Adaptive Lens Optical Adjustment During Eye Saccades

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Solution Overview

Problem

Adaptive lenses in eyewear take noticeable time to adjust optical characteristics, causing visual distractions and impacting the viewing experience due to perceivable changes during adjustments.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating eye-tracking technology to detect saccades and adjust optical parameters of active optical elements during these brief periods, ensuring changes are imperceptible to the user by leveraging the frequent and short duration of saccades.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If adaptive lenses adjust optical characteristics dynamically, then vision correction is improved, but the adjustment is noticeable and visually distracting to the user

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoptical adjustment capabilityVSAvoidvisual distraction

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs optical adjustment in advance during saccades (brief eye movements) when the user's attention is naturally shifted away from the visual field. By initiating and completing the adjustment during these pre-existing eye movements, the lens changes optical characteristics before the user's gaze stabilizes on a new target, making the adjustment imperceptible while maintaining vision correction capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system exploits the natural saccadic eye movements, which are typically unnoticed by users, as an opportunity to perform optical adjustment. The brief period during saccades when visual perception is suppressed is converted into a beneficial window for lens adjustment, transforming what would normally be a disruptive adjustment period into an imperceptible one

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

2Reliability

If adaptive lenses take time to adjust optical characteristics, then the adjustment is complete and effective, but the adjustment is perceivable and impacts viewing experience

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadjustment effectivenessVSAvoidadjustment time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system initiates optical adjustment during saccades, which are brief eye movements lasting only a fraction of a second. By completing the adjustment within this pre-existing time window, the system eliminates the need for additional adjustment time that would be perceivable to the user, while still achieving complete and effective optical correction

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically synchronizes optical adjustment with the user's natural eye movement patterns. By detecting saccades and triggering adjustment at these dynamic moments, the system adapts the timing of optical changes to match the user's visual behavior, making the adjustment imperceptible while maintaining effectiveness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS20250004269A1Optical adjustment in adaptive lenses during saccades

Publication Date: 2025.01.02 PIXIERAY OY

AI summary

An optical apparatus includes—eye-tracking means; an active optical element per eye; controlling means for controlling one or more optical parameters of the active optical element; and at least one processor. The at least one processor is configured to detect a trigger for changing at least one of the one or more optical parameters of the active optical element; process eye-tracking data, collected by the eye-tracking means, to detect a beginning of a saccade of a user's eye; and drive the controlling means to change the at least one of the one or more optical parameters of the active optical element during the saccade.