Hyperfocal Reflective Viewports for AR Displays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Virtual reality and augmented reality display systems often cause eye strain and fatigue due to the vergence-accommodation conflict, where the eyes' focus and convergence are mismatched, leading to discomfort and reduced visual clarity.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an optical hyperfocal reflective system with hyperfocal reflective viewports that manipulate convergence to allow the eyes' accommodation to match the convergence plane, using discrete optical hyperfocal reflector spots integrated with the optical substrate to project a collimated display image as a discrete optical spot beam, effectively extending the focal accommodation range and reducing the optical effects of vergence-convergence conflicts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional optical systems are used in virtual reality and augmented reality displays, then the display system can deliver virtual images to the human eye, but the eyes experience vergence-accommodation conflict causing eye strain and fatigue
Solution Approach 1:
The optical system is segmented into multiple discrete hyperfocal reflector spots distributed across the optical substrate. Each reflector spot processes a specific portion of the display image, allowing independent optimization of optical paths for different regions and enabling the accommodation plane to match the convergence plane across the entire field of view.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the optical substrate are equipped with hyperfocal reflector spots having locally optimized optical properties. Each reflector spot is positioned and sized to create hyperfocused views at specific locations, ensuring that every region of the displayed image contributes to the overall hyperfocal effect and eliminates vergence-accommodation conflict throughout the entire visual field.
2Measurement precision
If the eyes' focus and convergence are mismatched in conventional VR/AR systems, then the system structure remains simple, but visual clarity is reduced and discomfort increases
Solution Approach 1:
Hyperfocal reflector spots act as intermediary optical elements between the display image and the human eye. These reflector spots manipulate the optical paths to create hyperfocused views, serving as a mediator that reconciles the mismatch between convergence and accommodation, thereby simultaneously improving visual clarity and viewing comfort.
3Adaptability or versatility
If discrete optical hyperfocal reflector spots are used to project collimated display images, then the focal accommodation range is extended and vergence-accommodation conflict is reduced, but the optical substrate complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The optical substrate is designed to be self-serving by integrating hyperfocal reflector spots directly into its structure. The reflector spots utilize the substrate's own optical properties and geometry to create hyperfocused views, eliminating the need for separate, complex optical components and reducing overall system complexity while extending focal accommodation range.
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 reduces eye strain and fatigue by allowing the accommodation plane to move towards the convergence plane, maintaining a sharp image and eliminating the vergence-accommodation conflict, thereby enhancing the viewing experience in virtual and augmented reality systems.
Implementation Method 1
the discrete optical hyperfocal reflector spot is at least partially reflective and is configured to reflectively project on to a target area located at predetermined working distance from the hyperfocal reflective view port a discrete portion of the optical input coupled display image rays as a discrete optical spot beam of rays
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Optical hyperfocal reflective systems and methods are provided. One such optical hyperfocal reflective system has an optical substrate (101, 101F, 101G1 101G2, 101G3), an optical input coupling portion (150, 150G1) configured to input couple a collimated display image to the optical substrate; and an optical hyperfocal output coupling portion integrated with said optical substrate (101, 101F, 101G1 101G2, 101G3). The optical output coupling portion includes at least one hyperfocal reflective view port (102, 102H, 102V, 102G1, 102G2....) formed from a discrete optical hyperfocal reflector spot (103, 103A1, 103A2, 103B, 103M1, 103M2, 103C1 -103C6, 103V, 103H.......) integrated with the optical substrate. The discrete optical hyperfocal reflector spot is sized to form a reflected discrete optical spot beam (105, 105A1, 105A2, 105B, 105C.....) with a diameter at a target area such that a view of a discrete virtual display image portion, as seen by a lens-detector system (400 locatable at the target area, is hyperfocused.