Display with pixel level eye tracking

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11029756-B2
Application number	US-201815870737-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2018
Priority date	Jan 12, 2018
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

In some examples, a display includes a plurality of display pixels. Each display pixel includes one or more light emitters. At least some of the plurality of display pixels also includes a light detector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A display comprising:
a plurality of display pixels, a first pixel of the plurality of display pixels including:
a light emitter to emit near infrared light; and
a light detector to output a first signal indicative of detection of reflection of the near infrared light from an eye of a user in response to emission of the near infrared light by the light emitter, the light detector to output a second signal in the absence of the reflected near infrared light; and
a processor in communication with the display to:
subtract the second signal from the first signal to generate an adjusted first signal;
determine, based on the adjusted first signal, that the first pixel is being observed by the user if a path of illumination of the near infrared light emitted by the light emitter is coaxial with an optical path associated with the reflection of the near infrared light off the eye of the user; and
detect, based on the adjust first signal, that the first pixel is not being observed by the user if the path of illumination of the near infrared light emitted by the light emitter of that pixel is not coaxial with the optical path.

2. The display of claim 1 , wherein the light detector is adjacent to the light emitter.

3. The display of claim 1 , wherein the light detector is to detect the near infrared light reflected off a retina of the eye of the user.

4. The display of claim 1 , wherein the adjusted first signal is to compensate for ambient light in an environment including the display.

5. The display of claim 1 , wherein of the light emitter includes a near infrared illuminator and the light detector includes a near infrared photodetector.

6. The display of claim 1 , further including a lens proximate to the light detector, the lens to affect an angle at which the light detector is to detect the near infrared light.

7. The display of claim 1 , wherein the light detector is to detect the reflected near infrared light at certain wavelengths.

8. A method of detecting display pixels observed by a user of a display, the method comprising:
subtracting second signal data from a light detector of a first pixel of the display from first signal data from the light detector to generate first adjusted signal data, the first signal data generated by the light detector in response to detection of reflection of near infrared light from an eye of the user by the light detector, the near infrared light emitted by a light emitter of the first pixel or a second pixel of the display, the second signal data generated by the light detector in the absence of the reflected near infrared light;
determining, by executing an instruction with a processor and based on the first adjusted signal data, that the first pixel is being observed by the user if a path of illumination of the near infrared light is coaxial with an optical path associated with the reflection of the near infrared light off the eye of the user; and
determining, by executing an instruction with the processor and based on the first adjusted signal data, that the first pixel is not being observed by the user if the path of illumination of the near infrared light from the light emitter is not coaxial with the optical path.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first signal data is indicative of the near infrared light reflected off a retina of the eye of the user.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the adjusted first signal data is to compensate
for ambient light in an environment including the display.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first signal data is indicative of the reflected near infrared light detected by the light detector at certain angles.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first signal data is indicative of the reflected near infrared light detected by the light detector at certain wavelengths.

13. A method of manufacturing a display, the method comprising:
placing on a substrate one or more light emitters for each of a plurality of display pixels, the one or more light emitters to emit near infrared light toward an eye of a user of the display;
placing on the substrate a light detector for at least one of the plurality of display pixels, the light detector to detect reflection of the near infrared light emitted by the one or more light emitters from the eye of the user; and
placing a lens over the light detector to affect an angle of the near infrared light detected by the light detector, the lens not over the one or more light emitters.

14. The method of manufacturing the display of claim 13 , further including placing the light detector adjacent to one of the light emitters.

15. The method of manufacturing the display of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the light emitters includes a near infrared illuminator and the light detector includes a near infrared photodetector.

16. The method of manufacturing the display of claim 13 , wherein the light detector is a plurality of light detectors, and further comprising placing on the substrate respective ones of the light detectors for each of the plurality of display pixels.

17. The method of manufacturing the display of claim 13 , further including:
manufacturing the one or more light emitters on a first source substrate;
manufacturing the light detector on a second source substrate;
transferring the one or more light emitters from the first source substrate to the substrate; and
transferring the light detector from the second source substrate to the substrate.

18. The method of manufacturing the display of claim 17 , wherein the transferring of the one or more light emitters and the transferring of the light detector includes using a micro transfer printing process.

19. The method of manufacturing the display of claim 17 , wherein the transferring of the one or more light emitters includes picking up the one or more light emitters from the first source substrate and bonding the one or more light emitters to the substrate and the transferring of the light detector comprises picking up the light detector from the second source substrate and bonding the light detector to the substrate.

20. The method of manufacturing the display of claim 19 , wherein the bonding of the one or more light emitters to the substrate and the bonding of the light detector to the substrate include using one or more of PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane), electrostatic, electromagnetic, vacuum, or adhesive.

21. The method of manufacturing the display of claim 17 , wherein the transferring of the one or more light emitters includes picking up the one or more light emitters from the first source substrate and stamping the one or more light emitters to the substrate and the transferring of the light detector includes picking up the light detector from the second source substrate and stamping the light detector to the substrate.

22. The method of manufacturing the display of claim 21 , wherein the stamping of the one or more light emitters to the substrate and the stamping of the light detector to the substrate includes using one or more of PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane), electrostatic, electromagnetic, vacuum, or adhesive.

23. The display of claim 1 , wherein the light emitter includes one or more micro light emitting diodes and the light detector includes one or more micro photodetectors.

24. The method of claim 8 , wherein the light emitter includes a micro light emitting diode and the light detector includes a micro photodetector.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Hicks Richmond F
• Ahmed Khaled
• Pratap Divya

Classifications

• G09G2300/0809

  Several active elements per pixel in active matrix panels · CPC title

• G09G2360/14

  Detecting light within display terminals, e.g. using a single or a plurality of photosensors · CPC title

• G09G3/32

  semiconductive, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• G06F3/013 Primary

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

• G09G3/2096

  Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a flat panel (suitable for both CRT and flat panel G09G5/006; specific for a CRT G09G1/167) · CPC title