Using a 3D display to train a weak eye

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9486386-B2
Application number	US-201514973315-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2015
Priority date	Jan 16, 2013
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

A method for treating a weak viewer-eye includes the steps of receiving eye-strength data indicative of an eye-strength of the weak viewer-eye and causing a 3D display system to vary, in accordance with the eye-strength of the weak viewer-eye, display characteristics of a perspective that the 3D display system displays.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A 3D display system comprising:
a 3D display screen configured to display a plurality of perspectives of an image to a plurality of viewer-eyes;
an eye-monitoring system configured to generate eye-strength data, wherein generating the eye-strength data comprises using gaze-tracking data to determine the eye-strength of the weak viewer-eye by tracking the focus of (i) the weak viewer-eye and (ii) a corresponding strong viewer-eye, and determining the relative eye-strength of the weak viewer-eye, with respect to the strong viewer-eye, based at least in part on the tracked focus;
a processor;
a computer-readable medium; and
program instructions stored on the computer-readable medium and executable by the processor to cause the 3D display system to:
(i) receive eye-strength data representative of at least the relative eye-strength of the weak viewer-eye with respect to the strong viewer-eye; and
(ii) vary, in accordance with the eye-strength of the weak viewer-eye, display characteristics of the perspective of the image to conserve resources without reducing the quality of the displayed 3D image.

2. The 3D display system of claim 1 , wherein the eye-monitoring system is an externally connected eye-monitoring system.

3. The 3D display system of claim 2 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to cause the 3D display system to transmit instructions to the eye-monitoring system, wherein the transmitted instructions cause the eye-monitoring system to (i) detect characteristics of the weak viewer-eye and (ii) generate the eye-strength data, based at least in part on the detected characteristics of the weak viewer-eye.

4. The 3D display system of claim 1 , wherein generating the eye-strength data comprises monitoring the dilation of the weak viewer-eye to determine the eye-strength of the weak viewer-eye.

5. The 3D display system of claim 1 , wherein generating the eye-strength data comprises:
using the 3D display system to perform an eye-strength test; and
as part of the eye-strength test, receiving user-input indicative of the eye-strength of the weak viewer-eye.

6. The 3D display system of claim 1 , wherein generating the eye-strength data comprises:
displaying a first perspective of an image to the weak viewer-eye and a second perspective of the image to a dominant viewer-eye;
receiving an indication regarding a quality of a viewer's perceived 3D effect from the images;
determining, in accordance with the received indication, data associated with the eye-strength of the weak viewer-eye.

7. The 3D display system of claim 1 , wherein varying, in accordance with the eye-strength of the weak viewer-eye, the display characteristics comprises:
evaluating a difference in eye-strength between the weak viewer-eye and a second viewer-eye;
determining whether the evaluated difference in eye-strength is larger than a predefined threshold difference in eye-strength;
in response to determining that the evaluated difference is larger than the threshold difference, causing the 3D display system to vary the display characteristics.

8. The 3D display system of claim 7 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to cause the 3D display system to:
determine whether the evaluated difference in eye-strength is larger than any of a plurality of predefined threshold differences in eye-strength; and
in response to determining that the evaluated difference is larger than a particular set of threshold differences of the plurality of threshold differences, cause the 3D display system to vary the display characteristics in accordance with the particular set of threshold differences.

9. The 3D display system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of threshold differences constitute a substantially continuous set of threshold differences in eye-strength, whereby the display characteristics are varied in accordance with incremental changes in the eye-strength of the weak viewer-eye.

10. A method of training a first viewer-eye, comprising:
causing a 3D display system to display a first perspective of an image and a second perspective of the image;
generating eye-strength data using an eye-monitoring system, wherein generating the eye-strength data comprises using gaze-tracking data to determine the eye-strength of the first viewer-eye by tracking the focus of (i) the first viewer-eye and (ii) a corresponding second viewer-eye;
determining an eye-strength of the first viewer-eye with respect to an eye-strength of the second viewer-eye based at least in part on the tracked focus, wherein the first perspective is intended for display to the first viewer-eye, and wherein the second perspective is intended for display to the second viewer-eye; and
varying, based at least in part on the determined eye-strength of the first viewer-eye, display characteristics of at least one of the first perspective and the second perspective to conserve resources without reducing the quality of the displayed image.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the eye-strength of the first viewer-eye comprises:
using the 3D display screen to perform an eye-strength test; and
as part of the eye-strength test, receiving user-input indicative of the eye-strength of the first viewer-eye.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the eye-strength of the first viewer-eye comprises receiving an indication regarding a quality of a viewer's perceived 3D effect from the images, wherein the data associated with the eye-strength of the first viewer-eye is determined in accordance with the received indication.

13. The method of claim 10 , determining the eye-strength of the first viewer-eye comprises receiving user-input indicating at least the eye-strength of the first viewer-eye.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
updating the determined eye-strength of the first viewer-eye; and
based at least in part on the updated eye-strength, varying the characteristics of at least one of (i) the first perspective and the (ii) second perspective.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the 3D display system comprises a lenticular display screen.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the 3D display system comprises a parallax-barrier 3D display screen.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the 3D display system comprises a holographic display screen.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the 3D display system comprises a directed-beam 3D display screen.

19. The method of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of perspectives is overlaid into a single composite image that is filterable to obtain each of the plurality of perspectives.

20. The method of claim 10 , wherein the varied display characteristics comprise one or more of (a) brightness, (b) spatial resolution, (c) sharpness, (d) complexity, (e) image size, (f) image position, (g) peripheral content, (h) spectral content, (i) color saturation, and (j) temporal resolution.

21. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining an eye-strength for each viewer-eye of a first set of additional viewer-eyes with respect to an eye-strength of a corresponding viewer-eye from a second set of additional viewer-eyes, wherein the first perspective is intended for display to each of the first set of viewer-eyes, and wherein the second perspective is intended for display to each of the second set of viewer-eyes; and
varying, based at least in part on one of the determined eye-strengths, the display characteristics of at least one of the fir

Assignees

• Elwha Llc

Inventors

• Bathiche Steven
• Chan Alistair K
• Gates William
• Hyde Roderick A
• Jung Edward K Y
• Kare Jordin T
• Lanier Jaron
• Manferdelli John L
• Tegreene Clarence T
• Tuckerman David B
• Whitmer Charles
• Wood Jr Lowell L
• Wood Victoria Y H

Classifications

• A61B3/0033

  characterised by user input arrangements · CPC title

• G02B27/0093

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

• A61H2201/5084

  Acceleration sensors · CPC title

• A61B3/0025

  characterised by electronic signal processing, e.g. eye models · CPC title

• A61H2201/5097

  wireless · CPC title