Head-Mountable Display Optics for Adjustable Eye Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing head-mountable displays (HMDs) often cause visual discomfort due to misalignment of optical components with a user's eye separation, leading to issues like blurring and incorrect depth perception, particularly in stereoscopic images, as they are typically configured for an average interpupillary distance that varies significantly among users.
Innovation Solution
The HMDs are equipped with adjustable optical elements that can be configured to match an individual user's eye separation, facilitated by input units and adjustment mechanisms, and provide visual guidance for proper alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If optical components are configured with a predetermined arrangement for average interpupillary distance, then device complexity is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but visual comfort deteriorates due to misalignment with individual user eye separation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements adjustable optical components that can dynamically change their separation distance to match different users' interpupillary distances. The optical components are mounted on movable structures allowing real-time reconfiguration, transforming a static fixed configuration into a dynamic adjustable system that adapts to individual user anatomy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables adjustment of the separation parameter between optical components to match varying interpupillary distance values. By making this key geometric parameter variable rather than fixed, the system can be optimized for each user's specific eye separation, eliminating visual discomfort while maintaining ease of manufacture through standardized adjustment mechanisms.
2Device complexity
If optical components are fixed in a predetermined arrangement, then device complexity is reduced, but image quality deteriorates due to blurring caused by misalignment with user's eyes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces movable mounting structures for optical components that enable post-manufacturing adjustment. This dynamic capability allows the optical system to achieve precise alignment with each user's eyes without requiring extremely tight manufacturing tolerances, effectively decoupling alignment precision from manufacturing precision.
3Ease of operation
If optical components are positioned for average interpupillary distance, then ease of operation is improved for average users, but adaptability deteriorates for users with significantly different eye separation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the interpupillary distance parameter adjustable through mechanical means, allowing the optical component separation to be changed to match different user anatomies. This parameter variability enables the device to adapt to a wide range of interpupillary distances while maintaining optimal visual comfort and image quality for each individual user.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs the HMD with universal adaptability through adjustable optical mounting, allowing a single device to serve users with various interpupillary distances. The adjustment mechanism enables one device to perform multiple configurations, making it universally suitable for different users rather than requiring user-specific customization.
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
This solution enhances user comfort by ensuring optimal optical alignment, reducing image blurring and improving depth perception, thereby enhancing the overall HMD experience.
Implementation Method 1
a first optical component for directing the light from the display device towards a user's first eye and a second optical component for directing the light from the display device towards a second eye of the user
Data Source
AI summary
A head mountable display apparatus includes a display unit to display one or more images to a user wearing the HMD, a first optical element and a second optical element each configured to direct light from the one or more images displayed by the display unit for viewing by a respective eye of the user, a first input unit to receive user information for the user indicative of a separation of the user's eyes, a second input unit to receive a user input, and an adjustment unit to adjust a current separation of the first and second optical elements responsive to the user input, where the display unit is configured to display a first image comprising one or more indicators indicative of the current separation of the first and second optical elements with respect to the separation of the user's eyes.