Visual field testing in VR headsets

Abstract

The goal is to improve the efficiency of visual field testing. A virtual reality (VR) headset-based electronic system that can be used to conduct visual field tests can improve the sensitivity, consistency, and ease of application of visual field tests. Other aspects are also described.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This non-provisional patent application claims the benefit of the earlier filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 432,955, filed December 15, 2022.

[0002] FIELD OF THE INVENTION One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a portable head-mounted device that can be used to perform visual field testing of a wearer's eyes. [Background technology]

[0003] Traditionally, visual field testing is performed using a sturdy, large, fixed (non-portable), computer-controlled machine typically placed on a desk in a dimmed room. The visual test subject sits in front of the machine and positions their head so that their eyes are looking into the machine's viewing area. The operator hands the subject an electronic clicker (switch) and instructs them to press the clicker button as soon as they see a transient light or object appear in the viewing area. The machine electronically generates a static target visible within the viewing area, and the operator asks the subject to fixate on the static target. The machine generates a sequence of transient lights or objects at various intensities at random locations next to the static target while recording the subject's click response. The machine then analyzes the relative timing between the generation of each object in the sequence and the subject's click, taking into account the object's location, its intensity, and possibly whether the subject maintained fixation on the static target, to determine how well the subject was able to see their visual field. If the test takes a long time and the subject tires of fixating the target or keeping their head against the viewport, the test results may be unreliable. Summary of the Invention

[0004] One aspect of the disclosure herein is a virtual reality (VR) headset-based electronic system that can be used to conduct visual field tests. These systems can improve the sensitivity, consistency, and ease of conducting visual field tests in a variety of ambient light environments in a more efficient (less time-consuming) manner. The results of the visual field test can then be used, for example, by an eye care professional to diagnose a person's health problems that may require further testing or recommended treatment.

[0005] The above summary does not include an exhaustive list of all aspects of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is intended to include all systems and methods that may be implemented from any suitable combination of the various aspects summarized above, as well as those disclosed in the Detailed Description below and particularly pointed out in the Claims section. Such combinations may have advantages not described in the above summary. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] Some aspects of the disclosure herein are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings. Like references indicate like elements in the figures. It should be noted that references to "an" or "one" aspect in the present disclosure do not necessarily refer to the same aspect, but rather mean at least one. Also, for the sake of brevity and to reduce the total number of figures, a given figure may be used to illustrate features of more than one aspect of the disclosure, and not all elements of a figure may be required for a given aspect. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram of an exemplary virtual reality (VR) headset-based system for visual field testing. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of an exemplary visual field testing process performed by the system of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of another exemplary visual field testing process performed by a VR headset-based system having a head tracking subsystem. [Figure 4]FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of another exemplary visual field testing process performed by a VR headset-based system that is based in part on blink detection. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Some aspects of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Whenever the shape, relative position, and other aspects of the components described are not explicitly defined, the scope of the present invention is not limited to only the components shown for illustrative purposes only. Also, while many details are set forth, it will be understood that some aspects of the disclosure can be practiced without these details. In other instances, well-known circuits, structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail in order to avoid obscuring an understanding of this description.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a diagram of an exemplary virtual reality (VR) headset-based system that can be used for visual field testing. The system consists of a VR headset 1 with a wired or wireless communication network interface for communicating data with an external computing device 9, e.g., a tablet computer, laptop computer, or the like. A human operator, such as an eye care professional (ECP), can simply interact with software running on one or more microelectronic data processors (collectively, "processors") in the system to conduct the visual field test. Once the software is launched or initialized, it can automatically (without operator input) conduct the visual field test by controlling various electronic and optical components of the VR headset 1. The software may have components running on a processor within the VR headset 1 and may have components running on a processor that is part of the external computing device 9 while the VR headset 1 is worn on the user's eyes as shown. Some of these software components may run on either the VR headset 1 or the external computing device 9. The software can interact with the operator through a graphical user interface using the touchscreen of the external computing device 9, such as to present the results of the visual field test.

[0009] The VR headset 1 may have a goggle-like form factor, as shown, that blocks all ambient lighting outside the VR headset 1 and creates a dimmed environment around the user's eyes (independent of ambient lighting outside the VR headset 1). The VR headset 1 may consist of a left visible light display 3 coupled to a left compartment 5 that fits over the user's left eye and a right visible light display 4 coupled to a right compartment 6 that fits over the user's right eye. The left and right compartments are configured, e.g., molded and opaque, such that (when the VR headset 1 is fitted over the user's eyes) the user cannot view the right display 4 using only the left eye and the user cannot view the left display 3 using only the right eye. Also, the left and right displays need not be separate display screens but instead can be left and right halves of a single display screen. The displays may be implemented using technology that provides sufficient display resolution or pixel density, such as liquid crystal display technology, organic light-emitting diode technology, etc. Although not shown, there may be eyecups on each of the left and right displays that contain optical elements (e.g., lenses) that function to give the user the illusion that the objects the user sees in the displays (in this example, pine trees, which may be displayed in 2D or 3D) are at a greater distance than the actual distance from the user's eyes to the displays, thereby allowing for more comfortable viewing. VR headset 1 may also incorporate trial lenses or some other adjustable refractive optics to accommodate patients with various refractive errors.

[0010] The VR headset 1 also has a non-visible light based eye tracking subsystem 8, for example an infrared pupil tracking subsystem, the output eye tracking data of which can be interpreted by a processor to independently track the left and right eye positions and detect blinks and pupil size or diameter of each eye in a manner that is invisible or transparent to the user.

[0011] The system has a processor configured to perform the visual field test via software or instructions stored in a machine-readable medium such as solid-state memory when the headset is worn on the user's eyes. The term "processor" herein may refer to one or more microelectronic devices that are part of the external computing device 9, one or more microelectronic devices within the housing of the VR headset 1, or a combination of microelectronic devices within the external computing device 9, the VR headset 1, and possibly another computing device that are in communication with each other via a digital communication interface. For example, the processor may be external to the VR headset 1 and receive tracking data from the eye tracking subsystem via a wired or wireless communication network interface. The processor may be configured to send a signal to an additional display, such as a display screen of the external computing device 9, to display the progress or results of the visual field test.

[0012] The visual field test may proceed as follows, with reference to the operations shown in the flow diagram of FIG. 2 . Note that, herein, unless clearly implied by context or explicitly stated, the operations of a method or process need not occur sequentially in the order illustrated or described, as in some cases, two or more operations may overlap in time or occur in a different order. When the headset is placed on the user's eyes, the method begins in operation 11, where the processor sends a signal to the left or right visible light display to display a fixation target (graphical object). In the illustrated example, the fixation target is a pine tree, but more generally, it may be any graphical object that serves as a fixation target at which a user may be asked to gaze. Next, in operation 13, the processor sends a signal to the display to display a stimulus target simultaneously with the fixation target. The stimulus target may be a different graphical object, and may or may not be the same graphical object each time operation 13 is performed. For example, it may be a horizontal line wiggling vertically at one time and a vertical line wiggling horizontally at another time. Note that in most cases the left eye is tested separately from the right eye, in that stimulus objects are presented by either the left or right display, but not both simultaneously.

[0013] The processor also determines the stimulus angle of the stimulus vector in operation 14. The stimulus vector may refer to the stimulus target from the fixation target. The term "angle" is generally used herein to refer to, for example, an angle value in degrees or a direction with an appropriate level of granularity, which may be relative to a reference axis, such as a horizontal axis originating from or passing through the center of the fixation target. The stimulus angle represents the direction or angle to which a user's head is expected to move when wearing the VR headset 1 and viewing the stimulus target displayed on the VR headset. In one embodiment, the stimulus angle (of the associated stimulus target) may be predetermined in a laboratory or factory by a system test or calibration procedure performed in situ (e.g., for either a reference system using another sample or version of the VR headset 1, or for a manufacturing system using the actual VR headset 1). The predetermined stimulus angle is then stored in the memory of the manufacturing system, for example, during system initialization. In another embodiment, the stimulus angle may be determined "online" (or during a visual field test) by the manufacturing system. This can be done, for example, by the processor determining a stimulus vector (e.g., as a vector drawn from the fixation target, the tip of which represents the location of the displayed stimulus target) and calculating the angle of the stimulus vector relative to a reference axis.

[0014] In operation 16, the processor uses tracking data from the eye tracking subsystem 8 to record the tracked position of the right eye or the tracked position of the left eye as the eye moves when the stimulus target appears due to operation 13. The processor also interprets the tracked position of the eye to determine a response angle of a response vector (operation 17). The response vector may be defined as the movement from the fixation target in the direction the eye moves (due to the stimulus target appearing). The response angle may be calculated as the angle of the response vector with respect to a reference axis; for example, the processor calculates the response vector and then determines the response angle by processing the response vector. The processor then records an indicator of whether the user saw the stimulus target based on a comparison between the stimulus angle and the response angle (operation 18). For example, the processor calculates the difference between the stimulus angle and the response angle, and if the difference is less than a threshold, the indicator indicates that the user saw the stimulus target. The processor repeats operations 11 to 18 several times, placing the stimulus target in a different position each time, to cover the user's entire visual field, thereby completing a visual field test for the user's eye. In this way, the processor completes a visual field test for the user without each time receiving either manual or verbal input from the user as to whether or not the user saw the stimulus object.

[0015] In one embodiment, operations 11-18 are repeated for the same eye, each time placing a stimulus target at a different location within the user's visual field. This is repeated until there is sufficient coverage of the user's visual field, thereby completing the visual field test for that eye. These operations are then repeated for the other eye until the visual field test for that eye is complete. However, in another embodiment, the visual field test is "alternating." In this case, in each pass, the processor alternates between presenting stimulus targets to the left and right eyes, and the processor performs operations 11-18 one or more times for the left eye (placing the stimulus target at a different location each time), then repeats operations 11-18 one or more times for the right eye (placing the stimulus target at a different location each time), then repeats operations 11-18 for the left eye, then repeats those operations for the right eye, and so on until both eyes' visual fields are sufficiently covered, at which point the visual field test for both eyes is complete. Note that the stimulus targets are alternately displayed on the left and right displays, while the fixation target may continue to be displayed by both the left and right displays. However, in another variation, the display of the fixation target follows the stimulus target. For example, the fixation target appears on the left display, then the stimulus target also appears on the left display, while the right display remains completely dark or remains the background color. A signal is then sent to the left display to go completely dark or the background color, while the fixation target appears on the right display following the stimulus target (and the fixation target disappears from the left display, then the left display goes completely dark or the background color).

[0016] In another aspect, the VR headset 1 also includes a head tracking subsystem that generates head tracking data. The head tracking data measures the tracking position or tracking direction of the user's head. For example, the VR headset 1 may further include an accelerometer or tilt sensor, and the processor is further configured to interpret the output data of the accelerometer or tilt sensor to determine a head response vector that points in the direction the user's head moves when the stimulus object appears. An indication (in act 18) of whether the user saw the stimulus object during an operation is again based on a comparison (by the processor) of the stimulus angle with the angle of the head response vector.

[0017] As shown in the exemplary flow diagram of FIG. 3 , head tracking data can also be used alone, i.e., without eye tracking data, to conduct a visual field test on a user. There, a processor is configured to send a signal to the left or right visible light display (when the headset is placed on the user's eyes) to display a fixation target (operation 21) and then simultaneously display a stimulus target with the fixation target (operation 22). The processor determines a stimulus angle of a stimulus vector pointing from the fixation target to the stimulus target (operation 23). The processor then uses tracking data from the head tracking subsystem to record the tracked position or tracked orientation of the user's head when the stimulus target appears due to operation 21 (operation 24). Then, in operation 26, the processor interprets the tracked position or tracked orientation of the head to determine a response angle of a response vector pointing in the direction the head moved (due to the user viewing the stimulus target). The processor then records an indication of whether the user viewed the stimulus target based on a comparison of the stimulus angle and the response angle in operation 27.

[0018] Many of the aspects described above in connection with the eye-tracking-based method of FIG. 2 are also applicable to the head-tracking-based method of FIG. 3. For example, actions 21-27 may be repeated several times, each time with a stimulus target appearing in a different location within the user's visual field. In one aspect, actions 21-27 are repeated in this manner until visual field testing is completed for one eye, and then the actions are repeated to test the other eye. In another aspect, the processor tests the left and right eyes alternately, performing actions 21-27 one or more times for the left eye (with a different stimulus target location each time), then repeating actions 21-27 one or more times for the right eye (with a different stimulus target location each time), then repeating actions 21-27 for the left eye, and so on until testing of both eyes is completed.

[0019] Some variations on the method described above in connection with FIGS. 2 and 3 are as follows. In one embodiment, when determining whether the user saw the stimulus object, the processor not only compares the stimulus angle to the response angle (in act 18 or act 27), but also considers the magnitude of the stimulus vector and the response vector. As an example of such functionality, the processor can determine a stimulus vector defined by or having both the stimulus angle and the stimulus magnitude, and can also determine a response vector defined by or having both the response angle and the response magnitude. In this case, the indication of whether the user saw the stimulus object is further based on the processor determining whether the response magnitude is i) greater than a noise threshold and ii) within the stimulus magnitude range. A more general description of the latter criterion is that the processor compares the response magnitude to the stimulus magnitude. These two additional criteria for assessing the eye's range of motion can result in greater test accuracy.

[0020] Additionally, the indication of whether the user saw the stimulus object may be binary (i.e., true or false), or alternatively may have an associated confidence or probability, for example, 80% confidence that the user saw the stimulus object.

[0021] In one variation, the fixation target may remain stationary each time the processor repeats acts 11-18 or acts 21-27. In contrast, in another variation, the position of the fixation target changes (e.g., to the position of the stimulus target the last time acts 11-18 were performed).

[0022] In yet another aspect, in actions 11-18 and 21-27, the fixation target is displayed simultaneously by both the left and right displays (thus the fixation target is seen by both eyes simultaneously), while the stimulus target is displayed only by the left display or only by the right display (thus the stimulus target is seen by only one eye during testing).

[0023] In yet another variation, the VR headset 1 further includes a microphone, and the processor is further configured to interpret the microphone's output audio signal to detect an audio response (e.g., a specific word or a specific sound) when the stimulus object appears. In that case, the indication of whether the user saw the stimulus object (in act 18 or act 27) is further based on evaluating the audio response. For example, the user may be instructed to say a specific word or make a specific sound when the stimulus object appears.

[0024] In yet another variation, the processor is configured to signal the left or right visible light display to display the stimulus target as a moving target that begins moving inward in act 13 or act 22. The stimulus target moves inward from the periphery of the user's visual field toward the fixation target. Acts 14-18 or acts 23-27 are performed on the moving stimulus target until the processor determines (in act 28 or act 27) that the user sees the moving target. In one example, the processor records the elapsed time from when the moving stimulus target begins its inward movement to when the processor determines that the user first sees the moving target. Based on knowledge of the velocity or speed of the moving target and based on the elapsed time, the processor calculates the position of the moving target when the user first sees it (this position represents how far the user can see in that direction). In another example, the processor records the pixel location of the moving target when the user first sees it (as determined by the processor), the pixel location representing how far the user can see in the direction of the moving target.

[0025] If the stimulus object is stationary, it may be displayed in act 13 or act 22 as a static flash of, for example, 200 milliseconds duration.

[0026] In another aspect, the processor may be configured to begin displaying the static stimulus target at a contrast or luminance that is insufficient for the user to see, and then increase the contrast or luminance until the processor determines (in act 18 or act 27) that the user can see the stimulus target, at which point the processor records a) the elapsed time from when the increase in contrast or luminance began until the user first sees the stimulus target, or b) the contrast or luminance at which the user first sees the stimulus target. The contrast or luminance at which the user first sees the stimulus target, along with the location or orientation of the stimulus target, are data points for determining the degree to which the user can see in the direction or position of the static stimulus target.

[0027] In yet another aspect, the processor is further configured to monitor eye tracking data, head tracking, or both in act 13 or act 22 to detect when the user stops fixating the fixation target. When the user stops fixating the fixation target, the processor waits until it detects that the user has resumed fixating the fixation target, and then signals the left visible light display or the right visible light display to display the stimulus target. In another aspect, when the user stops fixating the fixation target, the processor also signals the display to change the fixation target from a first color to a second color, and then waits until it detects that the user has resumed fixating the fixation target, at which point it signals the display to change the fixation target from the second color back to the first color. This provides useful feedback to the user.

[0028] In yet another aspect, the VR headset 1 includes one or more light sensors used to detect the level of ambient light inside the left and right compartments. The VR headset 1 is designed to block all ambient light (outside the headset), but some leakage may occur. The processor is configured to record these levels of ambient light in the left and right compartments as representing the contribution of external light during the visual field test (while the user is wearing the VR headset).

[0029] In yet another aspect, the VR headset-based system of FIG. 1 can be used for visual field testing based on detecting blinks by a user. For example, consider the process shown in FIG. 4, which is executed by a processor when the headset is placed on a user's eyes. Similar to that described above in connection with FIGS. 2 and 3, the processor signals the left or right visible light display to display a fixation target (operation 31). In operation 34, the processor uses tracking data from the eye tracking subsystem 8 to record the tracked position of the eye during the display of the fixation target before the stimulus target appears. The processor interprets the tracked position of the eye to determine whether the user remains fixated on the fixation target (operation 35). If yes, in operation 36, the processor signals the display to display a stimulus target simultaneously with the fixation target. Then, in operation 37, the processor interprets the tracking data to detect a blink by the user when the stimulus target appears due to operation 36. The processor then records an indication of whether the user saw the stimulus object based on determining whether the blink duration is greater than a threshold, e.g., 0.5 seconds (operation 38). The processor performs operations 31-38 several times, recording several indications of whether the user saw the stimulus object at all different positions in the visual field test, each time with a different stimulus object location.

[0030] Many of the aspects and variations described above in connection with the eye-tracking-based method of Figure 2 and the head-tracking-based method of Figure 3 are also applicable to the blink-based method of Figure 4. These include the fixation target remaining stationary each time the processor performs operations 31-38, or the position of the fixation target may change with each pass, the visual field test being completed without receiving manual input from the user regarding whether the user saw the stimulus target, the processor interpreting the microphone's output audio signal to detect an audio response when the stimulus target appears, the stimulus target being a moving target, the stimulus target being displayed as a static flash, the stimulus target being shown with increasing contrast or brightness until the processor determines that the user can see the stimulus target, waiting until the user resumes fixating the fixation target before displaying the stimulus target, and changing the color of the fixation target when the user stops fixating the fixation target. The blink-based method of FIG. 4 may also be combined with head tracking interpretation, where a processor interprets output data from, for example, an accelerometer or tilt sensor in the headset to determine a head response vector pointing in the direction the user's head moves when a stimulus target appears due to action 36, and an indication of whether the user saw the stimulus target in action 38 is further based on a comparison between the stimulus angle of the stimulus vector (associated with the stimulus target) and the angle of the head response vector.

[0031] While particular embodiments are described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it will be understood that these are merely illustrative of the broad invention and not limiting, and that various other modifications may occur to those skilled in the art, and the invention is not limited to the particular structures and arrangements shown and described. For example, if the VR headset 1 also has a head tracking subsystem and the processor is external to the VR headset 1, the processor receives head tracking data from the head tracking subsystem via a wired or wireless communication network interface. Therefore, this description should be considered illustrative rather than limiting.

Claims

1. 1. A virtual reality (VR) headset-based system, comprising: A VR headset, a left visible light display; a left compartment for wearing over the user's left eye; a right visible light display; a right compartment for wearing over the user's right eye, the left compartment and the right compartment being configured such that when the headset is worn over the user's eye, i) the user cannot see the right display using only the user's left eye, and ii) the user cannot see the left display using only the user's right eye; and a non-visible light based eye tracking subsystem that generates tracking data for the left eye or the right eye; a processor, wherein when the headset is placed on the user's eyes, the processor: i) sending a signal to the left visible light display or the right visible light display to display a fixation target and then display a stimulus target simultaneously with the fixation target; ii) determining a stimulus angle of a stimulus vector pointing from the fixation target to the stimulus target; iii) using the tracking data from the eye-tracking subsystem to record the tracked position of the right eye or the left eye as the right eye or the left eye moves when the stimulus target appears in i); iv) interpreting the tracked position of the right eye or the left eye to determine a response angle of a response vector pointing in a direction in which the right eye or the left eye has moved; v) a processor configured to record an indication of whether the user saw the stimulus target based on a comparison of the stimulus angle and the response angle.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the stimulus angle is predetermined in a laboratory or factory.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the stimulation angle is calculated online by the processor.

4. The system of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the processor calculates the stimulation vector and then determines the stimulation angle by processing the stimulation vector.

5. The system of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the processor calculates the response vector and then determines the response angle by processing the response vector.

6. The system of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the processor is configured to place the stimulus target in different positions and repeat steps i) to v) multiple times each time to cover the entire visual field of the user, in order to complete a visual field test for the left eye or eyes of the user.

7. 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor completes the visual field test for the user without receiving manual or verbal input from the user each time as to whether the user saw the stimulus object.

8. The system of any one of claims 6 to 7, wherein each time the processor performs i) to v), the fixation target remains stationary.

9. 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the position of the fixation target changes each time the processor executes steps i) to v).

10. 10. The system of claim 9, wherein each time the processor performs steps i) through v), the position of the fixation target changes to the position of the stimulus target the last time the processor performed steps i) through v).

11. The system of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the indicator indicates that the user has looked at the stimulus target, and the processor calculates a difference between the stimulus angle and the response angle, and the difference is based on being less than a threshold.

12. 12. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor determines the stimulus vector as defined by the stimulus angle and stimulus magnitude, and determines the response vector as defined by the response angle and response magnitude, and the indication of whether the user saw the stimulus target is further based on the processor determining whether the response magnitude is i) greater than a noise threshold and ii) within the stimulus magnitude range.

13. 12. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor determines the stimulus vector as defined by the stimulus angle and stimulus magnitude, and determines the response vector as defined by the response angle and response magnitude, and the indication of whether the user saw the stimulus target is further based on the processor comparing the response magnitude to the stimulus magnitude.

14. 14. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor completes the visual field test for the user without receiving manual input from the user regarding whether the user saw a stimulus object at each of the plurality of different positions.

15. 1. A virtual reality (VR) headset-based system, comprising: A VR headset, a left visible light display; a left compartment for wearing over the user's left eye; a right visible light display; a right compartment for wearing over the user's right eye, the left compartment and the right compartment being configured such that when the headset is worn over the user's eye, i) the user cannot see the right display using only the user's left eye, and ii) the user cannot see the left display using only the user's right eye; and a head tracking subsystem that generates tracking data; a processor, wherein when the headset is placed on the user's eyes, the processor: i) sending a signal to the left visible light display or the right visible light display to display a fixation target and then display a stimulus target simultaneously with the fixation target; ii) determining a stimulus angle of a stimulus vector pointing from the fixation target to the stimulus target; iii) using the tracking data from the head tracking subsystem to record the tracking position or tracking orientation of the user's head when the stimulus object appears in i); iv) interpreting the tracked position or the tracked orientation of the head to determine a response angle of a response vector pointing in the direction the head has moved; v) a processor configured to record an indication of whether the user saw the stimulus target based on a comparison of the stimulus angle and the response angle.

16. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the stimulus angle is predetermined in a laboratory or factory.

17. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the stimulation angle is calculated online by the processor.

18. The system of any one of claims 15 to 17, wherein the processor calculates the stimulation vector and then determines the stimulation angle by processing the stimulation vector.

19. The system of any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein the processor is adapted to calculate the response vector and then determine the response angle by processing the response vector.

20. The system of any one of claims 15 to 19, wherein the processor is configured to place the stimulus target in different positions and repeat steps i) to v) multiple times each time to cover the entire visual field of the user, in order to complete a visual field test for the left eye or eyes of the user.

21. 21. The system of claim 20, wherein the processor completes the visual field test for the user without receiving manual or verbal input from the user each time as to whether the user saw the stimulus object.

22. The system of any one of claims 20 to 21, wherein each time the processor performs i) to v), the fixation target remains stationary.

23. 21. The system of claim 20, wherein the position of the fixation target changes each time the processor performs i) to v).

24. 24. The system of claim 23, wherein each time the processor performs steps i) through v), the position of the fixation target changes to the position of the stimulus target the last time the processor performed steps i) through v).

25. The system of any one of claims 15 to 24, wherein the indicator indicates that the user has looked at the stimulus target, and the processor calculates a difference between the stimulus angle and the response angle, the difference being less than a threshold.

26. 26. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor determines the stimulus vector as defined by the stimulus angle and stimulus magnitude, and determines the response vector as defined by the response angle and response magnitude, and the indication of whether the user saw the stimulus target is further based on the processor determining whether the response magnitude is i) greater than a noise threshold and ii) within the stimulus magnitude range.

27. 26. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor determines the stimulus vector as defined by the stimulus angle and stimulus magnitude, and determines the response vector as defined by the response angle and response magnitude, and the indication of whether the user saw the stimulus target is further based on the processor comparing the response magnitude to the stimulus magnitude.

28. 28. The system of claim 20, wherein the processor completes the visual field test for the user without receiving manual input from the user regarding whether the user saw a stimulus object at each of a plurality of different positions.

29. 29. The system of claim 15, wherein the VR headset further comprises an accelerometer or a tilt sensor, and the processor is further configured to interpret output data from the accelerometer or tilt sensor to determine a head response vector pointing in which the user's head moves when the stimulus object appears in i), and the indication as to whether the user saw the stimulus object is further based on a comparison of an angle of the stimulus and an angle of the head response vector.

30. 30. The system of any one of claims 15 to 29, wherein the VR headset further comprises a microphone, and wherein the processor is further configured to interpret an output audio signal of the microphone to detect an audio response when the stimulus object appears in i), and wherein the indication as to whether the user saw the stimulus object is further based on evaluating the audio response.

31. 31. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to send a signal to the left visible light display or the right visible light display to display the stimulus target as the moving target until the processor determines that the user has seen a moving target that begins moving inward from the periphery of a field of view within the VR headset toward the fixation target, at which point the processor records the elapsed time since the moving target began its inward movement or records the position of the moving target.

32. The system of any one of claims 15 to 31, wherein the stimulus object is displayed as a static flash.

33. 33. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to send a signal to the left visible light display or the right visible light display to display the stimulus object as a static stimulus object in i), starting with insufficient contrast or luminance, and then increase the contrast or luminance until the processor determines that the user can see the stimulus object, and then records a) the elapsed time from when the increase in contrast or luminance began until the user first sees the stimulus object, or b) the contrast or luminance when the user first sees the stimulus object.

34. 34. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to monitor the tracking data to detect when the user stops fixating the fixation target, and if the user stops fixating the fixation target, the processor waits until it detects that the user has resumed fixating the fixation target and then sends a signal to the left visible light display or the right visible light display to display the stimulus target.

35. 35. The system of claim 15, wherein when the user stops fixating the fixation target, the processor sends a signal to the left or right visible light display to change the fixation target from a first color to a second color, and then waits until it detects that the user has resumed fixating the fixation target, and then sends a signal to the left or right visible light display to change the fixation target from the second color back to the first color.

36. 36. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is external to the VR headset, the VR headset comprising a wired or wireless communication network interface through which the tracking data from the eye tracking subsystem is transmitted to the processor.

37. 37. The system of claim 15, wherein the VR headset includes one or more light sensors that can be used to detect levels of ambient light inside the left and right compartments, and the processor is configured to record the levels of ambient light in the left and right compartments that represent the contribution of external light while the user is wearing the VR headset.

38. 38. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor executes steps i) to v) a plurality of times, wherein in i), the display of the fixation target and the stimulus target alternates between the left visible light display and the right visible light display each time, and in v), the indication as to whether the user has seen the stimulus target refers to only the left eye or only the right eye.

39. 39. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor performs steps i) through v) a first plurality of times, each time with the stimulus object being shown only on the left visible light display, and then the processor performs steps i) through v) a second plurality of times, each time with the stimulus being shown only on the right visible light display.

40. 1. A virtual reality (VR) headset-based system, comprising: A VR headset, a left visible light display; a left compartment for wearing over the user's left eye; a right visible light display; a right compartment for wearing over the user's right eye, the left compartment and the right compartment being configured such that when the headset is worn over the user's eye, i) the user cannot see the right display using only the user's left eye, and ii) the user cannot see the left display using only the user's right eye; and a VR headset comprising an eye-tracking subsystem that generates tracking data; a processor, wherein when the headset is placed on the user's eyes, the processor: i) signaling the left visible light display or the right visible light display to display a fixation target and then display a stimulus target simultaneously with the fixation target; ii) using the tracking data from the eye-tracking subsystem to record the tracked position of the left eye or the tracked position of the right eye while the fixation target is displayed before the stimulus target appears in i); iii) interpreting the tracked position of the left or right eye to determine whether the user maintained fixation on the fixation target before the stimulus target appeared; iv) interpreting the tracking data from the eye-tracking subsystem to detect blinks by the user when the stimulus object appears in i); v) a processor configured to record an indication of whether the user looked at the stimulus object based on determining whether the duration of the blink is longer than a threshold.

41. 41. The system of claim 40, wherein the processor executes steps i) through v) multiple times to record multiple indicators of whether the user saw the stimulus target at multiple different positions in the visual field test, each time the stimulus target is in a different position.

42. 42. The system of claim 41, wherein each time the processor performs i) through v), the fixation target remains stationary.

43. 42. The system of claim 41, wherein the position of the fixation target changes each time the processor performs i) to v).

44. 44. The system of claim 43, wherein each time the processor performs i) through v), the position of the fixation target changes to the position of the stimulus target the last time the processor performed i) through v).

45. 45. The system of claim 41, wherein the processor completes the visual field test for the user without receiving manual input from the user regarding whether the user saw the stimulus target at each of the plurality of different positions.

46. 46. ​​The system of claim 40, wherein the VR headset further comprises an accelerometer or tilt sensor, and the processor is further configured to interpret output data from the accelerometer or tilt sensor to determine a head response vector pointing in which the user's head moves when the stimulus object appears in i), and the indication as to whether the user saw the stimulus object is further based on a comparison of a stimulus angle and an angle of the head response vector.

47. 47. The system of claim 40, wherein the VR headset further comprises a microphone, and wherein the processor is further configured to interpret an output audio signal of the microphone to detect an audio response when the stimulus object appears in i), and wherein the indication as to whether the user saw the stimulus object is further based on evaluating the audio response.

48. 48. The system of claim 40, wherein the processor is configured to send a signal to the left visible light display or the right visible light display to display the stimulus target as the moving target until the processor determines that the user has seen a moving target that begins moving inward from the periphery of a field of view in the VR headset toward the fixation target, and then the processor records the elapsed time from when the moving target began moving inward to when the processor determines that the user has seen the moving target.

49. 49. The system of claim 40, wherein the processor is configured to send signals to the left and right visible light displays to simultaneously display the fixation target and the stimulus target in i), such that the user sees each of the fixation target and the stimulus target as a single object when both of the user's eyes are open simultaneously.

50. 50. The system of any one of claims 40 to 49, wherein the stimulus object is displayed as a static flash.

51. 50. The system of claim 40, wherein the processor is configured to send a signal to the left or right visible light display to display the stimulus object as a static stimulus object in i), starting with insufficient contrast or luminance, and then increase the contrast or luminance until the processor determines that the user can see the stimulus object, and then records a) the elapsed time from when the processor started increasing the contrast or luminance until the user first sees the stimulus object, or b) the contrast or luminance when the user first sees the stimulus object.

52. 52. The system of claim 40, wherein the processor is further configured to monitor the tracking data to detect when the user stops fixating the fixation target, and if the user stops fixating the fixation target, the processor waits until it detects that the user has resumed fixating the fixation target and then sends a signal to the left visible light display or the right visible light display to display the stimulus target.

53. 53. The system of any one of claims 40 to 52, wherein when the user stops fixating the fixation target, the processor sends a signal to the left or right visible light display to change the fixation target from a first color to a second color, and then waits until it detects that the user has resumed fixating the fixation target, and then sends a signal to the left or right visible light display to change the fixation target from the second color back to the first color.

54. 54. The system of any one of claims 40 to 53, wherein the processor is external to the VR headset, the VR headset comprising a wired or wireless communication network interface through which the tracking data from the eye tracking subsystem is transmitted to the processor.

55. 55. The system of any one of claims 40 to 54, wherein the VR headset includes one or more light sensors that can be used to detect levels of ambient light inside the left and right compartments, and the processor is configured to record the levels of ambient light in the left and right compartments that represent the contribution of external light while the user is wearing the VR headset.

56. 56. The system of claim 40, wherein the processor executes steps i) to v) a plurality of times, wherein in i), the display of the stimulus object alternates between the left visible light display and the right visible light display, and in v), the indication of whether the user saw the stimulus object refers to only the left eye or only the right eye.

57. 56. The system of claim 40, wherein the processor performs i) through v) a first plurality of times, each time with the stimuli being shown only on the left visible light display, and then the processor performs i) through v) a second plurality of times, each time with the stimuli being shown only on the right visible light display.

58. 1. A method for performing a visual field test, said method comprising the following processor-executed operations: i) sending a signal to a left or right visible light display of a virtual reality (VR) headset to display a fixation target and then display a stimulus target simultaneously with the fixation target; ii) determining a stimulus angle of a stimulus vector pointing from the fixation target to the stimulus target; iii) using tracking data from a non-visible light based eye tracking subsystem to record a tracked position of the user's right eye or the left eye as the eye moves when the stimulus target appears in i); iv) interpreting the tracked position of the right or left eye to determine a response angle of a response vector pointing in a direction in which the right or left eye has moved; and v) recording an indication as to whether the stimulus object was seen by the user based on a comparison of the stimulus angle and the response angle.

59. 1. A method for performing a visual field test, said method comprising the following processor-executed operations: i) sending a signal to the left visible light display or the right visible light display to display a fixation target and then display a stimulus target simultaneously with the fixation target; ii) determining a stimulus angle of a stimulus vector pointing from the fixation target to the stimulus target; iii) using tracking data from a head tracking subsystem to record the tracking position or tracking orientation of the user's head when the stimulus object appears in i); iv) interpreting the tracked position or the tracked orientation of the head to determine a response angle of a response vector pointing in the direction the head has moved; and v) recording an indication as to whether the user saw the stimulus target based on a comparison of the stimulus angle and the response angle.

60. 1. A method for performing a visual field test, said method comprising the following processor-executed operations: i) sending a signal to the left visible light display or the right visible light display to display a fixation target and then display a stimulus target simultaneously with the fixation target; ii) using tracking data from an eye-tracking subsystem to record a left eye tracking position or a right eye tracking position while the fixation target is displayed before the stimulus target appears in i); iii) interpreting the tracking position of the left or right eye to determine whether the user maintained fixation on the fixation target before the stimulus target appeared; iv) interpreting the tracking data from the eye-tracking subsystem to detect blinks by the user when the stimulus object appears in i); and and v) recording an indication of whether the user viewed the stimulus object based on determining whether the blink duration was greater than a threshold.

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