Foveated HMD Projection With Eye Tracking and Jitter Stabilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current head-mounted displays (HMDs) struggle to provide high-resolution, comfortable, and immersive mixed reality gaming experiences due to limitations in optical systems, inability to sense eye movements, project imagery in distinct field of view ranges, and correct for jitter caused by fast head movements, while maintaining congruence between focal and stereoscopic depth.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a liquid crystal cell with a patterned electrode layer to generate a spatially variable electrical field, eye tracking, and a switchable reflector to adjust the field of view, along with foveated optical systems and jitter stabilization, ensuring high-resolution imagery is projected over a wide field of view and maintains image stability during head movements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a liquid crystal cell with patterned electrode layer is used to generate spatially variable electrical field, then wavefront correction precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid crystal cell is divided into multiple regions with different electrode patterns (first electrode pattern and second electrode pattern) that can be independently controlled. This segmentation allows different portions of the liquid crystal cell to correct different wavefront aberrations simultaneously, improving overall correction precision while managing complexity through modular control
Solution Approach 2:
The electrode patterns are made switchable between first and second states, allowing dynamic reconfiguration of the liquid crystal cell's optical properties. This enables adaptive wavefront correction that can respond to changing optical conditions, improving precision without requiring multiple fixed correction devices
2Area of stationary object
If multiple beam launchers are used to project imagery over wide field of view, then field of view coverage is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple beam launchers are combined with a beam combiner to project multiple beams simultaneously over different fields of view. The beam combiner merges these beams in a way that presents them to the user's eye as a unified augmented reality display, achieving wide field coverage without requiring separate display devices for each beam
Solution Approach 2:
The beam launchers are designed to project beams at different angles and positions, making the system capable of serving multiple viewing zones. This multi-functional capability allows a single integrated system to provide augmented reality content across the entire field of view rather than requiring multiple specialized devices
3Stability of the object's composition
If eye tracking system is implemented to sense eye movements, then image stability and comfort are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The eye tracking system continuously monitors eye position and provides feedback to the beam launchers and liquid crystal cell. This feedback enables real-time adjustment of the projected beams and wavefront correction to compensate for eye movements, maintaining image stability and comfort without requiring complex mechanical stabilization mechanisms
4Adaptability or versatility
If switchable reflector is used to adjust field of view, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The switchable reflector can dynamically change its reflective properties between different states to adjust the field of view. This dynamic adaptability allows the system to optimize its optical path for different viewing conditions without requiring multiple physical optical components, improving versatility while managing complexity through controllable single-component design
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 an immersive mixed reality gaming experience by providing high-resolution imagery that remains stable and congruent with the physical environment, allowing users to enjoy sophisticated gaming without discomfort.
Implementation Method 1
at least a liquid crystal cell; and at least a patterned electrode layer configured to generate a spatially variable electrical field within the at least a liquid crystal cell
Implementation Method 2
the optical system is configured to produce a wavefront change associated with the at least a wavefront mode as a function of the spatially variable electrical field
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method of projecting augmentation imagery in a head-mounted display are disclosed. The system includes an eye tracking system configured to generate eye tracking data at an eye-tracking rate in response to a position of a pupil of a user, a head tracking system configured to estimate a change in orientation of the user's head at a head tracking rate and generate jitter data at a jitter sensing rate, a controller configured generate a field mapping in response to render data at a projector update rate, a light generator configured to generate a color encoded light associated with the augmentation imagery, the light generator includes a 2D pixelated display and an optical system configured to image the color encoded light into a field of view of the user, wherein the optical system includes a foveated optical system.