Optical device with active user-based aberration correction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9004683-B2
Application number	US-201113374533-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2011
Priority date	Dec 29, 2011
Publication date	Apr 14, 2015
Grant date	Apr 14, 2015

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments enable an enhanced direct-viewing optical device to make customized adjustments that accommodate optical aberrations of a current user. In some instances a real-time adjustment of the transformable optical elements is based on known corrective optical parameters associated with a current user. In some implementations a control module may process currently updated wavefront measurements as a basis for determining appropriate real-time adjustment of the transformable optical elements to produce a specified change in optical wavefront at an exit pupil of the direct-viewing device. Possible transformable optical elements include refractive and/or reflective and/or diffractive and/or transmissive characteristics that are adjusted based on current performance viewing factors for a given field of view of the direct-viewing device. Dynamic repositioning and/or transformation of corrective optical elements may be based on a detected shift of a tracked gaze direction of a current user of the direct-viewing device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A corrective method for a direct-viewing optical device, comprising:
providing one or more transformable optical elements capable of transformation, wherein the transformable optical elements are selectively removable as an operative component of the direct-viewing device;
incorporating the transformable optical elements in the direct-viewing optical device, wherein incorporating the transformable optical elements comprises one of,
positioning the transformable optical elements as an insert between a user's eye and the eyepiece of the direct-viewing device, and
positioning the transformable optical elements as an insert between an eyepiece and a remainder portion of the direct-viewing optical device;

obtaining information regarding corrective optical features that include at least one higher order corrective optical parameter correlated with a current user of the direct-viewing optical device;
processing the obtained information to determine a specified optical wavefront change appropriate to the current user, and processing device-based corrective parameters regarding optical defects of the direct-viewing device to determine the specified wavefront change to correct for the optical defects of the direct-viewing device, the optical defects of the direct-viewing optical device comprising one or more of a known radial distortion, calibrated aberration, and wavefront error of the specific direct viewing optical device; and
modifying the transformable optical elements in a manner to produce the specified change in optical wavefront at an exit pupil of the direct-viewing optical device, wherein incorporating the transformable optical elements in the direct-viewing optical device comprises enabling automated installation or automated withdrawal of the transformable optical elements as an operative component on the direct-viewing optical device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said obtaining information regarding corrective optical features includes:
obtaining information regarding at least two higher order corrective optical parameters correlated with the current user.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said obtaining information includes:
obtaining information that includes accessible data from a wavefront detector or a data table or a database or an external source or user input or on-board memory or removable memory.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
interactively determining at least one optical aberration of the current user's vision.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
maintaining a data table or database that includes a listing of possible users and their respective optical aberrations and/or corrective optical parameters and/or preferences.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising confirming identification of the current user.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:
responsive to the confirmed identification, retrieving from a data table or database their respective optical aberrations or corrective optical parameters or preferences.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:
responsive to the confirmed identification, accepting input of aberration data and/or corrective optical parameters or preferences associated with the current user.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said modifying the transformable optical elements includes:
causing dynamic adjustment of one or more transformable optical elements currently installed in the direct-viewing optical device.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said providing one or more optical elements capable of transformation includes:
providing one or more of the following types: MEMS deformable mirror, deformable liquid lens, deformable diffractive lens or mirror, liquid crystal phase modulator, controllable metamaterial lens or mirror, controllable photonic crystal lens or mirror.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said providing one or more optical elements capable of transformation includes:
providing one or more variable aberration elements based on relative displacement or rotation of complementary layers.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said modifying the transformable optical elements includes:
modifying the one or more transformable optical elements to include additional corrective features that ameliorate one or more of the following type low-order aberrations of the current user: myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia, astigmatism.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said modifying the transformable optical elements includes:
modifying the one or more transformable optical elements to include certain corrective features that ameliorate one or more of the following type of higher-order aberrations of the current user: coma, spherical aberration, trefoil, chromatic aberration.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said modifying the transformable optical elements includes:
modifying the one or more transformable optical elements to include certain corrective features that ameliorate the current user's high order aberrations corresponding to Zemike polynomials of order 3 or order 4 or order 5 or order 6 or higher.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said modifying the transformable optical elements includes:
modifying the one or more transformable optical elements to include certain corrective features that compensate for one or more aberrations characterized by a spatially-sampled wavefront error.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein said modifying the transformable optical elements includes:
modifying a square or hexagonal matrix of sensors or actuators which transform a deformable reflective or refractive aspect of the one or more optical elements.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
activating a wavefront detection device that directly measures optical aberrations of the current user's vision.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:
accepting information from the wavefront detection device indicating eye measurement data or default adjustable optical parameters for the current user.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein said obtaining information includes:
accepting information from a data table or database or external source or user input or on-board memory or removable memory which indicates eye measurement data or default adjustable optical parameters for the current user.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein said obtaining information includes:
accepting information that includes default adjustable optical parameters based on corrective optical features implemented for the current user during a previous optical device usage period.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
installing the one or more optical elements as an operative component of a specific direct-viewing optical device adapted to incorporate transformable optical elements.

22. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
incorporating additional optical members in combination with the transformable optical elements as operative components of the specific direct-viewing device, wherein the additional optical members include reflective or refractive or diffractive or transmissive attributes which facilitate satisfactory operation of the direct-viewing device.

23. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
incorporating the transformable optical elements as an operative component in one of the following types of direct-viewing optical device: microscope, telescope, binoculars, weapon sight, gun sight, medical instrument,

Assignees

• Caldeira Kenneth G
• Hagelstein Peter L
• Hyde Roderick A
• Jung Edward K Y
• Kare Jordin T
• Myhrvold Nathan P
• Pendry John Brian
• Schurig David
• Tegreene Clarence T
• Whitmer Charles
• Wood Jr Lowell L
• Elwha Llc

Inventors

• Caldeira Kenneth G
• Hagelstein Peter L
• Hyde Roderick A
• Jung Edward K Y
• Kare Jordin T
• Myhrvold Nathan P
• Pendry John Brian
• Schurig David
• Tegreene Clarence T
• Whitmer Charles
• Wood Jr Lowell L

Classifications

• A61B3/1015

  for wavefront analysis · CPC title

• G02B27/0025

  for optical correction, e.g. distorsion, aberration · CPC title

• G02B27/0093 Primary

  with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking · CPC title

• A61B3/14

  Arrangements specially adapted for eye photography · CPC title

• A61B3/152

  for aligning · CPC title