Heads-up display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015199009-A1
Application number	US-201514671634-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 27, 2015
Priority date	Feb 15, 2012
Publication date	Jul 16, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments of an apparatus comprising a light guide including a proximal end, a distal end, a display positioned near the proximal end, an eye-measurement camera positioned at or near the proximal end to image eye-measurement radiation, a proximal optical element positioned in the light guide near the proximal end and a distal optical element positioned in the light guide near the distal end. The proximal optical element is optically coupled to the display, the eye-measurement camera and the distal optical element and the distal optical element is optically coupled to the proximal optical element, the ambient input region and the input/output region. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

First claim

1 . An apparatus comprising:
a light guide including a proximal end, a distal end, a front surface and a back surface spaced apart from the front surface, an ambient input region on the front surface near the distal end, and an input/output region on the back surface near the distal end; a display unit positioned near the proximal end; an eye-measurement camera positioned at or near the proximal end to image eye-measurement radiation; a proximal optical element positioned in the light guide near the proximal end and a distal optical element positioned in the light guide near the distal end, wherein the proximal optical element is optically coupled to the display unit, the eye-measurement camera and the distal optical element such that it directs display light to the distal optical element and directs eye-measurement radiation received from the distal optical element to the eye-measurement camera, wherein the distal optical element is optically coupled to the proximal optical element, the ambient input region and the input/output region such that it directs display light to the input/output region and directs eye-measurement radiation from the input/output region to the proximal optical element, and wherein the proximal optical element is a polarizing beamsplitter and the distal optical element is a non-polarizing beamsplitter.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the display unit comprises:
a display light source positioned on the front surface; and
a display positioned on the back surface.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a focusing element positioned at the distal end of the light guide.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the eye-measurement camera is mounted to the proximal end of the light guide.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising one or more sources of eye-measurement radiation positioned at or near the distal end.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the one or more sources of eye-measurement radiation include:
a first eye-measurement radiation source positioned and oriented to illuminate a user's eye with eye-measurement radiation; and
a second eye-measurement radiation source positioned and oriented to create a glint in the user's eye.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the eye-measurement radiation is of a non-visible wavelength.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the eye-measurement radiation is infrared.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a filter positioned over at least a part of the ambient input region.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the distal optical element is a 50/50 beamsplitter.

11 . A system comprising:
one or more heads-up displays, each display comprising:
a light guide including a proximal end, a distal end, a front surface, a back surface spaced apart from the front surface, an ambient input region on the front surface near the distal end, and an input/output region on the back surface near the distal end;
a display unit positioned near the proximal end;
an eye-measurement camera positioned at or near the proximal end to image eye-measurement radiation;
a proximal optical element positioned in the light guide near the proximal end and a distal optical element positioned in the light guide near the distal end,
wherein the proximal optical element is optically coupled to the display, the eye-measurement camera and the distal optical element such that it directs display light to the distal optical element and directs eye-measurement radiation received from the distal optical element to the eye-measurement camera,
wherein the distal optical element is optically coupled to the proximal optical element, the ambient input region and the input/output region such that it directs display light to the input/output region and directs eye-measurement radiation from the input/output region to the proximal optical element, and
wherein the proximal optical element is a polarizing beamsplitter and the distal optical element is a non-polarizing beamsplitter; and
a computer coupled to the eye-measurement camera and the display.

12 . The system of claim 11 wherein the display unit comprises:
a display light source positioned on the front surface; and
a display positioned on the back surface.

13 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising a focusing element positioned at the distal end of the light guide.

14 . The system of claim 11 wherein the eye-measurement camera is mounted to the proximal end of the light guide.

15 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising one or more sources of eye-measurement radiation positioned near the distal end.

16 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising a network communicatively coupled to the computer.

17 . The system of claim 16 , further comprising one or more servers coupled to the network.

18 . The system of claim 17 wherein the one or more servers can analyze images receive from the eye-measurement camera and can transmit information about the eye position to the computer.

19 . The system of claim 11 wherein the one or more heads-up displays are mounted in a pair of eyeglass frames.

20 . The system of claim 11 wherein the distal optical element is a 50/50 beamsplitter.

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

• Raffle Hayes S
• Wang Chia-Jean

Classifications

• G06T2207/10048

  Infrared image · CPC title

• G02B27/0176

  characterised by mechanical features · CPC title

• G06T2207/30196

  Human being; Person · CPC title

• G06T7/004

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F3/013 Primary

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