Visual control system for near-eye display

Abstract

A visual control system includes an electrochromic insert and at least two peripheral contacts. The electrochromic insert includes at least two transparent electrodes and is configured for arrangement on one side of a head-mounted frame of a near-eye display system. The peripheral contact extends to the transparent electrode.

Description

Background Art

[0001] Near-eye display technology has in recent years evolved into an emerging consumer technology. For example, in a head-mounted system, a binocular near-eye display provides 3D stereoscopic vision for virtual reality (VR) demonstrations. When implemented using see-through optics or direct video, the near-eye display enables mixed reality or augmented reality (AR) demonstrations, where VR elements are blended into the user's natural field of view. Summary of the Invention

[0002] One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a vision control system that includes a near-eye display system coupled to a head-mounted frame, a vision system that provides direct video to the near-eye display system, and an electrochromic insert having at least two peripheral contacts and control circuitry. The electrochromic insert is disposed on one side of the head-mounted frame, where the peripheral contacts respectively extend to at least two transparent electrodes. The control circuitry is electrically coupled to the peripheral contacts and is configured to apply a voltage to the peripheral contacts according to a control signal to change the transmittance of the electrochromic insert.

[0003] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a vision control system that includes an electrochromic insert and at least two peripheral contacts. The electrochromic insert includes at least two transparent electrodes and is configured for disposition on one side of a head-mounted frame of a near-eye display system. The peripheral contacts extend to the transparent electrodes.

[0004] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method for operating a vision control system having an electrochromic insert disposed on one side of a head-mounted frame of a near-eye display system. The method includes: (a) receiving a control signal; and (b) electro-biasing at least two peripheral contacts that are electrically coupled to at least two transparent electrodes of the electrochromic insert in accordance with the received control signal. Here and above, the optical transmittance of the electrochromic insert varies in accordance with the electro-bias voltage applied to the transparent electrodes.

[0005] This Summary of the Invention is provided to introduce in a simplified form a few concepts that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary of the Invention is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. The claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted in any part of this disclosure. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] Figure 1 Aspects of an example vision control system having an integrated near-eye display system are shown.

[0007] Figure 2 Aspects of an example monocular system of a near-eye display system are shown.

[0008] Figure 3 Shows aspects of an example electrochromic insert of a vision control system.

[0009] Figure 4 Is a hypothetical graph of transmittance versus applied voltage for an example electrochromic insert.

[0010] Figure 5 Shows aspects of another example electrochromic insert of a vision control system.

[0011] Figure 6 Shows aspects of another example vision control system.

[0012] Figure 7 Shows aspects of an example method for operating a vision control system.

[0013] Figures 8 to 10 Shows aspects of other example vision control systems.

[0014] Figure 11A and Figure 11B Shows aspects of a stereoscopic display projection.

[0015] Figure 12 Shows aspects of an example computer system. Detailed Description

[0016] A defining feature of VR is its ability to immerse users in a fully immersive virtual experience. However, there are scenarios where it is desirable or necessary to allow reality to interrupt, intrude on, or blend with the user's virtual experience. For example, a user may wish to pause a VR experience to answer an important call or interact with a visitor. Scenarios where the VR experience is paused and then resumed within a short period of time should be smoothly handled by the technology with minimal effort from the user. Ideally, the user should not have to remove their VR headset and put it back on only for a short period of time.

[0017] In a VR headset equipped with a world-facing vision system, passthrough video from the vision system to the near-eye display is a useful feature for managing the above scenarios. The passthrough video can be turned on based on a voice command or external sound, other forms of user input, or motion sensed around the headset. However, due to practical limitations on the field of view (FOV) that the near-eye display is configured to provide or that the world-facing vision system is configured to capture, passthrough video solutions may be incomplete. More specifically, the passthrough video may lack high-angle content corresponding to the full range of the user's natural peripheral vision.

[0018] The present disclosure provides a series of visual control systems that solve the above problems and provide further advantages. A common feature of each visual control system in the visual control systems is an electrochromic insert that is disposed on opposite peripheral sides of a near-eye display frame. The electrochromic insert may be opaque in an unpowered state to prevent real-world images from the user's periphery from infringing on the VR experience. However, the electrochromic insert is coupled to a control circuit that is configured to increase the optical transmittance of the insert in accordance with a suitable control signal. As mentioned above with respect to passthrough video, the control signal may be issued based on any desired trigger condition - for example, user input or movement sensed around the headset.

[0019] In some visual control systems, the electrochromic insert is partially dimmable - continuously or in discrete steps - such that the brightness of the peripheral images that it allows can be adjusted to the brightness of the passthrough video. In some visual control systems, the electrochromic insert is removable from the near-eye display frame; it may be disposed, for example, within a window of a side shield attached to the frame.

[0020] Turning now to the drawings, Figure 1 various aspects of an example visual control system 102 are shown. The visual control system is configured to be worn by a user and to exert active control over the visual images received by the user. In this way, the visual control system can present and / or orchestrate immersive virtual reality for the benefit of the user. In Figure 1 the example shown, the visual control system 102 includes a near-eye display system 104 coupled to a head-mounted frame 106.

[0021] The near-eye display system 104 is configured to display still or moving images within the user's field of view. In some examples, the near-eye display system presents computer-generated holographic images with which the user can interact (e.g., manipulate). To support these functions, among other things, the visual control system 102 includes an on-board computer 108 having a processor 110 and an associated computer memory 112. In Figure 1 the example shown, the head-mounted frame 106 takes the form of a face mask. In other examples, the head-mounted frame may take the form of goggles, a helmet, or safety glasses, among other things.

[0022] The near-eye display system 102 is configured for binocular image display. To this end, the near-eye display system includes a right monocular system 114R that presents a right display image 116R in front of the user's right eye and a left monocular system 114L that presents a left display image 116L in front of the user's left eye. For stereoscopic display, the right and left display images may be configured with a stereoscopic parallax suitable for displaying three-dimensional objects or scenes (see below).

[0023] Figure 2Shows various aspects of an example monocular system 214 of a near-eye display system. The monocular system includes a display projector 218 configured to form a display image 216. The display projector includes a high-resolution spatial light modulator (SLM) 220 illuminated by a light emitter 222. The light emitter may include a light-emitting diode (LED) or a laser diode, and the SLM may include, for example, liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) or a digital micromirror device (DMD). The SLM and the light emitter are operatively coupled to a vision control system computer (such as Figure 1 computer 108). The computer controls a matrix of independent light-guiding pixel elements of the SLM to cause the SLM to modulate the light received from the light emitter, thereby forming the display image 216. By controlling the light modulation both temporally and spatially, the computer can cause the display projector to project a sequence of synchronized display images (i.e., video). In the Figure 2 example shown, the display image is formed by reflection from the SLM. In other examples, the display image may be formed by transmission through a suitably configured transmissive SLM. Display projectors based on other technologies are also envisioned - organic LED arrays, micro-LED (μLED) arrays, scanning laser projectors, etc.

[0024] In the monocular system 214, the display light from the display projector 218 passes through a physical aperture of finite size. The optics downstream of the display projector focus the display light onto the user's anatomical right or left pupil. In doing so, the downstream optics direct the display light through an entrance pupil, which is defined as the image of the physical aperture at the anatomical pupil position. Due to the small size of the physical aperture and / or other features of the monocular system 214, the entrance pupil may be too small to reliably align with the user's anatomical pupil. Therefore, the monocular system 214 includes an expansion optic 224. The expansion optic is configured to receive the display light through a relatively small entrance pupil and release the display light onto an expanded exit pupil, which may be large enough to cover the entire area that the user's pupil may cover. Such an area is referred to as an "eyebox".

[0025] The expansion optic 224 is configured to receive the display image 216 from the display projector 218 and release an expanded form 216' of the display image towards the pupil position 226. In the example shown, the expansion optic includes an optical waveguide 228, an input grating 230, and an output grating 232. The expansion optic may also include Figure 2 other gratings not shown in

[0026] The input grating 230 is a diffraction structure configured to receive the display image 216 and couple the light of the display image into the optical waveguide 228. After being coupled into the optical waveguide, the display light propagates in the optical waveguide by total internal reflection (TIR) from the front and back surfaces of the optical waveguide. The output grating 232 is a diffraction structure configured to controllably release the propagated display light from the optical waveguide in the direction of the pupil position 226. To this end, the output grating includes a series of light extraction features arranged from weak to strong in the propagation direction of the display light passing through the optical waveguide, such that the display light is released with a uniform intensity over the length of the output grating. In this way, the extended optical device 224 can be configured to expand the exit pupil of the display projector 218 to fill or slightly overfill the user's eye box. This condition provides desired image quality and user comfort.

[0027] In some examples, the extended optical device 224 can expand the exit pupil of the display projector 218 in only one direction, such as the horizontal direction in which the most significant eye movements occur. Here, the display projector itself can provide an exit pupil that is large enough - either natively or through a vertical pre-expansion stage - such that there is no need for vertical expansion within the optical waveguide. In other examples, the extended optical device 224 can be configured to expand the exit pupil in both the horizontal and vertical directions. In such an example, the display light propagating in the optical waveguide along a first direction may encounter a steering grating ( Figure 2 not shown in the figure) having a plurality of diffraction features arranged from weak to strong in the first direction. The steering grating can be configured such that the light diffracted by the diffraction features is steered to propagate in a second direction, which has now been expanded in the first direction. The parallel rays of the expanded light then encounter the output grating 232 and are coupled out of the waveguide as described above. Although diffractive optical elements can be used to couple light into or out of the optical waveguide, in-coupling and out-coupling optical elements based on reflection, refraction, and / or scattering are also envisioned as alternatives to the DOE.

[0028] Now returning to Figure 1 the visual control system 102 includes a left shroud 134L (and Figure 1(The complementary right-side shield not shown in the figure). Each side shield is configured to block ambient light from reaching the user's eyes when the user wears the frame 106. The light-blocking feature is important for providing an immersive VR experience, especially when presenting virtual images with relatively low brightness. In an example where the monocular system 114 is substantially opaque, the side shield 134 mainly blocks ambient light from peripheral directions. In some examples, the left-side shield 134L is configured to be attached to the left side of the frame 106. In some examples, the side shield can follow the contour of the user's face and is referred to as a "face gasket". In some examples, the side shield can be detachable from the headset frame. This feature makes the side shield easy to clean or replace. In the example shown, the side shield 134L includes a cutout or window 136 surrounded by an opaque boundary. In other examples, the window can be borderless. In other examples, the vision control system may not have side shields at all.

[0029] The vision control system 102 includes a vision system 138 that is coupled to the frame 106 and is configured to provide pass-through video to the near-eye display system 104. The vision system 138 includes at least one world-facing camera 140 that is configured to acquire video of the scene in front of the vision control system. More specifically, the world-facing camera can have an optical axis oriented in the forward direction and a FOV spanning approximately ±50 degrees horizontally and approximately ±40 degrees vertically relative to the optical axis. Wider and narrower FOVs are also envisioned.

[0030] The vision system 138 includes a video mixing engine 142. The video mixing engine is configured to mix the video from the world-facing camera with the virtual images from the hologram engine 144 of the computer 108. In this way, the vision system is configured to simulate an AR experience based on the pass-through video from the world-facing camera enhanced with virtual images from the hologram engine.

[0031] The vision system 138 includes a motion sensing engine 146 configured to sense motion around the head-mounted frame 106. To this end, the motion sensing engine receives input from an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 148. The IMU is mechanically coupled to the frame; it includes a linear accelerometer, an electronic gyroscope, and (optionally) an electronic compass. The motion sensing engine periodically evaluates the evolution of the images acquired by the world-facing camera 140 in view of the concurrent changes in the frame orientation. Image evolutions inconsistent with the orientation changes are registered as object motions, which in some examples may be localized to one or more angles within the user's FOV. In this way, the vision system implements a motion sensor suitable for the objectives herein. In other examples, different kinds of motion sensors may be used, such as sonar- or lidar-based motion sensors. In these and other examples, the motion sensing engine 146 or any other suitable motion sensor may be configured to issue a control signal based on the sensed motion around the head-mounted frame 106. As described in more detail herein, the control signal may have the effect of aborting the immersive VR experience and allowing the user to see more of the external scene.

[0032] The vision control system 102 includes a touchpad 150 configured to receive user input in the form of finger touches or taps. While this form of input may serve various functions in the vision control system, in some examples it specifically signals that the user wishes to abort the immersive VR experience and view more of the external scene. Thus, the touchpad may be configured to issue an appropriate control signal based on the detection of a finger touch or tap. In other examples, a mechanical switch or dial may be used in place of the touchpad. In other examples, the position of the user (i.e., the frame 106) may be used as an indicator of the intention to remain immersed or exit the VR experience. In other words, a control signal may be issued when the user moves out of a predefined "fenced" area.

[0033] The vision control system 102 includes an audio input system 152. In the example shown, the audio input system includes a microphone 154, an audio amplifier 156, and a speech recognition engine 158. The audio amplifier is configured to amplify the audio signal from the microphone. The amplified audio signal may be received in the speech recognition engine 158, which is configured to recognize certain voice commands from the user. Most generally, the audio input system is configured to issue a control signal based on the detection of the sound picked up by the microphone. In some examples, the audio input system issues a control signal when it detects any sound greater than a predefined threshold. In other examples, the audio input system issues a control signal when it detects a recognized voice command, such as "show me the world".

[0034] The visual control system 102 includes a control circuit 160 configured to control the mixing of real and virtual images received by the user. To this end, the control circuit is configured to receive control signals from one or more visual control system components. Such components may in particular include a motion sensing engine 146, a touchpad 150, and / or an audio input system 152. In response to the received control signals, the control circuit causes the video mixing engine 142 to increase the proportion of the pass-through video to the near-eye display 104 and decrease the proportion of the holographic content. In this scenario, the user can immediately see as much of the real world as possible through the visual system 138 without removing the frame 106.

[0035] As mentioned above, the problem with this solution is that the FOV of the near-eye display 104 and / or the world-facing camera 140 may be limited relative to the user's anatomical FOV, which can be as wide as 180 degrees horizontally. In other words, when a world view is requested or needed, a user who only receives pass-through video may lack sufficient peripheral vision to feel comfortable without removing the frame 106. The reduced peripheral vision can be particularly disturbing to the user when a world view is unexpectedly presented, such as in response to a dog barking or a stranger entering the room. To address this problem and provide further advantages, a left electrochromic insert 162L is arranged on the left side of the head-mounted frame 106 (and a right electrochromic insert is arranged on the right side, Figure 1 not shown in the figure). In configurations with side shields 134, each electrochromic insert can be configured to be received into a corresponding side shield, such as into a window or notch in the side shield. In some examples, each electrochromic insert is configured to be removable from the corresponding side shield, and in some configurations, the side shield itself can be removable from the frame 106. The electrochromic inserts provide the important technical effect of controllably blocking light that may reach the user's eyes from the left and right sides of the visual control system. In some examples, the electrochromic inserts can be flexible, bendable, and / or foldable.

[0036] In some configurations, the electrochromic insert may include opposing transparent electrodes and a polymer thin film structure disposed between the opposing transparent electrodes. Figure 3Shows additional aspects of the exemplary electrochromic insert 362. In the electrochromic insert 362, the polymer film structure 364 is sandwiched between the transparent electrodes 366 and 366'. In some examples, each transparent electrode may include a degenerately doped semiconductor film, such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO). In some examples, each transparent electrode may include a micro-mesh. The peripheral contact 368 extends to the transparent electrode 366, and the peripheral contact 368' extends to the transparent electrode 366'. The peripheral contacts provide an important technical effect of delivering a controllable electrical bias to the opposing transparent electrodes. In this example, the first electrochromic conductive layer 370 is disposed adjacent to the first transparent electrode 366, and the second electrochromic conductive layer 370' is disposed adjacent to the second transparent electrode 366'. The ion-conducting layer 372 is disposed between the first electrochromic conductive layer and the second electrochromic conductive layer.

[0037] In some examples, each electrochromic conductive layer includes a film of a redox-active material. The film may have an ion-conducting and / or ion-porous structure extending in the thickness direction to provide a high areal density of redox-active sites that are electronically coupled to the adjacent transparent electrodes. The ion-conducting layer 372 may include a polyelectrolyte loaded with exchangeable counterions. The ion-conducting layer may penetrate the electrochromic conductive layer to some extent such that the exchangeable counterions of the ion-conducting layer can enter (migrate into and out of) the redox-active sites of both electrochromic conductive layers. This mechanism provides local charge balance when one of the electrochromic conductive layers in the electrochromic conductive layer is oxidized and the other electrochromic conductive layer is reduced. The ion-conducting layer also serves as a barrier to prevent direct electronic coupling between the first electrochromic conductive layer and the second electrochromic conductive layer. In a typical example, the redox-active material of the first electrochromic conductive layer is different from the redox-active material of the second electrochromic conductive layer, where at least one electrochromic conductive layer includes a material whose optical transmittance varies with the oxidation state. For example, such a material may be a transition metal oxide (such as tungsten oxide) or a mixture of transition metal oxides. When a transient electrical bias is applied to the transparent electrodes, one of the electrochromic conductive layers in the electrochromic conductive layer is oxidized and the other electrochromic conductive layer is reduced, resulting in a net change in the optical transmittance of the polymer film structure 364.

[0038] Although the configurations described herein are practical and efficient, it should be noted that electrochromic devices based on other physical-chemical effects are also envisioned. For example, in some electrochromic devices, the polymer thin film structure can include a polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) layer sandwiched between opposing transparent electrodes. In the absence of an applied electrical bias, randomly arranged liquid crystal molecules can scatter light passing through the film, thereby reducing the optical transmittance. However, when an electrical bias is applied, the electric field between the electrodes can align the liquid crystal molecules along the optical axis, thereby reducing the scattering cross-section and increasing the optical transmittance.

[0039] To support reversible bleaching of the electrochromic device 362, the control circuit 360 is electrically coupled to the peripheral contacts 368 and 368’ and is configured to apply a voltage to the peripheral contacts according to the control signal described above. When the electrodes 366 and 366’ are unbiased, the electrochromic device 362 relaxes to a state of low optical transmittance. As the voltage between the transparent electrodes 366 and 366’ increases, the electrochromic device becomes more transmissive, commensurate with the amplitude of the applied voltage. Thus, the control circuit provides an important technical effect of controlling the optical transmittance of the electrochromic device, enabling controllable blocking of light reaching the user's eyes from the left and right. Figure 4 is a hypothetical graph showing the optical transmittance of an electrochromic device including a polymer thin film structure disposed between opposing transparent electrodes as a function of the applied voltage. Generally, the optical transmittance of an electrochromic device varies depending on the electrical bias applied to its transparent electrodes. Typically, the transmittance change is substantially independent of the wavelength over the visible spectrum. As shown in the graph, an intermediate applied voltage provides an intermediate optical transmittance.

[0040] Figure 5 Shows various aspects of another electrochromic device 562. The electrochromic device 562 includes a common transparent electrode 566’ and a series of opposing transparent electrodes 566A to 566D stacked parallel to the common electrode. In this configuration, each of the opposing electrodes in the series of opposing electrodes is independently biased via a corresponding peripheral contact 568. In the example shown, the electrochromic layers 570 and 570’ and the ion conducting layer 572 are segmented in alignment with the series of opposing transparent electrodes. In other examples, these layers can be continuous. In a visual control system incorporating the electrochromic device 562, the control circuit 560 can be configured to bias each of the peripheral contacts individually - in some scenarios, applying different voltages to each electrode. This feature can be used to provide a controlled optical transmittance gradient along the electrochromic device.

[0041] Figure 6Shows various aspects of another electrochromic insert 662L. The electrochromic insert 662L wraps around from the left side of the head-mounted frame 606 to the bottom, such that light originating from below the device can be controllably blocked. In the vision control system 602, the side shield 634L includes an opaque border 673 surrounding a window through which the electrochromic insert is exposed. More generally, the vision control system can include any number of electrochromic inserts at one or more different locations on the head-mounted frame, which can be integrated into the frame or removable from the frame.

[0042] Figure 7 Shows various aspects of an example method 700 of operating the vision control system disclosed herein. As mentioned above, the vision control system includes an electrochromic insert that is disposed on one side of a head-mounted frame of a near-eye display system.

[0043] Method 700 includes operations that check for certain forms of user input, which can indicate that the user wants or needs to see more of the real world. Depending on the implementation, any of these operations can be omitted, or additional operations can be added. For example, at 774A, the vision control system checks for a finger touch on a touchpad of the head-mounted frame, and if a finger touch is detected, a control signal is issued at 774B. At 774C, the vision control system checks for sound from a microphone of an audio input system, and if a sound greater than a predetermined threshold is picked up, a control signal is issued. In some examples, the audio input system can perform speech recognition on the sound received from the microphone, and if the user utters a certain voice command, a control signal can be issued. Thus, in some examples, the control signal can be issued based on input from the user to a near-eye display system disposed in the head-mounted frame.

[0044] In 774D of method 700, a motion sensor of the vision control system checks for motion sensed around the head-mounted frame. If motion above a predetermined threshold is sensed, the vision control system issues a control signal.

[0045] At 774E, the video mixing system of the vision control system enables direct-through video from a world-facing camera to the near-eye display system in response to receiving the control signal. At 774F, a control circuit of the electrochromic insert biases at least two peripheral contacts that are electrically coupled to at least two transparent electrodes of the electrochromic insert in response to receiving the control signal, thereby increasing the optical transmittance of the electrochromic insert and thus increasing the user's peripheral view of the real world.

[0046] As mentioned above, control signals can be issued to enable pass-through video and to bleach the electrochromic insert based on user input, audio input, and / or sensed motion. In some examples, the exact same control signal that enables pass-through video also bleaches the electrochromic insert. In other examples, pass-through video is enabled based on a first control signal, and the electrochromic insert is bleached based on a second control signal that is different from the first control signal. Moreover, user input, audio input, and / or motion sensing can be mapped to the different first and second control signals in any useful way. In one non-limiting example, motion sensing can issue only the first control signal, while user input or audio input can issue both the first control signal and the second control signal. In another non-limiting example, motion sensed substantially in front of the visual control system can issue the first control signal, while motion to the side of the headset frame can issue the second control signal. Generally speaking, triggering of the control circuitry can be compatible with almost any suitable control strategy.

[0047] Thus, in configurations where the first and second control signals are different, the video mixing engine at 774E can receive the first control signal and, in response, enable pass-through video from the world-facing camera to the near-eye display. At 774F, the control circuitry can receive the second control signal and, in response, increase the voltage applied across the relatively transparent electrodes of the electrochromic insert.

[0048] In Figure 1 the example shown, the near-eye display system 104 is fully integrated into the visual control system 102. In Figure 8 a similar configuration is shown where the side shields 834 are detachable from the headset frame 806 and the electrochromic insert 862. The detachable side shields provide an important technical effect, enabling the use of products that may not be suitable for use on the electronic component portion of the headset to clean the side shields (which are in frequent contact with the user's face). In other examples, the visual control system can be an add-on device to the near-eye display system. This approach enables the visual control system to be provided to the owners of compatible near-eye display systems after purchase. Additionally, it can enable the components of the visual control and near-eye display systems to be cleaned, repaired, and / or replaced separately.

[0049] In this spirit, Figure 9Shows various aspects of another visual control system 902. The visual control system 902 includes an electrochromic insert 962, which is configured to be disposed on the left side of the head-mounted frame 906 of the near-eye display system. As mentioned above, the electrochromic insert includes at least two transparent electrodes, and at least two peripheral contacts 968 and 968' extend to the at least two transparent electrodes respectively. The visual control system 902 includes a side shield 934, which is configured to be attached to the left side of the head-mounted frame. In Figure 9 the example shown, the side shield is detachable from the head-mounted frame 906. The peripheral contacts 968 and 968' are configured to be detachably mated to corresponding contacts 976 and 976' of the head-mounted frame; the control circuit disposed in the head-mounted frame is electrically coupled to the peripheral contacts via the corresponding contacts. In this example, the peripheral contacts extend to the peripheral edge 979 of the side shield 934.

[0050] Figure 10 Shows various aspects of yet another visual control system 1002. The visual control system 1002 includes an electrochromic insert 1062, which is configured to be disposed on the left side of the head-mounted frame 1006 of the near-eye display system. As mentioned above, the electrochromic insert includes at least two transparent electrodes, and at least two peripheral contacts 1068 and 1068' extend to the at least two transparent electrodes respectively. The visual control system 1002 includes a side shield 1034, which is configured to be attached to the left side of the head-mounted frame. In Figure 10 the example shown, the side shield 1034 is detachable from the head-mounted frame. The peripheral contacts 1068 and 1068' are configured to be detachably mated to corresponding contacts 1076 and 1076' of the head-mounted frame; the control circuit disposed in the head-mounted frame is electrically coupled to the peripheral contacts via the corresponding contacts. The peripheral contacts are disposed on the peripheral edge 1079 of the electrochromic insert. Here, the electrochromic insert is detachable from the side shield 1034 and is configured to be attached to one side of the head-mounted display frame.

[0051] None of the aspects of the drawings or the description should be construed as restrictive, as many variations, extensions, and omissions are also envisioned. In the above description, all visual control systems include electrochromic inserts because this technology provides efficient, lightweight, and low-noise bleaching for the side windows of near-eye display frames. In other examples, the side windows may include electromechanically or piezoelectrically actuated shutters or apertures. In other examples, the visual control system may be configured to pump an opaque fluid into the side window when low transmittance is required and pump out the two opaque fluids when high transmittance is required.

[0052] In the above description, the transmittance of various electrochromic inserts is the lowest in the unbiased state and becomes higher and higher as the applied voltage increases (as Figure 4(as shown in). This functional dependency may be desirable for engineering efficiency and energy conservation in typical use scenarios. However, the opposite functional dependency is also envisioned - for example, Figure 4 The graph of Figure 4 is reflected. In addition, the term "electrochromic" should not be construed as limiting the underlying cause of the dependence of optical transmittance on the applied electrical bias. This term applies in this document not only to redox-active thin-film structures in which the absorption rate varies as a function of the bias, but also to structures such as PDLC films, where the applied electric field affects the anisotropic scattering cross-section of the film. Further, it will be understood that certain specialized terms in materials chemistry (such as "redox-active" and "oxidation state" above) have equivalents in the alternative language of materials physics. Thus, the oxidation state distribution of redox-active species may be related to the band occupancy of a semiconductor.

[0053] Additional context for the operation of the near-eye display system in this document is now provided. Briefly returning to Figure 2 , each display image formed by the monocular system 214 is a virtual image presented at a predetermined distance Z0 in front of the user O. The distance Z0 is referred to as the "focal plane depth" of the display image. In some monocular systems, the value of Z0 is a fixed function of the design parameters of the display projector 218, the incident grating 230, the exit grating 232, and / or other fixed-function optical devices. Based on the permanent configuration of these structures, the focal plane can be positioned at the desired depth. In one example, Z0 can be set to "infinity" such that each optical system presents the display image in the form of collimated light. In another example, Z0 can be set to 33 cm, requiring the optical system to present each display image in the form of diverging light. In some examples, Z0 can be selected at design time and remain constant for all virtual images presented by the display system. Alternatively, the optical system can be configured with electronically adjustable optical power to allow Z0 to vary dynamically according to the range of distances at which virtual images are presented.

[0054] A binocular near-eye display system employing a fixed or variable focal plane may be able to present virtual display images that are perceived to be at a controlled, variable distance in front of or behind the focal plane. As described below with reference to Figure 11A and 11B , this effect can be achieved by controlling the horizontal parallax of each pair of corresponding pixels of the right and left stereoscopic images.

[0055] For ease of illustration, Figure 11AShows right image frame 1180R and left image frame 1180L superimposed on each other. The right image frame encloses right display image 1116R, and the left image frame encloses left display image 1116L. When viewed concurrently through near-eye display system 102, the right and left display images may appear to the user as a 3D hologram 1182 composed of separately rendered tracks. Each track i of the visible surface of the hologram has a depth coordinate Z i , Y i ) associated with the corresponding pixel (X i in the right and left display images. The desired depth coordinates can be simulated as follows.

[0056] First, a distance Z0 to the focal plane F of the near-eye display system is selected. Then, the depth coordinate Z of each track i of the visible surface of the hologram is set. This is achieved by adjusting the positional parallax of two pixels corresponding to track i in the left and right display images relative to their respective image frames. In Figure 11B , the pixel corresponding to track i in the right image frame is denoted as R i , and the corresponding pixel in the left image frame is denoted as L i . In Figure 11B , the positional parallax is positive - i.e., R i is to the right of L i in the superimposed image frames. A positive positional parallax causes track i to appear behind the focal plane F. If the positional parallax is negative, the track will appear in front of the focal plane. Finally, if the left and right display images overlap (no parallax, R i and L i coincide), then the track will appear to be directly on the focal plane. Without associating the present disclosure with any particular theory, the positional parallax D can be related to Z, Z0, and the user's interpupillary distance (IPD) as follows:

[0057]

[0058] In some examples, computer 108 maintains a model of Cartesian space in front of the user in a reference frame fixed to near-eye display system 102. The positions of the user's pupils are mapped onto this space, as are image frames 1180R and 1180L, each positioned at a predetermined depth Z0. Then, the visible surface of hologram 56 is assembled, and each track i of the visible surface of the image has coordinates X i , Y i and Z i in the common reference frame. For each track of the visible surface, a double-segment is constructed - a first segment to the pupil position of the user's right eye, and a second segment to the pupil position of the user's left eye. The pixel R iis taken as the intersection of the first line segment in the right image frame 1180R. Similarly, the pixel L of the left display image i is taken as the intersection of the second line segment in the left image frame 1180L. This process automatically provides appropriate shift and scale amounts to correctly render the visible surface, placing each locus i at an appropriate distance and at an appropriate viewing angle. In some examples, the above-outlined method can be facilitated by estimating the user's pupil position in real time. In examples where pupil estimation is not attempted, a suitable surrogate for the pupil position, such as the center of rotation of the pupil position or the eye position, can be used.

[0059] Returning again to Figure 2 , the stereoscopic disparity that controls the image limited to the focal plane is suitable for rendering a three-dimensional effect, but is less suitable for shifting the entire display image back and forth in the user's field of view. To resolve depth in complex scenes, in addition to the oculomotor cues of neurally coupled binocular convergence and lens accommodation, the human visual cortex also interprets multiple visual cues (e.g., occlusion and motion parallax). Stereoscopic disparity correctly stimulates the binocular convergence cue, but not the accommodation cue. Instead, the user's lens remains focused on a fixed focal plane regardless of the depth value indicated by the stereoscopic disparity. When the disparity changes but the focal plane does not move, a discordance between the two oculomotor cues is perceived, which may cause user discomfort.

[0060] Therefore, Figure 2 the monocular system 214 of can be configured to change the focal plane presenting the virtual display imagery. In the example shown, the monocular system includes a variable focal length lens 284 with variable optical power. The computer 108 is configured to control the focusing bias of the variable focal length lens such that the display light is imaged onto a focal plane positioned at a controlled variable distance from the pupil position 226. In a stereoscopic near-eye display system, this control feature can be formulated in combination with the appropriate control of the stereoscopic disparity described above. Figure 2 The monocular system 214 of also includes a fixed focal length lens 286 in series with the variable focal length lens 284 and is arranged to pre-bias the convergence of the display light released from the extended optical device 224.

[0061] When applied to an AR display system, the variable focal length lens 284 and / or the fixed focal length lens 286 will change the convergence of the external light received from the user's opposite side. Therefore, in Figure 2In [the system], the monocular system 214 further includes a variable compensation lens 288 with variable optical power and a fixed compensation lens 290. In some examples, the fixed optical power of the fixed compensation lens 290 can be opposite to and substantially reverse the fixed optical power of the fixed focusing lens 286. When controlling the focusing bias such that the display light is imaged onto a focal plane positioned at a controlled variable distance from the user O, the computer 108 can also synchronously control the compensation bias of the variable compensation lens such that the external light reaches the user with a constant convergence.

[0062] As mentioned above, the methods herein can be associated with a computer system of one or more computing devices. Such methods and processes can be implemented as an application or service, an application programming interface (API), a library, and / or other computer program products.

[0063] Figure 12 A schematic representation of a computer system 1208 configured to provide some or all of the computer system functions disclosed herein is provided. The computer system 1208 can take the form of a personal computer, an application server computer, or any other computing device.

[0064] The computer system 1208 includes a logic system 1210 and a computer memory system 1212. The computer system 1208 can optionally include a display system 1292, an input system 1294, a network system 1296, and / or other systems not shown in the figures.

[0065] The logic system 1210 includes one or more physical devices configured to execute instructions. For example, the logic system can be configured to execute instructions that are part of at least one operating system (OS), application, service, and / or other program constructs. The logic system can include at least one hardware processor (e.g., a microprocessor, a central processor, a central processing unit (CPU), and / or a graphics processing unit (GPU)) configured to execute software instructions. Additionally or alternatively, the logic system can include at least one hardware or firmware device configured to execute hardware or firmware instructions. The processors of the logic system can be single-core or multi-core, and the instructions executed thereon can be configured for sequential, parallel, and / or distributed processing. The various components of the logic system can optionally be distributed in two or more separate devices that can be remotely located and / or configured for coordinated processing. Various aspects of the logic system can be virtualized and executed by remotely accessible networked computing devices configured in a cloud computing configuration.

[0066] The computer memory system 1212 includes at least one physical device configured to temporarily and / or permanently store computer system information such as data and instructions executable by the logic system 1210. When the computer memory system includes two or more devices, the devices may be collocated or remotely located. The computer memory system 1212 may include at least one volatile, non-volatile, dynamic, static, read / write, read-only, random access, sequential access, location-read addressable, file-read addressable, and / or content-read addressable computer memory device. The computer memory system 1212 may include at least one removable and / or built-in computer memory device. When the logic system executes instructions, the state of the computer memory system 1212 may be transformed, for example, to store different data.

[0067] Aspects of the logic system 1210 and the computer memory system 1212 may be integrated together into one or more hardware logic components. For example, any such hardware logic component may include at least one program and application specific integrated circuit (PASIC / ASIC), program and application specific standard product (PSSP / ASSP), system on a chip (SOC), or complex programmable logic device (CPLD).

[0068] The logic system 1210 and the computer memory system 1212 may cooperate to instantiate one or more logical machines or engines. As used herein, the terms “machine” and “engine” collectively refer, respectively, to a combination of hardware, firmware, software, instructions, and / or any other components that cooperate to provide computer system functionality. In other words, machines and engines are never abstract concepts and always have a tangible form. A machine or engine may be instantiated by a single computing device, or a machine or engine may include two or more sub-components instantiated by two or more different computing devices. In some implementations, a machine or engine includes local components (e.g., software applications executed by a computer system processor) that cooperate with remote components (e.g., cloud computing services provided by a network of one or more server computer systems). The software and / or other instructions that confer functionality on a particular machine or engine may optionally be stored as one or more unexecuted modules on one or more computer memory devices.

[0069] Machines and engines (such as those used throughout the above description) can be implemented using any suitable combination of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques. Non-limiting examples of techniques that can be incorporated in the implementation of one or more machines include support vector machines, multi-layer neural networks, convolutional neural networks (e.g., spatial convolutional networks for processing images and / or videos, and / or any other suitable convolutional neural network configured to convolve and pool features in one or more temporal and / or spatial dimensions), recurrent neural networks (e.g., long short-term memory networks), associative memories (e.g., lookup tables, hash tables, Bloom filters, neural Turing machines, and / or neural random access memories), unsupervised spatial and / or clustering methods (e.g., nearest neighbor algorithms, topological data analysis, and / or k-means clustering), and / or graphical models (e.g., (hidden) Markov models, Markov random fields, (hidden) conditional random fields, and / or AI knowledge bases).

[0070] When included, the display system 1292 can be used to present a visual representation of data stored by the computer memory system 1212. In some examples, the visual representation can take the form of a graphical user interface (GUI). The display system can include one or more display devices that actually utilize any type of technology. In some implementations, the display system can include one or more virtual reality, augmented reality, or mixed reality displays.

[0071] When included, the input system 1294 can include or interface with one or more input devices. Input devices can include sensor devices or user input devices. Examples of user input devices include keyboards, mice, or touchscreens.

[0072] When included, the network system 1296 can be configured to communicatively couple the computer system 1208 with one or more other computer devices. The network system can include wired and / or wireless communication devices that are compatible with one or more different communication protocols. The network system can be configured to communicate via a personal area network, a local area network, and / or a wide area network.

[0073] This disclosure is presented by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Components, process steps, and other elements that may be substantially the same in one or more of the drawings are coordinately identified and described with a minimum of repetition. However, it will be noted that coordinately identified elements may also differ to some extent. It will further be noted that the drawings are schematic and generally not drawn to scale. Instead, the various drawing scales, aspect ratios, and numbers of components shown in the drawings may be deliberately distorted to make certain features or relationships more readily visible.

[0074] In summary, one aspect of the present disclosure relates to a vision control system including a near-eye display system coupled to a head-mounted frame, a vision system providing a see-through video to the near-eye display system, and an electrochromic insert having at least two peripheral contacts and control circuitry. The electrochromic insert is disposed on one side of the head-mounted frame, wherein the peripheral contacts extend to at least two transparent electrodes. The control circuitry is electrically coupled to the peripheral contacts and is configured to apply a voltage to the peripheral contacts according to a control signal to change the optical transmittance of the electrochromic insert.

[0075] In some implementations, the electrochromic insert is configured to be received into a side shield configured for attachment to one side of the head-mounted frame. In some implementations, the vision control system further includes a motion sensor, wherein the control signal is issued in accordance with motion sensing by the motion sensor. In some implementations, the vision control system further includes a microphone, wherein the control signal is issued in accordance with detection of sound picked up by the microphone.

[0076] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a vision control system including an electrochromic insert and at least two peripheral contacts. The electrochromic insert includes at least two transparent electrodes and is configured for disposition on one side of a head-mounted frame of a near-eye display system. The peripheral contacts extend to the transparent electrodes, and the optical transmittance of the electrochromic insert varies depending on an electrical bias applied to the transparent electrodes.

[0077] In some implementations, the peripheral contacts are configured to removably mate with corresponding contacts of the head-mounted frame. In some implementations, the peripheral contacts are disposed on the peripheral edge of the electrochromic insert. In some implementations, the vision control system further includes a side shield configured to be attached to one side of the head-mounted frame, wherein the peripheral contacts extend to the peripheral edge of the side shield. In some implementations, the electrochromic insert is removable from the side shield configured to be attached to one side of the head-mounted frame. In some implementations, the vision control system further includes a control circuit that is electrically coupled to the peripheral contacts and is configured to apply a voltage to the peripheral contacts according to a control signal to change the optical transmittance of the electrochromic insert. In some implementations, the voltage applied between at least two transparent electrodes increases the optical transmittance of the electrochromic insert. In some implementations, the electrochromic insert includes a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal film disposed between at least two transparent electrodes. In some implementations, the at least two transparent electrodes include a first transparent electrode and a second transparent electrode, and the electrochromic insert includes a first electrochromic conductive layer adjacent to the first transparent electrode, a second electrochromic conductive layer adjacent to the second transparent electrode, and an ion conductive layer intermediate the first electrochromic conductive layer and the second electrochromic conductive layer. In some implementations, the at least two transparent electrodes include a common electrode and a series of opposing electrodes stacked parallel to the common electrode, wherein each of the opposing electrodes is independently biased via an independent contact, and wherein the electrochromic conductive layer and the ion conductive layer are segmented in alignment with the series of opposing electrodes. In some implementations, the electrochromic insert wraps from one side of the head-mounted frame around to the top or bottom of the head-mounted frame. In some implementations, the vision control system further includes a near-eye display system and a world-facing camera coupled to the head-mounted frame.

[0078] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method of operating a vision control system having an electrochromic insert disposed on one side of a head-mounted frame of a near-eye display system. The method includes (a) receiving a control signal; and (b) electro-biasing at least two peripheral contacts that are electrically coupled to at least two transparent electrodes of the electrochromic insert in accordance with the received control signal. The optical transmittance of the electrochromic insert varies depending on the electro-biasing voltage applied to the transparent electrodes.

[0079] In some implementations, the control signal is issued according to an input from a user of a near-eye display system disposed in the head-mounted frame. In some implementations, the control signal is issued according to a voice command of the user.

[0080] It will be understood that the configurations and / or methods described herein are exemplary in nature, and these specific embodiments or examples should not be considered limiting as many variations are possible. The specific routines or methods described herein may represent one or more of any number of processing strategies. Accordingly, the various acts shown and / or described may be performed in the sequence shown and / or described, in other sequences, in parallel, or omitted. Likewise, the order of the above processes may be changed. In this spirit, the phrase "at least partially based on" is intended to alert the reader that the functional and / or conditional logic shown herein neither requires nor precludes suitable additional logic executed in combination with the shown logic to provide additional benefits.

[0081] The subject matter of the present disclosure includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and sub-combinations of the various processes, systems, and configurations, as well as other features, functions, acts, and / or properties disclosed herein, and any and all equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A visual control system, comprising: A near-eye display system, the near-eye display system being coupled to a head-mounted frame; An electrochromic insert disposed on one side of the head-mounted frame, the electrochromic insert including at least two transparent electrodes; At least two peripheral contacts, the peripheral contacts respectively extending to the at least two transparent electrodes; A control circuit, the control circuit being electrically coupled to the peripheral contacts and configured to apply a voltage to the peripheral contacts according to a control signal to change the optical transmittance of the electrochromic insert; A vision system, the vision system including at least one world-facing camera and being configured to provide a through-video to the near-eye display system.

2. The visual control system according to claim 1, wherein the electrochromic insert is received in a side shield, the side shield being configured for attachment to the one side of the head-mounted frame.

3. The visual control system according to claim 1 further comprises: A motion sensor, wherein the control signal is issued according to the motion sensing of the motion sensor.

4. The visual control system according to claim 1 further comprises: A microphone, wherein the control signal is issued according to the detection of sound picked up by the microphone.

5. A visual control system, comprising: An electrochromic insert configured for disposition on one side of a head-mounted frame of a near-eye display system, the electrochromic insert including at least two transparent electrodes, wherein the optical transmittance of the electrochromic insert varies depending on an electrical bias applied to the transparent electrodes; And At least two peripheral contacts, the peripheral contacts respectively extending to the at least two transparent electrodes.

6. The visual control system according to claim 5, wherein the peripheral contacts are configured to be detachably paired with corresponding contacts of the head-mounted frame.

7. The visual control system according to claim 5, wherein the peripheral contacts are disposed on a peripheral edge of the electrochromic insert.

8. The visual control system according to claim 5 further comprises: A side shield configured for attachment to the one side of the head-mounted frame, wherein the peripheral contacts extend to a peripheral edge of the side shield.

9. The visual control system according to claim 5, wherein the electrochromic insert is detachable from a side shield configured for attachment to the one side of the head-mounted frame.

10. The visual control system according to claim 5 further comprises: A control circuit, the control circuit being electrically coupled to the peripheral contacts and configured to apply a voltage to the peripheral contacts according to a control signal to change the optical transmittance of the electrochromic insert.

11. The visual control system according to claim 5, wherein the voltage applied between the at least two transparent electrodes increases the optical transmittance of the electrochromic insert.

12. The visual control system according to claim 5, wherein the electrochromic insert includes a polymer dispersed liquid crystal film disposed between the at least two transparent electrodes.

13. The visual control system according to claim 5, wherein the at least two transparent electrodes include a first transparent electrode and a second transparent electrode, and wherein the electrochromic insert includes a first electrochromic conductive layer adjacent to the first transparent electrode, a second electrochromic conductive layer adjacent to the second transparent electrode, and an ion conductive layer intermediate the first electrochromic conductive layer and the second electrochromic conductive layer.

14. The visual control system according to claim 13, wherein the at least two transparent electrodes include a common electrode and a series of opposing electrodes stacked parallel to the common electrode, wherein each of the opposing electrodes is independently biased via an independent contact, and wherein the electrochromic conductive layers and the ion conductive layer are segmented in alignment with the series of opposing electrodes.

15. The visual control system according to claim 5, wherein the electrochromic insert curves around from the side of the head-mounted frame to the top or bottom of the head-mounted frame.

16. The visual control system according to claim 5 further comprises: A near-eye display system and a world-facing camera coupled to the head-mounted frame.

17. A method for operating a visual control system, the method comprising: Receiving a control signal; And In response to receiving the control signal, electrically biasing at least two peripheral contacts that are electrically coupled to at least two transparent electrodes of an electrochromic insert disposed on a side of a head-mounted frame of a near-eye display system, wherein an optical transmittance of the electrochromic insert varies depending on the electrical bias applied to the transparent electrodes.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the control signal is issued in response to an input from a user of a near-eye display system disposed in the head-mounted frame.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the control signal is issued in response to a voice command of the user.

20. The method according to claim 17, further comprising: Sensing motion around the head-mounted frame, wherein the control signal is issued in response to sensing the motion.

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