Apparatus, system, and method for modifying images to compensate for head movements of users donning eyewear devices

Abstract

An eyewear device comprising (1) a graphics pipeline configured to output a digital representation of an image, (2) an image compensation component configured to shift the digital representation of the image in at least one direction in response to a head movement of a user, and (3) a display device configured to display a shifted version of the image to the user due at least in part to the digital representation having been shifted. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Description

APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR MODIFYING IMAGES TO COMPENSATE FOR HEAD MOVEMENTS OF USERS DONNING EYEWEAR DEVICESCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims benefit of and priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 63 / 557,772 filed February 26, 2024.FIELD OF DISCLOSURE

[0002] The present disclosure is generally directed to apparatuses, systems, and methods for modifying images to compensate for head movements of users donning eyewear devices.BACKGROUND

[0003] Over the last several years, eyewear devices, such as head-mounted displays (HMDs), have revolutionized the way people experience various kinds of digital media. In some examples, an HMD may include, constitute, and / or implement an artificial-reality device or system. Artificial reality may provide a realistic, immersive experience in which users are able to interact with virtual objects and / or environments in one way or another. In this context, artificial reality may constitute and / or represent a form of reality that has been altered by virtual objects for presentation to a user. Such artificial reality may include and / or represent virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality, hybrid reality, or some combination and / or variation of one or more of the same.

[0004] In some examples, HMDs may enable artificial-reality users to experience realistic, immersive virtual and / or augmented environments while playing video games, during flight simulation training, or even when interacting with co-workers around the globe. In certain artificial-reality applications, HMDs may also enable users to augment reality and / or combine certain aspects of reality with those of the virtual world. Despite incredible advances in such technology, some HMDs may still have certain deficiencies that negatively impact the overall user experience. For example, some HMDs may be unable to accurately compensate and / or account for physical movements made by users. More specifically, these HMDs may exhibit a certain amount of delay that causes the display to lag behind the user's actual physical movements. This delay is sometimes referred to as motion-to-photon latency.

[0005] In addition, the human brain may experience a phenomenon called vestibuloocular reflex (VOR), which stabilizes gaze during head movements. In some examples, theVOR may cause a user's eye movement to go in a direction opposite of the user's head movement. For example, when a user's head moves to the right, the user's eyes may move to the left. Such movements may lead to and / or result in judder noise (e.g., motion blur) in an artificial-reality HMD worn by the user.

[0006] Some artificial-reality HMDs may implement and / or perform asynchronous time warping (ATW) to address motion-to-photon latency, judder noise, and / or motion blur experienced by the user and / or resulting from the VOR. Unfortunately, ATW may involve and / or rely on previous image frames that lead to delays (e.g., one-frame delays). Additionally or alternatively, some artificial-reality HMDs may implement and / or operate in a state and / or condition of low persistence to address motion-to-photon latency, judder noise, and / or motion blur experienced by the user and / or resulting from the VOR. Unfortunately, such low persistence may increase brightness per unit time, thereby potentially resulting in poor power efficiency and / or decreased device lifetime.SUMMARY

[0007] In one aspect, this disclosure relates an eyewear device comprising a graphics pipeline configured to output a digital representation of an image; an image compensation component configured to shift the digital representation of the image in at least one direction in response to a head movement of a user; and a display device configured to display a shifted version of the image to the user due at least in part to the digital representation having been shifted.

[0008] In some embodiments, the image compensation component may comprise at least one of: a graphics processing unit (GPU); or a display driver integrated circuit (DDIC).

[0009] In some embodiments, the image compensation component may be further configured to shift the digital representation of the image in a framebuffer that is implemented in at least one of: a graphics processing unit (GPU); a display driver integrated circuit (DDIC); the display device; or the graphics pipeline.

[0010] In some embodiments, the device may further comprise at least one sensor configured to output data representative of the head movement, wherein the image compensation component is further configured to: determine a magnitude and direction of a shift to be applied to the image based at least in part on the data representative of the head movement; and apply the magnitude and direction of the shift to the image to account for the head movement.

[0011] In some embodiments, the image compensation component may be further configured to mitigate motion blur resulting from the head movement by causing the display device to present the shifted version of the image to the user.

[0012] In some embodiments, the image compensation component may be further configured to move the digital representation of the image in an x-direction or a y-direction for each bitplane or subframe remaining in a frame cycle of the image.

[0013] In some embodiments, the display device may comprise at least one of: a digitally driven organic light emitting diode (OLED) display on a silicon backplane; or a digitally driven light emitting diode (LED) display on a silicon backplane.

[0014] In some embodiments, the image compensation component may be further configured to: determine a direction of the head movement; and shift the digital representation of the image in another direction that is substantially opposite of the direction of the head movement.

[0015] In some embodiments, the eyewear device may further comprise an eyetracking device configured to track eye movements of the user; and wherein the image compensation component is further configured to: determine a direction of an eye movement of the user based at least in part on the eye-tracking device; and shift the digital representation of the image in the direction of the eye movement of the user.

[0016] In some embodiments, the display device may be further configured to: operate at a certain frequency; and priorto displayingthe shifted version of the image, display an unshifted version of the image during a frame cycle commensurate with the certain frequency; and the image compensation component may be further configured to shift the digital representation of the image during the frame cycle in response to the head movement of the user.

[0017] In some embodiments, the display device may be further configured to refresh the image during the frame cycle by replacing the unshifted version of the image with the shifted version of the image via digital driving.

[0018] In some embodiments, the display device may be further configured to operate at a certain frequency; the graphics pipeline may be further configured to output image frames at a rate that exceeds the certain frequency; and the image compensation component may be incorporated in the graphics pipeline and may be further configured to: output, to the display device, the digital representation of the image as an image frame fordisplay during a frame cycle commensurate with the certain frequency; shift the digital representation of the image during the frame cycle in response to the head movement; and output, to the display device, the shifted digital representation of the image to update the image frame for display during the frame cycle.

[0019] In some embodiments, the graphics pipeline may be further configured to generate the digital representation of the image via foveated rendering.

[0020] In another aspect, this disclosure relates to a system comprising: an eyewear frame dimensioned to be worn by a user and configured to provide an artificial-reality experience to the user; and circuitry coupled to the eyewear frame and configured to: identify a digital representation of an image; shift the digital representation of the image in at least one direction in response to a head movement of a user; and display a shifted version of the image to the user due at least in part to the digital representation having been shifted.

[0021] In some embodiments, the circuitry may comprise at least one of: a graphics processing unit (GPU) configured to shift the digital representation of the image in response to the head movement; or a display driver integrated circuit (DDIC) configured to shift the digital representation of the image in response to the head movement.

[0022] In some embodiments, the system may further comprise at least one sensor coupled to the eyewear frame and configured to output data representative of the head movement, wherein the circuitry is further configured to: determine a magnitude and direction of a shift to be applied to the image based at least in part on the data representative of the head movement; and apply the magnitude and direction of the shift to the image to account for the head movement.

[0023] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be further configured to: determine a direction of the head movement; and shiftthe digital representation of the image in another direction that is substantially opposite of the direction of the head movement.

[0024] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be configured to: operate a display device at a certain frequency; prior to displaying the shifted version of the image, display an unshifted version of the image on the display device during a frame cycle commensurate with the certain frequency; and shift the digital representation of the image during the frame cycle in response to the head movement of the user.

[0025] In some embodiments, the circuitry may be further configured to refresh the image during the frame cycle by replacing the unshifted version of the image with the shiftedversion of the image via digital driving.

[0026] In another aspect, this disclosure relates to a method comprising: coupling circuitry to an eyewear frame dimensioned to be worn by a user; and configuring the circuitry to: identify a digital representation of an image; shift the digital representation of the image in at least one direction in response to a head movement of the user; and display a shifted version of the image to the user due at least in part to the digital representation having been shifted.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0027] The accompanying Drawings illustrate a number of exemplary embodiments and are parts of the specification. Together with the following description, the Drawings demonstrate and explain various principles of the instant disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 1 is an illustration of an exemplary eyewear device for modifying images to compensate for head movements of users according to one or more embodiments of this disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 2 is an illustration of an exemplary eyewear device for modifying images to compensate for head movements of users according to one or more embodiments of this disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 3 is an illustration of an exemplary implementation for modifying images to compensate for head movements of users donning eyewear devices according to one or more embodiments of this disclosure.

[0031] FIG. 4 is an illustration of an exemplary image frame capable of being modified to compensate for head movements of a user donning an eyewear device according to one or more embodiments of this disclosure.

[0032] FIG. 5 is an illustration of an exemplary implementation in which an image is modified to compensate for head movements of a user donning an eyewear device according to one or more embodiments of this disclosure.

[0033] FIG. 6 is an illustration of an exemplary implementation in which an image is modified to compensate for head movements of a user donning an eyewear device according to one or more embodiments of this disclosure.

[0034] FIG. 7 is an illustration of an exemplary implementation in which an image is modified to compensate for head movements of a user donning an eyewear device according to one or more embodiments of this disclosure.

[0035] FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an exemplary method for modifying images to compensate for head movements of users donning eyewear devices according to one or more embodiments of this disclosure.

[0036] FIG. 9 is an illustration of exemplary AR system that may be used in connection with embodiments of this disclosure.

[0037] FIG. 10 is an illustration of an exemplary VR system that may be used in connection with embodiments of this disclosure.

[0038] FIG. 11 an illustration of an exemplary system that incorporates an eyetracking subsystem capable of tracking a user's eye(s).

[0039] FIG. 12 is a more detailed illustration of various aspects of the eye-tracking subsystem illustrated in FIG. 11.

[0040] While the exemplary embodiments described herein are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. However, the exemplary embodiments described herein are not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The present disclosure is generally directed to apparatuses, systems, and methods for modifying images to compensate for head movements of users donning eyewear devices. As will be explained in greater detail below, these apparatuses, systems, and methods may provide numerous features and benefits.

[0042] Over the last several years, eyewear devices, such as head-mounted displays (HMDs), have revolutionized the way people experience various kinds of digital media. In some examples, an HMD may include, constitute, and / or implement an artificial-reality device or system. Artificial reality may provide a realistic, immersive experience in which users are able to interact with virtual objects and / or environments in one way or another. In this context, artificial reality may constitute and / or represent a form of reality that has been altered by virtual objects for presentation to a user. Such artificial reality may include and / or represent virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality, hybrid reality, or some combination and / or variation of one or more of the same.

[0043] In some examples, HMDs may enable artificial-reality users to experience realistic, immersive virtual and / or augmented environments while playing video games,during flight simulation training, or even when interacting with co-workers around the globe. In certain artificial-reality applications, HMDs may also enable users to augment reality and / or combine certain aspects of reality with those of the virtual world. Despite incredible advances in such technology, some HMDs may still have certain deficiencies that negatively impact the overall user experience. For example, some HMDs may be unable to accurately compensate and / or account for physical movements made by users. More specifically, these HMDs may exhibit a certain amount of delay that causes the display to lag behind the user's actual physical movements. This delay is sometimes referred to as motion-to-photon latency.

[0044] In addition, the human brain may experience a phenomenon called vestibuloocular reflex (VOR), which stabilizes gaze during head movements. In some examples, the VOR may cause a user's eye movement to go in a direction opposite of the user's head movement. For example, when a user's head moves to the right, the user's eyes may move to the left. Such movements may lead to and / or result in judder noise (e.g., motion blur) in an artificial-reality HMD worn by the user.

[0045] Some artificial-reality HMDs may implement and / or perform asynchronous time warping (ATW) to address motion-to-photon latency, judder noise, and / or motion blur experienced by the user and / or resulting from the VOR. Unfortunately, ATW may involve and / or rely on previous image frames that lead to delays (e.g., one-frame delays). Additionally or alternatively, some artificial-reality HMDs may implement and / or operate in a state and / or condition of low persistence to address motion-to-photon latency, judder noise, and / or motion blur experienced by the user and / or resulting from the VOR. Unfortunately, such low persistence may increase brightness per unit time, thereby potentially resulting in poor power efficiency and / or decreased device lifetime.

[0046] To avoid the drawbacks and / or deficiencies resulting from ATW and / or low persistence, the various apparatuses, systems, and / or methods described herein may provide, implement, and / or perform intraframe timewarp (ITW) via digital driving to compensate for head movements in view of the VOR. For example, an artificial-reality HMD worn by a user may implement ITW by shifting image frames generated by a graphics pipeline during the frame cycles of such image frames. Specifically, the artificial-reality HMD may include and / or represent a graphics pipeline and / or display device that operate at 90 hertz. In this example, the graphics pipeline may generate, produce, and / or provide 90 image frames per second, and the display device may present those 90 image frames to the usersequentially during a 1-second period.

[0047] Continuing with this example, the display device may implement and / or execute a 0.0111-second frame cycle during which each of those 90 image frames is presented to the user. The artificial-reality HMD may include and / or implement an image compensation component (e.g., in the display device, the graphics pipeline, a display driver, a graphics processing unit, etc.) capable of shifting the image frames during their respective frame cycles. In one example, an image compensation component may shift an image frame in a framebuffer of a display driver integrated circuit (DDIC) to compensate for a head movement of the user. In another example, an image compensation component may shift an image frame in a framebuffer of a graphics processing unit (GPU) to compensate for a head movement of the user.

[0048] In some examples, the display device may implement a memory in pixel (MIP) feature or technology that enables each pixel to store digital data included in the image frames. In such examples, an image compensation component may shift and / or move an image frame within the MIP display by shifting and / or moving the digital data stored in the pixels.

[0049] In some examples, such image shifting may occur during the frame cycle of the image being shifted. For example, the display device may present an image frame to the user during a 0. Ill-second frame cycle. In this example, the image compensation component may shift the image frame being presented to user during that 0.111-second frame cycle. By doing so, the image compensation component may be able to mitigate motion-to-photon latency, judder noise, and / or motion blur experienced by the user and / or resulting from the VOR.

[0050] The following will provide, with reference to FIGS. 1-7, detailed descriptions of exemplary apparatuses, devices, systems, components, and corresponding configurations for modifying images to compensate for head movements of users donning eyewear devices. In addition, detailed descriptions of methods for modifying images to compensate for head movements of users donning eyewear devices in connection with FIG. 8. The discussion corresponding to FIGS. 9-12 will provide detailed descriptions of types of exemplary artificialreality devices, wearables, and / or associated systems capable of modifying images to compensate for head movements of users donning eyewear devices.

[0051] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary eyewear device 100 capable of modifying images to compensate for head movements of users. As illustrated in FIG. 1, eyewear device100 may include and / or represent an eyewear frame 102 dimensioned to be worn by a user as well as various components, devices, elements, and / or features that facilitate and / or support modifying images to compensate for head movements of the user. For example, eyewear frame 102 may include and / or be equipped with an optical component 104 and / or circuitry 106. In one example, circuitry 106 may include, represent, and / or implement a graphics pipeline 108, an image compensation component 110, and / or a display device 112. Additionally or alternatively, circuitry 106 may include, represent, and / or implement a sensor 114, an eye-tracking device 116, and / or a framebuffer 118. In certain implementations, some or all of the features and / or devices included in circuitry 106 may be communicatively coupled and / or connected to one another.

[0052] In some examples, graphics pipeline 108 may generate and / or output digital representations of images at a rate commensurate with the operating frequency of display device 112. For example, if display device 112 operates at 90 hertz, graphics pipeline 108 may generate and / or output 90 image frames per second for presentation via display device 112. In one example, graphics pipeline 108 may generate and / or output the image frames via foveated rendering. Additionally or alternatively, graphics pipeline 108 may generate and / or output a digital representation 120 of an image for presentation via display device 112.

[0053] In some examples, graphics pipeline 108 may generate and / or output digital representations of images at a rate that exceeds the operating frequency of display device 112. For example, if display device 112 operates at 90 hertz, graphics pipeline 108 may generate and / or output 90 image frames per second for presentation via display device 112. However, in one example, graphics pipeline 108 may generate and / or output various bitplanes and / or subframes for each image frame and / or during each frame cycle.

[0054] In some examples, image compensation component 110 may shift, move, and / or modify digital representation 120 of the image relative to display device 112 and / or the margins of its display panel to compensate and / or account for one or more head movements of the user. For example, display device 112 may receive and / or obtain digital representation 120 of the image from graphics pipeline 108. In this example, display device 112 may present and / or display digital representation 120 of the image as part of an artificialreality experience for the user.

[0055] In some examples, display device 112 may present and / or display digital representation 120 of the image for a frame cycle commensurate with the operatingfrequency of display device 112. For example, if display device 112 operates at 90 hertz, display device 112 may present and / or display digital representation 120 of the image for a 0.0111-second frame cycle (e.g., frame cycle = — 0.0111 seconds). In this example, image compensation component 110 may shift, move, and / or modify digital representation 120 of the image within and / or relative to display device 112 during that 0.0111-second frame cycle.

[0056] In some examples, image compensation component 110 may be incorporated in and / or implemented by display device 112. In one example, image compensation component 110 may receive and / or obtain data 122 representative of the head movement(s) of the userfrom sensor 114. For example, sensor 114 may include and / or represent an inertial measurement unit (IMU) capable of measuring movements of the user's head and / or generating and / or outputting data 122 that enables image compensation component 110 to shift digital representation 120 of the image to compensate for the head movements. In this example, data 122 may identify, indicate, and / or represent the magnitude and / or direction of forces, angular rates, and / or orientations measured by sensor 114 in connection with the user's head movements.

[0057] In some examples, while display device 112 presents and / or displays digital representation 120 of the image, image compensation component 110 may shift digital representation 120 of the image in one direction or another (e.g., up, down, left, right, diagonally, etc.) in framebuffer 118 during the frame cycle of that image. In one example, the shifting of digital representation 120 in framebuffer 118 may effectively compensate and / or account for the head movement(s) represented in data 122. Accordingly, the shifting of digital representation 120 may constitute and / or amount to ITW that mitigates motion-to-photon latency, judder noise, and / or motion blur resulting from the VOR of the user.

[0058] In some examples, display device 112 may provide and / or implement a MIP feature or technology that enables each pixel to store digital data included in the image frames. In such examples, while display device 112 presents and / or displays digital representation 120 of the image, image compensation component 110 may shift digital representation 120 of the image in one direction or another (e.g., up, down, left, right, diagonally, etc.) within the MIP display by shifting and / or moving the digital data stored in the pixels during the frame cycle of that image. In one example, the shifting of digitalrepresentation 120 in the MIP display may effectively compensate and / or account for the head movement(s) represented in data 122. Accordingly, the shifting of digital representation 120 may constitute and / or amount to ITW that mitigates motion-to-photon latency, judder noise, and / or motion blur resulting from the VOR of the user.

[0059] In some examples, eye-tracking device 116 may monitor, track, and / or follow eye movements of the user. In one example, image compensation component 110 may determine and / or identify the direction of the user's eye movement based at least in part on data received from eye-tracking device 116. In this example, image compensation component 110 may shift and / or move digital representation 120 of the image in the direction of the user's eye movement. Additionally and / or alternatively, image compensation component 110 may shift and / or move digital representation 120 of the image in framebuffer 118 based at least in part on the user's eye movement and / or head movement.

[0060] In some examples, eyewear device 100 may include and / or represent an HMD dimensioned to be worn by a user. In one example, the HMD may include and / or represent any type or form of display device or system integrated into eyewear frame 102. For example, the HMD may include and / or represent a pair of smart glasses, AR glasses, and / or VR glasses. In this example, the HMD may be worn on or about the user's face and may display virtual content, such as computer-generated objects and / or AR or VR content, to the user.

[0061] HMDs may present and / or display content in any suitable way, including via a display screen or panel, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode (LED) display, an organic LED (OLED) display, a microLED display, a plasma display, a projector, a cathode ray tube, an optical mixer, combinations or variations of one or more of the same. For example, an HMD may include and / or represent a digitally driven LED or OLED display on a silicon backplane. HMDs may present and / or display content in one or more media formats. For example, HMDs may display video, photos, computer-generated imagery (CGI), and / or variations or combinations of one or more of the same. Additionally or alternatively, HMDs may include and / or incorporate see-through lenses that enable the user to see the user's surroundings in addition to such computer-generated content.

[0062] In some examples, HMDs may provide diverse and / or distinctive user experiences. Some HMDs may provide virtual-reality experiences (i.e., they may display computer-generated or pre-recorded content), while other HMDs may provide real-world experiences (i.e., they may display live imagery from the physical world). HMDs may alsoprovide any mixture of live and virtual content. For example, virtual content may be projected onto the physical world (e.g., via optical or video see-through lenses), which may result in AR and / or mixed-reality experiences.

[0063] In some examples, circuitry 106 may include and / or represent one or more electrical and / or electronic circuits capable of processing, applying, modifying, transforming, displaying, transmitting, receiving, and / or executing data and / or signals for eyewear device 100. In one example, circuitry 106 may launch, perform, and / or execute certain executable files, code snippets, and / or computer-readable instructions to facilitate and / or support modifying images to compensate for head movements of users donning eyewear devices. Circuitry 106 may include and / or represent a collection of multiple processing units and / or electrical or electronic components that work and / or operate in conjunction with one another.

[0064] Examples of circuitry 106 include, without limitation, graphics pipeline 108, image compensation component 110, display device 112, sensor 114, eye-tracking device 116, framebuffer 118, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), processing devices, microprocessors, microcontrollers, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), systems on chips (SoCs), DDICs, parallel accelerated processors, tensor cores, integrated circuits, chiplets, optical modules, receivers, transmitters, transceivers, optical modules, memory devices, transistors, antennas, resistors, capacitors, diodes, inductors, switches, registers, flipflops, digital logic, connections, traces, buses, semiconductor (e.g., silicon) devices and / or structures, storage devices, audio controllers, portions of one or more of the same, variations or combinations of one or more of the same, and / or any other suitable circuitry.

[0065] In some examples, image compensation component 110 may be included in, incorporated in, implemented by, and / or provided by a GPU of eyewear device 100. In other examples, image compensation component 110 may be included in, incorporated in, implemented by, and / or provided by a DDIC of eyewear device 100.

[0066] In some examples, framebuffer 118 may be included in, incorporated in, implemented by, and / or provided by graphics pipeline 108 and / or a GPU of eyewear device 100. In one example, the GPU of eyewear device 100 may execute, implement, and / or provide all or portions of graphics pipeline 108. In other examples, framebuffer 118 may be included in, incorporated in, implemented by, and / or provided by display device 112 and / or a DDIC ofeyewear device 100. In one example, display device 112 may execute, implement, and / or provide all or portions of the DDIC.

[0067] In some examples, sensor 114 may include and / or represent any type or form of component and / or device capable of measuring and / or quantifying head movements of the user. In one example, sensor 114 may include and / or represent an IMU that measures head movements of the user and / or generates data 122 to represent one or more of those head movements. Examples of sensor 114 include, without limitation, accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, IMUs, movement sensors, portions of one or more of the same, and / or any other suitable types of sensors. Although illustrated as a single unit in FIG. 1, sensor 114 may alternatively include and / or represent a collection of multiple sensors.

[0068] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary eyewear device 100 for modifying images to compensate for head movements of users donning eyewear devices. In some examples, eyewear device 100 may include and / or represent certain components and / or features that perform and / or provide functionalities that are similar and / or identical to those described above in connection with FIG. 1. As illustrated in FIG. 2, exemplary eyewear device 100 may include and / or represent eyewear frame 102 that facilitates, supports, and / or provides artificial-reality experiences for a user. In one example, eyewear frame 102 may include and / or represent a front frame 202, temples 204(1) and 204(2), optical elements 104(1) and 104(2), endpieces 208(1) and 208(2), nose pads 210, and / or a bridge 212.

[0069] In some examples, optical elements 104(1) and 104(2) may be inserted and / or installed in front frame 202. In other words, optical elements 104(1) and 104(2) may be coupled to, incorporated in, and / or held by eyewear frame 102. In one example, optical elements 104(1) and 104(2) may be configured and / or arranged to provide one or more virtual features for presentation to a user wearing eyewear device 100. These virtual features may be driven, influenced, and / or controlled by one or more wireless technologies supported by eyewear device 100.

[0070] In some examples, optical elements 104(1) and 104(2) may each include and / or represent optical stacks, lenses, and / or films. In one example, optical elements 104(1) and 104(2) may each include and / or represent various layers that facilitate and / or support the presentation of virtual features and / or elements that overlay real-world features and / or elements. Additionally or alternatively, optical elements 104(1) and 104(2) may each include and / or represent one or more screens, lenses, and / or fully or partially see-throughcomponents. Examples of optical elements 104(1) and 104(2) include, without limitation, electrochromic layers, dimming stacks, transparent conductive layers (such as indium tin oxide films), metal meshes, antennas, transparent resin layers, lenses, films, combinations or variations of one or more of the same, and / or any other suitable optical elements.

[0071] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary implementation 300 of eyewear device 100 for modifying images to compensate for head movements of users donning eyewear devices. In some examples, implementation 300 may include and / or involve certain components and / or features that perform and / or provide functionalities that are similar and / or identical to those described above in connection with either FIG. 1 or FIG. 2. As illustrated in FIG. 3, a user may wear eyewear device 100 for an AR or VR experience. For example, eyewear device 100 may reside on, be applied to, and / or be worn on the user's face.

[0072] In some examples, eyewear device 100 may display and / or present an image 302 to the user via display device 112. In one example, at one moment in time (e.g., t = 0 milliseconds), eyewear device 100 may display and / or present image 302 to the user such that image 302 appears directly and / or straight ahead of or in front of the user. In other words, from the user's perspective, image 302 may appear and / or be rendered straight head in the user's line of sight. In this example, the user may subsequently move, shift, and / or rotate his or her head to the left in a head movement 306. At a subsequent moment in time (e.g., t = 8 milliseconds), eyewear device 100 may detect, measure, and / or quantify head movement 306 via sensor 114.

[0073] In some examples, while display device 112 presents and / or displays image 302 during its frame cycle, image compensation component 110 may perform, apply, execute, and / or implement a shift 308 on image 302 based at least in part on data 122 generated and / or provided by sensor 114. In one example, shift 308 may cause an unshifted version 310 of image 302 to transform and / or convert into a shifted version 312 of image 302 with respect to display device 112 and / or the user's perspective. In this example, shift 308 may be commensurate with and / or equivalent to head movement 306. In certain implementations, the direction of shift 308 may be substantially opposite and / or reverse of head movement 306. For example, if head movement 306 goes to the left from the user's perspective, then shift 308 may cause image 302 to move to the right from the user's perspective.

[0074] In one example, image compensation component 110 may determine, calculate, and / or compute the magnitude and / or direction of head movement 306 based atleast in part on data 122. Additionally or alternatively, image compensation component 110 may determine, calculate, and / or compute the magnitude and / or direction of shift 308 based at least in part on data 122 and / or the magnitude and / or direction of head movement 306. In this example, image compensation component 110 may apply the magnitude and / or direction of shift 308 to image 302. By doing so, image compensation component 110 may convert and / or transform unshifted version 310 of image 302 into shifted version 312 of image 302 in display device 112 and / or from the user's perspective.

[0075] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary image frame 400 generated, produced, and / or provided by graphics pipeline 108. In some examples, image frame 400 may include and / or involve certain components and / or features that perform and / or provide functionalities that are similar and / or identical to those described above in connection with any of FIGS. 1-3. In one example, image frame 400 may show, represent, and / or portray image 302.

[0076] In some examples, image frame 400 may include and / or represent data and / or information that portrays image 302. In one example, image frame 400 may include and / or represent various pixels that depict virtual and / or real-world graphics or imagery for viewing by a user wearing eyewear device 100. In this example, image frame 400 may be modified and / or shifted to compensate and / or account for the user's head movements during operation of eyewear device 100.

[0077] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary implementation 500 that involves shifting image 302 in image frame 400 to compensate and / or account for the head movements of a user wearing eyewear device 100. In some examples, implementation 500 may include and / or involve certain components and / or features that perform and / or provide functionalities that are similar and / or identical to those described above in connection with any of FIGS. 1-4. As illustrated in FIG. 5, implementation 500 may include, represent, and / or involve shifting image 302 and / or image frame 400 across a number of different subframes to compensate and / or account for the head movements of the user wearing eyewear device 100.

[0078] In some examples, display device 112 included in eyewear device 100 may implement and / or involve digital driving via a display driver. In one example, the display driver may control illumination of the display panel of display device 112 via digital pulse width modulation (PWM) signals and / or ramp signals. In this example, the display driver may receive, obtain, and / or transmit commands and / or data that control the illumination duty cycle (e.g., on / off states) of the display panel of display device 112. The display driver maythen activate and / or deactivate the display panel according to the commands and / or data to achieve and / or implement the illumination duty cycle. By doing so, the display driver may cause the display panel to present and / or display image frame 400 and / or image 302 to the user with the illumination duty cycle.

[0079] In some examples, the display driver may be configured, programmed, and / or designed to illuminate the display panel using subframe and / or bitplane driving methods or techniques. In one example, the subframe and / or bitplane driving methods and / or techniques may involve directing and / or causing the display panel to activate and / or deactivate for certain portions of the frame cycles. In this example, the portions of the frame cycles during which the display panel is activated and / or deactivated may correspond to and / or be controlled by certain bits of the commands and / or data. For example, one bit of a command for presenting image frame 400 to the user may correspond to and / or represent a certain portion of the frame cycle, and another bit of the command for presenting image frame 400 to the user may correspond to and / or represent another potion of the frame cycle.

[0080] In some examples, implementation 500 may include, represent, and / or involve subframes 404(0), 404(1), 404(2), 404(3), 404(4), 404(5), 404(6), and 404(7). In one example, subframes 404(0)-(7) may correspond to and / or represent different portions of the frame cycle and / or the bits of the command for presenting image frame 400 to the user. In this example, image compensation component 110 may mitigate motion-to-photon latency, judder noise, and / or motion blur by causing display device 112 to present and / or display the shifted version of image 302 during the frame cycle of image frame 400. Additionally or alternatively, image compensation component 110 may move and / or shift digital representation 120 of the image in the x-direction and / or y-direction for the bitplanes and / or subframes remaining in the frame cycle of the image.

[0081] In some examples, display device 112 may refresh and / or update the image presented on the display panel by replacing the unshifted version of the image with the shifted version of the image via digital driving. Additionally or alternatively, display device 112 may turn off the backlight, replace the unshifted version of the image with the shifted version of the image while the backlight is turned off, and then turn on the backlight.

[0082] In some examples, image compensation component 110 may cause and / or direct display device 112 to move and / or shift image 302 across the display panel (e.g., from the right side to the left side) within the frame cycle of image 302. For example, imagecompensation 110 may cause and / or direct display device 112 to move and / or shift image 302 across the display panel to compensate and / or account for the user's head movement. In one example, image compensation 110 may shift image 302 in the x-direction between subframes 404(0)-404(7) corresponding to bits 0-7 of the command during the frame cycle of image 302.

[0083] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary implementation 600 that involves shifting image 302 in image frame 400 to compensate and / or account for the head movements of a user wearing eyewear device 100. In some examples, implementation 600 may include and / or involve certain components and / or features that perform and / or provide functionalities that are similar and / or identical to those described above in connection with any of FIGS. 1-5. As illustrated in FIG. 6, implementation 600 may include, represent, and / or involve a DDIC of display device 112 that shifts image 302 and / or image frame 400 across a number of different bitplanes and / or subframes to compensate and / or account for the head movements of the user wearing eyewear device 100.

[0084] In some examples, the DDIC may include, represent, and / or implement a framebuffer 602 in which the bitplanes and / or subframes of images are loaded for presentation during frame cycles. For example, the DDIC may shift image 302 to the left in framebuffer 602 across the bitplanes and / or subframes of the frame cycle (e.g., bits 0, 1, 2, 3, etc.). In this example, the display panel of display device 112 may include and / or define display margins 610 within which the pixels of image 302 are presented to the user. Additionally or alternatively, display margins 610 may delineate which pixels of image 302 are presented to the user via the display panel in the bitplanes and / or subframes. Accordingly, display margins 610 may also delineate which pixels of image 302 are shifted and / or pushed outside the display panel in the bitplanes and / or subframes by image compensation component 110.

[0085] In some examples, image compensation component 110 may shift the image loaded in framebuffer 602 in the x-direction (e.g., to the left) relative to framebuffer 602 across the bitplanes and / or subframes such that an increasing portion of the image is pushed outside display margins 610 as the frame cycle continues. For example, all of the image may be loaded into and / or positioned inside display margins 610 during the bit-0 time. However, in this example, increasing portions of the image may be shifted and / or pushed out of display margins 610 into a fadeout region 606 during the times associated with bits 1, 2, 3, etc. Theportions of the image shifted and / or pushed into fadeout region 606 may be omitted from presentation on the display panel. In certain implementations, image compensation component 110 may fill and / or apply colorless and / or empty image data in a blank region 604 of the image and / or framebuffer 602 introduced as a result of the shifting. In one example, image compensation component 110 may generate and / or output blank region 604 of the image via foveated rendering.

[0086] FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary implementation 700 that involves shifting image 302 in image frame 400 to compensate and / or account for the head movements of a user wearing eyewear device 100. In some examples, implementation 600 may include and / or involve certain components and / or features that perform and / or provide functionalities that are similar and / or identical to those described above in connection with any of FIGS. 1-6. As illustrated in FIG. 7, implementation 700 may include, represent, and / or involve a GPU of eyewear device 100 that shifts image 302 and / or image frame 400 across a number of different bitplanes and / or subframes to compensate and / or account for the head movements of the user wearing eyewear device 100. Additionally or alternatively, implementation 700 may include, represent, and / or involve graphics pipeline 108 shifting image 302 and / or image frame 400 across a number of different bitplanes and / or subframes to compensate and / or account for the head movements of the user wearing eyewear device 100.

[0087] In some examples, the GPU and / or graphics pipeline 108 may include, represent, and / or implement a framebuffer 702 in which the bitplanes and / or subframes of image are loaded for presentation during the frame cycle. For example, the GPU and / or graphics pipeline 108 may shift image 302 to the left in framebuffer 702 across the bitplanes and / or subframes ofthe frame cycle (e.g., bits 0, 1, 2, 3, etc.). In this example, the GPU and / or graphics pipeline 108 may output shifted images, bitplanes, and / or subframes to display device 112 for presentation to the user during the frame cycle. Additionally or alternatively, the GPU and / or graphics pipeline 108 may output a signal to display device 112 to cause and / or direct display device 112 to shift bitplanes and / or subframes of the image to display device 112 during the frame cycle.

[0088] In some examples, the various apparatuses, devices, and systems described in connection with FIGS. 1-7 may include and / or represent one or more additional circuits, components, and / or features that are not necessarily illustrated and / or labeled in FIGS. 1-7. For example, the apparatuses, devices, and systems illustrated in FIGS. 1-7 may also includeand / or represent additional analog and / or digital circuitry, onboard logic, transistors, radiofrequency (RF) transmitters, RF receivers, RF transceivers, antennas, resistors, capacitors, diodes, inductors, switches, registers, flipflops, digital logic, connections, traces, buses, semiconductor (e.g., silicon) devices and / or structures, processing devices, storage devices, circuit boards, sensors, packages, substrates, housings, waveguides, combinations or variations of one or more of the same, and / or any other suitable components. In certain implementations, one or more of these additional circuits, components, and / or features may be inserted and / or applied between any of the existing circuits, components, and / or features illustrated in FIGS. 1-7 consistent with the aims and / or objectives described herein. Accordingly, the couplings and / or connections described with reference to FIGS. 1-7 may be direct connections with no intermediate components, devices, and / or nodes or indirect connections with one or more intermediate components, devices, and / or nodes.

[0089] In some examples, the phrase "to couple" and / or the term "coupling", as used herein, may refer to a direct connection and / or an indirect connection. For example, a direct coupling between two components may constitute and / or represent a coupling in which those two components are directly connected to each other by a single node that provides continuity from one of those two components to the other. In other words, the direct coupling may exclude and / or omit any additional components between those two components.

[0090] Additionally or alternatively, an indirect coupling between two components may constitute and / or represent a coupling in which those two components are indirectly connected to each other by multiple nodes that fail to provide continuity from one of those two components to the other. In other words, the indirect coupling may include and / or incorporate at least one additional component between those two components. In some examples, one or more components and / or features illustrated in FIGS. 1-7 may be excluded and / or omitted from the various apparatuses, devices, and / or systems described in connection with FIGS. 1-7. For example, eyewear device 100 may omit and / or exclude eyetracking device 116.

[0091] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method 800 for modifying images to compensate for head movements of users donning eyewear devices. In one example, the steps shown in FIG. 8 may be achieved and / or accomplished by a computing equipment manufacturer or subcontractor that creates and / or assembles eyewear frames for smart eyewear. Additionally or alternatively, the steps shown in FIG. 8 may incorporate and / orinvolve various sub-steps and / or variations consistent with one or more of the descriptions provided above in connection with FIGS. 1-7.

[0092] As illustrated in FIG. 8, method 800 may include and / or involve the step of coupling circuitry to an eyewear frame dimensioned to be worn a user (810). Step 810 may be performed in a variety of ways, including any of those described above in connection with FIGS. 1-7. For example, a computing equipment manufacturer or subcontractor may couple, secure, and / or connect circuitry to an eyewear frame dimensioned to be worn a user.

[0093] In some examples, method 800 may also include the step of configuring the circuitry to identify a digital representation of an image (820). Step 820 may be performed in a variety of ways, including any of those described above in connection with FIGS. 1-7. For example, the computing equipment manufacturer or subcontractor may configure and / or program the circuitry to receive and / or identify a digital representation of an image.

[0094] In some examples, method 800 may also include the step of configuring the circuitry to shift the digital representation of the image in at least one direction in a framebuffer in response to a head movement of the user (830). Step 830 may be performed in a variety of ways, including any of those described above in connection with FIGS. 1-7. For example, the computing equipment manufacturer or subcontractor may configure and / or program the circuitry to shift the digital representation of the image in at least one direction in a framebuffer in response to a head movement of the user.

[0095] In some examples, method 800 may also include the step of configuring the circuitry to display a shifted version of the image to the user due at least in part to the digital representation having been shifted (840). Step 840 may be performed in a variety of ways, including any of those described above in connection with FIGS. 1-7. For example, the computing equipment manufacturer or subcontractor may configure and / or program the circuitry to display a shifted version of the image to the user due at least in part to the digital representation having been shifted.

[0096] Example Embodiments

[0097] Example 1: An eyewear device comprising (1) a graphics pipeline configured to output a digital representation of an image, (2) an image compensation component configured to shift the digital representation of the image in at least one direction in a framebuffer in response to a head movement of a user, and (3) a display device configured to display a shifted version of the image to the user due at least in part to the digitalrepresentation having been shifted.

[0098] Example 2: The eyewear device of Example 1, wherein the image compensation component comprises at least one of a graphics processing unit (GPU) and / or a display driver integrated circuit (DDIC).

[0099] Example 3: The eyewear device of either Example 1 or Example 2, wherein the framebuffer is implemented in at least one of a graphics processing unit (GPU), a display driver integrated circuit (DDIC), the display device, and / or the graphics pipeline.

[0100] Example 4: The eyewear device of any of Examples 1-3, further comprising at least one sensor configured to output data representative of the head movement, wherein the image compensation component is further configured to (1) determine a magnitude and direction of a shift to be applied to the image based at least in part on the data representative of the head movement and (2) apply the magnitude and direction of the shift to the image to account for the head movement.

[0101] Example 5: The eyewear device of any of Examples 1-4, wherein the image compensation component is further configured to mitigate motion blur resulting from the head movement by causing the display device to present the shifted version of the image to the user.

[0102] Example 6: The eyewear device of any of Examples 1-5, wherein the image compensation component is further configured to move the digital representation of the image in an x-direction or a y-direction for each bitplane or subframe remaining in a frame cycle of the image.

[0103] Example 7: The eyewear device of any of Examples 1-6, wherein the display device comprises at least one of a digitally driven organic light emitting diode (OLED) display on a silicon backplane or a digitally driven light emitting diode (LED) display on a silicon backplane.

[0104] Example 8: The eyewear device of any of Examples 1-7, wherein the image compensation component is further configured to (1) determine a direction of the head movement and (2) shift the digital representation of the image in another direction that is substantially opposite of the direction of the head movement.

[0105] Example 9: The eyewear device of any of Examples 1-8, further comprising an eye-tracking device configured to track eye movements of the user, and wherein the image compensation component is further configured to (1) determine a direction of an eyemovement of the user based at least in part on the eye-tracking device and (2) shift the digital representation of the image in the direction of the eye movement of the user.

[0106] Example 10: The eyewear device of any of Examples 1-9, wherein the display device is further configured to (1) operate at a certain frequency and (2) prior to displaying the shifted version of the image, display an unshifted version of the image during a frame cycle commensurate with the certain frequency, and the image compensation component is further configured to shift the digital representation of the image in the framebuffer during the frame cycle in response to the head movement of the user.

[0107] Example 11: The eyewear device of any of Examples 1-10, wherein the display device is further configured to refresh the image during the frame cycle by replacing the unshifted version of the image with the shifted version of the image via digital driving.

[0108] Example 12: The eyewear device of any of Examples 1-11, wherein the display device is further configured to operate at a certain frequency, the graphics pipeline is further configured to output image frames at a rate that exceeds the certain frequency, and the image compensation component is incorporated in the graphics pipeline and is further configured to (1) output, to the display device, the digital representation of the image as an image frame for display during a frame cycle commensurate with the certain frequency, (2) shift the digital representation of the image in the framebuffer during the frame cycle in response to the head movement, and (3) output, to the display device, the shifted digital representation of the image to update the image frame for display during the frame cycle.

[0109] Example 13: The eyewear device of any of Examples 1-12, wherein the graphics pipeline is further configured to generate the digital representation of the image via foveated rendering.

[0110] Example 14: A system comprising (1) an eyewear frame dimensioned to be worn by a user and configured to provide an artificial-reality experience to the user and (2) circuitry coupled to the eyewear frame and configured to (A) identify a digital representation of an image, (B) shift the digital representation of the image in at least one direction in a framebuffer in response to a head movement of a user, and (C) display a shifted version of the image to the user due at least in part to the digital representation having been shifted.

[0111] Example 15: The system of Example 14, wherein circuitry comprises at least one of (1) a graphics processing unit (GPU) configured to shift the digital representation of the image in response to the head movement or (2) a display driver integrated circuit (DDIC)configured to shift the digital representation of the innage in response to the head movement.

[0112] Example 16: The system of either Example 14 or Example 15, further comprising at least one sensor coupled to the eyewear frame and configured to output data representative of the head movement, wherein the circuitry is further configured to (1) determine a magnitude and direction of a shift to be applied to the image based at least in part on the data representative of the head movement and (2) apply the magnitude and direction of the shift to the image to account for the head movement.

[0113] Example 17: The system of any of Examples 14-16, wherein the image compensation component is further configured to (1) determine a direction of the head movement and (2) shift the digital representation of the image in another direction that is substantially opposite of the direction of the head movement.

[0114] Example 18: The system of any of Examples 14-17, wherein the display device is further configured to (1) operate at a certain frequency and (2) prior to displaying the shifted version of the image, display an unshifted version of the image during a frame cycle commensurate with the certain frequency, and the image compensation component is further configured to shift the digital representation of the image in the framebuffer during the frame cycle in response to the head movement of the user.

[0115] Example 19: The system of any of Examples 14-18, wherein the display device is further configured to refresh the image during the frame cycle by replacing the unshifted version of the image with the shifted version of the image via digital driving.

[0116] Example 20: A method comprising (1) coupling circuitry to an eyewear frame dimensioned to be worn by a user and (2) configuring the circuitry to (A) identify a digital representation of an image, (B) shift the digital representation of the image in at least one direction in a framebuffer in response to a head movement of the user, and (C) display a shifted version of the image to the user due at least in part to the digital representation having been shifted.

[0117] Embodiments of the present disclosure may include or be implemented in conjunction with various types of artificial-reality systems. Artificial reality is a form of reality that has been adjusted in some manner before presentation to a user, which may include, for example, a VR, an AR, a mixed reality, a hybrid reality, or some combination and / or derivative thereof. Artificial-reality content may include completely computer-generated content or computer-generated content combined with captured (e.g., real-world) content. Theartificial-reality content may include video, audio, haptic feedback, or some combination thereof, any of which may be presented in a single channel or in multiple channels (such as stereo video that produces a three-dimensional (3D) effect to the viewer). Additionally, in some embodiments, artificial reality may also be associated with applications, products, accessories, services, or some combination thereof, that are used to, for example, create content in an artificial reality and / or are otherwise used in (e.g., to perform activities in) an artificial reality.

[0118] Artificial-reality systems may be implemented in a variety of different form factors and configurations. Some artificial-reality systems may be designed to work without near-eye displays (NEDs). Other artificial-reality systems may include an NED that also provides visibility into the real world (such as, e.g., AR system 900 in FIG. 9) or that visually immerses a user in an artificial reality (such as, e.g., VR system 1000 in FIG. 10). While some artificial-reality devices may be self-contained systems, other artificial-reality devices may communicate and / or coordinate with external devices to provide an artificial-reality experience to a user. Examples of such external devices include handheld controllers, mobile devices, desktop computers, devices worn by a user, devices worn by one or more other users, and / or any other suitable external system.

[0119] Turning to FIG. 9, AR system 900 may include an eyewear device 902 with a frame 910 configured to hold a left display device 915(A) and a right display device 915(B) in front of a user's eyes. Display devices 915(A) and 915(B) may act together or independently to present an image or series of images to a user. While AR system 900 includes two displays, embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented in AR systems with a single NED or more than two NEDs.

[0120] In some embodiments, AR system 900 may include one or more sensors, such as sensor 940. Sensor 940 may generate measurement signals in response to motion of AR system 900 and may be located on substantially any portion of frame 910. Sensor 940 may represent one or more of a variety of different sensing mechanisms, such as a position sensor, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), a depth camera assembly, a structured light emitter and / or detector, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, AR system 900 may or may not include sensor 940 or may include more than one sensor. In embodiments in which sensor 940 includes an IMU, the IMU may generate calibration data based on measurement signals from sensor 940. Examples of sensor 940 may include, without limitation,accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, other suitable types of sensors that detect motion, sensors used for error correction of the IMU, or some combination thereof.

[0121] In some examples, AR system 900 may also include a microphone array with a plurality of acoustic transducers 920(A)-920(J), referred to collectively as acoustic transducers 920. Acoustic transducers 920 may represent transducers that detect air pressure variations induced by sound waves. Each acoustic transducer 920 may be configured to detect sound and convert the detected sound into an electronic format (e.g., an analog or digital format). The microphone array in FIG. 9 may include, for example, ten acoustic transducers: 920(A) and 920(B), which may be designed to be placed inside a corresponding ear of the user, acoustic transducers 920(C), 920(D), 920(E), 920(F), 920(G), and 920(H), which may be positioned at various locations on frame 910, and / or acoustic transducers 920(1) and 920(J), which may be positioned on a corresponding neckband 905.

[0122] In some embodiments, one or more of acoustic transducers 920(A)-(J) may be used as output transducers (e.g., speakers). For example, acoustic transducers 920(A) and / or 920(B) may be earbuds or any other suitable type of headphone or speaker.

[0123] The configuration of acoustic transducers 920 of the microphone array may vary. While AR system 900 is shown in FIG. 9 as having ten acoustic transducers 920, the number of acoustic transducers 920 may be greater or less than ten. In some embodiments, using higher numbers of acoustic transducers 920 may increase the amount of audio information collected and / or the sensitivity and accuracy of the audio information. In contrast, using a lower number of acoustic transducers 920 may decrease the computing power required by an associated controller 950 to process the collected audio information. In addition, the position of each acoustic transducer 920 of the microphone array may vary. For example, the position of an acoustic transducer 920 may include a defined position on the user, a defined coordinate on frame 910, an orientation associated with each acoustic transducer 920, or some combination thereof.

[0124] Acoustic transducers 920(A) and 920(B) may be positioned on different parts of the user's ear, such as behind the pinna, behind the tragus, and / or within the auricle or fossa. Or, there may be additional acoustic transducers 920 on or surrounding the ear in addition to acoustic transducers 920 inside the ear canal. Having an acoustic transducer 920 positioned next to an ear canal of a user may enable the microphone array to collect information on how sounds arrive at the ear canal. By positioning at least two of acoustictransducers 920 on either side of a user's head (e.g., as binaural microphones), AR system 900 may simulate binaural hearing and capture a 3D stereo sound field around about a user's head. In some embodiments, acoustic transducers 920(A) and 920(B) may be connected to AR system 900 via a wired connection 930, and in other embodiments acoustic transducers 920(A) and 920(B) may be connected to AR system 900 via a wireless connection (e.g., a BLUETOOTH connection). In still other embodiments, acoustic transducers 920(A) and 920(B) may not be used at all in conjunction with AR system 900.

[0125] Acoustic transducers 920 on frame 910 may be positioned in a variety of different ways, including along the length of the temples, across the bridge, above or below display devices 915(A) and 915(B), or some combination thereof. Acoustic transducers 920 may also be oriented such that the microphone array is able to detect sounds in a wide range of directions surrounding the user wearing the AR system 900. In some embodiments, an optimization process may be performed during manufacturing of AR system 900 to determine relative positioning of each acoustic transducer 920 in the microphone array.

[0126] In some examples, AR system 900 may include or be connected to an external device (e.g., a paired device), such as neckband 905. Neckband 905 generally represents any type or form of paired device. Thus, the following discussion of neckband 905 may also apply to various other paired devices, such as charging cases, smart watches, smart phones, wrist bands, other wearable devices, hand-held controllers, tablet computers, laptop computers, other external compute devices, etc.

[0127] As shown, neckband 905 may be coupled to eyewear device 902 via one or more connectors. The connectors may be wired or wireless and may include electrical and / or non-electrical (e.g., structural) components. In some cases, eyewear device 902 and neckband 905 may operate independently without any wired or wireless connection between them. While FIG. 9 illustrates the components of eyewear device 902 and neckband 905 in example locations on eyewear device 902 and neckband 905, the components may be located elsewhere and / or distributed differently on eyewear device 902 and / or neckband 905. In some embodiments, the components of eyewear device 902 and neckband 905 may be located on one or more additional peripheral devices paired with eyewear device 902, neckband 905, or some combination thereof.

[0128] Pairing external devices, such as neckband 905, with AR eyewear devices may enable the eyewear devices to achieve the form factor of a pair of glasses while still providingsufficient battery and computation power for expanded capabilities. Some or all of the battery power, computational resources, and / or additional features of AR system 900 may be provided by a paired device or shared between a paired device and an eyewear device, thus reducing the weight, heat profile, and form factor of the eyewear device overall while still retaining desired functionality. For example, neckband 905 may allow components that would otherwise be included on an eyewear device to be included in neckband 905 since users may tolerate a heavier weight load on their shoulders than they would tolerate on their heads. Neckband 905 may also have a larger surface area over which to diffuse and disperse heat to the ambient environment. Thus, neckband 905 may allow for greater battery and computation capacity than might otherwise have been possible on a stand-alone eyewear device. Since weight carried in neckband 905 may be less invasive to a user than weight carried in eyewear device 902, a user may tolerate wearing a lighter eyewear device and carrying or wearing the paired device for greater lengths of time than a user would tolerate wearing a heavy standalone eyewear device, thereby enabling users to more fully incorporate artificial-reality environments into their day-to-day activities.

[0129] Neckband 905 may be communicatively coupled with eyewear device 902 and / or to other devices. These other devices may provide certain functions (e.g., tracking, localizing, depth mapping, processing, storage, etc.) to AR system 900. In the embodiment of FIG. 9, neckband 905 may include two acoustic transducers (e.g., 920(1) and 920(1)) that are part of the microphone array (or potentially form their own microphone subarray). Neckband 905 may also include a controller 925 and a power source 935.

[0130] Acoustic transducers 920(1) and 920(J) of neckband 905 may be configured to detect sound and convert the detected sound into an electronic format (analog or digital). In the embodiment of FIG. 9, acoustic transducers 920(1) and 920(1) may be positioned on neckband 905, thereby increasing the distance between the neckband acoustic transducers 920(1) and 920(J) and other acoustic transducers 920 positioned on eyewear device 902. In some cases, increasing the distance between acoustic transducers 920 of the microphone array may improve the accuracy of beamforming performed via the microphone array. For example, if a sound is detected by acoustic transducers 920(C) and 920(D) and the distance between acoustic transducers 920(C) and 920(D) is greater than, e.g., the distance between acoustic transducers 920(D) and 920(E), the determined source location of the detected sound may be more accurate than if the sound had been detected by acoustic transducers920(D) and 920(E).

[0131] Controller 925 of neckband 905 may process information generated by the sensors on neckband 905 and / or AR system 900. For example, controller 925 may process information from the microphone array that describes sounds detected by the microphone array. For each detected sound, controller 925 may perform a direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation to estimate a direction from which the detected sound arrived at the microphone array. As the microphone array detects sounds, controller 925 may populate an audio data set with the information. In embodiments in which AR system 900 includes an inertial measurement unit, controller 925 may compute all inertial and spatial calculations from the IMU located on eyewear device 902. A connector may convey information between AR system 900 and neckband 905 and between AR system 900 and controller 925. The information may be in the form of optical data, electrical data, wireless data, or any other transmittable data form. Moving the processing of information generated by AR system 900 to neckband 905 may reduce weight and heat in eyewear device 902, making it more comfortable to the user.

[0132] Power source 935 in neckband 905 may provide power to eyewear device 902 and / or to neckband 905. Power source 935 may include, without limitation, lithium ion batteries, lithium-polymer batteries, primary lithium batteries, alkaline batteries, or any other form of power storage. In some cases, power source 935 may be a wired power source. Including power source 935 on neckband 905 instead of on eyewear device 902 may help better distribute the weight and heat generated by power source 935.

[0133] As noted, some artificial-reality systems may, instead of blending an artificial reality with actual reality, substantially replace one or more of a user's sensory perceptions of the real world with a virtual experience. One example of this type of system is a head-worn display system, such as VR system 1000 in FIG. 10, that mostly or completely covers a user's field of view. VR system 1000 may include a front rigid body 1002 and a band 1004 shaped to fit around a user's head. VR system 1000 may also include output audio transducers 1006(A) and 1006(B). Furthermore, while not shown in FIG. 10, front rigid body 1002 may include one or more electronic elements, including one or more electronic displays, one or more inertial measurement units (IMUs), one or more tracking emitters or detectors, and / or any other suitable device or system for creating an artificial-reality experience.

[0134] Artificial-reality systems may include a variety of types of visual feedbackmechanisms. For example, display devices in AR system 900 and / or VR system 1000 may include one or more liquid crystal displays (LCDs), light emitting diode (LED) displays, microLED displays, organic LED (OLED) displays, digital light project (DLP) micro-displays, liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) micro-displays, and / or any other suitable type of display screen. These artificial-reality systems may include a single display screen for both eyes or may provide a display screen for each eye, which may allow for additional flexibility for varifocal adjustments or for correcting a user's refractive error. Some of these artificial-reality systems may also include optical subsystems having one or more lenses (e.g., concave or convex lenses, Fresnel lenses, adjustable liquid lenses, etc.) through which a user may view a display screen. These optical subsystems may serve a variety of purposes, including to collimate (e.g., make an object appear at a greater distance than its physical distance), to magnify (e.g., make an object appear larger than its actual size), and / or to relay (to, e.g., the viewer's eyes) light. These optical subsystems may be used in a non-pupil-forming architecture (such as a single lens configuration that directly collimates light but results in so-called pincushion distortion) and / or a pupil-forming architecture (such as a multi-lens configuration that produces so- called barrel distortion to nullify pincushion distortion).

[0135] In addition to or instead of using display screens, some of the artificial-reality systems described herein may include one or more projection systems. For example, display devices in AR system 900 and / or VR system 1000 may include micro-LED projectors that project light (using, e.g., a waveguide) into display devices, such as clear combiner lenses that allow ambient light to pass through. The display devices may refract the projected light toward a user's pupil and may enable a user to simultaneously view both artificial-reality content and the real world. The display devices may accomplish this using any of a variety of different optical components, including waveguide components (e.g., holographic, planar, diffractive, polarized, and / or reflective waveguide elements), light-manipulation surfaces and elements (such as diffractive, reflective, and refractive elements and gratings), coupling elements, etc. Artificial-reality systems may also be configured with any other suitable type or form of image projection system, such as retinal projectors used in virtual retina displays.

[0136] The artificial-reality systems described herein may also include various types of computer vision components and subsystems. For example, AR system 900 and / or VR system 1000 may include one or more optical sensors, such as two-dimensional (2D) or 3D cameras, structured light transmitters and detectors, time-of -flight depth sensors, single-beam or sweeping laser rangefinders, 3D LiDAR sensors, and / or any other suitable type or form of optical sensor. An artificial-reality system may process data from one or more of these sensors to identify a location of a user, to map the real world, to provide a user with context about real-world surroundings, and / or to perform a variety of other functions.

[0137] The artificial-reality systems described herein may also include one or more input and / or output audio transducers. Output audio transducers may include voice coil speakers, ribbon speakers, electrostatic speakers, piezoelectric speakers, bone conduction transducers, cartilage conduction transducers, tragus-vibration transducers, and / or any other suitable type or form of audio transducer. Similarly, input audio transducers may include condenser microphones, dynamic microphones, ribbon microphones, and / or any other type or form of input transducer. In some embodiments, a single transducer may be used for both audio input and audio output.

[0138] In some embodiments, the artificial-reality systems described herein may also include tactile (i.e., haptic) feedback systems, which may be incorporated into headwear, gloves, body suits, handheld controllers, environmental devices (e.g., chairs, floormats, etc.), and / or any other type of device or system. Haptic feedback systems may provide various types of cutaneous feedback, including vibration, force, traction, texture, and / or temperature. Haptic feedback systems may also provide various types of kinesthetic feedback, such as motion and compliance. Haptic feedback may be implemented using motors, piezoelectric actuators, fluidic systems, and / or a variety of other types of feedback mechanisms. Haptic feedback systems may be implemented independent of other artificial-reality devices, within other artificial-reality devices, and / or in conjunction with other artificial-reality devices.

[0139] By providing haptic sensations, audible content, and / or visual content, artificial-reality systems may create an entire virtual experience or enhance a user's real- world experience in a variety of contexts and environments. For instance, artificial-reality systems may assist or extend a user's perception, memory, or cognition within a particular environment. Some systems may enhance a user's interactions with other people in the real world or may enable more immersive interactions with other people in a virtual world. Artificial-reality systems may also be used for educational purposes (e.g., for teaching or training in schools, hospitals, government organizations, military organizations, business enterprises, etc.), entertainment purposes (e.g., for playing video games, listening to music,watching video content, etc.), and / or for accessibility purposes (e.g., as hearing aids, visual aids, etc.). The embodiments disclosed herein may enable or enhance a user's artificial-reality experience in one or more of these contexts and environments and / or in other contexts and environments.

[0140] In some embodiments, the systems described herein may also include an eyetracking subsystem designed to identify and track various characteristics of a user's eye(s), such as the user's gaze direction. The phrase "eye tracking" may, in some examples, refer to a process by which the position, orientation, and / or motion of an eye is measured, detected, sensed, determined, and / or monitored. The disclosed systems may measure the position, orientation, and / or motion of an eye in a variety of different ways, including through the use of various optical-based eye-tracking techniques, ultrasound-based eye-tracking techniques, etc. An eye-tracking subsystem may be configured in a number of different ways and may include a variety of different eye-tracking hardware components or other computer-vision components. For example, an eye-tracking subsystem may include a variety of different optical sensors, such as two-dimensional (2D) or 3D cameras, time-of-flight depth sensors, single-beam or sweeping laser rangefinders, 3D LiDAR sensors, and / or any other suitable type or form of optical sensor. In this example, a processing subsystem may process data from one or more of these sensors to measure, detect, determine, and / or otherwise monitor the position, orientation, and / or motion of the user's eye(s).

[0141] FIG. 11 is an illustration of an exemplary system 1100 that incorporates an eyetracking subsystem capable of tracking a user's eye(s). As depicted in FIG. 11, system 1100 may include a light source 1102, an optical subsystem 1104, an eye-tracking subsystem 1106, and / or a control subsystem 1108. In some examples, light source 1102 may generate light for an image (e.g., to be presented to an eye 1101 of the viewer). Light source 1102 may represent any of a variety of suitable devices. For example, light source 1102 can include a two-dimensional projector (e.g., a LCoS display), a scanning source (e.g., a scanning laser), or other device (e.g., an LCD, an LED display, an OLED display, an active-matrix OLED display (AMOLED), a transparent OLED display (TOLED), a waveguide, or some other display capable of generating light for presenting an image to the viewer). In some examples, the image may represent a virtual image, which may refer to an optical image formed from the apparent divergence of light rays from a point in space, as opposed to an image formed from the light ray's actual divergence.

[0142] In some embodiments, optical subsystem 1104 may receive the light generated by light source 1102 and generate, based on the received light, converging light 1120 that includes the image. In some examples, optical subsystem 1104 may include any number of lenses (e.g., Fresnel lenses, convex lenses, concave lenses), apertures, filters, mirrors, prisms, and / or other optical components, possibly in combination with actuators and / or other devices. In particular, the actuators and / or other devices may translate and / or rotate one or more of the optical components to alter one or more aspects of converging light 1120. Further, various mechanical couplings may serve to maintain the relative spacing and / or the orientation of the optical components in any suitable combination.

[0143] In one embodiment, eye-tracking subsystem 1106 may generate tracking information indicating a gaze angle of an eye 1101 of the viewer. In this embodiment, control subsystem 1108 may control aspects of optical subsystem 1104 (e.g., the angle of incidence of converging light 1120) based at least in part on this tracking information. Additionally, in some examples, control subsystem 1108 may store and utilize historical tracking information (e.g., a history of the tracking information over a given duration, such as the previous second or fraction thereof) to anticipate the gaze angle of eye 1101 (e.g., an angle between the visual axis and the anatomical axis of eye 1101). In some embodiments, eye-tracking subsystem 1106 may detect radiation emanating from some portion of eye 1101 (e.g., the cornea, the iris, the pupil, or the like) to determine the current gaze angle of eye 1101. In other examples, eye-tracking subsystem 1106 may employ a wavefront sensor to track the current location of the pupil.

[0144] Any number of techniques can be used to track eye 1101. Some techniques may involve illuminating eye 1101 with infrared light and measuring reflections with at least one optical sensor that is tuned to be sensitive to the infrared light. Information about how the infrared light is reflected from eye 1101 may be analyzed to determine the position(s), orientation(s), and / or motion(s) of one or more eye feature(s), such as the cornea, pupil, iris, and / or retinal blood vessels.

[0145] In some examples, the radiation captured by a sensor of eye-tracking subsystem 1106 may be digitized (i.e., converted to an electronic signal). Further, the sensor may transmit a digital representation of this electronic signal to one or more processors (for example, processors associated with a device including eye-tracking subsystem 1106). Eyetracking subsystem 1106 may include any of a variety of sensors in a variety of differentconfigurations. For example, eye-tracking subsystem 1106 may include an infrared detector that reacts to infrared radiation. The infrared detector may be a thermal detector, a photonic detector, and / or any other suitable type of detector. Thermal detectors may include detectors that react to thermal effects of the incident infrared radiation.

[0146] In some examples, one or more processors may process the digital representation generated by the sensor(s) of eye-tracking subsystem 1106 to track the movement of eye 1101. In another example, these processors may track the movements of eye 1101 by executing algorithms represented by computer-executable instructions stored on non-transitory memory. In some examples, on-chip logic (e.g., an application-specific integrated circuit or ASIC) may be used to perform at least portions of such algorithms. As noted, eye-tracking subsystem 1106 may be programmed to use an output of the sensor(s) to track movement of eye 1101. In some embodiments, eye-tracking subsystem 1106 may analyze the digital representation generated by the sensors to extract eye rotation information from changes in reflections. In one embodiment, eye-tracking subsystem 1106 may use corneal reflections orglints (also known as Purkinje images) and / orthe center of the eye's pupil 1122 as features to track over time.

[0147] In some embodiments, eye-tracking subsystem 1106 may use the center of the eye's pupil 1122 and infrared or near-infrared, non-collimated light to create corneal reflections. In these embodiments, eye-tracking subsystem 1106 may use the vector between the center of the eye's pupil 1122 and the corneal reflections to compute the gaze direction of eye 1101. In some embodiments, the disclosed systems may perform a calibration procedure for an individual (using, e.g., supervised or unsupervised techniques) before tracking the user's eyes. For example, the calibration procedure may include directing users to look at one or more points displayed on a display while the eye-tracking system records the values that correspond to each gaze position associated with each point.

[0148] In some embodiments, eye-tracking subsystem 1106 may use two types of infrared and / or near-infrared (also known as active light) eye-tracking techniques: bright- pupil and dark-pupil eye tracking, which may be differentiated based on the location of an illumination source with respect to the optical elements used. If the illumination is coaxial with the optical path, then eye 1101 may act as a retroreflector as the light reflects off the retina, thereby creating a bright pupil effect similar to a red-eye effect in photography. If the illumination source is offset from the optical path, then the eye's pupil 1122 may appear darkbecause the retroreflection from the retina is directed away from the sensor. In some embodiments, bright-pupil tracking may create greater iris / pupil contrast, allowing more robust eye tracking with iris pigmentation, and may feature reduced interference (e.g., interference caused by eyelashes and other obscuring features). Bright-pupil tracking may also allow tracking in lighting conditions ranging from total darkness to a very bright environment.

[0149] In some embodiments, control subsystem 1108 may control light source 1102 and / or optical subsystem 1104 to reduce optical aberrations (e.g., chromatic aberrations and / or monochromatic aberrations) of the image that may be caused by or influenced by eye 1101. In some examples, as mentioned above, control subsystem 1108 may use the tracking information from eye-tracking subsystem 1106 to perform such control. For example, in controlling light source 1102, control subsystem 1108 may alter the light generated by light source 1102 (e.g., by way of image rendering) to modify (e.g., pre-distort) the image so that the aberration of the image caused by eye 1101 is reduced.

[0150] The disclosed systems may track both the position and relative size of the pupil (since, e.g., the pupil dilates and / or contracts). In some examples, the eye-tracking devices and components (e.g., sensors and / or sources) used for detecting and / or tracking the pupil may be different (or calibrated differently) for different types of eyes. For example, the frequency range of the sensors may be different (or separately calibrated) for eyes of different colors and / or different pupil types, sizes, and / or the like. As such, the various eye-tracking components (e.g., infrared sources and / or sensors) described herein may need to be calibrated for each individual user and / or eye.

[0151] The disclosed systems may track both eyes with and without ophthalmic correction, such as that provided by contact lenses worn by the user. In some embodiments, ophthalmic correction elements (e.g., adjustable lenses) may be directly incorporated into the artificial-reality systems described herein. In some examples, the color of the user's eye may necessitate modification of a corresponding eye-tracking algorithm. For example, eyetracking algorithms may need to be modified based at least in part on the differing color contrast between a brown eye and, for example, a blue eye.

[0152] FIG. 12 is a more detailed illustration of various aspects of the eye-tracking subsystem illustrated in FIG. 11. As shown in this figure, an eye-tracking subsystem 1200 may include at least one source 1204 and at least one sensor 1206. Source 1204 generallyrepresents any type or form of element capa le of emitting radiation. In one example, source 1204 may generate visible, infrared, and / or near-infrared radiation. In some examples, source 1204 may radiate non-collimated infrared and / or near-infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum towards an eye 1202 of a user. Source 1204 may utilize a variety of sampling rates and speeds. For example, the disclosed systems may use sources with higher sampling rates in order to capture fixational eye movements of a user's eye 1202 and / or to correctly measure saccade dynamics of the user's eye 1202. As noted above, any type or form of eye-tracking technique may be used to track the user's eye 1202, including optical-based eye-tracking techniques, ultrasound-based eye-tracking techniques, etc.

[0153] Sensor 1206 generally represents any type or form of element capable of detecting radiation, such as radiation reflected off the user's eye 1202. Examples of sensor 1206 include, without limitation, a charge coupled device (CCD), a photodiode array, a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) based sensor device, and / or the like. In one example, sensor 1206 may represent a sensor having predetermined parameters, including, but not limited to, a dynamic resolution range, linearity, and / or other characteristic selected and / or designed specifically for eye tracking.

[0154] As detailed above, eye-tracking subsystem 1200 may generate one or more glints. As detailed above, a glint 1203 may represent reflections of radiation (e.g., infrared radiation from an infrared source, such as source 1204) from the structure of the user's eye. In various embodiments, glint 1203 and / or the user's pupil may be tracked using an eyetracking algorithm executed by a processor (either within or external to an artificial-reality device). For example, an artificial-reality device may include a processor and / or a memory device in order to perform eye tracking locally and / or a transceiver to send and receive the data necessary to perform eye tracking on an external device (e.g., a mobile phone, cloud server, or other computing device).

[0155] FIG. 12 shows an example image 1205 captured by an eye-tracking subsystem, such as eye-tracking subsystem 1200. In this example, image 1205 may include both the user's pupil 1208 and a glint 1210 near the same. In some examples, pupil 1208 and / or glint 1210 may be identified using an artificial-intelligence-based algorithm, such as a computer-vision- based algorithm. In one embodiment, image 1205 may represent a single frame in a series of frames that may be analyzed continuously in order to track the eye 1202 of the user. Further, pupil 1208 and / or glint 1210 may be tracked over a period of time to determine a user's gaze.

[0156] In one example, eye-tracking subsystem 1200 may be configured to identify and measure the inter-pupillary distance (IPD) of a user. In some embodiments, eye-tracking subsystem 1200 may measure and / or calculate the IPD of the user while the user is wearing the artificial-reality system. In these embodiments, eye-tracking subsystem 1200 may detect the positions of a user's eyes and may use this information to calculate the user's IPD.

[0157] As noted, the eye-tracking systems or subsystems disclosed herein may track a user's eye position and / or eye movement in a variety of ways. In one example, one or more light sources and / or optical sensors may capture an image of the user's eyes. The eye-tracking subsystem may then use the captured information to determine the user's inter-pupillary distance, interocular distance, and / or a 3D position of each eye (e.g., for distortion adjustment purposes), including a magnitude of torsion and rotation (i.e., roll, pitch, and yaw) and / orgaze directions for each eye. In one example, infrared light may be emitted by the eyetracking subsystem and reflected from each eye. The reflected light may be received or detected by an optical sensor and analyzed to extract eye rotation data from changes in the infrared light reflected by each eye.

[0158] The eye-tracking subsystem may use any of a variety of different methods to track the eyes of a user. For example, a light source (e.g., infrared light-emitting diodes) may emit a dot pattern onto each eye of the user. The eye-tracking subsystem may then detect (e.g., via an optical sensor coupled to the artificial-reality system) and analyze a reflection of the dot pattern from each eye of the user to identify a location of each pupil of the user. Accordingly, the eye-tracking subsystem may track up to six degrees of freedom of each eye (i.e., 3D position, roll, pitch, and yaw) and at least a subset of the tracked quantities may be combined from two eyes of a user to estimate a gaze point (i.e., a 3D location or position in a virtual scene where the user is looking) and / or an IPD.

[0159] In some cases, the distance between a user's pupil and a display may change as the user's eye moves to look in different directions. The varying distance between a pupil and a display as viewing direction changes may be referred to as "pupil swim" and may contribute to distortion perceived by the user as a result of light focusing in different locations as the distance between the pupil and the display changes. Accordingly, measuring distortion at different eye positions and pupil distances relative to displays and generating distortion corrections for different positions and distances may allow mitigation of distortion caused by pupil swim by tracking the 3D position of a user's eyes and applying a distortion correctioncorresponding to the 3D position of each of the user's eyes at a given point in time. Thus, knowing the 3D position of each of a user's eyes may allow for the mitigation of distortion caused by changes in the distance between the pupil of the eye and the display by applying a distortion correction for each 3D eye position. Furthermore, as noted above, knowing the position of each of the user's eyes may also enable the eye-tracking subsystem to make automated adjustments for a user's IPD.

[0160] In some embodiments, a display subsystem may include a variety of additional subsystems that may work in conjunction with the eye-tracking subsystems described herein. For example, a display subsystem may include a varifocal subsystem, a scene-rendering module, and / or a vergence-processing module. The varifocal subsystem may cause left and right display elements to vary the focal distance of the display device. In one embodiment, the varifocal subsystem may physically change the distance between a display and the optics through which it is viewed by moving the display, the optics, or both. Additionally, moving or translating two lenses relative to each other may also be used to change the focal distance of the display. Thus, the varifocal subsystem may include actuators or motors that move displays and / or optics to change the distance between them. This varifocal subsystem may be separate from or integrated into the display subsystem. The varifocal subsystem may also be integrated into or separate from its actuation subsystem and / or the eye-tracking subsystems described herein.

[0161] In one example, the display subsystem may include a vergence-processing module configured to determine a vergence depth of a user's gaze based on a gaze point and / or an estimated intersection of the gaze lines determined by the eye-tracking subsystem. Vergence may refer to the simultaneous movement or rotation of both eyes in opposite directions to maintain single binocular vision, which may be naturally and automatically performed by the human eye. Thus, a location where a user's eyes are verged is where the user is looking and is also typically the location where the user's eyes are focused. For example, the vergence-processing module may triangulate gaze lines to estimate a distance or depth from the user associated with intersection of the gaze lines. The depth associated with intersection of the gaze lines may then be used as an approximation for the accommodation distance, which may identify a distance from the user where the user's eyes are directed. Thus, the vergence distance may allow forthe determination of a location where the user's eyes should be focused and a depth from the user's eyes at which the eyes arefocused, thereby providing information (such as an object or plane of focus) for rendering adjustments to the virtual scene.

[0162] The vergence-processing module may coordinate with the eye-tracking subsystems described herein to make adjustments to the display subsystem to account for a user's vergence depth. When the user is focused on something at a distance, the user's pupils may be slightly farther apart than when the user is focused on something close. The eyetracking subsystem may obtain information about the user's vergence or focus depth and may adjust the display subsystem to be closer together when the user's eyes focus or verge on something close and to be farther apart when the user's eyes focus or verge on something at a distance.

[0163] The eye-tracking information generated by the above-described eye-tracking subsystems may also be used, for example, to modify various aspect of how different computer-generated images are presented. For example, a display subsystem may be configured to modify, based on information generated by an eye-tracking subsystem, at least one aspect of how the computer-generated images are presented. For instance, the computer-generated images may be modified based on the user's eye movement, such that if a user is looking up, the computer-generated images may be moved upward on the screen. Similarly, if the user is looking to the side or down, the computer-generated images may be moved to the side or downward on the screen. If the user's eyes are closed, the computergenerated images may be paused or removed from the display and resumed once the user's eyes are back open.

[0164] The above-described eye-tracking subsystems can be incorporated into one or more of the various artificial-reality systems described herein in a variety of ways. For example, one or more of the various components of system 1100 and / or eye-tracking subsystem 1200 may be incorporated into augmented-reality system 900 in FIG. 9 and / or virtual-reality system 1000 in FIG. 10 to enable these systems to perform various eye-tracking tasks (including one or more of the eye-tracking operations described herein).

[0165] The process parameters and sequence of the steps described and / or illustrated herein are given by way of example only and may be varied as desired. For example, while the steps illustrated and / or described herein may be shown or discussed in a particular order, these steps do not necessarily need to be performed in the order illustrated or discussed. The various exemplary methods described and / or illustrated herein may alsoomit one or more of the steps described or illustrated herein or include additional steps in addition to those disclosed.

[0166] The preceding description has been provided to enable others skilled in the art to best utilize various aspects of the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein. This exemplary description is not intended to be exhaustive or to be limited to any precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects illustrative and not restrictive. Reference should be made to any claims appended hereto in determining the scope of the present disclosure.

[0167] Unless otherwise noted, the terms "connected to" and "coupled to" (and their derivatives), as used in the specification and / or claims, are to be construed as permitting both direct and indirect (i.e., via other elements or components) connection. In addition, the terms "a" or "an," as used in the specification and / or claims, are to be construed as meaning "at least one of." Finally, for ease of use, the terms "including" and "having" (and their derivatives), as used in the specification and / or claims, are interchangeable with and have the same meaning as the word "comprising."

Claims

CLAIMS1. An eyewear device comprising: a graphics pipeline configured to output a digital representation of an image; an image compensation component configured to shift the digital representation of the image in at least one direction in response to a head movement of a user; and a display device configured to display a shifted version of the image to the user due at least in part to the digital representation having been shifted.

2. The eyewear device of claim 1, wherein the image compensation component comprises at least one of: a graphics processing unit (GPU); or a display driver integrated circuit (DDIC).

3. The eyewear device of claim 1, wherein the image compensation component is further configured to shift the digital representation of the image in a framebuffer that is implemented in at least one of: a graphics processing unit (GPU); a display driver integrated circuit (DDIC); the display device; or the graphics pipeline.

4. The eyewear device of any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising at least one sensor configured to output data representative of the head movement, wherein the image compensation component is further configured to: determine a magnitude and direction of a shift to be applied to the image based at least in part on the data representative of the head movement; and apply the magnitude and direction of the shift to the image to account for the head movement.

5. The eyewear device of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the image compensation component is further configured to mitigate motion blur resulting from the head movement by causing the display device to present the shifted version of the image to the user; and / or optionally wherein the image compensation component is further configured to move the digital representation of the image in an x-direction or a y-direction for each bitplane or subframe remaining in a frame cycle of the image.

6. The eyewear device of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the display device comprises at least one of: a digitally driven organic light emitting diode (OLED) display on a silicon backplane; or a digitally driven light emitting diode (LED) display on a silicon backplane.

7. The eyewear device of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the image compensation component is further configured to: determine a direction of the head movement; and shift the digital representation of the image in another direction that is substantially opposite of the direction of the head movement.

8. The eyewear device of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising an eye-tracking device configured to track eye movements of the user; and wherein the image compensation component is further configured to: determine a direction of an eye movement of the user based at least in part on the eye-tracking device; and shift the digital representation of the image in the direction of the eye movement of the user.

9. The eyewear device of any one of the preceding claims, wherein: the display device is further configured to: operate at a certain frequency; and prior to displaying the shifted version of the image, display an unshifted version of the image during a frame cycle commensurate with the certain frequency; and the image compensation component is further configured to shift the digital representation of the image during the frame cycle in response to the head movement of the user; and / or optionally wherein the display device is further configured to refresh the image during the frame cycle by replacing the unshifted version of the image with the shifted version of the image via digital driving.

10. The eyewear device of claim 9, wherein: the graphics pipeline is further configured to output image frames at a rate that exceeds the certain frequency; andthe image compensation component is incorporated in the graphics pipeline and is further configured to: output, to the display device, the digital representation of the image as an image frame for display during a frame cycle commensurate with the certain frequency; shift the digital representation of the image during the frame cycle in response to the head movement; and output, to the display device, the shifted digital representation of the image to update the image frame for display during the frame cycle; and / or optionally wherein the graphics pipeline is further configured to generate the digital representation of the image via foveated rendering.

11. A system comprising: an eyewear frame dimensioned to be worn by a user and configured to provide an artificial-reality experience to the user; and circuitry coupled to the eyewear frame and configured to: identify a digital representation of an image; shift the digital representation of the image in at least one direction in response to a head movement of a user; and display a shifted version of the image to the user due at least in part to the digital representation having been shifted.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein circuitry comprises at least one of: a graphics processing unit (GPU) configured to shift the digital representation of the image in response to the head movement; or a display driver integrated circuit (DDIC) configured to shift the digital representation of the image in response to the head movement.

13. The system of claim 11 or 12, further comprising at least one sensor coupled to the eyewear frame and configured to output data representative of the head movement, wherein the circuitry is further configured to: determine a magnitude and direction of a shift to be applied to the image based at least in part on the data representative of the head movement; and apply the magnitude and direction of the shift to the image to account for the head movement; and / oroptionally wherein the circuitry is further configured to: determine a direction of the head movement; and shift the digital representation of the image in another direction that is substantially opposite of the direction of the head movement.

14. The system of any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the circuitry is configured to: operate a display device at a certain frequency; prior to displaying the shifted version of the image, display an unshifted version of the image on the display device during a frame cycle commensurate with the certain frequency; and shift the digital representation of the image during the frame cycle in response to the head movement of the user, optionally wherein the circuitry is further configured to refresh the image during the frame cycle by replacing the unshifted version of the image with the shifted version of the image via digital driving.

15. A method comprising: coupling circuitry to an eyewear frame dimensioned to be worn by a user; and configuring the circuitry to: identify a digital representation of an image; shift the digital representation of the image in at least one direction in response to a head movement of the user; and display a shifted version of the image to the user due at least in part to the digital representation having been shifted.

Images