Powered Contact Lens with Retinal Display and Eye Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wearable electronic systems, such as augmented and virtual reality devices, face challenges in providing seamless and efficient image rendering and user interaction, particularly in tracking eye movements and interpreting brain signals for dynamic content display.
Innovation Solution
The development of electrically powered contact lenses equipped with a display screen, tracking elements, and a thought detector, which utilize LEDs, grooves, and electrodes to track eye movements and detect brain signals, allowing for real-time image rendering and user input processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If contact lenses include electronic circuitry for automatically adjusting focus, then visual correction capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions (display, tracking, power management, wireless communication) into a single contact lens device, integrating electronic circuitry directly into the lens structure to provide both visual correction and augmented reality capabilities through a unified system
Solution Approach 2:
The contact lens is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it serves as a visual correction device, a display screen for augmented reality, an eye tracking system, and a powered device with integrated power source and wireless communication, eliminating the need for separate devices
2Adaptability or versatility
If wearable electronic systems track eye movements and process brain signals in real-time, then user interaction capability is improved, but processing requirements and latency increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by continuously tracking eye movements and pre-processing visual data in real-time, allowing the image renderer to anticipate and prepare content delivery before the user actually looks at a stimulus, thereby reducing perceived latency
Solution Approach 2:
The contact lens incorporates feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring eye position and brain signals, then adjusting the displayed content in real-time based on this feedback, creating a closed-loop system that adapts to user attention and cognitive state
3Adaptability or versatility
If images are rendered directly onto the user's retina through contact lenses, then immersion and interaction are improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs periodic action by updating the display content only when necessary based on eye movement detection and attention tracking, rather than continuously refreshing at maximum rate, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining immersive experience
Solution Approach 2:
The contact lens implements local quality by adjusting display brightness and content resolution based on the user's focal point and eye position, concentrating power consumption on the specific retinal region being viewed while reducing or turning off display in peripheral or unused areas
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
Enables advanced user interaction and immersive experiences by rendering images directly onto the user's retina, reducing latency and processing requirements, and allowing for dynamic content adjustment based on eye movements and brain signals, enhancing the overall user experience.
Implementation Method 1
the light sources are LEDs arranged equidistant from each other
Implementation Method 2
The grooves include a conducting material to distribute power to elements spread around the contact lens
Implementation Method 3
The thought detector comprises a wearable portion configured to be attached to a wearer's head. The wearable portion comprises electrodes that are configured to detect electrical signals from the wearer's visual cortex
Data Source
AI summary
A powered contact lens is configured to receive rendered images and provide the rendered images to a user on a display screen built into it. The powered contact lens is also configured so that the position of the wearer's eyes can be precisely tracked and the images can be rendered at a likely resting position. A power source located on the contact lens powers the display screen and the communication module. The communication module receives the rendered images from a disparate image rendering device. An image system comprises the image rendering device, a pair of powered contact lenses which are configured to received and provide the rendered images to a user.