User-Adjustable Head-Mounted Vision System for Tunnel Vision Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Individuals with retinitis pigmentosa face challenges with "tunnel vision" and reduced ability to navigate and recognize objects in low light conditions due to fixed magnification and focus in existing vision-enhancement systems, limiting their mobility and daily activities.
Innovation Solution
A head-mounted, user-adjustable vision-enhancement system that includes a camera, processor, and display, allowing real-time processing and adjustment of video images to provide a minified view with optional magnification, enabling users to control their field of view and enhance peripheral vision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed magnification and focus system is used, then the device structure is simple, but the adaptability to different visual needs is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustability by allowing users to modify magnification levels, focus points, and field of view parameters in real-time. The system transitions from fixed optical parameters to dynamically configurable ones, enabling adaptation to various visual needs and environments without requiring multiple dedicated devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables users to change key optical parameters including magnification power, focus distance, and field of view angle. These parameter adjustments allow the same device to serve multiple visual requirements, from reading small text to navigating broad environments, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and adaptability.
2Productivity
If a fixed field of view system is used, then the device is easier to operate, but the productivity for navigation and recognition is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The field of view is made dynamically adjustable, allowing users to expand or contract the viewing area based on task requirements. For navigation, a broader field of view provides situational awareness, while for recognition tasks, the system can focus on specific regions, thereby improving productivity without significantly complicating operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides multiple field of view configurations within a single device, making it universally applicable to both navigation and detailed recognition tasks. This multi-functionality approach enables the device to adapt to different operational contexts without requiring separate specialized equipment.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed magnification system is used, then the device complexity is low, but the ability to perform multiple tasks is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The magnification system allows dynamic switching between different magnification levels, enabling the user to perform both distant viewing and close-up inspection tasks with a single device. This dynamic capability provides multi-task versatility without requiring multiple fixed-magnification devices.
Solution Approach 2:
By incorporating variable magnification and focus capabilities, the device achieves universal applicability across diverse tasks such as reading, navigation, object recognition, and monitoring. This multi-functional design resolves the contradiction by consolidating multiple task-specific functions into one adaptable system.
4Reliability
If non-adjustable vision enhancement is provided, then the system is simpler, but the quality of life improvement is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides dynamic adjustment of visual parameters including magnification, focus, and field of view, allowing users to optimize the visual output for their specific needs and environmental conditions. This adaptability significantly improves reliability of the vision enhancement function and consequently quality of life, while maintaining reasonable system complexity through software-based controls.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and methods for compensating for retinitis pigmentosa for a user include using a head-mounted and user-controllable device that can minify the image to more closely match the user's reduced field of view. The user may adjust the amount of minification and may also adjust the magnification of the image.