Dynamic Focal Plane Adjustment for AR Vision Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wearable vision systems, such as head-mounted displays, often cause discomfort due to misalignment of visual accommodation and convergence planes, leading to eyestrain and poor visual fusion, especially when viewing objects at varying depths.
Innovation Solution
A vision system that adjusts its focal plane dynamically based on the viewer's gaze convergence point, using a combination of optical elements and eye-tracking technology to ensure that visual accommodation and convergence are aligned, allowing for realistic depth perception by rendering depth-dependent disparity and blur.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a fixed focal plane is used in the vision system, then the device complexity is reduced, but the user comfort and visual fusion quality deteriorate when viewing objects at varying depths
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment of the focal plane by coupling visual accommodation and convergence through a controllable optical element (such as a variable focus lens or adjustable display position mechanism). The focal plane is no longer fixed but dynamically repositioned based on real-time eye tracking data, allowing the system to adapt to varying depths of objects of interest while maintaining user comfort and reducing eyestrain
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs eye tracking technology to continuously monitor the viewer's gaze and convergence point, using this feedback information to automatically adjust the focal plane position. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures that the focal plane remains aligned with the object of interest, improving visual fusion quality and user comfort without requiring manual intervention
2Reliability
If the focal plane is adjusted to match the convergence point, then visual fusion quality is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional sensors and control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The vision system integrates multiple functions into unified components: the optical element serves both as the display medium and the focal plane adjustment mechanism, while the eye tracker provides both gaze detection and convergence point calculation. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components, thereby improving visual fusion quality without proportionally increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the viewer's own eye movements and convergence behavior as the control signal for focal plane adjustment. By leveraging the natural physiological response of the viewer's visual system, the device automatically adapts without requiring external control inputs or complex user interfaces, improving reliability while keeping the control mechanism relatively simple
3Measurement precision
If eye tracking is implemented to determine convergence point, then the alignment of accommodation and convergence is improved, but the loss of information increases due to processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential information needed for focal plane adjustment from the eye tracking data - specifically the convergence point coordinates - while discarding redundant information. By focusing on the critical parameter (convergence point) rather than processing all raw eye movement data, the system achieves precise alignment while minimizing data processing load and information loss
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the disclosed apparatuses, methods and systems provide three-dimensional gradient and dynamic light fields for display in 3D technologies, in particular 3D augmented reality (AR) devices, by coupling visual accommodation and visual convergence to the same plane at any depth of an object of interest in real time.