Display-Optimized Eyewear Lenses for Sunlight and Screen Visibility

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional sunglasses significantly reduce display light brightness, making it difficult for users to view screens while wearing them, and fail to effectively balance sun protection with display visibility.

Innovation Solution

Eyewear with display-optimized lenses that incorporate a polarizer and color filter tailored to the polarization and color spectrum of specific displays, reducing sunlight brightness more than display light while preserving color accuracy, including the use of quarter wave plates and linear or circular polarizers to manage light polarization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If conventional sunglasses use filters to reduce brightness, then sun protection is provided, but display light brightness is significantly reduced making it difficult to view displays

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesunlight brightnessVSAvoiddisplay light brightness

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by designing lenses with specific optical characteristics (transmission spectrum, polarization properties) that are optimized for a given target display. The lenses have a transmission spectrum with peaks corresponding to primary colors of the display, and include polarizers matched to the display's polarization type (linear or circular), allowing selective transmission of display wavelengths while blocking sunlight.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses composite materials by combining multiple optical layers including a polarizer layer and a color filter layer within the lens structure. The polarizer is combined with a quarter wave plate and color filter to create a composite optical system that simultaneously provides sun protection and display optimization through layered functional materials.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Object-affected harmful factors

If filters are designed to reduce sunlight brightness, then sun protection is improved, but color accuracy and brightness of display content are compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesunlight brightnessVSAvoidcolor accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The color filter is designed with a transmission spectrum that has peaks corresponding to the primary colors of the target display, allowing those specific wavelengths to pass through while blocking other wavelengths. This spectral parameter optimization maintains color accuracy by preserving the display's color gamut while still providing overall brightness reduction for sun protection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The lens system applies local quality by providing different transmission characteristics for different wavelengths of light. The color filter allows specific wavelengths (primary colors) to pass through while blocking others, and the polarizer selectively transmits light based on polarization direction, creating wavelength-and-direction-dependent transmission properties.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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 users to view displays clearly while providing adequate sun protection by optimizing lens filters to minimize brightness and color shifts, ensuring better visibility of both display content and external environments.

Implementation Method 1

The lenses may include a polarizer that is designed for a given target display. Lenses that are optimized for a display that emits linearly polarized light may include a linear polarizer. Lenses that are optimized for a display that emits circularly polarized light may include a circular polarizer.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPolarization: Polarisation

Implementation Method 2

The circular polarizer may include a quarter wave plate and a linear polarizer. The linear polarizer may be located between the quarter wave plate and the color filter.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectWave plate retardation:

Implementation Method 3

The color filter may have a transmission spectrum curve with peaks corresponding to the primary colors of the target display so that the color and brightness of display light is preserved while the brightness of sunlight is reduced.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectOptical filtering: Filter (optical)

Data Source

PatentUS11803060B1Eyewear with display-optimized lenses

Publication Date: 2023.10.31 APPLE INC

AI summary

Eyewear such as sunglasses may include display-optimized lenses. The lenses may be optimized for viewing an external display and/or for viewing a display in the head-mounted device while also providing sun protection for the user's eyes. The lenses may include a polarizer and a color filter that are designed for a given target display. Lenses that are optimized for a display that emits linearly polarized light may include a linear polarizer. Lenses that are optimized for a display that emits circularly polarized light may include a circular polarizer. The circular polarizer may include a quarter wave plate and a linear polarizer. The color filter may have a transmission spectrum curve with peaks corresponding to the primary colors of the target display so that the color and brightness of display light is preserved while the brightness of sunlight is reduced.