AR Optical Cloak for Perspective-Correct Occlusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Augmented reality (AR) systems struggle to provide occluded and high-contrast AR content while maintaining the user's perspective, as existing techniques often invert the real-world image and change the user's perspective point, leading to poor integration of virtual content with the real environment.
Innovation Solution
An AR system utilizing a combination of focusing elements, a mask display screen, and a prism to occlude selected portions of the user's view, allowing AR content to be integrated at the occluded location without altering the user's perspective, achieved by setting the optical path length and spacing of the prism and focusing elements to maintain the original light direction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a lens is used to focus the real-world onto a plane with a first display to create a black silhouette for occlusion, then the AR content appearance becomes more vibrant and high-contrast, but the real-world image is inverted and the user's perspective is moved to a point in front of the AR display
Solution Approach 1:
The optical system is segmented into multiple functional components: a first lens for focusing real-world light, a first display for creating the occlusion silhouette, a second display for generating AR content, a beam combiner for merging the two light paths, and a second lens for final focusing. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function without interfering with the overall perspective correctness.
Solution Approach 2:
A beam combiner is introduced as an intermediary element between the first display (occlusion layer) and the second display (AR content layer). The beam combiner merges the occluded real-world image with the AR content while maintaining proper light path geometry, ensuring that the final image reaches the user's eye with correct perspective without requiring the user's perspective to be physically relocated.
2Ease of operation
If the AR display uses a beam-combiner to combine real-world image and AR content at infinity, then the AR content appears integrated into the real-world image, but the AR content cannot occlude the background or display black since black is the absence of light
Solution Approach 1:
The display system is segmented into two separate displays: the first display dedicated to creating the occlusion silhouette by blocking real-world light, and the second display dedicated to generating the AR content. This segmentation allows the occlusion function and AR content generation to be performed independently, enabling true black display and background occlusion while maintaining integration through the beam combiner.
Solution Approach 2:
The occlusion silhouette is created in advance by the first display before the AR content is generated by the second display. The beam combiner then merges these pre-prepared layers, ensuring that the occlusion effect is already in place before the AR content is added, which enables proper occlusion and black color display while maintaining seamless integration.
3Ease of operation
If the AR system uses multiple focusing elements and a prism to maintain perspective correctness, then the user's perspective is preserved, but the physical size of the AR system increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple optical functions are merged into a compact configuration. The first and second lenses are positioned with their focal planes aligned, and the beam combiner is integrated at this focal plane. The prism is incorporated into this compact arrangement, allowing the light paths to be folded and combined in a space-efficient manner. This merging of functions into a compact focal-plane-based architecture reduces the overall system volume while maintaining perspective correctness.
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 enables the creation of occluded and high-contrast AR content that maintains the user's perspective, allowing for vibrant and accurate integration of virtual elements with the real world, including the display of black shades, while reducing the physical size of the AR system.
Implementation Method 1
a prism where the light passes through the prism
Implementation Method 2
a first focusing element configured to receive light defining a view of a user environment
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments herein describe AR systems that provide occluded AR content to a user while maintaining the perspective of the user. In one embodiment, the AR system includes an optical cloak that contains a mask display device and an AR display device and one or more focusing elements and a prism for focusing light captured from the user's environment. As the light enters the optical cloak, the mask display device occludes a portion of the user's view to generate a black silhouette. The AR system then combines AR content displayed by the AR display device with the image of the environment such that the location of the AR content overlaps with the location of the black silhouette. Furthermore, the spacing and characteristics of the focusing elements and the prism are set to maintain the perspective of the user as the light passes through the optical cloak.