing augmented reality.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A head-mounted device to be worn by a wearer, configured for display and visualization, by the wearer, of computer-generated images, the head-mounted device comprising:
an image source;
a see-through tunable diffractive mirror, situated in front of one eye of the wearer;
a controller configured to tune the mirror;
an ophthalmic lens; and
at least one scene camera,
wherein the image source is configured for emission of a light beam towards the mirror, wherein the emitted light beam is reflected onto the mirror and thereby is directed towards the eye of the wearer, to cause visualization of a computer-generated image by the wearer,
wherein the head-mounted device is configured to:
determine a distance and/or gaze direction of visualization by the wearer, of an object in a natural vision field, based on data collected from the scene camera; and
tune the mirror to adjust the distance and/or gaze direction of visualization by the wearer, of the computer-generated image, as a function of the distance and/or gaze direction determined by the head-mounted device,

wherein the at least one scene camera is a plenoptic camera provided with a micro-lens array placed in front of a sensor matrix configured to analyze a scene in natural vision, in which each micro-lens corresponds to a group of pixels so that beams from the scene are distributed by each micro-lens onto the pixel groups according to their direction and distance of the object in the scene, in order to obtain an image containing the position, distance, and direction of the object in natural vision,
the head-mounted device being configured to integrate into the scene the adjusted computer-generated image, which evolves within the scene,
wherein the ophthalmic lens is configured to correct a wearer's ametropia in natural vision, the ophthalmic lens being a multifocal lens selected from bifocal lenses and progressive addition lenses,
wherein the mirror is provided on the ophthalmic lens, being provided on a front face, on a rear face, or within the bulk of the ophthalmic lens,
wherein the mirror comprises at least an area for near vision and an area for far vision corresponding to distinct values of distance of visualization of the displayed computer-generated image by the wearer, and
wherein the mirror is tuned to adjust the wearer's vision for the visualization of the displayed computer-generated image, the mirror being tuned to correct the wearer's ametropia for the visualization of the computer-generated image by the wearer.

2. The head-mounted device according to claim 1 , wherein the mirror comprises several areas of tunable refractive index/indices.

3. The head-mounted device according to claim 1 , wherein the mirror comprises an array of individually tunable pixels.

4. The head-mounted device according to claim 1 , wherein the mirror comprises an array of individually tunable recorded holographic pixels.

5. The head-mounted device according to claim 4 , wherein the array is an array of polymer dispersed liquid crystals or of holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystals.

6. The head-mounted device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the mirror comprises a tunable transparent array of liquid crystal, and
wherein the array is active or passive.

7. The head-mounted device according to claim 6 , wherein the array is a transmission phase-only spatial light modulator.

8. The head-mounted device according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one sensor selected from:
one or more luminance sensors and luminosity sensors, or
one or more eye-trackers.

9. The head-mounted device according to claim 1 , wherein the mirror is further tuned for:
adjusting apparent size of visualization of the computer-generated image by the wearer, or
adjusting focal point for visualization of the computer-generated image to the position of the eye of the wearer, or
correcting secondary optical aberrations in the visualization of the computer-generated image by the wearer which are selected from aspherization and field aberrations, or
partially or fully switching OFF or ON the visualization of the computer-generated image by the wearer.

10. A method for integrating into a scene in natural vision a computer-generated image by a see-through head-mounted device to be worn by a wearer, with a see-through tunable diffractive mirror of the head-mounted device, wherein the head-mounted device comprises an image source and at least one scene camera which is a plenoptic camera provided with a micro-lens array placed in front of a sensor matrix configured to analyze the scene in natural vision, in which each micro-lens corresponds to a group of pixels, and wherein the image source is configured for emission of a light beam towards the mirror, wherein the emitted light beam is reflected onto the mirror and thereby is directed towards an eye of the wearer, to cause visualization of a computer-generated image by the wearer, the method comprising:
adjusting a distance and/or gaze direction of visualization, by the wearer, of the computer-generated image, as a function of a determined distance and/or gaze direction of visualization, by the wearer, of an object in a natural vision field, based on data collected from the scene camera so that beams from the scene are distributed by each micro-lens onto the pixel groups according to their direction and distance of the object in the scene, in order to obtain an image containing the position, distance, and direction of the object in natural vision and so that the adjusted computer-generated image evolves within the scene,
wherein an ophthalmic lens of the head-mounted device corrects a wearer's ametropia in natural vision and is a multifocal lens selected from bifocal lenses and progressive addition lenses,
wherein the mirror, which is provided on the ophthalmic lens on a front face, on a rear face, or within the bulk of the ophthalmic lens, comprises at least an area for near vision and an area for far vision corresponding to distinct values of distance of visualization of the displayed computer-generated image by the wearer, and
wherein the mirror is tuned to adjust the wearer's vision for the visualization of the displayed computer-generated image, the mirror being tuned to correct the wearer's ametropia for the visualization of the computer-generated image by the wearer.

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
adjusting apparent size of visualization of the computer-generated image by the wearer; or
adjusting focal point for visualization of the computer-generated image to a position of the eye of the wearer; or
correcting secondary optical aberrations in the visualization of the computer-generated image by the wearer; or
partially or fully switching OFF or ON the visualization of the computer-generated image by the wearer.

12. A method for the display and visualization of computer-generated images, the method comprising:
tuning a see-through tunable diffractive mirror of a head-mounted device, the head-mounted device including an image source, the mirror, which is situated in front of one eye of a wearer, a controller configured to tune the mirror, and at least one scene camera which is a plenoptic camera provided with a micro-lens array placed in front of a sensor matrix configured to analyze a scene in natural vision, in which each micro-lens corresponds to a group of pixels, wherein the image source is configured for emission of a light beam towards the mirror, wherein the emitted light beam is reflected onto the mirror and thereby is directed towards the eye of the wearer, to cause visualization of a computer-generated image by the wear

Assignees

• Essilor Int

Inventors

• Bouchier Aude
• Cano Jean-Paul
• Archambeau Samuel

Classifications

• G02C7/086

  Auxiliary lenses located directly on a main spectacle lens or in the immediate vicinity of main spectacles · CPC title

• G02B5/1828

  having means for producing variable diffraction (controlling the direction of light by means of one or more diffracting elements G02B26/0808; acousto-optical elements G02F1/11, G02F1/33; electro- or magneto-optical diffraction G02F1/292, G02F1/2955) · CPC title

• G02B2027/0123

  comprising devices increasing the field of view · CPC title

• G02C7/083

  Electrooptic lenses · CPC title

• G02F1/13342

  Holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystals · CPC title