Augmented Reality Light Guide Display for Eye Strain Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional display devices cause eye strain due to their focus on a surface, leading to physical discomfort and reduced user experience, especially for prolonged use.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a light guide technology in display devices, which allows for a user interface to be displayed along an image plane focused at infinity, enabling minimal eye muscle contraction and supporting transparency for augmented reality and adjustable field of view, allowing users to view physical surroundings and interact with devices in various orientations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional display techniques are used, then the display can be viewed clearly, but eye strain occurs due to focusing on a surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the focal distance parameter of the display from a fixed surface distance to infinity, allowing the display to be viewed without eye muscle contraction. This is achieved through a light guide system that directs light along an optical path focused at infinity, fundamentally altering the viewing parameter to eliminate eye strain while maintaining display clarity
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a light guide is used to focus at infinity, then eye strain is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide is integrated within the existing display structure, with the light engine positioned behind the light guide. The light guide itself is a layered structure with input coupling optics and output coupling optics nested within transparent layers, allowing the infinity-focus functionality to be embedded without significantly increasing overall device complexity
3Adaptability or versatility
If the display is made transparent for augmented reality, then the field of view increases, but the display brightness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide structure uses different transparency properties in different regions and layers. The input coupling optics and output coupling optics are positioned to locally direct light while maintaining transparency in other areas. This allows certain portions of the display to be transparent for augmented reality while other portions maintain sufficient brightness for display content
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
This solution reduces eye strain, enhances user experience by allowing seamless interaction with devices, and provides an adjustable field of view that increases as the device is brought closer, supporting gestures and augmented reality applications.
Implementation Method 1
a light guide supported by the housing and an optical path along which to direct light from the light engine
Implementation Method 2
a light engine disposed within the housing and optically coupled to the light guide
Implementation Method 3
support transparency for augmented reality and adjustable field of view, allowing users to view physical surroundings
Data Source
AI summary
Augmented reality light guide display techniques are described. In one or more implementations, an apparatus includes a housing configured in a hand-held form factor, one or more sensors configured to detect a position and orientation of the housing in three dimensions in a physical environment of the housing, a light guide that is at least partially transparent and supported by the housing, a light engine that is optically coupled to the light guide, and one or more modules disposed within the housing and implemented at least partially in hardware. The one or more modules are configured to calculate a position and orientation of an augmentation and cause the light engine to output the augmentation for display using the light guide such that the augmentation is viewable concurrently with at least a portion of the physical environment through the light guide.