Heads-up display with integrated display and imaging system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9606354-B2
Application number	US-201414333648-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2014
Priority date	Jul 17, 2014
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

Embodiments of an apparatus comprising a light guide including a proximal end, a distal end, a display positioned near the proximal end, an ocular measurement camera positioned at or near the proximal end to image ocular 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 ocular 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 an input/output optical element. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

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 positioned near the proximal end;
a camera positioned at or near the proximal end to image ocular 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 camera and the distal optical element such that it directs display light to the distal optical element and directs ocular measurement radiation received from the distal optical element to the camera, and
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 and ocular measurement radiation to the input/output region and directs ocular measurement radiation from the input/output region to the proximal optical element; and
an input/output optical element positioned on the back surface over the input/output region and optically coupled to the input/output region, wherein the input/output region and the input/output optical element output display light, ambient light, and ocular measurement radiation from the light guide and input ocular measurement radiation to the light guide, wherein the display light and the ambient light are in a visible range of wavelengths and the ocular measurement radiation is in an invisible range of wavelengths, and wherein the input/output optical element applies optical power to the ocular measurement radiation and applies substantially no optical power to the display light and the ambient light.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the proximal optical element and the distal optical elements are polarizing beamsplitters.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
a focusing element positioned at the distal end of the light guide; and
a quarter-wave plate positioned between the focusing element and the distal end of the light guide.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the proximal optical element is a polarizing beamsplitter and the distal optical element is a polarizing plate.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising one or more ocular measurement radiation sources positioned adjacent to the camera.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the one or more ocular measurement radiation sources are light-emitting diodes.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the one or more ocular measurement radiation sources comprise a plurality of sources, each source having a different center wavelength within the wavelength range of the ocular measurement radiation.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ocular measurement radiation is infrared.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ocular measurement radiation is of variable wavelength.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the optical power of the input/output optical element varies according to the wavelength of the ocular measurement radiation.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the input/output optical element is a reflection holographic optical element (HOE).

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the input/output optical element is a transmission holographic optical element (HOE).

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the HOE operates as a positive focal length lens over the wavelength range of the ocular measurement radiation.

14. A system comprising:
one or more 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 positioned near the proximal end;
a camera positioned at or near the proximal end to image ocular 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 camera and the distal optical element such that it directs display light to the distal optical element and directs ocular measurement radiation received from the distal optical element to the 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 and ocular measurement radiation to the input/output region and directs ocular measurement radiation from the input/output region to the proximal optical element, and
an input/output optical element positioned on the back surface over the input/output region and optically coupled to the input/output region, wherein the input/output region and the input/output optical element output display light, ambient light, and ocular measurement radiation from the light guide and input ocular measurement radiation to the light guide, wherein the display light and the ambient light are in a visible range of wavelengths and the ocular measurement radiation is in an invisible range of wavelengths, and wherein the input/output optical element applies optical power to the ocular measurement radiation and applies substantially no optical power to the display light and the ambient light; and
a computer coupled to the camera and the display.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the proximal optical element and the distal optical elements are polarizing beamsplitters.

16. The system of claim 15 , further comprising:
a focusing element positioned at the distal end of the light guide; and
a quarter-wave plate positioned between the focusing element and the distal end of the light guide.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the proximal optical element is a polarizing beamsplitter and the distal optical element is a polarizing plate.

18. The system of claim 14 , further comprising one or more ocular measurement radiation sources positioned adjacent to the camera.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the one or more ocular measurement radiation sources are light-emitting diodes.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the one or more ocular measurement radiation sources comprise a plurality of sources, each source having a different center wavelength within the wavelength range of the ocular measurement radiation.

21. The system of claim 14 wherein the ocular measurement radiation is infrared.

22. The system of claim 14 wherein the ocular measurement radiation is of variable wavelength.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the optical power of the input/output optical element varies according to the wavelength of the ocular measurement radiation.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the input/output optical element is a holographic optical element (HOE).

25. The system of claim 23 wherein the input/output optical element is a reflection holographic optical element (HOE).

26. The system of claim 24 wherein the HOE operates as a positive focal length lens over the wavelength range of the ocular measurement radiation.

27. The system of

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

• Spitzer Mark B
• Perreault John D
• Nguyen Khoa

Classifications

• G02B2027/0107

  with optical power · CPC title

• G02B27/283

  used for beam splitting or combining · CPC title

• G02B2027/0178

  Eyeglass type (eyeglass details G02C) · CPC title

• G02B27/0103

  comprising holographic elements · CPC title

• G06F3/013

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