Display Apparatus Using Peripheral Visual Cues for Seamless Immersion

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional virtual and augmented reality devices suffer from discontinuous images around the edges of the display, limiting the user's field of view and immersion due to smaller visual width compared to the human eye's field of view, resulting in sub-optimal immersive experiences.

Innovation Solution

A display apparatus that uses a combination of image renderers, an exit optical element, and visual cues to provide a seamless and continuous visual experience by projecting images beyond the viewport, utilizing a processor to generate drive signals for peripheral visual cues that enhance immersion and visibility of scenes outside the direct field of view.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If the image rendering equipment is used with a smaller visual width, then the device complexity is reduced, but the image continuity and immersion quality deteriorate due to black edges appearing around the visual scene

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice complexityVSAvoidimage continuity
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by displaying visual cues in the peripheral region before the user actually needs to see the content in that region. The system proactively renders preview images or visual indicators in the peripheral area, allowing users to anticipate upcoming visual content and smoothly transition their gaze without encountering abrupt black edges, thereby maintaining image continuity and immersion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of manufacture

If the image rendering equipment has a smaller visual width, then the manufacturing cost is reduced, but the user's perception of visual scenes beyond the viewport is lost, limiting reaction to peripheral visual content

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidperception of visual scenes
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses visual cues as an intermediary element between the limited viewport and the user's peripheral vision. These visual cues act as mediators that convey information about scenes beyond the viewport boundaries, allowing users to perceive and react to peripheral visual content without requiring the image rendering equipment to physically display the full field of view, thus maintaining manufacturing cost efficiency while preserving information perception.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Stability of the object's composition

If visual cues are displayed in the peripheral region, then the immersion quality is enhanced, but the device complexity increases due to additional rendering requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimmersion qualityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating the rendering requirements between the central viewport region and the peripheral region. Instead of uniformly rendering high-quality images across the entire field of view, the system provides simplified visual cues or preview images in the peripheral region, while maintaining full image quality in the central viewport. This localized approach enhances immersion quality where it matters most while minimizing the additional device complexity and computational load.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3655814B1Display apparatus and method of displaying using means for providing visual cues
Publication Date: 2020.12.02 VARJO TECH OY
  • EP3655814B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2A
  • EP3655814B1 patent drawingFigure 2B~3
  • EP3655814B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

Disclosed is a display apparatus and method of displaying, via the display apparatus. The display apparatus comprises at least one image renderer for rendering an image; an exit optical element through which a projection of the rendered image exits the display apparatus to be incident upon a user's eye, when the display apparatus is head-mounted by the user; means for providing visual cues, the visual cues being provided in a peripheral region, the peripheral region substantially surrounding a viewport of the exit optical element; and a processor coupled to the at least one image renderer and the means for providing the visual cues, wherein the processor generates a drive signal based at least partially upon a region of the rendered image that is not visible in the viewport of the exit optical element, and to control, via the drive signal, the means for providing the visual cues.