Local dimming in devices

Abstract

The optical assembly is configured to receive visible scene light at a back side of the optical assembly and direct the visible scene light toward the eye side on an optical path. The optical assembly also includes a dimming layer disposed on the optical path, wherein the dimming layer includes a photochromic material configured to dim in response to exposure to a range of light wavelengths. An activation layer included in the optical assembly is also disposed on the optical path and includes an intra-field dimmer. The intra-field dimmer is configured to selectively emit activation light within the range of light wavelengths to activate dimming of a region of the dimming layer, thereby dimming the visible scene light within the region.

Description

[0001] Public domain

[0002] Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to head-mounted devices, and particularly, but not exclusively, to local dimming of a photochromic layer included in a head-mounted device.

[0003] background

[0004] A smart device is an electronic device that typically communicates with other devices or networks. In some cases, a smart device can be configured to operate interactively with a user. Smart devices can be designed to support a variety of form factors, such as head-mounted devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), or smart displays, to name a few examples.

[0005] A smart device may include one or more electronic components used in various applications such as gaming, aviation, engineering, medicine, entertainment, video / audio chat, activity tracking, etc. In some examples, a smart device such as a head mounted device or HMD may include a display that can present data, information, images, or other virtual graphics while allowing a user to view the real world.

[0006] Overview

[0007] In one aspect of the present invention, an optical component is provided, which includes: an eyewardside and a backside, wherein the optical component is configured to receive visible scene light at the backside of the optical component and guide the visible scene light in an optical path toward the eyeside; a dimming layer, which is disposed in the optical path between the eyewardside and the backside, wherein the dimming layer includes a photochromic material, which is configured to darken in response to exposure to a series of light wavelengths; and an activation layer, which is disposed in the optical path and is adjacent to the dimming layer, wherein the activation layer includes an in-field dimmer, which is configured to selectively emit activation light within the series of light wavelengths to activate dimming of a region of the dimming layer, thereby dimming the visible scene light within the region.

[0008] The intra-field dimmer may include: an optical waveguide; and an extraction feature optically coupled to the optical waveguide, wherein the optical waveguide is configured to guide activation light from the light source to the extraction feature, and wherein the extraction feature is configured to emit the activation light to the dimming layer.

[0009] The extraction features can be configured to emit activation light so that the darkened area of ​​the dimming layer is circular or rectangular.

[0010] The intra-field dimmer may include: an optical waveguide; and a plurality of extraction features optically coupled to the optical waveguide, wherein the optical waveguide is configured to guide activation light from a light source to the plurality of extraction features, and wherein each of the plurality of extraction features is configured to emit activation light to a dimming layer to dim an area.

[0011] The intra-field dimmer may include an optical waveguide configured to receive activation light from the light source and leak the activation light from the optical waveguide to the dimming layer to dim the area.

[0012] The intra-field dimmer may include: an optical waveguide; and a diffraction grating optically coupled to the optical waveguide, wherein the optical waveguide is configured to guide activation light from the light source to the diffraction grating, and wherein the diffraction grating is configured to guide the activation light toward the dimming layer to dim the area.

[0013] The optical assembly may further include a backside filter disposed in an optical path between a backside of the optical assembly and the light tuning layer, wherein the backside filter is configured to block the series of light wavelengths and pass visible scene light.

[0014] The backside filter can be configured to selectively switch between a first state for blocking the range of light wavelengths and a second state for passing the range of light wavelengths to activate dimming of the dimming layer throughout the field of view of the optical component.

[0015] The optical assembly may further include an eye-side filter disposed in an optical path between an eye side of the optical assembly and the light-adjusting layer, wherein the eye-side filter is configured to block the series of light wavelengths and pass visible scene light.

[0016] The activation layer and the dimming layer may be separated by a gap to increase the beam width of the activation light and to increase the size of the dimmed area.

[0017] The optical component may further include an additional dimming layer including a photochromic material, wherein the activation layer is disposed in an optical path between the dimming layer and the additional dimming layer, and wherein the intra-field dimmer is configured to emit activation light to the dimming layer and to the additional dimming layer.

[0018] The activation light may include non-visible light, ultraviolet light, infrared light, or violet light.

[0019] The optical assembly may further include: a display layer disposed in an optical path between the eye side of the optical assembly and the dimming layer, wherein the display layer is configured to direct visible display light toward the eye side.

[0020] In one aspect of the present invention, a head-mounted device is provided, the head-mounted device comprising: a display layer configured to direct visible display light toward an eye side of the head-mounted device to present a virtual graphic, and wherein the display layer is configured to pass visible scene light received at a back side of the head-mounted device; a dimming layer disposed in an optical path between the display layer and the back side, wherein the dimming layer comprises a photochromic material configured to dim in response to exposure to a range of light wavelengths; and a computing device configured to activate dimming of an area in the dimming layer in response to determining that the visible scene light will interfere with visibility of the virtual graphic, thereby dimming the visible scene light in the area.

[0021] The computing device may be configured to determine that visible scene light in an area will interfere with visibility of the virtual graphics by determining a contrast ratio between the visible scene light in the area and the visible display light or by comparing a color of the visible scene light to a color of the visible display light.

[0022] The head mounted device may further include an activation layer disposed in the optical path adjacent to the dimming layer, wherein the activation layer includes an intra-field dimmer configured to selectively emit activation light within a range of optical wavelengths.

[0023] The computing device may be configured to control the intra-field dimmer to vary the amount of dimming of the regions in the dimming layer.

[0024] In one aspect of the present invention, an optical component is provided, comprising: a dimming layer, the dimming layer comprising a photochromic material, the photochromic material being configured to darken in response to exposure to a range of light wavelengths; and an activation layer, the activation layer being disposed adjacent to the dimming layer, wherein the activation layer comprises a plurality of intra-field dimmers, wherein each of the plurality of intra-field dimmers is individually controllable to selectively emit activation light within the range of light wavelengths to activate darkening of a corresponding area of ​​the dimming layer to dim visible scene light.

[0025] At least one of the multiple intra-field dimmers may include: an optical waveguide; and an extraction feature optically coupled to the optical waveguide, wherein the optical waveguide is configured to guide activation light from the light source to the extraction feature, and wherein the extraction feature is configured to emit the activation light to the dimming layer.

[0026] The activation light may include non-visible light, ultraviolet light, infrared light, or violet light. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Non-limiting and non-exhaustive aspects of the present disclosure are described with reference to the following figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various views unless otherwise specified.

[0029] Figure 1A and Figure 1B A view of a user through the near-eye optical components of a head-mounted device is shown.

[0030] Figure 2 A head mounted device according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0031] Figure 3A A portion of a head mounted device including an on-site dimmer is shown in accordance with multiple faces of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 3B The present invention shows a plurality of aspects of the present invention. Figure 3A A portion of a head-mounted device having a darkened area of ​​a near-eye optical component.

[0033] Figure 4A is a cross-sectional view of a near-eye optical assembly according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 4B According to various aspects of the present disclosure Figure 4A Cross-sectional view of a near-eye optical component having a darkened area of ​​a dimming layer.

[0035] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a near-eye optical assembly including an eye-side filter and a back-side filter according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a near-eye optical assembly including multiple dimming layers according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of a near-eye optical assembly including a gap separating a dimming layer from an activation layer according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 8 A portion of a head mounted device having a rectangular darkened area is shown according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0039] Fig.9A and Fig. 9B A portion of a head mounted device including a near-eye optical assembly having a plurality of in-field dimmers is shown according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0040] Fig.10 A portion of a head mounted device is shown that includes a near-eye optical assembly having multiple in-field dimmers that provide separate and distinct dimming zones in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0041] Fig.11A portion of a head mounted device is shown according to aspects of the present disclosure, the head mounted device including a near eye optical assembly having a waveguide for leaking activation light to provide a darkened area.

[0042] Fig.12 A portion of a head mounted device having an intra-field dimmer including multiple extraction features optically coupled to a single waveguide is shown in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0043] Fig.13 A portion of a head mounted device having an intra-field dimmer including a diffraction grating is shown in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0044] Fig.14A An example head mounted device including a digital projector is shown in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0045] Fig. 14B Another example of a head mounted device including a digital projector according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0046] Fig.15 is a cross-sectional view of a near-eye optical assembly for a head-mounted display for use with a laser scanner according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0047] Fig.16 is a cross-sectional view of a near-eye optical assembly including an eye-side filter and a back-side filter for use with a laser scanner according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0048] Fig.17 An example computing device for dynamic control of an on-site dimmer is shown in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0049] Fig.18 1. The varying amount of dimming provided by a dimming layer of a near-eye optics assembly is shown in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0050] Detailed Description

[0051] Aspects and embodiments are disclosed in the following description and related drawings to illustrate specific examples related to local dimming provided by a head mounted device. Alternative aspects and embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the relevant art after reading this disclosure, and these alternative aspects and embodiments may be constructed and practiced without departing from the scope or spirit of this disclosure. In addition, well-known elements will not be described in detail or may be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the aspects and embodiments disclosed herein.

[0052] References throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0053] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the term "near-eye" may be defined as including elements configured to be placed within 50 mm of a user's eye when a near-eye device is used. Thus, a "near-eye optical element" or "near-eye system" would include one or more elements configured to be placed within 50 mm of a user's eye.

[0054] In various aspects of the present disclosure, visible light can be defined as having a wavelength range of about 380nm-700nm. Non-visible light can be defined as light with a wavelength outside the visible light range, such as ultraviolet light and infrared light. Infrared light with a wavelength range of about 700nm-1mm includes near infrared light. In various aspects of the present disclosure, near infrared light can be defined as having a wavelength range of about 700nm-1.4μm. Violet light can include light with a wavelength in the range of about 380-450nm.

[0055] As described above, a head mounted device may include a display configured to present data, information, images, or other virtual graphics while allowing a user to view the real world. However, the virtual graphics may be difficult for the user to view if the environment is too bright, if there is not enough contrast between the virtual graphics and the user's current view of the real world, if the color of the virtual graphics matches the color of the real world behind the virtual graphics, or some combination of the above. By way of example, Figure 1A 1 shows a user's view of a real-world scene 100 through an optical assembly 102 of a head mounted device. Figure 1A As shown, optical assembly 102 allows a user to view real world scene 100 while simultaneously presenting virtual graphics 104 to the user. In the example shown, virtual graphics 104 are icons, but in other examples, virtual graphics 104 may include text, pictures, videos, or other visual information generated by optical assembly 102 for presentation to the user. Figure 1A As shown, the virtual graphic 104 is positioned on the optical assembly 102 and aligned with the user's real-world object 106 (e.g., Figure 1AIn some examples, the real-world object 106 may interfere with the user's visibility of the virtual graphics 104. That is, the real-world object 106 may be the same or similar color as the virtual graphics 104, and / or the contrast between the real-world object 106 and the virtual graphics 104 may be too low. Thus, under certain conditions, the user may have difficulty discerning the virtual graphics 104 when the virtual graphics 104 is co-located with the user's view of the real-world object 106.

[0056] Thus, aspects of the present disclosure provide for local dimming of light received from the real-world scene 100 to increase visibility of the virtual graphics 104. For example, Figure 1B Dimming of area 108 is shown provided by optical assembly 102. As shown, area 108 is dimmed by optical assembly 102 to dim or block light received from real-world scene 100 at locations corresponding to real-world objects 106 and virtual graphics 104. In some examples, "local dimming" refers to dimming only a portion of the field of view provided by optical assembly 102 (e.g., less than the entire field of view). Figure 1B The virtual graph 104 is shown relative to Figure 1A The view shown in FIG. 1 is unchanged, but virtual graphics 104 may have increased visibility due to the dimming of real-world objects 106 provided by the darkening of region 108 .

[0057] The dimming provided by the optical component 102 can be provided by a dimming layer of the optical component 102 that includes a photochromic material that darkens in response to exposure to a range of light wavelengths. In some aspects, when activated, the photochromic material can undergo a reversible photochemical reaction that results in a change in its visible light absorption, intensity, and / or wavelength.

[0058] In some embodiments, dimming of a region of the dimming layer (e.g., region 108) is activated by one or more intra-field dimmers included within the optical component 102. The intra-field dimmers may include waveguides, extraction features, diffraction gratings, etc., which are incorporated within the optical component 102, wherein the intra-field dimmers are configured to selectively emit activation light to activate dimming of the photochromic material corresponding to a specific region of the optical component 102.

[0059] In other embodiments, the darkening of region 108 may be activated by a digital projector incorporated into the head mounted device. For example, the digital projector may be mounted to the frame and / or temple arms of the head mounted device to selectively emit activation light to specific regions of the optical assembly 102 to activate the darkening of the photochromic material. These and other embodiments are explained in more detail below.

[0060] Figure 2 An example head mounted device 200 according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. A head mounted device, such as head mounted device 200, is a smart device that is typically worn on a user's head to provide artificial reality content to the user. Artificial reality is a form of reality that has been adjusted in some way before being presented to the user, which may include, for example, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), hybrid reality, or some combination and / or derivative thereof.

[0061] The illustrated example of head mounted device 200 is shown to include frame 202, temples 204A and 204B, and near eye optical components 206A and 206B. Figure 2 Also shown is an exploded view of an example of a near-eye optical assembly 206A. The near-eye optical assembly 206A is shown to include a display layer 210, an activation layer 212, and a dimming layer 214.

[0062] like Figure 2 As shown, the frame 202 is coupled to the temples 204A and 204B for securing the head mounted device 200 to the user's head. The example head mounted device 200 may also include support hardware incorporated into the frame 202 and / or the temples 204A and 204B. The hardware of the head mounted device 200 may include any of the following items: processing logic, a wired and / or wireless data interface for sending and receiving data, a graphics processor, and one or more memories for storing data and computer executable instructions. In one example, the head mounted device 200 may be configured to receive a wired power source and / or may be configured to be powered by one or more batteries. In addition, the head mounted device 200 may be configured to receive wired and / or wireless data including video data.

[0063] Figure 2Near eye optical components 206A and 206B are shown configured to be mounted to the frame 202. The frame 202 can accommodate the near eye optical components 206A and 206B by surrounding at least a portion of the periphery of the near eye optical components 206A and 206B. The near eye optical component 206A is configured to receive visible scene light 222 at a back side 211 of the near eye optical component 206A and direct the visible scene light 222 on an optical path toward the eye side 209. In some examples, the near eye optical component 206A can appear transparent to the user to facilitate augmented reality or mixed reality, such that the user can view the visible scene light 222 from the environment while also receiving display light 224 directed toward their eyes through the display layer 210. In another example, some or all of near-eye optical components 206A and 206B may be incorporated into a virtual reality headset, where the transparent nature of near-eye optical components 206A and 206B allows a user to view an electronic display (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, a micro-LED display, etc.) incorporated into the virtual reality headset.

[0064] like Figure 2 As shown, the display layer 210 is disposed in an optical path between the eye side 209 and the back side 211 of the near-eye optical component 206A. In particular, the display layer 210 is disposed between the eye side 209 and the dimming layer 214. In some examples, the display layer 210 may include a waveguide 216 configured to guide the display light 224 to present one or more virtual graphics to the eyes of the user of the head-mounted device 200. In some aspects, the waveguide 216 is configured to guide the display light 224 generated by the electronic display to the user's eyes. In some implementations, at least a portion of the electronic display is included in the frame 202 of the head-mounted device 200. The electronic display may include an LCD, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, a micro LED display, a pico-projector, or a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) display for generating the display light 224.

[0065] Figure 2The dimming layer 214 is shown as being disposed in the optical path between the eye side 209 and the back side 211 of the near-eye optical component 206A. In particular, the dimming layer 214 is shown as being disposed between the display layer 210 and the back side 211. In some examples, the dimming layer 214 includes a photochromic material that is configured to darken in response to exposure to a range of light wavelengths. For example, the photochromic material can be configured to undergo a reversible photochemical reaction in response to exposure to non-visible light, such as infrared (IR) and / or ultraviolet (UV). In other examples, the photochromic material can be activated to darken in response to exposure to violet light with a wavelength in the range of 400nm to 440nm. In some aspects, the photochromic material is a film or dye coated on a transparent material (such as plastic or glass). In other aspects, the photochromic material is provided by a photochromic compound suspended in a transparent substrate (such as plastic or glass).

[0066] In some aspects, the photochromic material of the dimming layer 214 is distributed throughout the field of view provided by the near-eye optical component 206A (e.g., distributed throughout the dimming layer 214). In other aspects, the photochromic material can be provided only in certain portions of the field of view (e.g., the upper half of the dimming layer 214).

[0067] Figure 2 The near-eye optical component 206A is also shown to include an activation layer 212 disposed in an optical path of the near-eye optical component 206A, adjacent to a dimming layer 214. Although the illustrated example shows the activation layer 212 disposed on the eye side 209 of the dimming layer 214, in other examples, the activation layer 212 can be disposed on a back side 211 of the dimming layer 214. The activation layer 212 is also shown to include at least one intra-field dimmer 218. The intra-field dimmer is configured to selectively emit activation light 226 to activate dimming of a region 220 of the dimming layer 214. In some examples, the activation light 226 is within a range of light wavelengths (e.g., IR light, UV light, violet light, etc.) that activate the photochromic material of the dimming layer 214.

[0068] In some examples, the intra-field dimmer 218 can be disposed on a transparent substrate and can be configured to emit activation light 226 toward the dimming layer 214. In some aspects, the intra-field dimmer 218 can include a waveguide configured to guide light generated by a light source coupled to an edge of the frame 202 to an extraction feature or a diffraction grating for emitting the light as activation light 226 toward the dimming layer 214. The light source generating the activation light can be a light emitting diode, a micro-light emitting diode (micro-LED), an edge emitting LED, a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) diode, or a super luminescent diode (SLED).

[0069] like Figure 2As shown, the intra-field dimmer 218 is disposed within the field of view provided by the near-eye optical assembly 206A. Although the intra-field dimmer 218 may introduce a minor obstruction to the near-eye optical assembly 206A, the intra-field dimmer 218 may be small enough to be unnoticeable or unobtrusive to the wearer of the head mounted device 200. In addition, any obstruction from the intra-field dimmer 218 will be placed so close to the eye that it cannot be focused by the human eye and thus help make the intra-field dimmer 218 unnoticeable or unobtrusive.

[0070] In some examples, activation layer 212 and / or dimming layer 214 can have a curvature for focusing light (e.g., scene light 222) to the user's eyes. Therefore, in some examples, activation layer 212 and / or dimming layer 214 can be referred to as a lens. In some aspects, activation layer 212 and / or dimming layer 214 have a thickness and / or curvature corresponding to the user's specifications. In other words, activation layer 212 and / or dimming layer 214 can be a prescription lens.

[0071] As described above, the in-field dimmer 218 of the activation layer 212 is configured to emit activation light 226 to the dimming layer 214 to activate dimming of the region 220. In some examples, the activation of the in-field dimmer 218 is dynamically determined by a computing device of the head mounted device 200. For example, the head mounted device 200 may include a computing device that determines whether the visible scene light 222 interferes with the visibility of the virtual graphics generated by the visible display light 224 in the region 220. The computing device may make such a determination based on a comparison of the color of the visible scene light 222 in the region 220 with the color of the visible display light 224 and / or by determining a contrast ratio between the visible scene light 222 and the visible display light 224 in the region 220. If the color of visible scene light 222 within region 220 is the same or similar to the color of visible display light 224, and / or if the contrast between visible scene light 222 and visible display light 224 is below a low contrast threshold, the computing device may enable the in-field dimmer 218 to emit activation light 226 to dim region 220.

[0072] In some aspects, the photochemical reaction of the dimming layer 214 induced by the activation light 226 can be reversible. In one embodiment, the in-field dimmer 218 is disabled so that it no longer emits the activation light 226, allowing the photochromic material of the dimming layer 214 to naturally return to its previous non-dim state. In other embodiments, the head-mounted device 200 can be configured to actively return the dimming layer 214 to its non-dim state by directing bleaching light toward the dimming layer 214. In some examples, the bleaching light can be emitted by the in-field dimmer 218 or by other light sources (not explicitly shown) included in the head-mounted device 200. The bleaching light can be light of a wavelength that increases the rate at which the photochromic material returns to its non-dim state, such as visible light, UV light, and / or IR light.

[0073] Figure 3A A portion of a head mounted device 300 including an in-field light modulator according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The example of the head mounted device 300 shown is shown to include a frame 302, a near-eye optical assembly 304, a light source 306, an optical waveguide 308, and an extraction feature 310 (the optical waveguide 308 and the extraction feature 310 are collectively referred to herein as an in-field light modulator). The head mounted device 300 is Figure 2 A possible implementation of head mounted device 200 is shown in FIG. 1 , wherein frame 302 corresponds to frame 202 and near-eye optical component 304 corresponds to near-eye optical component 206A.

[0074] like Figure 3A As shown, the light source 306 can be incorporated into the frame 302 of the head mounted device 300, wherein the light source 306 is configured to selectively generate activation light (e.g., Figure 2 The optical waveguide 308 can be a transparent high refractive index waveguide embedded in a low refractive index cladding of an active layer (e.g., active layer 212). In some examples, the optical waveguide 308 is optically coupled to the light source 306 through a refractive index matching prism or through a grating incoupler. The optical waveguide 308 is configured to guide the activation light (e.g., through total internal reflection) from the light source 306 at the periphery of the near-eye optical component 304 to the extraction feature 310 within the field of view.

[0075] The extraction feature 310 is optically coupled to the optical waveguide 308 and is configured to emit activation light to the dimming layer to activate dimming of a region of the near-eye optical component 304. For example, Figure 3B The head mounted device 300 is shown with an in-field dimmer enabled to dim a region 312 of the near-eye optical assembly 304. In some examples, the extraction feature 310 includes a tapered expander to outcouple activation light having an expanded beam width.

[0076] Figure 4A 4 is a cross-sectional view of a near-eye optical assembly 400 according to aspects of the present disclosure. The example of the near-eye optical assembly 400 shown is shown to include a display layer 410, an activation layer 412, and a dimming layer 414. Figure 4A Also shown in FIG. 4 is an eye 402 of a user of the head mounted device. The near eye optical assembly 400 is Figure 2 A possible implementation of the near-eye optical component 206A.

[0077] like Figure 4A As shown, the display layer 410 is configured to direct visible display light 224 toward the eye side 209 of the near-eye optical component 400 to present one or more virtual graphics to the eye 402. The near-eye optical component 400 is also shown as receiving visible scene light 222A-222C at the back side 211, wherein the near-eye optical component 400 is configured to direct the visible scene light 222A-222C toward the eye side 209 for viewing by the eye 402. The activation layer 412 is shown to include an optical waveguide 401 optically coupled to the extraction feature 404. As shown, the optical waveguide 401 and the extraction feature 404 are embedded within the transparent material 406 of the activation layer 412. When the in-field dimmer (e.g., the optical waveguide 401 and the extraction feature 404) is disabled (i.e., not emitting activation light), the scene light 222A-222C is allowed to propagate through the dimming layer 414 substantially unaffected.

[0078] Figure 4B yes Figure 4A 4 is a cross-sectional view of the near-eye optical assembly 400 when the in-field dimmer is enabled to emit activation light 226 to activate dimming of the region 420 within the dimming layer 414. Figure 4B As shown, the darkening of the photochromic material within dimming layer 414 is limited to region 420, wherein scene light 222A and 222C that do not pass through region 420 continue to propagate through dimming layer 414 substantially unaffected, while scene light 222B that does pass through region 420 is actually dimmed to dimmed scene light 222D. In some examples, the darkening of region 420 increases the absorption of visible scene light 222B, such that visible scene light 222D has a lower brightness than visible scene light 222B. In other examples, the darkening of region 420 can block visible scene light 222B, such that substantially no visible scene light 222B passes through dimming layer 414.

[0079] Figure 5 5 is a cross-sectional view of a near-eye optical assembly 500 including a backside filter 502A and an eye-side filter 502B according to aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 2 A possible implementation of the near-eye optical component 206A.

[0080] like Figure 5 As shown, the backside filter 502A is disposed in the optical path between the backside 211 and the dimming layer 414 of the near-eye optical component 500. The backside filter 502A can be configured to absorb and / or reflect the activation light 226 to prevent the activation light 226 from leaking to the outside of the near-eye optical component 500. The backside filter 502A can also be configured to block external light (e.g., scene light or other light incident on the backside 211) that would activate the darkening of the photochromic material of the dimming layer 414. As another example Figure 5 As shown in , backside filter 502A is configured to pass visible scene light 222A- 222C.

[0081] In some embodiments, the backside filter 502A is configured to selectively switch between a first state and a second state. The first state may cause the backside filter 502A to block a range of light wavelengths (received at the backside 211) that would activate the darkening of the photochromic material of the dimming layer 414 while passing the visible scene light 222A-222C. The second state may cause the backside filter 502A to pass both the range of light wavelengths and the visible scene light 222A-222C. When in the second state, the backside filter 502A may allow the dimming of the dimming layer 414 over the entire field of view of the near-eye optical assembly 500, which may be desirable, for example, in bright lighting conditions. In this embodiment, the backside filter 502A may include one or more of a switchable wave plate and at least one polarization layer.

[0082] Figure 5 The near-eye optical component 500 is also shown to include an eye-side filter 502B disposed in the optical path between the eye side 209 and the dimming layer 414 of the near-eye optical component 500. The eye-side filter 502B can be configured to absorb and / or reflect the activation light 226 to prevent the activation light 226 from leaking to the outside of the near-eye optical component 500. The eye-side filter 502B can also be configured to block external light (e.g., scene light or other light incident on the eye side 209) that would activate the dimming of the photochromic material of the dimming layer 414. As another example Figure 5 As shown in , eye-side filter 502B is configured to pass visible scene light 222A-222D.

[0083] Figure 6 600 is a cross-sectional view of a near-eye optical component 600 including a plurality of dimming layers 602 and 604 according to aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 2 A possible implementation of the near-eye optical component 206A.

[0084] In some implementations, the in-field light modulator (e.g., extraction feature 404) can be configured to emit activation light in multiple (e.g., opposite) directions. Figure 6 The extraction feature 404 is shown as emitting activation light 608 toward the eye side 209 and emitting activation light 606 toward the back side 211 of the near-eye optical component 600. Thus, in some examples, the near-eye optical component 600 may include multiple dimming layers, each dimming layer including a photochromic material. Figure 6 As shown, activation layer 412 is disposed between first dimming layer 602 and second dimming layer 604. Extraction feature 404 is configured to emit activation light 606 toward first dimming layer 602 to activate dimming of first region 610. Extraction feature is also configured to emit activation light 608 toward second dimming layer 604 to activate dimming of second region 612.

[0085] Figure 7 700 includes a gap 706 for separating the dimming layer 414 from the activation layer 702. Figure 2 706A. In some examples, a gap 706 can be provided to increase the beam width 714 of the activation light 712 and also increase the size of the darkened area 710. In one example, the gap 706 is provided by one or more spacers 708 placed between the activation layer 702 and the dimming layer 414, so that the gap 706 is an air gap. In other examples, the gap 706 can be provided by a transparent layer (e.g., glass or plastic).

[0086] In some aspects, the extraction features included in the activation layer can be configured to emit activation light so that the area of ​​the dimming layer that is dimmed has various shapes and / or configurations. Figure 3B , the extraction feature 310 is configured to emit activation light so that the area 312 is circular. In another implementation, according to various aspects of the present disclosure, Figure 8 A portion of a head mounted device 800 is shown having a rectangular darkened area 812. The example of the head mounted device 800 shown is shown to include a frame 802, an optical assembly 804, and a light source 806. The optical assembly 804 is shown to include an optical waveguide 808 and an extraction feature 810. As shown, the extraction feature 810 is configured to emit activation light having a rectangular profile, resulting in a darkened square area 812. In some embodiments, the extraction feature 810 includes one or more micro-gratings, nano-gratings, and / or meta-surfaces that are designed and engineered to achieve a desired light output pattern. The head mounted device 800 is Figure 2A possible implementation of the head mounted device 200.

[0087] Fig.9A and Fig. 9B A portion of a head mounted device 900 is shown that includes a near eye optical assembly 904 having a plurality of in-field light modulators (i.e., extraction features 910A-910M) in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The illustrated example of the head mounted device 900 is shown to include a frame 902 and the near eye optical assembly 904. The frame 902 is shown to include light sources 906A-906M, and the near eye optical assembly 904 is shown to include extraction features 910A-910M. The head mounted device 900 is Figure 2 A possible implementation of the head mounted device 200.

[0088] like Fig.9A As shown, the frame 902 includes a plurality of light sources 906A-906M. Each of the light sources 906A-906M can be individually controllable to generate a corresponding activation light. Fig.9A Also shown are a plurality of extraction features 910A-910M coupled to receive activation light from respective light sources 906A-906M via respective optical waveguides. Fig.9A The near-eye optical assembly 904 is shown to include 13 intra-field light modulators (e.g., extraction features 910A-910M), but in other embodiments, the near-eye optical assembly 904 may include any number of intra-field light modulators, including one or more intra-field light modulators. In addition, the intra-field light modulators can be arranged in various configurations within the field of view, where the intra-field light modulators cover only a portion of the field of view, or cover the entire field of view.

[0089] As shown, each extraction feature 910A-910M is configured to emit activation light to dim a corresponding region 912A-912M of a dimming layer of near-eye optical component 904. In some examples, a computing device of head mounted device 900 can selectively enable one or more of light sources 906A-906M to dynamically dim multiple regions 912A-912M. In some examples, determining which regions 912A-912M to dim is based on the size, shape, number, and / or positioning of a virtual graphic to be generated by near-eye optical component 904. Fig. 9B An example is shown where light sources 906C, 906E, and 906F-906K are enabled to dim corresponding areas 912C, 912E, and 912F-912K while light sources 906A, 906B, 906D, 906L, and 906M are disabled (ie, do not generate activation light).

[0090] Fig.101 shows a portion of a head mounted device 1000 including a near eye optical assembly 1004 having a plurality of in-field dimmers that provide separate and distinct dimming zones 1014A-1014D in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 2 1000 is a possible implementation of a head mounted device 200. The head mounted device 1000 is shown as including a frame 1002 and a near eye optical assembly 1004. The frame 1002 is shown as including light sources 1006, 1008, and 1010. The near eye optical assembly 1004 is shown as including a plurality of in-field modulators (i.e., extraction features 1012A-1012K).

[0091] In some implementations, the virtual pattern generated by the near-eye optical assembly 1004 can be generated at known and repeatable locations within the field of view. Accordingly, an intra-field dimmer can be located within the near-eye optical assembly 1004 to provide regions 1014A-1014D corresponding to these known locations of the virtual pattern. In addition, each of the light sources 1006, 1008, and 1010 can be individually controlled so that each of the regions 1014A-1014D can be individually dimmed based on a determined need.

[0092] Fig.11 A portion of a head mounted device 1100 is shown including a near eye optical assembly 1104 having an optical waveguide 1108 for leaking activation light to provide a darkened area 1110 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The illustrated example of the head mounted device 1100 is shown to include a frame 1102 and the near eye optical assembly 1104. The frame 1102 is shown to include a light source 1106, and the near eye optical assembly 1104 is shown to include an optical waveguide 1108. The head mounted device 1100 is Figure 2 A possible implementation of the head mounted device 200.

[0093] The above-described example of an in-field dimmer is provided by a dedicated extraction feature coupled to an optical waveguide. However, in some embodiments, the extraction feature may be omitted, wherein the optical waveguide is configured to leak activation light to a dimming layer of a near-eye optical component. For example, the optical waveguide 1108 may be designed to be essentially lossy in a controlled manner as the activation light propagates through it. The activation light may exit the optical waveguide 1108 toward the dimming layer to activate dimming in region 1110. In another example, the optical waveguide 1108 may be designed to be less lossy, but a designed scatterer is arranged along the length of the optical waveguide 1108 and integrated into the optical waveguide 1108. When the activation light propagates in the optical waveguide 1108 and encounters the scatterer, a portion of the activation light leaks from the optical waveguide 1108 into the dimming layer to dim region 1110.

[0094] Fig.12 A portion of a head mounted device 1200 having an in-field light modulator including a plurality of extraction features 1210 optically coupled to a single waveguide 1208 according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The example of the head mounted device 1200 shown is shown to include a frame 1202 and a near eye optical assembly 1204. The frame 1202 is shown to include a light source 1206, and the near eye optical assembly 1204 is shown to include an optical waveguide 1208 and a plurality of extraction features 1210. The head mounted device 1200 is Figure 2 A possible implementation of the head mounted device 200.

[0095] like Fig.12 As shown, each extraction feature 1210 is optically coupled to the optical waveguide 1208. In operation, the optical waveguide 1208 is configured to guide activation light from the light source 1206 to each extraction feature 1210, wherein each extraction feature 1210 is configured to emit activation light to the dimming layer to dim the region 1212.

[0096] Fig.13 A portion of a head mounted device 1300 having an in-field light modulator including a diffraction grating 1312 is shown in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The example of the head mounted device 1300 shown is shown to include a frame 1302 and a near eye optical assembly 1304. The frame 1302 is shown to include a light source 1306, and the near eye optical assembly 1304 is shown to include an optical waveguide 1308, a tapered expander 1310, and a diffraction grating 1312. The head mounted device 1300 is Figure 2 A possible implementation of the head mounted device 200.

[0097] In the example shown, a diffraction grating 1312 (e.g., a volume Bragg grating) is optically coupled to an optical waveguide 1308 via a tapered expander 1310. The optical waveguide 1308 is configured to guide activation light from the light source 1306 to the diffraction grating, wherein the diffraction grating 1312 is configured to guide the activation light toward the dimming layer to dim the region 1314.

[0098] The above-described embodiments provide dimming of one or more regions of the dimming layer by one or more on-site dimmers included in the optical assembly. However, in other embodiments, dimming of regions of the dimming layer is activated by a digital projector incorporated into the head mounted device. For example, Fig.14A A head mounted device 1400A including a digital projector 1408A is shown according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0099] The illustrated example of the head mounted device 1400A is shown to include a frame 1402, temples 1404, near eye optical assembly 1406, and a digital projector 1408A. In some aspects, the digital projector 1408A can be disposed on the temples 1404 on the eye side of the near eye optical assembly 1406. As shown, the digital projector 1408A can be a laser scanner configured to emit activation light 1410A to activate dimming of an area 1412 of a dimming layer included in the near eye optical assembly 1406. In some embodiments, the activation light 1410A generated by the digital projector 1408A is a steerable laser beam of a range of light wavelengths that activates dimming of a photochromic material included in the dimming layer.

[0100] In some aspects, the laser scanner of the digital projector 1408A is configured to direct activation light 1410A by raster scanning within the region 1412 to activate dimming of the dimming layer. Fig.14A The digital projector 1408A is shown as directing activation light 1410A to dim a single rectangular area 1412, but the digital projector 1408A can also be configured to direct activation light 1410A to dim multiple separate and different areas of the dimming layer having various shapes (e.g., circular, irregular, elliptical, etc.). In some embodiments, the digital projector 1408A includes a single laser light source for generating activation light 1410A. In other embodiments, the digital projector 1408A may include a laser light source for generating display light to dim a virtual graphic (e.g., Figure 1A and Figure 1B The digital projector 1408A may include one or more additional light sources for projecting a virtual pattern 104 onto the near-eye optical assembly 1406. For example, the digital projector 1408A may include a first laser light source for generating activation light 1410A (i.e., within a range of light wavelengths that dim the dimming layer) and additional red, green, and blue laser light sources for generating the virtual pattern.

[0101] As described above, digital projector 1408A may include a laser scanner configured to direct activation light 1410A by raster scanning within region 1412 to activate dimming of the dimming layer. However, in other embodiments, the digital projector may project activation light onto the entire region 1412 simultaneously. For example, Fig. 14B Another head mounted device 1400B including a digital projector 1408B is shown in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Fig. 14B As shown, digital projector 1408B is configured to emit activation light 1410B to simultaneously darken the entire area 1412.

[0102] In some aspects, the digital projector 1408B includes a plurality of pixels that can be configured to generate activation light 1410B in a desired pattern to darken the area 1412. For example, the digital projector 1408B can include a digital micromirror device (DMD), a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) device, a micro light emitting diode (uLED) device, etc.

[0103] In some embodiments, digital projector 1408B includes a single light source for generating activation light 1410B. In other embodiments, digital projector 1408B may include a display device for generating display light to display a virtual graphic (e.g., Figure 1A and Figure 1B The digital projector 1408B may include one or more additional light sources projected onto the near-eye optical assembly 1406 (virtual graphics 104) of the near-eye optical assembly 1406. As an example, when implemented as an LCOS device, the digital projector 1408B may include a first LCOS device for generating activation light 1410B (i.e., within a range of light wavelengths that dim the dimming layer), and at least one additional LCOS device for generating the virtual graphics (e.g., red, green, and blue). In operation, the digital projector 1408B may be configured to sequentially illuminate one LCOS device with red, green, and blue light, and then illuminate another LCOS device with activation light 1410B (e.g., UV, IR, violet, etc.).

[0104] Fig.15 1 is a cross-sectional view of a near-eye optical assembly 1506 for a head-mounted display for use with a laser scanner according to aspects of the present disclosure. The near-eye optical assembly 1506 is shown to include a display layer 1510 and a dimming layer 1514. The near-eye optical assembly 1506 is Fig.14A and Fig. 14B One possible implementation of the near-eye optical assembly 1406.

[0105] like Fig.15 As shown, a dimming layer 1514 is disposed in an optical path between an eye side 1509 and a back side 1511 of a near-eye optical assembly 1506. A display layer 1510 is disposed in an optical path between the dimming layer 1514 and the eye side 1509. The display layer 1510 is also shown as directing display light 1524 toward the eye side 1509 for presenting one or more virtual graphics to an eye 402 of a user of the head mounted device.

[0106] In some aspects, dimming layer 1514 is similar to Figure 4A The dimming layer 414 is preferably a photochromic material because it includes a photochromic material that is configured to darken in response to exposure to a range of light wavelengths (e.g., IR, UV, violet light, etc.). Fig.15As shown, the laser scanner 1408 is configured to emit activation light 1410 within a range of optical wavelengths to activate dimming of regions 1512 of the dimming layer 1514.

[0107] Fig.16 1 is a cross-sectional view of a near-eye optical assembly 1600 including a backside filter 1602A and an eye-side filter 1602B for use with a laser scanner 1408 according to aspects of the present disclosure. The example of the near-eye optical assembly 1600 shown includes a display layer 1610, a dimming layer 1614, a backside filter 1602A, and an eye-side filter 1602B. The near-eye optical assembly 1600 is Fig.14A and Fig. 14B One possible implementation of the near-eye optical assembly 1406.

[0108] like Fig.16 As shown, the backside filter 1602A is disposed in the optical path between the backside 1611 and the dimming layer 1614 of the near-eye optical component 1600. The backside filter 1602A can be configured to absorb and / or reflect the activation light 1410 to prevent the activation light 1410 from leaking to the outside of the near-eye optical component 1600. The backside filter 1602A can also be configured to block external light (e.g., scene light or other light incident on the backside 1611) that would activate the darkening of the photochromic material of the dimming layer 1614. As another example Fig.16 As shown in , backside filter 1602A is configured to pass visible scene light 222 .

[0109] In some embodiments, the backside filter 1602A is configured to selectively switch between a first state and a second state. The first state may enable the backside filter 1602A to block a range of light wavelengths (received at the backside 1611) that would activate the darkening of the photochromic material of the dimming layer 1614 while passing the visible scene light 222. The second state may enable the backside filter 1602A to pass both the range of light wavelengths and the visible scene light 222. When in the second state, the backside filter 1602 may allow the dimming of the dimming layer 1614 over the entire field of view of the near-eye optical assembly 1600, which may be desirable, for example, in bright lighting conditions. In this embodiment, the backside filter 1602A may include one or more of a switchable wave plate and at least one polarization layer.

[0110] Fig.16The near-eye optical component 1600 is also shown to include an eye-side filter 1602B disposed in the optical path between the eye side 1609 and the dimming layer 1614 of the near-eye optical component 1600. The eye-side filter 1602B can be configured to absorb and / or reflect the activation light 1410 to prevent the activation light 1410 from leaking to the outside of the near-eye optical component 1600. The eye-side filter 1602B can also be configured to block external light (e.g., scene light or other light incident on the eye side 1609) that would activate the darkening of the photochromic material of the dimming layer 1614. As another example Fig.16 As shown in , eye-side filter 1602B is configured to allow visible scene light 222 to pass through.

[0111] In some embodiments, the eye-side filter 1602B is configured to pass the activation light 1410 to the dimming layer 1614, but also block other light within a range of light wavelengths. For example, the eye-side filter 1602B can be configured to pass UV light generated by the laser scanner 1408, but block other UV light (e.g., from the environment) that would otherwise activate the dimming of the dimming layer 1614. In one example, the eye-side filter 1602B can selectively allow the activation light 1410 to pass through by angle selection. That is, the eye-side filter 1602B can be configured to pass the activation light 1410 based on the incident angle of the activation light 1410 on the eye-side filter 1602B. In one example, this can be achieved because the laser scanner 1408 is mounted to the temple of the head-mounted device (e.g., the temple 1404 of FIG. 14) at a known position and a known angle relative to the near-eye optical component.

[0112] In some embodiments, the eye-side filter 1602B includes a diffraction grating configured to pass the activation light 1410 and block other light within a range of light wavelengths. In another embodiment, the eye-side filter 1602B includes a dielectric mirror configured to pass the activation light 1410 and block other light within a range of light wavelengths.

[0113] Fig.17 An example computing device 1702 for dynamic control of an on-site dimmer according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. The example of the computing device 1702 shown is shown to include a communication interface 1704, one or more processors 1706, hardware 1708, and memory 1710. In one example, Fig.17 One or more of the components shown may be incorporated into Figure 2 In another example, Fig.17 One or more of the components shown in may be incorporated into Fig.14A and Fig. 14B In the frame 1402 and / or the temple 1404 of the head mounted devices 1400A and 1400B. In other examples, Fig.17 One or more of the components shown may be incorporated into a remote computing device communicatively coupled to the head mounted device 200 / 1400A-1400B for performing one or more aspects of dynamic control of an on-site dimmer.

[0114] Communication interface 1704 may include wireless and / or wired communication components that enable computing device 1702 to send data to and receive data from other networked devices. Hardware 1708 may include additional hardware interfaces, data communication, or data storage hardware. For example, a hardware interface may include a data output device (e.g., an electronic display, audio speakers) and one or more data input devices.

[0115] The memory 1710 may be implemented using computer-readable media (e.g., computer storage media). In some aspects, computer-readable media may include volatile and / or nonvolatile, removable and / or non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD), high-definition multimedia / data storage disks or other optical storage devices, cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage devices or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transmission media that can be used to store information for access by a computing device.

[0116] The processor 1706 and memory 1710 of the computing device 1702 may implement a display module 1712 and a dimming control module 1714. The display module 1712 and the dimming control module 1714 may include routines, program instructions, objects, and / or data structures that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. The memory 1710 may also include a data storage (not shown) used by the display module 1712 and / or the dimming control module 1714.

[0117] Display module 1712 may be configured to determine visible scene light in the area of ​​the near-eye optical components (e.g., Figure 2The visible scene light 222 of FIG. 1 will interfere with the visibility of the virtual graphics (e.g., virtual graphics 104 of FIG. 1 ) generated by the visible display light 224 located in the same area. In some implementations, the head mounted device may include one or more light sensors that provide information about the visible scene light (e.g., brightness, contrast, color, etc.). In another implementation, the head mounted device may include a camera that is positioned (e.g., at Figure 2 The display module 1712 can receive images and / or data from the light sensor to determine whether visible scene light interferes with the visibility of the virtual graphics.

[0118] In some aspects, the display module 1712 determines the visibility of the virtual graphics based on the readings obtained from the light sensor and / or by performing image processing on the image of the field of view. This may include determining the ambient brightness and / or determining the contrast between the visible scene light and the virtual graphics. In another example, the display module 1712 may determine the visibility of the virtual graphics by comparing the color of the visible scene light in the area corresponding to the place where the virtual graphics are to be displayed. If the visible scene light is too bright, the contrast between the scene light and the virtual graphics is too low, and / or if the color of the scene light is similar to the color of the virtual graphics, the display module 1712 then determines that the visible scene light does interfere with the visibility of the virtual graphics.

[0119] In response to display module 1712 determining that visible scene light will interfere with the visibility of virtual graphics, dimming control module 1714 can then activate dimming of one or more regions of the dimming layer of the near-eye optical assembly to dim and / or block the visible scene light. Figure 2 In the head mounted device 200, the dimming control module 1714 may cause the in-field dimmer 218 to emit activation light 226 to activate dimming of the region 220 in the dimming layer 214. As described above, the dimming of the region 220 may dim the visible scene light 222 within the region 220 to increase the visibility of the virtual graphics generated by the display light 224.

[0120] As another example, and referring to Fig.14AIn the head mounted device 1400A of FIG. 1 , the dimming control module 1714 may control the digital projector 1408A to emit activation light 1410A to activate dimming of the region 1412, thereby increasing the visibility of the virtual graphics generated by the display layer of the near-eye optical component 1406 within the region 1412. The dimming control module 1714 may also be configured to control the laser scanner of the digital projector 1408A to raster scan the region 1412 to activate dimming of the region 1412. In some embodiments, the dimming control module 1714 may be configured to control the digital projector 1408A to direct the activation light 1410A to dim multiple separate and different regions of the dimming layer.

[0121] In some aspects, dimming control module 1714 can be configured to vary the amount of dimming provided by a region of the dimming layer. For example, Fig.18 1802 illustrates a variable amount of dimming provided by a dimming layer of a near-eye optical component 1802 according to aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 2 The near-eye optical assembly 206A and / or Fig.14A and Fig. 14B Multiple amounts of dimming provided by near-eye optical component 1406 of the present invention. For example, first area 1804 is dimmed a first amount, second area 1806 is dimmed a second amount, and third area 1808 is dimmed a third amount. In some aspects, the amount to dim a particular area is determined based on the amount of dimming required to make the virtual graphics sufficiently visible to the user. For example, in some implementations, an upper area of ​​the field of view may include a view of the sky, which is generally brighter than a lower area of ​​the field of view that includes a view of the ground. Thus, areas in the upper half of the field of view may be darkened more than areas in the lower half of the field of view. Even so, bright spots within the field of view caused by external light sources (e.g., oncoming vehicle headlights, illuminators, etc.) may require more dimming than surrounding areas.

[0122] When combined with Figure 2 A head mounted device 200 or Fig. 14B When in the head mounted device 1400B, changing the dimming amount may include the dimming control module 1714 performing pulse width modulation of the light source of the field dimmer 218 or the digital projector 1408A. For example, the dimming control module 1714 may adjust the frequency, on-time, and / or off-time of the light source to increase or decrease the dimming amount of the dimming layer.

[0123] When combined with Fig.14A When in the head-mounted device 1400A, changing the dimming amount may include the dimming control module 1714 controlling the scanning speed and / or laser power of the laser scanner of the digital projector 1408A to increase or decrease the dimming of the dimming layer included in the near-eye optical component 1406.

[0124] Embodiments of the present invention may include an artificial reality system or be implemented in conjunction with an artificial reality system. Artificial reality is a form of reality that has been adjusted in some way before being presented to a user, which may include, for example, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), hybrid reality, or some combination and / or derivative thereof. Artificial reality content may include fully generated content or content generated in combination with captured (e.g., real-world) content. Artificial reality content may include video, audio, tactile feedback, or some combination thereof, and any of which may be presented in a single channel or in multiple channels (e.g., stereoscopic video that produces a three-dimensional effect to the viewer). In addition, in some embodiments, artificial reality may also be associated with applications, products, accessories, services, or some combination thereof for, for example, creating content in artificial reality and / or being used in other ways in artificial reality (e.g., performing activities in artificial reality). Artificial reality systems that provide artificial reality content can be implemented on a variety of platforms, including a head-mounted display (HMD) connected to a host computer system, an independent HMD, a mobile device or computing system, or any other hardware platform capable of providing artificial reality content to one or more viewers.

[0125] The above description of the illustrated embodiments of the present invention, including what is described in the Abstract, is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Although specific embodiments and examples of the present invention are described herein for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the relevant art will recognize that various modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention.

[0126] These modifications can be made to the present invention in light of the above detailed description. The terms used in the appended claims should not be interpreted as limiting the present invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification. Rather, the scope of the present invention is determined entirely by the appended claims, which will be interpreted in accordance with established principles of claim interpretation.

Claims

1. An optical component, comprising: an eye side and a back side, wherein the optical assembly is configured to receive visible scene light at the back side of the optical assembly and direct the visible scene light on an optical path toward the eye side; a first dimming layer and a second dimming layer disposed in the optical path between the eye side and the back side, wherein the first dimming layer and the second dimming layer include a photochromic material configured to darken in response to exposure to a range of light wavelengths; and An activation layer is arranged on the optical path, adjacent to the first dimming layer and the second dimming layer, wherein the activation layer is arranged between the first dimming layer and the second dimming layer, and the activation layer includes an intra-field dimmer, and the intra-field dimmer is configured to selectively emit activation light within the series of light wavelengths toward the first dimming layer and the second dimming layer in multiple directions to activate dimming of a first area of ​​the first dimming layer and a second area of ​​the second dimming layer, thereby dimming the visible scene light within the first area and the second area.

2. The optical assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The on-site dimmer comprises: optical waveguide; and An extraction feature is optically coupled to the optical waveguide, wherein the optical waveguide is configured to guide the activation light from the light source to the extraction feature, and wherein the extraction feature is configured to emit the activation light to the first dimming layer and the second dimming layer.

3. The optical assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The extraction features are configured to emit the activation light such that darkened areas of the first region of the first dimming layer and the second region of the second dimming layer are circular or rectangular.

4. The optical assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The on-site dimmer comprises: optical waveguide; and A plurality of extraction features are optically coupled to the optical waveguide, wherein the optical waveguide is configured to guide the activation light from the light source to the plurality of extraction features, and wherein each of the plurality of extraction features is configured to emit the activation light to the first dimming layer and the second dimming layer to dim the first area and the second area.

5. The optical assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The on-site dimmer comprises: The optical waveguide is configured to receive the activation light from a light source and leak the activation light from the optical waveguide to the first dimming layer and the second dimming layer to dim the first area and the second area.

6. The optical assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The on-site dimmer comprises: optical waveguide; and A diffraction grating optically coupled to the optical waveguide, wherein the optical waveguide is configured to guide the activation light from the light source to the diffraction grating, and wherein the diffraction grating is configured to guide the activation light toward the first dimming layer and the second dimming layer to dim the first region and the second region.

7. The optical assembly of claim 1, further comprising: A backside filter is disposed in the optical path between the backside of the optical assembly and the first and second dimming layers, wherein the backside filter is configured to block the range of light wavelengths and pass the visible scene light.

8. The optical assembly according to claim 7, wherein: The backside filter is configured to selectively switch between a first state for blocking the series of light wavelengths and a second state for passing the series of light wavelengths to activate dimming of the first dimming layer and the second dimming layer throughout the field of view of the optical component.

9. The optical assembly of claim 1, further comprising: An eye-side filter is disposed in the optical path between the eye side of the optical assembly and the first dimming layer and the second dimming layer, wherein the eye-side filter is configured to block the series of light wavelengths and pass the visible scene light.

10. The optical assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The activation layer is separated from the first dimming layer and the second dimming layer by a gap to increase a beam width of the activation light and to increase sizes of the first and second regions that are dimmed.

11. The optical assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an additional dimming layer, the additional dimming layer comprising a photochromic material, wherein: The activation layer is disposed on the optical path between the dimming layer and the additional dimming layer, and wherein the intra-field dimmer is configured to emit the activation light to the dimming layer and to the additional dimming layer.

12. The optical assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The activation light includes invisible light or ultraviolet light.

13. The optical assembly according to claim 12, wherein: The non-visible light includes ultraviolet light or infrared light.

14. The optical assembly of claim 1, further comprising: A display layer is disposed on the optical path between the eye side of the optical component and the first dimming layer and the second dimming layer, wherein the display layer is configured to guide visible display light toward the eye side.

15. A head mounted device comprising: a display layer configured to direct visible display light toward an eye side of the head mounted device to present virtual graphics, and wherein the display layer is configured to pass visible scene light received at a back side of the head mounted device; a first dimming layer and a second dimming layer disposed in an optical path between the display layer and the backside, wherein the first dimming layer and the second dimming layer include a photochromic material configured to darken in response to exposure to a range of light wavelengths; and A computing device configured to activate dimming of first and second regions in the first dimming layer and the second dimming layer in response to determining that the visible scene light will interfere with visibility of the virtual pattern, thereby dimming the visible scene light in the first and second regions.

16. The head mounted device according to claim 15, wherein: The computing device is configured to determine whether the visible scene light in the first area and the second area will interfere with the visibility of the virtual graphic by determining a contrast ratio between the visible scene light and the visible display light in the first area and the second area or by comparing a color of the visible scene light with a color of the visible display light.

17. The head mounted device according to claim 15, further comprising an activation layer, wherein the activation layer is disposed on the optical path and adjacent to the first dimming layer and the second dimming layer, wherein: The activation layer includes an intra-field dimmer configured to selectively emit activation light within the range of light wavelengths.

18. The head mounted device according to claim 17, wherein: The computing device is configured to control the intra-field dimmer to change an amount of dimming of the first and second regions in the first and second dimming layers.

19. An optical component comprising: a first dimming layer and a second dimming layer, the first dimming layer and the second dimming layer comprising a photochromic material configured to darken in response to exposure to a range of light wavelengths; and An activation layer is arranged adjacent to the first dimming layer and the second dimming layer, wherein the activation layer includes a plurality of intra-field dimmers, wherein each of the plurality of intra-field dimmers is individually controllable to selectively emit activation light within the series of light wavelengths, thereby activating dimming of corresponding first areas and corresponding second areas of the first dimming layer and the second dimming layer to dim the visible scene light.

Images