Stereo alignment assessment for head-mounted display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12332445-B2
Application number	US-202217652901-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2022
Priority date	Feb 28, 2022
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

A head-mounted display system includes a left display assembly configured to provide left-side display light and left-side test light. A left waveguide incouples the left-side display light and outcouples the left-side display light for viewing. A left optical sensor is positioned to measure the left-side test light. A left inertial measurement unit (IMU) is configured to measure an orientation of the left display assembly. A right display assembly is configured to provide right-side display light and right-side test light. A right waveguide incouples the right-side display light and outcouples the right-side display light for viewing. A right optical sensor is positioned to measure the right-side test light. A right IMU is configured to measure an orientation of the right display assembly. A logic machine is configured to assess a stereo alignment for the left- and right-side display light.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A head-mounted display system, comprising:
a left display assembly configured to provide left-side display light and left-side test light;
a left waveguide configured to receive the left-side display light from the left display assembly via a first left-side diffractive optical element (L-DOE) and output the left-side display light for viewing at a left eyebox via a second L-DOE;
a left optical sensor positioned to measure the left-side test light;
a left inertial measuring unit (IMU) configured to measure an orientation of the left display assembly;
a right display assembly configured to provide right-side display light and right-side test light;
a right waveguide configured to the right-side display light from the right display assembly via a first right-side diffractive optical element (R-DOE) and output the right-side display light for viewing at a right eyebox via a second R-DOE;
a right optical sensor positioned to measure the right-side test light;
a right IMU configured to measure an orientation of the right display assembly; and
a logic machine configured to assess a stereo alignment for the left- and right-side display light based at least in part on the left-side test light measured by the left optical sensor, the right-side test light measured by the right optical sensor, the orientation of the left display assembly measured by the left IMU, and the orientation of the right display assembly measured by the right IMU.

2. The head-mounted display system of claim 1 , wherein the left IMU is physically coupled to the left display assembly and the right IMU is physically coupled to the right display assembly.

3. The head-mounted display system of claim 1 , wherein the left waveguide is configured to receive the left-side test light via a third L-DOE and outcouple the left-side test light for sensing by the left optical sensor via a fourth L-DOE, and the right waveguide is configured to receive the right-side test light via a third R-DOE and output the right-side test light for sensing by the right optical sensor via a fourth R-DOE.

4. The head-mounted display system of claim 1 , wherein the left optical sensor is coupled to the left waveguide and the right optical sensor is coupled to the right waveguide.

5. The head-mounted display system of claim 4 , wherein the left waveguide has a left inner portion proximate to the right waveguide and a left outer portion distal from the right waveguide, and the right waveguide has a right inner portion proximate to the left waveguide and a right outer portion distal to the left waveguide, and wherein the left optical sensor is coupled to the left outer portion of the left waveguide, and the right optical sensor is coupled to the right outer portion of the right waveguide.

6. The head-mounted display system of claim 1 , wherein the left display assembly includes a first left pupil for releasing the left-side display light and a second left pupil for releasing the left-side test light, and wherein the right display assembly includes a first right pupil for releasing the right-side display light and a second right pupil for releasing the right-side test light.

7. The head-mounted display system of claim 1 , wherein the left display assembly includes a shared left pupil for releasing the left-side display light and the left-side test light, and the right display assembly includes a shared right pupil for releasing the right-side display light and the right-side test light.

8. The head-mounted display system of claim 1 , wherein the left display assembly includes a left liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) display and the right display assembly includes a right LCOS display.

9. The head-mounted display system of claim 1 , wherein the left display assembly includes a left microoptoelectromechanical system (MOEMS) projector display and the right display assembly includes a right MOEMS projector display.

10. The head-mounted display system of claim 1 , wherein the logic machine is further configured to improve the stereo alignment by adjusting one or both of the left- and right-side display light.

11. The head-mounted display system of claim 1 , wherein the logic machine is further configured to improve the stereo alignment by horizontally and/or vertically shifting or rotating one or both of a left display image of the left-side display light and a right display image of the right-side display light.

12. The head-mounted display system of claim 1 , wherein the left waveguide further includes one or more left-side expansion diffractive optical elements (L-DOE-X) between the first L-DOE and the second L-DOE for expanding the left-side display light along one or more orthogonal dimensions, and the right waveguide further includes one or more right-side expansion diffractive optical elements (R-DOE-X) between the first R-DOE and the second R-DOE for expanding the right-side display light along the one or more orthogonal dimensions.

13. The head-mounted display system of claim 1 , wherein the left optical sensor includes a left pinhole camera, and the right optical sensor includes a right pinhole camera.

14. A head-mounted display system, comprising:
a wearable frame assembly;
a left display assembly mounted to a left side of the wearable frame assembly and configured to provide left-side display light and left-side test light;
a left waveguide mounted to the left side of the wearable frame assembly and configured to receive the left-side display light from the left display assembly via a first left-side diffractive optical element (L-DOE) and output the left-side display light for viewing at a left eyebox via a second L-DOE;
a left optical sensor positioned to measure the left-side test light proximate the left display assembly;
a left inertial measuring unit (IMU) mounted to the left display assembly and configured to measure an orientation of the left display assembly;
a right display assembly mounted to a right side of the wearable frame assembly and configured to provide right-side display light and right-side test light;
a right waveguide mounted to the right side of the wearable frame assembly and configured to receive the right-side display light from the right display assembly via a first right-side diffractive optical element (R-DOE) and output the right-side display light for viewing at a right eyebox via a second R-DOE;
a right optical sensor positioned to measure the right-side test light proximate the right display assembly;
a right IMU mounted to the right display assembly and configured to measure an orientation of the right display assembly; and
a logic machine configured to assess a stereo alignment for the left- and right-side display light based at least on the left-side test light measured by the left optical sensor, the right-side test light measured by the right optical sensor, the orientation of the left display assembly measured by the left IMU, and the orientation of the right display assembly measured by the right IMU.

15. The head-mounted display system of claim 14 , wherein the wearable frame assembly includes a left temple support and a right temple support, and wherein the left display assembly is coupled to the left temple support, and the right display assembly is coupled to the right temple support.

16. The head-mounted display system of claim 14 , wherein the left optical sensor is coupled to the left waveguide, and the right optical sensor is coupled to the right waveguide.

17. The head-mounted display system of claim 14 , wherein the left optical sensor is coupled to the

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Terrell Jr James Peele
• Sutton Michael Scott
• Demaster-Smith Rayna
• Churin Dmitriy
• Johnson Parry Byron

Classifications

• G06F3/011

  Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00) · CPC title

• G02B6/10

  of the optical waveguide type (G02B6/02, G02B6/24 take precedence; devices or arrangements for the control of light by electric, magnetic, electro-magnetic or acoustic means G02F1/00; transferring the modulation of modulated light G02F2/00; optical logic elements G02F3/00; optical analogue/digital converters G02F7/00) · CPC title

• H04N13/344

  with head-mounted left-right displays · CPC title

• H04N13/327

  Calibration thereof · CPC title

• G02B2027/0198

  System for aligning or maintaining alignment of an image in a predetermined direction · CPC title