Display device with improved field of view

Abstract

A head-wearable display device (100) including a micro-LED array (110) operable to emit visible light along a display path (112), a controller (234), a first optical element (120) to receive light and emit light with an increased light beam width, a second optical element (130) to collimate light, and a housing (210).

Description

DISPLAY DEVICE WITH IMPROVED FIELD OF VIEWRelated Applications

[0001] This application is a PCT application of and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 120 of U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 63 / 734,900 (Attorney Docket No. 9225.00361 ) filed on December 17, 2024 and titled Display Device with Improved Field of View. The content of this application is incorporated herein by reference.Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a display device that may be head-worn for performing vision assessments or vision therapy, used in augmented reality implementations, or used in virtual reality implementations.Background

[0003] The market for head-mounted display devices has experienced substantial growth in recent years, driven by expanding applications in virtual reality, augmented reality, and specialized medical fields such as vision assessment and therapy. This growth has created increasing demand for display systems that can provide enhanced visual experiences while maintaining user comfort and practical functionality.

[0004] Traditional head-mounted display systems often face limitations in their field of view capabilities, which can restrict the immersive experience for users and limit their effectiveness in therapeutic applications. Many existing devices struggle to achieve optimal balance between display quality, field of view coverage, and the physical constraints of wearable form factors. These limitations can result in reduced user engagement and compromised therapeutic outcomes in medical applications.

[0005] The vision assessment and therapy market represents a particularly underserved segment where conventional display technologies may not adequately address the specific requirements for precise visual stimulation and patient monitoring. Healthcare providers and vision therapy practitioners have expressed growing interest in advanced display systems that can deliver controlled visual environments while accommodating individual patient needs, including various refractive errors and visual impairments.

[0006] Current display technologies in head-mounted devices often require tradeoffs between image quality, field of view, device size, and manufacturing complexity. The integration of eye tracking and patient monitoring capabilities adds additional technicalchallenges that existing solutions have not fully addressed. These gaps in the market have created opportunities for improved display systems that can better serve both consumer and medical applications.

[0007] The convergence of advancing LED technology, improved optical design capabilities, and growing market demand has established a foundation for nextgeneration head-mounted display devices that can address these market needs while providing enhanced functionality and user experience across multiple application domains.Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008] FIG. 1 is a representative view of a display device according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0009] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the display device of FIG. 1.

[0010] FIG. 3 is a goggle device according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0011] FIG. 4 is a representative view of a display device according to another embodiment of the invention.

[0012] FIG. 5 is a representative view of a display device according to another embodiment of the invention.

[0013] FIG. 6 is a representative view of a display device according to another embodiment of the invention.

[0014] FIG. 7 is a representative view of a display device according to another embodiment of the invention.

[0015] FIG. 8 is a representative view of a display device according to another embodiment of the invention.

[0016] FIGS. 9A-9B are representative views of an LED pixel array displaying onto a visor according to an embodiment of the invention.Detailed Description of the Invention

[0017] The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Those of ordinary skill in the art realize that the following descriptions of the embodiments of the present inventionare illustrative and are not intended to be limiting in any way. Other embodiments of the present invention will readily suggest themselves to such skilled persons having the benefit of this disclosure. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

[0018] Although the following detailed description contains many specifics for the purposes of illustration, anyone of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that many variations and alterations to the following details are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following embodiments of the invention are set forth without any loss of generality to, and without imposing limitations upon, the invention.

[0019] In this detailed description of the present invention, a person skilled in the art should note that directional terms, such as “above,” “below,” “upper,” “lower,” and other like terms are used for the convenience of the reader in reference to the drawings. Also, a person skilled in the art should notice this description may contain other terminology to convey position, orientation, and direction without departing from the principles of the present invention.

[0020] Furthermore, in this detailed description, a person skilled in the art should note that quantitative qualifying terms such as “generally,” “substantially,” “mostly,” and other terms are used, in general, to mean that the referred to object, characteristic, or quality constitutes a majority of the subject of the reference. The meaning of any of these terms is dependent upon the context within which it is used, and the meaning may be expressly modified.

[0021] An embodiment of the invention, as shown and described by the various figures and accompanying text, provides a display device for a head-wearable device having an improved field of view (FoV) of a user when projecting a virtual image to be perceived by the user, as may be done in vision assessment and therapy, virtual reality, and / or augmented reality settings.

[0022] Referring now to FIG. 1 , a representative view of a head-wearable display device 100 according to an embodiment of the invention is presented. The display device 100 may comprise a light-emitting device 1 10, a first optical element 120, and a second optical element 130. The light-emitting device 110 may be configured to emit light / light beams in a direction defined as a display path 1 12, a central axis of which is presented. The light-emitting device 1 10 may be any device operable to emit light within the visible spectrum, i.e. electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength within a range from 400 nanometers (nm) to 700 nm, including, but not limited to, light-emitting semiconductors, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), incandescent devices, fluorescent devices, arc lamps, halogen lamps, and the like. In the present embodiment, the light-emitting device110 is a micro-LED device comprising a pixel array. Each individual pixel of the pixel array may be addressable. The overall display area of the pixel array may define a first light beam width. Additionally, light emitted from the light-emitting device 1 10 may have a first beam spread rate or cone angle and direction. The light-emitting device 110 may be operable to emit light as a sequence of images to simulate motion.

[0023] The first optical element 120 may be positioned in optical communication with the light-emitting device 110 along the display path 112. The first optical element 120 may be configured to receive light emitted by the light-emitting device 110 and at least one of reflect, refract, or otherwise alter the dispersal characteristics of light travelling along the display path 112. In the present embodiment, the first optical element 120 may be configured to receive light at a receiving surface 122 from the light-emitting device 110 such that all light across the first light beam width is received, i.e. a received light beam width. Moreover, in the present embodiment, the first optical element 120 may be configured to emit light at an emitting surface 124 received thereby such that a second light beam width of the emitted light is greater than the first light beam width. Additionally, the first optical element may be configured to emit light from the emitting surface 124 having a second beam spread rate or cone angle and cone direction, and the second beam spread rate or cone angle may be less than, equal to, or greater than the first beam spread rate or cone angle. Light emitted from the emitting surface 124 may travel along the display path 112.

[0024] The second optical element 130 may be positioned in optical communication with the first optical element 120 along the display path 112. Specifically, the second optical element 130 may be positioned at a distance di from the first optical element 120 where an optically magnified image of the light-emitting device 110 may be formed. The distance ch may be selected such that a beam width wi may be a selected width. In some embodiments, the beam width wi may be selected such that the image formed thereby by light in beam width wi may be fully perceived by a patient eye in emmetropia with a FoV that is enlarged with respect to that of the light-emitting device 110. In the present embodiment, the second optical element 130 may be configured to receive light traveling along the display path 112 at a receiving surface 132 having the second beam spread rate or cone angle and cone direction and emit light at an emitting surface 134 having a third beam spread rate or cone angle and direction, the third beam spread rate or cone angle and direction being such that the cone angle is less than that of the light-emitting device 110, and such that the cone direction of light emitted by the second optical element 130 is redirected, refracted, focused, projected, collimated orsubstantially collimated, such that the light rays are travelling along a path that is generally in the same direction as, parallel to, or substantially parallel to the display path 112. In some embodiments, the second optical element may be a Fresnel lens or any other lens configured to emit redirected, refracted, focused, projected, collimated or substantially collimated light from light received thereby.

[0025] The display device 100 may further comprise a third optical element 140. The third optical element 140 may be positioned in optical communication with the second optical element 130 along the display path 112. In the present embodiment, the third optical element 140 is positioned immediately adjacent to the second optical element 130, such that light emitted by the second optical element 130 may be immediately incident upon the third optical element 140. The third optical element 140 may be configured to diffuse light passing therethrough, expanding the cone angle of the beam emitted from the second optical element 120. Specifically, the third optical element 140 may function to expand the light spread cone angle from the intermediate image of each pixel of the pixel array of the light-emitting device 1 10 that will have been governed by the etendue conservation law prior to reaching the third optical element 140, emitting light therefrom along the display path 112. The third optical element 140 may be configured to enlarge an eye box for a resulting image of the display device 100 that is incident upon the patient eye 190. In some embodiments, the third optical element 140 may be configured to have a rectangular top-hat distribution. Furthermore, the third optical element 140 may be configured to minimize vignetting.

[0026] The display device 100 may further comprise a fourth optical element 150. The fourth optical element 150 may be positioned in optical communication along the display path 112 with the third optical element 140 and / or the second optical element 130 for embodiments not comprising a third optical element 140. The fourth optical element 150 may serve the function of a near eye display lens to project the intermediately formed display to the patient eye and at the same time, converge most light from the intermediate display to within an eye box that the patient eye pupil may reside. The fourth optical element 150 may be positioned at a distance c / 2from the third optical element 140 and / or the second optical element 130. The distance d2may be determined by the focal length the fourth optical element 150 and also selected based on the radius r that partially determines the FoV formed by the light traveling along the display path 112 at the fourth optical element 150 and a distance c / 3 being the eye relief distance between an outer edge of the head-wearable display device 100 along the display path 112 at the fourthoptical element 150 and the patient eye 190. Specifically, the fourth optical element 150 may be positioned at a distance ds as defined by the following formula: d2= 2 X r + d3with r and ds being as defined above. This may result in a FoV full angle for the patient eye 190 according to the following formula:FoV = 2 X tan-1- - —2r + d3In some embodiments, a FoV of 40° may be desired. In alternative embodiments, a FoV of 45 ° may be desired. It is contemplated and included within the scope of the invention that a FoV within a range from 30° to 50 °. Moreover, an eye relief distance ds may be desired to be 15 mm. In such embodiments, where the FoV of 40° is desired, r may be determined as follows: tan 20° r = 15 X -1 — 2 X tan 20°This yields a value for r of approximately 20 mm, and a resulting value for ds of 55 mm. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the distance ds may be within a range from 25 mm to 60 mm, and may be defined as a display distance. In some embodiments, the distance d2may be 55 mm. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the distance ds may be approximately 15 mm, or within a range from 13 mm to 17 mm.

[0027] The fourth optical element 150 may be configured to project light emitted by the third optical element 140 along the display path 112 toward the patient eye 190. The fourth optical element 150 may be configured to refract light along the display path 112 to control the surface area of the image formed by light traveling along the display path 112 to be entirely perceptible by the patient eye 190 within a desired eye box. In some embodiments, the fourth optical element 150 may be configured to act as a converging lens, configured to converge the light to form an image at a retina of the patient eye 190. The distance between the fourth optical element 150 and the patient eye 190 along the display path 112 may be equal to ds, and accordingly the fourth optical element 150 may be configured to refract light travelling along the display path 112 to form an image on the retina of the patient eye 190 at a distance equal to ds along the display path 112. In some embodiments, the fourth optical element 150 may be a hybrid Fresnel lens.

[0028] In the present embodiment, the distance between the fourth optical element 150 and the patient eye 190 along the display path 112 may include a fifth optical element 160. The fifth optical element 160 may be configured to at least partially reflect light travelling along the display path 112 in the direction of the patient eye 190. The distancemay be the same in the scenario where the fifth optical element 160 was not present and the light were incident upon a “virtual eye” 192 positioned along the trajectory of the display path 112 prior to being reflected by the fifth optical element 160. The fifth optical element 160 may be positioned at an angle so as to reflect light travelling along the display path 112 in the direction of the patient eye 190, such that the fidelity of the image to be created on the retina of the patient eye 190 is maintained and the image is perceived as coming naturally from a distance.

[0029] In some embodiments, the fifth optical element 160 may be a dichroic mirror configured to at least partially reflect light within the visible spectrum while permitting light within another spectrum, including, but not limited to, an infrared spectrum, i.e. electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength within a range from 750 nm to 1 ,000 nm and subranges thereof. In further embodiments, the fifth optical element 160 may completely reflect visible light along the display path 112 and in addition, the fifth optical element 160 may be controllable to either completely absorb or reflect visible light from the environment away from the patient eye 190. Such embodiments may be used in vision assessment and therapy scenarios as well as virtual reality scenarios. In some embodiments, the fifth optical element 160 may be configured to partially reflect visible light travelling along the display path 112 and also at least partially permit visible light from the environment to pass therethrough and be perceptible by the patient eye 190. Such embodiments may be used in vision assessment and therapy scenarios as well as augmented reality scenarios. In some embodiments, the fifth optical element 160 may be configured to reflect infrared light and permit visible light to pass therethrough. In some embodiments, the fifth optical element may be configured to reflect infrared light and partially reflect visible light while permitting unreflected visible light to pass therethrough.

[0030] The display device 100 described above may be duplicated such that images may be projected onto two patient eyes 190 simultaneously. Accordingly, each of the elements described for the display device 100 may have a duplicate part, e.g. a second light-emitting device 1 10, a second optical element 130 (which may be given a different numerical indicator, e.g. a fifth or sixth optical element, depending on the optical elements comprised by a given embodiment of the invention), etc., defining first and second eye displays for each patient eye. Such images may be identical or may be modified to provide a stereoscopic effect, either in static images or in video.

[0031] Referring now to FIG. 2, a schematic view of a display device 200 according to an embodiment of the invention is presented. The display device 200 may comprise a housing 210. The housing 210 may be configured to be worn on the head of a patient.Moreover, the housing 210 may be configured as a head-worn device, such as a goggle / eyeglass device 300 as shown in FIG. 3. The device 300 is exemplary only and any form factor of goggle / eyeglass device as is known in the art is contemplated and included within the scope of the invention. The housing 210 may be configured to at least one contain or carry the other elements of the display device 200. The display device 200 may further comprise a light-emitting device 220, a first optical element 222, a second optical element 224, a third optical element 226, a fourth optical element 228, and a fifth optical element 230 as described for the display device 100 of FIG. 1. These elements may emit and reflect / refract light travelling along a display path 250 as described for the embodiment of FIG. 1.

[0032] The display device 200 may further comprise a corrective lens receiving structure 232 that may be positioned between at least one of the fourth optical element 228 and the fifth optical element 230, as shown in the present embodiment, and the fifth optical element 230 and a patient eye 290. The corrective lens receiving structure 232 may be configured to receive a corrective lens configured to address a visual perception issue in the patient eye 290 such as, for example, myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, or any other condition, and configured to change the propagation of light along the display path 250 such that the patient eye 290 may perceive such light as an emmetropic eye would. In some embodiments, the corrective lens receiving structure 232 may be configured to permit corrective lens to be replaced to be individually tailored to address the visual perception issue of the patient eye 290. In some embodiments, the corrective lens receiving structure 232 may be translatable along the display path 250 to provide proper focusing of light traveling along the display path 250 to be perceived by the patient eye 290 by a translation device (not shown). Such translation may be accomplished either by a user physically manipulating the corrective lens receiving structure 232 or the controller operating an actuating device (not shown) to translate the corrective lens.

[0033] The display device 200 may further comprise a controller 234. The controller 234 may be positioned in communication with the light-emitting device 220 and configured to control the operation thereof. In some embodiments, the controller 234 may be configured to control the operation of a pixel array of the light-emitting device 220, individually operating each pixel to generate images and / or video displays.

[0034] In some embodiments, the display device 200 may further comprise a vision denial device 236. The vision denial device 236 may be operable to selectively permit or prevent the transmission of light therethrough. The vision denial device 236 may be positioned along the display path 250, and thus may be operable to permit or prevent lightfrom traveling along the display path 250. This may enable greater control on whether and when the patient eye 290 can perceive light emitted by the display device 200. The vision denial device 236 may be operable to transition between a first condition where light is permitted to pass therethrough and a second condition where light is prevented from passing therethrough. Such transitioning between the first and second conditions may be controlled by the controller 234. The vision denial device 236 may be any device that can selectively permit or prevent the transmission of light, including, but not limited to, a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) film, an electrochromic device, a dye molecule-infused film, a physically-movable opaque device, or any combination thereof. In the present embodiment, the vision denial device 236 may be a film, one or both of a PDLC or an electrochromic film, disposed on a surface of the fifth optical element 230. It is contemplated and included within the scope of the invention that the vision denial device 236 may be positioned anywhere along the display path 250.

[0035] In some embodiments, the display device 200 may further comprise an eye imaging system 240. The eye imaging system 240 may be configured to generate an image of the patient eye 290 in a segment of the EMR spectrum that is outside the visible range. For example, near-infrared (NIR) EMR within a wavelength range from 780 nm to 2,500 may be used for generating an image of the patient eye 290. The eye imaging system 240 may comprise an imaging EMR source 242 and an EMR detection device 244. The imaging EMR source 242 may be configured to emit EMR in the direction of the patient eye 290 along an illumination path 246. In the present embodiment, the imaging EMR source 242 may emit IR light. The EMR detection device 244 may be positioned to receive EMR that was emitted by the imaging EMR source 242 and reflected by the patient eye 290, such reflected EMR traveling along an imaging path 248. In the present embodiment, the EMR detection device 244 may be configured to detect EMR within the NIR range. Additionally, the EMR detection device 244 may be operable to generate an image responsive to the EMR detected thereby. Furthermore, the controller 234 may be operably connected to each of the imaging EMR source 242 and the EMR detection device 244 and configured to operate the imaging EMR source 242 to emit EMR in the direction of the patient eye 290 and to operate the EMR detection device 244 to detect reflected EMR and generate an image therefrom.

[0036] The eye imaging system 240 may be positioned so as to illuminate and generate an image of the patient eye 290 as described above. In the present embodiment, the imaging EMR source 242 is positioned such that EMR emitted thereby travels along the illumination path 246 through the fifth optical element 230. The fifth optical element230 may be configured to be transparent to EMR emitted by the imaging EMR source 242, such as by being a dichroic mirror as described above, such that EMR emitted by the imaging EMR source 242 may continue along the imaging path 248 and illuminate the patient eye 290. Similarly, the EMR detection device 244 is positioned such that EMR reflected by the patient eye 290 may travel along the imaging path 248 through the fifth optical element 230 and to the EMR detection device 244. Such an arrangement may prevent visible light from traveling along the imaging path 248 and being incident upon the EMR detection device 244 and potentially interfering with the detection of reflected EMR from the imaging EMR source 242, as the fifth optical element 230 will block visible light traveling along the imaging path 248.

[0037] Referring now to FIG. 4, a display device 400 according to another embedment of the invention is presented. The display device 400 may be similar to the display device 100 of FIG. 1 , comprising a light-emitting device 410, a first optical element 420, a second optical element 430, a third optical element 440, a fourth optical element 450, and a fifth optical element 460. The display device 400 may further comprise a vision denial device 462 as described in the display device of FIG. 2.

[0038] The display device 400 may further comprising an eye imaging system 470 similar to the eye imaging system 240 of FIG. 2. The eye imaging system 470 may comprise an IR emitting device 472 configured to emit IR irradiation along an illumination path 476 and an IR detection device 474 configured to detect IR radiation that is emitted by the IR emitting device 472 and reflected from the patient eye 490 within an imaging field 478.

[0039] The display device 400 may further comprise a sixth optical element 480. The sixth optical element 480 may be positioned within the imaging path 478 and configured to reflect IR radiation, both when emitted by the IR emitting device 472 and as it travels from being reflected by the patient eye 490 and is reflected by the sixth optical element 480 in the direction of the IR detection device 474. The illumination path 476 may generally overlap with the display path 412 in the present embodiment. The sixth optical element 480 may further be configured to permit visible light to pass therethrough. Accordingly, the sixth optical element 480 may be positioned in the display path 412 without causing visible light to diverge, substantially diverge, have an intensity reduced, or have an intensity substantially reduced while still reflecting IR radiation as described above. In some embodiments, the sixth optical element 480 may be a dichroic mirror.

[0040] The eye imaging system 470 may further comprise a first polarizing device 473 and a second polarizing device 475. The first polarizing device 473 may be positionedin the illumination path 476 and be configured to apply a first polarization to IR light emitted by the IR emitting device 472. The second polarizing device 475 may be positioned so as to apply a second polarization to light traveling within the imaging field 478, a centerline of which may be defined as an imaging path (not shown). The second polarization may be configured to be a cross-polarization relative to the first polarization.

[0041] Referring now to FIG. 5, another embodiment of the invention is presented. A display device 500 may comprise a light-emitting source 510, a first optical element 520, a second optical element 530, a third optical element 540, a fourth optical element 550, and a fifth optical element 560. In the present embodiment, the display device 500 further comprises a sixth optical element 570. The sixth optical element 570 may be positioned in the display path 512 and configured to reflect light traveling along the display path 512 while preserving the distance traveled by light traveling along the display path to preserve the formation of an emmetropic image to be perceived by the patient eye 590. Such a configuration may reduce the size of a housing as described for the display device 200.

[0042] Referring now to FIG. 6, another embodiment of the invention is presented. A display device 600 may comprise a light-emitting source 610, a first optical element 620, a second optical element 630, and a third optical element 640 similar to prior embodiments. However, the second optical element 630 may be configured to refract light passing therethrough in a direction skew to the display path 612 or otherwise off- axis from the display path 612. The display device 600 may further comprise a fourth optical element 650. The fourth optical element 650 may be a free-form curved reflective / mirrored lens configured to at least partially reflect light travelling along the display path 612. The curvature of the fourth optical element 650 may be configured to reflect light emitted from the third optical element 640 in the direction of the patient eye 690. Moreover, the curvature of the fourth optical element 650 may be configured with respect to the off-axis refraction of the second optical element 630, such that at least some of the light rays 632 are redirected towards the patient eye such that the eye box for the image formed by the light emitted by the light-emitting source is reconstituted at the patient eye 690. The curvature of the fourth optical element 650 and the off-axis refraction characteristics of the second optical element 630 may be configured to efficiently direct light to the patient eye.

[0043] The fourth optical element 650 may be configured to partially reflect light travelling along the display path 612. Moreover, the fourth optical element may be configured to permit environmental light 692 to pass therethrough and be perceivable bythe patient eye 690. In such am embodiment, the user may be able to perceive the environment around them, enabling augmented reality uses for the display device 600 and to be able to interact with the environment during vision assessment and treatment uses.

[0044] The display device 600 may further comprise an eye imaging system 670. The eye imaging system 670 comprises an IR emitting device 672 and an IR detection device 674. In the present embodiment, the IR emitting device 672 is configured to emit IR in the direction of the patient eye 690 without passing through any optical elements and / or being reflected or refracted. Similarly, the IR detection device 674 may be positioned to detect IR light that is emitted by the IR emitting device 672 and reflected from the patient eye 690 without passing through an optic and / or being reflected or refracted and generate an image of the patient eye 690 from the detected IR light.

[0045] Referring now to FIG. 7, a display device 700 according to another embodiment of the invention is presented. In addition to having a light-emitting device 710, a first optical element 720, a second optical element 730, a third optical element 740, a fourth optical element 750, and an eye imaging system 760 similar to that of the display device 600 of FIG. 6, the display device 700 of the current embodiment may further comprise a fifth optical element 770 positioned in the display path 712 configured to redirect light traveling along the display path between the first optical element 720 and the second optical element 730.

[0046] Referring to FIG. 8, a display device 800 according to another embodiment of the invention is presented. In addition to having a light-emitting device 810, a first optical element 820, a second optical element 830, a third optical element 840, a fourth optical element 850, and an eye imaging system 860 like that of the display device 600 of FIG. 6, the fourth optical element 850 may be configured to partially reflect light travelling along the display path 812 to the patient eye 880 such that the display device can be positioned tilted above the patient head to improve weight balancing.

[0047] Referring now to FIGS. 9A-9B, another aspect of the invention is presented. In FIG. 9A, an LED pixel array 902 comprised by a light-emitting source as described above may comprise a plurality of pixels. The pixels may be individual light sources, such as a single light-emitting diode or LED chip, or “binned” LEDs, where a sub-array of LEDs or LED chips are operated as a single LED (e.g., a 2x2 array of LEDs, a 3x3 array of LEDs, etc.). A first LED array subset 904’ of the LED pixel array 902 may be operated to display onto a partially-reflective visor 910 as described above to depict a first plurality of spots 912’. As can be seen, the first LED array subset 904’ are in a straight horizontalline of the LED pixel array 902. However, due to optical distortion resulting from any optical element within the display device, the first plurality of spots 912’ that are projected to the patient eye from the first LED array subset 904’ may not be horizontally aligned, with spots towards either end being displaced to a greater degree than those towards the center.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 9B, in order to account for the optical distortion, the LED pixel array 902 may be operated such that a second LED array subset 904” may be operated to project onto the visor 910 a second plurality of spots 912”. The second LED array subset 904” comprise a plurality of LEDs / binned LEDs that are not horizontally aligned, with the LEDs at the ends are offset from a horizontal line defined by LEDs towards the center of the LED pixel array 902. Resulting from the vertical offsetting of the LEDs of the second LED array subset 904” relative to the horizontal line formed by the first LED array subset 904’, the second plurality of spots 912” may be closer to forming a horizontal line than the first plurality of spots 912’. It will be appreciated that, with an increased number of LEDS / binned LEDs comprised by the LED pixel array 902, such vertical offsetting may be more granular and result in the formation of an image that more completely compensates for the optical distortion to present images and video having the desired perceived geometries. Moreover, it is further contemplated and included within the scope of the invention that a controller configured to operate the LED pixel array 902 may be configured to operate the LED pixel array 902 to compensate for the curvature or any other optical distortion and / or any optical element that may be comprised by a display device according to any embodiment of the invention that may have a curved surface.

[0049] Some of the illustrative aspects of the present invention may be advantageous in solving the problems herein described and other problems not discussed which are discoverable by a skilled artisan.

[0050] While the above description contains much specificity, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of any embodiment, but as exemplifications of the presented embodiments thereof. Many other ramifications and variations are possible within the teachings of the various embodiments. While the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best or only modecontemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the description of the invention. Also, in the drawings and the description, there have been disclosed exemplary embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms may have been employed, they are unless otherwise stated used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention therefore not being so limited. Moreover, the use of the terms first, second, etc. do not denote any order or importance, but rather the terms first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one element from another. Furthermore, the use of the terms a, an, etc. do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced items.

Claims

1 . A head-wearable display device (100) comprising: a micro-light emitting diode (LED) (110) array operable to emit visible light along a display path (112); a controller (234) configured to control the operation of the micro-LED array (110); a first optical element (120) positioned in optical communication with the micro- LED array (110) along the display path (112) and configured to receive light having a received light beam width at a receiving surface and emit light having an emitted light beam width that is greater than the received light beam width from an emitting surface along the display path (112); a second optical element (130) positioned in optical communication with the first optical element (120) along the display path (112) and configured to redirect light emitted by the first optical element (120) when emitted by the second optical element (130) along the display path (112); and a housing (210) configured to be positioned on the head of a patient and to carry the micro-LED array (110), the first optical element (120), and the second optical element (130) such that light emitted by the micro-LED array (110) passes through each of the first and second optical elements (120, 130) and is incident upon at least one eye of the patient.

2. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 1 wherein the display device (100) is configured for vision assessment and therapy applications.

3. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 1 wherein the controller (234) is configured to control individual pixels of the micro-LED array (110).

4. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 1 wherein the housing (210) is configured as a goggle device.

5. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 1 wherein individual pixels of the micro-LED array (110) comprise binned LED configurations selected from 2x2 arrays and 3x3 arrays.

6. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 1 wherein the micro-LED array (110) is operable to emit visible light within a wavelength range from 400 nanometers to 700 nanometers.

7. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 1 wherein the micro-LED array (110) is operable to emit light as a sequence of images to simulate motion.

8. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 1 wherein the second optical element (130) is a Fresnel lens.

9. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 1 further comprising a third optical element (140) positioned in optical communication with the second optical element (130) along the display path (112) and configured to diffuse light emitted by the second optical element (130) within a radius r of a central axis of the display path (112).

10. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 9 wherein the radius r is approximately 20 mm.11 . The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 9 wherein the third optical element (140) is configured to diffuse light emitted thereby with a rectangular flat top distribution profile.

12. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 9 wherein the third optical element (140) is configured to enlarge an eye box for a resulting image incident upon the at least one eye of the patient.

13. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 9 wherein the third optical element (140) is configured to minimize vignetting.

14. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 9 further comprising a fourth optical element (150) positioned in optical communication with the third optical element (140) along the display path (112) and configured to project light emitted from the third optical element (140) to at least one eye of the patient.

15. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 14 wherein: the fourth optical element (150) is positioned at a display distance from the at least one eye of the patient; and the head-wearable display device (100) further comprises a translation device operable to change the display distance by moving the third optical element (140).

16. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 14 wherein: the third optical element (140) and the fourth optical element (150) are positioned at a distance along the display path (112) from each other within a range from 25 mm and 60 mm; and the fourth optical element (150) is positioned at a distance from the at least one eye of the patient along the display path (112) within a range from 50 mm to 60 mm.

17. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 14 wherein the display device (100) is configured to provide a field of view of 45°.

18. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 14 wherein: the third optical element (140) and the fourth optical element (150) are positioned at a distance along the display path (112) from each other of 55 mm; andthe fourth optical element (150) is positioned at a distance from the at least one eye of the patient along the display path (112) of 55 mm.

19. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 14 wherein the fourth optical element (150) is a hybrid Fresnel lens.

20. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 14 wherein the housing (210) further comprises a corrective lens receiving structure (232) configured to permit a corrective lens (232) to be positioned between the fourth optical element (150) and the at least one eye of the patient, such that the corrective lens (232) may interact with light emitted from the fourth optical element (150).21 . The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 20 wherein the corrective lens receiving structure (232) is configured to permit replacement of corrective lenses to address myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism.

22. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 20 wherein the corrective lens receiving structure (232) is configured to simulate emmetropic eye vision.

23. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 9 further comprising: an infrared light source (472) operable to emit light within a range from 750 nm to 1 pm along an illumination path (246); and an infrared imaging device (474) operable to produce an image of at least one eye of the patient from infrared light emitted by the infrared light source (472) and reflected from the at least one eye of the patient along an imaging path (248).

24. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 23 further comprising a dichroic mirror positioned in each of the display path (112), the illumination path (246), and the imaging path (248), the dichroic mirror being configured to permit light emitted by the micro-LED array (110) to pass therethrough and reflect infrared light.

25. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 24 further comprising a vision denial device (236) positioned on the dichroic mirror configured to selectively permit or prevent transmission of visible light therethrough; wherein the controller (234) is configured to control the vision denial device (236) to permit or prevent said transmission of visible light.

26. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 25 wherein the vision denial device (236) comprises at least one of a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal film, an electrochromic device, or a dye molecule-infused film positioned on the dichroic mirror.

27. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 26 wherein the vision denial device (236) further comprises at least one of an electrochromic device, a dye molecule-infused film, or a physically-movable opaque device.

28. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 23 wherein the controller (234) is operably connected to the infrared light source (472) and the infrared imaging device (474) and configured to coordinate operation of an eye imaging system (240).

29. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 23 wherein the infrared light source (472) is operable to emit light within a wavelength range from 780 nanometers to 2,500 nanometers.

30. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 23 further comprising: a first polarizing device (473) positioned in the illumination path (246) and configured to apply a first polarization to infrared light emitted by the infrared light source (472); and a second polarizing device (475) positioned in the imaging path (248) and configured to apply a second polarization that is a cross-polarization relative to the first polarization.31 . The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 1 further comprising a fourth optical element (650) in the form of an off-axis partially-reflective curved mirrored lens configured to partially reflect light emitted by the micro-LED array (110) towards the at least one eye of the patient and further configured to permit visible light from the environment to pass at least partially therethrough to be observable by the at least one eye of the patient.

32. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 31 wherein the fourth optical element (650) is positioned to improve weight balancing by tilting the display device above a patient head.

33. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 31 wherein the controller (234) is configured to selectively operate the micro-LED array (110) to account for optical distortion of at least one of the first optical element (120), the second optical element (130), or the fourth optical element (650), by selectively operating individual LEDs of the micro-LED array (110).

34. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 31 wherein the fourth optical element (650) is configured to completely reflect visible light for virtual reality applications.

35. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 31 wherein the fourth optical element (650) is a free-form curved reflective lens.

36. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 31 wherein the second optical element (130) is configured to refract light passing therethrough so as to maintain fidelity of an image formed by said light passing therethrough when reflected by the fourth optical element (650).

37. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 36 wherein the second optical element (130) is configured to refract light in a direction off-axis from the display path (112) to maintain image fidelity when reflected by the fourth optical element (650).

38. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 31 further comprising a reflecting member positioned along the display path (112) between the first optical element (120) and the second optical element (130) and configured to reflect light emitted by the first optical element (120) in the direction of the second optical element (130).

39. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 38 wherein the reflecting member is positioned along the display path (112) between the first optical element (120) and the second optical element (130) and configured to reflect light emitted by the first optical element (120) toward the second optical element (130).

40. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 1 wherein the micro-LED array (110) is a first micro-LED array (110); wherein the micro-LED array (110), the first optical element (120), and the second optical element (130) combine to define a first eye display configured to display an image for observation by a first eye of the patient; and wherein the head-wearable display device (100) further comprising: a second micro-LED array (110) operable to emit visible light along a second display path (112); a fifth optical element (160) positioned in optical communication with the second micro-LED array (110) along the second display path (112) and configured to receive light having a received light beam width at a receiving surface and emit light having an emitted light beam width that is greater than the received light beam width from an emitting surface along the second display path (112); a sixth optical element (480) positioned in optical communication with the fifth optical element (160) along the second display path (112) and configured redirect light emitted by the fifth optical element (160) when emitted by the sixth optical element (480) along the second display path (112); wherein light emitted by the sixth optical element (480) produces an image that is observable by a second eye of the patient; andwherein the controller (234) is operable to independently control the operation of each of the first micro-LED array (110) and the second micro-LED array (110).41 . The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 40 wherein the controller (234) is configured to operate each of the first micro-LED array (110) and the second micro-LED array (110) to produce at least one of a stereoscopic image and a stereoscopic video to be perceived by the eyes of the patient.

42. The head-wearable display device (100) of claim 40 further comprising an off-axis partially-reflective curved lens configured to partially reflect light emitted by the micro-LED array (110) towards the at least one eye of the patient and further configured to permit visible light from the environment to pass at least partially therethrough to be observable by the at least one eye of the patient.

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