Displays with viewer tracking

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11750795-B2
Application number	US-202117231941-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2021
Priority date	May 12, 2020
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

An electronic device may include a lenticular display. The lenticular display may have a lenticular lens film formed over an array of pixels. The lenticular lenses may be configured to enable stereoscopic viewing of the display such that a viewer perceives three-dimensional images. The display may have a number of independently controllable viewing zones. A eye and/or head tracking system may use a camera to capture images of a viewer of the display. Control circuitry in the electronic device may use the captured images from the eye and/or head tracking system to determine which viewing zones are occupied by the viewer's eyes. The control circuitry may disable or dim viewing zones that are not occupied by the viewer's eyes in order to conserve power. An unoccupied viewing zone and an adjacent, occupied viewing zone may display the same image to increase sharpness in the display.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a display that includes an array of pixels and a lenticular lens film formed over the array of pixels, wherein the display has a plurality of independently controllable viewing zones;
a camera configured to capture images; and
control circuitry configured to determine eye position information from the captured images, determine that a first viewing zone is occupied based on the eye position information, and modify a brightness level of at least one of the plurality of independently controllable viewing zones based on the eye position information, wherein modifying the brightness level comprises increasing the brightness level of the first viewing zone in response to determining that the first viewing zone is occupied, wherein a plurality of unoccupied viewing zones is adjacent to the first viewing zone and wherein the control circuitry is configured to, after determining that the first viewing zone is occupied based on the eye position information, set the brightness level of at least one of the plurality of unoccupied viewing zones to full brightness and disable remaining viewing zones of the plurality of unoccupied viewing zones.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the first viewing zone displays an image while the at least one of the plurality of unoccupied viewing zones also displays the image.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the display further comprises a louver film formed over the array of pixels.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 3 , wherein the louver film includes selectively opaque portions and wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the opacity of the selectively opaque portions.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 4 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the opacity of the selectively opaque portions based on the eye position information.

6. An electronic device configured to be viewed by a viewer having a first eye and a second eye, the electronic device comprising:
a display that is configured to display three- dimensional content for the viewer, wherein the display has a plurality of zones that are each configured to generate a respective image for a corresponding viewing area;
a camera configured to capture an image of the viewer; and
control circuitry configured to:
determine that a first viewing area includes the first eye based on the captured image, wherein a first unoccupied viewing area is adjacent to the first viewing area;
determine that a second viewing area includes the second eye based on the captured image;
set a first non-zero brightness level for the first viewing area; and
set a second non-zero brightness level for the first unoccupied viewing area, wherein the second non-zero brightness level is less than the first non-zero brightness level.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 , wherein the first viewing area has an associated first zone of the display, wherein the second viewing area has an associated second zone of the display, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to:
display an image with both the first zone and a third zone, wherein the third zone corresponds to the first unoccupied viewing area.

8. An electronic device comprising:
a display that is configured to display three-dimensional content, wherein the display has a plurality of zones that are each configured to generate a respective image for a corresponding viewing area;
a camera configured to capture an image; and
control circuitry configured to:
identify an occupied viewing area based on the captured image, wherein two or more unoccupied viewing areas are adjacent to the occupied viewing area; and
based on a position of the occupied viewing area, set non-zero brightness levels of the unoccupied viewing areas that are adjacent to the occupied viewing area, wherein the non-zero brightness levels of the unoccupied viewing areas decrease with increasing separation from the occupied viewing area.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 8 , wherein the non-zero brightness levels of the unoccupied viewing areas decrease with increasing separation from the occupied viewing area according to a gaussian profile.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 6 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
set a third non-zero brightness level for a second unoccupied viewing area that is adjacent to the first unoccupied viewing area, wherein the first unoccupied viewing aera is interposed between the first viewing area and the second unoccupied viewing area, and wherein the third non-zero brightness level is less than the second non-zero brightness level.

11. An electronic device comprising:
a display, wherein the display has a plurality of zones that are each configured to generate a respective image for a corresponding viewing area; and
control circuitry configured to:
determine that a first viewing area includes an eye, wherein a first unoccupied viewing area is adjacent to the first viewing area;
set a first non-zero brightness level for the first viewing area; and
set a second non-zero brightness level for the first unoccupied viewing area, wherein the second non-zero brightness level is less than the first non-zero brightness level.

12. An electronic device comprising:
a display that is configured to display three- dimensional content, wherein the display has a plurality of zones that are each configured to generate a respective image for a corresponding viewing area; and
control circuitry configured to:
identify an occupied viewing area, wherein two or more unoccupied viewing areas are adjacent to the occupied viewing area; and
based on a position of the occupied viewing area, set non-zero brightness levels of the unoccupied viewing areas that are adjacent to the occupied viewing area, wherein the non-zero brightness levels of the unoccupied viewing areas decrease with increasing separation from the occupied viewing area.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Huang Yi-Pai
• Bacim De Araujo E Silva Felipe
• Chou Ping-Yen
• Kim Byoungsuk
• Wang Chaohao
• Huang Yi
• Rockwell Michael J
• Kim Seung Wook
• Mascarenhas Pretesh A

Classifications

• H04N13/383 Primary

  for tracking with gaze detection, i.e. detecting the lines of sight of the viewer's eyes · CPC title

• H04N13/133

  Equalising the characteristics of different image components, e.g. their average brightness or colour balance · CPC title

• H04N13/305

  using lenticular lenses, e.g. arrangements of cylindrical lenses · CPC title

• H04N13/368

  for two or more viewers · CPC title

• G02B30/27 Primary

  involving lenticular arrays · CPC title