AR Light-Guiding Lens Layout for Rainbow Artifact Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional augmented reality (AR) systems suffer from vergence-accommodation conflict and unintended rainbow artifacts due to the inadvertent in-coupling and diffraction of real-world light within light-guiding optical elements, disrupting the AR experience.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a gradient tinted lens exterior to the light-guiding optical elements that attenuates real-world light, particularly from overhead sources, and a controllable dimming assembly to adjust opacity based on external light conditions, minimizing rainbow artifacts and enhancing virtual content solidity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a transparent light-guiding optical element is used to allow real-world light to pass through, then transparency to real-world visual input is improved, but unintended rainbow artifacts are generated due to diffraction of real-world light
Solution Approach 1:
An external covering lens is introduced as an intermediary element between the light-guiding optical element and the environment. This lens serves as a mediator that blocks harmful overhead real-world light from entering the light-guiding element, thereby preventing rainbow artifact generation while preserving the transparency function for necessary real-world visual input.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful overhead real-world light is selectively extracted or removed from the optical path by the external covering lens. This allows the system to maintain transparency for useful real-world light while eliminating the specific harmful component that causes rainbow artifacts through diffraction.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If overhead real-world light is blocked to minimize rainbow artifacts, then harmful factors are reduced, but visibility of the real-world environment may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The external covering lens applies selective light blocking with local quality - it specifically targets and blocks overhead real-world light directions while preserving light transmission from other directions. This directional selectivity allows the system to reduce rainbow artifacts from overhead sources without compromising overall visibility of the real-world environment from various angles.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces unintended rainbow artifacts and improves the comfort and clarity of the AR experience by balancing ambient light levels, allowing users to interact with both virtual and real-world environments more comfortably.
Implementation Method 1
the virtual light beam enters the light guiding optical element, propagates through the light guiding optical element by total internal reflection (TIR) and exits the light guiding optical elements
Implementation Method 2
a gradient tinted lens exterior to the light-guiding optical elements that attenuates real-world light, particularly from overhead sources
Implementation Method 3
unintended rainbow artifacts due to the inadvertent in-coupling and diffraction of real-world light within light-guiding optical elements
Data Source
AI summary
An augmented reality system includes a light source to generate a virtual light beam, the virtual light beam carrying information for a virtual object. The system also includes a light guiding optical element, the light guiding optical element allowing a first portion of a first real-world light beam to pass therethrough, where the virtual light beam enters the light guiding optical element, propagates through the light guiding optical element by substantially total internal reflection (TIR), and exits the light guiding optical element. The system further includes a lens disposed adjacent and exterior to a surface of the light guiding optical element, the lens comprising a light modulating mechanism to absorb a second portion of the real-world light beam and to allow the first portion of the real-world light to pass through the lens.