Binocular alignment of virtual image displays

Abstract

A binocular augmented reality display system includes a frame, a first image light guide and a second image light guide supported by the frame, a first image source system disposed within the frame, the first image source system including a first display panel having a first plurality of light sources, and a second image source system disposed within the frame, the second image source system includes a second display panel having a second plurality of light sources; at least one processor and at least one non-transitory computer readable memory configured to generate, by a first display engine, a first image using a first subset of a first plurality of light sources, receive a first input signal and generate, in response to the first input signal, a second image using a second subset of the first plurality of light sources, and generating, by the second display engine, a third image using the first subset of the second plurality of light sources.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to electronic displays worn by a viewer for forming virtual images, and more particularly to binocular alignment of images in a head-mounted display (HMD). Background Art

[0002] HMDs are being developed for a wide range of applications, including military, commercial, industrial, firefighting, and entertainment. For many of these applications, creating a virtual image that can be visually overlaid on the real-world image formed in the HMD user's eye within their field of view is particularly valuable. Image light guides conduct image-bearing light to the viewer, directing the virtual image to the viewer's pupil and enabling this overlay functionality.

[0003] Image light guides, along with devices such as diffractive optics, can create a virtual image focused at optical infinity by delivering an angle-coded, collimated beam of light to the viewer's eyebox. However, the virtual image can be focused at a finite distance, such as within a range of 1 to 1.5 meters. In applications such as manufacturing and warehousing, where viewing real-world content at close range is highly beneficial, using a close-focus solution can enable viewers to reap the benefits of augmented reality imaging.

[0004] A binocular HMD may include a projection system, for example, having a projector and image light guide for the left eye and a projector and image light guide for the right eye. Initial calibration and alignment of the projectors can be set during production and / or assembly; however, differences in human anatomy, such as facial geometry and eye position (i.e., interpupillary distance), as well as mechanical variations in the HUD frame, may cause the generated images to appear misaligned to the user. This misalignment may lead to eye strain or the perception of ghosting. Ghosting occurs when the content transmitted to the left and right eyes does not converge into a single object in space in the viewer's brain, but rather the content is perceived as two separate objects in space. Therefore, binocular image calibration and alignment is required after the user uses the binocular HMD. Projector alignment can also be used to change binocular vergence, which may cause the perception of focal depth changes in at least a portion of the generated three-dimensional (3D) image. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present disclosure provides a system and method for producing a properly aligned stereoscopic presentation of virtual images in a near-eye display system through calibration and alignment implemented at the hardware command level. In some embodiments, such alignment or calibration is performed at some point in time after the initial factory calibration of such a system. Reducing or eliminating virtual image misalignment and undesirable optical effects (such as incorrect shading, blurring, and optical noise) can alleviate, for example, ghosting and eye fatigue (i.e., visual fatigue). Therefore, the present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for calibrating and / or changing the alignment of images generated by one or more projectors, which utilize a display projector and a graphical user interface (GUI) presented to a user on a HUD device to customize the projector / image alignment.

[0006] In a first exemplary embodiment, the present disclosure provides a system for aligning virtual display images in a binocular augmented reality display system, comprising a frame, a first image light guide and a second image light guide supported by the frame, a first image source system disposed within the frame, and a second image source system disposed within the frame, wherein the first image source system includes a first display panel system having a first plurality of light sources, and the second image source system includes a second display panel system having a second plurality of light sources. The system also includes at least one processor and at least one non-transitory computer-readable memory, wherein the processor and the memory are respectively configured to execute and store a set of non-transitory computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, are configured to: generate a first image using a first subset of the first plurality of light sources via the first image source system; receive a first input signal and, in response to the first input signal, cause a second subset of the first plurality of light sources to generate a second image; and generate a third image using the first subset of the second plurality of light sources via the second image source system. The image generated by the first image source system is transmitted to a first eyebox by the first image light guide, and the image generated by the second image source system is transmitted to a second eyebox by the second image light guide, wherein the second image is stereoscopically aligned with the third image. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The accompanying drawings are incorporated herein as part of this specification. The drawings described herein illustrate embodiments of the subject matter of the present disclosure and are illustrative of selected principles and teachings of the present disclosure. However, the drawings do not illustrate all possible implementations of the subject matter of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

[0008] Figure 1 is a simplified cross-sectional view of an image light guide showing replication of the image-bearing light beam along the propagation direction to expand one dimension of the eyebox according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosed subject matter.

[0009] Figure 2Ais a schematic perspective view of a binocular HMD operable to form a stereoscopic virtual image for a viewer according to an exemplary embodiment of the presently disclosed subject matter.

[0010] Figure 2B is based on Figure 2A Schematic perspective view of a binocular HMD with vertical misalignment between the left-eye virtual image and the right-eye virtual image.

[0011] Figure 3 is based on Figure 2B Left side view of the binocular HMD.

[0012] Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of a stereoscopic virtual image including substantially aligned wireframe text.

[0013] Figure 4B is a schematic diagram of a stereoscopic virtual image including misaligned wireframe text.

[0014] Figure 5A is a schematic perspective view of an image source system according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosed subject matter.

[0015] Figure 5B is based on Figure 5A A cross-sectional view of a portion of the image source system.

[0016] Figure 6A is based on Figure 5A Schematic diagram of a portion of the image source system.

[0017] Figure 6B is based on Figure 5A Schematic diagram of a portion of the image source system.

[0018] 7A to 7D A graphical user interface for calibrating a stereoscopic image is shown according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosed subject matter.

[0019] Figure 8 is a schematic perspective view of a binocular HMD operable to form a stereoscopic virtual image for a viewer according to an exemplary embodiment of the presently disclosed subject matter. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] It should be understood that the present invention may employ various alternative orientations and step sequences, unless expressly stated otherwise. It should also be understood that the specific components and systems shown in the accompanying drawings and described in the following specification are merely exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined herein. Therefore, specific dimensions, directions, or other physical characteristics referred to in the disclosed embodiments should not be considered limiting unless expressly stated otherwise. Furthermore, although this may not be the case, similar elements in the various embodiments described herein may generally be represented by the same reference numerals throughout this section of the application.

[0021] Those skilled in the relevant art(s) will recognize that the elements and techniques described herein may be implemented without one or more of the specific details, or may be implemented using other methods, components, materials, and the like. In some cases, to avoid obscuring certain aspects of the disclosure, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail in this specification. References throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" mean that the particular features, structures, or characteristics associated with the embodiment are included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" appearing throughout this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. However, the particular features, structures, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0022] The terms "first," "second," and the like used herein do not necessarily indicate any order, precedence, or priority relationship, but are merely used to more clearly distinguish one element or a group of elements from another element or group of elements, unless otherwise stated.

[0023] As used herein, the terms “viewer,” “operator,” “observer,” and “user” are considered equivalent and refer to a person or machine wearing and / or viewing images through a near-eye display device.

[0024] As used herein, the term "coupling" or "coupler" (in the context of optics) refers to a connection through which light propagates from one optical medium or device to another optical medium or device.

[0025] As used herein, the term "about" when applied to a numerical value means within the tolerance of the device used to produce the value, or in some examples, ±10%, ±5%, or ±1%, unless expressly stated otherwise.

[0026] As used herein, the term "substantially" means within the tolerance of the device used to produce the value, or in some examples, ±10%, ±5%, or ±1%, unless expressly stated otherwise.

[0027] As used herein, the terms "optical infinity" and "at infinity" conform to conventional usage in the camera and imaging arts to mean that an image is formed using substantially collimated light such that the focus distance exceeds at least about four meters (4 m).

[0028] As used herein, the term "beam expansion" means the replication of a beam through multiple encounters with optical elements to provide an exit pupil expansion in one or more directions. Similarly, as used herein, "expanding" a beam or portion of a beam means the replication of the beam through multiple encounters with optical elements to provide an exit pupil expansion in one or more directions.

[0029] An optical system (such as an HMD) can produce a virtual image display. Unlike methods used for real images, the virtual image is not formed on the display surface. That is, if the display surface is positioned at the perceived location of the virtual image, no image will be formed on that surface. Virtual image displays have many inherent advantages for augmented reality presentations. For example, the apparent size of the virtual image is not limited by the size or position of the display surface. In addition, the source object for the virtual image can be small; for example, a magnifying glass provides a virtual image of an object. By forming a virtual image that appears to be at a distance, a more realistic viewing experience can be provided compared to systems that project real images. Providing virtual images also avoids the need to compensate for screen artifacts, which may be required when projecting real images.

[0030] An image light guide can display a virtual image using image-bearing light from a light source (e.g., a projector). For example, a collimated and relatively angle-encoded light beam from a projector is coupled into a planar waveguide via an input coupler (e.g., an in-coupling diffractive optical device), which can be mounted or formed on the surface of the planar waveguide or embedded within the waveguide. Such diffractive optical devices can be formed by diffraction gratings, holographic optical elements (HOEs), or other known methods. For example, the diffraction grating can be formed by surface relief. After propagating along the waveguide, the diffracted light can be directed out of the waveguide via a similar output coupler (e.g., an out-coupling diffractive optical device), which can be arranged to provide pupil expansion along at least one direction of the virtual image. In addition, a steering grating can be provided on / in the waveguide to provide pupil expansion in a direction orthogonal to the virtual image. The image-bearing light output from the waveguide provides an expanded eyebox for the viewer.

[0031] Figure 1is a schematic diagram showing a simplified cross-sectional view of a general configuration of an image light guide system 10. The image light guide system 10 includes a planar image light guide 12, an in-coupling diffractive optic (IDO) and an out-coupling diffractive optic (ODO). The image light guide 12 includes a transparent substrate S, which may be made of optical glass or plastic, having a plane-parallel front surface 14 and a back surface 16. In this example, the in-coupling diffractive optic IDO is shown as a transmissive diffraction grating arranged on, in, or otherwise engaged with the front surface 14 of the image light guide 12. However, the in-coupling diffractive optic IDO may also be a reflective diffraction grating or other type of diffractive optical device, such as a volume hologram or other holographic diffraction element, which diffracts an incident image-bearing light beam WI into the image light guide 12. The in-coupling diffraction optical device IDO can be located on the front surface 14 or the rear surface 16 of the image light guide 12, in the front surface or the rear surface of the image light guide, or otherwise engaged with the front surface or the rear surface of the image light guide, and can adopt a combination of transmissive or reflective types depending on the direction in which the image-carrying light beam WI approaches the image light guide 12.

[0032] When used as part of a near-eye or HMD, the in-coupling diffractive optic IDO of the conventional image light guide system 10 couples an image-bearing light beam WI from an image source system 50 into the substrate S of the image light guide 12. Any real image or image dimension formed by the image source system 50 is first converted into an array of overlapping, angularly correlated collimated light beams that encode different locations within the virtual image for presentation to the in-coupling diffractive optic IDO. Typically, the rays within each beam forming one of the angularly correlated light beams extend parallel, but the angularly correlated light beams are tilted relative to each other by angles that can be defined in two angular dimensions corresponding to the linear dimensions of the image.

[0033] Once the angle-dependent beams are coupled to the in-coupling diffractive optic IDO, at least a portion of the image-bearing beam WI is diffracted (typically through the first diffraction order) and thereby redirected by the in-coupling diffractive optic IDO into the planar image light guide 12 as an angle-encoded image-bearing beam WG, which propagates further along the length dimension x of the image light guide 12 via total internal reflection (TIR) between the plane-parallel front and back surfaces 14, 16. Although diffracted into angle-dependent combinations of beams according to the boundaries set by TIR, the image-bearing beam WG retains image information in an angularly encoded form, which can be derived from the parameters of the in-coupling diffractive optic IDO. The out-coupling diffractive optic ODO receives the encoded image-bearing beam WG and diffracts at least a portion of the image-bearing beam WG out of the image light guide 12 as an image-bearing beam WO (also typically through the first diffraction order) toward an adjacent spatial region (referred to as the eyebox E), where the transmitted virtual image is observed by the viewer's eye or other optical components. The outcoupling diffractive optical device ODO can be designed symmetrically with respect to the incoupling diffractive optical device IDO to restore the original angular relationship between the image-bearing light beam WI and the angularly correlated output image-bearing light beam WO. Furthermore, in exemplary embodiments, the outcoupling diffractive optical device ODO can modify the positional angular relationship of the original field points to produce an output virtual image at a limited focusing distance.

[0034] However, to increase the degree of overlap in one dimension between the angularly dependent beams filling the eyebox E (which defines the size of the area where the virtual image is visible), the outcoupling diffractive optic ODO is arranged in conjunction with the finite thickness T of the image light guide 12 to encounter the image-bearing beam WG multiple times and diffract only a portion of the image-bearing beam WG at each encounter. The multiple encounters along the length (e.g., in the first direction) of the outcoupling diffractive optic ODO have the effect of replicating the image-bearing beam WG and magnifying or expanding at least one dimension of the eyebox E, where the replicated beams overlap. The expanded eyebox E reduces sensitivity to the position of the viewer's eye 5 for viewing the virtual image.

[0035] The out-coupling diffractive optic ODO is shown as a transmissive diffraction grating disposed on or affixed to the front surface 14 of the image light guide 12. However, similar to the in-coupling diffractive optic IDO, the out-coupling diffractive optic ODO may also be located on, in, or otherwise engaged with the front or rear surface 14, 16 of the image light guide 12, and may employ a combination of transmissive and reflective optics depending on the direction in which the image-bearing light beam WG is intended to exit the image light guide 12. Furthermore, the out-coupling diffractive optic ODO may be formed as another type of diffractive optic, such as a volume hologram or other holographic diffractive element, which diffracts the image-bearing light beam WG propagating from the image light guide 12 into an image-bearing light beam WO propagating toward the eye box E.

[0036] picture Figure 2A 、 Figure 2B and Figure 3 An HMD 100 is shown operable to form a stereoscopic virtual image 102 for a viewer. The HMD 100 is configured to form a left-eye virtual image 102A and a right-eye virtual image 102B aligned with each other at a distance in front of the HMD 100 to provide the advantages of stereoscopic image presentation. Figure 2A In FIG, the left eye image 102A and the right eye image 102B are shown aligned for stereoscopic imaging. Figure 2B and Figure 3 , the left eye image 102A and the right eye image 102B are displayed as being misaligned (e.g., exaggerated vertical misalignment). In an exemplary embodiment, the HMD 100 includes a first image light guide system 10A and a second image light guide system 10B. The first image light guide system 10A is configured to transmit image-bearing light to the user's left eye, while the second image light guide system 10B is configured to transmit image-bearing light to the user's right eye. For example, the first image light guide system 10A and the second image light guide system 10B may include one or more image light guides (e.g., light waveguides) having one or more regions including diffractive optical devices, such as surface relief gratings, holographic optical elements (HOEs), or liquid crystal materials, designed to diffract, in-couple, redirect, and out-couple light emitted by a corresponding image source system 50 (e.g., Figure 1 As shown) generates the light that carries the image.

[0037] The HMD 100 is generally adjustable so that it can be worn comfortably and effectively by viewers with different head sizes or other anatomical variations (including, but not limited to, variations in pupil distance) that affect how the HMD 100 display is mounted on the viewer's head. Embodiments of the present disclosure can adjust the reshaping of the HMD 100 to fit the head anatomy of different viewers while maintaining the stereoscopic presentation desired for each viewer. Although the HMD 100 is shown as a "smart glasses" system, it should be understood that the present disclosure is equally applicable to heads-up displays (HUDs) having different locations of image light guides 10A, 10B, image source systems 50, associated drive electronics, memory, and processors. For example, without limitation, the HMD 100 can be configured to resemble and / or be integrated with glasses, ski goggles, swimming goggles, and helmets.

[0038] In an exemplary embodiment, the left and right image source systems 50 are initially calibrated and aligned during the production and / or assembly of the HMD 100. Figure 4A and Figure 4B Variations in human anatomy, such as facial geometry and eye position (i.e., interpupillary distance), and mechanical variations in the HMD 100 frame may cause the images 102A, 102B delivered to the eye box E to be misaligned when viewed stereoscopically. Figure 4B Examples of misalignments that lead to perceived ghosting are shown. For example, Figure 4A and Figure 4B The images 102A, 102B shown in FIG simulate substantially identical wireframe text generated by two image source systems 50. Figure 4A As shown, if the generated images 102A, 102B are correctly aligned, the user will perceive a single object (e.g., image 102) as seen by both eyes. Figure 4B As shown, if the generated images 102A and 102B are not aligned (horizontally, vertically, or both), the user will perceive two separate objects (eg, images 102A, 102B) in two conflicting spaces.

[0039] like Figure 5A and Figure 5B As shown, in an exemplary embodiment, the image source system 50 is a self-luminous micro-LED (microLED) display projector, including a self-luminous micro-LED display panel 560. For example, Figure 5B As shown, the figure is Figure 5AFIG2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a self-luminous microLED display panel 560 schematically shown in FIG2 , which includes a substrate 562, an electrode layer 564, a microLED / OLED array 566, and a front layer 568. Each microLED 566R, 566G, 566B is an individually addressable component of the self-luminous microLED display panel 560. Each microLED 566R, 566G, 566B corresponds to at least a portion of one or more pixels in a projected image. In an exemplary embodiment, the microLED array 566 is configured to emit light as a function of the power applied to each self-luminous light source. For example, the microLED array 566 can be approximately the size and shape of the in-coupling diffractive optical device IDO of the associated image light guide system 10A, 10B.

[0040] In an exemplary embodiment, the image source system 50 has more available microLEDs 566 arranged on the substrate 562 than would typically be used to create the image 102. For example, if the image source system 50 is designed to create and / or display an image having a resolution of 640×480, the image source system 50 may have an array of 664×500 microLEDs 566. It should be understood that the 640×480 resolution is merely an exemplary display resolution, and other display resolutions, such as 1024×768 or 1920×1080, are also possible. Thus, during the generation of any given image, there is a subset 570 of microLEDs 566 that are used to create the image 102 and a subset 572 of microLEDs 566 that are not used to create the image 102.

[0041] The virtual image 102 output from the HMD 100 includes overlapping image-bearing light beams in which the virtual image 102 is angularly encoded. The image-bearing light beams corresponding to matching points within the left-eye 102A and right-eye images 102B are aligned with each other or otherwise converge toward a common point in the space in front of the HMD 100 to support the desired stereoscopic presentation. Thus, the HMD 100 is configured to maintain a desired angular relationship between the left-eye image 102A and the right-eye image 102B.

[0042] The number of microLEDs 566 in the microLED array 560 is greater than the number of pixels used to generate the image 102, which allows for margin for unused microLEDs 566 in the subset 572. For example, using the exemplary resolution and configuration described above, when a 640×480 image is generated using a display including 664×500 microLEDs 566, assuming the created image is centered within the array of microLEDs 566, there is a margin of twelve unused microLEDs 566 on each side of the subset 570, and ten unused microLEDs 566 on each side of the subset 570. In exemplary embodiments, subsets 570 of microLEDs 566 can be moved within the microLED array 560, and at least partially to edge regions of initially unused microLEDs 566, to change the angular relationship of the image-bearing light transmitted through the image light guide system 10A, 10B, and to change the alignment of the images 102A, 102B transmitted to the eye box E and viewed by the user. Referring now to FIG. Figure 6A and Figure 6B For example, the subset 570 of microLEDs 566 used to generate image 102 can be shifted downward on microLED array 560. Figure 6B As shown, subset 570 of microLEDs 566 can move three microLEDs 566 in the (-)y-axis direction to calibrate the alignment of image 102.

[0043] In other words, moving the microLEDs 566 powered by the right and / or left image source systems 50 to change the angular relationship of the images 102A, 102B transmitted by the image light guide systems 10A, 10B can be used to align the two images 102A, 102B in a manner suitable for the user. It should be understood that Figures 6A to 6B The numbers of horizontal and vertical pixels shown in should not be construed as limiting in any way, as other pixel configurations are possible, as described above.

[0044] In exemplary embodiments, the shifting of the microLEDs 566 powered by the image source system 50 occurs at the hardware level, rather than purely at the software level. For example, in some exemplary embodiments, the image source system 50 includes an onboard chip 52 that receives command signals from a processor of the HMD 100 when a user realigns the images 102 via a provided graphical user interface (GUI). Once the alignment step is performed and the command is sent to the onboard chips 52 provided on the respective right and left image source systems 50, the microLED array 560 will generate the image 102 using only the newly selected subset 570. The alignment step can be performed any number of times via the GUI to accommodate multiple users of the HMD 100 and / or deformations of the HMD 100. It should be understood that the onboard chips 52 used by the respective image source systems 50 may include a discrete processor and non-transitory, computer-readable, non-volatile memory, each configured to execute and store instruction sets related to the configuration of used and unused microLEDs 566 in the array 560.

[0045] In an exemplary embodiment, the HMD 100 includes a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable memory configured to execute and store a set of computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, are configured to operate the HMD 100. The processor also includes a software suite configured to enable a user to recalibrate the alignment of the images 102A and 102B at the hardware level. When a user finds that the images 102 are misaligned (e.g., appearing as ghosting or the user experiencing noticeable eye fatigue), the user can access a portion of the provided software suite to adjust the alignment of the images 102A and 102B. In an exemplary embodiment, the software suite includes 7A to 7D The GUI shown. Figure 7A A left-eye graticule 600A in image 102A and a right-eye graticule 600B in image 102B are shown, wherein the graticules 600A and 600B are vertically aligned along an imaginary horizontal axis AA. An alignment point 602 is associated with the position of the left-eye image 102A, and an alignment point 604 is associated with the position of the right-eye image 102B.

[0046] like Figure 7B As shown, in an exemplary embodiment, when the images 102A and 102B are vertically misaligned, the user will perceive double images of the reticles 600A and 600B within the GUI. The user can use an input device 160, such as a touch-sensitive pad located on the temple of one or more temples of the HMD 100, or an external device (e.g., a smartphone, tablet, personal computer, etc.) wirelessly connected to the HMD 100, to gradually move the positions of the alignment points 602 and 604 relative to the left eye reticles 600A and the right eye reticles 600B via the user input device 160. For example, Figure 7C As shown, the user can gradually move the alignment point 602 upward relative to the alignment point 604. Similarly, as shown in FIG. Figure 7D As shown, a user can incrementally move alignment point 604 downward relative to alignment point 602. It should be understood that the positions of both alignment points 602 and 604 can be adjusted simultaneously or independently. By shifting alignment points 602 and 604 relative to each other, images 102A and 102B can be aligned for stereoscopic viewing. Left-eye graticule 600A and right-eye graticule 600B provide a visual indication of the amount of adjustment to be made to left and right images 102A and 102B. In one exemplary embodiment, user input is provided by a touch-sensitive pad or slider 60, which makes equal and opposite adjustments between left-eye graticule 600A and right-eye graticule 600B. For example, when a user slides a finger across the touch-sensitive pad, alignment point 602 will move downward by a certain amount, while alignment point 604 will simultaneously move upward by an equal amount. It should also be understood that while the exemplary embodiments illustrated and described herein provide a mechanism for making alignment adjustments based on vertical misalignment between left and right eye images, similar adjustments can also be used to change the vergence of the images in the horizontal direction.

[0047] As described above, by visually moving the positions of the alignment points 602, 604 within the GUI, the software suite will instruct the corresponding image source system 50's onboard chip 52 to move the available subset 570 of microLEDs 566 up or down based on the movement of the alignment points 602, 604 by sending one or more commands. After the software suite GUI instructs the corresponding image source system 50's onboard chip 52 to change the available subset 570 of microLEDs 566, the available subset 570 of microLEDs 566 will remain unchanged until the alignment is recalibrated via the software suite GUI. Advantageously, in example embodiments, the present disclosure provides hardware-level alignment of the virtual images 102A, 102B without requiring the operating system to continuously calculate pixel positions (e.g., reducing the processing required to determine pixel tracks). Additionally, through the aforementioned hardware-level alignment, the HMD 100 uses less power than systems using conventional alignment mechanisms because only the available subset 570 of microLEDs 566 is powered.

[0048] In one example operation, a user of HMD 100 wears HMD 100 on their head / face. The corresponding left and right image source systems 50 are configured to create respective first images and transmit these respective first images to the user's eyes via left and right image light guides 10A and 10B, respectively. If the user experiences eye strain and / or perceives ghosting due to misalignment of the displayed virtual images, the user can incrementally adjust the usable and unusable portions of microLED array 560 using a GUI provided in the HMD 100 software suite. For example, the user can move the usable subset of microLEDs 566 in the left or right image source system 50 up, down, left, and / or right until the eye strain and / or ghosting are resolved. Each incremental change provided by the user via user input 160 causes the HMD 100 processor to send one or more command signals to the onboard chip 52 of the left and / or right image source system 50. The command signal causes a corresponding change in the drivable or usable area of the microLEDs 566 within the array 560, which is stored at the hardware and / or firmware level. Therefore, upon receiving the command, the left and right image source systems 50 create one or more new images using the new combination of microLEDs 566 in the array 560. It should be understood that the new image may utilize one or more microLEDs 566 that were previously designated as unused. Because the change in the usable area of the array 560 is stored and implemented at the hardware and / or firmware level, the image processing requirements of the HMD 100 do not change as the usable area is moved. This differs from existing alignment software, as any refinement of the image position within the HMD 100 requires additional software commands, which in turn requires adjustments for each frame presented to the user. The additional time and processing resources required to continuously adjust each subsequent frame can significantly increase power consumption and / or processing budgets. The present system and method avoids this additional processing requirement, thereby saving power and processing power compared to conventional systems.

[0049] refer to Figure 8In an exemplary embodiment, HMD 100 includes a frame 110 having a right eye socket portion 112, a right temple 114, and a nose bridge portion 116. Between temple 114 and nose bridge portion 116, frame 110 defines a right opening configured to receive an image light guide 10B. Image light guide 10B is operable to form at least one image associated with one or more virtual objects in the viewer's right eye. Frame 110 also includes a left eye socket portion 118 coupled to nose bridge portion 116, and a left temple 120. Between temple 120 and nose bridge portion 116, frame 110 defines a left opening configured to receive an image light guide 10A. Image light guide 10A is operable to form at least one image associated with one or more virtual objects in the viewer's left eye.

[0050] As described above, the HMD 100 can be configured as a binocular display system, forming images in the viewer's right and left eyes. In some examples, the frame 110 is made of metal, plastic, or wood (or any combination thereof) and is opaque, i.e., it does not transmit visible light. In some examples, the image light guides 10A, 10B are removably secured between the temples 114, 120 and the nose bridge 116, i.e., the image light guides 10A, 10B can be removed and / or replaced without the need for additional tools. Furthermore, it should be understood that in one or more exemplary embodiments, the HMD 100 may include a plurality of stacked image light guides 10A, 10B. For example, one image light guide 10 in the stack is configured to couple and propagate light in a first wavelength range (e.g., light in the red portion of the visible spectrum), while another image light guide 10 in the stack is configured to couple and propagate light in a second wavelength range (e.g., light in the green and / or blue portion of the visible spectrum).

[0051] In an exemplary embodiment, the nose bridge portion 116 is at least partially flexible and / or semi-rigid to facilitate a comfortable fit of the HMD 100 to the user's facial geometry. The at least partially flexible nature of the nose bridge portion 116 allows the geometry of the frame 110 to undergo minor changes after manufacturing and initial calibration due to intentional or unintentional forces / stresses applied to the frame 110. These minor changes to the frame 110 caused by variations in the nose bridge portion 116 may result in misalignment between the left-eye virtual image 102A and the right-eye virtual image 102B, which can be corrected using the calibration system and method described above.

[0052] Conventional image light guides form virtual images at optical infinity, delivering only collimated light to the eyebox E. In an exemplary embodiment, HMD 100 is configured to form stereoscopic virtual images that appear to be focused at a finite distance, such as within a range of 1 to 1.5 meters or 2 meters. Employing a close-focus solution allows viewers to take advantage of augmented reality imaging in applications where real-world content is very close to the user. By horizontally shifting a subset 570 of microLEDs 566, at least partially to the edge regions of initially unused microLEDs 566, varying binocular vergence can be achieved. This can cause the perception of a change in the depth of focus of at least a portion of the generated virtual image, thereby changing the angular relationship of the image-bearing light delivered through image light guide systems 10A, 10B and altering the alignment of images 102A, 102B delivered to eyebox E and viewed by the user. As previously described, such changes in binocular vergence can be achieved by gradually moving the positions of the alignment points 602, 604 relative to the left eye reticle 600A and the right eye reticle 600B in the horizontal direction via the user input device 160 using the aforementioned software suite.

[0053] One or more features of the embodiments described herein may be combined to form other undescribed embodiments. Although various embodiments have been described in detail above, it should be understood that these embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not limiting. It will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art that the subject matter of the present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms, variations, and modifications without departing from its scope, spirit, or essential characteristics. Therefore, the foregoing embodiments should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims, and all changes within the meaning and range of equivalence of the claims are included in the claims.

Claims

1. A binocular augmented reality display system, comprising: frame; a first image light guide and a second image light guide supported by the frame; a first image source system disposed within the frame, the first image source system comprising a first display panel having a first plurality of light sources; a second image source system disposed within the frame, the second image source system comprising a second display panel having a second plurality of light sources; at least one processor and at least one non-transitory computer-readable memory, wherein the processor and memory are respectively arranged to execute and store a set of non-transitory computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, are configured to: generating a first image using a first subset of the first plurality of light sources with the first image source system; receiving a first input signal and generating a second image using a second subset of the first plurality of light sources in response to the first input signal; as well as generating a third image using a first subset of the second plurality of light sources with the second image source system, wherein the image generated by the first image source system is transmitted to a first eyebox via the first image light guide, and the image generated by the second image source system is transmitted to a second eyebox via the second image light guide, and The second image is stereoscopically aligned with the third image.

2. The binocular augmented reality display system of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a second input signal and generating a fourth image using a second subset of the second plurality of light sources in response to the second input signal.

3. The binocular augmented reality display system according to claim 1, wherein a width and a height of a first available area of the first display panel operable to generate the first image are the same as a width and a height of a second available area of the first display panel operable to generate the second image.

4. The binocular augmented reality display system according to claim 1, wherein the frame includes a nose bridge portion that is at least partially flexible.

5. The binocular augmented reality display system of claim 3, wherein the first plurality of light sources includes a subset of light sources that are not used to generate the second image. 6 . The binocular augmented reality display system according to claim 1 , further comprising a user input provided on, in, or near the frame, wherein the first input signal is received through the user input. 7 . The binocular augmented reality display system according to claim 1 , wherein the first image and the third image are stereoscopically aligned at a first binocular vergence, and the second image and the third image are stereoscopically aligned at a second binocular vergence.

8. The binocular augmented reality display system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor and the at least one non-volatile computer-readable memory are located on at least one on-board chip of the first image source system and / or the second image source system.

9. The binocular augmented reality display system according to claim 8, further comprising a second processor configured to receive signals from one or more user inputs and transmit the signals to the at least one processor located on the at least one onboard chip.

10. The binocular augmented reality display system according to claim 1, wherein the first image light guide and the second image light guide each comprise: an in-coupling diffractive optic formed along the image light guide, wherein the in-coupling diffractive optic is operable to diffract at least a portion of the image-bearing light beam into the image light guide in an angularly encoded manner; as well as An outcoupling diffractive optic is formed along the image light guide, wherein the outcoupling diffractive optic is operable to direct at least a portion of the image-bearing light beam from the image light guide in an angularly decoded form.

11. The binocular augmented reality display system of claim 1 , wherein the second subset of the first plurality of light sources is stored in the at least one non-transitory computer-readable memory, wherein the second subset of the first plurality of light sources is used to generate a subsequent image.

12. A method for aligning images of a binocular augmented reality display system, comprising: providing a first image source system comprising a first display panel having a first plurality of light sources; providing a second image source system comprising a second display panel having a second plurality of light sources; providing at least one processor and at least one non-transitory computer-readable memory, wherein the processor and memory are respectively arranged to execute and store a set of non-transitory computer-readable instructions; generating a first image using a first subset of the first plurality of light sources with the first image source system; generating a second image using a first subset of the second plurality of light sources with the second image source system, wherein the second image is misaligned with the first image; as well as receiving a first input signal and generating a third image using a second subset of the first plurality of light sources in response to the first input signal; Wherein the second image is aligned with the third image.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first image comprises a first reticle and a first alignment point, wherein the second image comprises a second reticle and a second alignment point, wherein the third image comprises the first alignment point at a different position relative to the first reticle, and wherein the second reticle of the second image and the first reticle of the third image are aligned along an imaginary axis.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the first image comprises a first reticle and a first alignment point, wherein the second image comprises a second reticle and a second alignment point, and wherein the third image comprises the first alignment point at a different position relative to the first reticle, the method further comprising: generating a fourth image using a second subset of the second plurality of light sources in response to the first input signal, wherein the fourth image includes a second alignment point at a different position relative to the second reticle; The second reticle of the fourth image and the first reticle of the third image are aligned along an imaginary axis. The method of claim 14 , wherein the positions of the second reticle and the first reticle are adjusted simultaneously.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising a first image light guide and a second image light guide supported by a frame, wherein the first image source system and the second image source system are supported by the frame, and wherein The image generated by the first image source system is transmitted to a first eyebox via the first image light guide, and the image generated by the second image source system is transmitted to a second eyebox via the second image light guide.

Images