Multi-mode micro LED display

Abstract

A multi-mode micro LED display for a head mounted device is disclosed that can be switched between two or more complementary display modes having different colors and / or resolutions. These modes may help a head-up display using micro-LEDs display information to a user in various display scenes without simply increasing the power consumed by the micro-LEDs. These modes may be supported by display software and display hardware. Switching between alternative modes may be based on content for display, user input, environmental conditions, and / or conditions of the head-mounted device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a display, and more particularly to a micro LED display. Background Art

[0002] The head mounted device may be worn by a user to view information about the displayed environment in a convenient manner. The head mounted device may be powered by a rechargeable battery. Summary of the invention

[0003] A display of a head mounted device may consume excessive power to display a high resolution color image at full brightness. This excessive power consumption may limit the operating time of the head mounted device for a single charge. The present disclosure describes a display for a head mounted device that can automatically change how content is displayed so that the power consumed by the display can be reduced on average.

[0004] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a micro LED display for a head-mounted device, the micro LED display comprising: a two-dimensional array of pixels, the two-dimensional array of pixels being subdivided into multiple regions, the multiple regions being configured to display content according to at least one mode of the micro LED display; and a controller, the controller being configured to: determine a mode in at least one mode of the micro LED display based on a standard; select a region in the multiple regions to display content based on the mode; and display the content on the region in the multiple regions.

[0005] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a head-mounted device, the head-mounted device comprising: a sensor configured to sense a condition of the head-mounted device; a micro-LED display subdivided into contiguous regions, the contiguous regions comprising: a first region at a center of the micro-LED display, the first region having an upper boundary located above the center, a lower boundary located below the center, a left boundary located to the left of the center, and a right boundary located to the right of the center, wherein the first region includes three different color sub-pixels; and a color-reducing region extending from the upper boundary to a top edge of the micro-LED display, from the lower boundary to a bottom edge of the micro-LED display, from the right boundary to a right edge of the micro-LED display, and from the left boundary to a left edge of the micro-LED display, wherein the color-reducing region includes less than three different color sub-pixels; and a processor communicatively coupled to the sensor and the micro-LED display, the processor configured by software instructions to: select a mode from a plurality of modes of the micro-LED display based on the condition of the head-mounted device; and configure the micro-LED display to display content in the first region and the color-reducing region based on the mode.

[0006] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a method comprising: receiving content for display on a micro LED display; selecting a mode of the micro LED display from a plurality of modes based on the content; and driving different regions of the micro LED display differently based on the mode, the different regions comprising: a first region at a center of the micro LED display, the first region comprising three sub-pixels of different colors spaced apart at a first pixel pitch; and a second region surrounding the first region, the second region comprising less than three sub-pixels of different colors spaced apart at a second pixel pitch, the second pixel pitch being greater than the first pixel pitch.

[0007] The foregoing exemplary inventive content and other exemplary purposes and / or advantages of the present disclosure and their implementation are further explained in the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 is a front view of a head mounted device including a multi-mode micro LED display according to a possible implementation of the present disclosure.

[0009] Figure 2 is an eye-side view of content displayed on a head-mounted device according to a first possible implementation manner of the present disclosure.

[0010] Figure 3 is an eye-side view of content displayed on a head-mounted device according to a second possible implementation manner of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 4 is a schematic block diagram of a micro LED display for a head-mounted device according to a possible implementation of the present disclosure.

[0012] Figure 5 is a block diagram of a heads-up display for a head-mounted device according to a possible implementation of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 6 A micro LED display configured for multiple display modes according to a first possible implementation of the present disclosure is shown.

[0014] Figure 7 A micro LED display configured for multiple display modes according to a second possible implementation of the present disclosure is shown.

[0015] Figure 8 is a system block diagram of a head mounted device according to a possible implementation of the present disclosure.

[0016] Fig. 9 is a flow chart of a method for displaying content on a multi-mode micro LED display according to a possible implementation of the present disclosure.

[0017] Fig.10 A top view of pixels for displaying content in full color is shown according to a possible implementation of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 11A to FIG. 11B Shown is a top view of possible pixels for displaying monochrome (green) content according to a possible implementation of the present disclosure.

[0019] The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale relative to each other. Like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The head mounted device may utilize a micro-LED display panel (i.e., display) in a display sub-assembly (DSA). The micro-LED display includes a two-dimensional array of pixels. Each pixel may correspond to a micro-LED configured to radiate light in a red, green, or blue channel to generate a full-color image.

[0021] One technical issue facing micro-LED displays is the variability between pixels. The intensity of each micro-LED can correspond to its wall plug efficiency (i.e., WPE), which can vary based on the color of the micro-LED. In a micro-LED display configured to generate a full-color image (e.g., white light), the WPE of a pixel can differ by twenty percent or more. Pixels with the smallest WPE (e.g., red pixels) can limit the intensity used by other color channels (e.g., blue, green) in order to balance the color of the micro-LED display. In order to balance the display color, the brightest pixels (e.g., blue pixels) can be dimmed at the time of manufacturing to improve the white point and uniformity of the calibrated image. When power resources are limited, such as battery-powered head-mounted devices, this dimming can limit the maximum brightness level of the display. When the maximum brightness is limited by color balance and power consumption constraints, it can be challenging to view content in full sunlight.

[0022] The present disclosure describes a micro-LED display for a head-mounted device that can solve at least these technical problems. The micro-LED display is configured to display content in a mode selected from a plurality of possible modes to optimize viewing. The modes may vary in their color, size, positioning, and / or resolution, and the mode selection may be based on criteria related to the displayed content (e.g., the color content of the frame used for display), the operation of the device, and / or environmental conditions. The multi-mode approach may have at least the technical effect of increasing the operating time (i.e., battery life) of the head-mounted device without negatively affecting the user's ability to view and understand the displayed content.

[0023] Figure 11 is a front view of a head mounted device including a multi-mode micro LED display according to a possible implementation of the present disclosure. As shown, the head mounted device 100 can be implemented as smart glasses. In a possible implementation, the smart glasses can be configured to display content on a lens 110 (or multiple lenses) of the smart glasses so that a user 120 can view the content while the user 120 is viewing the environment. The content can be augmented reality (AR) content displayed on the lens 110 (or multiple lenses) at a time, location, and orientation to enhance the user 120's perception / understanding of the environment.

[0024] The lens 110 of the head mounted device 100 may be part of a head-up display (HUD). The HUD may be configured to project light from the micro-LED display into the eye 111 (or multiple eyes) of the user 120 so that an image of the micro-LED display is formed on the user's retina (or multiple retinas). In other words, the content (e.g., text, images, graphics, etc.) viewed by the user 120 wearing the head mounted device 100 may be a replica of the content displayed on the micro-LEDs included in the head mounted device 100.

[0025] The head mounted device 100 may optimally operate wirelessly and therefore include a rechargeable battery as a power source. The available energy from the rechargeable battery may be constrained by the weight and size constraints of the head mounted device 100. Thus, a reduction in the amount of power consumed by the HUD may correspond to a reduction in the rechargeable battery (e.g., size, storage, etc.).

[0026] Figure 2 is an eye-side view of content displayed on the head-mounted device 100 according to a first possible implementation of the present disclosure. In this implementation, a transcription application running on the head-mounted device 100 may be configured to convert speech to text and display the speech-to-text 220 on the lens 110, so that the user 120 can view both the speaker 210 and the speech-to-text 220. In a possible implementation, the speech-to-text 220 is a translation of the speech from a first language spoken by the speaker 210 to a second language understood by the user 120. Regardless of the positioning of the head-mounted device 100, the speech-to-text 220 may be displayed at a certain positioning. Therefore, the content may be referred to as head-locked content. The head-locked content may be displayed on a portion of the lens 110 that is located at the periphery of the field of view of the user 120. As shown in the figure, in Figure 2 , the speech-to-text 220 can be seen in the bottom portion 230 of the lens 110, which can correspond to the speech-to-text 220 being displayed in the bottom portion 230 of the micro LED display (not shown).

[0027] The speech-to-text 220 can be displayed using fewer than three color channels (i.e., reduced colors) without loss of comprehension. For example, the speech-to-text 220 can be displayed in green. The speech-to-text 220 can be displayed using a lower resolution than other content (e.g., images) without loss of quality. This may be due in part to the positioning of the speech-to-text in the periphery of the user's 120 field of view. The reduction in color and resolution can correspond to an increase in the brightness of the speech-to-text 220 per unit of power. In other words, the reduction in color content and / or resolution can correspond to an increase in brightness without requiring the micro-LEDs to consume additional power. The increased brightness can improve the visibility of the displayed content in bright ambient conditions. As Figure 2 As shown in , the reduction in visibility created by ambient lighting 240 can be compensated by a display mode with increased brightness based on color and / or resolution. For example, the display mode can configure the micro LED display to display content (i.e., speech-to-text 220) in a subtractive region of the micro LED display, which in this case corresponds to the bottom portion 230 of the lens 110.

[0028] Figure 3 3 is an eye side view of the content displayed on the head mounted device according to a second possible implementation of the present disclosure. In this implementation, an application (e.g., a video viewer) running on the head mounted device 100 may be configured to display the video 310 to the user. In a possible implementation, the application running on the head mounted device 100 may be further configured to display a user interface 320 to control the video 310.

[0029] like Figure 3 As shown in , the position, color, and resolution of the displayed information can be based on the type of content. For example, video 310 can be analyzed and determined to be a first type of content (i.e., video / picture type), and user interface 320 can be analyzed and determined to be a second type of content (i.e., text / icon type).

[0030] The first type of content may trigger a first mode of a micro LED display for rendering and driving the HUD. The first mode for rendering and driving the display may include utilizing a first pixel region (i.e., a first region) in a two-dimensional array of pixels of the display, which may correspond to a video 310 presented in a first portion 330 of the lens 110. In a possible implementation, the first pixel region may include pixels (i.e., micro LEDs) corresponding to three color channels (i.e., red, green, and blue) for displaying content in full color. In a possible implementation, the first pixel region has a display area (i.e., a field of view) that is smaller than the overall display area of ​​the micro LED display. In a possible implementation, the first pixel region may include a central portion of the micro LED display so that the video 310 may be viewed at or near the center of the user's field of view. In a possible implementation, the first pixel region may have a higher pixel resolution (i.e., a smaller pixel pitch) than other regions of the micro LED display. For example, the first pixel region may have the highest pixel resolution of the micro LED display because it is viewed at or near the center of the user's field of view.

[0031] The second type of content may trigger a second mode of the micro LED display for rendering and driving the HUD. The second mode for rendering and driving the display may include utilizing a second pixel region (i.e., a second region) in a two-dimensional array of pixels of the display, which may correspond to the user interface 320 presented in the second portion 335 of the lens 110. In a possible implementation, the second pixel region may include pixels (i.e., micro LEDs) corresponding to one color channel (i.e., green) for displaying content in monochrome. In a possible implementation, the second pixel region has a display area (i.e., field of view) that is smaller than the overall display area of ​​the micro LED display but larger than the first pixel region. In a possible implementation, the second pixel region may include the bottom portion of the micro LED display so that the user interface 320 may be viewed at or near the bottom of the user's field of view. In a possible implementation, the second pixel region may have a lower pixel resolution (i.e., a larger pixel pitch) than other regions of the micro LED display (e.g., the first pixel region). For example, the second pixel region may have the lowest pixel resolution of the micro LED display because it is viewed at or near the user's peripheral field of view.

[0032] Displaying content in full color and high resolution can consume more power than displaying content in monochrome and low resolution. Therefore, the first area can be kept smaller than the second area in order to save power used to display video 310. As previously described, the brightness of a full-color display can be limited by color balance. Therefore, the first brightness of user interface 320 can be controlled to be less than or equal to the brightness of video 310. This can further reduce the power consumed by the micro LED display. In other words, even when the ambient light conditions do not require high brightness for viewing, the mode of the micro LED display can still provide a reduction in power consumption.

[0033] like Figure 3 As shown in , it may be possible to display these modes simultaneously. This may be correct when environmental conditions are suitable, such as the indoor situation shown. Therefore, the selection of a mode (or multiple modes) may be based on criteria related to a variety of display parameters. In one possible implementation, the selection may be based on display parameters related to the content (i.e., content display parameters). For example, the mode selection criteria may include comparing the amount of color content with a threshold. In another possible implementation, the selection may be based on display parameters related to the environment (i.e., environmental display parameters). For example, the mode selection criteria may include comparing the ambient light level (i.e., brightness) with a threshold. In another possible implementation, the selection may be based on display parameters related to the device. For example, the mode selection criteria may include comparing the power level of the battery of the head-mounted device with a threshold. Alternatively, the mode selection criteria may include comparing the temperature of the head-mounted device (e.g., a micro LED display) with a threshold.

[0034] Figure 4 4 is a schematic block diagram of a micro LED display for a head-mounted device according to a possible implementation of the present disclosure. The micro LED display 400 includes a two-dimensional array 410 of pixels. In order to generate color, each pixel may include sub-pixels that are driven together to form a color. Each pixel in the two-dimensional array 410 of pixels includes at least one micro LED 411 sub-pixel configured to generate light. Each micro LED 411 can be driven to generate light in a wavelength range of the visible spectrum. For example, red light (i.e., red) can be in any part of a first wavelength range of about 620 nanometers (nm) to 750nm; green light (i.e., green) can be in any part of a second wavelength range of about 500nm to 570nm; blue light (i.e., blue) can be in any part of a third wavelength range of about 450nm and 500nm, yellow light (i.e., yellow) can be in any part of a fourth wavelength range of about 570nm to 580nm; and cyan light (i.e., cyan) can be in any part of a fifth wavelength range of about 490nm to 520nm.

[0035] Red, green and blue micro-LEDs can be arranged together (e.g., adjacent) as sub-pixels in a pixel area so that they can be driven simultaneously to generate white light in the pixel. By adjusting the intensity of the red, green and / or blue sub-pixels, any color in the visible spectrum can be generated in the pixel area.

[0036] Driving the micro LEDs may include a column driver 440 generating a first signal on a column line coupled to a first terminal of the micro LED and a row driver 420 generating a second signal on a row line coupled to a second terminal of the micro LED. The column driver 440 and the row driver 420 may be controlled by a controller 430 (i.e., a control circuit) to drive pixels according to rows and columns.

[0037] In a first possible implementation, the pixels in the two-dimensional array 410 may be similarly (e.g., identically) sized and may be evenly spaced. In this implementation, the pixel regions (i.e., areas) of the two-dimensional array 410 may be driven differently according to the display mode (i.e., mode) of each area. For example, in a monochrome (i.e., green) mode, only the green sub-pixels in an area including red, green, and blue pixels may be driven (i.e., active).

[0038] In a second possible implementation, the pixels in the two-dimensional array 410 can be differently sized and / or spaced differently in each region. In this implementation, the color, size and / or arrangement of the pixels can be based on the display mode (i.e., mode) of each region. For example, all pixels in a region that only includes green sub-pixels can be driven in a monochrome (i.e., green mode). In other words, the pixels in a region configured to display a specific color may include a sub-pixel of the specific color, or may include multiple sub-pixels but only actively drive the sub-pixels of the specific color. Therefore, when the present disclosure refers to a region that includes only green pixels, it may mean that (i) each pixel in the pixels in the region has three (RGB) sub-pixels, wherein only the green pixel is illuminated, or (ii) each pixel in the pixels in the region has only a green sub-pixel, which is illuminated.

[0039] Figure 55 is a block diagram of a head-up display (i.e., HUD) for a head-mounted device according to a possible implementation of the present disclosure. The HUD 500 includes a micro LED display 400. The micro LED display 400 is a source of light 515 in the HUD 500. The micro LED display 400 may be configured to generate an image (e.g., text, video, photo, graphics, etc.). The HUD 500 further includes a diffractive waveguide combiner 530, which may be configured to receive the light 515 from the micro LED display 400. The diffractive waveguide combiner 530 may be further configured to transmit (i.e., guide) the light 515 from the micro LED display 400 along a guide portion 570 of the waveguide based on total internal reflection. Thus, the diffractive waveguide combiner 530 may be a waveguide having a wavelength suitable for visible wavelengths (e.g., 400nm ≤λ o The diffractive waveguide combiner 530 may be configured to output light 515 to the user's eye 111. Thus, the diffractive waveguide combiner 530 may be positioned in front of the user's eye 111 and may be transparent at visible wavelengths so that the user can see an image from the micro LED display 400 superimposed on the user's view of light 516 from the environment that passes through the diffractive waveguide combiner 530.

[0040] The diffractive waveguide combiner 530 can utilize one or more optical gratings (i.e., gratings) to achieve the above functions. Each of the gratings can be present above the grating area in the waveguide. The grating can be configured to redirect the light 515 from the micro LED display 400 along certain angles. For example, the diffractive waveguide combiner 530 may include an IC grating 540 to redirect the light 515 from the micro LED display 400 from a first angle (e.g., aligned with the surface normal vector 527) to a second angle, which is greater than the critical angle of total internal reflection at the interface between the diffractive waveguide combiner 530 and the environment (e.g., air). The diffractive waveguide combiner 530 may further include an EPE grating 560 disposed in the guide portion 570 of the diffractive waveguide combiner 530. The EPE grating 560 can be configured to process light to make it easier to view the image. For example, the EPE grating can be configured to expand the exit pupil of the diffractive waveguide combiner 530 so that the displayed image can be viewed within the viewing angle range of the eye 111. The diffractive waveguide combiner 530 may further include an OC grating 550 configured to redirect the guided light from a second angle greater than the critical angle for TIR to a third angle less than the critical angle for TIR such that the light 515 exits the diffractive waveguide combiner 530. For example, the projected light exiting the waveguide may be perpendicular to the surface of the diffractive waveguide combiner 530 (i.e., aligned with the surface normal vector 527) and in a direction toward the user's eye 111 such that when focused by the eye 111, the image of the display is focused on the user's retina. The focused image may closely match the image displayed on the micro LED display 400.

[0041] Although Figure 5 The HUD 500 can be configured for monochromatic light, but the principles described for this monochromatic system can be adapted to accommodate colored (i.e., RGB) light. For example, one or more channels of light (i.e., red (R), green (G), blue (B)) from the micro-LED display 400 can be processed (e.g., guided) by different spatial regions of the grating. In other words, the grating and waveguide of the HUD 500 can be another reason why the full color mode (e.g., multi-color mode) has a smaller field of view than the subtractive mode (e.g., monochrome mode). For example, the field of view of the monochrome mode can correspond to the refractive index of the waveguide of the HUD.

[0042] Figure 6A micro LED display configured for multiple display modes according to a first possible implementation of the present disclosure is shown. The micro LED display 600 may be subdivided into contiguous regions including a first region 601 and a second region 602. In a possible implementation, the first region 601 is centered on the center of the micro LED display 600. The first region 601 (i.e., the full-color region) has an upper boundary located above the center, a lower boundary located below the center, a left boundary located to the left of the center, and a right boundary located to the right of the center. The first region 601 includes three different color sub-pixels (e.g., RGB). The second region 602 (i.e., the color reduction region) extends from the upper boundary of the first region 601 to the top edge of the micro LED display. The second region 602 further extends from the lower boundary of the first region 601 to the bottom edge of the micro LED display. The second region 602 further extends from the right boundary of the first region 601 to the right edge of the micro LED display. The second region 602 further extends from the left boundary to the left edge of the micro LED display. The second region 602 may be a color reduction region including less than three different color sub-pixels (e.g., G).

[0043] like Figure 6 As shown in FIG, the first mode (MODE_1) has a relatively high WPE, a relatively large field of view, and is monochrome. The second mode (MODE_2) has a relatively low WPE, a relatively small field of view, and is multi-color. Both display modes are implemented directly in the two-dimensional array of micro-LEDs.

[0044] The selection of which of the two display modes (or both) is to be selected may be determined automatically (e.g., in real time) by a processor configured by software instructions. The processor may receive input from various sensors to facilitate the selection. The software may include selection criteria for a particular mode based on things such as: display content; ambient lighting conditions and / or device status (e.g., temperature, battery status).

[0045] In situations where the full color spectrum of the display is not suitable for the content being shown or is not easily noticeable under given ambient lighting conditions, the first mode (i.e., green mode) may be selected instead of the second mode (i.e., full color mode). For example, the first mode (MODE_1) may be used for display scenarios that include static content (e.g., text notifications) and / or when the user is outdoors during a sunny day or viewing the bright headlights of approaching vehicles while driving at night. Alternatively, the second mode (MODE_2) may be used for display scenarios that include interactive content such as animations and games.

[0046] A HUD (i.e., display subassembly) that supports multiple modes and operates in a high WPE mode most of the time that the head-mounted device is in operation can provide significant improvements in WPE compared to a display that only (i.e., always) shows RGB images.

[0047] The multi-mode concept can be extended to support additional modes. For example, in addition to the two modes described above, the micro LED display can also be configured to render and display in the following modes: a third mode (MODE_3) having a rectangular field of view (e.g., biased toward the bridge of the nose on the lens of smart glasses) including two color channels (e.g., RG, yellow), and a fourth mode (MODE_4) having a rectangular field of view (e.g., biased toward the bridge of the nose on the lens of smart glasses) including two color channels (e.g., GB, cyan).

[0048] Figure 7 A micro LED display configured for multiple display modes according to a second possible implementation of the present disclosure is shown. The micro LED display 700 may be subdivided into contiguous regions including a first region 701 , a second region 702 , a third region 703 , a fourth region 704 , and a fifth region 705 .

[0049] The first region 701 is a full-color region and includes red pixels, blue pixels, and green pixels. The first region 701 is located at the center of the micro LED display. The first region 701 has an upper boundary located above the center, a lower boundary located below the center, a left boundary located to the left of the center, and a right boundary located to the right of the center. The first region 701 includes three different color pixels.

[0050] The color reduction region includes a second region 702, a third region 703, a fourth region 704, and a fifth region 705. The second region 702 extends vertically from the lower boundary to the upper boundary, and horizontally from the left edge of the micro LED display to the left boundary of the first region. The second region 702 includes only red pixels and green pixels. The third region 703 extends vertically from the lower boundary to the upper boundary, and horizontally from the right boundary of the first region to the right edge of the micro LED display. The third region 703 includes only green pixels and blue pixels. The fourth region 704 extends vertically from the upper boundary to the upper edge of the micro LED display, and horizontally from the left edge of the micro LED display to the right edge of the micro LED display. The fourth region 704 includes only green pixels. The fifth region 705 extends vertically from the bottom edge of the micro LED display to the lower boundary, and horizontally from the left edge of the micro LED display to the right edge of the micro LED display. The fifth region 705 includes only green pixels.

[0051] In addition to the green mode (ie MODE_1) and full color mode (ie MODE_2) described above, the micro LED display 700 can also be configured as a yellow mode (ie MODE_3) or a cyan mode (ie MODE_4). In other words, the display can be configured as a multi-color mode including only two color channels.

[0052] In the yellow mode, red and green pixels in the second area 702 and the first area 701 may be active in the micro LED display 700. In a possible implementation, during the yellow mode (i.e., MODE_3), only red and green pixels in the second area 702 and the first area 701 are active in the micro LED display 700, and content may be displayed anywhere in the combined area of ​​the first area 701 and the second area 702.

[0053] In cyan mode, green and blue pixels in the third area 703 and the first area 701 can be active in the micro LED display 700. In a possible implementation, during cyan mode (i.e., MODE_4), only red and green pixels in the third area 703 and the first area 701 are active in the micro LED display 700, and content can be displayed anywhere in the combined area of ​​the first area 701 and the third area 703.

[0054] In a possible implementation, the selection of a color mode (i.e., green, yellow, cyan) may be based on the contrast with the environment viewed by the user. For example, when the user is viewing an environment that is predominantly green, the green mode may not be selected. The color of the environment may be determined by analyzing an image of the environment captured by a camera of the head mounted device.

[0055] Figure 8 800 (i.e., head-mounted device) can be implemented as smart glasses worn by a user. In possible implementations, the smart glasses can provide an augmented reality (AR) environment to the user (and enable the user to interact with it). In these implementations, the smart glasses can be referred to as AR glasses. Although AR glasses are not the only possible head-mounted devices (e.g., virtual reality helmets) that can be implemented using the disclosed systems and methods, the present disclosure may refer to the AR glasses implementation as a head-mounted device throughout the disclosure.

[0056] The head-mounted device 800 can be worn on the head of a user (i.e., the wearer) and can be configured to monitor the position and orientation (i.e., posture) of the user's head. In addition, the head-mounted device 800 can be configured to monitor the user's environment. The head-mounted device can be further configured to determine a frame coordinate system based on the user's posture and to determine a world coordinate system based on the user's environment. The relationship between the frame coordinate system and the world coordinate system can be used to visually anchor digital objects to real objects in the environment. Digital objects can be displayed to the user in a head-up display 840. The head-up display 840 may include a micro LED display 841 that can be configured into multiple modes for display. For these functions, the head-mounted device 800 may include various sensors and subsystems.

[0057] The head mounted device 800 may include a world-facing camera 810. The world-facing camera (i.e., a forward-facing camera) may be configured to capture images of a forward field of view 815. The forward field of view 815 may be aligned with the user's field of view so that the forward-facing camera captures images from the user's point of view. The camera may be a color camera based on a charge coupled device (CCD) or complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor.

[0058] The head mounted device 800 may further include an eye tracking camera 820 (or multiple cameras). The eye tracking camera may be configured to capture images of an eye field of view 825. The eye field of view 825 may be aligned with the user's eyes so that the eye tracking camera 820 captures images of the user's eyes. The eye images may be analyzed to determine the user's gaze direction, which may be included in the analysis to refine the frame coordinate system to better align with the direction the user is looking. When the head mounted device 800 is implemented as smart glasses, the eye tracking camera 820 may be integrated with a portion of the frame of the glasses surrounding the lenses to directly image the eyes. In a possible implementation, the head mounted device 800 includes an eye tracking camera 820 for each eye, and the gaze direction may be based on the images of both eyes.

[0059] The head-mounted device 800 may further include: a depth sensor 816 (i.e., a distance detector) configured to measure the distance of objects in (at least) the forward field of view 815, and an illuminator 817 configured to emit light (e.g., near-infrared light) into (at least) the forward field of view 815 to assist the functionality of the world-facing camera 810 and / or the depth sensor 816.

[0060] The head-mounted device 800 may further include a position sensor 830. The position sensor may be configured to determine the position of the head-mounted device (i.e., the user) on the earth, in a building (or other designated area), or relative to another device. To this end, the head-mounted device 800 may communicate with other devices via a wireless communication link 835. For example, the position of the user within the building may be determined based on the communication between the head-mounted device 800 and a wireless router 831 or an indoor positioning unit. In another example, the position of the user on the earth may be determined based on a global positioning system (GPS) link between the head-mounted device 800 and a GPS satellite 832 (e.g., a plurality of GPS satellites). In another example, the position of the user relative to a device (e.g., a mobile phone 833) may be determined based on ultra-wideband (UWB) communication or Bluetooth communication between a mobile phone 833 and the position sensor 830.

[0061] The head mounted device 800 may further include a head-up display 840 (i.e., HUD) displayed on a portion (e.g., the entire portion) of a lens (or lenses) of the head mounted device 800 (e.g., AR glasses, AR goggles). In a possible implementation, a micro LED display 841 positioned in a frame arm of the AR glasses may project light to a grating / waveguide assembly where the light is directed toward the user's eyes. In another possible implementation, the head mounted device 800 may include a head-up display for each eye.

[0062] The head mounted device 800 may further include a battery 850. The battery may be configured to provide energy to the subsystems, modules, and devices of the head mounted device 800 to enable them to operate. The battery may be rechargeable and have an operating life (e.g., lifespan) between charges. The head mounted device 800 may include circuitry or software to monitor the battery level of the battery 850.

[0063] The head mounted device 800 may further include a communication interface 860. The communication interface may be configured to digitally communicate information via a wireless communication link (e.g., WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.). For example, the head mounted device 800 may be communicatively coupled to a network 861 (i.e., the cloud) or a device (e.g., a mobile phone 833) via a wireless communication link 835. The wireless communication link may allow the operation of the computer-implemented method to be divided between devices (i.e., split processing). In addition, the communication link may allow the device to communicate conditions such as battery level or power mode (e.g., low power mode). In this regard, the device communicatively coupled to the head mounted device 800 may be considered an accessory of the head mounted device 800, and thus each device may be referred to as an accessory device. In a possible implementation, the accessory device (e.g., mobile phone 833, tablet) may be configured to assist or perform processing associated with the disclosed method.

[0064] The head mounted device 800 may further include a memory 870. The memory may be a non-transitory computer readable medium (i.e., CRM). The memory may be configured to store a computer program product. The computer program may instruct the processor to perform a computer-implemented method (i.e., a computer program). These computer programs (also referred to as modules, programs, software, software applications, or codes) include machine instructions for programmable processors and may be implemented in high-level procedural and / or object-oriented programming languages ​​and / or assembly / machine languages. As used herein, the term "machine-readable medium" or "computer-readable medium" refers to any computer program product, device, and / or device (e.g., disk, optical disk, memory, programmable logic device (PLD)) for providing machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor, including a machine-readable medium that receives machine instructions as a machine-readable signal. The term "machine-readable signal" refers to any signal for providing machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor.

[0065] The head mounted device 800 may further include a processor 880. The processor may be configured to execute instructions (e.g., software, applications, etc.) to configure the functionality of the head mounted device 800. In a possible implementation, the processor may include multiple processor cores. In a possible implementation, the head mounted computing device may include multiple processors. In a possible implementation, the processing of the head mounted computing device may be performed via a network 861.

[0066] The head mounted device 800 may further include an inertial measurement unit (IMU 890). The IMU may include multiple sensor modules to determine the location, orientation and / or movement of the IMU. The IMU may have a frame coordinate system (X, Y, Z), and each sensor module may output a value for each direction relative to the frame coordinate system.

[0067] The head mounted device 800 may further include a light sensor 899 configured to measure the ambient light level. In a possible implementation, when the measured ambient light is at or above a brightness threshold, the light sensor 899 output may trigger a brightness condition. In a possible implementation, the brightness condition may trigger the head mounted device to display content in a mode that is viewable under the brightness condition.

[0068] Fig. 99 is a flow chart of a method for displaying content on a multi-mode micro LED display according to a possible implementation of the present disclosure. The method 900 includes receiving 910 content for display on the micro LED display. The method 900 further includes receiving 920 display parameters. For example, the display parameters may include conditions of a head mounted device, and the conditions of the head mounted device may be measured / detected by sensors of the head mounted device. The received display parameters may include content parameters 921 (e.g., resolution, color, frame rate, etc.) corresponding to the content for display. The received display parameters may include environmental parameters 922 (e.g., lighting, brightness, etc.). The received display parameters may include device parameters 923 (e.g., temperature, battery level, etc.). After receiving the display parameters, the method 900 includes selecting 930 a mode of the micro LED display from a plurality of possible modes based on one or more of the display parameters.

[0069] After selecting a mode, method 900 may format content for display according to the mode and display the content on an area of ​​the micro LED display based on the selected mode, wherein displaying the content may include driving the micro LED display in an area corresponding to the selected mode. For example, in a first mode, method 900 may include formatting 940 content according to a subtractive color mode and displaying 950 the content on a first area of ​​the display corresponding to the subtractive color mode. Additionally, in a second mode, method 900 may include formatting 960 content according to a full color mode and displaying 970 the content on a second area of ​​the display corresponding to the full color mode.

[0070] Fig.10 A top view of a pixel for displaying content in full color according to a possible implementation of the present disclosure is shown. As shown, a pixel for displaying content in full color (i.e., a full-color pixel 1010) may include a red sub-pixel 1011, a green sub-pixel 1012, and a blue sub-pixel 1013. Each of the sub-pixels is driven to emit light (shown without shading) to collectively generate a color in the full-color spectrum.

[0071] FIG. 11A to FIG. 11B A top view of possible pixels for displaying monochrome (green) content according to a possible implementation of the present disclosure is shown. Fig.11A As shown in , a pixel for displaying content in green (i.e., a subtractive pixel 1110) can be achieved by configuring (i.e., driving) a green sub-pixel 1112 to emit light (shown as unshaded) while configuring a red sub-pixel 1111 and a blue sub-pixel 1113 not to emit light (shown as shaded).

[0072] like Fig. 11BAs shown in , a pixel for displaying content in green (i.e., a subtractive pixel 1120) can also be implemented by including only a green sub-pixel 1122. As shown in the figure, the area of ​​the subtractive pixel 1120 including one sub-pixel can be made equal to the area of ​​the full-color pixel 1010 including a plurality of sub-pixels, so that the intensity (i.e., brightness) of light emitted by the subtractive pixel 1120 can be increased. Fig.11A The color subtraction pixel 1110 and Fig. 11B Each of the color-reducing pixels 1120 in FIG. 1 may be referred to as a green pixel. Each sub-pixel of a pixel may be a micro-LED.

[0073] In the specification and / or drawings, typical embodiments have been disclosed. The present disclosure is not limited to such exemplary embodiments. The use of the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more associated listed items. The drawings are schematic illustrations and are therefore not necessarily drawn to scale. Unless otherwise indicated, specific terms are used in a general and descriptive sense and not for limiting purposes.

[0074] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as those generally understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. Methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used to practice or test the present disclosure. As used in this specification and in the appended claims, the singular forms "one", "a", "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term "comprising" and its variations as used herein are used synonymously with the term "including" and its variations and are open, non-restrictive terms. The term "optional" or "optionally" used herein means that the features, events or situations described subsequently may or may not occur, and means that the description includes instances in which the features, events or situations occur and instances in which the features, events or situations do not occur. The range can be expressed in this article as from "about" a specific value and / or to "about" another specific value. When expressing such a range, on the one hand, it includes from a specific value and / or to another specific value. Similarly, when a value is expressed as an approximation, by using the antecedent "about", it should be understood that the specific value forms another aspect. It will be further understood that the endpoints of each of the ranges are significant both in relation to the other endpoint, and independently of the other endpoint.

[0075] Some implementations may be implemented using various semiconductor processing and / or packaging technologies. Some implementations may be implemented using various types of semiconductor processing technologies associated with semiconductor substrates, including but not limited to, for example, silicon (Si), gallium arsenide (GaAs), gallium nitride (GaN), silicon carbide (SiC), and the like.

[0076] Although certain features of the described implementations have been illustrated as described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes and equivalents will now occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it should be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes that fall within the scope of the implementations. It should be understood that they are presented only by way of example and not limitation, and various changes in form and detail may be made. Except for mutually exclusive combinations, any part of the devices and / or methods described herein may be combined in any combination. The implementations described herein may include various combinations and / or sub-combinations of the functions, components and / or features of the different implementations described.

[0077] It should be understood that in the foregoing description, when an element is referred to as being on another element, connected to another element, electrically connected to another element, coupled to another element, or electrically coupled to another element, the element may be directly on another element, connected or coupled to another element, or one or more intermediate elements may be present. On the contrary, when an element is referred to as being directly on another element, directly connected to another element, or directly coupled to another element, there is no intermediate element. Although the term "directly on...", "directly connected to..." or "directly coupled to..." may not be used throughout the detailed description, the element that is shown as being directly on, directly connected to, or directly coupled to may be referred to as such. The claims of the present application (if any) may be modified to narrate the exemplary relationships described in the specification or shown in the drawings.

[0078] As used in this specification, singular forms may include plural forms unless the context clearly indicates a particular case. Spatially relative terms (e.g., on, above, upper, below, below, under, lower, etc.) are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figure. In some implementations, the relative terms above ... and below ... may include vertically above and vertically below, respectively. In some implementations, the term "adjacent" may include laterally adjacent or horizontally adjacent.

Claims

1. A micro LED display for a head mounted device, the micro LED display comprising: a two-dimensional array of pixels, the two-dimensional array of pixels being subdivided into a plurality of regions, the plurality of regions being configured to display content according to at least one mode of the micro LED display; as well as A controller, the controller being configured to: determining a mode of the at least one mode of the micro LED display based on a criterion; selecting an area of ​​the plurality of areas for displaying the content based on the determined mode; and The content is displayed on a selected area among the plurality of areas.

2. The micro LED display of claim 1 , wherein the content comprises first content for display in a first mode and second content for display in a second mode, and the controller is configured to: The first content is displayed in a first area corresponding to the first mode, and the second content is displayed in a second area corresponding to the second mode, the first content and the second content being simultaneously displayed on the micro LED display.

3. The micro LED display of claim 1, wherein the plurality of regions comprises: a first region configured to display the content in full color within a first wavelength range of 400 nanometers to 700 nanometers; as well as The second area is configured to display the content in green, the green being within a second wavelength range of 500 nanometers to 570 nanometers.

4. The micro LED display of claim 3, wherein the plurality of regions further comprises: a third region, the third region being configured to display the content in yellow, the yellow being within a third wavelength range of 570 nanometers to 580 nanometers; as well as A fourth area is configured to display the content in cyan, wherein the cyan is within a fourth wavelength range of 490 nanometers to 520 nanometers.

5. The micro LED display according to claim 4, wherein: The first region includes a full-color pixel, and the full-color pixel includes a red sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel, and a blue sub-pixel; The second region includes color-reducing pixels, and the color-reducing pixels include green sub-pixels; The third region includes color-reducing pixels, the color-reducing pixels include a red sub-pixel and a green sub-pixel; and The fourth region includes color-reducing pixels, and the color-reducing pixels include a green sub-pixel and a blue sub-pixel.

6. The micro LED display according to claim 3, wherein: The first region is located at the center of the two-dimensional array of pixels; and The first region has a greater resolution than other regions of the plurality of regions.

7. The micro LED display of claim 1, wherein the standard comprises: The power level of the battery of the head mounted device is below a threshold.

8. The micro LED display of claim 1, wherein the standard comprises: The ambient light level is above the threshold.

9. The micro LED display of claim 1, wherein the standard comprises: The temperature of the head mounted device.

10. The micro LED display of claim 1, wherein the standard comprises: The color content of the frame to be displayed.

11. A head mounted device comprising: a sensor configured to sense a condition of the head mounted device; A micro LED display, the micro LED display being subdivided into a plurality of contiguous regions, the plurality of contiguous regions comprising: a first region located at a center of the micro LED display, the first region having an upper boundary located above the center, a lower boundary located below the center, a left boundary located to the left of the center, and a right boundary located to the right of the center, wherein each pixel of the first region includes three different color sub-pixels; and a color subtractive region extending from the upper boundary to a top edge of the micro LED display, from the lower boundary to a bottom edge of the micro LED display, from the right boundary to a right edge of the micro LED display, and from the left boundary to a left edge of the micro LED display, wherein each pixel of the color subtractive region includes one or two color sub-pixels; and a processor communicatively coupled to the sensor and the micro LED display, the processor being configured via software instructions to: selecting a mode from a plurality of modes of the micro LED display based on the condition of the head mounted device; and The micro LED display is configured based on the selected mode to display content in the first region and the color-reducing region.

12. The head mounted device of claim 11, wherein: The first region includes a red sub-pixel, a blue sub-pixel, and a green sub-pixel; and The color-reducing region includes only green sub-pixels.

13. The head mounted device of claim 12, wherein the plurality of modes comprises: a full-color mode configured to drive the red sub-pixel, the blue sub-pixel, and the green sub-pixel in the first area so that the content is displayed in full color in the first area; as well as A green mode is configured to drive only the green sub-pixel in the first area and drive the green sub-pixel in the color reduction area, so that the content is displayed in green in the first area and the color reduction area.

14. The head mounted device of claim 13, wherein: In the full color mode, the content is displayed at a first resolution; and In the green mode, the content is displayed at a second resolution, which is lower than the first resolution.

15. The head mounted device of claim 13, wherein: The green mode is selected based on the battery level of the head mounted device to reduce power consumed by the micro LED display.

16. The head mounted device of claim 13, wherein: The green mode is selected based on ambient light levels to increase visibility of content displayed by the micro LED display.

17. The head mounted device of claim 11, wherein: The first region includes a red sub-pixel, a blue sub-pixel, and a green sub-pixel; and The color reduction area includes: a second region extending vertically from the lower boundary of the first region to the upper boundary of the first region and horizontally from the left edge of the micro LED display to the left boundary of the first region, wherein each pixel of the second region includes only a red sub-pixel and a green sub-pixel; a third region extending vertically from the lower boundary of the first region to the upper boundary of the first region and horizontally from the right boundary of the first region to the right edge of the micro LED display, wherein each pixel of the third region includes only a green sub-pixel and a blue sub-pixel; a fourth region extending vertically from the upper boundary of the first region to the top edge of the micro LED display and horizontally from the left edge of the micro LED display to the right edge of the micro LED display, wherein each pixel of the fourth region includes only a green sub-pixel; and A fifth region, wherein the fifth region extends vertically from the bottom edge of the micro LED display to the lower boundary of the first region and horizontally from the left edge of the micro LED display to the right edge of the micro LED display, wherein each pixel of the fifth region includes only green sub-pixels.

18. The head mounted device of claim 17, wherein the plurality of modes comprises: a full-color mode configured to drive the red sub-pixel, the blue sub-pixel, and the green sub-pixel in the first area so that the content is displayed in color in the first area; a yellow mode configured to drive the red sub-pixel and the blue sub-pixel in the first area, and drive the red sub-pixel and the blue sub-pixel in the second area, so that the content is displayed in yellow in the first area and the second area; as well as A cyan mode configured to drive the blue sub-pixel and the green sub-pixel in the first area and drive the blue sub-pixel and the green sub-pixel in the third area so that the content is displayed in cyan in the first area and the third area.

19. The head mounted device of claim 18, wherein the plurality of modes further comprises: A green mode is configured to drive the green sub-pixel in the fourth region and drive the green sub-pixel in the fifth region so that the content is displayed in green in the fourth region and the fifth region.

20. The head mounted device of claim 19, wherein: The content is displayed in the fourth area at a resolution different from a resolution in the fifth area.

21. The head mounted device of claim 18, further comprising: a diffractive waveguide combiner configured to transmit light from the micro LED display to an eye of a user, the diffractive waveguide combiner comprising: a first grating configured to transmit white light emitted by the first region in the full-color mode; a second grating configured to transmit yellow light emitted by the first area and the second area in the yellow mode; and A third grating is configured to transmit cyan light emitted from the first region and the third region in the cyan mode.

22. A method comprising: receiving content for display on a micro LED display; selecting a mode of the micro LED display from a plurality of modes based on the content; as well as Different regions of the micro LED display are driven differently based on the mode, the different regions comprising: a first region located at a center of the micro LED display, wherein each pixel of the first region is spaced apart at a first pixel pitch and includes three different color sub-pixels; as well as A second area surrounds the first area, each pixel of the second area is spaced apart at a second pixel pitch and includes one or two color sub-pixels, the second pixel pitch being greater than the first pixel pitch.

23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising: determining that the content includes textual content; as well as A monochrome mode is selected for the text content, the monochrome mode being configured to drive pixels of a first color in the first area and drive pixels of the first color in the second area, so that the text content is displayed in the first color anywhere in the first area and the second area.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising: determining that the content includes image content; as well as A full-color mode is selected for the image content, and the full-color mode is configured to drive red sub-pixels, blue sub-pixels, and green sub-pixels in the first area so that the image content is displayed in full color in the first area.

Images