Method and system for near-eye three dimensional display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019171007-A1
Application number	US-201916251283-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 18, 2019
Priority date	Jul 19, 2016
Publication date	Jun 6, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A 3D near eye display device is provided, the display device comprising a display screen for displaying more than one 2D images, at least one focusing element for collimating the images to sub-images, a spatial multiplexing unit capable of remapping the sub-images to different depths while forcing their centers to align to form remapped sub-images, and an eye piece. The device and methods allow for a high quality, compact 3D display system that can be wearable and overcomes the vergence-accommodation conflict that leads to visual discomfort and fatigue caused by traditional 3D near eye display devices.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A display device comprising:
a focusing element that collimates a plurality of two dimensional images that are displayed on a display screen; and a spatial multiplexing unit that remaps the plurality of two dimensional images to different depths while forcing centers of the plurality of two dimensional images to align.

2 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein the spatial multiplexing unit comprises one of a liquid-crystal-on-silicon spatial light modulator, a volume holography grating, and a distorted phase grating.

3 . The display device of claim 1 , further comprising a beam splitter positioned between the display screen and the focusing element.

4 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein the focusing element is located between the display screen and the spatial multiplexing unit.

5 . The display device of claim 1 , further comprising a view combiner device that provides augmented reality viewing.

6 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of two dimensional images comprises a first sub-panel image, a second sub-panel image, a third sub-panel image and a fourth sub-panel image, and wherein each of the first sub-panel image, the second sub-panel image, the third sub-panel image and the fourth sub-panel image is displayed adjacent one another on a single panel of the display screen.

7 . The display device of claim 6 , further comprising a second lens, wherein the focusing element comprises a first lens, wherein the first lens is positioned between the display screen and the spatial multiplexing unit, and wherein the second lens is positioned between the spatial multiplexing unit and an eye piece.

8 . A method comprising:
collimating, by a focusing element, a plurality of two dimensional images that are displayed on a display screen; and modifying, by a spatial multiplexing unit, a phase of light transmitted from the focusing element by adding one or more quadratic phase terms and one or more linear phase terms to a wave front of the light, wherein the modifying results in multiplane images.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of two dimensional images comprises a first sub-panel image, a second sub-panel image, a third sub-panel image and a fourth sub-panel image, and wherein each of the first sub-panel image, the second sub-panel image, the third sub-panel image and the fourth sub-panel image is displayed adjacent one another on a single panel of the display screen.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the display screen is part of a wearable device, wherein the focusing element is part of the wearable device, wherein the spatial multiplexing unit is part of the wearable device, wherein the method further comprises reimaging, by an eye piece of the wearable device, the multiplane images onto a viewer's retina, wherein the one or more quadratic phase terms axially shifts a plurality of sub-panel images of the multiplane images to designated depths, and wherein the one or more linear phase terms laterally shifts centers of the sub-panel images of the multiplane images to an optical axis.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising reflecting, by a beam splitter of the wearable device, light of the multiplane images towards an eye piece.

12 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising overlaying, by a view combiner device of the wearable device, an image of a real world object with the multiplane images.

13 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising applying, to the plurality of two dimensional images, one or more of color filtering and polarization, wherein the color filtering is applied by a color filter of the wearable device, and wherein the polarization is applied by a linear polarizer of the wearable device.

14 . A display device comprising:
a beam splitter having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface aligns with a first panel that displays a first two dimensional image, wherein the second surface aligns with a second panel that displays a second two dimensional image, and wherein the beam splitter combines first light emanating from the first panel and second light emanating from the second panel, resulting in combined light; an actuator configured to slide the beam splitter in a direction along the first panel to adjust a gap between the second panel and the second surface of the beam splitter; and a focusing element that projects each of a plurality of images in the combined light to a respective distinct one of a plurality of different depth planes.

15 . The display device of claim 14 , wherein the first panel and the second panel are part of a single flexible display screen that is foldable to form the first panel and the second panel.

16 . The display device of claim 14 , wherein the focusing element comprises a lens that is positioned between the beam splitter and an eye piece.

17 . The display device of claim 14 , further comprising a view combiner device that provides augmented reality viewing.

18 . The display device of claim 17 , wherein the view combiner device is selected from a waveguide, another beam splitter, and a prism.

19 . The display device of claim 14 , wherein the first panel and the second panel are orthogonal to each other.

20 . The display device of claim 14 , wherein the first panel and the second panel are part of a flexible organic light emitting diode (OLED), wherein the first two dimensional image comprises a first plurality of images, and wherein the second two dimensional image comprises a second plurality of images.

Assignees

• Univ Illinois

Inventors

• Gao Liang
• Cui Wei

Classifications

• G02B5/30 Primary

  Polarising elements (light-modulating devices with active elements G02F1/00) · CPC title

• G02B2027/0134

  of stereoscopic type · CPC title

• G02B6/00

  Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings · CPC title

• G02B27/01 Primary

  Head-up displays · CPC title

• H04N13/344

  with head-mounted left-right displays · CPC title